cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
In vivo fluorescence imaging of gastrointestinal stromal tumors using fluorophore-conjugated anti-KIT antibody.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are frequently characterized by KIT overexpression. Tumor-free margins and complete cytoreduction of disease are mainstays of treatment. We hypothesized that fluorescently labeled anti-KIT antibodies can label GIST in vivo. KIT K641E+/− transgenic mice that spontaneously develop cecal GISTs were used in this study, with C57BL/6 mice serving as controls. Alexa 488 fluorophore-conjugated anti-KIT antibodies were delivered via the tail vein 24 h prior to fluorescence imaging. Following fluorescence laparoscopy, mice were sacrificed. The gastrointestinal tracts were grossly examined for tumors followed by fluorescence imaging. Tumors were harvested for histologic confirmation. KIT K641E+/− mice and C57BL/6 control mice received anti-KIT antibody or isotope control antibody. Fluorescence laparoscopy had a high tumor signal-to-background noise ratio. Upon blinded review of intravital fluorescence and bright light images, there were 2 false-positive and 0 false-negative results. The accuracy was 92 %. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were 100, 87, 85, and 100 %, respectively, for the combined modalities. In this study, we present a method for in vivo fluorescence labeling of GIST in a murine model. Several translatable applications include: laparoscopic staging; visualization of peritoneal metastases; assessment of margin status; endoscopic differentiation of GISTs from other benign submucosal tumors; and longitudinal surveillance of disease response. This novel approach has clear clinical applications that warrant further research and development.
Anomalous resonance in a nanomechanical biosensor

The decrease in resonant frequency (−Δωr) of a classical cantilever provides a sensitive measure of the mass of entities attached on its surface. This elementary phenomenon has been the basis of a new class of bio-nanomechanical devices as sensing components of integrated microsystems that can perform rapid, sensitive, and selective detection of biological and biochemical entities. Based on classical analysis, there is a widespread perception that smaller sensors are more sensitive (sensitivity ≈ −0.5ωr/mC, where mC is the mass of the cantilever), and this notion has motivated scaling of biosensors to nanoscale dimensions. In this work, we show that the response of a nanomechanical biosensor is far more complex than previously anticipated. Indeed, in contrast to classical microscale sensors, the resonant frequencies of the nanosensor may actually decrease or increase after attachment of protein molecules. We demonstrate theoretically and experimentally that the direction of the frequency change arises from a size-specific modification of diffusion and attachment kinetics of biomolecules on the cantilevers. This work may have broad impact on microscale and nanoscale biosensor design, especially when predicting the characteristics of bio-nanoelectromechanical sensors functionalized with biological capture molecules.
Impulsivity and time of day: Effects on performance and cognitive tempo

Abstract Previous research has suggested that high impulsive individuals perform better in the evening than in the morning because of differential variations in diurnal arousal rhythms. The current study was designed to determine if these findings could be replicated without external manipulation of arousal level. Forty subjects (20 high impulsive and 20 low impulsive as classified by the Barratt impulsiveness scale) were tested twice, once between 8.00 and 10.00 a.m. and once between 6.00 and 8.00 p.m. A variety of performance and cognitive tempo measures were employed in the study. No significant interactions between level of impulsivity and time of day on performance were observed. However, the results did reveal a greater variability of performance and a faster cognitive tempo in high impulsives as compared to low impulsives, a finding that is consistent with previous research. Time of day differences were also discovered on tasks requiring attention, with all subjects performing better in the evening on those tasks.
Interfacial electron-transfer kinetics of ferrocene through oligophenyleneethynylene bridges attached to gold electrodes as constituents of self-assembled monolayers: observation of a nonmonotonic distance dependence.

The standard heterogeneous electron-transfer rate constants (kn0) between substrate gold electrodes and the ferrocene redox couple attached to the electrode surface by variable lengths of substituted or unsubstituted oligophenyleneethynylene (OPE) bridges as constituents of mixed self-assembled monolayers were measured as a function of temperature. The distance dependences of the unsubstituted OPE standard rate constants and of the preexponential factors (An) obtained from an Arrhenius analysis of the unsubstituted OPE kn0 versus temperature data are not monotonic. This surprising result, together with the distance dependence of the substituted OPE preexponential factors, may be assessed in terms of the likely conformational variability of the OPE bridges (as a result of the low intrinsic barrier to rotation of the phenylene rings in these bridges) and the associated sensitivity of the rate of electron transfer (and, hence, the single-molecule conductance which may be estimated using An) through these bri...
Relativity without light

The relativistic addition law for parallel velocities is derived directly from the principle of relativity and a few simple assumptions of smoothness and symmetry, without making use of the principle of the constancy of the velocity of light.
User fees as sustainable financing mechanisms for marine protected areas: An application to the Bonaire National Marine Park

Abstract Marine protected areas (MPAs) have proliferated globally in the past three decades. However, inadequate funding often prevents these management regimes from fulfilling their missions. Managers have become increasingly aware that successful protection of marine ecosystems is dependent not only upon an understanding of their biological and physical processes, but also their associated social and economic aspects. Unfortunately, economic values associated with MPAs and the natural resources they protect are rarely considered in decision-making and policy development. This study addresses this information gap by examining scuba divers’ willingness to pay for access to quality recreational sites in the Bonaire National Marine Park, Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles. The findings indicate that the US$10 annual diver user fee in effect at the time of the study could be increased substantially without a significant adverse effect on island tourism. Depending on question format, mean willingness to pay for annual access ranged from US$61 to US$134 (2002$). All model specifications support the conclusion that doubling the US$10 user fee would have virtually no impact on visitation rates. The increased revenue generated from this sustainable financing mechanism is more than sufficient to fund both current and enhanced marine park operations.
Reducing governmental interventions in families by licensing parents

Government has played an increasing role in family life because too many parents have not fulfilled their childrearing responsibilities. The misuse of parental power in child abuse and the abdication of parental responsibilities in child neglect have necessitated governmental interventions in order to protect children. A parent license would validate parental rights, establish parental responsibility, and provide a basis for the societal support of parenting in the form of financial benefits, parent education and training, and protective services for children when necessary. By generally increasing competent parenting, it would substantially reduce the need for governmental interventions in families.
Providing Services to Users Through Data Networks: A Case Study of a Credit Reporting Company

Providing credit information about people to corporate customers is a growth business in the U.S. We discuss the network of a company that collects information about the credit history of customers and provides it to lending and credit companies, life and health insurance companies, property and casualty insurance companies. The accuracy of the information is critical and also speed is essential in responding to queries. This company has developed a technology center to capture, process, and distribute this information. This company has been expanding and modifying its network to place itself in the forefront with regards to information technology.
Magnetospheric cusp observations using the image satellite radio plasma imager

Abstract On March 25, 2000, the Imager for Magnetopause-to-Auroral Global Exploration (IMAGE) satellite mission was launched with the Radio Plasma Imager (RPI) radio sounder instrument onboard. Once deployed, the RPI began remote detection of regions of differing plasma densities via the reflection of transmitted radio waves. One of these regions is the magnetospheric polar cusp, which contains solar wind particles injected onto magnetospheric field lines by the process of dayside reconnection. Using data from the first month of RPI active sounding operation, a candidate cusp plasma echo return was analyzed to confirm that these signatures are in fact due to cusp plasmas. Associated in situ measurements also taken by the RPI instrument, as well as theoretical ray traces within an idealized model magnetosphere, strongly indicate that the RPI can and does remotely observe particle densities within the cusp region.
Analysis of potential leakage pathways at the Cranfield, MS, U.S.A., CO2 sequestration site

Abstract A 1.5-million-ton CO2 sequestration project took place in a 3000-m-deep historical oilfield, combined with a CO2-EOR flood. The Cranfield reservoir is found within a multikilometer domal structure related to a deep-salt diapir and consists of fluvial sediments of the Tuscaloosa Formation. An earlier analysis determined that plugged and abandoned wells provide the most likely leakage pathways to aquifers and potentially to the ground surface. Fourteen Cement Bond Logs (CBL's) were used to assess the risk. The present quality of the cement bond ranges from excellent to poor. Geological insights, stochastic numerical modeling of the pressure field, analysis of the CBL's, and application of a wellbore flow model were used to conclude that the limited pressure increase and mostly intact wellbores result in a low CO2- and brine-leakage risk. Statistical estimates of well properties suggest that at most two (and possibly none) could be capable of conveying a total of 1800 kg/yr CO2 to the surface (0.0002% of annual injection rate). Given that the oilfield is an active operation, it is improbable that well leakage to the surface will go unnoticed and certain that risks will be managed through active risk mitigation and remediation if necessary.
The Cross-Race Effect: Resistant to Instructions

The cross-race effect (CRE) is the tendency for eyewitnesses to be better at recognizing members of their own race/ethnicity than members of other races/ethnicities. It manifests in terms of both better discrimination (i.e., telling apart previously seen from new targets) and a more conservative response criterion for own-race than for other-race faces. The CRE is quite robust and generally resistant to change. Two studies examined the effectiveness of reducing the CRE with special instructions given prior to retrieval. Although instructions at retrieval did change participants’ response criterion—making them less likely to identify test faces as previously seen—they did not shift their response criterion selectively for other-race faces. The findings indirectly support the importance of encoding processes in producing the CRE.
The contribution of prehatch and posthatch development to protandry in the chrysomelid, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera

Laboratory tests with eggs of Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte showed that during a 10-day hatching period, hatch of male eggs predominated on the first and second days, eggs of mixed sex, with ca. 1:1 ratio, hatched on the third and fourth days, and eggs hatching from the fifth to the tenth days were nearly all female. Overall, female eggs hatched a mean of 2.9 days later than male eggs. Not only did female eggs hatch later, but the time for posthatch development to the adult stage was 1.8 days longer for females. The later egg hatch and longer posthatch development for females resulted in female adults emerging a mean of 4.7 days later than male adults. Total adult emergence lasted 14 days; of this, males predominated during the first 5 days, and females predominated during the last 9 days. Males of D. v. virgifera appear to have evolved protandry (the tendency for males to emerge before females) by developing both a postdiapause embryonic stage and a combined larval and pupal stage of shorter duration. RESUME Contribution a la protandrie des periodes precedant ou suivant l'eclosion des oeufs de Diabrotica virgifera virgifera (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). L'observation, au laboratoire, pendant une periode d'eclosion de dix jours, des oeufs de D. v. virgifera LeConte, a montre que les oeufs mâles predominent les deux premiers jours d'eclosion, que les oeufs des deux sexes, avec des frequences 0,5/0,5, ont eclos les troisieme et quatrieme jours, et que les oeufs eclos du cinquieme au dixieme jour etaient presque tous femelles. Globalement, les oeufs femelles ont eclos en moyenne 2,9 jours plus tard que les oeufs mâles. De plus, la duree du developpement post-embryonnaire des femelles a demande 1,8 jour en plus. Une eclosion plus tardive et un developpement post-embryonnaire plus long ont entraine une emergence des femelles en moyenne 4,7 jours apres les mâles. La periode d'emergence des adultes s'est etalee sur 14 jours; les mâles ayant domine pendant les 5 premiers jours et les femelles pendant les 9 derniers. Les mâles de D. v. virgifera semblent avoir evolue vers la protandrie en acquerant, tant une diapause post-embryonnaire que des Stades de developpements larvaire et nymphal plus brefs.
Role of serum response factor in the pathogenesis of disease

Serum response factor (SRF) is a ubiquitously expressed transcription factor that binds to a DNA cis element known as the CArG box, which is found in the proximal regulatory regions of over 200 experimentally validated target genes. Genetic deletion of SRF is incompatible with life in a variety of animals from different phyla. In mice, loss of SRF throughout the early embryo results in gastrulation defects precluding analyses in individual organ systems. Genetic inactivation studies using conditional or inducible promoters directing the expression of the bacteriophage Cre recombinase have shown a vital role for SRF in such cellular processes as contractility, cell migration, synaptic activity, inflammation, and cell survival. A growing number of experimental and human diseases are associated with changes in SRF expression, suggesting that SRF has a role in the pathogenesis of disease. This review summarizes data from experimental model systems and human pathology where SRF expression is either deliberately or naturally altered.
Bioautographic visualization of aminoacylase-1: assignment of the structural gene ACY-1 to chromosome 3 in man.

A bioautographic assay was developed for the visualization of aminoacylase-1 (N -acylamino acid aminohydrolase, ACY-1; EC 3.5.1.14) after zone electrophoresis. Bioautography and species differences in electrophoretic mobility of ACY-1 made it possible to investigate the chromosome assignment of the gene for human ACY-1 using human—mouse somatic cell hybrids. Human ACY-1 segregated concordantly with β-galactosidase-A (βGAL A;EC 3.2.1.23) but showed discordant segregation with 32 other markers representing 23 linkage groups. The β GALA gene has been previously assigned to chromosome 3. From this evidence and confirming chromosome analyses, ACY-1has been assigned to chromosome 3. A genetic polymorphism in the electrophoretic mobility of ACY was observed in mouse strains, demonstrating that this enzyme can be mapped in genetic crosses of Mus musculus.
Basilar membrane tuning in the cat cochlea.

The mechanical response of the basilar membrane changes mainly in the peak region with trauma to the cochlea. Basilar membrane tuning curves measured in cochleas with reduced trauma begin to look s...
LEISHMANIA DONOVANI: IDENTIFICATION OF GLYCOPROTEINS RELEASED BY PROMASTIGOTES DURING GROWTH IN VITRO

Culture supernatants of metabolically labeled Leishmania donovani promastigotes were shown to contain approximately 40 electrophoretically distinct released protein compounds. Of these, approximately 20 were glycoproteins which contained terminal mannose residues, as judged by their specific binding to concanavalin A-agarose beads. Smaller subsets of the released glycoproteins were bound by agarose-conjugated Lens culinaris, Ricinus communis, and peanut lectins. Promastigote mannose-containing released glycoproteins were isolated by concanavalin A affinity chromatography and used to immunize a rabbit. This antiserum recognized the parasite-released mannose-containing glycoproteins, including the soluble acid phosphatase, both by immunoprecipitation from solution and in immunoblot analyses. In an antibody bridged enzyme assay this polyspecific serum was also capable of binding native acid phosphatase out of solution and bridging it to the denatured enzyme on SDS-PAGE transblots. Although this antiserum was raised against all 20 released glycoproteins, in agarose gels its major precipitin activity was against the secreted soluble acid phosphatase.
Building a virtual environment for endoscopic sinus surgery simulation

Abstract Advanced display technologies have made the virtual exploration of relatively complex models feasible in many applications. Unfortunately, only a few human interfaces allow natural interaction with the environment. Moreover, in surgical applications, such realistic interaction requires real-time rendering of volumetric data—placing an overwhelming performance burden on the system. We report on our advances towards developing a virtual reality system that provides intuitive interaction with complex volume data by employing real-time realistic volume rendering and convincing forece feedback (haptic) sensations. We describe our methods for real-time volume rendering, model deformation, interaction, and the haptic devices, and demonstrate the utilization of this system in the real-world application of Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (ESS) simulation.
Developmental responses of rice to photoperiod and carbon dioxide concentration

Abstract The documented increase in the carbon dioxide concentration of the Earth's atmosphere has stimulated interest in the effects of CO2 on plants and in particular the future prospects for the world's food supplies. While rice is a major food crop, relatively little is known about the effects of CO2 concentration on the timing of physiological growth stages and total growth duration, which are important aspects of a rice cultivar's adaptability to the environment of a particular geographic region. The objective of this study was to determine the developmental responses of a modern, improved rice cultivar (Oryza sativa, cultivar ‘IR-30’) to a range of CO2 concentrations under two contrasting photoperiods. Rice plants were grown season-long in an outdoor, naturally lit, computer-controlled environment, plant growth chambers in CO2, concentrations of 160, 250, (subambient) 330 (ambient), 500, 660 and 900 (superambient) μmol CO2 mol−1 air. The entire experiment was conducted twice during 1987. The first or early planted rice (EPR) experiment was conducted with photoperiod extension lights during the vegetative phase of development, while the second or late-planted rice (LPR) experiment was conducted using only naturally occurring photoperiod. In both experiments, mainstem leaf developmental rates were greater during vegetative rather than reproductive growth stages and leaf appearance rates increased with CO2 treatment during vegetative development. In the LPR experiment, panicle initiation and boot stage occurred earlier and total growth duration was shortened for rice plants in the superambient compared with ambient and subambient CO2 treatments. This acceleration of plant development with increasing CO2 treatment was associated with a CO2-induced decrease in the number of mainstem leaves formed during the vegetative phase of growth. The reduced developmental response of rice plants to CO2 in the EPR compared with the LPR experiment was attributed to the artificially extended photoperiod during the EPR experiment forcing a delay in the onset of reproductive development particularly in the superambient treatments. The CO2-induced acceleration of development and shortening of total growth duration should become a topic of interest for rice agronomists and breeders involved with selecting rice cultivars and agronomic practices for a particular geographic region in view of the continued increases in global atmospheric CO2 concentration.
Multi-dimensional coherent optical spectroscopy of semiconductor nanostructures: Collinear and non-collinear approaches

We review our recent work on multi-dimensional coherent optical spectroscopy (MDCS) of semiconductor nanostructures. Two approaches, appropriate for the study of semiconductor materials, are presented and compared. A first method is based on a non-collinear geometry, where the Four-Wave-Mixing (FWM) signal is detected in the form of a radiated optical field. This approach works for samples with translational symmetry, such as Quantum Wells (QWs) or large and dense ensembles of Quantum Dots (QDs). A second method detects the FWM in the form of a photocurrent in a collinear geometry. This second approach extends the horizon of MDCS to sub-diffraction nanostructures, such as single QDs, nanowires, or nanotubes, and small ensembles thereof. Examples of experimental results obtained on semiconductor QW structures are given for each method. In particular, it is shown how MDCS can assess coupling between excitons confined in separated QWs.
Asymptotic Analysis of Flow in Sieve Tubes with Semi-permeable Walls

Abstract The effect of semi-permeable tube walls on the flow in sieve tubes in the phloem is examined by asymptotic analysis of the governing transport equations. The analysis is valid for long, thin tubes, and pertains to regions far from the inlet and outlet where loading and unloading of sugar occurs. It is shown that, under certain conditions, analytical relations governing the concentration, pressure, and velocity fields can be derived in a rigorous fashion. Under other conditions numerical solutions are required. The solutions presented here demonstrate the physical mechanisms that cause the concentration and pressure to decrease and the velocity to increase non-linearly as one moves down the tube in the direction of flow. These predictions are interpreted in light of previously reported experimental data for both model systems and living plants.
The Role of Personality Temperament and Student Learning in Principles of Economics: Further Evidence

Understanding economics is a process of gathering information, making sense of information, building conceptual models, and using these models to evaluate and analyze different situations and alternatives. Jungian psychological theory suggests that different personality temperaments prefer to receive and process information differently. My hypothesis is that personality type plays an important role in a student's understanding of economics, as measured by standard measures of student performance. More precisely, given the more analytical nature of economics, some personality types may succeed in economics more readily than do others. Furthermore, faculty personality type is also important in determining the way in which economic concepts are presented. Thus if students and faculty have the same personality type, they are more likely to receive and process information in a similar fashion, which may lead to increased performance in economics courses. Understanding the ways in which different personality temperaments gather and process information can lead to more effective pedagogies that will benefit all economics students. Borg and Shapiro (1996) found that student personality type is an important determinant of student performance in economics. In this article, I improve and extend their work in two important ways. I replicate Borg and Shapiro's analysis with a larger sample of students and a larger, more diverse group of faculty. I also
Assessing the dietary environment: examples from school-based nutrition interventions.

Objective: The objectives of this paper are to (1) introduce the concept of upstream and downstream public health approaches and discuss diet assessment issues in that context, and (2) provide examples of diet assessment methods and challenges in assessing environmental factors influencing eating patterns. Design: Dietary assessment of environmental factors is discussed as they relate to nutrition interventions for school-aged children, although the issues transcend population characteristics. Examples of assessment challenges in measuring ‘dietary environments’ are drawn from the Child and Adolescent Trial for Cardiovascular Health (CATCH), Teens Eating for Energy and Nutrition at School (TEENS) and Trying Alternative Cafeteria Options in Schools (TACOS) studies. Results/conclusions: The healthfulness of our ‘dietary environments’ (which may include food availability, social norms around food choice and the effect of pricing, policy and promotion on food choice) may be more important in determining what people consume than their individual decision-making about food choice. There is a dearth of published information to inform us on how to assess these ‘dietary environments’.
Hypofractionated moderate dose radiation, intrathecal chemotherapy, and repetitive reinduction/reconsolidation systemic therapy for central nervous system relapse of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children.

Background We assessed efficacy and morbidity of chemotherapy and 1,800 cGy of hypofractionated craniospinal irradiation (CSI) in children with central nervous system (CNS) relapse following first remisssion of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Procedure Nineteen patients with isolated CNS relapse and 4 with combined CNS/marrow or CNS/testicular relapse received treatment according to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) protocols CHP-449 and CHP-497. CNS treatment included intrathecal methotrexate, cytarabine, and hydrocortisone and 1,800 cGy CSI in 16 fractions over 12 months. Systemic therapy consisted of reinductions with vincristine, prednisone, and daunorubicin and reconsolidations with cytarabine, etoposide, and L-asparaginase every 56 days for 2 years. Outcome measures were event-free survival (EFS), survival, growth, and neuropsychologic assessment or school performance. Results Follow-up of survivors from first relapse ranges from 52 to 133 months(median 91 months). Actuarial survival and EFSat 10 years are 58% (CI95 = 38–78%) and 54% (CI95 = 32–76%). Events include 2 second CNS, 4 marrow, 1 testicular, and 2 testicular/marrow relapses and 1 secondary leukemia. EFS is 100% (CI95 = 93–100%) in 9 patients with recurrence more than 26 months from diagnosis. Three patients have significant treatment-related reduction in stature. Median full-scale IQs of 6 patients tested were 112 pretreatment and 111 posttreatment among surviving patients. All 17 survivors attend regular school, but 2 receive supplementary special services. Conclusions Lower dose, hypofractionated CSI, intrathecal chemotherapy, and moderately intensive systemic chemotherapy provide excellent disease control for patients with late isolated CNS or combined marrow and CNS relapse. Children with brief first remissions remain at substantial risk of subsequent relapse with this therapy, especially in the marrow and testes. Med. Pediatr. Oncol. 34:125–131, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Supporting soft real-time parallel applications on multiprocessors

The prevalence of multicore processors has resulted in the wider applicability of parallel programming models such as OpenMP and MapReduce. A common goal of running parallel applications implemented under such models is to guarantee bounded response times while maximizing system utilization. Unfortunately, little previous work has been done that can provide such performance guarantees. In this paper, this problem is addressed by applying soft real-time scheduling analysis techniques. Analysis and conditions are presented for guaranteeing bounded response times for parallel applications under global EDF multiprocessor scheduling.
A generalized framework for deriving nonparametric standardized drought indicators

This paper introduces the Standardized Drought Analysis Toolbox (SDAT) that offers a generalized framework for deriving nonparametric univariate and multivariate standardized indices. Current indicators suffer from deficiencies including temporal inconsistency, and statistical incomparability. Different indicators have varying scales and ranges and their values cannot be compared with each other directly. Most drought indicators rely on a representative parametric probability distribution function that fits the data. However, a parametric distribution function may not fit the data, especially in continental/global scale studies. SDAT is based on a nonparametric framework that can be applied to different climatic variables including precipitation, soil moisture and relative humidity, without having to assume representative parametric distributions. The most attractive feature of the framework is that it leads to statistically consistent drought indicators based on different variables.
An Integrative Bayesian Modeling Approach to Imaging Genetics

In this article we present a Bayesian hierarchical modeling approach for imaging genetics, where the interest lies in linking brain connectivity across multiple individuals to their genetic information. We have available data from a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study on schizophrenia. Our goals are to identify brain regions of interest (ROIs) with discriminating activation patterns between schizophrenic patients and healthy controls, and to relate the ROIs’ activations with available genetic information from single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on the subjects. For this task, we develop a hierarchical mixture model that includes several innovative characteristics: it incorporates the selection of ROIs that discriminate the subjects into separate groups; it allows the mixture components to depend on selected covariates; it includes prior models that capture structural dependencies among the ROIs. Applied to the schizophrenia dataset, the model leads to the simultaneous selection of a set ...
Quality of water in the northwest

The quality of natural waters, as judged by the dissolved mineral content, is quite varied throughout the Northwest. The concentrations of dissolved solids range from less than 50 ppm for many of the surface waters in Washington and Oregon, to several thousand ppm in the alkaline lakes of these states. On the whole, the quality of the natural waters is good but in some areas the waters have become unsatisfactory for many purposes, including irrigation, through contamination with wastes from industrial processes, which may include drainage from irrigated lands.
SH plus CH does not imply stationary antichains

Abstract We build a model in which the continuum hypothesis and Suslin's hypothesis are true, yet there is an Aronszajn tree with no stationary antichain.
Hemodynamic Effects of Changes in Arterial Carbon Dioxide Tension During Intermittent Positive Pressure Ventilation

Hemodynamic effects of changes in arterial carbon dioxide tension during intermittent positive pressure ventilation (IPPV) were studied in lightly anesthetized dogs following recovery from implantation of pulsed ultrasonic flow transducers on aorta and vena cava. Alveolar ventilation was maintained in excess of normal, and arterial PCO2 was varied by alteration of inspired CO2 concentration. Data were obtained at PaCO2 20, 40 and 60 torr, and at each PaCO2 high (peak airway pressure 30 cm. of water, inspiratory to expiratory ratio of 2:1) and low (peak airway pressure 10 cm. of water, inspiratory to expiratory ratio of 1:2) levels of ventilation were employed. Two separate hemodynamic effects were observed, the effects of changes in intrathoracic pressure and those produced by alterations in PaCO2 At each PaCO2 high level of ventilation decreased stroke volume and cardiac output compared to low level of ventilation. At each level of ventilation, stroke volume and cardiac output were decreased during respiratory alkalosis and increased during respiratory acidosis.
Laser soot-scattering imaging of a large buoyant diffusion flame

A novel diagnostic technique, which makes use of laser light scattered by soot particles, was used in an effort to identify the flame sheets within a natural gas diffusion flame. Soot particles, inherently created and consumed in the flame, were used as the scattering medium, which obviated the need for externally supplied seed material. Since no foreign material was added to the flame, the current technique can be considered truly nonintrusive. The soot distribution within a large buoyant natural gas diffusion flame is argued to be a reasonable marker of the flame sheets. Measurements made in 47.4-190 kW natural gas flames stabilized on a 0.5 m diameter burner show that the flame sheets are highly wrinkled and convoluted surfaces. The flame sheets are distributed fairly uniformly within the instantaneous volume of the flame, based on images of the associated soot, and the instantaneous flame volume is devoid of soot for 40-60% of the time. When soot is present, it is observed as thin sheets which become narrower in regions where the average strain rate is estimated to be greater.
Changing role of forebrain astrocytes during development, regenerative failure, and induced regeneration upon transplantation

When the cerebral midline is lesioned in the embryo or neonate, the would-be callosal axons form neuromas. We have shown that an untreated Millipore implant inserted between the neuromas in young acallosal animals can support the migration of immature astrocytes that, in turn, support the de novo growth of commissural axons between the hemispheres. Since callosal neuromas persist into adulthood, we asked whether a critical period exists after which reactive glia no longer promote axon growth. We found that a critical period does exist and have documented a variety of changes in reactive gliosis that, in part, may lead to the axon growth-refractory state. In acallosal mouse postnates given untreated implants on or prior to day 8, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)+, stellate-shaped astrocytes migrated and attached to the implant by inserting foot processes into the pores of the filter. This form of gliotic response established an axon growth-promoting substratum within 24-48 hours after implantation. During this critical stage there was no evidence of scar formation or necrosis at or around the implant surface. However, when acallosal mice were implanted on or later than postnatal day 14, extensive tissue degeneration occurred, and a mixed population of astrocytes and fibroblasts invaded the surface of the filter, producing a dense scar. Reactive cells within the scar did not promote axonal outgrowth. To determine whether glia from neonates can influence the host environment and/or induce axonal regeneration in acallosal animals after the critical period, we harvested immature astrocytes on Millipore from critical-period mouse forebrains and transplanted the glia-coated prostheses into the brains of post-critical-period acallosal animals. Such transplants reduced glial scarring in the host, inhibited extensive bleeding and secondary necrosis, and promoted axonal regeneration. Our studies suggest that when controlled with a prosthesis, gliosis during the critical period is a beneficial process that can promote the reconstruction of malformed axon pathways; that in older animals a variety of changes in reactive glia and the extracellular matrix may work together to hinder axon regeneration after the critical period; and that axonal regeneration in the postcritical CNS may be stimulated by reintroducing an immature glial environment at the lesion site.
Plaque progression in coronary arteries with minimal luminal obstruction in intravascular ultrasound atherosclerosis trials.

The relation among the burden of disease, progression of atherosclerosis, and remodeling in angiographically minimally diseased coronary arteries has not been defined. The present analysis included 1,906 patients who participated in 5 prospective clinical trials examining atheroma progression using intravascular ultrasonography. For the present analysis, the patients were stratified according to baseline quantitative coronary angiographic stenosis: 35%. Patients with a lesser degree of luminal stenosis had less atherosclerosis. However, in the arteries with minimal angiographic stenosis, a large percentage of images contained atheroma, demonstrating the diffuse nature of coronary atherosclerosis. All 3 groups showed evidence of disease progression. The serial changes in vessel dimensions revealed that both the external elastic membrane and lumen volumes decreased in all 3 subgroups, in keeping with vessel and luminal constriction. In conclusion, these findings have demonstrated that patients with at least one luminal stenosis have diffuse atherosclerosis that progressed during 18 to 24 months, making them a target for therapeutic intervention. These minimally diseased arteries demonstrated evidence of vessel and luminal constriction, regardless of the angiographic appearance.
NMR studies of diterpene alkaloids

Abstract A study of the NMR spectra of 44 diterpene alkaloids and derivatives is reported. A comparison of the NMR data for the C(4) Me group in a series of derivatives of atisine and veatchine provides support for the previous proposal regarding the conformation of ring E. Furthermore, the dependency of the chemical shift of the C(4) Me protons on the functionality of the N atom is also discussed.
Gene expression profiling in liver and testis of rats to characterize the toxicity of triazole fungicides

Four triazole fungicides were studied using toxicogenomic techniques to identify potential mechanisms of action. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were dosed for 14 days by gavage with fluconazole, myclobutanil, propiconazole, or triadimefon. Following exposure, serum was collected for hormone measurements, and liver and testes were collected for histology, enzyme biochemistry, or gene expression profiling. Body and testis weights were unaffected, but liver weights were significantly increased by all four triazoles, and hepatocytes exhibited centrilobular hypertrophy. Myclobutanil exposure increased serum testosterone and decreased sperm motility, but no treatment-related testis histopathology was observed. We hypothesized that gene expression profiles would identify potential mechanisms of toxicity and used DNA microarrays and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) to generate profiles. Triazole fungicides are designed to inhibit fungal cytochrome P450 (CYP) 51 enzyme but can also modulate the expression and function of mammalian CYP genes and enzymes. Triazoles affected the expression of numerous CYP genes in rat liver and testis, including multiple Cyp2c and Cyp3a isoforms as well as other xenobiotic metabolizing enzyme (XME) and transporter genes. For some genes, such as Ces2 and Udpgtr2, all four triazoles had similar effects on expression, suggesting possible common mechanisms of action. Many of these CYP, XME and transporter genes are regulated by xeno-sensing nuclear receptors, and hierarchical clustering of CAR/PXR-regulated genes demonstrated the similarities of toxicogenomic responses in liver between all four triazoles and in testis between myclobutanil and triadimefon. Triazoles also affected expression of multiple genes involved in steroid hormone metabolism in the two tissues. Thus, gene expression profiles helped identify possible toxicological mechanisms of the triazole fungicides.
An application of the control theoretic modeling for a scalable TCP ACK pacer

We present the design of a TCP ACK pacer which regulates the downstream buffer occupancy at an edge router in the Internet to avoid quality of service (QoS) damaging congestion while maximizing the link utilization. This technique has the advantage of requiring no changes in existing TCP implementations. Based on a feedback system representation of the network, a PI-type controller is proposed to determine the aggregate ACK releasing rate according to the buffer occupancy. This approach is scalable in that it requires no per-flow state information. The robustness of the controller is addressed with respect to the system uncertainty such as the traffic dynamics and the system delay. Generalizations of the control objective are discussed as well. A special case of the controller, corresponding to a proportional plus lag compensator is analyzed and used to provide a systematic approach for satisfying a given delay requirement. Numerical examples to illustrate this approach are also given.
File-system workload on a scientific multiprocessor

The Charisma project records individual read and write requests in live, multiprogramming parallel workloads. This information can be used to design more efficient multiprocessor systems. We present the first results from the project: a characterization of the tile-system workload on an iPSC/860 multiprocessor running production, parallel scientific applications at NASA Ames Research Center. We use the resulting information to address the following questions: What did the job mix look like (that is, how many jobs ran concurrently?) How many files were read and written? Which were temporary files? What were their sizes? What were typical read and write request sizes, and how were they spaced in the file? Were the accesses sequential? What forms of locality were there? How might caching be useful? What are the implications for file-system design?. >
Sintered Polymers for Sustained Macromolecular Drug Release

Polymeric devices for the sustained release of macromolecules have been in use since 1976 (1). Although the primary application thus far has been for bioassays (2, 3), there is great promise for the use of these devices for pharmaceutical purposes (4). In particular, many polypeptides, which are now available due to genetic engineering, are difficult to administer either orally (due to attack by the digestive system), or intravenously (due to short half-lives in the circulation) (5). Moreover, many of these drugs must be administered on a continuous basis in order to be effective. It is our belief that polymeric devices provide one solution to the problem of delivery of such unstable drugs.
The in situ localization of tenascin splice variants and thrombospondin 2 mRNA in the avian embryo

Tenascin and thrombospondin belong to the growing family of extracellular matrix glycoproteins believed to have an anti-adhesive function during development. Immunohistochemistry has been used to identify these proteins in the developing central nervous system, in the matrix surrounding peripheral neurons, and in connective tissue. The antibodies used in most of these studies, however, could not distinguish between different splice variants (tenascin) nor different genetic forms (thrombospondin). For this reason, we used the reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction to generate DNA probes that are specific to the transcripts of high M(r) tenascin and thrombospondin 2. These probes were then used for an in situ hybridization study to determine the cellular origins of specific tenascin and thrombospondin forms throughout the development of the chick. The mRNA encoding high M(r) tenascin was found associated with motile cells and in tissues undergoing dynamic modeling: migrating glia, epithelial glia used as a substratum for migrating neurons, the growing tips of lung buds, and during osteogenesis. In contrast, the mRNAs of low M(r) tenascin were concentrated in areas of cartilage deposition and chondrocyte proliferation. Thrombospondin 2 mRNA was not detected in the developing central nervous system at any time during development by in situ hybridization. In contrast, it was found in embryonic mesenchyme, perichondrium, epimysium, and endothelial cells. Thrombospondin 2 mRNA was detected in poly(A) RNA isolated from embryonic spinal cord and cerebellum by polymerase chain reaction, though it was not detected in poly(A) RNA from the avascular retina. Thus, thrombospondin 2 mRNA may be present in the developing brain at low levels in endothelial cells or blood cells. These data support the notion that tenascin splice variants have distinct roles during development, and that thrombospondin 2 is more likely to be playing a role associated with the morphogenesis of connective tissue than neuronal development.
Pre- and post-compensation of dispersion and nonlinearities in 10-Gb/s WDM systems

We analyze 10-Gb/s nondispersion-managed and dispersion-managed wavelength-division multiplexed (WDM) systems that use pre-compensation, post-compensation, or dual-compensation of each channel to minimize dispersion and nonlinear effects. We find that dual-compensation gives the minimal penalty for each channel in dispersion-managed WDM systems. Furthermore, we find that the optimal amount of pre- or post-compensation depends upon the specific dispersion map used in the WDM system.
Drug Administration and Pharmacogenomics in Children Receiving Acute or Chronic Renal Replacement Therapy

The prescription of a safe and effective dose of a medication for a child receiving dialysis is an arduous task as both renal failure and dialysis can modify the absorption, distribution, metabolism, elimination, and action of a drug. A safe and effective dosing regimen is one that delivers the appropriate drug in the optimal manner, producing the desired pharmacological response while minimizing the undesirable effects. Achieving the goal of successful drug therapy requires a clear understanding of the therapeutic goal ­coupled with an appreciation of the factors governing drug disposition and action. Failure to clearly identify the therapeutic goal or to account for the changes in drug disposition associated with renal failure and the performance of dialysis can culminate in drug toxicity or inadequate treatment.
Health policy and quality: An ethical dilemma

Emergency medicine is on the front line of many important health issues, such as access for the poor and uninsured, the AIDS epidemic, and domestic violence. Virtually all key policy issues relating to emergency medicine deal with the concept of quality. During the 1970s, quality issues dealt with issues of value. Interest in quality is now vested in the tradeoff between cost containment activities and preserving access to health care. Key definitions of efficacy, effectiveness, and efficiency are provided. A policy approach to quality definition and assessment is suggested based upon the concepts of continuous quality improvement. The role of emergency physicians in health policy and the future of emergency medicine are discussed.