cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prediction of optimal versus suboptimal cytoreduction of advanced-stage serous ovarian cancer with the use of microarrays.

Abstract Objective The purpose of this study was to define gene expression patterns that are associated with the optimal versus suboptimal debulking of advanced-stage serous ovarian cancers. Study design RNA from 44 advanced serous ovarian cancers (19 optimal, 25 suboptimal) was evaluated with microarrays that contain >22,000 genes. Genes were screened on the basis of their association with debulking status to obtain the top 120 differentially expressed genes. These genes were then used to develop a predictive model for debulking status, which was subjected to out-of-sample cross validation. Results We found that patterns of expression of 32 genes can distinguish between optimal and suboptimal debulking with 72.7% predictive accuracy. An analysis of the data that were based on clusters of co-ordinately expressed genes resulted in only a marginal improvement in predictive accuracy (75%). Conclusion These data support the hypothesis that favorable survival that is associated with optimal debulking of advanced ovarian cancers is due to, at least in part, the underlying biologic characteristics of these cancers.
Spinoza and the Theory of Active Tolerance

This paper considers the politics of tolerance through the lens of Spinoza’s philosophy of immanence. The contention is that Spinoza’s philosophy of immanence provides us with a better conceptualiz...
Rumy's Magic Pyramid

Abstract Young children learn best through play and repetition. Based on this theory, a nutrition education curriculum was developed around Rumy, a unique soft-sculptured manipulative doll. This toy, designed to help children explore, create and play while learning to identify a variety of food, is a composite of healthy foods which are velcroed together, allowing children to build and rebuild the doll. In addition, five brief animated videos utilizing the themes of energy, growth and wellness feature Rumy and follow the adventures of four young children as they explore the various levels of the "magic" pyramid. Developed for WIC and Head Start-age children, the curriculum includes 5 lesson plans with related activities, and interactive worksheets for parents and children, all of which reinforce the same key concepts. The curriculum was tested on 291 four-year-old Head Start children in 7 different urban locations in Rhode Island. Pre- and post-comparisons were made between 165 children who participated in the Rumy curriculum and 126 children who received no treatment. Both groups answered a 13-point questionnaire that measured food group recognition ("Which food does not belong?''), food acceptance ("Would you eat this?''), and food group functionality ("What does this food do"?) Analysis of the results indicated a significant increase in ability to distinguish food groups using the soft-sculpture doll (as opposed to picture cards), a significant increase in acceptance of a variety of new foods, and no change in understanding of specific functions (growth, energy, wellness) performed by certain food groups.
Noncoherent low-power upconversion in solid polymer films.

Noncoherent low-power photon upconversion has been realized in solid thin films composed of an ethyleneoxide/epichlorohydrin copolymer doped with palladium octaethylporphyrin (PdOEP) and 9,10-diphenylanthracene (DPA). Selective excitation of PdOEP at 544 nm generates easily visualized DPA fluorescence in the blue with noncoherent light sources under ambient laboratory conditions. The incident excitation power dependence is quadratic in nature, exemplifying that sequential one-photon absorption by PdOEP leads to the sensitization of two triplet DPA chromophores, which in turn annihilate to produce the upconverted singlet DPA fluorescence. Time-resolved emission experiments confirm that the solid host facilitates these sequential bimolecular reactions leading to delayed DPA fluorescence; however, these processes are notably slower than the analogous photochemistry in fluid solution.
Weak exchange and dimensionality : EPR of CaCuxCdx-1(H3C2O2)4 ·6H2O

Abstract A room-temperature EPR study of CaCu x Cd 1-x (H 3 C 2 O 2 ) 4 for 1⩾ x ⩾ 0.9 revealed no dramatic change in linewidth as Cd 2+ was incorporated into the lattice. The analysis of these results is consistent with the exchange field being less than or of the same order of magnitude as the dipolar and hyperfine fields but does not rule out one-dimensional behavior. A study in the ab plane of the x = 1 end member revealed a change in both linewidth and lineshape with angle. A simple model incorporating a Gaussian form for the electronic time-correlation function is shown to provide a semiquantitative account of these observations. Furthermore, the value for J derived from the lineshape analysis in this plane is somewhat smaller than but in order-of-magnitude agreement with the value derived from low-temperature magnetic susceptibility studies.
Sulfur tolerance of methanol synthesis catalysts: Modelling of catalyst deactivation

Abstract A series of supported Pd and commercial Cu-based catalysts was tested for methanol synthesis activity and activity maintenance in the presence of 2 ppm H 2 S in a differential fixed-bed reactor operated at 523 K and 1.5 MPa. Sulfur breakthrough curves were obtained by monitoring the H 2 S concentration in both the feed and exit streams using a gas chromatograph with a flame photometric detector. A comparison of the resistance to sulfur poisoning of the various catalysts is given using a qualitative examination of activity maintenance plots as well as a mathematical model for catalyst deactivation. The rates of deactivation of the Cu-based catalysts in the absence or presence of H 2 S were very similar, with 70–90% of the initial activity being lost during 300 h on stream. No H 2 S breakthrough was observed with these catalysts whereas the Pd catalysts exhibited breakthroughs after short times (10–30 h) on stream. The Pd catalysts retained a much higher residual activity in the presence of H 2 S than those reported for Fe, Co, Ni and Ru at much lower H 2 S pressures, and Pd/SiO 2 possessed a stable, lined-out activity in 2 ppm H 2 S that was near half its original activity. Problems that arise in catalyst evaluation when a single deactivation model does not apply in all cases are discussed. The Szepe-Levenspiel approach, with a modification recently proposed by Fuentes for poison-tolerant catalysts, was found to give meaningful quantification of sulfur resistance of Pd-based catalysts.
Economic technology and resource management

Abstract Some of the most important recent developments in natural resource management involve economic technology—markets and prices. These technologies are rooted in the mechanistic tradition of economics. With the aid of substantial and costly government infrastructure, they offer solutions to limited problems. But they cannot serve as guides to the most important questions surrounding resource management: the division between collective and private uses; the division between current and future uses; and the degree to which self‐interest is rewarded and altruism and self‐restraint are discouraged.
A note on the evaluation of long-run investment decisions using the sharpe ratio

This paper reexamines the use of the Sharpe ratio to measure the performance of large and small company stocks along with corporate bonds over different holding periods. It builds on previous research which cites the effects of serial correlation and non-normality in the creation of estimation error in the calculation of the Sharpe ratio. It finds that higher order moments such as skewness and kurtosis are a further source of error that must be accounted for when making inferences about asset performance.
Trade, conflict and alliances

This study examines the relationship between alliance conflict and international trade. Two schools of thought exist on this issue: some prominent writers suggest that alliance conflict reduces trade between two countries (the externality cost argument), while others suggest that it increases trade between certain countries at the cost of others (the alignment incentive argument). The study empirically tests the two propositions by analyzing the data on trade and conflict during the post‐WWII period. It is found that the relationship between trade and alliance conflict is statistically significant. The externality cost phenomenon occurs to allies, whereas the alignment incentive argument is true of neutrals. In addition, the findings of this study support the fundamental assumptions and major results in the studies of trade and conflict at the dyadic level.
Recovery of 2,3-Butanediol by Vacuum Membrane Distillation∗

Abstract A vacuum membrane distillation process using a microporous polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membrane was developed to concentrate 2,3-butanediol from model 2,3-butanediol solutions and fermentation broths. A 0.22-μm PTFE membrane passed water vapor while retaining 2,3-butanediol. Water flux through the membrane was 4 kg/m2·h at 35°C and 12–14 kg/m2·h at 55°C. Medium components, especially yeast extract and fermentation broth, reduced flux as compared to model solutions. Using this process, butanediol was concentrated from 40 g/L to about 650 g/L in the model solution, and when integrated to a fed-batch reactor, 2,3-butanediol was concentrated to over 430 g/L. ∗Paper 10640, Journal Series, Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station, Lincoln, Nebraska 68583-0704.
Dewatering and Utilization of Fly Ash Slurries Using Geotextile Tubes

About one billion metric tons of coal ashes are produced annually around the world, among which 700 million tons are fly ash wastes that must be disposed of. The practice of wet fly ash disposal has increased environmental concerns due to fly ash leachate, ground water contamination, and the limitation of pond capacity. Therefore, alternatives to the current disposal methods should be addressed. Geotextile tube dewatering is an efficient dewatering method that can decrease the volume of fly ash slurry and at the same time provides containment of dry fly ash. In this study, pressure filtration tests were conducted to evaluate the dewatering performance of Class C fly ash with seven woven geotextiles having a wide range of hydraulic properties. Anionic polymer flocculant was used to evaluate the effect of polymer conditioning on dewatering performance. In addition, the increase in filter cake strength due to flocculants was evaluated. Lastly, chemical analysis of the effluent was performed to quantify the concentration of contaminants present in the geotextile tube effluent. The results of this study indicate that hydraulic properties of the geotextile do not have a significant effect on the dewatering performance of fly ash. It was found that polymer conditioning significantly increased the strength of the filter cake, making fly ash filled geotextile tubes suitable for use in geotechnical engineering applications. It was also found that geotextile tube dewatering does not retain fly ash trace elements that can leach out with effluent, meaning that proper safety measures must be taken in fly ash reutilization projects.
Engineering faculty shortage--How and why?

The subject of engineering faculty and engineering graduate shortage is examined in the irrelation to the following factors: engineerings alaries and percent yearly increases therein, national cost of living index, national inventiveness, state of economy, export/import volume ratio, and national gross national product. Comparative examples a recited froin other industrialized countries. The social esteem engineers and engineering faculty areheldin, as compared to other professionals such as lawyers and medical doctors, may also have an underlying impact on the lack of societal pressure to reverse such declining trends. The study is concluded with a discussion of other relative effects of retirement benefits/pensions, wage busting, and finallist of practical recommendations for consideration and adoption at state and national leve1 .
FADC-based DAQ for HiRes Fly's Eye

Abstract This paper describes a data acquisition system for optical telescopes studying extensive air showers for the High Resolution Fly's Eye Project at Dugway Proving Grounds, Utah. The measurements are based entirely on flash-analog-to-digital conversion of phototube signals, digitized continuously at 10 MHz, and stored in a deep (820 μs) pipeline, for deadtimeless readout following a parallel pipeline trigger. The massive parallel processing by digital signal processors and programmable logic devices is distributed site-wide, with 42 telescopes and a central facility linked by optical fiber. The system was designed and built at Columbia University, Nevis Laboratories.
A common language is so basic

It seems obvious that a person seeking care of any type should have a caregiver who speaks that person's language. Unfortunately, that does not always happen in the mono-lingual US, where a sizable minority, more than 8.5% of those aged 5 years and older, speak English “less than very well” (U.S. Census Bureau, 2009). In eight states, 10–20% of the population fall into this category, making it even more challenging for them to find a caregiver with whom they can communicate. Nursing care, especially that associated with the provision of mental health services, centers on conversation. Language barriers can compromise such care and pose a risk to patient health.
The energetic structure of multi-body dynamic systems

Abstract Dynamic systems containing particles and rigid bodies capable of movement in two- or three-dimensions may be represented by equations of motion in several basic forms. In all cases geometric nonlinearities are involved and terms arise in the equations which are difficult to understand and interpret. The equations often conceal the basic structure of the dynamic model of the system since only combinations of parameters and combined effects of various constraints finally appear. In this paper the basic relations for the dynamic elements as well as the transformations among internal forces and velocities are depicted using bond graphs. The energetic structure of the system is thus exhibited in multiport form. This aids in the exploration of alternative equation formulation and in understanding of the assumptions involved in any particular equation set. Further, a bond graph model is easily coupled with nonmechanical dynamic models through force or motion generators.
Purpura, cutaneous necrosis, and antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies associated with levamisole‐adulterated cocaine

Objective To describe the clinical and serologic abnormalities in 6 patients who presented with retiform purpura and extensive cutaneous necrosis after exposure to levamisole-adulterated cocaine. Methods All patients were evaluated at San Francisco General Hospital or the University of California San Francisco Medical Center. Each underwent standard screening for substances of abuse and had urine tested for the presence of levamisole by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Routine laboratory, autoantibody, and antiphospholipid antibody testing was performed in the hospitals' clinical or reference laboratories. Testing for atypical antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCAs) was performed separately using commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. Results The patients were women ages 39–50 years who presented with retiform purpura and cutaneous necrosis. Skin biopsies revealed a predominantly small-vessel thrombotic vasculopathy with varying degrees of vasculitis. Four patients were neutropenic. All tested positive for lupus anticoagulant, had IgM antibodies to cardiolipin, and tested strongly positive for ANCAs in a perinuclear pattern by immunofluorescence. Each patient had antibodies to multiple components of neutrophil granules, including neutrophil elastase, lactoferrin, cathepsin G, proteinase 3, and myeloperoxidase. Conclusion Rheumatologists should be aware of this distinctive form of necrotic purpura, its associated autoantibodies, and its link to levamisole-adulterated cocaine.
Characteristics of Inner Ring (3 or 5) Monodeiodination of 3,5-Diiodothyronine in Rat Liver: Evidence Suggesting Marked Similarities of Inner and Outer Ring Deiodinases for Iodothyronines*

To examine the characteristics of inner ring monodeiodination of an iodothyronine, 3,5-diiodothyronine (3.5-T2; ∼5 × 10-7 M) was incubated in 0.1 M Tris buffer (final pH, 7.3) with rat liver homogenate (∼0.13 geq) for 30–45 min at 37 C, and the 3-monoiodothyronine (3-T1) generated during incubation was quantified by a specific RIA of ethanol extracts of the incubation mixture. The monodeiodination was influenced importantly by substrate concentration and the temperature (optimal, 37 C) and pH (optimal, 8.3) of incubation, suggesting that it is enzymic in nature; the Michaelis constant (Km) approximated 0.5–1.25 μM, whereas the Vmax approximated 25 pg/mg protein · min. Among various rat tissues, liver and kidney (kidney > liver) were more potent in inner ring monodeiodination of 3,5- T2 than brain, spleen, intestines, or muscle. Among the various subcellular fractions of liver homogenate, microsomes were more potent in the conversion of 3,5-T2 to 3-T1 than mitochondria, cytosol, or the starting homogenate,...
Auditory and Visual Cortical Evoked Potentials: Mechanisms of Action of Polysensory Stimuli in Adult and Newborn Cats

Differences between evoked potentials were studied in adult and newborn cats. By introducing artificial rearing conditions, postnatal maturation of various wave complexes of auditory and visual evoked potentials were differently modified. Responses to polysensory stimuli revealed cerebral interaction in adult animals, and lack of it in the newborns. The results suggest that differences in morphological and functional maturation of the involved systems are responsible for lack of global responses to polysensory stimuli in the newborn animals.
The Kinetics of Fesselin (Avian Synaptopodin 2) Binding to Smooth Muscle Myosin is Dependent on Calcium-Calmodulin

Fesselin (or avian synaptopodin 2) is an actin binding protein that nucleates actin filament formation (Leinweber et al. 1999; Beall et al. 2001) and bundles actin filaments (Schroeter et al. 2013). The nucleating activity is inhibited by Ca2+-calmodulin (Schroeter et al. 2004). Fesselin also binds myosin with an affinity of 2 x 106 M−1 at 50 mM ionic strength (Schroeter & Chalovich 2005). That binding increases the length and width of myosin filaments, and reduces the rate of dissociation of myosin filaments and actin-myosin complexes by ATP (Kingsbury et al. 2013). Fesselin labeled with IANBD produced a fluorescence increase upon binding to smooth muscle myosin or S1. The apparent rate constant for the fluorescence change increased with increasing concentrations of myosin or S1 in a hyperbolic fashion (105 mM ionic strength, 10 deg C). Binding to myosin began with the rapid formation of a low affinity intermediate followed by a second step having an observed rate constant (k2 + k-2) of 30/sec. Several observations suggested that the binding of fesselin to myosin was affected by calmodulin and calcium. The apparent rate constants for both processes in the binding of IANBD-fesselin to S1 were 2-fold faster in the absence of calcium. Binding of IANBD fesselin to intact myosin was complex in the presence of calcium with a rapid increase in fluorescence followed by a slower decrease; that behavior was not observed in the presence of calcium but absence of calmodulin. Ca2+-calmodulin may play roles in the formation of actin filaments, myosin filaments and actin-myosin complexes through fesselin.
The celler kefauver act and the deterrent effect

The purpose of this paper is to identify the major determinants of innovation and to examine whether they affect small firms differently than large firms. Using a cross-section of 247 four-digit SIC industries, we present an econometric analysis testing the hypothesis that innovation rates in 1982 were significantly influenced by market structure, and that these influences had disperate effects among large and small firms. We find that, while market structure does explain the variation in innovation rates across industries, the relationships are not always consistent with certain previously maintained hypotheses. Similarly, we find that innovation activity for large firms responds to a different market activity than does innovation for small firms.
A three-stage cloud impactor for size-resolved measurement of cloud drop chemistry

A new cloud sampler has been designed that is capable of simultaneously collecting three independent portions of the cloud drop size spectrum for chemical analysis. The instrument, known as the IESL cloud impactor, features three jet impaction stages in series, each of which removes droplets above a predetermined cut size. Several interchangeable stages are available, with 50% lower cut sizes of 3, 4, 10, 12, 15, 20, and 30 μm based on drop diameter, permitting numerous combinations of cut sizes to be selected. Calibration experiments indicate the instrument performs according to design. Initial cloudwater samples collected with the impactor at Mt. Mitchell, North Carolina and La Jolla Peak, California reveal ion concentrations in large and small cloud drops higher than those found in intermediate sized drops. The long-term goal for use of the impactor is to evaluate implications of variations in cloud drop chemistry across the drop size spectrum on a variety of processes including aqueous phase sulfur oxidation, precipitation scavenging of pollutants, and pollutant deposition to forests during cloud interception.
Photoacoustic Study Of Photon Absorption In Diffraction Gratings

Absorption of 633-nm photons in silver-coated diffraction gratings was studied by a photoacoustic method. The measurements were made as a function of the ruling orientation relative to the plane of photon incidence, and special attention was paid to plasmon resonance absorption in conical diffraction geometries. The results obtained were compared with predictions from perturbation theory.
Cytoarchitecture of the nucleus of the lateral olfactory tract: A Golgi study in the rat

Examination of Golgi-impregnated rat brains reveals that three main cell types can be distinguished in the nucleus of the lateral olfactory tract (NLOT). Class A neurons, by far the predominant cell type seen in NLOT, are spiny projection neurons that differ in form and orientation in each of the three layers of the nucleus. In layer I, the superficial plexiform layer, and in layer III, the deepest layer of NLOT, most class A neurons have a stellate or semi-pyramidal shape. In layer II, the intermediate layer of NLOT, class A neurons are pyramidal cells that have one or two apical dendrites that extend ventrally through layers II and I, and numerous basal dendrites which arborize in the vicinity of the cell. Axons of class A neurons in layers II and III are directed towards the commissural bundle of the stria terminalis and emit collaterals that appear to arborize in the layer of origin. Class B neurons are spine-sparse stellate cells that are found in all three layers of NLOT. Their axons, when well-impregnated, are seen to form dense local arborizations in the vicinity of the cell. Class C neurons, which have been observed only in layer III, are small neurogliaform cells with numerous, short, varicose dendrites that branch profusely. Axons branch several times in the vicinity of the cell.
Feminist sexualities, race and the internet: an investigation of suicidegirls.com

This article analyzes representations of feminism and sexuality on Suicide Girls (www.suicidegirls.com), a commercial site which features the online journals, profiles and nude photographs of young, heavily tattooed, punk women. It highlights the ways in which this site attempts to subvert the male gaze by changing contemporary photographic practices. It also interrogates the way in which the feminist potential of this site remains constrained by its inclusion of only a limited number of women of colour and only as a marketing `strategy' of diversity. It argues that rather than a critical race feminist commitment to inclusivity and structural change, this strategy of `diversity' is reflective of the internet tenet which holds that `content diversity is good business'. Thus, it concludes that rather than a feminist site which operates in the hope of broadening understandings of female sexuality, this site prioritizes profit to the detriment of feminist content.
Deletion of ku homologs increases gene targeting frequency in Streptomyces avermitilis

Streptomyces avermitilis is an industrially important soil bacterium known for production of avermectins, which are antiparasitic agents useful in animal health care, agriculture, and treatment of human infections. ku genes play a key role in the non-homologous end-joining pathway for repair of DNA double strand breaks. We identified homologs of eukaryotic ku70 and ku80 genes, termed ku1 and ku2, in S. avermitilis. Mutants with deletion of ku1, ku2, and both genes were constructed and their phenotypic changes were characterized. Deletion of ku genes had no apparent adverse effects on growth, spore formation, or avermectin production. The ku mutants, in comparison to wild-type strain, were slightly more sensitive to the DNA-damaging agent ethyl methanesulfonate, but not to UV exposure or to bleomycin. Gene targeting frequencies by homologous recombination were higher in the ku mutants than in wild-type strain. We conclude that ku-deleted strains will be useful hosts for efficient gene targeting and will facilitate functional analysis of genes in S. avermitilis and other industrially important bacterial strains.
SOMATOSENSORY TRIGEMINAL EVOKED POTENTIAL AMPLITUDES FOLLOWING LOW LEVEL LASER AND SHAM IRRADIATION OVER TIME

The effect on somatosensory trigeminal evoked potentials (STEP) and latencies by intraoral low level laser irradiation of the maxillary nerve was evaluated. After electrical input at the left infraorbital foramen on 24 experimentally blinded pain-free subjects, He-Ne laser irradiation (1.7mW, 632.5nm, 50Hz) was performed for two minutes on 12 of these subjects, and sham irradiation on the other 12, at the left maxillary third molar apical area. Far-field STEP latencies and amplitudes were recorded: at base-line, immediately after intervention, and ten and twenty minutes after intervention. In the irradiated group, an immediate (average) STEP amplitude decrease from base-line of 60 per cent occurred, with further reduction to 65 and 72 per cent, at the ten and twenty minute intervals (p > .0001). No significant change occurred in the sham irradiation group (p > .05), and no change in latencies occurred in either group (p > .997). Low level laser treatment is commonly used in musculoskeletal and neurologic conditions, with mixed results. This experiment demonstrates that intraoral laser application to the maxillary nerve, where covered only by mucous membrane, results in significantly reduced STEP amplitudes. This findings suggests that intraoral laser therapy may be an effective pain control treatment.
Professionalism ‘from below’: mobilization potential in Indian call centres:

While the ideology of professionalism is criticized by scholars as a tool of managerial control, the contestable and situated nature of its meaning can weaken this mechanism. Drawing on interviews with Indian call centre employees, the present study reveals how professionalism is understood by employees as an ideal that is binding on managers as much as on workers. Respondents draw on it to articulate grievances against managerial abuse, corruption, sycophancy and negligence, and to express their preference for so-called ‘western’ management practices to protect their rights and dignity in the workplace. This evidences a form of professionalism ‘from below’, fostering mobilization potential which unions seem to tap into. Yet this article also considers ways in which professionalism may serve as an obstacle to later stages of mobilization and to organizational commitment generally.
On the characterization of stereoregular polymers. IV. Application to polypropylene

By viewing a stereoregular polymer as if it were a copolymer, one may obtain relationships between its physical properties and its molecular structure. In particular, melting points and maximum crystallinities were related to sequence propagation probabilities. Thus, in principle, the kinetic parameters for any semicrystalline polymer may be obtained. This information is generally unobtainable by other means. By use of the parameters thus evaluated for a series of polypropylene samples, melting curves were calculated. These represented experimentally determined ones as well as, or better than, existing theories of crystallization.
Strategies for Multiple Sequence Alignment

We present an overview of multiple sequence alignments to outline the practical consequences for the choices among different techniques and parameters. We begin with a discussion of the scoring methods for quantifying the quality of a multiple sequence alignment, followed by a discussion of the algorithms implemented within a variety of multiple sequence alignment programs. We also discuss additional alignment details such as gap penalty and distance metrics. The paper concludes with a discussion on how to improve alignment quality and the limitations of the techniques described in this paper
ANTIGENIC RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN GROUPS B AND G STREPTOCOCCI

Trypsinized cell walls of Group B hemolytic streptococci are composed of a group-specific carbohydrate and mucopeptide. The carbohydrate extracted with hot formamide is composed of rhamnose, N -acetylglucosamine, and galactose. Quantitative precipitin inhibition studies have shown that L rhamose is the significant component of the antigenic determinant. The cross-reactivity between B and G carbohydrates is dependent upon the fact that Lrhamose is a determinant sugar in both antigens.
Action potential repolarization enabled by Ca++ channel deactivation in PSpice simulation of smooth muscle propagation

Previously, only the rising phase of the action potential (AP) in cardiac muscle and smooth muscle could be simulated due to the instability of PSpice upon insertion of a second black box (BB) into the K+ leg of the basic membrane unit. This restriction was acceptable because only the transmission of excitation from one cell to the next was investigated. In the current work, the repolarization of the AP was accomplished by inserting a second BB into the Ca++ leg of the basic membrane unit. Repolarization of the AP was produced, not through an activation of the K+ channel conductance, but rather through a mimicking of the deactivation of the Ca++ channel conductance. Propagation of complete APs was studied in a chain (strand) of 10 smooth muscle cells, in which various numbers of gap-junction (gj) channels (assumed to be 100 pS each) were inserted across the cell junctions. The shunt resistance across the junctions produced by the gj-channels (Rgj) was varied from 100,000 MΩ (0 gj-channels) to 10,000 MΩ (1 gj-channel), to 1,000 MΩ (10 channels), to 100 MΩ (100 channels), to 10 MΩ (1000 channels), and to 1.0 MΩ (10,000 channels). Velocity of propagation (θ, in cm/sec) was calculated from the measured total propagation time (TPT, the time difference between when the AP rising phase of the first cell and the last cell crossed -20 mV), assuming a constant cell length of 200 μm. When there were no gj-channels, or only one, the transmission of excitation between cells was produced by the electric field (EF), i.e., the negative junctional cleft potential, that is generated in the narrow junctional clefts (e.g., 100 A) when the prejunctional membrane fires an AP (a fraction of a millisecond before the adjacent surface membrane). There were significant end-effects at the termination of the strand, such that the last cell (cell #10) failed to fire, or fired after a prolonged delay. This end-effect was abolished when the strand termination resistance (Rbt) was increased from 1.0 KΩ to 600 MΩ. When there were 1000 or 10,000 gj-channels, the transmission of excitation was produced by local-circuit current flow from one cell to the next through the gj-channels. In summary, it is now possible to simulate complete APs in smooth muscle cells that could propagate along a single chain of 10 cells, even when there were no gj-channels between the cells.
Global internal stabilizability does not imply global external stabilizability for small sensor disturbances

It was shown by Sontag (ibid., vol.34, no.4, p.435-43 (1989)) that for control-affine nonlinear systems, global asymptotic stabilizability via continuous state feedback implies global input-to-state stabilizability with respect to actuator disturbances. We show that the analogous result for sensor disturbances does not hold: we construct a second-order system which admits a continuous memoryless globally asymptotically stabilizing state feedback controller but for which no such controller can prevent finite escape times from every initial condition in the presence of small sensor disturbances.
Calibration methods for an evanescent wave fiber optic biosensor

Operation of an evanescent wave fiber optic biosensor is discussed, with emphasis on features affecting quantitation of response. The fiber optic biosensor has proven to be a highly sensitive detection system and can be used for quantitating the amount of analyte present. >
Toxicity and efficacy of Furanace on channel catfish Ictalurus punctatm (Rafinesque) infected experimentally with Aeromonas hydrophila

. The 96-h medium tolerance limit of Furanace (nifurpirinol: P-7138) for channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus at 21°C was 0-94 mg/1. The most effective treatment level for channel catfish, experimentally infected with Aeromonas hydrophila, was 2mg/1 for 6.5 h. Furanace at 0.5 and 1.0 mg/1 in brain heart infusion agar reduced in vitro growth of A. hydrophila and at 2.0 mg/1 growth was completely
Evidence for high rates of in-pair paternity in the socially monogamous snapping shrimp Alpheus angulosus

Understanding the relationships between social and genetic interactions among individ- uals can lead to important insights into both the evolution of social behavior and the movement of alleles among generations. However, socially monogamous behavior is not always a good predictor of genetic parentage, so that inferences into genetic relationships among family group members require molecular genetic investigation. In the speciose snapping shrimp genera, social monogamy is the most common social system. However, research into mating and parentage relationships between socially monogamous partners has been limited by the reclusive nature of most snapping shrimp, which makes them difficult to observe under natural conditions, and so the degree to which social monogamy correlates with genetic monogamy remains unknown. Here, using data from 5 polymor- phic microsatellite markers, evidence for high rates (≥94% of offspring genotyped) of in-pair pater- nity in field-captured heterosexual pairs of Alpheus angulosus, a common intertidal alpheid, is reported. Therefore, male social partners were apparently the sole or primary fathers of their female partners' clutches in all pairs. Some clutches showed evidence of 3+ paternal alleles at one of the genotyped loci, which may be a signal of multiple paternity; however, in these cases, the possibility of genotyping errors cannot be discounted. In summary, these data indicate that social monogamy correlates closely with genetic monogamy in this taxon, though additional work is required in order to draw strong inferences about the occurrence of multiple paternity of individual clutches.
Mortality Risk in Long-Standing Type 1 Diabetes: Hope and Concern

In this issue of Diabetes , Secrest et al. (1) explore the long-term cause-specific mortality experience of youth diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (<18 years of age over the 15-year period from 1965 to 1979) to determine if improvements in mortality have occurred over time. The findings are at the same time both hopeful and concerning. The results among these youth (now middle-aged adults) come from the Alleghany County Type 1 Diabetes Registry established in the mid-1970s. One of the first U.S. registries of type 1 diabetic subjects, it was one of the archetypical registries that forged the international collaboration linking registries in the U.S., Europe, and Asia (2). The report by Secrest et al. focuses on over 30 years of follow-up among 1,043 subjects with diabetes from the original 1,075 identified in the county. This represents 97% known vital status of the original cohort, which ascertained over 95% of the diagnosed cases. This is an amazing result in this era of rapid residential mobility and increasing nonresponse to research since vital status was determined by individual contact of cohort members and next-of-kin. Cause of death was classified using internationally standardized definitions (3) and all available clinical, hospital, and autopsy information for 80% of the deaths. Death certificates were obtained for all deaths but were only relied upon for 20% of classifications, and these underwent adjudication. This is important since variability of death certificate coding and ordering of cause of death can make temporal or geographic comparisons problematic (4). …
Histone-Histone Interactions and Centromere Function

Cse4p is a structural component of the core centromere of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and is a member of the conserved CENP-A family of specialized histone H3 variants. The histone H4 allele hhf1-20 confers defects in core centromere chromatin structure and mitotic chromosome transmission. We have proposed that Cse4p and histone H4 interact through their respective histone fold domains to assemble a nucleosome-like structure at centromeric DNA. To test this model, we targeted random mutations to the Cse4p histone fold domain and isolated three temperature-sensitive cse4 alleles in an unbiased genetic screen. Two of the cse4 alleles contain mutations at the Cse4p-H4 interface. One of these requires two widely separated mutations demonstrating long-range cooperative interactions in the structure. The third cse4 allele is mutated at its helix 2-helix 3 interface, a region required for homotypic H3 fold dimerization. Overexpression of wild-type Cse4p and histone H4 confer reciprocal allele-specific suppression of cse4 and hhf1 mutations, providing strong evidence for Cse4p-H4 protein interaction. Overexpression of histone H3 is dosage lethal in cse4 mutants, suggesting that histone H3 competes with Cse4p for histone H4 binding. However, the relative resistance of the Cse4p-H4 pathway to H3 interference argues that centromere chromatin assembly must be highly regulated.
Near-far resistance of optimum and suboptimum CDMA detectors under multipath

Near-far resistance is one of the most important performance measures in a multiuser communication system, especially in a code division multiple access (CDMA) system. The optimum multiuser detector can achieve the optimum near-far resistance. However, due to its high computational complexity, the optimum detector is impractical to implement. Nevertheless, computation of the near-far resistance of the optimum multiuser detector is still important since it is the least upper bound on the near-far resistance of any detector, as well as a benchmark for relative performance of any suboptimum detector. Lupas et al. and Zvonar et al. provided the computation of the optimum near-far resistance in the asynchronous AWGN and unipath channel case. In this paper, we extend the above results to the asynchronous multipath channel case. We derive the optimum near-far resistance under the assumption of a common identifiability condition in the blind multiuser detection/equalization literature. We also derive the ideal near-far resistance of three typical methods in blind multiuser detection/equalization (subspace, linear prediction, and constrained optimization) and compare them with that of the optimum detector. Two methods to enhance near-far resistance of suboptimum detectors are also presented. Furthermore, one possible cause that may affect the near-far resistance in a practical setting is analyzed. The computational complexity of the proposed methods is analyzed and compared. Simulations confirm the theoretical findings.
Seasonal Cycle of the Climatological Stationary Waves in the NCEP–NCAR Reanalysis

Abstract The maintenance mechanisms of the climatological stationary waves and their seasonal cycle are investigated with a linear stationary wave model and the National Centers for Environmental Prediction–National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP–NCAR) reanalysis data from 1985 to 1993. The stationary wave model is linearized about the zonal-mean flow and subjected to the zonally asymmetric stationary wave forcings. It has rhomboidal wavenumber 30 truncation and 14 vertical sigma levels. The forcings for the linear model include diabatic heating, orography, stationary nonlinearity, and transient vorticity and heat flux convergences. The NCEP–NCAR reanalysis provides a high quality global dataset for this study. When the linear model is subjected to all forcings, it reproduces reasonably well the climatological stationary wave seasonal cycle. The linear stationary wave theory is quantitatively valid at the upper-tropospheric levels for all months and the lower-tropospheric levels for the northern su...
The 2.1-D sketch

A model is described for image segmentation that tries to capture the low-level depth reconstruction exhibited in early human vision, giving an important role to edge terminations. The problem is to find a decomposition of the domain D of an image that has a minimum of disrupted edges-junctions of edges, crack tips, corners, and cusps-by creating suitable continuations for the disrupted edges behind occluding regions. The result is a decomposition of D into overlapping regions R/sub 1/ union . . . union R/sub n/ ordered by occlusion, which is called the 2.1-D sketch. Expressed as a minimization problem, the model gives rise to a family of optimal contours, called nonlinear splines, that minimize length and the square of curvature. These are essential in the construction of the 2.1-D sketch of an image, as the continuations of disrupted edges. An algorithm is described that constructs the 2.1-D sketch of an image, and gives results for several example images. The algorithm yields the same interpretations of optical illusions as the human visual system. >
LIPS: Link prediction as a service for adaptive data aggregation in wireless sensor networks

A central component of the design of wireless sensor networks is reliable and efficient transmission of data from source to destination. However, this remains a challenging problem because of the dynamic nature of wireless links, such as interference, diffusion, and path fading. When the link quality worsens, packets will get lost even with retransmissions and acknowledgments when internal queues become full. For example, in a well-known study to monitor volcano behavior [19], the measured data yield of nodes ranges from 20% to 80%. To address this challenge brought by unreliable links, in this paper, we propose the idea of LIPS, or Link Prediction as a Service. Specifically, we argue that it is beneficial for the applications to be designed as adaptive from the start, by taking into account the future link quality estimates based on past measurements. In particular, we present a novel state-space based approach for link quality prediction, and demonstrate that it is possible to integrate this model into higher layer data aggregation protocols to improve their performance.
Biomimetic interfacial interpenetrating polymer networks control neural stem cell behavior

Highly-regulated signals surrounding stem cells, such as growth factors at specific concentrations and matrix mechanical stiffness, have been implicated in modulating stem cell proliferation and maturation. However, tight con- trol of proliferation and lineage commitment signals is rarely achieved during growth outside the body, since the spectrum of biochemical and mechanical signals that govern stem cell renewal and maturation are not fully understood. Therefore, stem cell control can potentially be enhanced through the development of material platforms that more precisely orchestrate signal presentation to stem cells. Using a biomimetic interfacial interpenetrating polymer network (IPN), we define a robust synthetic and highly-defined plat- form for the culture of adult neural stem cells. IPNs modi- fied with two cell-binding ligands, CGGNGEPRGDTYRAY from bone sialoprotein (bsp-RGD(15)) and CSRARKQAA- SIKVAVSADR from laminin (lam-IKVAV(19)), were assayed for their ability to regulate self-renewal and differentiation in a dose-dependent manner. IPNs with >5.3 pmol/cm 2 bsp- RGD(15) supported both self-renewal and differentiation, whereas IPNs with lam-IKVAV(19) failed to support stem cell adhesion and did not influence differentiation. The IPN platform is highly tunable to probe stem cell signal transduction mechanisms and to control stem cell behav- ior in vitro. 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res 81A: 240-249, 2007
Structural mechanics for electromagnetic rail guns

The objective of this investigation is to explore potential designs and appropriate materials for a lightweight fieldable electromagnetic rail gun. Lessons learned from the previous launcher designs are reviewed and discussed from a mechanics point of view. Analyses are performed with a conceptually workable gun bore to illustrate the requirement of a fieldable gun construction. Both static and dynamic responses of the rail gun are discussed. The study provides a fundamental understanding for developing a fieldable rail gun in terms of mechanics and material requirement.
The impact of casinos on fatal alcohol-related traffic accidents in the United States

Casinos have been introduced throughout the U.S. to spur economic development and generate tax revenues. Yet, casinos may also be associated with a variety of social ills. One issue that has not been empirically tested in the literature is whether there is a link between casino expansion and alcohol-related fatal traffic accidents. We suspect a link may exist since casinos often serve alcohol to their patrons and, by their dispersed nature, could impact driving distances after drinking. Using the variation in the timing and location of casino openings over a 10-year period, we isolate the impact of casino introduction on alcohol-related fatal accidents. Results indicate that there is a strong link between the presence of a casino in a county and the number of alcohol-related fatal traffic accidents. However, this relationship is negatively related to the local-area (county) population. Results prove durable, as we subject them to robustness checks.
Impact of Observation Status on Hospital Use for Patients With Cancer

The authors observed reductions in hospital use for patients with cancer related to an observation unit in a comprehensive cancer center. Adoption of this approach could reduce hospital use, which is of interest to hospitals, payers, and patients.
Heat shock protein 90 modulates endothelial nitric oxide synthase activity and vascular reactivity in the newborn piglet pulmonary circulation

Heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) binding to endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) is an important step in eNOS activation. The conformational state of bound Hsp90 determines whether eNOS produces n...