cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis for Industrial Engineering: Methodology and Applications

This textbook presents methodologies and applications associated with multiple criteria decision analysis (MCDA), especially for those students with an interest in industrial engineering. With respect to methodology, the book covers (1) problem structuring methods; (2) methods for ranking multi-dimensional deterministic outcomes including multiattribute value theory, the analytic hierarchy process, the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), and outranking techniques; (3) goal programming,; (4) methods for describing preference structures over single and multi-dimensional probabilistic outcomes (e.g., utility functions); (5) decision trees and influence diagrams; (6) methods for determining input probability distributions for decision trees, influence diagrams, and general simulation models; and (7) the use of simulation modeling for decision analysis. This textbook also offers: · Easy to follow descriptions of how to apply a wide variety of MCDA techniques · Specific examples involving multiple objectives and/or uncertainty/risk of interest to industrial engineers · A section on outranking techniques ; this group of techniques, which is popular in Europe, is very rarely mentioned as a methodology for MCDA in the United States · A chapter on simulation as a useful tool for MCDA, including ranking & selection procedures. Such material is rarely covered in courses in decision analysis · Both material review questions and problems at the end of each chapter . Solutions to the exercises are found in the Solutions Manual which will be provided along with PowerPoint slides for each chapter. The methodologies are demonstrated through the use of applications of interest to industrial engineers, including those involving product mix optimization, supplier selection, distribution center location and transportation planning, resource allocation and scheduling of a medical clinic, staffing of a call center, quality control, project management, production and inventory control,and so on. Specifically, industrial engineering problems are structured as classical problems in multiple criteria decision analysis, and the relevant methodologies are demonstrated.
Kinetics and Mechanism of Aspartic Acid Adsorption and Its Explosive Decomposition on Cu(100).

The mechanism and kinetics of aspartic acid (Asp, HO2CCH(NH2)CH2CO2H) decomposition on Cu(100) have been studied using X-ray photoemission spectroscopy and temperature-programmed reaction spectrosc...
Futurelessness, migration, or a lucky break: narrative tropes of the ‘blocked future’ among Serbian high school students

This article uses ethnographic discourse analysis to understand how Serbian high school students at ‘Belgrade Professional’ (BP) respond to coursework and discussions about their individual futures...
Laser technologies in automotive industry on the example of Volkswagen company

Nowadays more and more conventional jointing methods used in an automotive industry like a resistance welding or MIG/MAG welding are replaced by laser techniques. This article presents some examples of modern laser technology used during production of the new model of Volkswagen’s Crafter in the factory located in Września. In the above article construction and theoretical background of an action of ber lasers as well as characteristics of laser welding and braze welding processes were discussed. Also the results of mentioned techniques used during the bonding of body sheets were presented. in polish Zastosowanie technologii laserowych w branzy motoryzacyjnej na przykladzie firmy Volkswagen Poznan W przemyśle motoryzacyjnym coraz cześciej konwencjonalne metody spajania, takie jak zgrzewanie oporowe czy spawanie MIG/MAG, zastepowane są technologiami laserowymi. Artykul prezentuje przyklady zastosowania nowoczesnych technologii laserowych do produkcji nowego Volkswagena Craftera we Wrześni. Omowione w nim zostaly budowa i podstawy dzialania laserow wloknowych, rozroznienie laserow emitujących wiązke pojedynczą i potrojną, a takze charakterystyka procesow spawania i lutospawania laserowego. Przedstawione zostaly rowniez rezultaty wykorzystania opisanych technologii do spajania blach karoseryjnych.
Not Taking it on Faith: State and Religious Influences on European Court of Human Rights Judges in Freedom of Religion Cases

AbstractI analyze freedom of religion case law from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), arguing that the ECHR has been inconsistent and deferential to state governments. To account for this ...
Aggressive Mammary Cancers Lacking Lymphocytic Infiltration Arise in Irradiated Mice and Can be Prevented by Dietary Intervention

Because the incidence of breast cancer increases decades after ionizing radiation exposure, aging has been implicated in the evolution of the tumor microenvironment and tumor progression. Here, we investigated radiation-induced carcinogenesis using a model in which the mammary glands of 10-month-old BALB/c mice were transplanted with Trp53-null mammary tissue 3 days after exposure to low doses of sparsely ionizing γ-radiation or densely ionizing particle radiation. Mammary transplants in aged, irradiated hosts gave rise to significantly more tumors that grew more rapidly than those in sham-irradiated mice, with the most pronounced effects seen in mice irradiated with densely ionizing particle radiation. Tumor transcriptomes identified a characteristic immune signature of these aggressive cancers. Consistent with this, fast-growing tumors exhibited an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment with few infiltrating lymphocytes, abundant immunosuppressive myeloid cells, and high COX-2 and TGFβ. Only irradiated hosts gave rise to tumors lacking cytotoxic CD8+ lymphocytes (defined here as immune desert), which also occurred in younger irradiated hosts. These data suggest that host irradiation may promote immunosuppression. To test this, young chimera mice were fed chow containing a honeybee-derived compound with anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties, caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE). CAPE prevented the detrimental effects of host irradiation on tumor growth rate, immune signature, and immunosuppression. These data indicated that low-dose radiation, particularly densely ionizing exposure of aged mice, promoted more aggressive cancers by suppressing antitumor immunity. Dietary intervention with a nontoxic immunomodulatory agent could prevent systemic effects of radiation that fuel carcinogenesis, supporting the potential of this strategy for cancer prevention.
Constrictive (Obliterative) Bronchiolitis as Presenting Manifestation of Connective Tissue Diseases.

Background Constrictive (obliterative) bronchiolitis (CB) is an uncommon form of obstructive lung disease that can occur in patients with identifiable causes including connective tissue diseases (CTDs) as a form of lung involvement. We explored whether CB can be the presenting manifestation of CTD. Methods We identified 44 patients with cryptogenic CB and examined the presenting clinical, laboratory, and radiologic features, as well as their clinical course. Results The mean age at presentation was 60.5 (SD, 13.8) years and included 38 women (86%); 32 (73%) were never smokers. All patients presented for evaluation of dyspnea, commonly associated with cough. An obstructive pattern on pulmonary function testing was demonstrated in 86% of patients. On chest high-resolution computed tomography, nearly all patients manifested a mosaic attenuation pattern with air trapping on expiratory views, characteristic of CB. Bronchoscopic lung biopsy (n = 10) was usually nondiagnostic (90%), whereas all 5 surgical lung biopsies yielded evidence of CB. Serologic testing for CTD was positive in 19 patients (43%) and most commonly included antinuclear antibody, rheumatoid factor, and anti-cyclic citrullinated antibodies. Seven of these patients with positive serologic results were eventually diagnosed to have CTD. Connective tissue diseases included rheumatoid arthritis in 4 patients, Sjogren syndrome in 2, and undifferentiated CTD in 1 patient. Conclusions Nearly one-half of patients with cryptogenic CB manifest positive CTD serology, and some of these patients have CTD not previously diagnosed. These results suggest that CB can be the presenting manifestation of a CTD.
Chapter 8 – The Seafloor

An understanding of seafloor properties and processes is essential for the solution of many problems in underwater acoustics where acoustic–seafloor interactions dominate. This includes an understanding of acoustic propagation, reflection, and scattering models. Applied bottom-interacting acoustic problems should employ the simplest seafloor models and sediment characterization that provide results with the accuracy required for the problem. In this chapter, we provide a review of recent acoustic propagation (fluid, elastic, and poroelastic) and scattering models. These are followed by a description of sediment physical and geoacoustic properties and the statistics of seafloor roughness and volume heterogeneity typically required by these applied acoustic models. These properties include grain size distribution, porosity and mass density, pore fluid and pore space properties, permeability, grain properties, free gas distribution, sound speed and attenuation of compressional and shear waves, and descriptors of sediment type. A review of acoustic methods used to characterize sediment type and predict sediment properties is also included.
Second cancer risk after primary cancer treatment with three-dimensional conformal, intensity-modulated, or proton beam radiation therapy.

BACKGROUND The comparative risks of a second cancer diagnosis are uncertain after primary cancer treatment with 3-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT), intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), or proton beam radiotherapy (PBRT). METHODS Pediatric and adult patients with a first cancer diagnosis between 2004 and 2015 who received 3DCRT, IMRT, or PBRT were identified in the National Cancer Database from 9 tumor types: head and neck, gastrointestinal, gynecologic, lymphoma, lung, prostate, breast, bone/soft tissue, and brain/central nervous system. The diagnosis of second cancer was modeled using multivariable logistic regression adjusting for age, follow-up duration, radiotherapy (RT) dose, chemotherapy, sociodemographic variables, and other factors. Propensity score matching also was used to balance baseline characteristics. RESULTS In total, 450,373 patients were identified (33.5% received 3DCRT, 65.2% received IMRT, and 1.3% received PBRT) with median follow-up of 5.1 years after RT completion and a cumulative follow-up period of 2.54 million person-years. Overall, the incidence of second cancer diagnosis was 1.55 per 100 patient-years. In a comparison between IMRT versus 3DCRT, there was no overall difference in the risk of second cancer (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 1.00; 95% CI, 0.97-1.02; P = .75). By comparison, PBRT had an overall lower risk of second cancer versus IMRT (adjusted OR, 0.31; 95% CI, 0.26-0.36; P < .0001). Results within each tumor type generally were consistent in the pooled analyses and also were maintained in propensity score-matched analyses. CONCLUSIONS The risk of a second cancer diagnosis was similar after IMRT versus 3DCRT, whereas PBRT was associated with a lower risk of second cancer risk. Future work is warranted to determine the cost-effectiveness of PBRT and to identify the population best suited for this treatment.
Plasma fibrinogen gene polymorphism in children with traumatic cerebral infarction

Objective To investigate the relationship between children with traumatic cerebral infarction (TCI) and plasma fibrinogen gene polymorphism and level. Methods Use the method of PCR-RELP to detect the -455G/A gene type of plasma fibrinogen in 71 cases children with traumatic cerebral infarction and in 40 cases children without traumatic cerebral infarction. The levels of plasma fibrinogen were detected by CA-530 automatic blood analyzer in hospital from January 2003 to March 2011. Results Genetype of GG and allele of G in Bβ-455G / gene site in group with traumatic cerebral infarction (73. 24% and 83.8%) had a higher frequency than that in control group (45.0% and 63. 8%). The traumatic cerebral infarction relative risk of GG genotype in Fg- Bβ-455G/A site was 4 times that of the AA genotype. The levels of FG in traumatic cerebral infarction group (65. 3 ± 17. 7) mg/L was significantly higher than that in control group (32. 7 ± 10. 9) mg/L. Conclusions The incidence of traumatic cerebral infarction in children may be related to the gene polymorphism and levels of fibrinogen gene Bβ-455G/A. GG genotype of Bβ-455G/A may be the a risk factor of traumatic cerebral infarction in children. Dynamic levels of FG is valuable in early diagnosis of traumatic cerebral infarction. Key words: Brain infarction; Fibrinogen; Gene polymorphism
Stimulation of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress by tunicamycin senstizes human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells to the EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor erlotinib

3787 Tunicamycin, a naturally occurring antibiotic, has been shown to induce endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress by inhibiting protein glycosylation. Erlotinib (Tarceva, OSI-774) is an orally active EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor approved as second/third line treatment for patients with NSCLC. In this study, we used two erlotinib-sensitive (H322 and H358) and two erlotinib-resistant NSCLC cell lines (H1650 and A549) as models to determine whether ER stress induced by tunicamycin enhances erlotinib-induced cell death in NSCLC cell lines. Cytotoxicity was assessed using the colorimetric tetrazolium-based (MTT). In the presence of 1 μM tunicamycin, the antiproliferative effect of erlotinib was increased by about 2-fold in the erlotinib-sensitive cells and about 10-fold in the erlotinib resistant cells: the erlotinib IC50 values in erlotinib-resistant H1650 and A549 cells were 8.5 and 12.3 μM vs 0.63 and 1.8 μM, respectively, in the presence of 1 μM tunicamycin. We used the H1650 cell line as a model to explore the cellular and biochemical mechanisms of the synergism observed. A remarkable enhancement of the apoptotic response as assessed by activation of caspase-12 and caspase-3, induction of PARP and Bak proteins cleavage, and down-regulation of the expression of anti-apoptotic proteins Bcl-XL and survivin was observed with the combination. Tunicamycin by itself was found to inhibit EGFR glycosylation, to generate the truncated EGFR (130 kDa), and to induce a survival response with AKT/PKB activation. Interestingly, the combination was also more effective in causing inhibition of EGFR phosphorylation, as well as of AKT/PKB when compared with erlotinib alone. Overall, our results demonstrate that tunicamycin sensitizes erlotinib-resistant cells to erlotinib and that such sensitization effect may be related to enhanced interruption of EGFR-related survival pathways. This work was supported in part by NIH CA91784, CA84119 and OSI Pharmaceuticals.
Effect of Rate of Cooling on the Alpha-Beta Transformation in Titanium and Titanium-Molybdenum Alloys

The effect of the rate of cooling on titanium, zirconium, and thallium has been measured. For titanium-molybdenum alloys, it has been shown that for molybdenum concentration up to 8 pct the rate of cooling has no effect on the transformation temperature, but this temperature decreases progressively with increasing molybdenum content.
Internet-scale Insecurity of Consumer Internet of Things: An Empirical Measurements Perspective

The number of Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices actively communicating across the Internet is continually increasing, as these devices are deployed across a variety of sectors, constantly transferring private data across the Internet. Due to the extensive deployment of such devices, the continuous discovery and persistence of IoT-centric vulnerabilities in protocols, applications, hardware, and the improper management of such IoT devices has resulted in the rampant, uncontrolled spread of malware threatening consumer IoT devices. To this end, this work adopts a novel, macroscopic methodology for fingerprinting Internet-scale compromised IoT devices, revealing crucial cyber threat intelligence on the insecurity of consumer IoT devices. By developing data-driven techniques rooted in machine learning methods and analyzing 3.6 TB of network traffic data, we discover 855,916 compromised IP addresses, with 310,164 fingerprinted as IoT. Further analysis reveals China and Brazil to be hosting the most significant population of compromised IoT devices (100,000 and 55,000, respectively). Additionally, we provide a longitudinal analysis on data from one year ago against this work, revealing the evolving trends of IoT exploitation, such as the increased number of vendors targeted by malware, rising from 50 to 131. Moreover, countries such as China (420% increased infected IoT count) and Indonesia (177% increased infected IoT count) have seen notably high increases in infection rates. Last, we compare our geographic results against Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) ratings, verifying that countries with high GCI ratings, such as the Netherlands and Germany, had relatively low infection rates. However, upon further inspection, we find that the GCI rate does not accurately represent the consumer IoT market, with countries such as China and Russia being rated with “high” CGI scores, yet hosting a large population of infected consumer IoT devices.
Dance as dialog: A metaphor analysis on the development of interculturality through arts and community-based learning with preservice teachers and a local refugee community

Abstract This paper explores the use of arts and community-based (ACB) approaches to intercultural teacher education. Twenty-four preservice teachers and five adult Yazidi refugees/community members participated in this study which involved a two-week arts-based workshop in Fall 2019 at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Data for the study included pre- and post-group discussion recordings as well as oral and written reflections one week after the workshop. Using metaphor analysis, the authors examine the way project participants talk about their experiences in the workshop. Findings showed how ACB approaches hold promise as a vehicle for developing interculturality in teacher education.
Intrathecal 2-Chloroprocaine 3% Versus Hyperbaric Bupivacaine 0.75% for Cervical Cerclage: A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND Cervical cerclage is a short ambulatory procedure. For spinal anesthesia, local anesthetic agents with rapid postoperative resolution are desired. We hypothesized that in combination with fentanyl, intrathecal 2-chloroprocaine would produce earlier resolution of motor block, resulting in shorter time to meet recovery room discharge criteria than hyperbaric bupivacaine. METHODS Women undergoing cervical cerclage with spinal anesthesia were randomized to receive intrathecal 2-chloroprocaine 3% 50 mg or hyperbaric bupivacaine 0.75% 9 mg, both with fentanyl 15 µg. Doses were empirically selected. The onset and resolution of sensory and motor blockade and time to achieve recovery room discharge criteria were monitored. On postoperative day 1, patients rated their satisfaction with the anesthetic and reported on transient neurologic symptoms (TNS), back pain, or headache. The primary outcome was time from spinal injection to motor block resolution. The main secondary outcomes included times from spinal injection to (i) T12 dermatomal level, (ii) sensory block resolution, and (iii) ability to ambulate and void. RESULTS Forty-three women were enrolled and randomized to either the chloroprocaine (N = 23) or bupivacaine group (N = 20). The mean (standard deviation [SD]) duration of surgery was 35.3 (11.4) minutes. There was no difference between groups for time to motor block resolution-the median [interquartile range] time for the bupivacaine group (N = 17) was 112 [97-143] minutes versus 109 [88-148] minutes in the chloroprocaine group (N = 22), P = .66, but there was a significant difference in median time to sensory block resolution: 143 [116-162] minutes in the chloroprocaine group versus 198 [152-263] minutes in the bupivacaine group, P = .002. The recovery room discharge criteria, which at our institution include the ability to ambulate unassisted and void urine, were met 76 (95% CI, 33-145) minutes earlier in the chloroprocaine group, P < .0005. One complete block failure occurred with hyperbaric bupivacaine and 2 subjects in each group received treatment for intraoperative discomfort. No patients reported TNS. CONCLUSIONS Intrathecal 2-chloropocaine 3% provided similarly effective surgical anesthesia for cerclage placement. Although no difference in time to motor block resolution between groups was observed, the time to sensory block resolution and time to meet recovery room discharge criteria were both significantly shorter among patients who received chloroprocaine than patients who received bupivacaine. Future studies are needed to identify and compare equipotent doses of chloroprocaine and bupivacaine to confirm the superiority of chloroprocaine for this ambulatory obstetric procedure.
What Functions on the Medicare Plan Finder Do Older Medicare Beneficiaries Use

The Medicare Plan Finder (MPF), a decision support tool on Medicare.gov, provides functions to help older users simplify their plan selection, but many users may be unaware of MPF functions, cannot locate them, or do not have desire to use them voluntarily. Existing literature offers little knowledge on older adults’ utilization of MPF functionality and human-computer interaction on MPF. Therefore, this study seeks to find 1) the relative usage of each MPF function toward plan decision and 2) assistance needed to improve MPF function usage. An observational study of 29 participants aged 65+ years was conducted during the Medicare open enrollment period of 2019. Each participant was paired with a counselor in a plan selection task using MPF, where they initially navigated MPF by themselves (i.e., self-moment) and then were allowed to ask their counselor for assistance. Data were collected through participants’ task screen videos and participant-counselor speech audios. Five MPF functional themes, plan details, sort plans, filter plans, compare plans, and star ratings, were identified as key functions impacting Medicare plan decision-making processes. Participants’ voluntary use of MPF functions was very rare, if any, during the self-moment. However, with the counselor guidance, the use of the key five functions became noticeably increased. These findings indicate meaningful contributions of the intervention of counselors (i.e., human agents) towards older users’ MPF function usage and suggest a need for an intelligent agent system that can supplement human agents through real-time, on-screen, conversation-based assistance for older users.
Impact of DBI Feature on Peak Distortion Analysis of LPDDR5 at 6400Mbps

This paper illustrates the signal integrity (SI) performance enhancement in an LPDDR5 system running at 6400 Mbps through the Data Bit Inversion (DBI) feature available in the controller. To demonstrate the abovementioned phenomenon, an SIPI co-simulation is performed to estimate the link performance. For SI, the eye margins for one byte and its corresponding DBI pin in an LPDDR5 channel are simulated. The eye margins are evaluated with and without DBI-compliant versions of the Peak Distortion Analysis (PDA) patterns and are statistically extrapolated to reflect a bit error rate (BER) of 10−16. Upon comparing BER-16 eye margins for the DBI-compliant bit patterns to the original patterns, a significant improvement is observed. The eye height shows 14.8% improvement and the eye width increases by 8.3%.
Dose- and sex-dependent effects of phlebotomy-induced anemia on the neonatal mouse hippocampal transcriptome.

Background Phlebotomy-induced anemia (PIA) is universal and variable in degree among preterm infants and may contribute to neurodevelopmental risk. In mice, PIA causes brain tissue hypoxia, iron deficiency, and long-term sex-dependent neurobehavioral abnormalities. The neuroregulatory molecular pathways disrupted by PIA underlying these effects are unknown. Methods Male and female pups were phlebotomized daily from postnatal day (P)3-P14 via facial venipuncture to target hematocrits of 25% (moderate, mPIA) and 18% (severe, sPIA). P14 hippocampal RNA from non-bled control and PIA mice was sequenced by next-generation sequencing to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) that were analyzed using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis. Results mPIA females showed the least DEGs (0.5% of >22,000 genes) whereas sPIA females had the most (8.6%), indicating a dose-dependent effect. mPIA and sPIA males showed similar changes in gene expression (5.3% and 4.7%, respectively), indicating a threshold effect at mPIA. The pattern of altered genes induced by PIA indicates sex-specific and anemia-dose-dependent effects with increased pro-inflammation in females and decreased neurodevelopment in males. Conclusion These gene-expression changes may underlie the reduced recognition memory function in male and abnormal social-cognitive behavior in female adult mice following neonatal PIA. These results parallel clinical studies demonstrating sex-specific behavioral outcomes as a function of neonatal anemia. Impact Phlebotomy-induced anemia (PIA) in neonatal mice results in an altered hippocampal transcriptome and the severity of changes are dependent upon degree of anemia and sex of neonatal mice. The reported findings provide context to the sex-specific outcomes that have been reported in transfusion threshold clinical trials of preterm infants and therefore may inform treatment strategies that may be based on sex. These data advance the field by showing that consequences of PIA may be based in sex-specific transcriptomic alterations. Such changes may also result from other causes of neonatal anemia that also affect term infants.
DirectFuzz: Automated Test Generation for RTL Designs using Directed Graybox Fuzzing

A critical challenge in RTL verification is to generate effective test inputs. Recently, RFUZZ proposed to use an automated software testing technique, namely Graybox Fuzzing, to effectively generate test inputs to maximize the coverage of the whole hardware design. For a scenario where a tiny fraction of a large hardware design needs to be tested, the RFUZZ approach is extremely time consuming. In this work, we present DirectFuzz, a directed test generation mechanism. DirectFuzz uses Directed Graybox Fuzzing to generate test inputs targeted towards a module instance, which enables targeted testing. Our experimental results show that DirectFuzz covers the target sites up to 17.5 × faster (2.23 × on average) than RFUZZ on a variety of RTL designs.
Contralateral Bile Duct Injury During Hepatic Resection

Biliary complications after hepatectomy are major sources of morbidity and mortality. Contralateral bile duct injury typically occurs in a background of anatomic variations or when large tumors are encroaching on the hilum. Detailed knowledge of patient’s biliary anatomy, meticulous dissection, and intrahepatic transection of bile ducts can help prevent many if not all remnant biliary outflow injuries. In case of contralateral bile duct injury with sepsis, antibiotics, adequate drainage of any intraabdominal collection, and relief of obstruction are the priorities, and delayed repair should be considered. Obstruction without sepsis can be approached primarily.
Fluorescent Guanine Nucleotide Analogs and G Protein Activation

The N-methyl-3'-O-anthranoyl (MANT) guanine nucleotide analogs are useful environmentally sensitive fluorescent probes for studying G protein mechanisms. Both MANT-GTP gamma S (mGTP gamma S) and MANT-GTP (mGTP) displayed a magnesium-dependent increase in fluorescence upon binding to bovine brain G(o). A much greater increase in MANT-guanine nucleotide fluorescence was observed with excitation at 280 nm compared with 350 nm, due to energy transfer from tryptophan in G(o). G(o)-bound mGTP gamma S displays a blue-shift in its emission spectrum indicating a nonpolar environment for the G(o)-bound MANT. For the hydrolyzable analog, mGTP, the increase in fluorescence is followed by a decrease as it is hydrolyzed to mGDP. Unexpectedly, dissociation of mGDP was fast (t1/2 1.7 s) by comparison with GDP itself (t1/2 120 s). Binding of mGTP gamma S to G(o) was slow, but mastoparan increased the rate approximately 4-fold. For mGTP, mastoparan increased both the rate of binding and the peak fluorescence, even at saturating mGTP concentrations. Modeling the mGTP fluorescence kinetics in the presence and absence of mastoparan results in two novel conclusions. First, mGTP does not fully activate the G protein, even when bound. Second, mastoparan appears to increase the rate of the G protein conformational activation step, in addition to its known effect on GDP release.
Mitochondrial properties in Rhabdomyosarcoma: An insight into the molecular mechanisms of muscle differentiation

Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a type of cancer that arises in muscle tissue and primarily affects children. RMS cells remain immature and thus, their lack of differentiation into mature muscle cells is one of the hallmarks of this disease. The cause of this lack of differentiation remains unknown. In this study, we hope to gain an insight into the molecular mechanisms of RMS cell differentiation and how mitochondrial properties may be involved in this process, particularly related to mitochondrial movement, morphology and protein markers of mitochondrial biogenesis. For the purpose of this study, human skeletal muscle cells (HSKM) and rhabdomyosarcoma (RD) were induced to differentiate for a period of 7 days. While no difference was observed in mitochondrial speed, acceleration and distance travelled from the origin in HSKM cells after 7 days of differentiation, RD cells exhibited an approximate 2- fold increase in speed and acceleration after 7 days of differentiation. Moreover, mitochondria in RD cells had ...
Finance equity, student achievement, and justice : A five state analysis of equality of opportunity

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the connections between state education finance distribution models and student achievement. To date, lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of state finance systems have been heard in 45 states; the judicial interpretation of the requirement to provide equality of educational opportunity has led to changes in finance distribution models as well as the implementation of accountability policy. Design/methodology/approach – The study included district level finance and achievement data from five states. Researchers reviewed the relevant judicial interpretation of the finance system, the accountability policy, and the finance distribution system. Next, researchers calculated the equity of both the finance distribution model and measures of student achievement. Finally, an equity ratio was developed and calculated to discern the degree to which state distribution models resulted in equitable measures of student achievement. Findings – Findings reveal that ...
Differential mRNA regulation of integrin subunits alpha V, beta 1, beta 3, and beta 5 during mouse embryonic organogenesis.

Cell interactions with extracellular matrices play important roles in morphogenetic processes during embryonic development. Extracellular matrix receptors of the integrin family have been implicated in these steps. Recent studies indicate that a variety of integrins can be differentially expressed during development, consistent with diverse roles for integrins in embryogenesis. The present study compares the expression patterns of several major members of the αvintegrin subfamily, focusing on mRNA expression of αv, β1, β3, and β5subunits during mouse embryonic organogenesis using Northern blot analysis and in situhybridization. The αvand β1subunits showed widespread tissue expression, although most tissues expressed αvat relatively low or basal levels. The mRNA for β5was also expressed in a variety of embryonic organs and showed unusual localization patterns in certain organs. Striking, high-level expression of β5transcripts was detected in the ependymal layer of the central nervous system, glomeruli of t...
Spontaneous mutation at a 5-methylcytosine hotspot is prevented by very short patch (VSP) mismatch repair.

In many strains of Escherichia coli, the product of gene dcm methylates the internal cytosines in the sequence 5'CC(A or T)GG. Spontaneous deamination of 5-methylcytosine produces thymine which, if not corrected, can result in a transition mutation. 5-Methylcytosines in the lacI gene are hotspots for spontaneous C to T mutations. dcm is linked to vsr, a gene required for very short patch (VSP) repair. VSP repair corrects T.G mispairs in the following contexts:CTAAGGGGTCC, CTTGGGGACC, TAGGGTCC and CTAGGGTC. I have investigated the relationships between cytosine methylation, mutation, and VSP repair. Spontaneous mutations in the repressor (cI) gene of lambda prophage were isolated in wild-type and mutant lysogens. A hotspot for spontaneous mutation that corresponds with a 5-methylcytosine was observed in wild-type lysogens but was not present in bacteria lacking both methylase and VSP repair activity. Introduction of a plasmid containing dcm+ and vsr+ restored the mutation hotspot. If the added plasmid carried only dcm+, the frequency of spontaneous mutations at the 5-methylcytosine was over 10-fold higher than in Dcm+Vsr+ lysogens. The addition of vsr on a plasmid to a wild-type lysogen resulted in a 4-fold reduction in mutation at the hotspot. These findings support the previously untested hypothesis that VSP repair prevents mutations resulting from deamination of 5-methylcytosine.
Extracellular Enzyme Activities during Lignocellulose Degradation by Streptomyces spp.: A Comparative Study of Wild-Type and Genetically Manipulated Strains

The wild-type ligninolytic actinomycete Streptomyces viridosporus T7A and two genetically manipulated strains with enhanced abilities to produce a water-soluble lignin degradation intermediate, an acid-precipitable polymeric lignin (APPL), were grown on lignocellulose in solid-state fermentation cultures. Culture filtrates were periodically collected, analyzed for APPL, and assayed for extracellular lignocellulose-catabolizing enzyme activities. Isoenzymes were analyzed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and activity staining on the gels. Two APPL-overproducing strains, UV irradiation mutant T7A-81 and protoplast fusion recombinant SR-10, had higher and longer persisting peroxidase, esterase, and endoglucanase activities than did the wild-type strain T7A. Results implicated one or more of these enzymes in lignin solubilization. Only mutant T7A-81 had higher xylanase activity than the wild type. The peroxidase was induced by both lignocellulose and APPL. This extracellular enzyme has some similarities to previously described ligninases in fungi. This is the first report of such an enzyme in Streptomyces spp. Four peroxidase isozymes were present, and all catalyzed the oxidation of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine, while one also catalyzed hydrogen peroxide-dependent oxidation of homoprotocatechuic acid and caffeic acid. Three constitutive esterase isozymes were produced which differed in substrate specificity toward alpha-naphthyl acetate and alpha-naphthyl butyrate. Three endoglucanase bands, which also exhibited a low level of xylanase activity, were identified on polyacrylamide gels as was one xylanase-specific band. There were no major differences in the isoenzymes produced by the different strains. The probable role of each enzyme in lignocellulose degradation is discussed.
Selection and evaluation of most profitable process targets for the control of canning quality

Abstract A noniterative numerical method is proposed for solving the Hunter and Kartha model to determine the most profitable target for a canning process. Given a specified lower limit which determines the acceptability of the product, the method produces an almost exact estimate of the optimal process mean. Only a pair of estimating constants and percentiles of the distribution of fill are needed for this purpose. Simple formulas are also derived to compute the optimal expected profit and the average contents of underfilled and overfilled cans. Using these formulas the effects of adopting a target on process outputs and the benefit of reducing the process variability or improving the salvage value of the product can be examined to validate the model.
Fluorescence studies of ligand-induced conformational changes of the Na(+)/glucose cotransporter.

Conformational changes in the human Na+/glucose cotransporter (hSGLT1) were examined using hSGLT1 Q457C expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes and tagged with tetramethylrhodamine-6-maleimide (TMR6M). Na+/glucose cotransport is abolished in the TMR6M-labeled mutant, but the protein binds Na+ and sugar [Loo et al. (1998) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 95, 7789−7794]. Under voltage clamp the fluorescence of labeled Q457C was dependent on external cations. Increasing [Na+] increased fluorescence with a Hill coefficient of 2 and half-maximal concentration ( ) of 49 mM at −90 mV. Li+ also increased fluorescence, whereas choline, tetraethylammonium, and N-methyl-d-glucamine did not. Fluorescence was increased by sugars with specificity: methyl α-d-glucopyranoside > d-glucose > d-galactose ≫ d-mannitol. Voltage-jump experiments (in 100 mM NaCl buffer in absence of sugar) elicited parallel changes in pre-steady-state charge movement and fluorescence. Charge vs voltage and fluorescence vs voltage curves followed Bolt...
Phospholipase A2 inactivation of microsomal 17β-hydroxysteroid oxidoreductase: Rates of phospholipid hydrolysis and enzyme inactivation, effects of hydrolysis products and properties of the phospholipase A2-treated enzyme

Exposure of guinea pig liver microsomes to phospholipase A2 resulted in the nearly complete loss of 17β-hydroxy-steroid oxidoreductase (17β-HSD) activity, the time course of which correlated with phospholipid hydrolysis and lysolecithin formation. Lysolecithin and unsaturated fatty acids added to microsomes also inactivated 17β-HSD indicating that they may contribute to the inactivation by phospholipase A2. If exposure to lysolecithin and fatty acids was minimized by including serum albumin in the reaction mixture, phospholipids were rapidly hydrolyzed; but in this case the extent of 17β-HSD inactivation was less and the rate of loss was significantly slower. The data suggest that phospholipid hydrolysis per se results in a destabilization of 17β-HSD resulting in the subsequent activity loss. The inactivation of 17β-HSD by lysolecithin and fatty acids has not been reported previously and is suggestive of a possible control mechanism in vivo.
Probing the modifier precursor state : adsorption of CO on Sn/Pt(111) surface alloys

The presence of a second, inert metal component in an alloy surface can have a dramatic effect on the adsorption kinetics compared to that predicted from simple site-blocking. This is due to the important role that is often played by the modifier precursor state [Xu and Koel, J. Chem. Phys., in press]. In order to more clearly reveal details concerning this state, the adsorption kinetics and thermodynamics of CO on Pt(111) and two ordered Sn/Pt(111) surface alloys have been studied. The thermodynamics of CO adsorption on Pt(111) is only slightly influenced by the presence of Sn. In contrast to the adsorption thermodynamics, the nature of the adsorption kinetics depends strongly on the presence of Sn. This difference can be explained by the fact that the thermodynamics of strong chemisorption is mainly determined by chemical bonding forces, while the adsorption kinetics can be determined by physisorption forces because of their influence on precursor states.
Electrical resistivity, high-resolution thermal expansion, and heat capacity measurements of the charge-density wave compound γ − Mo 4 O 11

Electrical resistivity of $\ensuremath{\gamma}\text{\ensuremath{-}}{\text{Mo}}_{4}{\text{O}}_{11}$ single crystals was measured using the Montgomery method. The results show a much smaller anisotropy than previously reported. High-resolution linear thermal expansion measurements reveal strongly anisotropic behavior. Both electrical resistivity and thermal expansion measurements suggest that this material should be classified as quasi-two dimensional. The thermal expansion coefficients exhibit an anomaly due to the charge-density wave transition along the $b$ and $c$ axes at $\ensuremath{\sim}100\text{ }\text{K}$.
A retrospective study evaluating the impact of formal laparoscopic training on patient outcomes in a residency program.

Abstract Study Objective To evaluate the impact of a formal laparoscopic training program on patient outcomes in an obstetrics and gynecology residency. Design Retrospective cohort study (Canadian Task Force classification II-1). Setting University-affiliated public hospital. Intervention Comparison of nonlaparoscopy-trained group (A) with a formally trained group (B). Subjects Three hundred sixty-eight women (group A) and 154 women (group B) undergoing operative laparoscopy. Measurements and Main Results Beginning October 1, 1999, residents, regardless of postgraduate year status, participated in six 4-hour sessions/year in a committed laparoscopic training program consisting of didactics, bench exercises (designed to mimic laparoscopic gynecologic technical skills), instrumentation instruction, animate tissue model surgery, and supervised gynecologic operating experience. Two certified gynecology laparoscopists facilitated each training session, and gynecologists with various laparoscopic skill levels supervised patient surgeries. Operating room time, blood loss, hospital stay, and conversion to laparotomy were less for group B than for group A, but the groups did not differ in complication rates. Adhesions and bleeding were the main reasons for conversion to laparotomy. Conclusion Formal laparoscopic training of gynecologic residents improved patient outcomes.
Tree pushdown automata

Abstract This paper presents a new type of automaton called a tree pushdown automaton (a bottom-up tree automaton augmented with internal memory in the form of a tree, similar to the way a stack is added to a finite state machine to produce a pushdown automaton) and shows that the class of languages recognized by such automata is identical to the class of context-free tree languages.
Using perdeuterated surfactant micelles to resolve mixture components in diffusion-ordered NMR spectroscopy.

Diffusion-ordered NMR spectroscopy resolves mixture components on the basis of differences in their respective diffusion coefficients or molecular sizes. However, when components have near-identical diffusion coefficients, they are not resolved in the diffusion dimension of a diffusion-ordered spectroscopy (DOSY) spectrum. Adding surfactant micelles to these mixtures has been shown to enhance resolution when the component molecules interact differentially with the micelles. This approach is similar to that used in electrokinetic chromatography (EKC) where modifiers like micelles or polymers are used to enhance the separation of mixture components. In this study, perdeuterated surfactants are added to analyte mixtures studied with the DOSY technique. Since no micelle resonances appear in the mixture spectra, the difficulty associated with performing biexponential analyses in spectral regions where analyte and surfactant resonances overlap is avoided. The approach is demonstrated using mixtures of peptides with near-identical diffusion coefficients. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Technique to Facilitate Open Placement of Permanent Pacing Leads through the Cephalic Vein

A technique is described that can facilitate open placement of permanent pacing leads through a difficult or suboptimal cephalic vein using the popular guidewire and peel-apart introducer kits.
Evaluation of First Ply Failure in a Three-Dimensional Load Space:

Numerically generated failure envelopes for several three-dimensional failure criteria are presented and compared to experimental data. These envelopes are developed through finite element analysis and are based on first ply failure (FPF). The experimental data are based on ultimate failure of filament wound tubes constructed from Toray 1000/DER332-T403 and loaded in various combinations of axial traction (both tension and compression), internal pressure, and torsion. All tubes have a layup of [± 1.5, ± 45, ± 89]T. Five three-dimensional failure criteria are considered: max-stress, max-strain, one proposed by Tsai, and two recently proposed by Feng. In addition to the three-dimensional failure criteria evaluated, the finite element results are used in conjunction with classical lamination theory to test the predictive capability of some of the more common two-dimensional failure criteria (max-strain, Tsai-Hill, and Tsai-Wu). None of the predicted envelopes compares well with the experimental data; thereby...
Strain and Opportunity Structures

Traditional strain theory received substantial empirical attention for a prolonged period of time, but it currently occupies a marginal position in criminology. Efforts to revitalize and elaborate it have occurred under the rubric of Agnew's general strain theory. These theories share a focus on how contextual factors, in particular what are commonly referred to as opportunity structures, affect the relationship between stresses and strains and delinquency. Using national-level data, this study considers empirically the impact of several illegitimate opportunity structures conceptualized at the school-level on the association between strain, stressful life events, delinquency, and self-concept. The results indicate that both stress and strain affect changes in delinquency and self-concept over time. Yet there is little evidence that these relationships are conditioned by access to illegitimate opportunity. These results suggest that strain and stress affect delinquency uniformly across a variety of illegitimate opportunity structures.
A molecular mechanism for the stage specificity of the Drosophila prepupal genetic response to ecdysone

Summary Two successive pulses of ecdysone signal the ends of larval and prepupal development in Drosophila, inducing early and late puffs in the salivary gland polytene chromosomes. Early puff induction in prepupae is dependent on a preceding period of protein synthesis and low ecdysone concentration. We demonstrate here that the competence acquired during this interval can be provided by f3FTZF1, a nuclear hormone receptor superfamily member derived from the 75CD midprepupal puff. We show that PFTZ-Ff represses its own transcription and is repressed by ecdysone, explaining its brief expression in mid-prepupae. We further show that ectopic pFTZ-FI expression leads to enhanced levels of ecdysone-induced BBC, E74, and 1575 early gene transcription and premature induction of the stage-specific 93F early puff and E93 transcription. These findings indicate that PFTZ-Fl plays a central role in the prepupal genetic response to ecdysone and provide a molecular mechanism for stage-specific responses to steroid hormones.