cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reduced expression of miR-200 family members contributes to antiestrogen resistance in LY2 human breast cancer cells.

Introduction The role of miRNAs in acquired endocrine-resistant breast cancer is not fully understood. One hallmark of tumor progression is epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), characterized by a loss of cell adhesion resulting from reduced E-cadherin and increased cell mobility. miR-200 family members regulate EMT by suppressing expression of transcriptional repressors ZEB1/2. Previously we reported that the expression of miR-200a, miR-200b, and miR-200c was lower in LY2 endocrine-resistant, mesenchymal breast cancer cells compared to parental, endocrine sensitive, epithelial MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Here we investigated the regulation of miR-200 family members and their role in endocrine-sensitivity in breast cancer cells. Results miR-200 family expression was progressively reduced in a breast cancer cell line model of advancing endocrine/tamoxifen (TAM) resistance. Concomitant with miR-200 decrease, there was an increase in ZEB1 mRNA expression. Overexpression of miR-200b or miR-200c in LY2 cells altered cell morphology to a more epithelial appearance and inhibited cell migration. Further, miR-200b and miR-200c overexpression sensitized LY2 cells to growth inhibition by estrogen receptor (ER) antagonists TAM and fulvestrant. Knockdown of ZEB1 in LY2 cells recapitulated the effect of miR-200b and miR-200c overexpression resulting in inhibition of LY2 cell proliferation by TAM and fulvestrant, but not the aromatase inhibitor exemestane. Demethylating agent 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine (5-aza-dC) in combination with histone deacetylase inhibitor trichostatin A (TSA) increased miR-200b and miR-200c in LY2 cells. Concomitant with the increase in miR-200b and miR-200c, ZEB1 expression was decreased and cells appeared more epithelial in morphology and were sensitized to TAM and fulvestrant inhibition. Likewise, knockdown of ZEB1 increased antiestrogen sensitivity of LY2 cells resulting in inhibition of cell proliferation. Conclusions Our data indicate that reduced miRNA-200b and miR-200c expression contributes to endocrine resistance in breast cancer cells and that the reduced expression of these miR-200 family members in endocrine-resistant cells can be reversed by 5-aza-dC+TSA.
Cross-reactive recognition by antigen-specific, major histocompatibility complex-restricted T cells of a mitogen derived from Mycoplasma arthritidis is clonally expressed and I-E restricted

In order to determine whether or not the major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-encoded restriction element used by a T cell in the recognition of its primary antigen affected its ability to be cross-reactively stimulated by MAS (a soluble product of Mycoplasma arthritidis), a panel of cloned, soluble antigen-specific I-A- and I-E-restricted T cells were tested for their ability to cross-reactively recognize and respond to MAS. Initial studies indicated that all of the cloned T cells tested were capable of responding to MAS in the presence of genetically E alpha E beta-expressing (I-E+), but not E alpha E beta-non-expressing (I-E-) accessory cells (AC). However, subsequent studies demonstrated that the ability of most of these T cell clones to mount proliferative responses to MAS in the presence of I-E+ AC was dependent upon the presence of Lyt-1+2- T cells in the irradiated spleen cells which were used as AC sources. When T cell-depleted, I-E+ populations of spleen cells or an I-E+ antigen-presenting line (WEHI-5) were used as AC sources, only 6 of the 34 clones tested were found to be directly responsive to MAS. Subsequent to stimulation by MAS plus I-E product, these MAS-reactive T cell clones were capable of "recruiting" bystander T cells to proliferate. Finally, the ability of a given T cell clone to respond to MAS plus I-E product did not appear to be influenced by the restriction element used by that clone in its response to other antigens since both I-A-restricted and I-E-restricted T cell clones were responsive to MAS plus I-E in equivalent proportions. Thus, the data presented indicated that I-E-restricted T cell reactivity to MAS is a clonally expressed property of T cells that is independent of their conventional antigen specificities and MHC restriction patterns.
An experiment in microprocessor-based distributed digital simulation

This paper discusses the design of a distributed simulation system which will utilize off-the-shelf microprocessors in its implementation. Alternative approaches to the assignment of simulation functions and processes are presented. A project currently underway at Texas A & M University is described which considers the impact of distributed architectures on the design of simulation language support systems. The emphasis in this research project is to produce an operational prototype which can be used to establish the feasibility and utility of distributed simulation.
Modified Shape from Shading Approach to SEM based Photoresist CD Metrology

As the fabrication density increases in semiconductor manufacturing processes, cost effective determination of the exact dimensions of various device-interconnects becomes a critical issue. Single detector based critical dimension metrology systems are attractive due to cost effectiveness. Yet, deducing dimensions like sidewall curvature and 3D shape of the semiconductor surface are quite difficult using a single detector system. Non-destructive metrological systems are also very desirable in evaluating critical dimension and manufacturing error because they are inexpensive compared to multi-detector systems. In our paper, we build upon the physical modeling approach to modify a classical shape from shading algorithm to reconstruct the 3D shape from a single non-stereoscopic SEM image. Our ultimate aim is to design an efficient real-time, non-destructive CD-SEM system using a single detector. Appropriate reflectance function is utilized for low-excitation SEM imagery for reconstructing the depth map of the surface using the shape from shading algorithm. In this paper, we present the results from low-excitation SEM reflectance model used for SFS approach. We compare the results with a standard SFS algorithm that uses Lambertian reflectance model. We also discuss the advantages of this computer vision based approach compared to other destructive CD-SEM technologies.
The CXC Chemokines Growth-regulated Oncogene (GRO) α, GROβ, GROγ, Neutrophil-activating Peptide-2, and Epithelial Cell-derived Neutrophil-activating Peptide-78 Are Potent Agonists for the Type B, but Not the Type A, Human Interleukin-8 Receptor

Interleukin-8 (IL-8), growth-related oncogene (GRO) α, GROβ, GROγ, neutrophil-activating peptide-2 (NAP-2), epithelial cell-derived neutrophil activating peptide- 78 (ENA-78), and granulocyte chemoattractant protein-2 are potent neutrophil chemoattractants 40-90% identical in amino acid sequence that comprise a subgroup of human CXC chemokines defined by the conserved sequence motif glutamic acid-leucine-arginine (ELR). Two human chemotactic receptor subtypes for IL-8, named IL-8 receptors (IL8R) A and B, have been cloned. They are 78% identical in amino acid sequence, coexpressed in neutrophils, and distinguished by their different selectivities for GROα and NAP-2. Their selectivity for other ELR+ CXC chemokines has not been previously reported. By measuring calcium flux in human embryonic kidney 293 cells transfected with plasmids encoding IL8RA or IL8RB, we have now defined receptor selectivity for GROβ, GROγ, and ENA-78. The rank order of agonist potency, based on inspection of the mean effective concentration values (EC50), for IL8RB was GROγ (1 nM) > IL-8 (4 nM) ∼ GROα (5 nM) ∼ GROβ (4 nM) ∼ NAP-2 (7 nM) > ENA-78 (11 nM), and for IL8RA was IL-8 (4 nM) >>> ENA-78 (40 nM) ∼ NAP-2 (45 nM) > GROα (63 nM)∼GROγ (65 nM) > GROβ. The maximal response of IL8RA to IL-8 was at least 2-fold greater than the other five chemokines. All six agonists for IL8RB competed for high affinity 125I-IL-8, -GROα, -NAP-2, and -ENA-78 binding sites at IL8RB. GROα, GROβ, GROγ, NAP-2, and ENA-78 competed weakly for the high affinity IL-8 binding site at IL8RA. Thus, IL8RA and IL8RB are both highly selective for IL-8 and have similar sequences but differ dramatically in their selectivity for all other ELR+ CXC chemokines tested. These findings have important implications for developing novel neutrophil-specific anti-inflammatory drugs directed against the CXC chemokine signaling system.
Similarity Graph Neighborhoods for Enhanced Supervised Classification

Abstract We consider transformations to enhance classification accuracy that are applied during the training phase of a supervised classifier with prelabeled data. We consider similarity graph neighborhoods (SGN) in the feature subspace of the training data to obtain a transformed dataset by determining displacements for each entity. Our SGN classifier is a supervised learning scheme that is trained on these transformed data; the separating boundary obtained is thereafter used for future classification. We discuss improvements in classification accuracy for an artificial dataset and present empirical results for Linear Discriminant (LD) classifier, Support Vector Machine (SVM), SGN-LD, and SGN-SVM for 6 well-known datasets from the University of California at Irvine (UCI) repository [1] . Our results indicate that on average SGN-LD improves accuracy by 5.0% and SGN-SVM improves it by 4.52%.
MiR-101 and miR-144 Regulate the Expression of the CFTR Chloride Channel in the Lung

The Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane conductance Regulator (CFTR) is a chloride channel that plays a critical role in the lung by maintaining fluid homeostasis. Absence or malfunction of CFTR leads to Cystic Fibrosis, a disease characterized by chronic infection and inflammation. We recently reported that air pollutants such as cigarette smoke and cadmium negatively regulate the expression of CFTR by affecting several steps in the biogenesis of CFTR protein. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have recently received a great deal of attention as both biomarkers and therapeutics due to their ability to regulate multiple genes. Here, we show that cigarette smoke and cadmium up-regulate the expression of two miRNAs (miR-101 and miR-144) that are predicted to target CFTR in human bronchial epithelial cells. When premature miR-101 and miR-144 were transfected in human airway epithelial cells, they directly targeted the CFTR 3′UTR and suppressed the expression of the CFTR protein. Since miR-101 was highly up-regulated by cigarette smoke in vitro, we investigated whether such increase also occurred in vivo. Mice exposed to cigarette smoke for 4 weeks demonstrated an up-regulation of miR-101 and suppression of CFTR protein in their lungs. Finally, we show that miR-101 is highly expressed in lung samples from patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) when compared to control patients. Taken together, these results suggest that chronic cigarette smoking up-regulates miR-101 and that this miRNA could contribute to suppression of CFTR in the lungs of COPD patients.
Coil design for short echo time sodium-23 nuclear magnetic resonance imaging

The application of NMR imaging techniques to the in vivo distribution of sodium has demonstrated that certain pathological conditions in tissue, especially infarction, can lead to a dramatic increase in the apparent sodium signal (1, 2). Most of these experiments have been done with spin-echo techniques with echo times typically in the range of 10 to 20 milliseconds. These results have also demonstrated that the effective T2 of the in vivo signal ranges from 3 to 30 milliseconds (2) which is shorter than that of purely aqueous solution. This indicates that improvements in signal-tonoise ratio should be possible with shorter echo times. The reason for the shorter relaxation times in vivo has recently been elucidated. In 1970, Hubbard showed the theoretical existence of a biexponential T2 relaxation in spin-; nuclei (3). Subsequently, Bull (4) extended the theory to compute correlation times from the different relaxation times. Chang and Woessner (5) demonstrated the presence of the biexponential transverse relaxation in rat leg muscle. One component is very fast and the other somewhat longer (Tz~ = 1.5 ms and Tzs = 15 ms at 26.5 MHz). The so-called “invisible” component, comprising 60% of the signal, decays with the short T2 and 40% decays with the longer T2. These results are significant because the majority of the intracellular component of the sodium signal will have disappeared before one has a chance to measure it. The intracellular component of the sodium signal could be of interest, since the correlation times derived from the relaxation data describe the duration and extent of interaction between sodium ions and intracellular macromolecules (5). Thus, it may be desirable to measure the T2’s in a variety of tissues, which can be done in vivo using imaging. There are two technical factors which limit the echo times which can be achieved in sodium imaging. One of these is the switching time of the gradient fields; this is limited by the inductive time constant of the gradient coils and the level of gradient power available and is not the subject of this communication. A second limit is the time necessary to develop the required 90 or 180” radiofrequency pulses. Both of these factors are exacerbated by the fact that the gyromagnetic ratio of sodium is only about one-fourth that of protons, so that the magnetic field strengths required are therefore four times stronger for sodium than for protons.
Studies of Fast Beam Produced Recoil Ions in a Penning Trap

Low energy recoil ions (Ne+q, 1?q?8) have been produced and contained in a Penning-type ion trap by means of a stripped 35 MeV Cl+5 beam from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory EN Tandem Van de Graaff. Initial investigation of the axial energy distribution of the stored recoil ions indicates that mean energies are less than 2q eV. The rate constants for several electron transfer processes were determined by the direct measurement of stored ion population decay as a function of pressure. Preliminary results are: k(Ne+3, Ne) ? Products = 0.5×10-9cm3/s k(Ne+4, Ne) ? Products = 3.5×10-9cm3/s k(Ne+5, Ne) ? Products = 4×10-9cm3/s k(Ne+6, Ne) ? Products = 8×10-9cm3/s. The relative numbers of the stored low energy recoiling Ne+q ions (3?q?8) agree with the results of production processes initiated by much more highly charged projectiles such as Xe+38 and U+44.
POSITIVE ALIENATION AND ITS REFLECTION IN TAOIST THOUGHT

Positive alienation is a forgotten category, though it was never `alien' to early philosophers. This paper examines the dimensions of alienation in its usual negative disguise in two ways - a sense...
A spatial approach for integrating and analyzing indicators of ecological and human condition

Abstract “Sustainable development” is used in this study as an integrating theme and defined as a positive relationship between ecological integrity and human welfare over time within ecologically-relevant areas. Ecological rather than political areal units are used for aggregating data because human welfare ultimately relies on the natural resources and life support systems provided by healthy ecosystems. Although, no scientific consensus on defining and measuring “ecological integrity” and “human welfare” exists, partial metrics for each were taken from the literature. A geographic information system (GIS) was created to explore statistical relationships between selected measures of ecological and human condition aggregated up to the watershed scale. Rank correlation results at the watershed scale generally corresponded with other findings in the literature reporting negative interactions between society and nature at other spatial scales. The spatial analysis suggested that higher levels of well-being in Ohio, USA, (i.e. in terms of educational attainment, employment, income, and lack of poverty) were near metropolitan areas with connections to larger scale economies rather than isolated economies based on local natural resources (i.e. open rather than closed systems). The same locational arrangement was also found for several “sustainable watersheds” identified in the landscape (i.e. those with higher levels of both human and terrestrial and aquatic ecological conditions). In other words, sustaining high levels of ecological condition and human welfare in watersheds appeared dependent on linkages with external areas and their continued “sustainability” as well. Theoretically, relations between society and nature within one place and between different places may range from mutualistic to competitive interactions, but the former, along with cooperative and commensal relations, are preferred if sustainable development is desired.
Multiobjective Optimization Tool for a Free Structure Analog Circuits Design Using Genetic Algorithms and Incorporating Parasitics

This paper presents a novel approach for a free structure analog circuit design using genetic algorithms (GAs). A major problem in a free structure circuit is its sensitivity calculations as a polynomial approximation for the design is not available. A further problem is the effect of parasitic elements on the resulting circuit's performance. In a single design stage, circuits that are produced satisfy a specific frequency response specifications using circuit structures that are unrestricted and with component values that are chosen from a set of preferred values including their parasitic effects. The sensitivity to component variations for the resulting designs is performed using a novel technique and is incorporated in the fitness evaluation function. The extra degrees of freedom resulting form unbounded circuit structures create a huge search space. The application chosen is an RLC ladder filters circuit design.
Analysis of Order of the Sequential Regularization Solutions of Inverse Heat Conduction Problems

Various methods have been proposed to solve the inverse heat conduction problem of determining a boundary condition at the surface of a body from discrete internal temperature measurements. These include function specification and regularization methods. This paper investigates the various components of the regularization method using the sequential regularization method proposed by Beck and Murio (1986). Specifically, the effects of the regularization order and the influence of the regularization parameter are analyzed. It is shown that as the order of regularization increases, the bias errors decrease and the variance increases. Comparatively, the zeroth regularization has higher bias errors and the second-order regularization is more sensitive to random errors. As the regularization parameter decreases, the sensitivity of the estimator to random errors is shown to increase; on the other hand, the bias errors are shown to decrease.
Surfactant-Enhanced Desorption/Ionization on Silicon Mass Spectrometry

Perfluorinated surfactants are demonstrated to dramatically enhance desorption/ionization on fluorinated silicon (DIOS) mass spectrometry. Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid improved the signal-to-noise ratio of tryptic digests and gave a 3-fold increase in the number of peptides identified. Similar results were also obtained using perfluoroundecanoic acid ; yet among the seven different surfactants tested, controls such as nonfluorinated sodium dodecyl sulfate or fluorinated molecules with minimal surfactant activity did not enhance the signal. The same surfactants also enhanced the DIOS-MS signal of amino acids, carbohydrates, and other small organic compounds. The signal enhancement may be facilitated by the high surface activity of the perfluorinated surfactants on the fluorinated silicon surfaces allowing for a higher concentration of analyte to be absorbed.
Caregiver-reported neuropsychiatric symptoms in patients undergoing treatment for head and neck cancer: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND Patients with cancer experience multiple neuropsychiatric symptoms. Whereas individual symptoms have been studied in patients with head and neck cancer, the broader context of neuropsychiatric symptoms needs to be explored. OBJECTIVE The aims of this pilot study were to (a) determine the caregiver-reported prevalence and severity of neuropsychiatric symptoms in patients with head and neck cancer, (b) determine the associated level of caregiver distress, and (c) describe the effects of neuropsychiatric symptoms on patients and their caregivers. METHODS Twenty-three family caregivers of patients with head and neck cancer completed the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire and participated in a semistructured interview. RESULTS All caregivers reported that patients experienced at least 1 neuropsychiatric symptom (mean, 7.5; range, 1-12). The most frequently reported symptoms were trouble with appetite and eating (95.7%), altered nighttime behaviors (82.6%), depression/dysphoria (78.3%), decreased alertness (69.6%), inattention (60.9%), apathy/indifference (56.5%), anxiety (56.5%), irritability/lability (52.5%), agitation/aggression (52.2%), and slowed behavior (43.5%). The mean severity rating for 9 symptoms was moderate to severe. Most symptoms caused mild to moderate levels of caregiver distress. Qualitative data indicated that neuropsychiatric symptoms negatively affected patients, their caregivers, and other family members. Patients required more caregiver support resulting in increased caregiver burden and distress. CONCLUSIONS Neuropsychiatric symptoms are common and troubling in patients with head and neck cancer during treatment. Further investigation of their effects on patients and family caregivers is needed. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE Clinicians should monitor for and treat neuropsychiatric symptoms throughout treatment and provide caregiver and patient education and support.
THE DIFFERENTIAL SENSITIVITY OF CULTURED CHICK MESODERMAL CELLS TO ACTINOMYCIN D

Cells were isolated from the somite mesoderm and from the unsegmented (presomite) mesoderm of early chick embryos and exposed to actinomycin D in single cell culture. Actinomycin D inhibited proliferation in cell cultures derived from the unsegmented mesoderm, although the same concentrations of this antibiotic did not inhibit cultures derived from the somite mesoderm. This differential sensitivity parallels the regionally specific necrosis and degeneration observed in the unsegmented mesoderm of intact chick embryos exposed to actinomycin D. In culture, both cell types exhibited approximately the same permeability to labeled actinomycin D and showed comparable inhibition of RNA, DNA, and protein syntheses in the presence of the antibiotic. However, freshly isolated mesodermal cells from the somite region had a higher content of RNA than did cells from the unsegmented region, and the somite cells maintained a higher rate of macromolecular synthesis in untreated cultures.
Constraints on Sexual Selection

Ever since Darwin ( 1 ) identified female choice of mates as a mechanism of sexual selection, it has been a challenge for evolutionary biologists to quantitatively integrate sexual selection, acting on reproductive fitness at the time of mating, with natural selection, acting on viability at other times in the life cycle. On page 802 of this issue, Byers and Dunn ( 2 ) report an important step toward this goal. They show how female choice of mates and offspring mortality together affect the strength of selection acting on male pronghorns, Antilocapra americana .
A new species of Edaphodon (Chondrichthyes: Holocephali) from the Upper Cretaceous Haslam Formation, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada

ABSTRACT A complete dentition of Edaphodon hesperis, sp. nov., is described from the Upper Cretaceous (lower Campanian) Haslam Formation of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. It is one of the complete specimens for Edaphodon, most species of which are known only from incomplete toothplates. This is the first Cretaceous Edaphodon from western North America, extending the geographical range of the genus from its original distribution in Australia, Europe, New Zealand, and eastern North America. The specimen also extends the stratigraphic range of the genus in North America to the lower Campanian. Edaphodon hesperis, sp. nov., is characterized by a deep symphyseal surface and a distally located posterior outer tritor with reduced size on the mandibular toothplate. The vomerine toothplate has six tritorial pads on the oral surface. A phylogenetic analysis based on discrete characters of the mandibular toothplate indicates that the new species is basal among the eight species of this genus for which a...
A CASE STUDY: DEVELOPMENT OF AN ORGANISM–SPECIFIC PROTEIN INTERACTION DATABASE AND ITS ASSOCIATED TOOLS

In this paper, we describe the architecture of a protein interaction database and tools for manipulating Drosophila protein interaction data. The proposed system not only maintains interaction data collected by an experiment, but also associates the interaction data with valuable data from various genomic databases. The system inherits a layered-modular architecture by introducing a wrapper-mediator approach in order to solve the syntactic and semantic heterogeneity among multiple data sources. The component modules for wrapping and integrating the relevant data, querying the database, and visualizing the interaction data among proteins are discussed. The system wrapped the relevant data for 14,000 Drosophila proteins from 5 publicly accessible sources. A web-based query interface is developed to browse the database and a query result can be viewed as in a protein interaction map depicting functional pathways, complexes or networks. Protein interaction maps aid in understanding or predicting potential functions for uncharacterized proteins and in describing their functional networks in a biological context. We show that the proposed approach supports data association and data interoperability in a protein interaction database.
Historic and Modern Abundance of Wild Lean Lake Trout in Michigan Waters of Lake Superior: Implications for Restoration Goals

Abstract Populations of lake trout Salvelinus namaycush in Lake Superior collapsed in the late 1950s due to overfishing and predation by sea lampreys Petromyzon marinus. A binational effort to restore the lean morphotype of lake trout began with the stocking of hatchery-reared fish followed by the chemical control of sea lampreys and closure of the commercial fishery. Previous comparisons of the contemporary abundance of wild lean lake trout with that from historic commercial fishery statistics indicate that abundance was higher historically. However, this conclusion may be biased because several factors—the inclusion of siscowet (the “fat” morphotype of lake trout) in the catch statistics, the soak time of nets, seasonal effects on catch per effort, and the confounding effects of effort targeted at lake whitefish Coregonus clupeaformis—were not accounted for. We developed new indices of historic lean lake trout abundance that correct for these biases and compared them with the assessment data from 1984 t...
Dipole Enhancement of Positron Binding to Molecules

Measurements of positron-molecule binding energies are made for molecules with large permanent dipole moments ($g2.7\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{D}$), by studying vibrational-Feshbach-mediated annihilation resonances as a function of incident positron energy. The binding energies are relatively large (e.g., $\ensuremath{\ge}90\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{meV}$) as compared to those for similar sized molecules studied previously and analogous weakly bound electron-molecule (negative ion) states. Comparisons with existing theoretical predictions are discussed.
Strong temperature dependence of the 90° coupling in Fe/Al/Fe(001) magnetic trilayers

The temperature dependence of the unusual magnetic 90° coupling in epitaxial Fe/Al/Fe(001) trilayers has been determined. Trilayers with Al thickness near 15 A exhibit a rapid decrease of coupling strength (B12) with increasing temperature. This temperature dependence is well described by the relations B12 = B012(1 - TT0)2 or B12 = B012 exp(- TT0) which contrast with the approximately linear temperature dependence previously reported for 180° coupled systems.
Physiological differences in the elderly. Are they clinically important

‘…even when the correct diagnosis is made the aged are frequently improperly treated through our ignorance of the action of drug(s) upon the senile organism.…Ask yourself if you have any other rule for diminishing dose in old age than a rough guess’. (Nascher, IL: Geriatrics Medical Record , 20 April 1912.)
Unsteady Pressures in a Transonic Fan Cascade Due to a Single Oscillating Airfoil

An extensive set of unsteady pressure data was acquired along the midspan of a modern transonic fan blade for simulated flutter conditions. The data set was acquired in a nine-blade linear cascade with an oscillating middle blade to provide a database for the influence coefficient method to calculate instantaneous blade loadings. The cascade was set for an incidence of 10 dg. The data were acquired on three stationary blades on each side of the middle blade that was oscillated at an amplitude of 0.6 dg. The matrix of test conditions covered inlet Mach numbers of 0.5, 0.8, and 1.1 and the oscillation frequencies of 200, 300, 400, and 500 Hz. A simple quasiunsteady two-dimensional computer simulation was developed to aid in the running of the experimental program. For high Mach number subsonic inlet flows the blade pressures exhibit very strong, low-frequency, self-induced oscillations even without forced blade oscillations, while for low subsonic and supersonic inlet Mach numbers the blade pressure unsteadiness is quite low. The amplitude of forced pressure fluctuations on neighboring stationary blades strongly depends on the inlet Mach number and forcing frequency. The flowfield behavior is believed to be governed by strong nonlinear effects due to a combination of viscosity, compressibility, and unsteadiness. Therefore, the validity of the quasi-unsteady simplified computer simulation is limited to conditions when the flowfield is behaving in a linear, steady manner. Finally, an extensive set of unsteady pressure data was acquired to help development and verification of computer codes for blade flutter effects.
Enhanced X ray sensitivity of human colon tumor cells by combination of N-methylformamide with chemotherapeutic agents

Abstract The responses of human colon tumor cells (clone A) to graded doses of x-irradiation were studied in combination with conventional chemotherapeutic drugs (bleomycin and 5-fluorouracil) after induction of commitment to differentiation by chronic exposure to N-methylformamide (NMF). NMF treated cells show increased radiation sensitivity, particularly in the low dose region of the survival curve. When doses of bleomycin (Bleo) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) were used that were subtoxic, both agents enhanced the cytotoxicity of x-irradiation by factors of about 1.25 and 1.10, respectively (at the 10% level of survival), and little sequence dependence was seen. However, in NMF treated cells, the combination of these drugs produced enhancement of X ray killing by factors of about 1.6 (x + bleo), 2.5 (bleo + x), 1.4 (x + 5-FU), and 1.6 (5-FU + x). Drug exposures were for 1 hr duration at 37°C; 0.05 ug/ml for Bleo, and 20 ug/ml for 5-FU. Since the X ray dose enhancement factor for NMF alone was about 1.3, the increased toxicity seen is probably additive in nature for the NMF + 5-FU + x experiments, but more than additive for the NMF + Bleo + x experiments. Also, complete removal of the shoulder was seen in the NMF + Bleo + X ray experiments. These data indicate that the use of differentiation-inducing agents in combination with other cytotoxic therapies might be important in yielding major decreases in the neoplastic cell burden, while avoiding the major morbidity seen in aggressive cancer therapy.
Can endoscopy and laparoscopy be combined to remove complex polyps

479 ISSN 1758-194X 10.2217/CRC.13.60 © 2013 Future Medicine Ltd Colorect. Cancer (2013) 2(6), 479–482 1New York – Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical College, 525 East 68th Street, New York, NY 10065, USA 2Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center/David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 10833 LeConte Avenue, 72-253 CHS, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA *Author for correspondence: Tel.: +1 310 267 1370; Fax: +1 310 206 2472; jayoo@mednet.ucla.edu The adenoma–carcinoma sequence describes a well-established progression from normal mucosa to dysplastic epithelium leading to invasive cancer. Any polyp left untreated has the potential to become a cancer. The diagnostic and therapeutic capability of endoscopy has been proven recently in a large study demonstrating a 53% reduction in mortality in patients undergoing regular colonoscopy [1]. The number of individuals set to undergo screening for polyps is to increase with programs incepted worldwide. As specialists in the field, we will see more and do more in the coming years. A certain percentage of polyps encountered by the clinician will be termed ‘complex’ or ‘complicated’ and are therefore not amenable to simple removal techniques. Such polyps require additional intervention in light of the adenoma–carcinoma sequence and the fact that at least 15% of polyps that are not removable endoscopically actually harbor cancer. Advanced techniques for removal can be classed as luminal (endoscopic mucosal resection [EMR]/endoscopic submucosal dissection [ESD]) or segmental full-thickness resection through surgery. Surgical resection with its inherent risks is often performed, although we understand that over 80% of these patients will have a benign lesion. More recently, combined endoscopic laparoscopic surgery (CELS), a new combined approach to tackling complex polyps has evolved. This article attempts to consolidate the available literature regarding the feasibility of this technique, in addition to providing guidance on how teams may embark on such a treatment.
Exact investigation of all effects for extensions of one-way ANOVA model with random effects

Consider the standard one-way analysis of variance model with random effects (variance components model). The customary assumptions of zero means, zero correlations, and equal variances are made for the random terms of this balanced model. The customary normality assumptions are also made when other than point estimates are desired. This standard model is generalized, in several ways, by addition of one or two types of “error” terms. The extended models are applicable to much more general situations than the standard model. However, exact results are developed for investigating the mean and both variance components (of the standard model) and for investigating subsets of these parameters. The generality level for an extended model depends on which parameters are investigated. Customary procedures for the standard model remain usable for some investigations and extensions, but more general models are applicable when use of customary results is not required. A method for rejection of outliers by use of the standard model is described and shown to be applicable for some of the extensions.
An experimental study of the dilation factor

Dilation factor R is the ratio of relative change in velocity to relative change in deformation (strain). It has significant implications for 4D seismic studies where it can be used to infer reservoir or overburden thickness changes from seismic changes, but the effect of stress on R and its components is not well understood. We conduct static strain and ultrasonic velocity measurements to study the effect of stress on R and its components. Measured absolute R values (6–91 in sandstones and 6–11 in shale) depend on the deformation mechanisms causing the strain. The dynamic (low-amplitude) Young’s modulus generally is higher than the static (high-amplitude) Young’s modulus. Hence, theoretical models that use the same mechanism to describe wave propagation and macroscopic deformation are invalid. The ratio of dynamic to static modulus depends on the direction of stress applied with respect to the density and placement of cracks. Values of R differ for P- and S-waves, especially in the presence of fluids. Th...
Results in patients with breast cancer treated by radical mastectomy and postoperative irradiation with no adjuvant chemotherapy

In 1963 an electron beam became available, making irradiation of the chest wall technically easy. In addition to peripheral lymphatic irradiation in patients with positive axillary nodes and/or the tumor in the inner quadrants or centrally located, patients with tumor larger than 5 cm or with grave signs and/or a significant incidence of positive axillary nodes received chest wall irradiation. None of the patients has received elective chemotherapy. Disease-free survival rates at ten years are 54% for the overall group, 79% for the patients with negative nodes, 44% for patients with positive nodes, 61% for patients with 1-3 positive nodes, and 33% for patients with four or more positive nodes. The incidence of peripheral lymphatic failures is low as well as the incidence of failures on the chest wall in the patients having had chest wall irradiation. With the availability of electron beam and adjustments in doses, complications are nonexistent. The incidence of treatment failures, local-regional, or distant, that have appeared by ten years are compared with the incidence of failures that were experienced by the placebo patients in the clinical trial of the NSABP of thio-TEPA versus placebo. The clearly lesser incidence of treatment failures in the U.T.M.D. Anderson Hospital patients either suggests that postoperative irradiation may have survival benefits or that the data of the NSABP series are not representative of all series.
Effect of early light deprivation on acetylcholinesterase activity in the visual cortex.

1. Early light deprivation of animals causes a significant fall in AChE activity in layers III, IV, and V of the visual cortex. The degree of lowering of enzyme activity is practically identical in all these layers of the visual cortex. 2. On recovery of visual function (keeping the visually deprived animals for 2 weeks under conditions of ordinary illumination) AChE activity undergoes appreciable normalization but does not reach the corresponding control levels. 3. The dynamics of changes in AChE activity in the visual cortex during visual deprivation followed by restoration of the specific function is evidence that changes in enzyme activity discovered under deprivation conditions are functionally dependent.
Penetrating knife injuries to the spine: Management considerations and literature review

Abstract Penetrating knife wounds to the spine are rare events. The appropriate treatment paradigm for such injuries is variable and is often predicated upon the degree of injury and the structures involved. We present a case where non-operative management was utilized for treatment without adverse sequelae. Deeply penetrating knife wounds to the spine can be appropriately managed with conservative measures.
Children and adults represent proper names as referring to unique individuals

Adults represent proper names (e.g. ‘Katharine Hepburn’) as referring to unique individuals (i.e. Katharine Hepburn), and studies of children’s proper name learning have been taken to show that children represent proper names in like manner. However, almost all of these studies leave open the possibility that children represent proper names as referring to restricted kinds of highly similar animals. We provide direct evidence against this possibility: both adults and 3-year-old children presented with a novel word for a toy animal (e.g. ‘daxy’) assumed that the animal continued to be referred to with the word, despite a change in the animal’s appearance and location, and despite the introduction at the old location of an animal identical in appearance to the original animal at the time the word was introduced. Participants presented with a simple artifact (e.g. a bottle) did not interpret the word as a proper name, consistent with previous work.
Heat management strategies for solid-state NMR of functional proteins

Modern solid-state NMR methods can acquire high-resolution protein spectra for structure determination. However, these methods use rapid sample spinning and intense decoupling fields that can heat and denature the protein being studied. Here we present a strategy to avoid destroying valuable samples. We advocate first creating a sacrificial sample, which contains unlabeled protein (or no protein) in buffer conditions similar to the intended sample. This sample is then doped with the chemical shift thermometer Sm2Sn2O7. We introduce a pulse scheme called TCUP (for Temperature Calibration Under Pulseload) that can characterize the heating of this sacrificial sample rapidly, under a variety of experimental conditions, and with high temporal resolution. Sample heating is discussed with respect to different instrumental variables such as spinning speed, decoupling strength and duration, and cooling gas flow rate. The effects of different sample preparation variables are also discussed, including ionic strength, the inclusion of cryoprotectants, and the physical state of the sample (i.e. liquid, solid, or slurry). Lastly, we discuss probe detuning as a measure of sample thawing that does not require retuning the probe or using chemical shift thermometer compounds. Use of detuning tests and chemical shift thermometers with representative sample conditions makes it possible to maximize the efficiency of the NMR experiment while retaining a functional sample.
11B NMR studies of the short range order in wide composition range xNa2S + (1 − x)B2S3 glasses☆

The 11B NMR spectra of high purity (low oxygen contamination) xNa2S+ (1 − x)B2S3 glasses with 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.80 are reported. Glasses were prepared in both the low alkali (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.30) and high alkali (0.60 ≤ x ≤ 0.80) glass-forming ranges. These two glass-forming ranges are similar in composition to the two glass-forming ranges in the analogous xNa2O + (1 − x)B2O3 system. As in this latter system, the 11B NMR spectrum of vitreous B2S3 (v-B2S3) consists of a quadrupolar broadened single line and confirms the short range order (SRO) of trigonally coordinated borons. As Na2S is added, again in similarity to the oxide system, a single narrow line grows at the resonance frequency and confirms the SRO of the highly symmetric tetrahedral boron group. By contrast with the oxides, however, the fractions of tetrahedral borons that are created by the addition of Na2S to B2S3 are a factor of three to four times greater at any given composition. Here, rather than forming two tetrahedral borons for each added S= anion, the rate is likely to be six or eight tetrahedral borons per added S= anion. A structural model incorporating this feature of the sulfide glasses has been developed. After this initial large increase in the fraction of tetrahedral borons in the low alkali glass-forming region, the fraction begins to decrease, and by 75 mol% Na2S is approximately zero. This decrease in the tetrahedral boron fraction is associated with the formation of the trigonal, totally depolymerized orthothioborate group, Na3BS3.
Principles of Aerosol Therapy

Aerosol therapy with a variety of drugs is superior to oral and, except perhaps in status asthmaticus, parenteral therapy. An understanding of aerosol physics and the physiologic characteristics relating to ventilation allows optimum aerosol delivery for maximum benefit in the majority of patients. In those patients who are unable to use metered-dose inhalers effectively, simple inhalation devices have been developed which assure breath-actuated aerosol delivery to the lower respiratory tract with minimal side effects.
Stream Conductivity: Relationships to Land Use, Chloride, and Fishes in Maryland Streams

Abstract Stream conductivity reflects both landscape and anthropogenic interactions, although increasing chloride inputs from road salt in eastern North America is also important. Employing a spatially extensive database derived from the Maryland Biological Stream Survey (MBSS), we examined relationships of stream conductivity to landscape attributes and determined relationships between stream MBSS fish metrics, abundance, and biomass as well as fish assemblages by means of conductivity (as a chloride surrogate) to estimate potential effects. Background stream conductivity for the MBSS strata and Maryland L3 ecoregions ranged from 51 to 150 μS/cm, with the Piedmont having the highest background conductivity (145–160 μS/cm). For MBSS sites there were strong relationships of stream conductivity and chloride with both impervious surface and road density, and 0.26% of the MBSS sites exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's acute chloride criterion and 1.5% the chronic chloride criterion. For the Ma...
On consistent finite difference formulae for ordinary differential equations

This paper presents a finite difference method for two-point boundary value problems described by fourth-order ordinary differential equations which results in consistency of truncation errors. It is demonstrated that the order of the formulae used to approximate the boundary conditions must be higher than those used for similar derivative terms in the differential equation. A generalization of the method to differential equations of order n is discussed. The procedure is illustrated with a numerical example.
Physiological effects of back belt wearing during asymmetric lifting.

Abstract This study investigated the effect of wearing a back belt on subjects’ heart rate, oxygen consumption, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and respiratory frequency during asymmetric repetitive lifting. Thirty subjects with materials-handling experience utilized three different belts (ten subjects per belt). Subjects completed six 30-min lifting sessions—three while wearing a belt and three without. Data analyses were conducted on the second, third, and fourth lifting periods. A 9.4 kg box, without handles, was lifted 3 times/min, starting at 10 cm above the floor, ending at 79 cm, with a 60° twist to the right. Data analysis indicates that belt-wearing did not have a significant effect on the overall mean values for heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and respiratory frequency. Belt-wearing had a significant effect on the overall mean oxygen consumption of the subjects.
Analytic predictions of boiling film stability for conditions consistent with light water reactor degraded core conditions

An improved understanding of boiling film dynamics as it relates to energetic steam explosions during degraded core conditions in light water reactors is developed. Several models have been developed and used to predict the characteristics of film boiling when a molten fuel drop suddenly comes into contact with water. An incompressible model and an approximate compressible model, utilizing Gilmore's equation are developed consistent with past works and are determined to have several shortfalls. To improve the treatment of compressibility effects, a model employing Lagrangian equations is developed. This improved model predicts that applying an external pressure pulse can make a stable film go unstable and decreasing water subcooling stabilizes film oscillations; both predictions are consistent with experimental observations. However, the improved model predicts stable film boiling at low melt temperatures that cannot support such boiling. Modeling Taylor surface instability effects at the water/steam interface indicates that the surface area change due to this surface instability can stabilize the film oscillations.
Acid precipitation: The importance of nitric acid

Abstract Acid precipitation is caused by H 2 SO 4 and HNO 3 . Currently, in the north-eastern United States on an annual basis, the maximum contributions of H 2 SO 4 and HNO 3 to the acidity of precipitation in summer are 73 and 31% and in winter are 59 and 61%, respectively. Based on statistical analyses of the 15-y record of precipitation composition from the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest during 1964–1979, the importance of H 2 SO 4 has decreased by about 30% relative to HNO 3 and HNO 3 has increased by about 50% relative to H 2 SO 4 .