cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adding carboplatin to chemotherapy regimens for metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer in postsecond generation hormone therapy setting: Impact on treatment response and survival outcomes.

Background The clinical course in metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) can be complicated when patients have disease progression after prior treatment with second generation hormone therapy (second HT), such as enzalutamide or abiraterone. Currently, limited data exist regarding the optimal choice of chemotherapy for mCRPC after failing second generation hormone therapy. We sought to evaluate three common chemotherapy regimens in this setting. Methods We retrospectively identified 150 mCRPC patients with disease progression on enzalutamide or abiraterone. Of these 150 patients, 92 patients were chemo-naive while 58 patients had previously received docetaxel chemotherapy before being started on second HT. After failing second HT, 90 patients were assigned for docetaxel-alone (group A), 33 patients received carboplatin plus docetaxel (group B), while 27 patients received cabazitaxel-alone (Group C). A favorable response was defined by more than or equal to 50% reduction in prostate-specific antigen from the baseline level after a complete course of chemotherapy. Survival outcomes were assessed for 30-month overall survival. Results Patients in group (B) were 2.6 times as likely to have a favorable response compared to patients in group (A) (OR = 2.625, 95%CI: 1.15-5.99) and almost three times compared to patients in group (C) (OR = 2.975, 95%CI: 1.04-8.54) (P = .0442). 30-month overall survival was 70.7%, 38.9% and 30.3% for group (B), (A), and (C), respectively (P = .008). We report a Hazard Ratio of 3.1 (95% CI, 1.31-7.35; P = .0037) between patients in group (A) versus those in group (B) and a Hazard Ratio of 4.18 (95% CI, 1.58-11.06; P = .0037) between patients in group (C) compared to those in group (B) CONCLUSION: This data demonstrates improved response and overall survival in treatment-refractory mCRPC with a chemotherapy regimen of docetaxel plus carboplatin when compared to docetaxel alone or cabazitaxel alone. Further investigations are required.
Is Unilateral Formulary Apportionment Better than the Status Quo

It’s doubtful that the world’s large-economy countries will adopt formulary apportionment in a coordinated movement that yields a uniform regime. The more likely scenario is that a formulary apportionment adopter will be a unilateral actor winding up with a system that does not mesh well with the systems of its major trading partners. This paper points out that formulary apportionment does not require adoption of a territorial system. Formulary apportionment can be used in a worldwide regime to identify foreign-source income for foreign tax credit purposes. Thus, the unilateral adoption issue, with its uncoordinated results, is relevant even for countries that contemplate maintaining some form of worldwide taxation with a limited foreign tax credit. This paper’s principal purpose is to examine and evaluate the factors that any country must consider when contemplating replacement of the arm’s-length approach with formulary apportionment. Among those factors are: 1. Will incentives to shift business activity and/or profits to low-tax foreign countries increase or decrease? 2. Will double taxation and/or double non-taxation increase or decrease? 3. Will systemic complexity increase or decrease? 4. What will be the costs of renegotiating the unilateral actor’s income tax treaties to permit replacement of the arm’s length approach with formulary apportionment? 5. Can the treaty mutual agreement procedure operate successfully when the unilateral actor has treaty partners that continue to employ the arm’s-length approach? If not, what is the cost? This factor analysis does not yield a uniformly applicable answer to the question of whether a country will be better off if it unilaterally adopts formulary apportionment. Instead rigorous cost/benefit analysis must be performed in light of the subject country’s particular situation.
A Demographic Lifeline? Immigration and Hispanic Population Growth in Rural America

Can immigration save rural and small town America? Our goal is to highlight the new racial dynamics of population change in nonmetropolitan areas, where slowing population growth rates since 1990 eventuated in widespread depopulation during the post-2010 period. We use 3141 counties as the unit of analysis, tracking population change data over the 1990 to 2017 period. Our results, based on decennial census counts and population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, show that Hispanic population growth has been spatially ubiquitous, occurring in both declining and growing nonmetropolitan counties. Hispanic growth has slowed but not reversed chronic declines in rural population. Significantly, the growth of Latinos benefited a majority of historically depopulating or declining nonmetropolitan counties as well as nonmetropolitan counties that have continued to grow. Our analyses also reveal substantial heterogeneity in patterns of population change in nonmetropolitan America. Latino population growth often makes the difference between overall county population growth and decline. Nearly 200 nonmetropolitan counties grew during the 2010–2017 period, but only because Hispanic population increases offset non-Hispanic population declines. For these counties, which account for about 10 percent of all nonmetropolitan counties, Latinos clearly provided a demographic lifeline. Hispanics population gains were usually insufficient to reverse population declines in historically depopulating counties but nevertheless slowed the pace of decline. Hispanic growth was greatest in counties where the population was growing, resulting in a demographic multiplier effect.
Music Education and Educators in Missouri, Iowa, and Illinois:

The purpose of this survey study was to provide a demographic profile of PK-12 public school music teachers and details about the public school music teaching positions in Missouri, Iowa, and Illin...
The association of stroke with central and branch retinal arterial occlusion.

OBJECTIVES To determine the near-term risk of stroke following a retinal artery occlusion (RAO). METHODS The risk of stroke was assessed in two manners; with a self-controlled case series (SCCS) and a propensity score (PS) matched cohort study using a US medical claims database. The date of RAO diagnosis was assigned as the index date. In the SCCS, incidence of stroke was compared in 30- and 7-day periods pre- and post-index date. In PS analysis, matched cohorts were created from patients with RAO or hip fracture. Cox proportional hazard regression assessed the hazard for stroke. Patients were censored at 1 year, upon leaving the insurance plan or if they had a qualifying event for the comparison group. RESULTS The SCCS included 16,193 patients with RAO. The incidence rate ratio (IRR) of new stroke in the month after RAO was increased compared to all periods >2 months before and all months after the index date (IRRs: 1.68-6.40, p < 0.012). Risk was increased in the week immediately following the index date compared to most weeks starting 2 weeks prior to and all weeks immediately after the index date (IRRs: 1.93-29.00, p < 0.026). The PS study analysed 18,213 propensity-matched patients with RAO vs. hip fracture. The HR for having a stroke after RAO compared to a hip fracture was elevated in all analyses (All RAO HR: 2.97, 95% CI: 2.71-3.26, p < 0.001; CRAO HR: 3.24, 95% CI: 2.83-3.70, p < 0.001; BRAO HR: 2.76, 95% CI: 2.43-3.13, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS The highest risk for stroke occurs in the days following a CRAO or BRAO, supporting guidelines suggesting immediate referral to a stroke centre upon diagnosis.
Look youse guys and gals, dat just ain’t right

When I invite authors to submit a punctum to Autophagy, my e-mail includes the following: "Note for international authors: I would like to point out that I personally edit all the puncta for accuracy, but also for English grammar and spelling. I make this point to all international authors as I do not want you to worry extensively about the writing. As a native English speaker, it is easy for me to make small changes of this nature." I do not claim to be an expert in English grammar; however, I am indeed a native English speaker, I read a lot, and I am even fond of using the dictionary (both hard copy and online). Also, I do a lot of editing. Thus, I thought I would share some common mistakes to help reduce the required edits for papers that are submitted to Autophagy.
Evidence for a debt financing channel in corporate investment

In the simplest frictionless theory, an increase in interest rates causes a symmetric decline in investment for all firms because they discount new projects at a higher cost of capital. I develop and test a specific debt-market financing channel that predicts cross-sectional differences in the response of investment to interest rates. Firms with high levels of short-term debt suffer a decline in net worth, relative to firms financed with long-term debt, when nominal interest rates increase. When collateral constraints are binding, these firms reduce investment relative to the frictionless benchmark. In U.S. firm-level data between 1953 and 2001, the investment of firms with a high current portion of debt is more sensitive to interest rates when compared with firms that have little debt or only long-term debt. Consistent with my predictions, firms with high levels of short-term debt also display higher investment sensitivity to inflation.
Beyond the GWAS in schizophrenia

The identification of the genetic factors that influence susceptibility to neuropsychiatric illness has proven challenging. Currently, several approaches are being utilized to enhance the potential of these studies. Most commonly, a ‘discovery’ genome wide association study (GWAS) with a focus on a single clinical diagnostic group such as schizophrenia, with subsequent replication in independent cohorts is the standard for the field. A major challenge for this approach is the necessity for increasingly large sample sizes, presumably due to modest effect sizes and genetic heterogeneity, with commensurate increased heterogeneity of study samples. A complementary approach is to seek support for genetic loci by collecting additional phenotypic data, often termed endophenotypes, which suggest that specific genetic variants have significant effects on key biological or clinical parameters that are more closely linked to gene function. For example, studies demonstrating that a putative schizophrenia risk variant in ZNF804A influences phenotypes assessing brain structure or function as measured by neuroimaging or neurocognitive studies (Esslinger et al, 2009; Lencz et al, 2010). In this issue of EMBO Molecular Medicine, Grube et al (2011) report on a variant of this approach, the so‐called phenotype‐based genetic association study (PGAS). These authors tested the relationship of genetic variation in the KCNN3 gene; a gene that codes for the calcium‐activated potassium channel SK3, previously implicated in cognitive function (Blank et al, 2003), but only inconsistently linked with schizophrenia, to a number of …
Evaluating Link-Based Techniques for Detecting Fake Pharmacy Websites.

Fake online pharmacies have become increasingly pervasive, constituting over 90% of online pharmacy websites. There is a need for fake website detection techniques capable of identifying fake online pharmacy websites with a high degree of accuracy. In this study, we compared several well-known link-based detection techniques on a large-scale test bed with the hyperlink graph encompassing over 80 million links between 15.5 million web pages, including 1.2 million known legitimate and fake pharmacy pages. We found that the QoC and QoL class propagation algorithms achieved an accuracy of over 90% on our dataset. The results revealed that algorithms that incorporate dual class propagation as well as inlink and outlink information, on page-level or site-level graphs, are better suited for detecting fake pharmacy websites. In addition, site-level analysis yielded significantly better results than page-level analysis for most algorithms evaluated.
Some NDA Techniques Applied to International Safeguards Projects

Recent attention to international safeguards has stimulated interest in nondestructive analysis techniques. These NDA techniques include high- and low-resolution gamma-ray spectrometry, active and passive neutron counting, and physical measurements. Often, the NDA measurements are made abroad under field conditions, and in these cases, portability is important. In other cases, the measurements are made under laboratory conditions but no calibration materials are available. This paper describes several NDA applications in support of international safeguards projects, all involving international cooperation.
Selection of Test Systems for Ecological Analysis

Biological monitoring programs developed for ecosystem management, including experimental testing and descriptive assessments can be improved through careful selection of test systems. Test systems are a defined analysis unit employed to examine or assess. Test systems may range from simple biochemical assays to experimental manipulation of ecological systems. We have developed an efficient methodology for the selection of test systems used to assess the ecological system effects of chemicals. The process includes the recognition of ecosystem critical factors, identification of potential measures for these factors and selection of appropriate metrics for experimentation or assessment. A decision tree which leads to two methods for test system selection is proposed.
Vaccines: Preventing Disease & Protecting Health Edited by Ciro A. de Quadros Annapolis Junction, MD: Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Publications, 2004. 412 pp., illustrated. $62.00 (paper)

Much research in sociology and labor economics studies proxies for productivity; consequently, little is known about the relationship between personal contacts and worker performance. This study addresses, for the first time, the role of referral contacts on workers’ performance. Using employees’ hiring and performance data in a call center, the author examines the performance implications over time of hiring new workers via employee referrals. When assessing whether referrals are more productive than nonreferrals, the author also considers the relationship between employee productivity and turnover. This study finds that referrals are initially more productive than nonreferrals, but longitudinal analyses emphasize posthire social processes among socially connected employees. This article demonstrates that the effect of referral ties continues beyond the hiring process, having long‐term effects on employee attachment to the firm and on performance.
Unifying program-level ABET assessment data collection, analysis, and presentation

Assessment of engineering and computer science programs involves a significant effort in data collection, analysis, and formatting of results for presentation to an ABET evaluation team. At the University of South Florida, we have developed a web-based system to unify program-level data collection, evaluation, and presentation for all programs in the College of Engineering. The goal of our web-based Accreditation Portal is to both improve the efficacy of assessment activities in the College and provide a clearer view of continuous improvement results to constituents and ABET evaluation teams. For each defined program educational objective and student outcome there are links to pages for Performance Indicators, Methods of Assessment, Assessment Data, Evaluation, Changes, and Closing the Loop. For each of these assessment steps Word, Excel, PDF, text, and/or image files can be uploaded. The portal also includes survey tools to enable data collection. We describe the development and deployment of the portal. We show a full sample assessment loop for a mock objective. Our evaluation of the portal is based on a trade study with comparison to several existing web-based assessment systems. Faculty members in the College are using the portal.
The Effects of Crowding on Hostility, Anxiety, and Desire for Social Interaction

Abstract The effects of crowding were investigated with 22 undergraduate students who participated in an experiment conducted as part of a required field experience in a Disaster and Civil Defense course. The field experience required that students remain in a shelter area continuously from 6 p.m. on a Friday evening until noon the next day. Sixteen students were randomly assigned to a 12′ by 18′ space in the crowded condition, while six were assigned to the same-sized space in the uncrowded condition. Hostility and anxiety were measured at five separate times. Crowded students were significantly more hostile than uncrowded students. Hostility and anxiety were both significantly affected by time, with Ss being more hostile and more anxious on the last three administrations than on the first two.
Lineage-specific CaN19 expression in human skin: lack of expression in normal melanocytes

Although expression of CaN19 is reduced in cell lines derived from tumors of diverse origin, its expression in their normal counterparts has not been studied in detail. We find that CaN19 mRNA is expressed at very low to undetectable levels in normal melanocytes as well as malignant melanoma cell lines, confirming that CaN19 expression in normal cells is lineage-dependent.
A conformational switch in HP1 releases auto-inhibition to drive heterochromatin assembly

The Schizosaccharomyces pombe HP1 protein, Swi6, is shown to exist in an auto-inhibited state when unbound to chromatin, switching to a spreading-competent state upon binding to the HK9 methyl mark; disrupting this switch affects heterochromatin assembly and gene silencing. Heterochromatin silences large regions of the genome and is crucial for many nuclear processes. Spreading of heterochromatin is mediated by HP1 proteins that assemble on histone H3K9-methylated chromatin. Here, Geeta Narlikar and colleagues use a variety of approaches to show that the fission yeast HP1 protein, Swi6, exists in an auto-inhibited state when not bound to chromatin. But upon binding to the H3K9 methyl mark and nucleosomal DNA, it switches to a state that is competent for spreading. Disruption of this switching disrupts heterochromatin assembly and gene silencing. A hallmark of histone H3 lysine 9 (H3K9)-methylated heterochromatin, conserved from the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe to humans, is its ability to spread to adjacent genomic regions1,2,3,4,5,6. Central to heterochromatin spread is heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1), which recognizes H3K9-methylated chromatin, oligomerizes and forms a versatile platform that participates in diverse nuclear functions, ranging from gene silencing to chromosome segregation1,2,3,4,5,6. How HP1 proteins assemble on methylated nucleosomal templates and how the HP1–nucleosome complex achieves functional versatility remain poorly understood. Here we show that binding of the key S. pombe HP1 protein, Swi6, to methylated nucleosomes drives a switch from an auto-inhibited state to a spreading-competent state. In the auto-inhibited state, a histone-mimic sequence in one Swi6 monomer blocks methyl-mark recognition by the chromodomain of another monomer. Auto-inhibition is relieved by recognition of two template features, the H3K9 methyl mark and nucleosomal DNA. Cryo-electron-microscopy-based reconstruction of the Swi6–nucleosome complex provides the overall architecture of the spreading-competent state in which two unbound chromodomain sticky ends appear exposed. Disruption of the switch between the auto-inhibited and spreading-competent states disrupts heterochromatin assembly and gene silencing in vivo. These findings are reminiscent of other conditionally activated polymerization processes, such as actin nucleation, and open up a new class of regulatory mechanisms that operate on chromatin in vivo.
Body Fat Distribution and Basal Metabolic Rate in Obese Women

Abstract The purpose of this study was to assess body fat distribution and basal metabolic rate (BMR) in a group of 19 healthy premenopausal women, age 29.5±5.4 (mean±SD), >125% ideal body weight. Subjects completed a questionnaire detailing demographic information and medical history. Abdominal adiposity was determined by 6 different methods: waist to hip circumference ratio (WHR), sagittal diameter (SD), waist circumference, sagittal diameter/height (SD/H), visceral adipose tissue (VAT), and the conicity index (CI). All measures of abdominal adiposity were significantly correlated (p
Infant preferences for attractive faces: Rudiments of a stereotype?

Deux experiences etudient aupres d'enfants âges de 2 a 3 mois et de 6 a 8 mois les preferences envers des visages de femmes dont le caractere attractif a ete evalue par des adultes
Metallothionein overexpression supresses hepatic hyperplasia induced by hepatitis B surface antigen

Transgenic mice that express the viral coat proteins of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in the liver display hepatocellular damage, inflammation, regeneration, hyperplasia, and, eventually, neoplasia that is similar to that of people with chronic, active hepatitis caused by HBV infection. Hepatocellular regeneration, in the context of chronic injury and inflammation, is thought to expose dividing cells to excessive oxygen radicals, which are believed to lead to DNA damage and, ultimately, neoplasia. Because metallothioneins scavenge free radicals in vitro, we generated mice that express excess (>10-fold) metallothionein I (MT-I* mice) and the HBV surface antigens (HBsAg) to ascertain whether MT-I* would ameliorate aspects of the pathology induced by HBsAg. Markers of hepatocyte injury and tumorigenesis in HBsAg mice were compared to those in double transgenic (HBsAg and MT-I*) mice. Hepatic hyperplasia, histology, aneuploidy, and accumulation of an oxidative DNA adduct, 8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine, were examined. Although hepatitis and neoplasia were not prevented by MT-I* expression in the HBsAg mice, there was less hyperplasia and less aneuploidy. We conclude that MT-I produces a beneficial effect in this in vivo model of HBV-induced hepatitis.
Transgenic overexpression of ribonucleotide reductase improves cardiac performance

We previously demonstrated that cardiac myosin can use 2-deoxy-ATP (dATP) as an energy substrate, that it enhances contraction and relaxation with minimal effect on calcium-handling properties in vitro, and that contractile enhancement occurs with only minor elevation of cellular [dATP]. Here, we report the effect of chronically enhanced dATP concentration on cardiac function using a transgenic mouse that overexpresses the enzyme ribonucleotide reductase (TgRR), which catalyzes the rate-limiting step in de novo deoxyribonucleotide biosynthesis. Hearts from TgRR mice had elevated left ventricular systolic function compared with wild-type (WT) mice, both in vivo and in vitro, without signs of hypertrophy or altered diastolic function. Isolated cardiomyocytes from TgRR mice had enhanced contraction and relaxation, with no change in Ca(2+) transients, suggesting targeted improvement of myofilament function. TgRR hearts had normal ATP and only slightly decreased phosphocreatine levels by (31)P NMR spectroscopy, and they maintained rate responsiveness to dobutamine challenge. These data demonstrate long-term (at least 5-mo) elevation of cardiac [dATP] results in sustained elevation of basal left ventricular performance, with maintained β-adrenergic responsiveness and energetic reserves. Combined with results from previous studies, we conclude that this occurs primarily via enhanced myofilament activation and contraction, with similar or faster ability to relax. The data are sufficiently compelling to consider elevated cardiac [dATP] as a therapeutic option to treat systolic dysfunction.
Dibutyryl cyclic AMP decreases the rate of lipoprotein lipase synthesis in cultured adipocytes.

Abstract The regulation of avian lipoprotein lipase by dibutyryl cyclic AMP in cultured adipocytes was studied with quantitative and specific methods for the measurements of enzyme catalytic activity, enzyme protein mass, and immunoadsorption of labeled enzyme. Incubation of adipocytes in 0.5 mM dibutyryl cyclic AMP plus 0.5 mM theophylline results in a time-dependent decrease in cell lipoprotein lipase catalytic activity. The activity is decreased by 70% in 4 h and over 90% by 12 h. The decrease in cellular catalytic activity is due to a decrease in both enzyme content and enzyme catalytic efficiency. 4 h after exposure of adipocytes to cAMP, enzyme protein was decreased from 3.58 ± 0.5 to 1.92 ± 0.1 ng / dish and specific activity from 15.1 ± 2.1 to 8.4 ± 1.1 nmol / ng . In the presence of 0.5 mM theophylline, the dibutyryl cyclic AMP-mediated decrease in lipoprotein lipase activity was half-maximal at less than 25 μM dibutyryl cyclic AMP. The rate of lipoprotein lipase synthesis was estimated by measuring the incorporation of l -[ 35 S]methionine into enzyme protein during 30 min. A method for the quantitative immunoadsorption of lipoprotein lipase from cell lysates was developed. Utilizing this immunoadsorption technique, the rate of incorporation of l -[ 35 S]methionine into lipoprotein lipase was 0.0026 ± 0.002%, when expressed as a percentage of that incorporated into total trichloroacetic acid-precipitable counts. By 2 h after exposure of adipocytes to 0.5 mM dibutyryl cAMP, the relative synthesis rate had already decreased to 64 ± 4% of the control rate. After 16 h the synthesis rate was 43.2 ± 13.8% of the control rate. The observed decreased synthesis rate could account for most of the decreased cellular enzyme content and diminished enzyme secretion rate.
Amplified stain-rate dependence of deformation in polymer-dispersed liquid-crystal materials

The mechanical properties of polymer-dispersed liquid crystals (PDLCs) are investigated to elucidate their fundamental microstructural and mechanistic underpinnings, and overall structural integrity under deformation. High strain-rate loading experiments and quasistatic compression tests on PDLC materials reveal an amplified strain-rate dependence relative to the matrix material. A finite-element micromechanical model of PDLC materials explains this behavior in terms of strain-rate concentrations at the equators of the spherical liquid-crystal droplets. The model also predicts a weak dependence of the aspect ratio of deforming liquid-crystal droplets on their volume fraction.
Application of utility‐efficient programming to determine economic efficiency of Turkish farmers in the central Anatolian region

Abstract This research generated stochastically efficient farm plans in the relevant range of risk aversion and calculated the efficiency measures for the three representative farm sizes in the central Anatolian region of Turkey. Utility‐efficient programming was used to determine an efficient set of farm plans. Research results showed that total net farm revenue increases for all farm sizes as risk aversion decreases. An economic efficiency score of 0.54 for both small and medium size farms indicated that there is considerable scope for farmers to increase their total net farm revenue using existing technology without additional inputs. Allocative and technical inefficiencies of sampled farms were 0.22 and 0.24, respectively. Thus, supplying complete technical packages for farms may stimulate the adoption of new technologies. Focusing on production practices and marketing efficiency in farmers’ training and extension programmes may also help to increase economic efficiency in the research area.
Current Trends and Issues in Automatic Mesh Generation

This paper presents current trends and issues in automatic mesh generation. Although automated mesh generation methods in two and three dimensions have been studied intensively, many analysis engineers still craft meshes manually for a certain class of analysis problems. In order to realize fully automated high-quality mesh generation, two technical issues need to be addressed: (1) automated mesh generators should be able to control the anisotropy and directionality of a mesh, and (2) geometric operations required prior to mesh generation should be made more robust and automated. This paper outlines recent development of the two technical issues in order to encourage further research and development of advanced mesh generation technology.
Constant infusion pump for limiting fluids.

Summary A machine is described which has been used to give constant small quantities of fluids to infants and older children under a variety of circumstances.
Cardiac Catheterization in Congenital Heart Disease: Pediatric and Adult

Charles E. Mullins, MD 932 pages. Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishing; 2006. £125 UK. $225.00 US. ISBN: 1-40512-200-5 The figures included in Cardiac Catheterization in Congenital Heart Disease reveal, in a simple yet powerful way, the basic strengths and characteristics of this long-awaited textbook from Charles Mullins. Line drawings demonstrating the intended course of needles, catheters, wires, and devices take the place of the fluoroscopic images and angiograms typically provided in catheterization textbooks. The idealization of these images is emblematic of the precision, deliberation, and attention to detail with which the author has approached catheterization of the child with congenital heart disease, an approach that has been successfully handed down to dozens of talented and dedicated trainees. In further evidence of the personal perspective of this work, Dr Mullins notes in the introduction that the line drawings are provided by one of his own patients. In another field of medicine, or perhaps coming from another author, this highly personalized and often anecdotal approach might diminish the value of the text for its readers. …
Hydrodynamic Model of the Lower Hudson River Estuarine System and its Application for Water Quality Management

In this paper a hydrodynamic model and associated post-processing tools for the Lower Hudson River (LHR) are presented. The model computes the two-dimensional (2D), depth-averaged Eulerian time-dependent velocity field in response to various external signals. The paper documents the mathematical background of the model, describes modeling logistics and provides the comparison of model results with observed data. As an example of the potential application, the scenario of managing sewage releases from two New York City water pollution treatment plants was investigated using this numerical model. The study was undertaken as part of research on the chaotic nature of the LHR estuarine system and pollutant dispersion characteristics.
Susceptibility of nontarget organisms to Nosema algerae (Microsporida: Nosematidae), a parasite of mosquitoes.

Abstract Laboratory studies were conducted to determine the susceptibility of nine mosquito predators to the microsoporidian pathogen of anopheline mosquitoes, Nosema algerae . The predators tested were: Anax junius (Odonata); Hydrophilus sp., Coptotomus interrogatus (Coleoptera); Notonecta undulata, Belostoma fluminea, Ranatra australis (Hemiptera); Chauliodes rastricornis (Megaloptera); Procambarus sp. (Decapoda); and Gambusia affinis (Pisces). Of these species, only Notonecta undulata was found to be susceptible to Nosema algerae after having fed upon diseased larvae. Infection rates in four tests averaged 47.9%. The following tissues were found to be infected in the adult notonectids: gut, muscle, fat body, Malpighian tubules, tracheal epithelium, testes, brain, hypodermis, and ommatidia.
Structures of enterococcal glycerol kinase in the absence and presence of glycerol: correlation of conformation to substrate binding and a mechanism of activation by phosphorylation.

The first structure of a glycerol kinase from a Gram-positive organism, Enterococcus casseliflavus, has been determined to 2.8 A resolution in the presence of glycerol and to 2.5 A resolution in the absence of substrate. The substrate-induced closure of 7° is significantly smaller than that reported for hexokinase, a model for substrate-mediated domain closure that has been proposed for glycerol kinase. Despite the 78% level of sequence identity and conformational similarity in the catalytic cleft regions of the En. casseliflavus and Escherichia coli glycerol kinases, remarkable structural differences have now been identified. These differences correlate well with their divergent regulatory schemes of activation by phosphorylation in En. casseliflavus and allosteric inhibition in E. coli. On the basis of our structural results, we propose a mechanism by which the phosphorylation of a histidyl residue located 25 A from the active site results in a 10−15-fold increase in the activity of the enterococcal gly...
Effects of Digitalis on Atrial Vulnerability

The effects of digitalis on vulnerability to atrial fibrillation and flutter were assessed in man, using the model of repetitive atrial firing initiated by post-drive atrial extrastimulation. Nine patients without heart failure or significant mitral valve disease were tested before and 30 minutes after the administration of 0.01 mg/kg ouabain. When repetitive firing was manifested by flutter, neither the flutter cycle length nor the interval from the initiating beat to the first flutter beat was consistently altered by ouabain. Repetitive firing was found at the atrial site with the shortest functional refractory period. The vulnerable zone bordered this refractory period. The functional refractory period was lengthened after ouabain, from 231 +/- 13 to 246 +/- 15 msec (mean +/- standard error of the mean) (P less than 0.025). Partly because of prolonged refractoriness, the vulnerable zone was curtailed by ouabain, from 32.2 +/- 5.7 to 9.4 +/- 4.6 msec (P less than 0.001). This result suggests a protective effect of digitalis against atrial fibrillation and flutter independent of its hemodynamic actions.
Evaluation of the Virtual Physiology of Exercise Laboratory program.

The Virtual Physiology of Exercise Laboratory (VPEL) program was created to simulate the test design, data collection, and analysis phases of selected exercise physiology laboratories. The VPEL pro...
Multiplexed volume Bragg gratings for spectral beam combining of high power fiber lasers

ABSTRACT The recent development of kW fiber laser sources makes the concept of laser systems operating at power levels from tens of kilowatts up to 100 -kilowatt levels a reality. The use of volume Bragg gratings for spectral beam combining is one approach to achieve that goal. To make such systems compact, lower the complexity an d minimize the induced thermal distortions we propose and demonstrate the use of special volume Bragg elements which have several Bragg gratings written inside as combining optical components. The multiplexed volume Bragg gratings (MVBGs) were recorded in photo -thermo refractive glass and three beams with total power of 420 W were successfully combined using one MVBG. The combining efficiency was 97% and there was no significant beam quality degradation. The results demonstrated that the approach of using m ultiplexed volume Bragg gratings for spectral beam combining is an excellent extension to the current state of the art combining techniques. Especially valuable is the capability to reduce the number of optical elements in the system and while be ing able t o manage the expected thermal load when kilowatt level sources are used for beam combining. Key Words : Spectral Beam Combining, Volume Bragg Gratings, Multiplexed Volume Bragg Gratings, High Power, Fiber Lasers
Carbon−Fluorine Bond Activation Coupled with Carbon−Carbon Bond Formation at Iridium. Confirmation of Complete Kinetic Diastereoselectivity at the New Carbon Stereocenter by Intramolecular Trapping Using Vinyl as the Migrating Group

The iridium(perfluoropropyl)(vinyl) complex CpIr(PMe(3))(n-C(3)F(7))(CH=CH(2)) (5) has been prepared. It has been characterized by X-ray crystallography, and its ground state conformation in solution has been determined by (19)F{(1)H} HOESY NMR studies. It reacts with the weak acid lutidinium iodide to afford the eta(1)-allylic complex CpIr(PMe(3))((Z)-CH(2)CH=CFC(2)F(5))I (6), which has also been characterized crystallographically. The mechanism of C-F bond activation and C-C bond formation leading to 6 has been elucidated in detail by studying the reaction of 5 with lutidinium tetrakis[3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]borate [LutH(+)B(ArF)(4)(-)], containing a weakly coordinating counteranion. The main kinetic product of this reaction, determined by (19)F{(1)H} HOESY studies at -50 degrees C, is the endo-CpIr(PMe(3))(anti-eta(3)-CH(2)CHCFCF(2)CF(3))[B(ArF)(4)] diastereomer 9, along with a small amount of the exo-syn-isomer 8. Isomer 9 rearranges at -20 degrees C to its exo-anti isomer 7, and subsequently to the thermodynamically favored exo-syn-isomer 8, which has been isolated and crystallographically characterized. Complex 8 reacts with iodide to afford complex6. On the basis of the unambiguously defined kinetically controlled stereochemistry of 9 and 8, a detailed mechanism for the C-F activation/C-C coupling reaction is proposed, the principal conclusion of which is that C-F activation is completely diastereoselective.
Profile of a Computer and Information Science B.S. graduate

The Department of Computer and Information Science at The Ohio State University was conceptualized in 1967 and actualized one year later in October, 1968. Since that time, the Department has had both graduate and undergraduate degree programs. Originally there were two undergraduate degree programs, one in the College of Engineering and the other in the Colleges of Arts and Sciences. In 1971 a third undergraduate degree program was started in the College of Administrative Science 2 . As of July, 1973, these programs have graduated 426 computer and information science majors.This paper deals with a survey that was recently conducted of the above mentioned graduates. The purpose of the survey was threefold: (1) To determine what positions our majors are filling in industry; (2) To determine how effective the different undergraduate curriculums are in preparing our B.S. degree graduates for the Job market; and (3) To obtain an evaluation of these programs by the graduates. Since questionnaires are still being returned, the following represents a partial summary of this survey.
The site of estradiol sensitization of the gonadotrope is prior to calcium mobilization.

Abstract In primary pituitary cell cultures prepared from ovariectomized rats, estradiol-17B (E 2 ) sensitizes gonadotropes to stimulation of luteinizing hormone (LH) release by gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH). The calcium ionophore A23187, which stimulates LH release from the cells by Ca 2+ mobilization at a post-receptor locus, and veratridine, which stimulates LH release by activation of endogenous ion channels, were used to localize the site of E 2 action. Cells cultured in medium which was charcoal stripped (to remove steroids) or which contained 10 −8 M added E 2 responded equally well to the ionophore and equally well to veratridine, indicating that the molecular locus of E 2 action precedes Ca 2+ mobilization. This type of analysis can be used to locate the site of action of compounds which alter the responsiveness of the pituitary to GnRH.
Reconstitution of ATP- and cytosol-dependent transport of de novo synthesized ceramide to the site of sphingomyelin synthesis in semi-intact cells.

Transport of ceramide synthesized at the endoplasmic reticulum to the Golgi compartment, where sphingomyelin (SM) synthase exists, was reconstituted within semi-intact Chinese hamster ovary cells. When [(3)H]ceramide that had been produced from [(3)H]sphingosine at 15 degrees C in perforated cells was chased at 37 degrees C, [(3)H]ceramide-to-[(3)H]SM conversion occurred in a cytosol-dependent manner. In various aspects (i.e. kinetics, ATP dependence, and temperature dependence), [(3)H]ceramide-to-[(3)H]SM conversion in perforated cells was consistent with that in intact cells. The cytosol from LY-A strain, a Chinese hamster ovary cell mutant defective in endoplasmic reticulum-to-Golgi transport of ceramide, did not support [(3)H]ceramide-to-[(3)H]SM conversion in perforated wild-type cells, whereas the wild-type cytosol rescued the conversion in perforated LY-A cells. Brefeldin A-treated cells, in which the endoplasmic reticulum and the Golgi apparatus were merged, no longer required cytosol for conversion of [(3)H]ceramide to [(3)H]SM. These results indicated that the assay of [(3)H]ceramide-to-[(3)H]SM conversion in semi-intact cells is a faithful in vitro assay for the activity of cytosol-dependent transport of ceramide and that LY-A cells are defective in a cytosolic factor involved in ceramide transport. In addition, conversion of [(3)H]ceramide to [(3)H]glucosylceramide in semi-intact cells was little dependent on cytosol, suggesting that ceramide reached the site of glucosylceramide synthesis by a cytosol-independent (or less dependent) pathway.
Intertemporal Choice and Inequality

We show that standard models of intertemporal choice, including the permanent income hypothesis, imply that for any given cohort of people born at the same time, inequality in both consumption and income will grow with age. At any given date, each individual's consumption depends on the integral of unanticipated earnings shocks up to that date, so that consumption becomes more dispersed with time. If earnings are not themselves similarly dispersing, assets will do so, so that the dispersion of total income will increase, irrespective of the behavior of earnings. Because the result applies to an increase in inequality over time within a given age cohort, it has no immediate implications for the behavior of inequality in the economy as a whole, and is consistent with constant aggregate inequality over time. Cohort data are constructed from 11 years of household survey data from the U.S., 22 years from Great Britain, and 14 years from Taiwan. They show that within-cohort consumption and income inequality does indeed grow with age in all three economies, and that the rate of increase is broadly similar in all three.
Working alliance in the early phase of counseling.

The relation of the working alliance, as assessed by the Working Alliance Inventory (WAI), was examined with respect to (a) a set of client variables (hostility, quality of past and current relationships, level of adjustment, and type of presenting concern) and (b) premature termination status
Residues Leu261, Trp264, and Phe265 Account for Apolipoprotein E-Induced Dyslipidemia and Affect the Formation of Apolipoprotein E-Containing High-Density Lipoprotein†

Overexpression of apolipoprotein E (apoE) induces hypertriglyceridemia in apoE-deficient mice, which is abrogated by deletion of the carboxy-terminal segment of residues 260−299. We have used adenovirus-mediated gene transfer in apoE-/- and apoA-I-/- mice to test the effect of three sets of apoE mutations within the region of residues 261−265 on the induction of hypertriglyceridemia, the esterification of cholesterol of very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and the formation of spherical or discoidal apoE-containing HDL. A single-amino acid substitution (apoE4[Phe265Ala]) induced hypertriglyceridemia in apoE-/- or apoA-I-/- mice, promoted the accumulation of free cholesterol in the very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) and HDL region, and decreased HDL cholesterol levels. A double substitution (apoE4[Leu261Ala/Trp264Ala]) induced milder hypertriglyceridemia and increased HDL cholesterol levels. A triple substitution (apoE4[Leu261Ala/Trp264Ala/Phe265Ala] or apoE2[Leu261Ala/T...
BioGlue Iceball Stabilization to Minimize the Risk of Hemorrhage During Laparoscopic Renal Cryoablation

Objective To evaluate the application of a BioGlue adhesive shell to minimize iceball fracture. Iceball fracture and hemorrhage is common with laparoscopic cryoablation (LCA) of larger (>4 cm) renal tumors. Methods Twenty large iceballs were created in porcine kidneys using 3 cryoablation probes in a nonsurvival study. Each kidney underwent an upper and lower pole ablation. One pole in each kidney was covered with 5 mL of BioGlue and the opposite pole served as a control. A double freeze-thaw cycle was performed (10 minutes freeze and 5 minutes active thaw) in both renal poles simultaneously. The probes were removed and the sites were monitored for 20 minutes under direct vision. Fracture length (mm), severity of fracture depth, severity of bleeding (absent, mild, moderate, severe), and estimated blood loss (EBL) (mL) were recorded. Results In the control group, the mean fracture length was 1.9 mm (range, 0-3 mm). Blood loss was absent in 10%, mild in 60%, and moderate in 30% of ablations. The mean EBL was 20.5 mL (range, 0-50 mL). For the BioGlue ablations, there were no parenchymal fractures. Blood loss was mild in 30% and absent in 70% of sites with an average EBL of 5 mL (range, 0-20). Two bleeding sites occurred as a result of subcapsular hematomas caused by initial probe placement. Conclusions BioGlue application minimized the frequency and magnitude of renal fracture. EBL was lower with BioGlue application and most sites demonstrated no postablation bleeding. Further clinical study of the BioGlue shell should be performed to confirm these results.
Primary structure of the active site region of fungal cutinase, an enzyme involved in phytopathogenesis

Cutinase, a fungal extracellular enzyme involved in phytopathogenesis, was labeled by treatment with [3H]diisopropylfluorophosphate and by reduction of the only disulphide with dithioerythritol followed by treatment with iodo[1-14C]acetamide. A tryptic peptide containing both the active serine and one of the cys involved in the disulphide bridge was isolated and the primary structure was determined to be: Glu-Met-Leu-Gly-Leu-Phe-Gln-Gln-Ala-Asn-Thr-Lys-Cys-Pro-Asp-Ala-Thr-Leu-Ile-Ala - Gly-Gly-Tyr-Ser-Gln-Gly-(Ala)-Ala-Leu-Ala. This active site has very little homology with the active serine containing regions of other enzymes.
Image contrast agents activated by prostate specific antigen (PSA)

A family of image contrast agent conjugates designed to undergo enzymatic activation has been synthesized. The agents underwent activation both with enzymatically active prostate specific antigen and α-chymotrypsin, releasing free fluorophore via cleavage of a three-component system.
Statistical Analysis of an Urban Population of 236 Patients With Head and Neck Pain: Part II. Patient Symptomatology

A large group of patients (236) was examined for Myofascial Pain Dysfunction Syndrome. The symptoms of the patients were recorded, using as a guide the classic parameters of pain and tenderness to the head and neck muscles and temporomandibular joint, joint sounds, and limited function. Our basic data were similar to those of other studies. The significant difference of this study is the detail with which the symptoms were studied. The relationships of suspected etiology and symptoms were compared and discussed. This paper is the second of a three part series. The first part dealt with the demographic profile of our patient population. The third part will present the data dealing with treatment modalities and relief.