cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The mechanical response of the mouse cervix to tensile cyclic loading in term and preterm pregnancy.

Abstract A well-timed modification of both the collagen and elastic fiber network in the cervix during pregnancy accompanies the evolution of tissue mechanical parameters that are key to a successful pregnancy. Understanding of the cervical mechanical behaviour along normal and abnormal pregnancy is crucial to define the molecular events that regulate remodeling in term and preterm birth (PTB). In this study, we measured the mechanical response of mouse cervical tissue to a history of cyclic loading and quantified the tissue’s ability to recover from small and large deformations. Assessments were made in nonpregnant, pregnant (gestation days 6, 12, 15 and 18) and mouse models of infection mediated PTB treated with lipopolysaccharide on gestation d15 (LPS treated) and hormone withdrawal mediated PTB on gestation d15 (RU486 treated). The current study uncovers the contributions of collagen and elastic fiber networks to the progressive change in mechanical function of the cervix through pregnancy. Premature cervical remodeling induced on gestation day 15 in the LPS infection model is characterized by distinct mechanical properties that are similar but not identical to mechanical properties at term ripening on day 18. Remodeling in the LPS infection model results in a weaker cervix, unable to withstand high loads. In contrast, the RU486 preterm model resembles the cyclic mechanical behaviour seen for term d18 cervix, where the extremely compliant tissue is able to withstand multiple cycles under large deformations without breaking. The distinct material responses to load-unload cycles in the two PTB models matches the differing microstructural changes in collagen and elastic fibers in these two models of preterm birth. Improved understanding of the impact of microstructural changes to mechanical performance of the cervix will provide insights to aid in the development of therapies for prevention of preterm birth. Statement of significance Preterm Birth (PTB) still represents a serious challenge to be overcome, considering its implications on infant mortality and lifelong health consequences. While the causes and etiologies of PTB are diverse and yet to be fully elucidated, a common pathway leading to a preterm delivery is premature cervical remodeling. Throughout pregnancy, the cervix remodels through changes of its microstructure, thus altering its mechanical properties. An appropriate timing for these transformations is critical for a healthy pregnancy and avoidance of PTB. Hence, this study aims at understanding how the mechanical function of the cervix evolves during a normal and preterm pregnancy. By performing cyclic mechanical testing on cervix samples from animal models, we assess the cervix’s ability to recover from moderate and severe loading. The developed methodology links mechanical parameters to specific microstructural components. This work identifies a distinct biomechanical signature associated with inflammation mediated PTB that differs from PTB induced by hormone withdrawal and from normal term remodeling.
How family caregivers assist with upstream health care decision making by community-dwelling persons with advanced cancer: A qualitative study.

13Background: In the palliative care context, the family caregiver role in patients’ healthcare decision-making has focused on being a surrogate decision-maker at end of life. Less is known about f...
Contemporary Reversal of Oral Anticoagulation in Intracerebral Hemorrhage.

Author(s): Bower, Matthew M; Sweidan, Alexander J; Shafie, Mohammad; Atallah, Steven; Groysman, Leonid I; Yu, Wengui
Predicting fermentation dynamics of concrete egg fermenters

Background and Aims Concrete egg fermenters are of increasing interest to winemakers interested in expanding the range of sensory properties that emerge during fermentation. Winemakers and concrete egg fermenter vendors have made a priori assumptions about the liquid mixing efficacy and heat transfer in egg fermenters, which have not been explored in the literature. These assumptions were therefore examined using a computational fluid dynamics approach, along with a model for fermentation dynamics, to compare a concrete egg fermenter with a jacketed cylindrical tank typically used for winemaking. Methods and Results The liquid temperature, external concrete surface temperature and sugar concentration in a concrete egg fermenter were monitored, and compared with values predicted from a reactor engineering model designed to simulate the fermentation dynamics of a concrete egg fermenter, to good agreement. Simulated mixing and temperature control were then compared in concrete eggs and cylindrical tanks. Finally, the impact of wall thickness and air velocity on fermentation dynamics was explored, with both variables found to have a significant impact on fermentation temperature and kinetics. Conclusions Superior mixing and temperature control was predicted in the jacketed cylindrical tank with the concrete shell found to function more as an insulator than a heat sink during fermentation. Significance of the Study This work represents the first quantitative exploration of concrete egg fermenters, and in doing so will act as a tool for winemakers interested in using concrete eggs as part of their winemaking practices.
A potential need for surgeon consensus: Cementation techniques for total knee arthroplasty in orthopedic implant manufacturers' guidelines lack consistency.

Aim:Given recent concerns regarding the influence of different cements and implants on the rate of aseptic failures in total knee arthroplasty (TKA), we wondered if cementation technique could play...
Is the robot necessary for enhanced recovery after minimally invasive surgery hepatectomy

Minimally invasive surgery has become the standard of care for many operations, and laparoscopic liver resections have rapidly expanded over the past decade (1,2). In 2014, an international panel of liver surgeons determined that laparoscopic minor hepatectomy is either superior or equivalent to traditional open surgery for when performed by trained experts, depending on the outcomes examined (3). In fact, laparoscopic liver surgery has been found to be cost-effective compared to open surgery, owing to shorter length of stay, quicker recovery and less postoperative morbidity (4,5). Indications and use of laparoscopic liver surgery have expanded in recent years from minor resections to major resection and living donor liver transplant, with safe and acceptable outcomes (3).
Evaluation of Fresh Mushroom Compost in a Field Corn Production System

Commercial mushroom producers are continually looking for new substrate raw material sources and pathways to dispose of mushroom compost (formerly called “spent mushroom substrate”) after crop comp...
Negotiating informed consent: A students-as-partners perspective

Building on our 2019 ISSOTL poster presentation, we (Michael: a tenured English Department faculty member; and Emily: an undergraduate English major) are developing a reflective essay about our in-progress SaP project designed to assess the effectiveness of recent university system mandated curricular changes to multiple sections of an introductory college-level writing course at our home institution, the University of North Georgia, USA. Even though we received the necessary institutional and federal government permissions to conduct this research, and even though the research participants signed the necessary informed consent document, as we continue our data collection we wonder how we might better listen and watch for what Bivens (2018) calls “microwithdrawals of consent.” Bivens describes this phenomenon as the “implied or partial halt of a person’s willingness to participate in one or more aspects of the research process and the researcher’s awareness of that withdrawal.” Bivens calls on researchers to stay attuned to the participant’s body language and vocal tone to notice when participants may want to withdraw consent but not explicitly say so. When undergraduate researchers conduct interviews with other undergraduates, they are well-positioned to perceive these microwithdrawals of consent. With Emily as the lead author for this proposed piece, we wonder: How can students working in partnership with faculty help faculty better understand how informed consent is an on-going and negotiated process that does not end when research participants sign a consent document? Pondering this question emphasizes the “messy, ‘work in progress’ nature of SaP” (Matthews, 2017, p. 4), which, we argue should hold a central place in our SaP publications.
Construction students’ confidence in their abilities to visualize construction methods

Students learn and study in different ways, depending on their personality types. As a result, a significant number of learning style models have emerged to enhance the learning process. Previous research on construction management undergraduate students’ learning styles in the United States revealed that they are visual, active, sensing, and sequential learners. This information is vital to guide instructors’ teaching methods. Expanding on the visual aspect of learning, the goal of this study, presented here as a full paper, is to understand how confident undergraduate construction management students are with regard to their abilities to visualize construction methods necessary to build a structure based on information they read in plans and specifications and which topics they have most difficulties in visualizing. The researchers also analyzed potential differences in gender and school year related to their general confidence level in understanding construction plans using statistical inferential tests. Findings revealed that male students are more confident in their abilities than females and that senior students are the most confident, followed by juniors, and the group of freshmen and sophomores (analyzed together). When gender and school year are analyzed as a set, it is interesting to notice that the group of the female freshman and sophomore students are more confident than juniors and seniors. In relation to topics, mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) plan information was found to be the most challenging for the students. For the researchers, the findings helped to define the most challenging topics and also understand students’ differences that can be used to develop further instructional materials. In addition, results will help faculty from undergraduate, construction management programs to identify students’ difficulties in visualization, so they can adequately address those during instruction, improving students’ motivation and self-confidence. Finally, results suggest that further studies related to students’ self-confidence, academic year and gender in construction management education need to be performed.
Classification of Martian Terrains via Deep Clustering of Mastcam Images

In this work, we adapt a clustering method that jointly learns the parameters of a neural network and the cluster assignments of the resulting features to the unsupervised training of image patches from data acquired by the mast cameras on the MSL Curiosity rover. The method iteratively groups the features with a k-means clustering algorithm, and uses the subsequent assignments as supervision to update the weights of the network. The resulting model performs reasonably according to visual inspection of the cluster quality and simple clustering performance measures. The results however highlight the need for a strong validation via expert assessment of the morphological features within the scenes.
Preventive Care Delivery After the Veterans Choice Program

Introduction The Veterans Choice Program expanded Veteran access to community care. The Veterans Choice Program may negatively impact the receipt of preventive care services owing to care fragmentation. This study assesses 10 measures of preventive care in Veterans with the Department of Veterans Affairs coverage before and after the Veterans Choice Program. Methods The study population included Veterans who responded to the National Health Interview Survey during the 2 time periods before and after Veterans Choice Program implementation: January 2011–October 2014 and November 2015–December 2018. Outcomes were preventive care services categorized as cardiovascular risk reduction (cholesterol monitoring, blood pressure monitoring, aspirin use), infectious disease prevention (influenza vaccination and HIV testing), and diabetes care (fasting blood glucose monitoring, podiatry visits, ophthalmology visits, influenza vaccination, and pneumonia vaccination). Two different analyses were conducted: (1) unadjusted and multivariable-adjusted pre–post analysis and (2) difference-in-differences analyses. Analyses were conducted in 2019. Results Measures of cardiovascular risk reduction and influenza vaccination were not statistically different before and after Veterans Choice Program implementation using the 2 different analytic approaches. In unadjusted pre–post analysis, after Veterans Choice Program implementation, Veterans with Veterans Affairs coverage had increased HIV testing (66.1%‒75.4%, p=0.008), podiatry visits (22.4%‒38.3%, p=0.01), and ophthalmology visits (62.2%‒77.2%, p=0.02). Using multivariable adjustment for participant sociodemographic factors, Veterans Choice Program implementation was associated with higher odds of podiatry visits (AOR=2.28, 95% CI=1.24, 4.20, p=0.009) and ophthalmology visits (AOR=2.11, 95% CI=1.13, 3.94, p=0.02) among Veterans with diabetes. In difference-in-differences analyses, Veterans Choice Program implementation was associated with increased podiatry visits (AOR=2.95, 95% CI=1.49, 5.83, p=0.002) among Veterans with diabetes and Veterans Affairs coverage compared with that among those with other coverage types, but no statistically significant effect was observed for ophthalmology visits. Conclusions Veterans with Veterans Affairs coverage and diabetes had an increase in podiatry visits after Veterans Choice Program implementation. There was no evidence that Veterans Choice Program implementation had a negative impact on the receipt of preventive care services among Veterans with Veterans Affairs coverage.
Impaired Family Functioning Affects 6-Month and 12-Month Postoperative Weight Loss.

Prior cross-sectional research details the high rate of impaired family functioning, a measure of the overall family environment, among adult bariatric surgery patients; however, family functioning has not been explored in relation to adult patient’s postoperative outcomes. The objective of this study was to determine how family functioning affects postoperative patient outcomes including readmission rates, early complications, and 6- and 12-month percent total weight loss (%TWL). An observational design at a single-academic medical center was employed. The sample comprised 98 patients, living with ≥1 family member, who enrolled in one of two concurrent studies at the Center. Patients were followed from their surgical intake through 12 months postsurgery; family functioning was assessed within 2 months of their date of surgery. Chi-square and independent t tests determined significant associations between family functioning with readmission and complication rates. Average family functioning was an independent variable in multivariate linear regression models to determine significant correlates of %TWL at 6 and 12 months postsurgery. Patient age, race, and insurance status were included as covariates. Patients with higher impaired family functioning had significantly less %TWL at 6 (p=.004) and 12 months (p=.030). Black patients also had significantly lower %TWL at 6 (p=.003) and 12 months (p=.009). Family functioning and patient race were both correlates of weight loss at 6 months and 12 months. Future research should explore additional family factors as correlates of patient outcomes following bariatric surgery.
Wild examples of countably rectifiable sets

We study the geometry of sets based on the behavior of the Jones function, \(J_{E}(x) = \int_{0}^{1} \beta_{E;2}^{1}(x,r)^{2} \frac{dr}{r}\). We construct two examples of countably 1-rectifiable sets in \(\mathbf{R}^{2}\) with positive and finite \(\mathcal{H}^1\)-measure for which the Jones function is nowhere locally integrable. These examples satisfy different regularity properties: one is connected and one is Ahlfors regular. Both examples can be generalized to higher-dimension and co-dimension.
Is Medication Adherence Predictive of Cardiovascular Outcomes and Blood Pressure Control? The Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT).

BACKGROUND Adherence to study medications is crucial to evaluating treatment effects in clinical trials. OBJECTIVE To assess whether in the SPRINT Trial, adherence and cardiovascular outcomes are associated regardless of intervention assignment. METHODS This study included 9361 participants aged ≥ 50 years, recruited from 102 clinics. Participants were randomized to a Standard Treatment Group (targeted SBP <140 mmHg) or an Intensive Treatment Group (targeted SBP <120 mmHg) and followed for incident cardiovascular events until the study was halted early for benefit. The 8-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8) was administered at baseline, and at the 12 and 48-month (or close out) visit. RESULTS Adjusting for covariates, there was no association between the baseline 8-item MMAS-8 and the likelihood of the primary composite endpoint, any of the secondary endpoints, or BP control. Low adherence was associated with a higher BMI, SBP, DBP, and PHQ-9, and high adherence was associated with a higher MOCA. There was no difference in the MMAS-8 over time by treatment arm assignment. For the Primary outcome (a composite of myocardial infarction, other acute coronary syndromes, stroke, heart failure, or death from cardiovascular causes), baseline odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for the Low vs Medium and vs High; and, for Medium vs High MMAS-8 were 1.02 (0.82-1.28), 1.07 (0.85-1.34), and 1.05 (0.88-1.250). CONCLUSION In SPRINT, medication adherence as measured using the MMAS-8 was not associated with outcomes or BP control.
David Oliver: How hospital doctors’ own pressures affect GPs

Even before covid hit in early 2020, the NHS faced growing pressures from capacity, performance, and demand. GPs in particular had repeatedly sounded the alarm about workforce and workload. A recurrent concern is the transfer of responsibility of complex outpatients and post-acute inpatients back to primary care.1 This is often accompanied by requests for GPs to chase or arrange investigations, referrals, or follow-up, monitoring patients and issuing prescriptions. Much of this work is a contractual responsibility for hospitals, and GPs aren’t remunerated or staffed to take it all on.23 Demand for GPs’ services has risen steadily in the pandemic, with a growing crisis of morale and unfair attacks in the media over access, waiting times, and remote consultations. Some hospital doctors have fanned the flames by blaming GPs for rising hospital attendances. I deplore and condemn this. Primary care data show that monthly consultations in July, August, and September have been back above …
Next-generation sequencing in the evaluation of biliary strictures in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis

Background Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a well-described risk factor for the development of cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). Early detection of CCA in these patients is of great importance because it expands options for therapeutic interventions, including liver transplantation. Current diagnostic tests for the evaluation of biliary strictures are limited to biliary brushing (BB) cytology and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Next-generation sequencing (NGS) has become an important diagnostic tool in oncology and may be a useful tool for diagnosing CCA on BBs. It is not clear how NGS performs when it is added to BB cytology and FISH in patients with PSC. Methods This study reports the authors' experience with NGS performed as a prospective cotest with cytology and FISH on BBs obtained from 60 patients with PSC followed at Massachusetts General Hospital. A duct with malignancy was defined as a high-risk (HR) stricture with either high-grade dysplasia or CCA. Results NGS was better than FISH and cytology in detecting HR strictures, which showed multiple genetic mutations in all cases. NGS provided specific mutational information, and NGS results were reproducible in longitudinal samples. Conclusions Adding NGS to BB cytology and FISH in the evaluation of biliary strictures for patients with PSC may provide additional information that could help to inform clinical management.
Nutritional supplements and fish health

Abstract Negative impacts due to infectious diseases can be substantial in various types of intensive aquaculture and may cost many millions of dollars in lost revenues due to mortality and reduced production efficiency. Therefore, interest continues to be great in developing and applying alternatives to traditional means of combating diseases with chemotherapeutic agents. Disease prevention and treatment strategies such as use of vaccines and drugs also may be limited in various aquacultural operations due to regulatory constraints or inconvenient means of delivery. Thus, the concept of functional feeds, which is still relatively new to aquaculture, represents an emerging new paradigm to develop diets that extend beyond satisfying minimum nutritional requirements of the cultured organism to improving their health and resistance to commonly encountered stressors and disease-causing organisms. Therefore, there has been heightened interest in the evaluation of a variety of dietary additives that may influence immunity and disease resistance of aquatic species. This chapter will provide an overview or such additives and provide a review of their current and potential applications in aquaculture.
“You Are First a Chinese Citizen, Then A Consumer”: Presenting and Balancing Identities Online as Chinese International Tourists

This paper is based on the analysis of 261 video and word posts collected from four popular social media sites on which Chinese tourists shared their consumption-related experiences during and after the trip. It investigates Chinese international tourists’ diverse presentations of self to a broad audience online through explaining their shopping experiences and product reviews. Tourists are expected to balance multiple identities carefully when they project themselves online as consumers—on the one hand, they present themselves as global consumers and trendsetters who are strategic and savvy; while on the other hand, they still need to preserve and even emphasize their national identity as Chinese patriots. Providing the much-lacking qualitative insight, this study enhances our understanding of international tourists and their consumption behaviors, the construction and presentation of a digital self, and how globalization operates at the micro-level.
Preemptive analgesia: A populat misnomer, but a clinically relevant truth?

There is considerable experimental evidence for the phenomenon of enhanced spinal cord response to afferent neuronal activity initiated by noxious peripheral stimulation (windup, neural plasticity, spinal sensitization). It is likely that the release of excitatory amino acids from primary afferent terminals initiates a cascade of events that give rise to dramatic alterations in sensory processing lasting minutes to hours in some cases, and much longer in others, and there is considerable speculation that certain chronic pain states are initiated by such processes. Accumulating clinical evidence suggests that certain analgsic techniques, initiated prior to noxious surgical or dental stimulation, are capable of reducing postoperative pain levels and analgesic requirements, and there is some early, though not conclusive evidence that preemptive regional anesthetic techniques may reduce the incidence of chronic pain in certain patients. It is likely that the pharmacological characterization of the processes leading to facilitated sensory transmission will lead to the development of novel approaches to the prevention of postoperative and chronic pain.
Sifting the margin: an iterative empirical classification scheme

Attribute or feature selection is an important step in designing a classifier. It often reduces to choosing between computationally simple schemes (based on a small subset of attributes) that do not search the space and more complex schemes (large subset or entire set of available attributes) that are computationally intractable. Usually a compromise is reached: A computationally tractable scheme that relies on a subset of attributes that optimize a certain criterion is chosen. The result is usually a 'good' sub-optimal solution that may still require a fair amount of computation. This paper presents an approach that does not commit itself to any particular subset of the available attributes. Instead, the classifier uses each attribute successively as needed to classify a given data point. If the data set is separable in the given attribute space the algorithm will classify a given point with no errors. The resulting classifier is transparent, and the approach compares favorably with previous approaches both in accuracy and efficiency.
Interrelations between combustion phenomena and mechanical properties in solid propellant rocket motors.

Static and dynamic combustion phenomena effects on grain structural design for solid propellant rocket engine
Physiologic 1,2-diacylglycerol levels induce protein kinase C-independent translocation of a regulatory enzyme.

Phorbol esters and 1,2-diacylglycerols have been used interchangeably to study protein kinase C action. This laboratory first suggested that 1,2-diacylglycerols may also act independent of protein kinase C using protein kinase C-"down-modulated" cells (Kolesnick, R. N., and Paley, A. E. (1987) J. Biol. Chem. 262, 9204-9210). Unfortunately, down-modulation was never complete. The present studies establish an in vitro system of enzyme translocation to resolve this issue. Choline phosphate cytidylyltransferase (EC 2.7.7.15), the regulatory enzyme for phosphatidylcholine biosynthesis, was utilized. Cytidylyltransferase translocation from cytosol to membranes mediates phorbol ester-induced phosphatidylcholine synthesis in GH3 pituitary cells. In the present studies, 1,2-diacylglycerols similarly induced phosphatidylcholine synthesis and cytidylyltransferase translocation. 1,2-Diacylglycerol-induced phosphatidylcholine synthesis, however, was not concentration-dependent but proportional to the moles of 1,2-diacylglycerol added per cell, i.e. subject to surface dilution. For instance, at constant cell number (1.67 x 10(6)/sample) and 1,2-dioctanoylglycerol concentration (diC8; 20 micrograms/ml), 32Pi incorporation into phosphatidylcholine varied from 150 to 350% above control as the incubation volume increased from 0.3 to 1.2 ml. Hence, the effective diC8 concentrations 0.5-30 micrograms/ml are preferably referred to as doses and reported as 0.25-15 nmol/10(6) cells. These doses increased cellular 1,2-diacylglycerol levels within a few fold of basal (374 pmol/10(6) cells). In vitro, diC8 also induced translocation of purified cytidylyltransferase devoid of protein kinase C to microsomes. Translocation was again subject to surface dilution. Translocation occurred with the same ratio of diC8 to microsomal membrane as phosphatidylcholine synthesis in intact cells (1-10 nmol of diC8/10(6) cell membranes). Despite stimulating cytidylyltransferase translocation in intact cells, phorbol esters failed to stimulate translocation in vitro. Hence, 1,2-diacylglycerols are not always interchangeable with phorbol esters and at physiologic levels may stimulate enzyme translocation by an alternative mechanism to protein kinase C.
USE OF TENSIOMETER FOR IN SITU MEASUREMENT OF NITRATE LEACHING

In order to monitor nitrate leaching from non-point source pollution, this study used tensiometers to measure in situ nitrate concentration and soil-moisture potential. In the study, the tensiometers were filled with nitrate ionic strength adjuster instead of pure water. After installation of the tensiometers at various depths along soil profiles, a portable pressure transducer was used to measure the soil moisture potential, and a nitrate electrode attached to an ion analyzer was used to measure the nitrate concentration in situ. The measurement was continuous and non-destructive. Laboratory tests showed a linear relationship between the known nitrate concentration and the tensiometer readings. Field test data indicated a potential of nitrate leaching below the soil depth of 100 cm when crop uptake of nutrients was low.
Scrofula caused by atypical Mycobacteria.

A series of cases of scrofula caused by atypical Mycobacteria is presented and a characteristic syndrome suggestive of this type of infection is described. The organisms isolated from the children with scrofula and from the pharynges of apparently healthy children belong to the general group of chromogenic Mycobacteria, but differ too much among themselves to be regarded as a single strain. These organisms are well differentiated by many standard procedures from both bovine and human strains of M. tuberculosis. The pathology of the lymph node caused by infection with these organisms is described. The pathogenesis of this disease seems to be invasion by chance of the deeper structures by oropharyngeal contaminants, perhaps preceded by ordinary infections in the oropharynx. No evidence points clearly to person-to-person transmission.
Augmented reality for diagnosis based on ultrasound images

A teleconsultation service for cardiologists and cardiosurgeons is described that is based on three-dimensional ultrasound images integrated with an animated virtual heart model (augmented reality). The design uses three input devices: a simulated transducer head to select relevant image slices, a pointing device to mark individual regions, and speech recognition for overall control. Such a scenic communication interface can be applied to other medical and nonmedical areas as well.
Does Low Wealth Constrain Long-Distance Migration?

Some families may have too little wealth (or liquidity) to finance a long-distance move, which may involve transportation costs and foregone earnings. Using the National Longitudinal Survey of Yout...
A spatio-temporal decision making system for coastal change monitoring and coastal management

This demonstration will be presented at the 2003 National Conference on Digital Government Research to accompany a short paper entitled "Integration of Multi-Source Spatial Information for Coastal Management and Decision Making". The demonstration presents the two-year outcomes of our Digital Government project "Digitalization of Coastal Management and Decision Making Supported by Multi-Dimensional Geospatial Information and Analysis" that aims to develop technologies to enhance operational capabilities of federal, state, and local agencies responsible for coastal management and decision making. The pilot test site is along the Lake Erie coastline from Port Clinton to East Cleveland, Ohio. Research strategies are currently being applied to a new test site in Tampa Bay, Florida. The demonstration includes the following sections.
TP53 Silencing Bypasses Growth Arrest of BRAFV600E-Induced Lung Tumor Cells in a Two-Switch Model of Lung Tumorigenesis

Lung carcinogenesis is a multistep process in which normal lung epithelial cells are converted to cancer cells through the sequential acquisition of multiple genetic or epigenetic events. Despite the utility of current genetically engineered mouse (GEM) models of lung cancer, most do not allow temporal dissociation of the cardinal events involved in lung tumor initiation and cancer progression. Here we describe a novel two-switch GEM model for BRAFV600E-induced lung carcinogenesis allowing temporal dissociation of these processes. In mice carrying a Flp recombinase-activated allele of Braf (BrafFA) in conjunction with Cre-regulated alleles of Trp53, Cdkn2a or c-MYC, we demonstrate that secondary genetic events can promote bypass of the senescence-like proliferative arrest displayed by BRAFV600E-induced lung adenomas leading to malignant progression. Moreover, restoring or activating TP53 in cultured BRAFV600E/TP53Null or BRAFV600E/INK4A-ARFNull lung cancer cells triggered a G1 cell cycle arrest regardless of p19ARF status. Perhaps surprisingly, neither senescence nor apoptosis was observed upon TP53 restoration. Our results establish a central function for the TP53 pathway in restricting lung cancer development, highlighting the mechanisms that limit malignant progression of BRAFV600E-initiated tumors.
Congestion relief on power-controlled CDMA networks

A digital cellular radio code-division multiple-access (CDMA) system can only support a finite number of users before the interference plus noise power density, I/sub 0/, received at the cellular base station causes an unacceptable frame-error rate. Once the maximum interference level is reached, new arrivals should be blocked. In a power-controlled CDMA system, the base station can direct mobiles to reduce their power and data rate to reduce interference and allow more users on the system. This approach is employed in TIA IS-95 with respect to the time-varying voice activity on cellular voice channels. We investigate an alternative technique where we adjust the power and data rate of mobile data users to the time-varying interference level to allow more users on a congested system. This scheme was simulated for various proportions of voice and data users and offered traffic levels. Blocking probabilities are reduced in some cases by two orders of magnitude. Message wait time, now a random variable, may exceed the wait time for a constant rate system at high traffic levels. If the cellular carrier has a maximum blocking requirement, an adaptive rate/power system can increase the capacity. For example, a base station that normally supports 26.4 Erlangs offered traffic with 2% blocking can support 33.5 Erlangs with the same blocking probability if adaptive rates and power control are used. Thus, the adaptive rate system can increase the capacity by 27%.
Artificially low hemoglobin A1c caused by use of dapsone.

Objective: To describe a case of artifactually decreased hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) attributable to use of dapsone. Methods: We present a detailed case report and results of a related literature search. In addition, potential causes of artifactually lowered HbA1c values are discussed. Results: A 35-year-old patient with type 1 diabetes had high home-monitored blood glucose values, high clinic plasma glucose determinations, increased fructosamine levels, and low HbA1c values. The lowering of the HbA1c level was associated with use of dapsone, and the decrease in HbA1c value was proportional to the dose of dapsone. A literature search revealed one previous report of artifactual lowering of the HbA1c value, in which high methemoglobin levels were found and thought to be the cause of the artifactually decreased HbA1c. Conclusion: By increasing methemoglobin levels and decreasing erythrocyte survival, dapsone can artifactually lower HbA1c. Clinicians should be aware of this potential side effect of dapsone. (Endoc...
In vitro expression of rat lens aldose reductase in Escherichia coli.

Abstract Aldose reductase (alditol:NADP+ oxidoreductase, EC 1.1.1.21), an enzyme that converts glucose to sorbitol, the first step of the polyol pathway, has been implicated in secondary complications of diabetes, such as cataracts, retinopathy, neuropathy, and nephropathy. Aldose reductase inhibitors have been observed to prevent or delay the onset of these complications; however, more potent and specific inhibitors are needed. Development of new inhibitors necessitates a better understanding of the molecular structure of this protein. To elucidate the structure-function relationships of aldose reductase and to develop methods of regulating this enzyme, large and homogeneous quantities of rat lens aldose reductase have been expressed in bacterial cells. A construction of the complete coding sequence and 3' untranslated region for rat lens aldose reductase was assembled in the expression vector pKK233-2 (Pharmacia). This construction expresses an active enzyme that has been purified and demonstrates kinetic, immunological, and inhibitory properties similar to rat lens aldose reductase.
λ-Measure for Bone Density Connectivity

This note presents a new measure for bone mineral density analysis based on DEXA images. We are proposing an innovative procedure to calculate a scalar value that indicates the connectivity of bone mineral components. This method may provide a totally new measure for bone density study using DEXA scan images that can only calculate T and Z values and can only determine the quality of the bone in terms of the average intensity of bone density. The new measure proposed is called lambda-measure and it provides new research possibilities related to how well the bone components are connected. We can have lambdaT and lambdaZ corresponding to T and Z scores
An Analysis of Couples' Conversational Complaints.

This study sought to examine the connections between couples’ complaint behavior and their feelings about their relationships. Associations among complaint type, complaint response type, complaint affect, and relational adjustment were analyzed. Results indicated that adjusted couples were significantly more likely to manifest behavioral complaints, positive affect, and agreement responses. Maladjusted couples were significantly more likely to engage in personal characteristic complaints, negative affect, and countercomplaint responses. No other associations were found. It was also determined that adjusted and maladjusted couples did not differ significantly with regard to the number of complaints made.
Brief hierarchical assessment of potential treatment components with children in an outpatient clinic.

Abstract Seven patients conducted assessments in an outpatient clinic using a prescribed hierarchy of antecedent and consequence treatment components for their children's problem behavior. Brief assessment of potential treatment components was conducted to identify variables that controlled the children's appropriate behavior. Experimental control via a brief reversal was achieved for 6 of the 7 children, (1 child continued to behave appropriately following initial improvement in behavior). For these 6 children, improved behavior occurred with changes in treatment components. Our results extend previous studies of direct assessment procedures conducted in outpatient clinic settings.
Secondary and tertiary piperidinyl compounds as stabilizers for γ-irradiated polypropylene

Abstract The effects of sec. and ter. piperidinyl additives on oxidative resistance of γ-irradiated polypropylene have been studied over a quite wide range of additive concentrations. Tert. amines were the more effective in suppressing oxidation during the γ-irradiation step. All piperidinyl compounds gave a product identified by IR as a ring-opened nitro compound as well as nitroxides. From the dependence of nitroxide and nitro-compound on the initial concentration of the tert. piperidinyl compounds, an amine oxide is proposed as the transient intermediate leading to nitro-formation from the tert.-piperidinyl additives.
Enhanced services and resource sharing in support of new academic programs

Abstract Support for new programs has been problematic. New programs are developed because of new fields of study, interdisciplinary approaches in existing fields, and student needs in differing locations. Support for new programs is described and evaluated. Service enhancements, resource sharing, and reallocation will play increasing roles.
Pulsus alternans induced by inferior vena caval occlusion in man

To assess the effect of rapid preload reduction on left ventricular performance in nonischemic cardiomyopathy, 11 patients were studied during inferior vena caval (IVC) balloon occlusion. Five developed sustained pulsus alternans. During pulsus alternans, the strong beats demonstrated systolic performance characteristics similar to baseline values, despite a drop in both left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic diameter (66 +/- 13 to 61 +/- 13 mm; p less than 0.05) and LV end-diastolic pressure (21 +/- 8 to 9 +/- 6 mmHg; p less than 0.05). In contrast, the weak beats demonstrated a reduction in peak systolic pressure (130 +/- 36 to 109 +/- 33 mmHg; p less than 0.02), fractional shortening (20% +/- 4% to 17% +/- 9%; p less than 0.05) and peak positive dP/dt (1,006 +/- 224 to 921 +/- 287 mmHg; p less than 0.05). Measures of diastolic performance (peak negative dP/dt, the time constant of LV relaxation, the length of diastasis, and LV end-diastolic stress) were not different between baseline beats and the strong beats; and only LV end-diastolic stress differed when baseline beats were compared to the weak beats. When the strong beats were compared to the weak beats during induced pulsus alternans, significant differences were observed in peak systolic pressure, peak positive dP/dt, and fractional shortening, but no differences in any measured diastolic parameter was observed. A slight difference was noted in the left ventricular end-diastolic diameters, with the weak beat consistently beginning at a slightly smaller diameter (61 +/- 13; mm vs 59 +/- 13; p less than 0.05). In summary, these data are consistent with an augmentation and deletion of intrinsic contractile forces in association with an alternation in preload on a beat-to-beat basis as best describing left ventricular performance during pulsus alternans.
Cytological abnormalities in nipple aspirates of breast fluid from women with severe constipation.

The relation between epithelial dysplasia in nipple aspirates of breast fluid and frequency of bowel movements was studied in 1481 white women. There was a significant positive association with dysplasia (risk ratio 4.5; 95% confidence interval 1.9-11.9) in women reporting severe constipation, i.e., two or fewer bowel movements weekly, which was not seen in women reporting more than one bowel movement daily. Women who had one bowel movement daily or one every other day had increased risk ratios. Cytological abnormalities in breast epithelium associated with severe constipation may be relevant to studies of diet and breast disease since the intestinal flora has been reported to metabolism bile salts and oestrogens secreted by the liver into the gastrointestinal tract-a process which may be enhanced by severe constipation.
Biomechanics of torsion in the human mandible.

Comparative investigations of mandibular function among primates have relied upon elementary structural models to estimate states of masticatory stress and strain. In these studies, mandibular corpus morphology is idealized as a homogeneous, isotropic symmetrical body of invariant geometry, and this morphological abstraction is used to infer relative levels of stress and strain in the jaw. In reality, none of the limiting conditions assumed by these models is satisfied; consequently, it is prudent to ask whether this "textbook" engineering approach is valid for the inference of biomechanical behavior. In this study, the predictions of various geometric representations of the mandibular corpus are evaluated against strains recorded in a sample of human jaws loaded in torsion. Symmetrical geometrical models (including various "robusticity" shape indices), although convenient, are probably not consistently reliable for predicting the distribution of strains in the corpus. The experimental data suggest that variations in cortical thickness within sections play a significant role in determining the profile of relative strains. For comparative applications, characterization of the corpus as an asymmetrical hollow ellipse (i.e., with differing thickness of medial and lateral cortical plates) may provide a reasonable portrayal of relative strains.
The mode of action of chlorsulfuron: A new herbicide for cereals

Abstract Chlorsulfuron (2-chloro- N -[(4-methoxy-6-methyl-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl)aminocarbonyl]benzenesul-fonamide) is the active ingredient in DuPont “Glean” Weed Killer (formerly DPX-4189), a new herbicide for weed control in small grains as well as other uses. Continuous growth measurements of chlorsulfuron-sensitive seedlings demonstrated that the herbicide inhibits growth within 2 hr of application and by 8 hr reduces growth by 80%. This reduction in growth was closely associated with an inhibition of plant cell division. No significant effects were observed on auxin-, cytokinin-, or gibberellin-induced cell expansion. Photosynthesis, respiration, RNA synthesis, and protein synthesis were also initially unaffected under conditions where plant cell division is strongly inhibited.
Face Alignment Refinement

Achieving sub-pixel accuracy with face alignment algorithms is a difficult task given the diversity of appearance in real world facial profiles. To capture variations in perspective, occlusion, and illumination with adequate precision, current face alignment approaches rely on detecting facial landmarks and iteratively adjusting deformable models that encode prior knowledge of facial structure. However, these methods involve optimization in latent sub-spaces, where user-specific face shape information is easily lost after dimensionality reduction. Attempting to retain this information to capture this wide range of variation requires a large training distribution, which is difficult to obtain without high computational complexity. Subsequently, many face alignment methods lack the pixel-level accuracy necessary to satisfy the aesthetic requirements of tasks such as face deidentification, face swapping, and face modeling. In many such applications, the primary source of aesthetic inadequacy is a misaligned jaw line or facial contour. In this work, we explore the idea of an image-based refinement method to fix the landmark points of a misaligned facial contour. We propose an efficient two stage process - an intuitively constructed edge detection based algorithm to actively adjust facial contour landmark points, and a data driven validation system to filter out erroneous adjustments. Experimental results show that state-of-the-art face alignment combined with our proposed post-processing method yields improved overall performance over multiple face image datasets.
Frequency domain normal map filtering

Filtering is critical for representing detail, such as color textures or normal maps, across a variety of scales. While MIP-mapping texture maps is commonplace, accurate normal map filtering remains a challenging problem because of nonlinearities in shading---we cannot simply average nearby surface normals. In this paper, we show analytically that normal map filtering can be formalized as a spherical convolution of the normal distribution function (NDF) and the BRDF, for a large class of common BRDFs such as Lambertian, microfacet and factored measurements. This theoretical result explains many previous filtering techniques as special cases, and leads to a generalization to a broader class of measured and analytic BRDFs. Our practical algorithms leverage a significant body of work that has studied lighting-BRDF convolution. We show how spherical harmonics can be used to filter the NDF for Lambertian and low-frequency specular BRDFs, while spherical von Mises-Fisher distributions can be used for high-frequency materials.