cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Angioleiomyoma (Vascular Leiomyoma) Presenting as a Pseudoaneurysm of the Tibialis Posterior Artery

Reported here is the case of a 55-year-old woman presenting to a podiatry clinic with a chief complaint of left heel and ankle pain, who ultimately underwent operative excision of an angioleiomyoma...
Massive and sustained enhancement of the electrical conductivity of polystyrene using multilayer graphene at Low loadings, and carbon black as a dispersion aid

Abstract The high electrical conductivity of multilayer graphene (MLG) and their sheet like morphology results in a low percolation threshold, and makes it an attractive filler for inducing electrical conductivity in an insulating polymer at small filler loadings. However, strong van der Waals forces between the flat faces of multilayer graphene cause agglomeration, making it difficult to disperse them in a polymer. The loading required for forming a percolating network of these MLGs then increases dramatically, and the advantage of their sheet-like morphology is lost. To enhance the dispersion of MLGs, carbon black nanoparticles (CB) were added as secondary fillers to a polystyrene (PS) matrix containing 2.5 vol% MLG. The electrical conductivity of the composite increased from 10−9 S/m with no CB to 10-4 S/m with 1.5 vol% CB, asymptoting to 103 S/m at ∼12 vol% CB. Using Raman spectroscopy and wide-angle X-ray diffraction, we confirmed that the CB particles act as dispersion aids and prevent MLG restacking, reducing agglomeration and enhancing dispersion of the MLG sheets in PS. This leads to an increase of several orders of magnitude in electrical conductivity.
Chloride-ion concentration flow cells for efficient salinity gradient energy recovery with bismuth oxychloride electrodes

Abstract Salinity gradient (SG) energy is a large, renewable, and clean energy source, which naturally exists between river water and seawater and can also be created by engineering processes. Here, bismuth oxychloride (BiOCl) electrodes was used for efficient SG energy recovery in a chloride-ion concentration flow cell (Cl-CFC) based on a new mechanism, that is, chloride ion (Cl−) intercalation/deintercalation. Compared to previous Cl-CFC with BiCl3 electrodes based on Cl− extraction/insertion (3.17 W m−2), the peak power density of the cell with BiOCl electrodes (4.36 W m−2) was higher under the same testing conditions when using synthetic river water (1 g L−1 NaCl) and seawater (30 g L−1 NaCl). Further investigations demonstrated that the relatively higher power density was attribute to the faster kinetics of Cl− intercalation/deintercalation at BiOCl electrodes than that of Cl− extraction/insertion at BiCl3 electrodes. In addition, three BiOCl electrodes with different carbon black ratios (CB, 10%, 20% and 30%) were also prepared and examined in this study. Compared to BiOCl/10%CB and BiOCl/30%CB electrodes, the lower charge transfer and ion diffusion resistances, larger ion storage capacities and higher cell open circuit voltages of the BiOCl/20%CB electrodes were all beneficial to its higher power output.
TSHR Signaling Stimulates Proliferation Through PI3K/Akt and Induction of miR-146a and miR-155 in Thyroid Eye Disease Orbital Fibroblasts.

Purpose To investigate the molecular pathways that drive thyroid stimulating hormone receptor (TSHR)-induced cellular proliferation in orbital fibroblasts (OFs) from thyroid eye disease (TED) patients. Methods Orbital fibroblasts from TED and non-TED patients were treated with TSH and changes in gene expression and proliferation were measured. To determine the role of TSHR, TSHR-specific siRNA was used to deplete TSHR levels. Proliferation was measured by bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation. PI3K/Akt activation was analyzed by Western blot. The PI3K inhibitor LY294002 was used to investigate PI3K/Akt signaling in OF proliferation. Expression of TSHR, inflammatory cytokines, proliferation related genes and miR-146a and miR-155 were measured by qPCR. Results Orbital fibroblasts from TED patients proliferate significantly more than non-TED OFs in response to TSH. TSH-induced proliferation was dependent upon TSHR expression and required the PI3K/Akt signaling cascade. TSHR activation stimulated miR-146a and miR-155 expression. TED OFs produced significantly more miR-146a and miR-155 than non-TED OFs. MiR-146a and miR-155 targets, ZNRF3 and PTEN, which both limit cell proliferation, were decreased in TSH treated OFs. Conclusions These data reveal that TSHR signaling in TED OFs stimulates proliferation directly through PI3K/Akt signaling and indirectly through induction of miR-146a and miR-155. MiR-146a and miR-155 enhance TED OF proliferation by reducing expression of target genes that normally block cell proliferation. TSHR-dependent expression of miR-146a and miR-155 may explain part of the fibroproliferative pathology observed in TED.
Challenges and opportunities for engineering assembly-line polyketide biosynthesis in Escherichia coli

Assembly-line polyketide synthases generate natural products that have led to many live-saving drugs. The use of E. coli as a heterologous host for reconstituting these enormous and complex enzymatic machines has and will continue to be a critical strategy for understanding them. Here, we concisely summarize successful examples in exploiting E. coli for assembly-line polyketide biosynthesis as well as offer examples of new challenges in which this approach is primed to tackle.
SURFACE CONFIGURATIONS OF THE (111) PLANE OF UO2

The (111) surface of nearly stoichiometric uranium dioxide has been investigated by low energy electron diffraction. For a “clean” surface the sharp spots as low as 10V demonstrate that the bulk crystallinity continues to the outermost layer. Exposure to H2, N2, CO2, CO and H2O at pressures up to 10−6 torr in the range 22°−700° C do not alter the pattern. Exposure to O2 produces several structures dependent upon oxide source, temperature, oxygen pressure, composition of UO2±x, and surface roughness. Although the conditions of formation vary, three characteristic stages have been observed in the interaction of UO2 (111) with O2 at 10−6 torr: 1.) At 22°C a well-defined ring is produced around each diffraction spot. 2.) For intermediate temperatures two structures are formed. At 200 °C or below a P(3×3) pattern develops. Between 320 °C and 390 °C, a 1/12 monolayer pattern forms. 3.) Above 450°C no fractional spots develop.
Combining model-based and model-free methods for stochastic control of distributed energy resources

Abstract Modern distribution systems are experiencing a fast transformation with the growing penetration of distributed energy resources (DERs). Along with the economic and environmental benefits of DERs, challenges arise to address the uncertainties caused by their inherent volatility. If properly coordinated, however, DERs have the potential to provide the controllability that grid operators need. In the paper, we propose a hierarchical control framework that combines the model-based and model-free methods for stochastic DER control in distribution systems. The upper-level scheduler considers a chance-constrained optimal power flow problem (model-based) that schedules DER setpoints to minimize the operational cost and maintain the operating reserve. The lower-level distributed DER controllers absorb real-time disturbances and uncertainties using the extremum seeking control (model-free) to achieve grid objectives. The combination of model-based and model-free methods allows us to take the advantages of both methods to effectively manage the uncertainty in distribution systems. The proposed work is demonstrated on the IEEE 13-node feeder.
Administrative Law Theory and Fundamentals: An Integrated Approach

New casebooks can be hard to justify. Many legal doctrines and their canonical cases are well established. But few fields are more in need of fresh thinking than administrative law. My new casebook, Administrative Law Theory and Fundamentals: An Integrated Approach, newly out with Foundation Press, seeks to provide such thinking. To my knowledge, it is the only administrative law casebook with the words “theory” and “fundamentals” in its title. And the reason might be that there is at present no coherent theory regarding the nature of administrative power. And the debates surrounding administrative power, on the part of both proponents and opponents of administrative government, have stalled. The new casebook proposes a theory of administrative power that better explains constitutional text and structure, as well as historical and modern practice, than competing accounts. It argues that there are “exclusive” powers that only Congress, the President, and the courts can respectively exercise, but also “nonexclusive” powers that can be exercised by more than one branch. This theory of “nonexclusive powers” allows students and scholars of administrative law to make more sense of—or better critiques of—administrative concepts such as delegation, quasi-powers, judicial deference, agency adjudications, the chameleon-like quality of government power, and of the separation of powers more broadly. This five-page introduction seeks to situate this theory within the existing administrative law scholarship.
Invasive mechanical ventilation at 36 weeks post-menstrual age, adverse outcomes with a comparison of recent definitions of bronchopulmonary dysplasia

To determine whether the need for invasive mechanical ventilation (iMV) at 36 weeks PMA in patients with severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (sBPD) identifies those patients at highest risk for tracheostomy or gastrostomy, and to compare sBPD with recent definitions of BPD. Observational study from Jan 2015 to Sept 2019 using data from the BPD Collaborative Registry. Five hundred and sixty-four patients with sBPD of whom 24% were on iMV at 36 weeks PMA. Those on iMV had significantly (p < 0.0001) increased risk for tracheostomy or gastrostomy. The overall mortality rate was 3% and the risk for mortality was substantially greater in those on iMV than in those on noninvasive support at 36 weeks PMA (RR 13.8, 95% CI 4.3–44.5, p < 0.0001). When applying the NICHD definition (2016) 44% had Grade III BPD. When applying the NRN definition, 6% had Grade 1 BPD, 70% had Grade 2 BPD, and 24% had Grade 3 BPD. Patients with sBPD who were on iMV at 36 weeks had a significantly greater risk of inhospital mortality and survivors had a significantly greater risk of undergoing tracheostomy and/or gastrostomy. The use of type 2 sBPD or Grade 3 BPD would enhance the ability to target future studies to those infants with sBPD at the highest risk of adverse long-term outcomes.
Answered and Unanswered Questions in Early-Stage Viral Vector Transduction Biology and Innate Primary Cell Toxicity for Ex-Vivo Gene Editing

Adeno-associated virus is a highly efficient DNA delivery vehicle for genome editing strategies that employ CRISPR/Cas9 and a DNA donor for homology-directed repair. Many groups have used this strategy in development of therapies for blood and immune disorders such as sickle-cell anemia and severe-combined immunodeficiency. However, recent events have called into question the immunogenicity of AAV as a gene therapy vector and the safety profile dictated by the immune response to this vector. The target cells dictating this response and the molecular mechanisms dictating cellular response to AAV are poorly understood. Here, we will investigate the current known AAV capsid and genome interactions with cellular proteins during early stage vector transduction and how these interactions may influence innate cellular responses. We will discuss the current understanding of innate immune activation and DNA damage response to AAV, and the limitations of what is currently known. In particular, we will focus on pathway differences in cell line verses primary cells, with a focus on hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) in the context of ex-vivo gene editing, and what we can learn from HSPC infection by other parvoviruses. Finally, we will discuss how innate immune and DNA damage response pathway activation in these highly sensitive stem cell populations may impact long-term engraftment and clinical outcomes as these gene-editing strategies move towards the clinic, with the aim to propose pathways relevant for improved hematopoietic stem cell survival and long-term engraftment after AAV-mediated genome editing.
ICT4D evaluation: its foci, challenges, gaps, limitations, and possible approaches for improvement

With significant cases of failures in information and communication technologies for development (ICT4D or ICTD), much attention has been paid to the importance of evaluation to improve project sus...
Risk of Healthcare-Associated Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in Hospitalized Cancer Patients.

Background There is limited information on the risk of hospital-acquired COVID-19 among high-risk hospitalized patients after exposure to an infected patient or healthcare worker (HCW) in a non-outbreak setting. Methods This study was conducted at a tertiary care cancer center in New York City from March 10, 2020, until February 28, 2021. In early April 2020, the study institution implemented universal SARS-CoV-2 testing at admission and retesting every three days through the hospital stay. Contact tracing records were reviewed for all exposures to SARS-CoV-2 positive patients and HCWs. Results From March 10, 2020, to February 28, 2021, 11,348 unique patients who were SARS-CoV-2 PCR negative at the time of admission underwent 31,662 post-admission tests during their hospitalization, and 112 tested positive (0.98%). Among these, 49 patients housed in semi-private rooms during admission resulted in 74 close contacts and 14 secondary infections within 14 days, for an overall attack rate of 18.9%. Among those exposed to a roommate undergoing an aerosol-generating procedure (AGP), the attack rate was 35.7%. WGS corroborated transmission in 6/8 evaluated pairs. In addition, three transmission events occurred in 214 patients with significant exposure to 105 COVID-19 positive healthcare workers (1.4%). Conclusion The overall risk of hospital-acquired COVID-19 is low for hospitalized cancer patients, even during periods of high community prevalence. However, shared occupancy with an unrecognized case is associated with a high secondary attack rate in exposed roommates.
An Overview of Agricultural Injuries in Florida from 2015-2019.

HIGHLIGHTS We identified 48 fatal and 187 non-fatal agricultural injuries in Florida from 2015-2019. Vehicles and environmental sources were the two leading injury sources. Using multiple data sources helped us understand the at-risk populations. ABSTRACT. The purpose of this study was to examine and describe fatal and non-fatal agricultural injuries documented in Florida. We used Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) data and AgInjuryNews.org (AIN) data from 2015 through 2019 to identify 48 fatal and 187 non-fatal injuries during the five-year study period, with 86% (40 fatal, 175 non-fatal) of these injuries being occupational. A total of 101 (43%) people were injured as a result of transportation incidents. Major injury sources were vehicles (46%) and environmental sources (heat, lightning, etc.) (14%). Using AIN data, we identified risks for youth under the age of 18 and for individuals age 65 and older. This study suggests the need for additional injury surveillance efforts to gather demographic information to identify at-risk populations.
Congress of Neurological Surgeons Systematic Review and Evidence-Based Guidelines for Perioperative Spine: Preoperative Surgical Risk Assessment.

BACKGROUND Osteoporosis is a metabolic bone disease that commonly affects the elderly. Degenerative spinal disease that may require surgical intervention is also prevalent in this susceptible population. If undiagnosed or untreated before spine surgery, osteoporosis may result in an increased risk of postoperative adverse events. Nontreatment of osteoporosis preoperatively may be related to a poor understanding of bone physiology, a lack of standardized treatment algorithms, limited cost-effective interventions, and reluctance by spine surgeons to be the primary provider of osteoporosis management. OBJECTIVE The objective of this evidence-based review is to develop guidelines for the preoperative assessment and treatment of osteoporosis in patients undergoing spine surgery. METHODS A systematic review of the literature was performed using the National Library of Medicine/PubMed database and Embase for studies relevant to preoperative diagnostic studies that predict increased risk of osteoporosis-related postoperative adverse events and whether the preoperative treatment of low bone mineral density (BMD) in patients with osteoporosis improves outcome. RESULTS Out of 281 studies, 17 met the inclusion criteria and were included for systematic review. The task force affirmed a Grade B recommendation that preoperative osteoporosis testing with a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scan (T-score < -2.5), a computed tomography scan (Hounsfield units <97.9), and serum vitamin D3 level (<20 ng/mL) predict an increased risk of osteoporosis-related adverse events after spine surgery. The task force determined a Grade B recommendation that preoperative osteoporosis treatment with teriparatide increases BMD, induces earlier and more robust fusion, and may improve select patient outcomes. There is insufficient evidence regarding preoperative treatment with bisphosphonates alone and postoperative outcome. CONCLUSION This evidence-based clinical guideline provides a recommendation that patients with suspected osteoporosis undergo preoperative assessment and be appropriately counseled about the risk of postoperative adverse events if osteoporosis is confirmed. In addition, preoperative optimization of BMD with select treatments improves certain patient outcomes.The full guidelines can be accessed at https://www.cns.org/guidelines/browse-guidelines-detail/3-preoperative-osteoporosis-assessment.
Identifying Online Advice-Seekers for Recovering from Opioid Use Disorder

BackgroundOnline communities can provide social support for those recovering from opioid use disorder. However, advice-seekers on these platforms risk exposure to uncurated medical advice, potentially harming their health or recovery efforts. The objective of this analysis is to combine text annotation, social network analysis, and statistical modeling to identify advice-seekers on online social media for buprenorphine-naloxone use and study their characteristics. MethodsWe collected 5,258 posts and their comments from Reddit between 2014 and 2019. Among 202 posts which met our inclusion criteria, we annotated each post to determine which were advice-seeking (n=137) and not advice-seeking (n=65). We also annotated each posting users medication use stage and quantified their connectedness using social network analysis. In order to analyze the relationship between advice-seeking with a users social connectivity and medication use stage, we constructed four models which varied in explanatory variables. ResultsThe stepwise model (containing "total degree" (P=0.002), "using: inducting/tapering" (P<0.001), and "using: other" (P=0.01) as significant explanatory variables) outperformed all other models. We found that users with fewer connections and who are currently using buprenorphine-naloxone are more likely to seek advice than users who are well-connected and no longer using the medication, respectively. Importantly, advice-seeking behavior is most accurately predicted using a combination of network characteristics and medication use status, rather than either factor alone. ConclusionsOur findings provide insights for the clinical care of people recovering from opioid use disorder and the nature of online medical advice-seeking overall. Clinicians should be especially attentive (e.g., through frequent follow-up) to patients who are inducting or tapering buprenorphine-naloxone or signal limited social support.
A preclinical study of tamoxifen in combination with bevacizumab (Avastin) for the treatment of ER-positive breast cancer

1091 Clinical studies have shown that elevated levels of VEGF are associated with poor response to tamoxifen treatment for estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer. Our previous study provided the first direct in vivo evidence that tumor cytosolic VEGF expression at a clinically relevant level not only increases tumor angiogenesis, but also is sufficient to promote ER-positive, tamoxifen-responsive, and non-metastatic breast tumor to become tamoxifen resistant and metastatic. We have developed a xenograft mouse model of ER-positive human breast cancer, in which VEGF expression is tightly controlled by doxycycline in drinking water. The VEGF level detected in the tumor sample is within a range that is found in patient biopsy samples. This study suggested a new function of VEGF in tamoxifen resistance and metastasis and indicated that inhibition of both ER-dependent and VEGF-induced tumor cell growth would be a potential therapy for breast cancer. This study was designed to test this hypothesis using tamoxifen and bevacizumab (Avastin™), a recombinant humanized monoclonal antibody against VEGF. The efficacy of the tamoxifen-Avastin combined therapy was evaluated with two arms of mice designed for early and late stage settings of the disease using the newly developed animal model of ER-positive breast cancer. For the early stage setting, mice received the combined and mono treatments when their tumors reached about 100 mm3 in size. Significant inhibitory effect on primary tumor growth was observed for both the combined treatment and the Avastin mono treatment (P
Emotions and Belief

Intentional states, I have suggested, are to be understood in terms of belief and desire. Treatments of the intentionality of emotions, however, have almost invariably explained it in terms of beliefs, not desires. There are two related reasons for this. First, the desires most prominently related to emotions have been taken to have a resultant and secondary role. One is angry over some offense and consequently desires to retaliate. Also, evaluative beliefs or desirability judgments themselves have been supposed to involve or incorporate desires, which, for this reason, do not require independent attention. A man who takes another to have insulted him is supposed to think such treatment undesirable and so of course to desire not to be so used. I think that both of these assumptions represent serious misunderstandings about emotions and desires and in due course will argue that this is the case (see Chs. V and VI). For now, however, I will set these doubts aside, since I also think that beliefs are essential to emotional intentionality.
Vacuolar proteases and proteolytic artifacts in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the vacuolar proteases and proteolytic artifacts in Saccharomyces cerevisiae ( S.cerevisiae ). The yeast S.cerevisiae contains a large number of proteases that are located in various compartments and membranes of the cell. These include endoproteinases, carboxypeptidases, aminopeptidases, and dipeptidylaminopeptidases. Some of the proteases pose significant impediments to the analysis of biochemical processes and/or purification of proteins and can generate artifacts concerning the activity, structure, and intracellular location of proteins. Of the many cellular proteases, lumenal vacuolar proteases probably comprise the major source of problems. Found soluble within the vacuole are endoproteinases A and B, carboxypeptidases Y and S, aminopeptidase I, and aminopeptidase ApY. An additional source of protease problems is Zymolyase because commercial preparations of Zymolyase contain substantial amounts of a protease that may catalyze hydrolysis of azocoll. The chapter describes conditions and procedures that affect the levels and activities of the vacuolar proteases and presents both genetic and biochemical methods for coping with protease problems.
Estimating energy savings due to conservation programmes: The BPA residential weatherization pilot programme

Abstract The Bonneville Power Administration operated a residential weatherization pilot programme from 1980 to 1982. The programme provided free home energy audits to more than 7000 electrically heated homes in the Pacific Northwest and gave zero-interest loans to weatherize over 4000 of these homes. The total cost of the programme was $11 million. This paper describes several mehtods used to estimate the net energy-saving effect of the BPA programme (ie the electricity saving that could be directly attributed to the programme). The simplest method ivolves estimation of weather adjusted annual electricity consumption for each household. The second approach uses this weather adjusted consumption as the dependent variable in a pooled time-series cross-section regression model of electricity use. The third approach involves estimation of qualitative choice models of the decisions to retrofit and to participate in the BPA programme. Results from these models are used to define Mills ratio terms that are then used as explanatory variables in the regression model of the second approach. The range in estimated programme saving, given the diversity of analytical methods used, is surprisingly small — 3100–3300 kWh/year per average programme participant.
Regional climate modeling over China with COSMO‐CLM: Performance assessment and climate projections

This study presents the results of high-resolution (0.125°) climate simulations over a Chinese area performed with an optimized configuration of the regional climate model COSMO-CLM, driven by ERA-Interim Reanalysis over the period 1979–2011 and by the output of the global model CMCC-CM (resolution 0.75°) over the period 1979–2100. The main aim of this work was to analyze the capabilities of COSMO-CLM to describe the climate of China in the recent past; validation revealed a good improvement in reproducing the precipitation and a reasonable improvement in 2 m temperature representation compared to results reported elsewhere. Climate projections, under the new IPCC RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 emission scenarios, show a significant warming expected in China over the 21st century, while precipitation changes are expected only on a regional scale: increases in precipitation are projected for both scenarios in the northern part of the domain, while the southern area will be affected by a reduction in winter.
Tesselation and Clustering by Mixture Models and Their Parallel Implementations.

Clustering and tessellations are basic tools in data mining. The k-means and EM algorithms are two of the most important algorithms in the Mixture Model-based clustering and tessellations. In this paper, we introduce a new clustering strategy which shares common features with both the EM and k-means algorithms. Our methods also lead to more general tessellations of a spatial region with respect to a continuous and possibly anisotropic density distribution. Moreover, we propose some probabilistic methods for the construction of these clusterings and tessellations corresponding to a continuous density distribution. Some numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of our new approach. In addition, we also discuss the parallel implementation and performance of our algorithms on some distributed memory systems.
Miller v. Alabama and the (Past and) Future of Juvenile Justice Policy

This essay was the keynote address for a symposium on Miller v Alabama, the 2012 Supreme Court opinion holding unconstitutional under the Eighth Amendment a statute imposing a mandatory sentence of life without parole for juveniles convicted of homicide. The essay argues that Miller embodies a way of thinking about juvenile crime that has taken hold in the early 21st century — an approach that emphasizes the importance for legal policy of developmental differences between juveniles and adults. This emerging trend contrasts sharply with the regulatory approach of the 1990s when moral panics over juvenile crime fueled punitive law reforms that transformed juvenile justice policy. The essay describes this period of moral panic and the factors that have contributed to a more deliberative pragmatic response to youth crime in recent years. Finally it proposes strategies aimed at limiting the harmful impact of moral panics that inevitably will arise in the future — and reinforcing the current policy direction.
Detection of Viral microRNAs by Northern Blot Analysis

microRNAs (miRNAs) of host and viral origin have been suggested to play important roles in the viral infectious cycle. The discovery of new viral miRNAs, and understanding how viral infection alters host miRNAs, has been greatly aided by Northern blot analysis. The Northern blot method is used to detect specific RNAs that have been separated by size and immobilized onto a membrane. This method can provide specific information regarding the size of a miRNA and possible precursor structures. Thus, it represents a valuable tool in the discovery and validation of new miRNAs. Viral infection can sometimes present special challenges to utilizing Northern blot analysis. These challenges may include low miRNA expression levels, high GC content, and abundant background signal from nonspecific RNA degradation fragments triggered by the stress of lytic infection. We present a protocol for small RNA Northern blot analysis that we have successfully used to detect viral miRNAs from cells undergoing lytic infection from members of the Herpes and Polyoma virus families. Included are optimization strategies and a protocol for using radiolabeled oligonucleotides to detect larger RNAs.
Distortion and Stabilized Structure in Banach Spaces; New Geometric Phenomena for Banach and Hilbert Spaces

Many of the fundamental research problems in the geometry of normed linear spaces can be loosely phrased as: Given a Banach space X and a class of Banach spaces Y does X contain a subspace Y ∈ Y? As a Banach space X is determined by its unit ball B x ≡ { x ∈ X :‖ x ‖ ≤ 1 } the problem can be rephrased in terms of the geometry of convex sets: Can a given unit ball B x be sliced with a subspace to obtain a set in some given class of unit balls? A result of this type is the famous theorem of Dvoretzky (see also [L], [M6], [M4], [MS], [FLM]).
Phlorizin Administration Does Not Attenuate Hypophagia Induced by Intraruminal Propionate Infusion in Lactating Dairy Cattle

Infusion data from ruminants has shown that propionate stimulates satiety and decreases meal size, possibly because of increased propionate oxidation in the liver. In this experiment, phlorizin was used to increase glucose demand, which was expected to decrease propionate oxidation and attenuate the decrease in dry matter intake (DMI) caused by propionate infusion. Twelve multiparous, ruminally-cannulated Holstein cows (49+/-33 d in milk, 40+/-7 kg/d milk; mean+/-SD) were randomly assigned to square and treatment sequence in a replicated 4x4 Latin square experiment with a 2x2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Treatments were subcutaneous injection of phlorizin or propylene glycol in combination with intraruminal infusion of either Na acetate or Na propionate. Following a 7-d adaptation period, phlorizin (4 g/d) and control injections were administered every 6 h for 7 d. During the final 2 d of injections, Na acetate or Na propionate solutions (1 mol/L, pH 6.0) were infused continuously at the rate of 0.80 L/h. Feeding behavior data were collected during the final 2 d of treatment. Phlorizin caused urinary excretion of 400+/-40 g glucose/d across infusion treatments. Phlorizin tended to increase plasma free fatty acid and beta-hydroxybutyrate concentrations to a greater extent with Na acetate compared to Na propionate infusion (both interactions P<0.15). Phlorizin decreased and Na propionate increased plasma insulin and glucose concentrations. Infusion of Na propionate decreased DMI (18.4 vs. 21.1+/-1.4 kg/d, P<0.001) through an increase in intermeal interval (89.2 vs. 77.3+/-6.6 min, P=0.03), resulting in fewer meals per day (11.6 vs. 13.7+/-0.7, P<0.001). Phlorizin did not alter DMI (P=0.39) or measures of feeding behavior, nor were there interactions with infusion type. Increasing glucose demand does not limit the extent to which propionate decreases DMI in lactating dairy cows.
Dopamine in the hypothalamus of the cat: pharmacological characterization and push-pull perfusion analysis of sites mediating hypothermia.

Abstract Within the rostral diencephalon of the cat, 113 sites were examined for their reactivity to 2.33–14.0 μg dopamine (DA) or 2.33–14.0 μg norepinephrine (NE) microinjected in a volume of 0.75 μl. During each experiment, colonic temperature was monitored and additional physiological measures were recorded continuously. In contrast to CSF controls, an intrahypothalamic injection of either catecholamine at circumscribed sites evoked a dose-dependent fall in the cat's body temperature, with NE ordinarily evoking a more profound hypothermic response. The morphological sites of maximum sensitivity were localized in the anterior hypothalamic, preoptic region. At some but not all sites, a prior microinjection of 3.5–7.0 μg phentollamine attenuated the magnitude of the DA-induced hypothermia and delayed its onset. Conversely, at all loci, the pretreatment by the injection of this alpha-adrenergic antagonist markedly reduced the absolute magnitude of the NE-induced fall in the cat's temperature. Similar pretreatment of a reactive hypothalamic locus with a beta-adrenergic receptor blocking agent, practolol (3.5 μg), failed to alter the hypothermia following a microinjection of DA. Either of two DA receptor antagonists, haloperidol (0.04–7.0 μg) or d-butaclamol (0.48–1.47 μg), when given in a sufficient dose, effictively delayed the onset of the DA-hypothermia and reduced its absolute magnitude; however, the NE-induced decline in the cat's temperature was unaffected by DA receptor blockade. Endogenous stores of DA and/or NE in the cat's hypothalamus were radio-labeled with either 3H- or 14C-catecholamines or both, microinjected through the implanted guide tube into an identified amine-sensitive site. By using push-pull cannulae, the site was subsequently perfused for 5 min with artificial CSF at a rate of 25 μl/min with samples collected at 15 min intervals. During either the third or fourth perfusion, the ambient temperature of the cat's chamber of 22–24°C was elevated to 35–45°C and maintained at this level for 15 or 30 min. This environmental warming evoked a release of either DA or NE or both amines from certain circumscribed sites within the cat's rosrtal hypothalamus. Overall, these results provide pharmacological, physiological and anatomical evidence for a differential role of DA in the hypothalamic mechanism which mediates the heat loss processes.
Modulating targeted adhesion of an ultrasound contrast agent to dysfunctional endothelium.

The early stages of atherosclerosis are characterized by increased endothelial cell (EC) surface expression of leukocyte adhesion molecules (LAMs). Ultrasound detection of acoustically active LAM-targeted microbubbles might provide a means to noninvasively assess the functional status of the endothelium. Toward this end, a lipid-based perfluorobutane-filled microbubble was synthesized with various densities of anti-ICAM-1 monoclonal antibodies conjugated to the bubble shell. We hypothesized that modulating the surface antibody density would permit regulation of the adhesion characteristics of the microbubbles, and that microbubble adhesion would be dependent on local wall shear rate. Coverslips of cultured human coronary artery ECs were exposed to microbubbles with various surface antibody densities (1%, 5%, 10%, 50%, 75%, and 100% of maximum coverage) at various wall shear rates (100, 175, 250, 350, and 500-1 in a parallel plate perfusion chamber. ECs were either normal or activated by interleukin-1β to overexpress ICAM-1. Adhesion was greater to activated vs. normal ECs (p < 0.001), increased with increasing surface antibody density (p < 0.01), and decreased with increasing wall shear rate (p = 0.02). We conclude that shell antibody density and wall shear rate are critical parameters controlling differential microbubble adhesion. This phenomenon might ultimately permit imaging of clinically relevant LAM expression in vivo. © 2002 Biomedical Engineering Society.
Observations of the liquid/solid interface in low-gravity melting

Time-lapsed photography of the liquid/solid interface of a melting ice cylinder was taken on Skylab 3 over a period of three hours. The same experiment was simulated on earth such that morphological and thermodynamic differences could be noted. A study of the returned color film clearly shows the dominance of surface tension effects in low-gravity melting. In the Skylab experiment, the ends of the ice cylinder melted first with the water being driven by surface tension onto the cylindrical surfaces. At any time, the principle of minimum surface area governs the overall appearance of the water-ice globule which changed from a cylindrical to a spherical shape. The latent heat of melting in low-gravity is supplied only by radiation (81%) and conduction (19%); whereas in one-g, the convective (55%) and radiative (38%) mode of heat transfer dominates over the conductive portion (7%). Information is also provided on containerless melting and heat transfer in space in the absence of convective air currents.
On the relationship between hypsodonty and feeding ecology in ungulate mammals, and its utility in palaeoecology

High-crowned (hypsodont) teeth are widely found among both extant and extinct mammalian herbivores. Extant grazing ungulates (hoofed mammals) have hypsodont teeth (a derived condition), and so extinct hypsodont forms have usually been presumed to have been grazers. Thus, hypsodonty among ungulates has, over the past 150 years, formed the basis of widespread palaeoecological interpretations, and has figured prominently in the evolutionary study of the spread of grasslands in the mid Cenozoic. However, perceived inconsistencies between levels of hypsodonty and dental wear patterns in both extant and extinct ungulates have caused some workers to reject hypsodonty as a useful predictive tool in palaeobiology, a view that we consider both misguided and premature. Despite the acknowledged association between grazing and hypsodonty, the quantitative relationship of hypsodonty to the known ecology of living ungulate species, critical in making interpretations of the fossil record, was little studied until the past two decades. Also, much of the literature on ungulate ecology relevant to understanding hypsodonty has yet to be fully incorporated into the perspectives of palaeontologists. Here we review the history and current state of our knowledge of the relationship between hypsodonty and ungulate ecology, and reassert the value of hypsodonty for our understanding of ungulate feeding behaviour. We also show how soil consumption, rather than the consumption of grass plants per se, may be the missing piece of the puzzle in understanding the observed correlation between diets, habitats, and hypsodonty in ungulates. Additionally, we show how hypsodonty may impact life-history strategies, and resolve some controversies regarding the relevance of hypsodonty to the prediction of the diets of extinct species. This in turn strengthens the utility of hypsodonty in the determination of past environmental conditions, and we provide a revised view of a traditional example of evolutionary trends in palaeobiology, that of the evolution of hypsodonty in horses and its correlation with the Miocene spread of grasslands in North America.
Priorities for bird conservation in Lesotho, southern Africa

Recent fieldwork and a literature review suggest that Lesotho has 285 confirmed and extant bird species. A further 15 species known before 1940 probably no longer occur. Population changes this century are suspected for 68 species—36 have declined and 32 have increased. One hundred and eighty-two species have populations below 1000 birds or are of international importance. Of these, 82 species probably breed in Lesotho and 12 more are visitors of conservation importance in southern Africa. It is suggested that these 94 species should be the basis for the country's bird conservation policies. Changes to wildlife legislation, improved conservation education and encouragement of amateur birdwatchers are suggested as initial conservation measures. Beyond this, much research and monitoring will be needed to save Lesotho's wildlife.
Heterogeneity of human adult and fetal fibrinogen: detection of derivatives indicative of thrombin proteolysis.

Abstract Low solubility, bulk and high solubility fibrinogen fractions from human adult and cord plasmas were compared. Plasma was collected and fractionated in the presence of e-aminocaproic acid, and plasmin degradation products were not detected. Corresponding adult and cord fibrinogen fractions were similar on sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis, in percentage clottability and in hexose content. However, the adult low solubility and bulk fractions clotted more rapidly with thrombin than the corresponding cord fractions. In addition, adult fibrinogen contained a greater proportion than cord fibrinogen of the low solubility fraction (mean 39% as compared to 32%, P
Protein kinase C. Seeing two domains

Conventional protein kinase Cs have two conserved regulatory domains, C1 and C2, shared by many other membrane-interacting proteins. The structures of a C1 and a C2 domain provide insights into how they function.
Undergraduate summer research in RF photonics

Over the past four years, 2000-2003, undergraduates have participated in summer research at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (RHIT) carrying out a wide range of optics projects. These projects are supervised by an interdisciplinary group of faculty that includes professors from Physics and Optical Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Mathematics and Chemistry departments. This program was advertised by sending out flyers to 300+ collages and universities nationally. One-third of the students were from outside RHIT. Three of these students have subsequently become graduate students at RHIT. The program begins in the second week of June and lasts for ten weeks. It begins with an overview and description of the main goals of the optical beamforming project that is funded by NAVSEA Crane Division. Students are given a statement-of-work (SOW) and asked to reply to it in one week. During the first week students also participate in three short courses: Fiber Optics, Lasers and Detectors, Dynamic Range and Noise Figure in RF Links. The summer’s work is structured and is done according to a schedule that is worked out between each team of students assigned to the specific task and their faculty advisor. Each team of students gives a weekly presentation to the group describing what was done during the week and what their plans are for the following week, thus constantly modifying their reply to the SOW based on what happens in the lab. The summer research program ends with a final project report and presentation given by each team of students. Students’ projects have included a broad range of science and engineering areas varying from optics to electronics, optoelectronics, polymer chemistry. Some examples of these projects are: characterizing fiber-optic links, nonlinear optics, fixing volume holograms in photorefractive crystals, fabrication of fiber Bragg gratings (FBG), fiber-optic true-time delay architectures, simulation of fiber-optic networks for optical beamforming, construction of Optical beamformers based on FBG array matrix, fabrication of electro-optic polymer films. Some the projects have lead to student publications in peer reviewed and conference proceedings.
A k-Server Queue with Phase Input and Service Distribution

This paper obtains a simple expression for the expected number of idle servers in the steady state for a queue with k servers, and a phase input and service distribution. No assumption is made regarding the order in which customers are served, except that the servers cannot sit idle as long as there are customers waiting to be served.
Dynamics of bonded networks with two energy scales.

We model the dynamics of a molecular network with two distinct energy scales ${\mathit{E}}_{1}$\ensuremath{\ll}${\mathit{E}}_{2}$. A novel critical bond dynamics is shown to arise due to screening. We identify an order parameter and determine the related exponent at the critical temperature ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{c}}$. Above ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{c}}$, the dynamics is characterized by a power-law distribution of bond lifetimes with an exponential cutoff at a time that diverges at ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{c}}$. Our picture is applied ot liquid water.
Student-Faculty Informal Relationships and Freshman Year Educational Outcomes

AbstractThis study investigated the relationship between student-faculty informal relationships and three freshman year educational outcomes. After controlling for the influence of 14 student pre-enrollment characteristics, such as high school academic performance, academic aptitude, personality needs, and expectations of certain aspects of college, eight measures of the frequency and strength of student-faculty informal relationships accounted for statistically significant increases in the variance in freshman year academic performance and self-perceived intellectual and personal development. Partial correlations, controlling for the influence of all pre-enrollment characteristics and all other student-faculty relationship variables, indicated that frequency of student-faculty informal interactions focusing on intellectual or course- related matters had the strongest positive association with academic performance and intellectual development. Interactions for the purpose of discussing students’ career co...
The role of radiosurgery in the management of chordoma and chondrosarcoma of the cranial base.

Despite conventional multimodality treatment (surgery and fractionated radiation therapy), recurrence and clinical progression of cranial base chordomas and chondrosarcomas are common. The malignant behavior of these tumors is a result of their critical location, locally aggressive nature, and high
Effects of ultraviolet-B radiation and nutrient enrichment on the productivity of benthic microalgae in shallow coastal lagoons of the North Central Gulf of Mexico

Benthic microalgae (BMA) play important roles in shallow coastal systems. Few studies have addressed the combined effects of ultraviolet-B radiation (UVB) and nutrient enrichment on the productivity of BMA. Here we use field and microcosms experiments to explore the single and combined effects of ambient and increased UVB and sediment nutrient enrichment on the productivity of BMA in two shallow coastal lagoons of the North Central Gulf of Mexico. We found few negative effects of ambient and increased UVB levels, even though increased UVB levels were higher than liberal predictions of anthropogenic increase for the studied area. In contrast, we found several positive effects of sediment fertilization, although all positive effects were restricted to one of the lagoons. These results point to strong protective responses of BMA to UVB in the lagoons studied. Such protective responses do not appear to be limited by ambient nutrient availability. This study indicates that sediment nutrient enrichment is a more important driver for BMA, and by default for the ecological functioning of the lagoons studied, than current and predicted UVB levels. These conclusions, however, may not apply to other coastal systems, where the interactive effects of fertilization and UVB on BMA deserve further investigation.