cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
APC/CFZR-1 Controls ZYG-1 Levels to Regulate Centrosome Assembly

Abstract Aberrant centrosome numbers are associated with human cancers. The levels of centrosome regulators positively correlate with centrosome number. Thus, tight control of centrosome protein levels is critical. In Caenorhabditis elegans, the anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome and co-activator FZR-1 (APC/CFZR-1) ubiquitin ligase negatively regulates centrosome assembly through SAS-5 degradation. In this study, we identify the C. elegans ZYG-1 (Plk4 in human) as a new substrate of APC/CFZR-1. Inhibiting APC/CFZR-1 or mutating a ZYG-1 destruction (D)-box leads to elevated ZYG-1 levels at centrosomes, restoring bipolar spindles and embryonic viability to zyg-1 mutants, suggesting that APC/CFZR-1 targets ZYG-1 for proteasomal degradation via D-box motif. We also show the Slimb/βTrCP-binding (SB) motif is critical for ZYG-1 degradation, substantiating a conserved mechanism by which ZYG-1/Plk4 stability is regulated by SCFSlimb/βTrCP-dependent proteolysis via the conserved SB motif in C. elegans. Furthermore, inhibiting both APC/CFZR-1 and SCFSlimb/βTrCP, by co-mutating ZYG-1 SB and D-box motifs, stabilizes ZYG-1 in an additive manner, conveying that APC/CFZR-1 and SCFSlimb/βTrCP ubiquitin ligases function cooperatively for timely ZYG-1 destruction in C. elegans embryos where ZYG-1 activity remains at threshold level to ensure normal centrosome number.
Epistaxis Complicated by Hemolacria: A Case Report.

Hemolacria is a rare complication of epistaxis treated with nasal compression or tamponade. We report the case of a man, aged 81 years, with end-stage renal disease who developed hemolacria after insertion of a "Rhino Rocket" nasal tamponade device to treat persistent epistaxis. The hemolacria resolved after treatment with intranasal oxymetazoline. In the setting of epistaxis with nasal tamponade, hemolacria is thought to be caused by retrograde flow from the inferior nasal turbinates via an anatomic connection with the lacrimal system, with passage through the valves of Hasner and Rosenmuller to the lacrimal ducts. Hemolacria is very rare even in severe cases of epistaxis; we postulate that only patients with either congenital absence or acquired incompetence of the lacrimal valves are predisposed to hemolacria after treatment of epistaxis with a tamponade device. Physicians should be aware that hemolacria in the setting of epistaxis is usually a self-limited condition that can be treated with conservative measures to control nasal hemorrhage.
Principles to Advance Energy Justice for Native Americans

On many Native American reservations, lack of energy access reduces economic, health, and educational opportunities. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported in 2000 that 14% of households on Native American reservations had no access to electricity, compared to 1.4% nationally. Neither the EIA, nor the U.S. Census Bureau have published reliable updates on the status of the Native American Reservation electricity gap. While several projects led by Native American tribes have narrowed the Native American reservation electricity gap, thousands of households and institutions serving tribal members in the United States remain without electric grid access in 2020. The electric grid’s absence fuels lack of access to infrastructure interconnected with electricity including water, water treatment, telephone, and Internet facilities and services. Enabling electricity access will improve fire safety, water and wastewater access and treatment, telecommunications access, health, educational, economic, and civic opportunity. This article proposes six principles to advance energy justice for Native Americans: Principle 1: Respect Tribal Sovereignty; Principle 2: Energy Access is Foundational to Energy Justice; Principle 3: Foster Tribal Energy Ownership and Clean Energy Opportunities; Principle 4: Support Native American Energy Contracting, Employment, and Entrepreneurial Opportunities; Principle 5: Promote Access to Energy Efficiency and Energy Affordability Programs; Principle 6: Assess and Address the Impact of Climate Change on Native American Reservations, Tribal Lands, and Native American Tribal Members. This article concludes that fostering energy justice for Native Americans will improve prospects for all Americans, advance our economy, protect the environment, and promote equity.
Chronic immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) pneumonitis in patients (pts) with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

9103Background: ICI pneumonitis is an immune-related adverse event (irAE) of the lung and often requires discontinuation of ICI. While some pneumonitis cases resolve within the recommended 4-6-week...
Predicting Seizure-Like Activity Using Sensors from Smart Glasses

In this paper we study the use smart glasses in classifying simulated epileptic seizure signals. We train a patient specific classifier using features extracted from an inertial measurement unit signals. For performance evaluation, we use the accuracy as well as the loss function values and Root-Mean-Square Error (RMSE). Long short-term memory (LSTM) neural network is used on the data collected from the smart glasses. Orhan et al. (Exp Syst Appl 38:13475–13481, 2011), Samiee et al. (IEEE Trans Biomed Eng 62:541–552, 2015)
Some reflections on social-cognitive research in schizophrenia.

(2000). Some Reflections on Social-cognitive Research in Schizophrenia. Psychiatry: Vol. 63, No. 4, pp. 339-343.
Competing for the Platform: The Politics of Interest Group Influence on Political Party Platforms

While parties view interest groups as a means to mobilize voters, interest groups view parties and their platforms as a means to articulate interests. We demonstrate the conditions under which parties will articulate an organized interest group’s preferred positions in its quadrennial platform. A formal theoretical model predicts that parties will reward groups that can mobilize voters, as evidenced by a group’s resources, loyalty to the party, and ideological similarity to the party status quo. We test the formal model using content analysis on three years of DNC platforms and group testimony. Results show that parties reward loyal groups that are ideologically near the party, but that resources have no effect.
Determinants of response to a prokinetic agent in neuropathic chronic intestinal motility disorder

Abstract Background/Aims: Reasons for the variable efficacy of prokinetic agents in the treatment of chronic intestinal motility disorders are unclear. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of extrinsic autonomic neuropathy and motility patterns on the symptom response to cisapride in 42 such patients. Methods: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, two-dose (10 and 20 mg, three times daily), 12-week study included (1) measurement of autonomic (including abdominal vagal) function; (2) standardized 5-hour upper gastrointestinal manometry; and (3) assessment of symptoms based on visual analog scale at baseline and 6 and 12 weeks. Statistical analysis compared symptom response among treatment and autonomic dysfunction groups and assessed the influence of absence of migrating motor complexes and presence of postprandial antral hypomotility on symptomatic responses to cisapride. Results: There was no significant overall effect of cisapride in the entire group of 42 patients. Generalized sympathetic and vagal dysfunctions influence the response of patients with neuropathic chronic intestinal motility disorder to two doses of cisapride. Conclusions: Idiopathic intestinal motility disorder, unassociated with abdominal vagal dysfunction, is more likely to respond to cisapride. Detailed characterization of patient subgroups is crucial to designing treatment trials in patients with small bowel motility disorders.
Paraconsistency in Object-Oriented Databases

Many database application areas require an ability to handle incomplete and/or inconsistent information. Such information, called paraconsistent information, has been the focus of some recent research. In this paper we present a technique for representing and manipulating paraconsistent information in object-oriented databases. Our technique is based on two new data types for such information. These data types are generalizations of the boolean and bag data types of the Object Data Management Group standard (ODMG). Algebraic operators with a 4- valued paraconsistent semantics are introduced for the new data types. Also a 4-valued operational semantics is presented for the select expression, with an example illustration of how such a semantics can be used effectively to query an object-oriented database containing paraconsistent information. To our knowledge, our technique is the first treatment of inconsistent information in object-oriented databases.
HiFi: a unified architecture for high fan-in systems

Advances in data acquisition and sensor technologies are leading towards the development of "High Fan-in" architectures: widely distributed systems whose edges consist of numerous receptors such as sensor networks and RFID readers and whose interior nodes consist of traditional host computers organized using the principle of successive aggregation. Such architectures pose significant new data management challenges. The HiFi system, under development at UC Berkeley, is aimed at addressing these challenges. We demonstrate an initial prototype of HiFi that uses data stream query processing to acquire, filter, and aggregate data from multiple devices including sensor motes, RFID readers, and low power gateways organized as a High Fan-in system.
On model-checking of p systems

Membrane computing is a branch of molecular computing that aims to develop models and paradigms that are biologically motivated. It identifies an unconventional computing model, namely a P system, from natural phenomena of cell evolutions and chemical reactions. Because of the nature of maximal parallelism inherent in the model, P systems have a great potential for implementing massively concurrent systems in an efficient way that would allow us to solve currently intractable problems. In this paper, we look at various models of P systems and investigate their model-checking problems. We identify what is decidable (or undecidable) about model-checking these systems under extended logic formalisms of CTL. We also report on some experiments on whether existing conservative (symbolic) model-checking techniques can be practically applied to handle P systems with a reasonable size.
Jane Jacob's Critique of Zoning: From Euclid to Portland and Beyond

Jane Jacobs's 1961 classic, The Death and Life of Great American Cities, identifies four preconditions for the creation and preservation of vibrant, diverse cities: (1) high densities of population and activities; (2) mixtures of primary uses; (3) small-scale, pedestrian-friendly blocks and streets; and (4) retaining old buildings mixed in with new. These principles are directly at odds with the underlying presumptions of Euclidean zoning. Euclidean zoning and related subdivision regulations restrain density, separate primary uses, favor roadway designs based solely on traffic needs, and ignore the preservation of older buildings. Since 1961, we have erected a ramshackle superstructure of projectspecific review procedures, while leaving untouched the underlying presumptions of Euclidean zoning. A rethinking of Euclidean zoning, consistent with Jacobs's principles, requires regulatory strategies that work at different scales. At the scale of the street, zoning should focus on how private buildings help create and activate the public space of the street. At the scale of the urban district, codes should offer strong incentives for mixtures of primary uses and reuse of older buildings. At the scale of the metropolitan region, state oversight of local and regional planning should favor the coordination of denser, compact developments with public investments in transit. I first read The Death and Life of Great American Citiesl in the early 1970s. I was a teenager growing up in Manhattan, and I responded first to Jacobs's novelistic ability to convey the reality of New York places and scenes: from the daily ballet of strollers and shopkeepers on the sidewalks of Greenwich Village, to all-night hearings at the Board of Estimate, to the antiseptic purity of the Lincoln Center performing arts complex. But the enduring influence of The Death and * Assistant Secretary of Environmental Mfairs, Commonwealth of Massachusetts; Lecturer in Planning and Environmental Law, Harvard Graduate School of Design and Kennedy School of Government;j.D., Harvard Law School, 1994; M. Arch., Harvard Graduate School of Design, 1983; BA, Yale University, 1978. 1 JANEJACOBS, THE DEATH AND LIFE OF GREAT AMERICAN CITIES (1961).
Binding of N-Methyl Nicotinamide Chloride by Tryptophan Residues of α-Lactalbumin

Abstract Studies of the binding of N-methyl nicotinamide chloride by α-lactalbumin show that complex formation occurs with 1 of 4 tryptophan residues at pH 6 whereas two form complexes at pH 2 as a result of acid denaturation. Alkaline denaturation likewise leads to an increase in exposure of tryptophans, and three of the four groups form complexes at pH 11. From a consideration of previous studies and a recently proposed molecular model for α-lactalbumin, the residues involved in binding N-methyl nicotinamide chloride have been tentatively identified as tryptophan-118, tryptophan-104, and tryptophan-60.
Happiness and Pleasure

This paper argues against hedonistic theories of happiness. First, hedonism is too inclusive: many pleasures cannot plausibly be construed as constitutive of happiness. Second, any credible theory must count either attitudes of life satisfaction, affective states such as mood, or both as constituents of happiness; yet neither sort of state reduces to pleasure. Hedonism errs in its attempt to reduce happiness, which is at least partly dispositional, to purely episodic experiential states. The dispositionality of happi- ness also undermines weakened nonreductive forms of hedonism, as some happiness-constitutive states are not pleasures in any sense. Moreover, these states can apparently fail to exhibit the usual hedonic properties; sadness, for instance, can sometimes be pleasant. Finally, the nonhedonistic accounts are ade- quate if not superior on grounds of practical and theoretical utility, quite apart from their superior con- formity to the folk notion of happiness.
Making Babies Healthier by Providing a Managed Care Option to California's Poor

The first chapter investigates whether mandating a managed care option for California Medicaid beneficiaries improves access to prenatal care and birth outcomes in a traditionally fee-for-service system. We compare two competing models: one that only offers a county-organized health system option (COHS), and the Two Plan Model (TPC) that provides mothers with a choice between the county system and a commercial managed care organization. The results show that while COHS improved access, only the TPC program led to reductions in low-birth weight. The superior health outcomes obtained with TPC might be explained by higher quality care induced by competition among health providers and/or mainstreaming Medi-Cal beneficiaries into commercial organizations that also serve higher income populations.
Active noise control with weak nonlinearities in the secondary path

In this paper, we address the problem of adaptive control of a nonlinear noise process in the presence of a weakly nonlinear secondary path; This problem is common in many cases of Active Vibration Control (AVC) and Active Noise Control (ANC) where the secondary path nonlinearity is due to the presence of a weak nonlinear actuator. Our proposed configuration turns out to be subsumed by a method called the filtered-A LMS algorithm proposed by Klippel [1997]. In that paper, Klippel attempted to linearize a weakly nonlinear plant (main or primary path) using an adaptive inverse control method so that the nonlinear plant will track an input signal. He certainly did not consider our configuration or usage. Thus some effort to connect these two algorithms is required. Furthermore, we also determine that as the nonlinear secondary path becomes linear, and there is thus only a nonlinear primary path, the filtered-A LMS algorithm and our configuration gives the so-called Volterra filtered-x LMS (VFLMS) algorithm [2001] developed by Tan and Jiang. In this paper, we connect the algorithms. Detailed implementation information is provided. Extensive simulations show that the algorithm works well for our AVC problem.
Langmuir probe interpretation for plasmas with secondary electrons from the wall

Summary form only given. In a low-pressure hot-filament discharge, the primary electrons induce the emission of secondary electrons from the walls of the plasma chamber. The generation rate of these secondary electrons typically exceeds the rate of ionization. The plasma thus has three electron components: fast electrons from the filament, secondary electrons from the walls, and plasma electrons confined in the potential well of the plasma. The performed experiments show that the latter two components make most of the electron current to a cylindrical Langmuir probe immersed in the plasma. It is shown that this current to the probe may be accurately fit by orbit-motion-limited probe theory applied to both the secondary and the bulk electrons. The analysis takes into consideration that the secondary and plasma electrons have different reference potentials. The secondary electrons originate from the grounded walls and the plasma electrons are born at the more positive plasma potential. A method to evaluate probe traces is presented that allows the separation of the two components and to calculate their parameters. The secondary electrons have a distribution close to a Maxwellian with a temperature /spl sim/2-3 eV. It is shown that the probe current of the bulk electrons alone goes to zero for probe potentials more negative than the wall potential, indicating that there are indeed no bulk electrons with energies exceeding the ambipolar potential.
Hydrogen bonding: Part 32. Strong hydrogen bonding as the driving force for the solubilization of phthalic acid by fluoride ion

Abstract When a saturated aqueous solution of phthalic acid is treated with excess fluoride ion the acid dissolves completely. This fluoride ion assisted dissolution is not shown by isophthalic or terephthalic acids. Two fluoride ions are required for each phthalic acid molecule taken into solution. Concentration of such solutions affords phthalic acid, sodium hydrogen phthalate, and sodium hydrogen difluoride; therefore the dissolution reaction is C 6 H 4 (CO 2 H) 2 + 2F − = {C 6 H 4 (CO 2 ) 2 H} − + HF 2 − . The driving force for this unexpected dissolution process is the formation of strong covalent hydrogen bonds in the hydrogen phthalate and hydrogen difluoride anions. The dissolution of phthalic acid in the presence of fluoride ion does not proceed by the same mechanism as the fluoride ion assisted dissolution of succinic acid reported by Emsley and Jones.
Loss of Deoxyribonucleic Acid-Thymine During Thymine Starvation of Escherichia coli

A substantial loss of deoxyribonucleic acid-thymine occurs during thymine starvation of several thymine auxotrophs derived from Escherichia coli strains B, 15, and K-12.
CREATING A “VALUE INDEX”: A METHOD TO COMPARE REGIONAL PROGRAMS PERFORMING CONGENITAL HEART SURGERY

Resource allocation challenges persist among surgical programs in the U.S. As healthcare policy moves increasingly toward value-based approaches, models to assist in comparing and evaluating programs become increasingly important. We used the Texas Hospital Inpatient Discharge Database to develop such a model. We included all patients under one year old, with primary surgical procedural codes for Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Connection, Transposition of the Great Arteries, and Tetralogy of Fallot (a congenital heart defect where not enough blood is able to reach the lungs to get oxygen). We examined mortality, length of stay, and total hospital charges data from January 2005 to June 2010. We used scatter plots to place programs into value quartiles. Three of the 11 surgical programs we identified appeared within the quartile of high-survival with low-charges and were identified as having high value. We performed additional risk-adjustment modeling and treatment pattern evaluation, and such information will have great importance for regional care planning.
Extracting Structured Data from Web Pages with Maximum Entropy Segmental Markov Model

Automated techniques can help to extract information from the Web. A new semi-automatic approach based on the maximum entropy segmental Markov model, therefore, is proposed to extract structured data from Web pages. It is motivated by two ideas: modeling sequences embedding structured data instead of their context to reduce the number of training Web pages and preventing the generation of too specific or too general models from the training data. The experimental results show that this approach has better performance than Stalker when only one training Web page is provided.
Cadherin-11 Is Expressed in Invasive Breast Cancer Cell Lines

In several cancers, including breast cancer, loss of E-cadherin expression is correlated with a loss of the epithelial phenotype and with a gain of invasiveness. Cells that have lost E-cadherin expression are either poorly invasive with a rounded phenotype, or highly invasive, with a mesenchymal phenotype. Most cells lacking E-cadherin still retain weak calcium-dependent adhesion, indicating the presence of another cadherin family member. We have now examined the expression of the mesenchymal cadherin, cadherin-11, in breast cancer cell lines. Cadherin-11 mRNA and protein, as well as a variant form, are expressed in the most invasive cell lines but not in any of the noninvasive cell lines. Cadherin-11 is localized to a detergent-soluble pool and is associated with both α- and β-catenin. Immunocytochemistry shows that cadherin-11 is localized to the cell membrane at sites of cell-cell contact as well as at lamellipodia-like projections, which do not interact with other cells. These results suggest that cadherin-11 expression may be well correlated with the invasive phenotype in cancer cells and may serve as a molecular marker for the more aggressive, invasive subset of tumors. Cadherin-11 may mediate the interaction between malignant tumor cells and other cell types that normally express cadherin-11, such as stromal cells or osteoblasts or perhaps even with the surrounding extracellular matrix, thus facilitating tumor cell invasion and metastasis.
Internacionalización e Internet: Una nueva mirada al marketing internacional

The information society and the network organization form the basis for a new business management. Today, we speak of horizontal structures, flexibility in processes, and teamwork. These changes in the global economy have influenced the development of International Business and International Marketing. Moreover, thanks to the Internet, the mass market has become a niche market and companies have more opportunities to access foreign markets. Finally, there are several online tools to potentiate the internationalization of enterprises and brand management, allowing for the construction of long-term relationships with other parts of the supply chain.
Surgery for melanoma metastatic to the gastrointestinal tract.

Background: Gastrointestinal (GI) metastasis from melanoma has a dismal prognosis with few long-term survivors. We evaluated the role of operative intervention for melanoma metastases to the GI tract and attempted to identify prognostic factors to improve selection of patients for surgery. Methods: Between 1977 and 1997, 68 of the 7965 patients with melanoma admitted to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center underwent surgical exploration for melanoma metastatic to the GI tract. Characteristics of the primary tumor, regional lymph nodes, and metastatic pattern were reviewed. Data concerning the presenting signs and symptoms, laboratory values, operative findings, extent of surgical resection, recurrence pattern, and survival were analyzed. Results: The most common presenting clinical features included anemia (n = 41; 60%) or abdominal pain (n = 40; 59%). The most frequently involved portion of the GI tract was the small bowel (n = 62; 91%), and the most common operative procedure was small bowel resection (n = 54; 79%). Postoperative mortality and morbidity were 2.9% (n = 2) and 8.8% (n = 6), respectively. Presenting symptoms were relieved in 90% of patients (n = 61). Median survival for all 68 patients following operative intervention was 8.2 months, with 18% survival at 5 years. By multivariate analysis, complete resection rendering the patient free of all identifiable disease (n = 19, median survival 14.9 months, 38% survival at 5 years) and a low preoperative serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (n = 28, median survival 13.6 months, 35% survival at 5 years) were identified as independent favorable prognostic factors for survival. Conclusions: Operative intervention for melanoma metastatic to the GI tract is recommended for palliative reasons and can be performed with low morbidity and mortality. It is associated with prolonged survival in patients rendered free of all identifiable disease following surgical resection and in those with a low preoperative serum LDH.
The effect of hypothalamic lesions on adrenal function in intact and adenohypophysectomized cockerels.

Electrolytic lesions in the ventral tuberal area of the hypothalamus had contrary effects upon adrenal function of intact and adenohypophysectomized cockerels, as measured by corticosterone concentration in adrenal vein plasma: adrenal function decreased in intact birds, while it increased in adenohypophysectomized birds. Lesions in any other area of the hypothalamus had no influence upon adrenal function. Interrenal tissue atrophied in adrenals of adenohypophysectomized cockerels, and there was loss of differentiation between interrenal and chromaffin tissue. The interrenal tissue at the periphery appeared stimulated and exhausted of its granulation. Adrenals of adenohypophysectomized birds which were also lesioned showed little change from those in adenohypophysectomized birds. Interrenal cells in the periphery of adrenals of intact birds which were lesioned showed a decrease in activity, and an increase in amount proportional to chromaffin tissue. The histology of adrenal interrenal cells lying between the periphery and the center of the gland appeared to reflect the levels of corticosterone concentration in adrenal vein plasma. While adenohypophysectomy caused a decrease in adrenal weight, hypothalamic lesions had no effect. While the data appears to support the current view of the role of the hypothalamo-hypophyseal axis in regulation of adrenal function in intact cockerels, there is no indication from this study that the extrahypophyseal support for adrenal function in adenohypophysectomized cockerels resides in the hypothalamus.
Melting rates in turbulent recirculating flow systems

Etude experimentale de la vitesse de fusion de barres de glace immergees dans un recipient plein d'eau agitee par un courant ascendant de bulles de gaz. Etablissement d'une correlation entre le nombre de Wussell et le nombre de Reynolds turbulent
MMSE whitening and subspace whitening

This correspondence develops a linear whitening transformation that minimizes the mean-squared error (MSE) between the original and whitened data, i.e.,one that results in a white output that is as close as possible to the input, in an MSE sense. When the covariance matrix of the data is not invertible, the whitening transformation is designed to optimally whiten the data on a subspace in which it is contained. The optimal whitening transformation is developed both for the case of finite-length data vectors and infinite-length signals.
Ultrasensitive near-IR fluorescence detection for capillary gel electrophoresis and DNA sequencing applications.

Electropherograms of oligonucleotides labeled with near-IR fluorescent dyes, separated by capillary gel electrophoresis and detected using an ultrasensitive near-IR fluorescence detection system, are presented. A universal M13 sequencing primer was labeled on the 5' end with a near-IR dye containing an isothiocyanate functional group. Comparison of the on-column detection limits in capillary gel electrophoresis for the near-IR dye-labeled sequencing primer to those obtained for a visible fluorescein-labeled primer indicated improved sensitivity for the near-IR case. The detection limit was found to be 3.4 x 10 -20 mol (SNR = 3) for the near-IR dye-labeled primer, while the on-column detection limit for the fluorescein analog was 1.5 x 10 -18 mol (SNR = 3). The sequence of nucleotide bases in an M13mp18 template was determined using a single lane, single dye technique. The molar concentrations of the ddNTPs used during chain extension reactions were varied to achieve a ratio of 4 :2 :1 :0 (A :C :G :T), which allowed the identification of each terminal base via fluorescence intensity measurements. Sequencing ladders were prepared from the M13mp18 template using standard Sanger dideoxy chain-terminating techniques, the modified T7 DNA polymerase, and the near-IR dye-labeled M13 universal primer. The data indicated reliable sequence determination by the 4 :2 :1 :0 (A :C :G :T) peak height identification method up to 250 bases from the annealing site. Comparison of the known sequence of the M13mp18 plasmid to that obtained using this protocol yielded a base-calling accuracy of 84% for the 4 :2 :1 :0 ratio.
In Situ Measurement of Electro‐Osmotic Fluxes and Conductivity Using Single Wellbore Tracer Tests

Electro-osmosis (EO), the movement of water through porous media in response to an electric field, offers a means for extracting contaminated ground water from fine-grained sediments, such as clays, that are not easily amenable to conventional pump-and-treat approaches. The EO-induced water flux is proportional to the voltage gradient in a manner analogous to the flux dependence on the hydraulic gradient under Darcy's law. The proportionality constant, the soil electro-osmotic conductivity or keo, is most easily measured in soil cores using bench-top tests, where flow is one-dimensional and interfering effects attributable to Darcy's law can be directly accounted for. In contrast, quantification of EO fluxes and keo in the field under deployment conditions can be difficult because electrodes are placed in ground water wells that may be screened across a heterogeneous mixture of lithologies. As a result, EO-induced water fluxes constitute an approximate radial flow system that is superimposed upon a Darcy flow regime through permeable pathways that may or may not be coupled with hydraulic head differences created by the EO-induced water fluxes. A single well comparative tracer test, which indirectly measures EO fluxes by comparing wellbore tracer dilution rates between background and EO-induced water fluxes, may provide a means for routinely quantifying the efficacy of EO systems in such settings. EO fluxes measured in field tests through this technique at a ground water contamination site were used to estimate a mean keo value through a semianalytic line source model of the electric field. The resulting estimate agrees well with values reported in the literature and with values obtained with bench-top tests conducted on a soil core collected in the test area.
The Nuances of NIMBY: Context and Perceptions of Affordable Rental Housing Development

This research investigates the nuances of local not-in-my-backyard (NIMBY) attitudes and actions, asking why some communities support publicly assisted affordable rental housing development, while ...
Synthesis of B-ring homologated estradiol analogues that modulate tubulin polymerization and microtubule stability.

2-Methoxyestradiol is a cytotoxic human metabolite of estradiol with the ability to bind to the colchicine site of tubulin and inhibit its polymerization, and its 2-ethoxy analogue is even more potent. On the basis of a hypothetical relationship between the structures of colchicine and 2-methoxyestradiol, a B-ring-expanded 2-ethoxyestradiol analogue was synthesized in which the B-ring of the steroid is replaced by the B-ring of colchicine. The synthesis relied on the B-ring expansion of available 6-keto estradiol derivatives as opposed to a total synthesis of the homologated steroid framework. The relative configurations of the acetamido substituents in both epimers of the final product were determined by NOESY NMR and confirmed by X-ray crystallography. The epimer having the 6α-acetamido substituent was more active as an inhibitor of tubulin polymerization, and it was also more cytotoxic than the 6β-epimer. These results are consistent with the proposed structural resemblance of 2-methoxyestradiol and co...
A Practical Method For Edge Detection And Focusing For Linewidth Measurements On Wafers

Lack of precision and accuracy of in-process critical dimension (CD) measurements of linewidth continues to be a serious problem at micrometer and submicrometer dimensions. Even with highly repeatable optical linewidth measurement systems, variable "offsets" or errors have been shown to occur with changes in process variables such as thickness of the patterned layer and sublayers and changes in the indices of refraction of the materials. All of these variations result in changes in the optical phase difference which occurs on reflection at the line edge and, therefore, results in changes in the structure of the optical image. Although an accurate coherent optical edge detection method has been developed, it requires accurate knowledge of the phase difference which is not always possible in CD measurements. This paper proposes a new dual-threshold method for edge detection and focusing, based on image theory, which can be adapted to most optical microscope-based measurement systems. It does not require knowledge of the phase difference at the line edge. The accuracy of this criterion is compared to two more widely used criteria, (1) the minimum and (2) 50% threshold, and it is concluded that, when the phase difference is unknown and varies with normal processing, the new dual-threshold method is the superior method.
Guaranteed Response Times in a Hard-Real-Time Environment

This paper describes a scheduling algorithm for a set of tasks that guarantees the time within which a task, once started, will complete. A task is started upon receipt of an external signal or the completion of other tasks. Each task has a rxed set of requirements in processor time, resources, and device operations needed for completion of its various segments. A worst case analysis of task performance is carried out. An algorithm is developed for determining the response times that can be guaranteed for a set of tasks. Operating system overhead is also accounted for.
Raft Polymerization of N,N-Dimethylacrylamide Utilizing Novel Chain Transfer Agents Tailored for High Reinitiation Efficiency and Structural Control†

The syntheses of the novel acrylamido-based RAFT chain transfer agents (CTAs) N,N-dimethyl-s-thiobenzoylthiopropionamide (TBP, 1c) and N,N-dimethyl-s-thiobenzoylthioacetamide (TBA, 1d) for the controlled polymerization of N,N-dimethylacrylamide (DMA) are described. The results from a comparative study of 1c and 1d with two CTAs previously reported for the RAFT polymerization of DMA (benzyl dithiobenzoate (BDB, 1a) and cumyl dithiobenzoate (CDB, 1b)) are disclosed and demonstrate the effectiveness of the newly reported CTAs. Polymerizations at CTA/I ratios of 5/1 yield poly(N,N-dimethylacrylamide) (PDMA) homopolymers with high molecular weight impurity (1b−1d) or bimodal molecular weight distributions (1a). The high molecular weight impurity observed in polymerizations mediated by 1b−1d has been attributed to species arising from bimolecular termination reactions, as determined by multiple detector size exclusion chromatography (SEC). The bimodality observed for 1a-mediated polymerizations is due to the pr...
Increased intestinal epithelial proliferation in metallothioneine-transforming growth factor α transgenic mice

Background and aim: The epidermal growth factor (EGF) peptide family includes six closely-related proteins, all of which bind to the EGF receptor. In the intestinal epithelium, transforming growth factor α (TGFα) appears to be the most physiological ligand for the EGF receptor. The present studies were designed to examine the effect of TGFα overexpression on duodenal epithelial proliferation using a metallothioneine-inducible promoter/enhancer transgenic mouse (MT-TGFα). The MT-TGFα mouse model was further studied to determine the in vivo effect of unregulated TGFα production on the physiological proliferative responses to fasting and refeeding. Methods: MT-TGFα mice were given 25 mM oral ZnSO4 to induce transgene expression and were studied 1 to 2 months later. Duodenal histology was analyzed morphometrically in well-oriented transverse sections. The vincristine metaphase-arrest technique was used to assess proliferation in duodenal crypts. Immunohistochemical staining and in situ hybridization were used to assess transgenic TGFα protein and mRNA expression, respectively. Results: Normally fed MT-TGFα mice had deeper crypts (0.12 vs. 0.08 mm), longer villi (0.66 vs. 0.54 mm), and greater luminal diameters (2.65 vs. 2.19 mm) compared to controls (P<0.05 for all three dimensions). The crypt cell mitotic index in normally fed transgenic mice was 1.5 fold greater than the index in normally fed controls (20±2 vs. 35±4 mitoses per crypt; P<0.05). Fasting and refeeding MT-TGFα mice resulted in no significant change in their high baseline rate of crypt proliferation, while proliferation in control mice rose from a lower baseline during fasting to a level with refeeding that approximated rates in MT-TGFα mice. Transgenic TGFα protein and mRNA were localized to the villus epithelial compartment with little or no evidence of mRNA or protein expression in the crypt epithelium. Conclusions: Overproduction of TGFα in the mouse duodenal epithelium results in a pronounced increase in crypt epithelial cell proliferation and a resulting increase in the dimension of the crypt/villus unit. This appears to be mediated through a paracrine and/or juxtacrine effect on crypt cells by TGFα produced in the villus epithelium. Fasting and refeeding experiments suggest that TGFα may also play a role in the proliferative response to refeeding or that the full potential for proliferation is realized by TGFα overexpression alone. Collectively, these studies suggest that TGFα is a physiological autocrine and paracrine regulator of small intestinal epithelial proliferation.
Use of genetic algorithms to optimize gate and vent locations for the resin transfer molding process

Resin infusion processes are finding increasing applications in the manufacture of composite parts that have geometric and material complexities. In such cases, the placement of gates and vents is non-intuitive and may require expensive repetitive experimentation. Finite element based resin flow simulation codes have been successfully used for modeling and analysis of the mold filling process. Such filling simulations, when coupled with a search algorithm, can also prove useful for optimal design of the filling process. Genetic algorithms (GAs) mimic natural selection and can efficiently “evolve” near-global optimal solutions from a large number of alternative solutions. In this paper, GAs are used to optimize gate and vent locations for the resin transfer molding process in order to minimize fill times and dry spot formation. A process performance index or cost function is defined that incorporates the fill time and dry spot formation as primary variables. A part having material and geometric complexities was chosen for a case study. A genetic algorithm and mold filling simulations were used interactively to search for optimal gate and vent locations to locate near optimal solutions. The GA was able to find good solutions using less than 1% of simulations of the possible permutations of gates and vents. The case study was also repeated in the presence of recetracking channels. Again, the optimal locations were found by the GA using less than 1% of all possible combinations. Thus, GAs can be efficiently used for minimization of fill time and dry spot formation through optimal location of gates and vents in RTM processes. However, the optimal location will be a function of the cost function, the choice of which depends on the trade-offs between different factors and the quality of the part desired.
Cholinergic Involvement in Cobalt-Induced Epilepsy in the Rat*'**

In rats with cobalt implanted in the right frontal cerebral cortex, acetylcholine (ACh) levels were depressed in the visually non-necotic, surrounding cortex at 7 and 14 days after surgery in comparison with values for controls treated with glass. At 21 days post-implantation, ACh levels were not different for glass and cobalt treatments.
Lysosomal Acidification Mechanisms

Lysosomes, the terminal organelles on the endocytic pathway, digest macromolecules and make their components available to the cell as nutrients. Hydrolytic enzymes specific to a wide range of targets reside within the lysosome; these enzymes are activated by the highly acidic pH (between 4.5 and 5.0) in the organelles' interior. Lysosomes generate and maintain their pH gradients by using the activity of a proton-pumping V-type ATPase, which uses metabolic energy in the form of ATP to pump protons into the lysosome lumen. Because this activity separates electric charge and generates a transmembrane voltage, another ion must move to dissipate this voltage for net pumping to occur. This so-called counterion may be either a cation (moving out of the lysosome) or an anion (moving into the lysosome). Recent data support the involvement of ClC-7, a Cl(-)/H(+) antiporter, in this process, although many open questions remain as to this transporter's involvement. Although functional results also point to a cation transporter, its molecular identity remains uncertain. Both the V-ATPase and the counterion transporter are likely to be important players in the mechanisms determining the steady-state pH of the lysosome interior. Exciting new results suggest that lysosomal pH may be dynamically regulated in some cell types.
Further Comparative Studies of Pectin Esterase in Relation to Leaf and Flower Abscission

The possible role of pectin esterase in abscission of bean and coleus leaves was re-examined using improved methods for its extraction. Its possible role in abscission of flowers of tobacco and leaves of soybean. cotton, mulberry, magnolia, and euonymus was also examined. In seven of the eight species, no detectable changes in abscission zone pectin esterase activities immediately preceded abscission. Therefore, pectin esterase probably plays no causal role in abscission in these species.In coleus, activity in the abscission zone's distal portion decreased by one-half at most and remained unchanged in its proximal portion with abscission's onset. Also accompanying abscission in coleus was a decrease in the proportion of abscission zone pectin esterase extractable with 3 m sodium chloride at pH 7. These changes were not a general concomitant of senescence as they were not detected in the middle of abscising coleus petioles. Pectin esterase may play a role in coleus leaf abscission.
Postoperative bladder distention: Measurement with bladder ultrasonography

Bladder distention is a common postoperative occurrence. A process improvement project was conducted at a Midwestern Veteran Affairs Medical Center to determine whether a new method for detecting bladder distention, bladder ultrasonography, was more effective than manual palpation in the perianesthesia setting. Data were collected on 494 men over a 9-month period using bladder ultrasonography. Of those patients, 19.4% had postoperative bladder distention with greater than 400 mL of urine. This compared with 1.4% of patients who had bladder distention detected during the previous year using manual palpation. Data from the project supported the use of bladder ultrasonography as being more effective than manual palpation in the assessment of postoperative bladder distention in the PACU.
Influences of structural properties of the distal tibia on the compressive strength of interlocking screws for intramedullary nails

Intramedullary (IM) nailing procedures for tibia fractures present the advantages of protecting the surrounding soft tissues at the distal tibia metaphysis. The current nails offer the options of putting a maximum of 3 screws distally. Locking the nail distally raises some valuable questions which are, to date, unanswered in literature. Following a previous work done at our lab on artificial sawbones, we expanded the study on cadaveric human bones in order to simulate, as much as possible, the mechanical behavior of in vivo applications. Our goal was to determine the most biomechanically stable configuration of distal locking screws for the treatment of distal metaphyseal tibia fractures with IM nails and, more importantly, the most efficient way to use surgical time and resources. Our results showed that a configuration with three locking screws could provide higher load carrying capacity than the two screws although not statistically significant. This work was also conducted to assess the impact of gender, age, cortical thickness, and cancellous bone density on the load carrying capacity of the bone samples.
Impairment of immune function after cessation of long-term chronic stress

A pronounced impairment of mitogen-induced proliferation of splenic lymphocytes was observed in Fischer-344 male rats 1 month after termination of exposure of the animals to stress. The stress model used in these experiments was random schedules of a signaled, escapable electric foot-shock stress for 2-4 h/day over a period of 6 months. The magnitude of the observed immunosuppression correlated positively with the total, cumulative stress exposure received by the animals. The effect was not secondary to changes in the percentage of splenic T lymphocytes in stressed, compared to control rats. Also, at the time of sacrifice, plasma levels of corticosterone were comparable in experimental and control animals. Therefore, the immunosuppression observed 1 month after the last stress session cannot be attributed to pituitary-adrenocortical hyperactivity, at the time of sacrifice. These results provide the first evidence that stress-induced immunosuppression is not restricted to the period of exposure to the stress. This finding may contribute to a better understanding of the suggested association between stressful life events and increased susceptibility to disease in humans.
Midline Fasciclin: a Drosophila Fasciclin-I-related membrane protein localized to the CNS midline cells and trachea.

Drosophila Fasciclin I is the prototype of a family of vertebrate and invertebrate proteins that mediate cell adhesion and signaling. The midline fasciclin gene encodes a second Drosophila member of the Fasciclin I family. Midline Fasciclin largely consists of four 150 amino acid repeats characteristic of the Fasciclin I family of proteins. Immunostaining and biochemical analysis using Midline Fasciclin antibodies indicates that it is a membrane-associated protein, although the sequence does not reveal a transmembrane domain. The gene is expressed in a dynamic fashion during embryogenesis in the blastoderm, central nervous system midline cells, and trachea, suggesting it plays multiple developmental roles. Protein localization studies indicate that Midline Fasciclin is found within cell bodies of midline neurons and glia, and on midline axons. Initial cellular analysis of a midline fasciclin loss-of-function mutation reveals only weak defects in axonogenesis. However, embryos mutant for both midline fasciclin and the abelson nonreceptor tyrosine kinase, show more severe defects in axonogenesis that resemble fasciclin I abelson double mutant phenotypes. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Neurobiol 35: 77–93, 1998