cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inadvertent neuraxial block placement at or above the L1-L2 interspace in the super-obese parturient: a retrospective study.

Abstract Background Increasing body mass index (BMI) increases the difficulty of neuraxial procedures. We hypothesized that it may put patients at risk for inappropriately high dural puncture. The accuracy of anesthesiologists’ estimates of the interspinous level in super-obese parturients has not been studied. We evaluated the frequency of inadvertently high epidural and/or intrathecal catheter placement (at or above the L1/L2 interspace) in parturients of BMI ≥50 kg/m2. Methods Inclusion criteria for this retrospective study were women with a BMI ≥50 kg/m2 who delivered by cesarean with an epidural or intrathecal catheter. The primary outcome was the percentage of catheters placed at or above L1/L2, determined by reviewing the retained foreign object radiograph. Secondary outcomes were agreement between the estimated and actual catheter location and subgroup analysis of catheters placed under ultrasound guidance. Results After excluding 15 cases for which the catheter location could not be determined and 10 cases for which the estimated level of insertion was not recorded, 125 cases were included. Inadvertent high placement occurred in 26/125 (21%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 15% to 29%) patients. There was poor agreement between the estimated and actual catheter location (27% accurate, unweighted κ-statistic 0.02). Eleven of 39 catheters placed with ultrasound (28%, 95% CI 17% to 44%) were at or above L1/L2 compared with 15/86 catheters placed without ultrasound (17%, 95% CI 11% to 27%, P=0.17). There were no neurological complications. Conclusions A high rate of inadvertently high epidural or intrathecal catheter placement occurs in super-obese parturients. Ultrasound did not prevent this.
Introducing first-year and transfer students to a college library with a historical mystery from the special collections

When first-year and transfer undergraduate students arrive at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, an urban four-year commuter college, they may feel anxious about using the library. To welcome st...
Red Raspberry Polyphenols Attenuate High-Fat Diet-Driven Activation of NLRP3 Inflammasome and its Paracrine Suppression of Adipogenesis via Histone Modifications

Scope The authors aim to investigate the mechanisms by which red raspberry (RR) polyphenolic fractions regulate obesity and inflammation with an emphasis on the crosstalk between adipose tissue macrophages (ATM) and adipocyte progenitors. Methods and results C57BL/6 male mice are fed either a high-fat (HF) diet or an HF diet supplemented with a RR polyphenolic fraction from whole fruit, pulp, or seed. Supplementation with pulp significantly increases energy expenditure and reduces HF-diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance. The pulp, and to a lesser extent, whole polyphenols, decreases the recruitment of ATM, activation of the nod-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, and adipocyte hypertrophy, which is associated with epigenetic modulation of adipogenesis (e.g., H3K27Ac, H3K9Ac). Results from an IL-1β reporter assay in J774 macrophages recapitulate the inhibitory role of RR polyphenols on NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Using conditioned media from macrophages, it is demonstrated that RR polyphenols reverse the IL-1β-mediated epigenetic suppression of H3K27Ac in adipocyte progenitor cells. Conclusions RR polyphenols from pulp and whole fruit serve as an inhibitor for NLRP3 inflammasome activation and an epigenetic modifier to regulate adipogenesis, which confers resistance against diet-induced obesity and metabolic dysfunction.
Engineering Catalysts for Selective Ester Hydrogenation

The development of efficient catalysts and processes for synthesizing functionalized (olefinic and/or chiral) primary alcohols and fluoral hemiacetals is currently needed. These are valuable buildi...
Electrical power generation from moderate-temperature radiative thermal sources

Moderate-temperature thermal sources (100° to 400°C) that radiate waste heat are often the by-product of mechanical work, chemical or nuclear reactions, or information processing. We demonstrate conversion of thermal radiation into electrical power using a bipolar grating-coupled complementary metal-oxide-silicon (CMOS) tunnel diode. A two-step photon-assisted tunneling charge pumping mechanism results in separation of charge carriers in pn-junction wells leading to a large open-circuit voltage developed across a load. Electrical power generation from a broadband blackbody thermal source has been experimentally demonstrated with converted power densities of 27 to 61 microwatts per square centimeter for thermal sources between 250° and 400°C. Scalable, efficient conversion of radiated waste heat into electrical power can be used to reduce energy consumption or to power electronics and sensors.
Brain Insulin Signaling, Alzheimer Disease Pathology, and Cognitive Function.

Objective: To examine associations of molecular markers of brain insulin signaling with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and cognition, among older persons with or without diabetes. Methods: This clinical-pathologic study was derived from a community-based cohort study, the Religious Orders Study. We studied 150 individuals (mean age-at-death =87 years, 48% women): 75 with and 75 without diabetes (matched by sex on age-at-death and education). Using ELISA, immunohistochemistry and ex vivo stimulation of brain tissue with insulin, we assessed insulin signaling in the postmortem middle frontal gyrus cortex. Postmortem data documented AD neuropathology. Clinical evaluations documented cognitive function proximate-to-death, based on 17 neuropsychological tests. In adjusted regression analyses, we examined associations of brain insulin signaling with diabetes, AD and level of cognition. Results: Brain IRS1 phosphorylation (pS307 IRS1 /total IRS1) and AKT phosphorylation (pT308 AKT1 /total AKT1) were similar in persons with or without diabetes. AKT phosphorylation was associated with the global AD pathology score (p = 0.001). In contrast, IRS1 phosphorylation was not associated with AD (p = 0.536). No other associations of insulin signaling were found with the global AD score, including when using the ex vivo brain insulin stimulation method. In secondary analyses, normalized pT308 AKT1 was positively correlated with both the amyloid burden and tau tangle density, and no other associations of brain insulin signaling with neuropathology were observed. Moreover, normalized pT308 AKT1 was associated with a lower level of global cognitive function (estimate = -0.212, SE = 0.097; p = 0.031). Interpretation: Brain AKT phosphorylation, a critical node in the signaling of insulin and other growth factors, is associated with AD neuropathology and lower cognitive function. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Application of a Dual Catalytic Nickel/Iridium-Based Photoredox Reaction to Synthesize 2-Alkyl-N-Arylindoles in a Continuous Flow

A versatile one-pot procedure for the preparation of 2-alkyl-substituted N-arylindoles is described. The method combines a visible light-mediated Ni/Ir-photoredox dual catalytic N-arylation of alky...
Voltaic Cells: The Good (Faraday), the Bad (Volta), and the Ugly (Galvani)

Although the phrase “seat of EMF” in describing chemical cells has fallen into disuse, by distinguishing the distinct but incorrect conceptions both of Galvani and of Volta, in favor of the correct view of Faraday, “seat of EMF” becomes possible (among other things) to understand:
The Effect of Statistics on Enjoyment and Perceived Credibility in Sports Media

Evolving media landscapes toward increasingly diverse and competitive environments in both traditional and new media requires producers regularly examine the quality of their productions. One growi...
Pediatrician Perspectives on Brief Resolved Unexplained Events.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE The objective with this study was to describe pediatric emergency department (ED) physicians’ perspective on the evaluation and management of brief resolved unexplained events (BRUEs) to help support the development of quality improvement interventions for this population. METHODS We conducted qualitative semistructured interviews with pediatric ED providers who practice in a single state. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed and demographic information was also obtained. The 6-phase approach to reflexive thematic analysis was used to conduct the qualitative analysis. RESULTS Nineteen pediatric ED physicians practicing in 4 institutions across our state participated in the study. The majority of participants (95%) practice in a university-affiliated setting. The primary themes related to providing care for patients with a BRUE identified in our analysis were (1) reassurance, (2) caregiver or provider concern, and (3) clinical practice guideline availability and interpretation. Closely intertwined underlying topics informing BRUE patient management were also noted: (1) ambiguity in the BRUE diagnosis and its management; (2) a need for shared decision-making between the caregiver and the provider; and (3) concern over the increased time spent with caregivers during an ED visit for a diagnosis of BRUE. These complex relationships were found to influence patient evaluation and disposition. CONCLUSION Multifaceted quality improvement interventions should address caregiver and provider concerns regarding the diagnosis of BRUE while providing decision aids to support shared decision-making with caregivers.
Chemical environments of submarine hydrothermal systems.

Perhaps because black-smoker chimneys make tremendous subjects for magazine covers, the proposal that submarine hydrothermal systems were involved in the origin of life has caused many investigators to focus on the eye-catching hydrothermal vents. In much the same way that tourists rush to watch the spectacular eruptions of Old Faithful geyser with little regard for the hydrology of the Yellowstone basin, attention is focused on the spectacular, high-temperature hydrothermal vents to the near exclusion of the enormous underlying hydrothermal systems. Nevertheless, the magnitude and complexity of geologic structures, heat flow, and hydrologic parameters whieh characterize the geyser basins at Yellowstone also characterize submarine hydrothermal systems. However, in the submarine systems the scale can be considerably more vast. Like Old Faithful, submarine hydrothermal vents have a spectacular quality, but they are only one fascinating aspect of enormous geologic systems operating at seafloor spreading centers throughout all of the ocean basins. A critical study of the possible role of hydrothermal processes in the origin of life should include the full spectrum of probable environments.
Postsynaptic organisation and regulation of excitatory synapses

Dynamic regulation of synaptic efficacy is one of the mechanisms thought to underlie learning and memory. Many of the observed changes in efficacy, such as long-term potentiation and long-term depression, result from the functional alteration of excitatory neurotransmission mediated by postsynaptic glutamate receptors. These changes may result from the modulation of the receptors themselves and from regulation of protein networks associated with glutamate receptors. Understanding the interactions in this synaptic complex will yield invaluable insight into the molecular basis of synaptic function. This review focuses on the molecular organization of excitatory synapses and the processes involved in the dynamic regulation of glutamate receptors.
The `Multifractal Model' of Turbulence and {\em A Priori} Estimates in Large-Eddy Simulation, II. Evaluation of Stress Models and Non-Universal Effects of the Filter

We continue a previous work in which {\em a priori} estimates were derived on subgrid stress and subgrid flux for filtering schemes used in the turbulence modelling method of Large-Eddy Simulation (LES). The estimates were derived there as rigorous consequences of the exact subgrid stress formulae from Navier-Stokes equations under the conditions assumed for velocity fields in the Parisi-Frisch ``multifractal model.'' It was also shown that these assumptions are realistic in an extended inertial range. Therefore the estimates must be obeyed by any faithful subgrid model and we use them here to evaluate some popular models of the subgrid stress (Smagorinsky, Bardina, etc.) We also examine the effects of the choice of filter function on the magnitudes of subgrid stress and transfer. Under mild assumptions on the filter these quantities are determined by local-in-wavenumber, inertial-range interactions and can be modelled in a universal way. However, one common choice of filter---the sharp cutoff filter in Fourier space ---does not satisfy the modest required conditions and we show that the associated flux, including ``backscatter'' effects, may be spuriously dominated by nonlocal-in-wavenumber, convective processes of a non-universal type.
Rational Allocation of Resources to Scientific Research

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the rational allocation of resources to scientific research. A major research effort has been devoted to the theory of decision making. To a considerable extent, the general theory has been closely identified with working out a proper conceptual foundation for mathematical statistics. It reviews that there is a large literature concerned with particular areas of application ranging from linear programming models for petroleum refineries to models of accountability for school systems. The chapter also discusses basic ingredients of the general theory. The exact choice of a utility function explains that the conceptual basis for evaluating the allocation of research funds to various parts of science, conditional on the total sum allocated for research, and the basis for deciding the percentage of the national budget or the gross national product that should rationally be allocated to scientific research.
Improvements in the stress-strain behavior of urethane rubbers by bimodal network formation

Urethane rubbers find increasing application as binders for composites. Typical examples are solid propellants. The rubber networks are formed by end linking hydroxy-terminated prepolymers with tri- or higher functional isocyanates. A recent trend in solid propellant technology is the replacement of the traditional low-energy binders with “energetic” binders containing nitro, nitrato, or azido groups. Since these energetic polymers create relatively short interchain lengths between the cross-link points, the binders give notoriously poor mechanical properties. Our study demonstrates that significant improvements in the stress-strain behavior are attained with bimodal modifications of the energetic binders, that is, by blending these energetic short chains with very long chains prior to curing into rubbers. Molecular aspects of the improvement have been examined in terms of polymer types, crosslinkers, viscoelastic factors, and solid filler content. Results indicate that the improvement is primarily due to the extent of nonaffine deformation of the bimodal rubber network.
Aerosol Research and Inhalation Epidemiological Study (ARIES): air quality and daily mortality statistical modeling--interim results.

ABSTRACT The Aerosol Research and Inhalation Epidemiological Study (ARIES) is an EPRI-sponsored project to collect air quality and meteorological data at a single site in northwestern Atlanta, GA. Seventy high-resolution air quality indicators (AQIs) are used to examine statistical relationships between air quality and health outcome end points. Contemporaneous mortality data are collected for Fulton and DeKalb counties in Georgia. Currently, 12 months of air quality and weather data are available for analysis, from August 1998 through July 1999. The interim mortality analysis used Poisson regression in generalized additive models (GAMs). The estimated log-linear association of mortality with various AQIs was adjusted for smoothed functions of time and meteorological data. The analysis considered daily deaths due to all nonaccidental causes, deaths to persons 65 years or older, and deaths in each of the two constituent counties. The fine particle effect associated with the four mortality subgroups, using ...
Bombesin-induced stimulation of cardiac parasympathetic innervation

The central nervous system effects of bombesin on cardiovascular function were examined in conscious, freely-moving rats. Intracerebroventricular administration of bombesin elevated mean arterial pressure, reduced heart rate and inhibited cold-induced tachycardia. Adrenalectomy prevented bombesin-induced elevations of mean arterial pressure. In contrast, bombesin-induced bradycardia was neither adrenal-dependent nor a baroreceptor-mediated reflex response to increased arterial pressure. Systemic atropine methyl nitrate treatment attenuated bombesin-induced bradycardia, suggesting that bombesin acts within the central nervous system to stimulate cardiac vagal activity.
An Incoherent Optical Processor For Real Time Complex Fourier Transformation

Fourier transformation is a basic operation in many signal processing applications. A new optical processing approach that is capable of performing in real time cosine and sine transformations on the intensity distribution of an incoherent one-dimensional optical input is introduced. An optical configuration utilizing an achromatic grating interferometer to implement the processing approach is presented. This versatile processing system can be configured to perform operations currently being accomplished by other special purpose optical processors. In addition, it can be used to process signal received directly from incoherent scenes without going through any transducer.© (1983) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Ten-Year Survival After Radical Prostatectomy: Specimen Gleason Score Is the Predictor in Organ-Confined Prostate Cancer

Pathologic stage is a major prognostic factor in patients with clinically localized prostate cancer. However, disease recurrence occurs even in patients with organ-confined disease. With the advent of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing, the percentage of patients with pathologically organ-confined tumors has increased significantly. We studied clinical/pathologic factors that will predict disease recurrence in patients with pathologically organ-confined tumors. Patients with clinically localized newly diagnosed prostate cancer who had not received prior therapeutic intervention but who underwent radical prostatectomy as definitive treatment between 1990 and 1999, were included in this study. Clinical/pathologic parameters including age, race, clinical stage, preoperative PSA, and biopsy and specimen Gleason scores (grouped as 2-6, 7, and 8-10) were correlated with disease-free survival in patients with organ-confined disease. Metastasis-free and cancer-specific survival for the cohort was also assessed. A total of 1045 patients fulfilled our inclusion criteria. Overall, the 10-year estimates of PSA progression-free, metastasis-free, and cancer-specific survival were 75%, 91%, and 92%, respectively. Cancer was confined to the prostate in 532 of 1045 patients (51%), of whom 96% (511 of 532) remain PSA progression-free, compared to 65% (335 of 513) with extraprostatic disease (P = 0.0001). Interestingly, in patients with organ-confined disease, the specimen Gleason score was the only prognostic factor for disease recurrence after multivariable analysis. Radical prostatectomy provided excellent cancer control. For patients with pathologically organ-confined tumors, the specimen Gleason score is the only factor predictive of disease-free survival. Of note, Gleason scores of 8-10 are uncommon in these patients.
Kinetic energy dependence of C+(2P) + O2 from thermal energies to 35 eV c.m.

Abstract Guided ion beam mass spectrometry is used to examine the kinetic energy dependence of the reaction of ground-state atomic carbon ion with molecular oxygen. At the lowest energy examined, 0.05 eV, the magnitude of the total cross-section approaches to within 75% of the prediction of the Langevin—Gioumousis—Stevenson (LGS) model. The branching ratio at this energy is 60% (O + + CO) and 40% (CO + + O). These results are in good agreement with previous studies at thermal energies. As the energy is increased, σ total falls more rapidly than the LGS model and the fraction of O + formed declines steadily such that, above 0.14 eV, CO + + O is the preferred product channel. There is no indication of direct competition between these two reaction channels. Results of phase space calculations indicate that the formation of CO + is largely statistical but production of O + is highly non-statistical. The endothermic charge transfer channel, O + 2 + C, is also observed at elevated energies. Analysis of the cross-section data for this product yields a threshold energy of 0.82 eV, in excellent agreement with the known thermochemistry. The mechanism of these reactions is discussed in the context of qualitative potential energy surfaces.
Electrostatically Controlled Hydrogelation of Oligopeptides and Protein Entrapment

Peptide-based hydrogels have gained interest for biomedical applications as a result of their biodegradability and bioresorbability. For in vivo applications, these hydrogels should be able to easi...
Alterations in plasma concentrations of testosterone, LH, and prolactin associated with mating in the male rat.

Abstract The hormonal response of the male rat to sexual activity was investigated in two studies. In the first, no evidence of a chronic elevation in plasma levels of testosterone (T), LH, or prolactin (PRL) was observed in sexually experienced rats compared to naive controls. Both groups showed an acute increase in plasma levels of all three hormones following mating, but the increases shown by the experienced group were more pronounced. In the second study, plasma levels of T, LH and PRL rose in sexually experienced male rats following exposure to a mating arena whether it contained an estrous female, an anestrous female, or no other animal. However, the increases were considerably larger in the group exposed to estrous females. It is suggested that plasma hormones rise in anticipation of mating, although not to the same extent as following mating, and that the anticipatory rise may function to initiate or facilitate mating behavior.
Unitizing and Waterflooding the California Yowlumne Oil Field

The Yowlumne field, located at the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley of California, is one of the largest new onshore oil fields discovered in California in the past twenty years. The field, at an average depth of 12,200', has produced over 42 million barrels of oil since its discovery in 1974. In May, 1982, a portion of the Yowlumne field was unitized and called Yowlumne Unit ''B''. Nine operators and about 160 royalty owners cooperated to form this unit. A two phase unitization formula based on remaining primary and initial hydrocarbon pore volume was used to form Unit ''B''. A secondary waterflood project is being implemented which is estimated to increase oil recovery by some 25 million barrels.
Lovastatin inhibits lipopolysaccharide-induced NF-kB activation in human mesangial cells

Background. HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors have been shown to reduce glomerular injury in different models of progressive renal damage. The transcription factor NF-KB plays a major role in the induced expression of genes involved in cellular proliferation and inflammatory responses that could be important in the pathogenesis of glomerular injury. We therefore examined the effects of the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor lovastatin on NFKB activation in human mesangial cells. Methods. Cultured human mesangial cells were stimulated with bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the presence or absence of lovastatin. NF-KB activity was measured by electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA). Results. LPS-stimulated mesangial cells exhibited an NF-KB-like activity as assessed by EMSA competition assays, and supershift assays with antibodies against the p50 and p65 subunits of NF-KB. Treatment of mesangial cells with lovastatin in the presence of exogenous cholesterol resulted in a significant reduction of the LPS-induced NF-KB activity. In the presence of either mevalonate or the mevalonate metabolite farnesyl pyrophosphate, the lovastatin inhibition of NF-KB activation was substantially reversed, supporting a role for mevalonate metabolites in LPS-induced mesangial cell NF-KB activation. Conclusions. These data suggest an additional mechanism by which HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors may reduce glomerular injury, namely, by inhibiting NF-KB activation and the subsequent proliferative and inflammatory responses.
Design of control systems with random parameters

In this paper a method for designing control systems with random parameters and random initial state is presented. The observed signal available for feedback is a function of the state and system parameters corrupted by additive white Gaussian noise with zero mean. The proposed control consists of an open-loop term, which is the optimal control for the parameters and initial state equal to their mean values, plus a feedback correction term. The feedback correction term is a linear function of the estimated values of the deviation in initial state and system parameters from their mean values. The control tends to the optimally sensitive control when the measurement noise tends to zero, and the feedback correction tends to zero when the measurement noise tends to infinity. A numerical experiment with a simplified model for nuclear reactor control shows that in spite of fairly large measurement noise, significant improvement in performance can be achieved using the proposed control compared to open-loop control.
Remote Sensing of Clear-Air Turbulence*

The feasibility of detecting clear-air turbulence layers (CAT) by measuring the covariance function of the fluctuations in log amplitude of an optical signal propagated through the atmosphere is discussed. In particular, the problem of determining Cn2(z), the magnitude of the refractive-index fluctuations, is investigated. It is extremely unlikely that CAT can be detected from such measurements. Variations of the log-amplitude covariance function induced by CAT layers are so small that they will normally be masked by variations expected in other atmospheric parameters, such as changes of the spectral density of the refractive index or nonhomogeneity of the medium. There appears to be more promise in measurements that more directly measure the wind; further studies of this type are recommended.
Metathesis for catalyst design: metacatalysis

Prior studies have shown an effective way to produce diverse ligand sets for catalyst discovery is by using mixtures of monodentate forms to generate catalysts in situ. Research described here was performed to illustrate that alkene-functionalized monodentate ligands could be used in this way and in another that increases the diversity of the ligand library in an interesting way. Specifically, we hypothesized that as well as being used as monomers, these alkenes could be cross metathesized in situ immediately before the catalysis step. This combination of metathesis to form ligands in situ, then catalysis is referred to here as metacatalysis. In the event, a library of quinidine and quinine alkaloid-derived phosphites were tested as mixtures of monomers and dimers formed via metathesis in situ. The data obtained illustrated that metacatalysis can be used to identify ligands that positively and negatively modulate enantioselectivities in iridium-mediated hydrogenations of α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid derivatives, relative to the mixtures of the monomeric forms used.
EVALUATION OF RESILIENT MODULUS OF CEMENTED LIME ROCK BASE MATERIALS IN FLORIDA

The resilient modulus of pavement materials is an important parameter in pavement analysis and design. In recent years the emphasis of research has primarily been concentrated on investigating the resilient modulus of subgrade materials. Information is lacking on the resilient modulus of base materials for determining the properties of pavement layers. The results of field plate bearing load tests and laboratory resilient modulus tests on lime rock base materials are presented. Correlation relationships between the field layer modulus and the laboratory resilient modulus are evaluated. Comparison of the computed resilient modulus of the base layer with the layer modulus from the plate bearing load test under identical moisture and density conditions indicated a trend of increasing laboratory resilient modulus with increasing plate load modulus. The average values of the layer modulus backcalculated from the plate bearing load tests were higher than those of the computed equivalent resilient modulus from the laboratory tests with the averaged applied stresses in the elastic range.
2,4,5,7-Tetramethylphenanthrene at 150 K

The title compound, C18H18, crystallized in the centrosymmetric space group P21/c with one mol­ecule as the asymmetric unit. The methyl-group H atoms at the 4 and 5 positions are ordered, while those at the 2 and 7 positions are disordered. The torsion of the bay region of the core is notably similar to that of other 4,5-di­methyl­phenanthrenes. No substantial C—H⋯π interaction occurs in this structure.
The biopsychosocial approach: Clinical examples from a consultation-liaison service Part 1

Abstract In this second of three articles exploring Engel's biopsychosocial model, five case histories illustrate how psychological factors, sometimes related to organic trauma or illness, may precipitate psychiatric conditions. The patients’ disorders, and their management by a consultation-liaison team, demonstrate the interaction of biologic, psychological, and social systems in assessment and treatment of disease.
Individual variability and spatial heterogeneity in fish population models

Fish populations consist of non-identical individuals inhabiting heterogeneous environments and moving about the environment in a manner that maximizes their individual fitness. No study has fully integrated these characteristics of fish populations into a single model. In this paper we propose a new class of model that includes each characteristic in a unified description of populations. To lay the foundation for these models we review models concerning (1) population dynamics in heterogeneous environments, (2) the effects of individual variability on population dynamics, and (3) individual movement and habitat selection rules. The models that we propose allow investigators to explore the population-level consequences of novel changes in the environment, and of different individual fitness maximization strategies. The strengths of our proposed class of model lie in their mechanistic, individual-level description of fish growth, movement and survival. Correctly depicting these mechanisms presents important challenges in developing such models. Despite these challenges, mechanistic models like those we propose should greatly increase our understanding of the interaction between environmental heterogeneity and fish population dynamics and distributions.
High-Temperature Shock Tube Measurements of Dimethyl Ether Decomposition and the Reaction of Dimethyl Ether with OH

We measured the first high-temperature rate measurements of two dimethyl ether (DME) reactions, (1) DME + Ar → CH3O + CH3 + Ar and (2) DME + OH → CH3OCH2 + H2O, in a shock tube by monitoring OH radicals. OH was measured with a narrow-line width laser absorption diagnostic using the well-known R1(5) line of the A-X(0,0) transition at 306.7 nm. The rate k1 is in the falloff regime at high temperatures, so it was measured at several pressures from 0.6 to 11.5 atm and temperatures from 1349 to 1790 K. OH radicals were formed by shock-heating mixtures of DME and O2 in Ar. These mixtures take advantage of the rapid decomposition of the product CH3O, forming H-atoms, which react with O2 to form OH. In carefully chosen mixtures, OH concentration is primarily sensitive to k1 and the well-known rate of H + O2 → OH + O. Uncertainty in the k1 measurements was estimated to be ±35%. The rate measurements were then modeled using RRKM theory, which describes the data quite well. Both the rate measurements and the RRKM mo...
Évaluation des thérapeutiques ciblées en tomographie par émission de positons

Resume Les progres de la chimie structurale et du drug design ont conduit au developpement clinique precoce de nombreux « candidats medicaments » qui peuvent inhiber de facon totale ou partielle l’activite prealablement identifiee d’une proteine, d’une fonction biologique ou d’une voie metabolique dans sa globalite. Le developpement de ces nouvelles molecules, dites « ciblees », est confronte a deux problemes : l’identification des patients qui devraient etre les plus susceptibles de repondre a ce traitement et l’evaluation precoce de la reponse. L’imagerie moleculaire isotopique apparait comme un outil potentiel pour l’evaluation preclinique et clinique de ces traitements innovants. La tomographie d’emission de positons 18 F FluoroDeoxyGlucose (TEP–FDG) permet ainsi l’evaluation precoce de therapeutiques ciblees sur l’activite tyrosine kinase. En raison de la complexite des situations rencontrees en clinique, la validation en recherche clinique ne peut pas se contenter de la preuve experimentale du concept « une cible/une molecule ». Il faut favoriser les actions qui assureront un continuum entre les tumorotheques, les moyens biostatistiques et bio-informatiques et l’imagerie moleculaire.
Long-term survival of irradiated mice treated with homologous tissue suspensions.

RECENTLY, Barnes et al. 1 reported the survival for 150 days of CBA mice subjected to a dose of 950 r. X-radiation and treated with spleen or liver suspensions from new-born or unborn C57BL mice. In an attempt to clarify the secondary phase of the irradiation death syndrome, Uphoff2 observed the 90-day survival of (C57BL × DBA/2)F 1 hybrids subjected to 800 r. X-radiation following injections of suspensions made from C57BL or DBA/2 tissues. She reported that the use of fœtal haematopoietic tissues precluded the secondary phase of the irradiation syndrome for 90 days after irradiation, whereas injection of bone marrow suspensions did not.
Parotid Gland Dose in Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy for Head and Neck Cancer: Is What You Plan What You Get?

Purpose To quantify the differences between planned and delivered parotid gland and target doses, and to assess the benefits of daily bone alignment for head and neck cancer patients treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). Methods and Materials Eleven head and neck cancer patients received two CT scans per week with an in-room CT scanner over the course of their radiotherapy. The clinical IMRT plans, designed with 3-mm to 4-mm planning margins, were recalculated on the repeat CT images. The plans were aligned using the actual treatment isocenter marked with radiopaque markers (BB) and bone alignment to the cervical vertebrae to simulate image-guided setup. In-house deformable image registration software was used to map daily dose distributions to the original treatment plan and to calculate a cumulative delivered dose distribution for each patient. Results Using conventional BB alignment led to increases in the parotid gland mean dose above the planned dose by 5 to 7 Gy in 45% of the patients (median, 3.0 Gy ipsilateral, p = 0.026; median, 1.0 Gy contralateral, p = 0.016). Use of bone alignment led to reductions relative to BB alignment in 91% of patients (median, 2 Gy; range, 0.3–8.3 Gy; 15 of 22 parotids improved). However, the parotid dose from bone alignment was still greater than planned (median, 1.0 Gy, p = 0.007). Neither approach affected tumor dose coverage. Conclusions With conventional BB alignment, the parotid gland mean dose was significantly increased above the planned mean dose. Using daily bone alignment reduced the parotid dose compared with BB alignment in almost all patients. A 3- to 4-mm planning margin was adequate for tumor dose coverage.
Roadmapping a disruptive technology: A case study: The emerging microsystems and top-down nanosystems industry

Abstract If technological roadmapping is important in the process of rapid technology commercialization, and if a method tailored to roadmapping nascent disruptive technologies does not exist, and if these very same disruptive technologies portend to be the future economic engines for firms, countries, and regions, then there is cause for concern. This article seeks to shed some light on the process in industrial disruptive technology roadmapping by focusing on the fundamental differences between sustaining and disruptive technologies. This article investigates the utility of theoretical and practitioner traditional technology roadmapping tools in an international industrial roadmapping effort focusing on microtechnology and top-down nanotechnology. I then modify the traditional technology roadmapping approaches generating a model for an industrial worldwide disruptive technology roadmapping process. I utilize the International Industrial Microsystems and Top-Down Nanosystems Roadmap (IIMTDNR) effort, which included nearly 400 people, from nearly as many firms, from over five continents and was developed over a 5-year period. The IIMTDNR process is used to provide the basis for a model for a commercial disruptive technology roadmapping process.
Pulsed Unipolar Surface Flashover at Atmospheric Conditions

Dielectric surface flashover along insulators in vacuum has been comprehensively researched over the years. However, the primary mechanisms involved in dielectric flashover at atmospheric pressures have yet to be as extensively analyzed with variable parameters such as electrode geometry, background gas, humidity, and temporal characteristics of the applied voltage. Understanding the fundamental physical mechanisms involved in surface flashover at atmospheric pressures is vital to characterizing and modeling the arc behavior. Previous dc and unipolar excitation experiments have shown distinct arc behavior in air and nitrogen environments for an electrode geometry that produces electric field lines that curve above the dielectric surface. Specifically, flashover arcs in an air environment were observed to develop along the dielectric surface. Experiments conducted in nitrogen revealed that the arc developed along the electric field lines, above the surface of the dielectric. It was also of importance to alter the temporal characteristics of the applied voltage to simulate lightning situations and investigate the impact on the arc behavior and voltage delay times. A solid state high voltage pulser with an adjustable pulse width of ~ 500 ns at FWHM and amplitudes in excess of 30 kV was specifically developed to replicate the temporal characteristics of a voltage pulse observed when a building structure is hit by a lightning strike. Based on these results, the physical mechanisms primarily involved in pulsed unipolar surface flashover will be discussed. Additional studies regarding the effects of humidity and surface roughness on the flashover arc behavior will also be presented.
Chronic treatment with estrogen receptor agonists restores acquisition of a spatial learning task in young ovariectomized rats.

Previous work has shown that continuous estradiol replacement in young ovariectomized rats enhances acquisition of a delayed matching-to-position (DMP) T-maze task over that of ovariectomized controls. The mechanism by which estradiol confers this benefit has not been fully elucidated. This study examined the role of selective estrogen receptor agonists of ERα, ERβ, and GPR30 in the enhancement of spatial learning on a DMP task by comparing continuous estradiol replacement with continuous administration of PPT (an agonist of ERα), DPN (an agonist of ERβ), or G-1 (an agonist of GPR30) relative to gonadally intact and ovariectomized vehicle-treated controls. It was found that ovariectomy impaired acquisition on this task, whereas all ER selective agonists restored the rate of acquisition to that of gonadally intact controls. These data suggest that estradiol can work through any of several estrogen receptors to enhance the rate of acquisition on this task.
Superior venacava syndrome

Abstract Superior vena cava syndrome (SVCS) affects approximately 15,000 people annually in the United States. Currently, mediastinal malignancies, primarily small cell lung cancer, account for the majority of cases of SVCS. Iatrogenic causes, predominantly long-term central venous catheters, account for approximately 7% of cases of SVCS, and the incidence is increasing. Historically, SVCS was considered an oncologic emergency that required urgent treatment. It is now evident that SVCS is rarely a true emergency and that treatment may be safely provided in a deliberate fashion to the majority of patients. This article provides an overview of the etiology, presentation, diagnosis, and management of SVCS.
Cisplatin Versus Carboplatin in NSCLC: Is There One “Best” Answer?

Platinum-based chemotherapeutic doublets have produced significant survival benefits for patients with non-small cell lung cancer of all disease stages. The optimal combination of chemotherapy has been the subject of much investigation, and the ideal platinum agent the subject of ongoing and heated debate. For patients with resected disease, all evidence of survival advantage rests with cisplatin, and the only clinical trial to evaluate carboplatin-based therapy failed to show a survival benefit. In the setting of locally advanced lung cancer, no comparative data exist, and even randomized phase III trials are largely lacking. Cisplatin-based doublets provide the most consistent evidence of superior survival when coupled with definitive thoracic radiation. Meta-analyses of palliative chemotherapy indicate consistent survival advantages with cisplatin-based therapy over carboplatin; however, the relative advantage is small. Cisplatin carries a higher toxicity profile, including nausea, vomiting, neuropathy, renal insufficiency, and alopecia in comparison to carboplatin. When the goal of therapy is curative, the survival benefits with cisplatin are in most circumstances worth the increased toxicities. When the goal of therapy is palliation, the relative price of toxicity needs to be weighed on the basis of the individual patient in an effort to maximize quality of life.
Activation of the GH/IGF-1 axis by CJC-1295, a long-acting GHRH analog, results in serum protein profile changes in normal adult subjects

Abstract Objective To identify biomarkers of growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) action in human serum. Background The search for new markers of GH activity has received extensive attention given that the current biomarkers (IGF-1, IGFBP-3 and collagen peptides) show substantial variability in the population, and are not reliably predictive of either the physiologic effects of GH therapy or the detection of GH abuse by athletes. GH releasing hormone (GHRH) is a polypeptide synthesized in the hypothalamus that binds to receptors on pituitary somatotropes to promote the synthesis and release of GH. Serum GH and IGF-1 levels have been shown to increase with administration of GHRH or CJC-1295, a long-acting GHRH analog. Design Sera from 11 healthy young adult men before and one week after CJC-1295 injection were analyzed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis for proteomic changes. Serum proteins displaying significant changes before and after treatment were subsequently identified using mass spectrometry. In addition, correlations between these proteins and GH or IGF-1 levels were evaluated. Results Two protein spots that displayed decreased intensities after treatment were identified as an apolipoprotein A1 isoform and a transthyretin isoform. Three protein spots upregulated by CJC-1295 treatment included beta-hemoglobin, a C-terminal fragment of albumin, and a mix of an immunoglobulin fragment and another C-terminal albumin fragment. A linear relationship was found between the spot containing immunoglobulin and albumin fragments and IGF-1 levels. Conclusions Although the molecular mechanisms linking the identified proteins to GH and IGF-1 biological activity remain to be clarified, the results suggest that they represent potential biomarkers of GH and/or IGF-1 action.
A virtual environment for conceptual design in architecture

We present a virtual environment application that has been developed for conceptual design in architecture and seeks to emulate aspects of a typical designer's work area. The environment provides a means of creating and manipulating basic geometry using a kiosk toolbox. More importantly, the environment provides simple means for using imagery and videos developed outside of the environment for use within the environment for both information and design. A DesignStation is provided within the environment to create a work area for the designer, concentrating imagery and information associated with the design as well as an area for reflecting upon, presenting and critiquing the design process. A unique aspect of the environment is the ability to work in more than one scale simultaneously.
Hyperlipidemia in pediatric patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis.

We evaluated serial measurements of serum lipid levels in 68 patients aged 12.6±4.7 years undergoing treatment with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis/continuous cycling peritoneal dialysis (CAPD/CCPD). Fasting mean levels of triglycerides (TG) and cholesterol (C) were elevated above the 95th percentile of published normal values by 102% and 19%, respectively, at the start of dialysis. Except for a shortterm decrease in TG levels at 6 and 9 months, no significant change in mean lipid levels was observed during a follow-up period of 2 years. At initiation of dialysis, elevated TG and C levels were present in 90% and 69% of the patients, respectively. The prevalence of hyperlipidemia (HL) varied between 63% and 88% (TG) and 61% and 93% (C), respectively, during the follow-up period. TG and C levels were not correlated with caloric intake (evaluated in 17 patients), serum albumin levels, treatment modality (CAPD or CCPD), a history of the nephrotic syndrome, or previous treatment with hemodialysis or transplantation. However, a significant inverse correlation was observed between age and serum lipids at the initiation of dialysis treatment and after 1 year (TG:r=−0.40; C:r=−0.44). Our data indicate a high prevalence of HL but no significant change of serum lipid levels during 2 years of treatment with CAPD/CCPD.