cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Isothermal and non-isothermal crystallization during warming in aqueous solutions of 1,3-butanediol: Comparison of calorimetry and cryomicroscopy

Abstract Preservation by low temperature vitrification is being developed for the cryopreservation of mammalian organs. The purpose is to avoid ice crystallization, which can cause damage during cooling or warming. With the high cryoprotectant concentrations being used, crystallization is easily avoided during cooling, but not during rewarming at practical warming rates. Assessment of the amount of crystallization occurring during warming is therefore necessary. 1,3-butanediol is a good glass-former and a good cryoprotectant for red blood cells. Similar to 1,2-propanediol, it has already been used for the vitrification of erythrocytes. As a model, the crystallization kinetics of warming vitreous solutions are presented here for concentrations higher than 38% ( w w ) 1,3-butanediol. Isothermal and continuous heating rate (CHR) experiments have been performed by differential scanning calorimetry and by direct optical observation using a cryomicroscope. For the isothermal method, the Johnson-Avrami equation and its second derivative were used for thermal analysis. For the CHR approach, the isoconversional method was used, assuming always a Johnson-Avrami variation for the crystallization fraction. The calorimetry results were then compared with the cryomicroscopy observations, allowing a determination of the exponent n. The isothermal approach gives higher calculated parameters than the CHR approach. By the isothermal approach, the Avrami exponent n varies between 2.5 and 3 and the “ctivation energy” E★ decreases from 16.9 to 11.5 kcal mol−1. By the CHR approach, n increases from 1.8 to 2.5 and the various methods used give similar results for E★, with the same variations in polyalcohol concentrations as with the isothermal method. With the isothermal method, a break point is observed for both E☆ and n, determined from calorimetry, at 44–46% 1,3-butanediol. This corresponds to a change in the kinetics of the crystallization observed by cryomicroscopy.
A Design Criterion for Avoiding Resonance in Lumped Mass Normal Mode Systems

A simple design criterion that determines whether a normal mode multiple degree of freedom damped linear lumped parameter system can or cannot resonate is presented. The relations are derived based on criteria for resonance in the single degree of freedom case, and on the definiteness of certain combinations of coefficient matrices. An example follows that both numerically verifies the derivation and illustrates the simplicity of implementing the result as a design criterion.
Differential sleep-promoting effects of dual orexin receptor antagonists and GABAA receptor modulators

The current standard of care for insomnia includes gamma-aminobutyric acid receptor A (GABAA) activators, which promote sleep as well as general central nervous system depression. Dual orexin receptor antagonists (DORAs) represent an alternative mechanism for insomnia treatment that induces somnolence by blocking the wake-promoting effects of orexin neuropeptides. The current study compares the role and interdependence of these two mechanisms on their ability to influence sleep architecture and quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG) spectral profiles across preclinical species. Active-phase dosing of DORA-22 induced consistent effects on sleep architecture in mice, rats, dogs, and rhesus monkeys; attenuation of active wake was accompanied by increases in both non─rapid eye movement (NREM) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Eszopiclone, a representative GABAA receptor modulator, promoted sleep in rats and rhesus monkeys that was marked by REM sleep suppression, but had inconsistent effects in mice and paradoxically promoted wakefulness in dogs. Active-phase treatment of rats with DORA-12 similarly promoted NREM and REM sleep to magnitudes nearly identical to those seen during normal resting-phase sleep following vehicle treatment, whereas eszopiclone suppressed REM even to levels below those seen during the active phase. The qEEG changes induced by DORA-12 in rats also resembled normal resting-phase patterns, whereas eszopiclone induced changes distinct from normal active- or inactive-phase spectra. Co-dosing experiments, as well as studies in transgenic rats lacking orexin neurons, indicated partial overlap in the mechanism of sleep promotion by orexin and GABA modulation with the exception of the REM suppression exclusive to GABAA receptor modulation. Following REM deprivation in mice, eszopiclone further suppressed REM sleep while DORA-22 facilitated recovery including increased REM sleep. DORAs promote NREM and importantly REM sleep that is similar in proportion and magnitude to that seen during the normal resting phase across mammalian animal models. While limited overlap exists between therapeutic mechanisms, orexin signaling does not appear involved in the REM suppression exhibited by GABAA receptor modulators. The ability of DORAs to promote proportional NREM and REM sleep following sleep deprivation suggests that this mechanism may be effective in alleviating recovery from sleep disturbance.
Intelligent distributed architecture (IDA) for mobile sensor data fusion

In this paper, we provide a new two-layer scalable architecture, Intelligent Distributed Architecture (IDA). The first layer of IDA, the application layer, is responsible for the mission specific tasks. The second layer, the network layer, is responsible for relaying the information quickly to reduce latency. In order to increase efficiency, we propose an intelligent network layer that evaluates the network traffic through application provided policies. The evaluation assesses improved accuracy in bandwidth limited scenarios. IDA policies permit the application to drop, merge or modify the packets in real time from different sources. We demonstrate how this architecture can be applied to an example application, distributed target tracking. We also propose some new algorithms that can be used in conjunction with IDA for target tracking. Our experiments on this application show that IDA improves system performance when the bandwidth is limited.
Fundamentals of a floating loop concept based on R134a refrigerant cooling of high heat flux electronics

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Power Electronics and Electric Machinery Research Center (PEEMRC) has been developing technologies to address the thermal concerns associated with hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). This work is part of the ongoing FreedomCAR and Vehicle Technologies program (FCVT), performed for the Department of Energy (DOE). Removal of the heat generated from electrical losses in traction motors and their associated power electronics is essential for the reliable operation of motors and power electronics. As part of a larger thermal management project, which includes shrinking inverter size and direct cooling of electronics, ORNL has developed U.S. Patent No. 6,772,603 B2, Methods and Apparatus for Thermal Management of Vehicle Systems and Components (Hsu, 2004), and patent pending floating loop system for cooling integrated motors and inverters using hot liquid refrigerant (Hsu, 2004). The floating-loop system provides a large coefficient of performance (COP) for hybrid-electric drive component cooling. This loop (based on R-134a) shares a vehicle's existing air-conditioning (AC) condenser, which dissipates waste heat to the ambient air. Because the temperature requirements for cooling of power electronics and electric machines are not as low as that required for passenger compartment air, this adjoining loop can operate on the high-pressure side of the existing AC system. This arrangement also allows for the floating loop to run without the need for the compressor and only needs a small pump to move the liquid refrigerant. For the design to be viable, the loop must not adversely affect the existing system. The loop would also provide a high COP, a flat temperature profile, and a low pressure drop. The floating-loop test prototype has been successfully integrated into a 9 kW automobile passenger AC system. In this configuration, the floating loop has been tested up to 2 kW of heat rejected during operation with and without the automotive AC system running. The floating-loop system has demonstrated a very respectable COP of 40-45, as compared to a typical AC system COP of about 2-4. The estimated required waste-heat load for future HEV cooling applications is 5.5 kW, and the existing system should be easily scalable to this larger load
Growth Rate-Dependent Regulation of Medial FtsZ Ring Formation

FtsZ is an essential cell division protein conserved throughout the bacteria and archaea. In response to an unknown cell cycle signal, FtsZ polymerizes into a ring that establishes the future division site. We conducted a series of experiments examining the link between growth rate, medial FtsZ ring formation, and the intracellular concentration of FtsZ in the gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis. We found that, although the frequency of cells with FtsZ rings varies as much as threefold in a growth rate-dependent manner, the average intracellular concentration of FtsZ remains constant irrespective of doubling time. Additionally, expressing ftsZ solely from a constitutive promoter, thereby eliminating normal transcriptional control, did not alter the growth rate regulation of medial FtsZ ring formation. Finally, our data indicate that overexpressing FtsZ does not dramatically increase the frequency of cells with medial FtsZ rings, suggesting that the mechanisms governing ring formation are refractile to increases in FtsZ concentration. These results support a model in which the timing of FtsZ assembly is governed primarily through cell cycle-dependent changes in FtsZ polymerization kinetics and not simply via oscillations in the intracellular concentration of FtsZ. Importantly, this model can be extended to the gram-negative bacterium Escherichia coli. Our data show that, like those in B. subtilis, average FtsZ levels in E. coli are constant irrespective of doubling time.
Preparation of animals with a high degree of chimerism by one-step coculture of embryonic stem cells and preimplantation embryos

A single-step coculture procedure has been developed that can generate chimeric mice with high efficiency and reproducibility. The procedure involves culture of embryonic stem (ES) cells with 8- to 16-cell embryos in microwells to provide conditions for effective cell-cell-embryo contact. A suspension of ES cells is layered over the microwells, followed by transfer of an embryo without zona pellucida into each microwell. Following overnight culture, the blastocysts are transferred into pseudopregnant recipients. The method has several advantages due to its simplicity and reproducibility: (i) Over 90% of ES-cell contribution in new-borns can be obtained frequently and most of the chimeras display germ-line transmission. (ii) The procedure does not require specialized skills or expensive instruments. (iii) All the steps of embryo manipulation can be completed in a relatively short period of time; therefore, a large number of embryos can be manipulated simultaneously. The method was tested with three independent ES cell lines and two different strains of mice with similar results. The technique may be an alternative to microinjection of DNA into zygotes to prepare transgenic lines of small and large mammalian species.
In vitro study of combined cilengitide and radiation treatment in breast cancer cell lines.

Background Brain metastasis from breast cancer poses a major clinical challenge. Integrins play a role in regulating adhesion, growth, motility, and survival, and have been shown to be critical for metastatic growth in the brain in preclinical models. Cilengitide, an αvβ3/αvβ5 integrin inhibitor, has previously been studied as an anti-cancer drug in various tumor types. Previous studies have shown additive effects of cilengitide and radiation in lung cancer and glioblastoma cell lines. The ability of cilengitide to enhance the effects of radiation was examined preclinically in the setting of breast cancer to assess its possible efficacy in the setting of brain metastasis from breast cancer.
Learning and performing by exploration: label quality measured by latent semantic analysis

Models of learning and performing by exploration assume that the semantic similarity between task descriptions and labels on display objects (e.g., menus, tool bars) controls in part the users search strategies. Nevertheless, none of the models has an objective way to compute semantic similarity. In this study, Latent Semantic Analysis (LSA) was used to compute semantic similarity between task descriptions and labels in an applications menu system. Participants performed twelve tasks by exploration and they were tested for recall after a l-week delay. When the labels in the menu system were semantically similar to the task descriptions, subjects performed the tasks faster. LSA could be incorporated into any of the current models, and it could be used to automate the evaluation of computer applications for ease of learning and performing by exploration.
Test bus sizing for system-on-a-chip

System-on-a-chip (SOC) designs present a number of unique testability challenges to system integrators. Test access to embedded cores often requires dedicated test access mechanisms (TAMs). We present an improved approach for designing efficient TAMs and investigate the problems of improved deserialization of test data in the core wrapper, optimal test bus sizing, and optimal assignment of cores to test buses in the system. Place-and-route and power constraints are incorporated in the model. This work represents an important first step towards combining TAM design with efficient wrapper design for test data deserialization. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed TAM optimization methodology provides efficient test bus designs for minimizing the testing time.
Does North America Have the Right Stuff? An Analysis of Compatibility and the Potential Deepening of North American Integration

This article assesses the current and future levels of North American integration. Econometric models that compare integration around the world indicate that integration deepens when countries have similar domestic, political, and economic institutions, and are economically asymmetrical. It is theorized that similar domestic institutions reduce transaction costs and uncertainty of success for firms while economic asymmetry provides incentives for and coordination among member states. In addition, institutional homogeneity also affects the level of integration. Currently, the North American partners lack high levels of these conditions, which explains the low level of integration. The analysis concludes with policy recommendations to improve the necessary conditions for the deepening of economic integration.
Cafeteria feeding induces interleukin-1β mRNA expression in rat liver and brain

Food intake affects gut-immune function and can provide a strong intestinal antigen challenge resulting in activation of host defense mechanisms in the digestive system. Previously, we showed that ...
Sedation and general anaesthesia in children undergoing MRI and CT: adverse events and outcomes†

Quality assurance data were collected prospectively for children who were sedated (n=922) or given general anaesthesia (n=140) for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computerized tomography (CT). The data included patient characteristics, concurrent medication, adequacy of sedation, adverse events and requirement for escalated care. The quality of scans was evaluated. Reasons for preselection of general anaesthesia included previously failed sedation (28%), potential for failed sedation (32%) and perceived medical risk (14%). Hypoxaemia occurred in 2.9% of sedated children, and was more common in children classified as ASA III or IV. Sedation was inadequate for 16% of children and failed in 7%. Failed sedation was associated with greater age (P=0.009), higher ASA status (P=0.04) and use of benzodiazepines as sole sedatives (P
An open-loop 10GHz 8-phase clock generator in 65nm CMOS

An open-loop 10GHz 8-phase clock generator is presented. The open-loop architecture is composed of delay units and phase interpolators with built-in phase compensation for delay time variation of delay units. A delay unit design with level-shifted active inductor load enables the circuit to achieve 10GHz speed with 0.19mW/GHz/phase power efficiency in 65nm CMOS. The 8-phase clock generator can operate from 8GHz to 12GHz with good phase accuracy and occupies 1500µm2 active die area.
Parasitoid-induced behavioral alterations of Aedes aegypti mosquito larvae infected with mermithid nematodes (Nematoda: Mermithidae)

A wide range of parasites are known to cause behavioral changes in their hosts and parasitized insects are especially amenable to the study of such changes. The majority of studies addressing parasite-induced behavioral alterations have focused on parasites with complex life cycles and the adaptive nature of such changes. Behavioral changes caused by parasitoids, single-host parasites that kill their host upon emergence, have been studied less and the adaptive nature of these changes is likely to be different than those in complex life cycles. I investigated behavioral alterations in Aedes aegypti mosquito larvae infected with parasitoid nematodes (family Mermithidae). I conducted several experiments in which I tested the following hypotheses: 1) Mermithid nematodes induce behavioral changes in mosquito larvae and the changes are density dependent. 2) Different species of mermithid nematodes induce similar changes in mosquito larvae behavior. 3) Behavioral alterations vary with mermithid developmental stage. 4) Mosquito larvae infected with mermithid nematodes behave similarly to uninfected food-deprived mosquito larvae. I found that 4th instar Ae. aegypti infected with Romanomermis culicivorax or Strelkovimermis spiculatus exhibited resting behaviors significantly more often than uninfected controls but that intensity of infection did not affect activity levels. In earlier instars, infected mosquito larvae were more active than uninfected control larvae in some behaviors associated with feeding. There was no significant difference between infected and uninfected food-deprived mosquitoes in nine of the ten behaviors observed. The decrease in activity of late instar Ae. aegypti larvae infected with mermithids may be a parasitoid adaptation that reduces the risk of predation and thus increases host and parasitoid survival. The increase in feeding activity in earlier instars as well as the similarity between uninfected food-deprived and infected Ae. aegypti behavior may indicate that these behaviors are adaptive for the parasitoid, increasing nutritional acquisition for successful parasitoid development.
Lateral Cervical Meningocele

Although lateral meningoceles have been described in the thorax, they have not been previously reported in the neck. We describe an infant who was born with a lateral meningocele in the cervical posterior triangle that was felt clinically to be cystic hygroma. Surgical excision was complicated by a cerebral spinal fluid fistula and subsequent meningitis. Problems that this patient presented and po tential complications in management are discussed. Although the clinical mani festations of lateral meningoceles and extradural cysts are quite different, there are many anatomic similarities between these entities and other cervical masses that confuse diagnosis and nosology. Their differential diagnosis is reviewed.
From solution to the gas phase: factors that influence kinetic trapping of substance P in the gas phase.

Substance P (RPKPQQFFGLM-NH2) [M + 3H]3+ ions have been shown to exist as two conformers: one that is kinetically trapped and one that is thermodynamically more stable and therefore energetically preferred. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations suggested that the kinetically trapped population is stabilized by interactions between the charge sites and the polar side chains of glutamine (Q) located at positions 5 and 6 and phenylalanine (F) located at positions 7 and 8. Here, the individual contributions of these specific intramolecular interactions are systematically probed through site-directed alanine mutations of the native amino acid sequence. Ion mobility spectrometry data for the mutant peptide ions confirm that interactions between the charge sites and glutamine/phenylalanine (Q/F) side chains afford stabilization of the kinetically trapped ion population. In addition, experimental data for proline-to-alanine mutations at positions 2 and 4 clearly show that interactions involving the charge sites and...
Materials characterization and effect of purity and ion implantation on the friction and wear of sublimed fullerene films

In previous studies, sublimed C60-rich fullerene films on silicon, when slid against a 52100 steel ball under dry conditions, have exhibited low coefficient of friction (∼0.12). Films with different purities can be produced by sublimation at different substrate temperatures. In this paper, effects of purity of fullerene films and ion implantation of the films with Ar ions on the friction and wear properties of sublimed fullerene films are reported. C60-rich films (called here films with high purity) exhibit low macroscale friction. An increased amount of C70 and impurities in the fullerene film determined using Raman and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), increases its coefficient of friction. Microscale friction measurements using friction force microscopy also exhibited similar trends. Low coefficient of friction of sublimed C60-rich films on silicon is probably due to the formation of a tenacious transfer film of C60 molecules on the mating 52100 steel ball surface. Based on scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and high resolution TEM (HRTEM), we found that fullerene films primarily consisted of C60 molecules in a fcc lattice structure. Nanoindenter was used to measure hardness and elastic modulus of the as-deposited films. Ion-implantation with 1 × 1016 Ar+ cm−2 reduced macroscale friction down to about 0.10 from 0.12 with an increase in wear life by a factor of 4; however, doses of 5 × 1016 ions cm−2 gave three times higher friction and poorer wear life; higher doses disintegrated the C60 molecules. Based on STM, TEM, Raman, FTIR, and laser desorption Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer (LD/FT/ICR) studies, we found that the ion implantation with a dose of 1 × 1016 Ar+ cm−2 resulted in smoothening of the fullerene film surface probably by compacting clusters, but without disintegrating the C60 molecules. However, a high dose of 5 × 1016 Ar+ cm−2 damaged the C60 molecules, converting it to an amorphous carbon. Nanoindentation studies show that ion implantation with a dose of 1 × 1016 Ar+ cm−2 resulted in an increase in the hardness from about 1.2 to 4.0 GPa and in elastic modulus from about 70 to 75 GPa and modified the elastic-plastic deformation behavior.
Implications of Phase‐Outs on Individual Marginal Tax Rates

The goal of this paper is to show the behavior of effective marginal tax rates relative to statutory marginal tax rates within the rate structure of the present federal income tax regime. Understanding the behavior of effective marginal rates is important as these rates are a significant component of tax planning and decision making. Statutory marginal tax rates are explicitly stated in published rate schedules. Various deductions, exemptions and credits involved in determining the tax liability are phased out as gross income increases. These restrictions result in effective marginal tax rates that can exceed respective statutory rates. Substantial divergence between effective and statutory rates can occur when multiple phase‐out provisions overlap and interact. This study develops an algebraic model using tax return information that converts statutory to effective marginal rates. Policy implications concerning simplifying the effective rate structure are also discussed.
Detection and Characterization of Avian Leukosis Virus in Marek's Disease Vaccines

Avian leukosis virus (ALV) infection in chickens is known to induce increased mortality, tumors, delayed growth, and suboptimal egg production. Countries importing specified pathogen-free eggs, vaccines, and poultry breeding stock require freedom of infection or contamination with ALV in such products among other avian pathogens. Recently, ALV was found as a contaminant in a limited number of commercial poultry vaccines, even after routine quality assurance procedures cleared the vaccines for commercialization. The contaminated vaccines were promptly withdrawn from the market, and no direct detrimental effects were reported in poultry vaccinated with such vaccines. We describe herein the characterization in vitro of the contaminant viruses. All exogenous viruses detected in four vaccine lots belong to subgroup A of ALV based on cell receptor interaction, subgroup-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR), envelope gene sequencing, and virus neutralization. A combination of thermal treatment and serial dilutions of the contaminated vaccines facilitated detection of contaminating ALVs in cell culture coupled with antigen-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Subgroup-specific PCR readily detected ALV-A directly in the contaminated vaccines but not in naive vaccines or cell controls. Our methods are proposed as complementary procedures to the currently required complement fixation for avian leukosis test for detection of ALV in commercial poultry vaccines.
The Neurosurgical Treatment of Movement Disorders

The management of movement disorders has been his- torically treated with both surgical and medical modalities. While L-Dopa has been the medical mainstay for Parkinson’s Disease, surgical techniques have evolved over the past century to the current state of stereotactic procedures in focal parts of the central nervous system. Presented here is a review of the history of this evolution.
The effects of a low-carbohydrate diet on appetite: A randomized controlled trial

Abstract Background and aims The relationship between dietary macronutrient composition and appetite is controversial. We examined the effects of a year-long low-carbohydrate diet compared to a low-fat diet on appetite-related hormones and self-reported change in appetite. Methods and results A total of 148 adults with a body mass index 30–45 kg/m 2 , who were free of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease at baseline were randomly assigned to either a low-carbohydrate diet (carbohydrate [excluding dietary fiber] Conclusions A low-fat diet reduced peptide YY more than a low-carbohydrate diet. These findings suggest that satiety may be better preserved on a low-carbohydrate diet, as compared to a low fat diet. Trial Registration : clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00609271.
Understanding Psychological Trauma and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Publisher Summary This chapter provides a survey of the history and current state of scientific knowledge and popular conceptions of psychological trauma, from the earliest writings several thousand years ago to modern definitions and diagnoses. Controversies are highlighted, such as whether infants can experience traumatic stress and if they remember psychological traumas, whether military personnel can be protected from PTSD and if their lives (and those of civilian victims) are ever the same after experiencing the horrors of war, whether PTSD is a psychiatric disorder or a “normal response to abnormal events,” whether trauma survivors must return to the past and confront terrifying or horrifying memories in order to recover from PTSD and whether psychological trauma can lead to growth. The chapter begins with a real-life case example and evidence-based facts. This and several subsequent case examples are based on the lives of several real people, to preserve the privacy of each individual while illustrating how psychological trauma and PTSD affects people from every walk of life.
Analog Computer - A Modern Tool in Water Pollution Control

The applicability of digital and analog computer concepts is briefly compared. The modern analog computer is used in greater detail to solve some of the mathematical models applicable to the water pollution control field. This type of computer is especially suited for solutions of differential equations and problems in kinetics that, in some cases, are not presently solvable by known mathematical techniques. The basic functional units of an analog computer are described only in sufficient detail to provide a basic background for the major part of the paper wherein the use of the computer for solving water pollution problems is developed. Demonstration problems include the first-order differential single and two-stage biochemical oxygen demand equations, the oxygen sag equation and the second-order equation that describes pollutant distribution in a tidal estuary.
Identification of Viable Regions in “In Vitro” Spheroidal Tumors: A Mathematical Investigation

In the treatment of solid tumors by hyperthermia, a major question is how to obtain an a priori knowledge of which tumors can be effectively treated with this modality. The key question is; given a solid tumor, what parameters in the various regions of the tumor, need to be measured so that a tumor-tissue model can provide a meaningful real time simulation of the hyperthermic treatment. This paper addresses the former question as a mathematical investigation, and the latter as a consequence of the former.
Protocols for the Gulf Coast Claims Facility: An Etiquette of Equivocation

This article describes the Gulf Coast Claims Facility (GCCF) which President Obama and BP established to resolve claims by individuals and businesses for damages resulting from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and the protocols under which the Facility is to operate. It examines the Draft Protocol shared with state officials in July 2010 and the Protocol for Emergency Advance Payments released by GCCF in August 2010. A comparison of the two documents suggests that the protocols are being "negotiated" in a way that makes its provisions less precise and more ambiguous.
Abstract 407: Urinary C-reactive protein: A biomarker of metastatic kidney cancer.

Background: Approximately one-third of patients with kidney cancer who do not have detectable metastatic disease at the time of diagnosis and/or nephrectomy will nonetheless go on to develop metastasis. Presently, there is no method to predict which patients with kidney cancer and no evidence of metastases; will later develop metastatic disease. This investigation evaluated pre-nephrectomy urine C-reactive protein as an early diagnostic predictor of subsequent metastatic kidney cancer, and its use for tumor staging by molecular pathology to supplement conventional observational pathology. Methods: C-reactive protein was measured by a sensitive ELISA in the pre- and post-nephrectomy urine of 31 patients with a pathologic diagnosis of clear cell or papillary carcinoma (tumor size 1-11 cm) and in 23 surgical control patients matched for age and sex. C-reactive protein in the tumors was determined by immunohistochemistry. Results: By immunohistochemistry, kidney tumors synthesize C-reactive protein, thus making it available for potential excretion into the urine. The urine C-reactive protein of all control patients was 0.6 (0.2, 1.0) ng/ml (median, (1 st and 3 rd quintile)) while in the pre-nephrectomy urine of 31 patients with clear cell or papillary carcinoma was 3.9 (2, 11) ng/ml (P Conclusion: The measurement of C-reactive protein in the urine may be a non-invasive biopsy of the renal tumor indicating sub-clinical metastatic potential and may pre-surgically stage the tumor by molecular pathology. Citation Format: Jeremiah Morrissey, Evan D. Kharasch. Urinary C-reactive protein: A biomarker of metastatic kidney cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 407. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-407
Vulnerability assessment and forecasting analysis of shallow groundwater in Luxi basin,western Yunnan province

It is provided that the preliminary vulnerability results about the shallow groudnwater in Luxi basin using DRASTIC method.And then combinated the factors of human activity in future city area,the forecasting analysis about shallow groundwater vulnerability as long-term planning assessment in Luxi basin was carried on.The appraisal results provide the reasonable opinion and suggestion for the land planning,the second-string water resource place waste landfill site choosing to realize the water resources sustainable exploitation and utilization.
The Nature of Harmonic Heat Flow

The development of photothermal theory and methodology has produced an increased interest in harmonic heat flow. This interest has been enhanced through the application of these methods to the non-destructive evaluation and characterization of materials via imaging. This paper discusses various aspects of harmonic heat flow and their relationship to thermal parameters. Specific attention is paid to various regimes within which the harmonic temperature pattern is dominated by either a single thermal parameter or by a particular combination of thermal parameters.
Bovine Immunodeficiency Virus Expression in Vitro is Reduced in the Presence of β-Chemokines, MIP-1α, MIP-1β and RANTES

The inhibition of HIV expression in vitro by a cocktail of the β-chemokines MIP-1α, MIP-1β and RANTES provided the initial evidence that HIV utilizes chemokine receptors as co-receptors for infection of cells. Bovine immunodeficiency virus (BIV), a lentivirus, infects a wide variety of leukocyte populations, but the cellular receptor(s) utilized by this virus for infection of cells is not known. The purpose of this study was to determine whether MIP-1α, MIP-1β and RANTES affect BIV expression in vitro, as a prelude to identifying the cellular receptors utilized by this virus. Fetal bovine lung (FBL) cells were pretreated with serial dilutions of a cocktail of the chemokines, and then the cells were infected with BIV. Virus expression in these cells was determined by counting the syncytia that had developed in the cultures by five days after infection. A significant decrease in syncytium formation, corresponding to increasing concentrations of the chemokines, was the result. Reacting the chemokines with chemokine-specific neutralizing antibodies prior to treatment of the cells neutralized the effect of the chemokines on virus replication in a dose-dependent manner, restoring viral expression to a level similar to that of untreated cells. The presence of a CCR5 homologue on the surface of FBL cells was confirmed using an anti-CCR5 monoclonal antibody and FACS analysis. Collectively, these data provide preliminary evidence that BIV may utilize the CCR5 receptor for infection of cells in vitro, but additional studies are necessary to confirm this.
Assessing the Impacts of Experiential Learning on Teacher Classroom Practice.

This paper focuses on the professional development of formal science educators through extraordinary experiences that occur within the realm of informal science learning. For many years the University of Colorado Denver (UCD) has offered programs that take teachers on “science learning journeys” to Africa, South America, through the Pacific, and many U.S. destinations through its Experiential Science Education Research Collaborative (XSci). On these adventures, teachers gain direct, first person experiences of unique and often challenging environments and multidisciplinary science within those settings. Similar professional development opportunities for teachers are widespread as summer programs through organizations nationwide. However, there is currently a lack of in-depth qualitative research investigating the actual benefits and interpretive nature of such programs as personal and professional “extraordinary” science learning experiences for the individuals who participate in them. The research agenda for the XSci Collaborative examines the experiences of educators engaged in informal extraordinary professional development experiences in order to understand the personal processes that make them extraordinary and valuable. Specifically, the primary research approach is to examine the interpretation of these experiences by teachers as case studies under the conceptual framework of a phenomenology. This approach utilizes several data sources, including teacher-created digital stories and video documentaries as personal narratives of their extraordinary experience; journals completed throughout the experiences, pre and post experience interviews, classroom observations and student interviews.
The Economics of the Internet of Things in the Global South

AbstractWhile the Internet of Things (IoT) is not new, its key components are becoming increasingly affordable now, which makes the technology extremely attractive for the Global South. By collecting data from various IoT sources, combining them with data from other sources and using big data analytics, decisions can be made and actions can be taken that can have important economic, social, ecological and environmental implications in these countries. The most visible impacts of the IoT in these countries include improvements in agricultural and food systems, enhancement of environmental security and resource conservation, achievement of better healthcare, public health and medicine, and enhancement of the efficiency of key industries. This paper provides an overview of how the IoT is currently being used in the Global South. It also discusses the opportunities and challenges that IoT initiatives present there. The analysis indicates that the IoT may address some of the institutional bottlenecks, technolo...
From Telemedicine to Ubiquitous M-Health: The Evolution of E-Health Systems

Publisher Summary M-health is becoming a major technological trend for ambulatory and prolonged physiological monitoring. It has the potential to shift the paradigm of health care from reactive to proactive, from disease management to disease prevention. The widespread use of communication and information technologies facilitates the delivery of medical services at a distance, which is known as telemedicine. New approaches have also forced changes in clinical practices, the most notable being the introduction of electronic medical records and information and communications technology. This new paradigm is known as eHealth. Recent developments in sensors, wearable computing, and ubiquitous communications have the potential of providing clinicians and users with tools and environments to gather physiological data over extended periods of time. This emerging concept is known as m (mobile)-health and represents the evolution of eHealth systems from traditional desktop telemedicine platforms to wireless and mobile configurations. he main enabling technological trends for m-health systems include: increased communication and computation capabilities of cell phones; the new generation of power-efficient processors and communication controllers; revolutionary changes in microelectromechanical systems (MEMSs) and nano-sensor technologies enabling embedded and implanted biomedical sensors in frequently used objects in homes and offices. It outlines enabling technologies and the taxonomy of m-health applications and introduces the ultimate concept in unobtrusive system organization for ‘‘anytime, anywhere’’ monitoring—wireless body area networks (WBANs) of intelligent wireless sensors. One of the most promising application domains is health monitoring, and within health care, WBANs in particular are emerging as promising enabling technologies to implement m-health.
Sulfide mineralogy and chemical evolution of the Babbitt Cu-Ni deposit, Duluth Complex, Minnesota

les roches-hdtes incluent i Ia fois des sections igndes et des sections mEtas€dimentaires. Les assemblages de sulfures The Babbitt Cu-Ni deposit is one of several, located consistent en pyrrhotine, cubanite, chalcopyrite, pentlanwithin troctolitic and noritic rocks of the Duluth Complex, dite, avec, en moindres quantit6s: troilite, blende et bor
Top and bottom surfaces limit carrier lifetime in lead iodide perovskite films

Carrier recombination at defects is detrimental to the performance of solar energy conversion systems, including solar cells and photoelectrochemical devices. Point defects are localized within the bulk crystal while extended defects occur at surfaces and grain boundaries. If not properly managed, surfaces can be a large source of carrier recombination. Separating surface carrier dynamics from bulk and/or grain-boundary recombination in thin films is challenging. Here, we employ transient reflection spectroscopy to measure the surface carrier dynamics in methylammonium lead iodide perovskite polycrystalline films. We find that surface recombination limits the total carrier lifetime in perovskite polycrystalline thin films, meaning that recombination inside grains and/or at grain boundaries is less important than top and bottom surface recombination. The surface recombination velocity in polycrystalline films is nearly an order of magnitude smaller than that in single crystals, possibly due to unintended surface passivation of the films during synthesis. Understanding surface carrier dynamics enables the design of optimal optoelectronic devices. Yang et al. find that surface recombination limits the total carrier lifetime in polycrystalline lead iodide perovskite films, meaning recombination at surfaces is more important than within and between grains.
Efficient Ornamentation in Ordovician Anthaspidellid Sponges

Lithistid orchoclad sponges within the family Anthaspidellidae Ulrich in Miller, 1889 include several genera that added ornate features to their outer-wall surfaces during Early Ordovician sponge radiation. Ornamented anthaspidellid sponges commonly constructed annulated or irregularly to regularly spaced transverse ridge-and-trough features on their outer-wall surfaces without proportionately increasing the size of their internal wall or gastral surfaces. This efficient technique of modifying only the sponge's outer surface without enlarging its entire skeletal frame conserved the sponge's constructional energy while increasing outer-wall surface-to-fluid exposure for greater intake of nutrient bearing currents. Sponges with widely spaced ridge-and-trough ornament dimensions predominated in high-energy settings. Widely spaced ridges and troughs may have given the sponge hydrodynamic benefits in high wave force settings. Ornamented sponges with narrowly spaced ridge-and-trough dimensions are found in high energy paleoenvironments but also occupied moderate to low-energy settings, where their surface-to-fluid exposure per unit area exceeded that of sponges with widely spaced surface ornamentations.
Electron Impact Spectroscopy of High Temperature Species

The application of the methods of electron impact spectroscopy to the study of high temperature species is discussed. Electron scattering by metal vapors (Ba, Bi, Cu, Mn, Tl, Zn), alkali halide molecules, and KOH are described as demonstrative examples.
Fish predation and local prey diversity

Local species richness and evenness of a prey assemblage can change in a variety of patterns as the intensity of predation by fishes increases. Documenting this pattern requires measurements of prey diversity at a minimum of three widely spaced predation intensities. The particular pattern that occurs depends largely upon: (1) the processes structuring the prey assemblage in the absence of fish predation (recruitment limitation, physical disturbances, non-fish predators, mutualisms, competitive networks, or competitive hierarchies); (2) the pattern of prey population reduction by fish predation (equivalent, disproportionate on competitive dominants, or disproportionate on competitive subordinates); and (3) the processes governing local extinctions and immigrations in the prey assemblage (prey refuges, recruitment patterns, and local versus global species richness). A literature review of the impact of fish predation on other fishes, plankton, and benthos in a variety of freshwater and marine systems indicated that local effects on prey diversity are seldom documented adequately. Only seven experiments documented both prey diversity as a function of at least three predation intensities, as well as the probable mechanisms underlying the prey diversity response. Of these, two studies of freshwater benthos detected virtually no effects on prey diversity, apparently due to rapid prey recolonization or predator inefficiency. Two studies of freshwater zooplankton and three studies of coral-reef algae detected keystone-predator induced hump-shaped patterns characteristic of the intermediate-disturbance hypothesis. Two additional studies of coral-reef benthos detected negative effects on prey diversity over a range of at least three predation intensities, but the underlying mechanisms were unclear. Spatial prey refuges, particularly those provided by aquatic plants on soft bottoms and crevices on hard bottoms, have been shown to minimize the effects of fish predation on the diversity of benthic assemblages in both freshwater and marine systems. The concepts summarized in this paper suggest improvements for future studies of the impact of fishes on prey community structure.
Childhood Cancer and Brain Tumor Late Effects: Relationships with Family Burden and Survivor Psychological Outcomes

This study examines illness-specific family burden as a mediator of the association between late effects of childhood cancer and survivors’ emotional and behavioral outcomes. Childhood cancer survivors (n = 65; ages 10–17) two or more years off-treatment completed measures assessing internalizing and PTSD symptoms. Parents reported on illness-specific family burden, late effects severity, and survivor internalizing/externalizing problems. Providers documented the number of late effects. Illness-specific family burden was correlated with provider-reported late effects (r = .29, p < .05) and parent report of severe late effects (r = .56, p < .01). Results supported an indirect effect of illness-specific family burden on number of late effects and parent-reported survivor internalizing problems, p < .05. Indirect effects were not found in models predicting PTSD and externalizing problems. Illness-specific family burden is an important intervention target for reducing internalizing problems in childhood cancer survivors with late effects.
Effectiveness of Single- and Multiple-Tablet Antiretroviral Regimens in Correctional Setting for Treatment-Experienced HIV Patients.

Minimal information is available regarding antiretroviral prescribing patterns and outcomes for HIV patients in correctional systems. This study analyzes single- (STR) and multiple- (MTR) tablet re...
Applying Pose Clustering and MD Simulations To Eliminate False Positives in Molecular Docking

In this work, we developed a computational protocol that employs multiple molecular docking experiments, followed by pose clustering, molecular dynamic simulations (10 ns), and energy rescoring to produce reliable 3D models of antibody–carbohydrate complexes. The protocol was applied to 10 antibody−carbohydrate co-complexes and three unliganded (apo) antibodies. Pose clustering significantly reduced the number of potential poses. For each system, 15 or fewer clusters out of 100 initial poses were generated and chosen for further analysis. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations allowed the docked poses to either converge or disperse, and rescoring increased the likelihood that the best-ranked pose was an acceptable pose. This approach is amenable to automation and can be a valuable aid in determining the structure of antibody–carbohydrate complexes provided there is no major side chain rearrangement or backbone conformational change in the H3 loop of the CDR regions. Further, the basic protocol of docking a s...