cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Continued improvement of perioperative, pathological and continence outcomes during 700 robot-assisted radical prostatectomies.

BACKGROUND Several robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) series have reviewed the impact of the initial learning curve on perioperative outcomes. However, little is known about the impact of experience on urinary and sexual outcomes. Herein, we review the perioperative, pathological and functional outcomes of our initial 700 consecutive procedures with at least 1 year follow up. METHODS From 2003-2006, 700 consecutive men underwent RARP at a single, academic institution. Perioperative data and pathologic outcomes were prospectively collected. Validated, UCLA-PCI-SF36v2 quality-of-life questionnaires were also obtained at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months following surgery. Outcomes between groups (cases 1-300, 301-500, and 501-700) were compared. RESULTS Mean operative time (OT) and blood loss significantly decreased during the experience (286, 198, 190 min; p or=7 in 24%, 40%, 44%; p <or= 0.001). At 12 months postRARP, pad free continence rate was 81% when self reported and 62% when assessed by the UCLA-PCI-SF36v2 questionnaire in the initial group. Continence rates improved to 93% and 75%, respectively, for cases 501-700 (p <or= 0.05). Furthermore, significant improvement in continence rates between consecutive case groups was observed at all postoperative time points. Potency rate was 83% (bilateral nerve preservation) and 56% (unilateral nerve preservation) at 12 months when self reported and 63% and 37% respectively by the UCLA-PCI-SF36v2. No significant differences in sexual function were noted with increased experience. CONCLUSIONS A prolonged learning curve is observed for EBL, OT and pT2-PSM. In addition, to the best of our knowledge, this is first series demonstrating a continued improvement in urinary continence with increased RARP experience.
Tandem Duplications May Supply the Missing Genetic Alterations in Many Triple-Negative Breast and Gynecological Cancers.

In this issue of Cancer Cell, Menghi et al. show that tandem duplications (TDs) are a common genetic feature of gynecological and triple-negative breast cancers. They also provide evidence that these TDs generate genetic alterations driving these cancers, which, if substantiated, will fundamentally change our understanding of their oncogenesis.
Anomalous Heat Transfer: Examples, Fundamentals, and Fractional Calculus Models

Abstract The characteristic length scale in heat conduction, a diffusion transport process, changes with the square root of time. As we consider composite structures with increasing complex architectures, however, we find that this classic result is not always the case. When multiscaled heterogeneity is present in the system of interest, our heat transfer calculations may reveal anomalous behaviors. Here, the effects of nonlocality and memory, induced by “fast-paths” or “holdups,” lead to space–time scaling relationships that differ from the square root of time. This article has two themes. The first demonstrates how anomalous transport is induced in heat transfer applications. The second provides the necessary analytical and numerical details of fractional calculus operators and illustrates how these constructs can be used to model anomalous heat transport.
Targeted profiling of RNA translation reveals mTOR-4EBP1/2-independent translation regulation of mRNAs encoding ribosomal proteins

The PI3K-Akt-mTOR signaling pathway is a master regulator of RNA translation. Pharmacological inhibition of this pathway preferentially and coordinately suppresses, in a 4EBP1/2-dependent manner, translation of mRNAs encoding ribosomal proteins. However, it is unclear whether mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR)-4EBP1/2 is the exclusive translation regulator of this group of genes, and furthermore, systematic searches for novel translation modulators have been immensely challenging because of difficulties in scaling existing RNA translation profiling assays. Here, we developed a rapid and highly scalable approach for gene-specific quantitation of RNA translation, termed Targeted Profiling of RNA Translation (TPRT). We applied this technique in a chemical screen for translation modulators, and identified numerous preclinical and clinical therapeutic compounds, with diverse nominal targets, that preferentially suppress translation of ribosomal proteins. Surprisingly, some of these compounds act in a manner that bypasses canonical regulation by mTOR-4EBP1/2. Instead, these compounds exert their translation effects in a manner that is dependent on GCN2-eIF2α, a central signaling axis within the integrated stress response. Furthermore, we were also able to identify metabolic perturbations that also suppress ribosomal protein translation in an mTOR-independent manner. Together, we describe a translation assay that is directly applicable to large-scale RNA translation studies, and that enabled us to identify a noncanonical, mTOR-independent mode for translation regulation of ribosomal proteins.
Potential shift from a carbon sink to a source in Amazonian peatlands under a changing climate.

Amazonian peatlands store a large amount of soil organic carbon (SOC), and its fate under a future changing climate is unknown. Here, we use a process-based peatland biogeochemistry model to quantify the carbon accumulation for peatland and nonpeatland ecosystems in the Pastaza-Maranon foreland basin (PMFB) in the Peruvian Amazon from 12,000 y before present to AD 2100. Model simulations indicate that warming accelerates peat SOC loss, while increasing precipitation accelerates peat SOC accumulation at millennial time scales. The uncertain parameters and spatial variation of climate are significant sources of uncertainty to modeled peat carbon accumulation. Under warmer and presumably wetter conditions over the 21st century, SOC accumulation rate in the PMFB slows down to 7.9 (4.3–12.2) g⋅C⋅m−2⋅y−1 from the current rate of 16.1 (9.1–23.7) g⋅C⋅m−2⋅y−1, and the region may turn into a carbon source to the atmosphere at −53.3 (−66.8 to −41.2) g⋅C⋅m−2⋅y−1 (negative indicates source), depending on the level of warming. Peatland ecosystems show a higher vulnerability than nonpeatland ecosystems, as indicated by the ratio of their soil carbon density changes (ranging from 3.9 to 5.8). This is primarily due to larger peatlands carbon stocks and more dramatic responses of their aerobic and anaerobic decompositions in comparison with nonpeatland ecosystems under future climate conditions. Peatland and nonpeatland soils in the PMFB may lose up to 0.4 (0.32–0.52) Pg⋅C by AD 2100 with the largest loss from palm swamp. The carbon-dense Amazonian peatland may switch from a current carbon sink into a source in the 21st century.
Evaluation of Fruit Bagging as a Pest Management Option for Direct Pests of Apple

Bagging fruit with plastic, paper, and two-layer commercial bags was evaluated for control of insect pests and diseases in an experimental apple orchard planted with ‘Red Delicious’ trees. Results from fruit damage evaluations at harvest showed that bagging significantly reduced fruit damage from direct apple pests compared with non-bagged control plots, and generally provided similar levels of fruit protection when compared with a conventional pesticide spray program. Of the three bagging materials evaluated, plastic bags provided numerically higher levels of fruit protection from insect pests, and two-layer commercial bags provided numerically higher levels of fruit protection from fruit diseases. Fruit quality as measured by percentage Brix was higher in non-bagged control plots than all other treatment plots. Fruit quality as measured by fruit diameter was not significantly different among treatments. Plastic and two-layer commercial bags generally required less time to secure around apple fruit than paper bags. The proportion of bags that remained on fruit until harvest ranged from 0.54–0.71 (commercial bags), 0.64–0.82 (plastic bags), and 0.32–0.60 (paper bags), depending on the year.
Preferred Anesthesia for Routine Otolaryngologic Procedures

Tympanostomy tube placement, adenotonsillectomy, and cochlear implant placement are common otolaryngologic procedures performed on children everyday around the world. Young children are more likely to develop chronic otitis media due to their immaturely developed eustachian tubes. Myringotomy and tympanostomy tube placement helps to decrease their risk of further developing otitis media and hearing loss. This procedure is very brief but requires children to lie very still; therefore, general anesthesia is usually necessary. Adenotonsillectomies are usually necessitated for the treatment of recurrent tonsillitis or obstructive symptoms. Obstructive sleep apnea predisposes these children to increased perioperative risks with general anesthesia, and many of these patients should be monitored overnight postoperatively.
Listeners integrate pitch and durational cues to prosodic structure in word categorization

In this study we investigate how listeners perceive vowel duration as a cue to voicing based on changes in pitch height, using a 2AFC task in which they categorized a target word from a vowel duration continuum as coat or code . We consider this issue in light of (1) psychoacoustic perceptual interactions between pitch and duration and (2) compensatory effects for prosodically driven patterning of pitch and duration in the accentual/prominence-marking system of English. In two experiments we found that listeners' interpretation of pitch as a psychoacoustic, or prosodic event is dependent on continuum step size and range. In Experiment 1 listeners exemplified the expected psychoacoustic pattern in categorization. In Experiment 2, we altered the duration continuum in an attempt to highlight pitch as a language-specific prosodic property and found that listeners do indeed compensate for prosodically driven patterning of pitch and duration. The results thus highlight flexibility in listeners' interpretation of these acoustic dimensions. We argue that, in the right circumstances, prosodic patterns influence listeners' interpretation of pitch and expectations about vowel duration in the perception of isolated words. Results are discussed in terms of more general implications for listeners' perception of prosodic and segmental cues, and possibilities for cross-linguistic extension.
Additive manufacturing of titanium dioxide for dielectric photonic crystals

Fabrication of 3D dielectric photonic crystals in the visible and in the infrared range typically requires sub-micron structural features and high-refractive index materials. We developed a template-free additive manufacturing (AM) process based on direct laser writing (DLW) that can create complex 3D architectures out of titania (TiO2) with ~100 nm resolution. In this process, we synthesize hybrid organic-inorganic materials that contain titanium clusters coordinated with acrylic ligands to prepare a photoresist that is amenable to two-photon lithography (TPL). We sculpt a pre-ceramic architecture using TPL and then pyrolyze in air at 900°C to remove the organic constituents to produce a replica of the original structure with ~70% reduced linear dimensions. Energy-Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) and Raman spectroscopy confirm the constituent solid to consist predominantly out of rutile titania. We demonstrate this process by fabricating titania woodpile structures with lateral dimensions of 70 × 70 μm and lateral periodicities between 1.0 and 1.3 μm. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy reveals passive tuning of the reflectance peak between 1.7 and 2.3 μm, which agrees with Plane Wave Expansion simulations. This titania AM process offers a promising pathway to efficiently fabricate complex 3D nano-architectures out of a high-index material for 3D dielectric photonic crystals in the visible and the infrared.
Mesh Based Obfuscation of Analog Circuit Properties

In this paper, a technique to design analog circuits with enhanced security is described. The proposed key based obfuscation technique uses a mesh topology to obfuscate the physical dimensions and the threshold voltage of the transistor. To mitigate the additional overhead of implementing the obfuscated circuitry, a satisfiability modulo theory (SMT) based algorithm is proposed to auto-determine the sizes of the transistors selected for obfuscation such that only a limited set of key values produce the correct circuit functionality. The proposed algorithm and the obfuscation methodology is implemented on an LC tank voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO). The operating frequency of the VCO is masked with a 24-bit encryption key applied to a 2×6 mesh structure that obfuscates the dimensions of each varactor transistor. The probability of determining the correct key is 5.96×10−8 through brute force attack. The dimensions of the obfuscated transistors determined by the analog satisfiability (aSAT) algorithm result in at least a 15%, 3%, and 13% deviation in, respectively, the effective transistor dimensions, target frequency, and voltage amplitude when an incorrect key is applied to the VCO. In addition, only one key produces the desired frequency and properly sets the overall performance specifications of the VCO. The simulated results indicate that the proposed design methodology, which quickly and accurately determines the transistor sizes for obfuscation, produces the target specifications and provides protection for analog circuits against IP piracy and reverse engineering.
Scaffolds for cartilage tissue engineering

Abstract Cartilage tissue engineering continues to be a challenging area of research due to the tissue's avascularity but is in demand because of the rising incidence of osteoarthritis. Current clinical solutions fall short because the resulting neocartilage does not possess the correct mechanical or biochemical properties, resulting in eventual treatment failure and recurrence of clinical symptoms. Scaffold-based tissue engineering is an attractive solution because it can offer initial shape and support for new cartilage tissue formation, while degrading over time as the cartilage regenerates to allow better tissue integration. This chapter will review some of the commonly used biodegradable materials and scaffolds developed and their assessment for cartilage and osteochondral extracellular matrix development and tissue regeneration.
Anticipatory practices: Shifting baselines and environmental imaginaries of ecological restoration in the Columbia River Basin:

Ecological restorationists working to restore species and habitats must make decisions about how to monitor the effectiveness of their actions. In order to do this, they must determine historical b...
Hipoparatiroidismo iatrogénico: um desafio a vários níveis

Introducao: O medico de familia (MF) e frequentemente confrontado com alteracoes clinicas pos-operatorias. O hipoparatiroidismo, principal complicacao da tiroidectomia total, apresenta um amplo espetro clinico, sendo desafiante o seu tratamento e seguimento. Descricao do caso: Mulher, 70 anos, analfabeta, submetida a tiroidectomia total e paratiroidectomia superior direita em Marco/2010. Ainda no internamento, inicia parestesias periorais e dos membros, secundarias a hipocalcemia, que revertem apos um dia. No ultimo dia de internamento, a calcemia e normal e a nota de alta e omissa relativamente a suplementacao. No proprio dia da alta, a utente recorre ao servico de urgencia (SU) por reaparecimento das queixas. E medicada com calcio oral e reavaliada clinicamente, no SU, apos uma semana. Nessa reavaliacao, por manter hipocalcemia, prossegue suplementacao. Dezoito dias pos-cirurgia, a utente entrega a MF apenas a carta do internamento porque, na urgencia, nunca foi fornecida qualquer informacao escrita. Na consulta hospitalar, um mes apos a cirurgia, nao ha registo de hipoparatiroidismo. Em Marco/2011, a utente refere a MF parestesias esporadicas que foram medicadas com magnesio. Em 2012, apos mudanca de MF e revisao dos antecedentes, realiza estudo analitico dirigido sendo detetada hipocalcemia e reinstituida suplementacao por tres meses. Um ano depois, a utente sofre episodio de “maos em garra”. Novamente perante hipocalcemia, faz suplementacao no SU, com indicacao apenas verbal de continuar em ambulatorio. Tres meses depois, a utente informa a MF deste episodio, a qual decide realizar reavaliacoes clinicas e analiticas periodicas e especificas, com o devido tratamento em conformidade. Desde entao, a utente permanece assintomatica. Comentario: E essencial a articulacao eficaz entre MF e Hospital, bem como a revisao periodica da medicacao (especialmente se analfabetismo), alem da adequada valorizacao clinica. O seguimento desta entidade e complexo, implicando correcao dos fatores que influenciam os niveis de calcio, sob pena do tratamento permanecer ineficaz.
Data-driven statistical modeling of the emergent behavior of biohybrid microrobots.

Multi-agent biohybrid microrobotic systems, owing to their small size and distributed nature, offer powerful solutions to challenges in biomedicine, bioremediation, and biosensing. Synthetic biology enables programmed emergent behaviors in the biotic component of biohybrid machines, expounding vast potential benefits for building biohybrid swarms with sophisticated control schemes. The design of synthetic genetic circuits tailored toward specific performance characteristics is an iterative process that relies on experimental characterization of spatially homogeneous engineered cell suspensions. However, biohybrid systems often distribute heterogeneously in complex environments, which will alter circuit performance. Thus, there is a critically unmet need for simple predictive models that describe emergent behaviors of biohybrid systems to inform synthetic gene circuit design. Here, we report a data-driven statistical model for computationally efficient recapitulation of the motility dynamics of two types of Escherichia coli bacteria-based biohybrid swarms—NanoBEADS and BacteriaBots. The statistical model was coupled with a computational model of cooperative gene expression, known as quorum sensing (QS). We determined differences in timescales for programmed emergent behavior in BacteriaBots and NanoBEADS swarms, using bacteria as a comparative baseline. We show that agent localization and genetic circuit sensitivity strongly influence the timeframe and the robustness of the emergent behavior in both systems. Finally, we use our model to design a QS-based decentralized control scheme wherein agents make independent decisions based on their interaction with other agents and the local environment. We show that synergistic integration of synthetic biology and predictive modeling is requisite for the efficient development of biohybrid systems with robust emergent behaviors.
Unclear database search

Our concern here is in finding the objects in a database that have a desired value for a given attribute where our knowledge of the attribute value for the database objects is unclear. Here, the unclear attribute values are expressed using a generalized belief structure that contains both granular aspects and random aspects. Further, our target attribute value is also not clearly specified and is also expressed using a generalized belief structure but one with different granular components. We first discuss the properties of a monotonic measure and use this to define generalized belief structures, which we use to model our unclear information. We show that the degree of matching in this case of unclear database object values and unclear target values is interval valued which in makes the problem of finding the optimal database object difficult since we must compare interval values. Finally, we introduce the golden rule method for enabling a comparison between interval-valued degrees of matching.
Management Science: The Legacy of the Past and Challenge of the Future

This paper uses the 65th anniversary of Management Science as an opportunity to examine how well the journal has performed against its primary goal to promote development and encourage application ...
Community-based sugar-sweetened beverage intervention associated with short-term improvements in self-rated oral health.

OBJECTIVES To assess the efficacy of a community-based childhood obesity prevention intervention targeting Sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption on self-rated oral health among children and their parents/caregivers. METHODS This study is a secondary analysis of data from a pilot site-randomized intervention (H2 GO!) targeting SSB consumption and obesity risk among children. The 6-week SSB behavioural intervention was implemented in two Massachusetts Boys and Girls Club sites that were matched for size and racial/ethnic composition. Children ages 9-12 years and their parents/caregivers were eligible to participate. Data on self-rated oral health and sociodemographics were obtained via self-report surveys at baseline, 2 and 6 months. Generalized linear mixed regression models were used to estimate 2- and 6-month change in oral health associated with the intervention. RESULTS Data are from 100 child participants (46% female; 38% Black, 20% Hispanic, 13% White, 12% Multiracial, 11% Asian) and 87 parent participants (78.2% female; 37.9% Hispanic, 29.9% Black, 14.9% Asian, 10.3% White). At baseline, 47% of child participants rated their oral health as good, followed by very good (32%), fair (11%) and excellent (10%). Among parents, 46.3% rated their oral health as good, followed by very good (29.3%), excellent (9.8%), fair (9.7%) and poor (4.9%). The intervention was associated with 2- and 6-month improvements in child participants' mean self-rated oral health scores (β = 0.78; 95% CI: 0.48, 1.087; P < .001; β = 0.98; 95% CI: 0.61, 1.34; P < .001, respectively) and with 2-month improvements in parent participants' mean self-rated oral health (β = 0.42; 95% CI: 0.016, 0.82; P = .042). CONCLUSION Short-term improvements in oral health among children and their parents/caregivers were observed among those participating in a SSB behavioural intervention. Community-based behavioural programmes targeting SSB consumption may be a promising approach to promote oral health as well as prevent childhood obesity.
What Does Indeterminism Offer to Agency

Libertarian views of freedom claim that, although determinism would rule out our freedom, we are nevertheless free on some occasions. An odd implication of such views (to put it mildly) seems to be...
Machine Learning System-Enabled GPU Acceleration for EDA

Electronic design automation (EDA) contains many of the most challenging computational problems that optimize circuit layouts across billions of transistors. Most existing EDA algorithms are architecturally constrained by CPU parallelism, and their performances stagnate at about 8-16 cores To achieve new transformational performance milestones, new EDA algorithms must harness the power of heterogeneous parallelism comprising manycore CPUs and GPUs. However, these milestones are too difficult to achieve without a suitable software system to assist developers in the implementation complexities built into heterogeneous parallelism. Thanks to the advancement of machine learning, various software systems have been introduced to streamline the design of heterogeneous programs, and these results have inspired new heterogeneous parallel EDA solutions. In this talk, we present our research on GPU acceleration for placement and timing analysis by harnessing the power of machine learning systems. As an example, we achieve 500× speed-up for static timing analysis on a million-gate design.
New Pre-Requisites for Steep Sub-Threshold Tunnel Transistors

One of the major mechanisms of tunnel transistor operation is ‘energy filtering’, which involves current switching by alignment and misalignment of energy levels in the channel of the transistor. Due to the influence of the contacts, the channel energy levels are never perfectly sharp, but have some broadening. The conventional Lorentzian lineshape leads to unacceptably slow algebraic sub-threshold current fall off. In this paper, we argue that the contacts to the tunnel transistor need to be narrowband, heavy-effective mass wires to achieve sharper-than-Lorentzian current switching.
Clinical Availability of ATRA for Patients With Suspected Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia: Why Guidelines May Not Be Followed.

Background All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) serves as the backbone of the management of patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), with guidelines recommending the initiation of ATRA as soon as APL is suspected. As a regional referral center for patients with acute leukemia, those who are suspected of having APL are often transferred to our facility. However, many referring centers are unable to initiate treatment using ATRA. We conducted an exploratory analysis of the clinical availability of ATRA and the factors limiting access to this critical drug. Patients and methods The United States was divided into 6 geographic regions: Northwest, Southwest, Central, Southeast, Northeast, and the Great Lakes. Twenty hospitals were randomly selected from states within each of these regions and were surveyed as to whether they typically treated patients with acute leukemia, the availability of ATRA at their institution, and reported reasons for not stocking ATRA (if not available). Results Less than one-third of hospitals queried (31%) had ATRA in stock. Neither the size of the hospital nor the hospital's status as academic versus nonacademic (53% vs 31%; P=.08) influenced ATRA availability. Of the hospitals that referred patients with APL, only 14% (7/49) had ATRA readily available. Hospitals that treated patients with APL were more likely to have ATRA available than referring centers (58% vs 14%; P=.000002). Conclusions Nearly two-thirds of the hospitals surveyed that cared for patients with acute leukemia do not have ATRA immediately available. Moreover, the vast majority of hospitals that refer patients to other centers do not have ATRA. These findings should spur investigation into the impact of immediate ATRA availability on the morbidity and mortality of patients with APL. A call by hematologists nationwide to their formulary committees is warranted to ensure that this lifesaving medication is available to patients suspected of having APL.
Prognostic Value of Red Blood Cell Distribution Width in Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Patients.

ObjectiveElevated red blood cell distribution width (RDW) level has been shown to be associated with poor outcomes in patients with cardiovascular disease. Limited data are available regarding the ...
Examining the bi-directional relationship between intimate partner violence and depression: Findings from a longitudinal study among women and men in rural Rwanda

Abstract Several studies confirm that intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization is associated with symptoms of depression among women and men. Less recognized, is the potential role that depression symptoms may play in elevating the risk for IPV victimization and/or perpetration. While both phenomena deserve attention as global health issues in their own right, establishing the extent to which depression symptoms may be a risk factor for IPV as well as a consequence, holds promise to motivate greater attention to mental health issues as part of population-based violence prevention efforts. To advance this area of research and practice, we investigate the bidirectional association between IPV and depression symptoms in the context of a community randomized trial testing a couples based IPV prevention intervention in rural Rwanda. Results indicate that women's experience of depression symptoms at baseline were associated with physical, sexual, physical and/or sexual, or high intensity emotional IPV victimization at 24 months. Men's experience of depression symptoms at baseline were also associated with perpetration of physical, physical and/or sexual IPV, and severe physical and/or sexual IPV at 24 months. IPV victimization and perpetration, in turn, was also associated with a risk for future depression. At baseline, women who experienced any type of IPV and men who perpetrated physical or physical and/or sexual IPV were more likely to report depression symptoms at 24 months. Our findings highlight the need for trauma informed approaches for IPV prevention as well as access to proximate and affordable mental health services to reduce IPV and improve women and men's mental health.
The relationship between late prenatal hemoglobin levels and febrile puerperal morbidity

Abstract 1. 1. Records of 2,018 consecutive multiparas, with normal term pregnancies and spontaneous home or hospital deliveries, are reviewed. Conditions of trauma, infection exposure and handling were reasonably homogeneous for the group. 2. 2. Hemoglobin determinations, within four weeks ante partum, were available in 1,001 cases. A marked, almost uninterrupted, decline of the incidence of febrility, with increasing values of hemoglobin, is reflected throughout various tabulations by color and place of confinement. 3. 3. The rates of febrility based upon all febrile reactions, including “one-day fever”, show a similar arrangement. 4. 4. This relationship persists through and above a hemoglobin range ordinarily considered satisfactory. 5. 5. Delivery blood loss was measured or estimated in 2,015 cases. For losses of 600 c.c. or more, fever rates were two to ten times the rates for lesser amounts of bleeding. Blood loss within “normal” ranges was not demonstrably related to febrility. 6. 6. Patients with blood losses of less than 600 c.c., when subdivided according to prenatal hemoglobin levels and amounts of blood loss, present evidence that puerperal morbidity is related to the blood status at term, more closely than to bleeding at delivery, short of serious hemorrhage. 7. 7. Racial comparisons of hemoglobin distribution, total fever rates, and rates within corresponding hemoglobin ranges, give evidence that the low prenatal blood values prevailing among negroes on this service are an important factor contributing to their much greater incidence of puerperal morbidity. 8. 8. The findings indicate that an acid hematin test, during the last month of pregnancy, is a useful index of potential resistance to infection. They serve to emphasize the importance of hemoglobin determinations at intervals during pregnancy. Commonly encountered values between 10.0 and 12.0 Gm., whether “normal” or not, seem to express a status distinctly less satisfactory than higher levels. With due respect to the conservation of blood at delivery, the blood content with which a woman reaches term seems deserving of equally energetic attention.
Central Role of p53 on Regulation of Vascular Permeability Factor/Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VPF/VEGF) Expression in Mammary Carcinoma

The process of angiogenic switching is one of the most important factors in the growth and development of breast tumors. Vascular permeability factor/vascular endothelial growth factor (VPF/VEGF) is considered to be the most important directly acting angiogenic protein that has been shown to be up-regulated in breast cancer cells. Hypoxia seems to be an important stimulus for inducing VPF/VEGF mRNA expression in human mammary tumors. Here, we have studied the roles of the tumor suppressor gene p53 and the proto-oncogene c-Src in regulating the transcription of VPF/VEGF in breast cancer cell lines MCF-7 and MDA-MB 435 under both normoxic and hypoxic conditions. p53 significantly inhibited the transcription of VPF/VEGF involving the transcription factor Sp1. Increased binding of Sp1 to the VPF/VEGF promoter has been observed when the cells were exposed to hypoxia. It has been shown that p53 makes a complex with Sp1 and inhibits its binding to the VPF/VEGF promoter to prevent the transcriptional activation. Furthermore, c-Src kinase activity was found to be increased in the hypoxic condition, and in the presence of antisense of Src, there was down-regulation of the total mRNA level and also the promoter activity of VPF/VEGF. The present study indicates that p53 can also inhibit the hypoxic induction of Src kinase activity and thereby may prevent VPF/VEGF transcription. Taken together, our data suggest a central role of p53, through which it can inhibit VPF/VEGF expression by regulating the transcriptional activity of Sp1 and also by down-regulating the Src kinase activity, under both normoxic and hypoxic conditions.
Neighborhood systems: mathematical models of information granulations

The notion of neighborhood systems (NS), which is an abstraction of "near" or "negligible distance," is used to model information granulation. A granule at a point (object) p consists of a clump (crisp/fuzzy set) of data that are related or near the point p. Mathematically, NS, by its definition, includes topological spaces (TS) and rough sets (RS) as special cases. The deeper part of NS is its ability in representing the context dependent notion of near-ness or approximation (via small granule). We apply the idea to formulate the notion of qualitative fuzzy sets.
Chapter 6 Comparative molecular biology of visual pigments

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the way the existing opsin sequence data have been used to identify important amino acid changes that are responsible for modifying the absorption spectra of visual pigments. Identification of such potentially important amino acid changes is based on the fact that vertebrate ancestors have actually adapted to various photic environments by modifying their visual systems. To understand the molecular genetic basis of spectral tuning of visual pigments, it is essential to establish correlations between a series of the sequences of visual pigments and their λ max values. The potentially important amino acid changes identified in this way have to be tested whether they are in fact responsible for the λ max-shifts using site-directed mutagenesis and cultured cells. The effects of opsin mutants on the folding of visual pigments in cultured cells are reviewed.
The Process of Hydrostatic Compaction of B2O3 Glass

Upon application of high pressure, glass exhibits both elastic and anelastic behavior even at room temperatures. The consequence of anelastic behavior has been recognized as an “irreversible” densification. The technique developed permitted measurement of the instantaneous volume of B2O3 glass under hydrostatic pressure up to 22 kbar. It was observed that (1) anelastic volume strain is highly nonlinear in pressure, (2) apparent bulk viscosity may be lower than 1015poise at onset of pressure application and tends to approach infinitely large value as time advances, and (3) more than one ordering parameter is necessary to be consistent with observed compaction under pressure.
Analysis of Acoustic Signatures from Moving Vehicles UsingTime-Varying Autoregressive Models

Time-varying autoregressive (TVAR) modeling approach for the analysis of acoustic signatures from moving vehicles is presented in this paper. Acoustic signatures from moving vehicles are nonstationary, and features extracted under the stationary assumption often result unsatisfactory performance. In TVAR modeling approach, the time-varying parameters are expanded as a linear combination of deterministic time functions. In this paper, the TVAR parameters are expanded by a low-order discrete cosine transform (DCT), since DCT is known to be close to the optimal Kahrunen-Loeve transform when the signal is Markov. The maximum likelihood estimation and order selection in TVAR models are also discussed. Many attributes of vehicle activities, such as vehicle type, engine speed, loading, road condition, etc., may be inferred from the estimated model parameters. The performance of the TVAR modeling approach is tested with both synthetic and real acoustic signatures. A synthetic signal containing multiple time-varying sinusoids are used to compare the performances in the estimation of time-frequency distribution with other approaches. In the experiment with acoustic signatures from moving vehicles, it is shown that the TVAR models can be effectively used to determine vehicle activities and types at close range and cruising speed.
Sugar transport. II. Characterization of constitutive membrane-bound enzymes II of the Escherichia coli phosphotransferase system.

Abstract The Enzymes II of a bacterial phosphotransferase system are sugar-specific membrane components, most of which are inducible. The present studies are concerned with the constitutive Enzymes II of Escherichia coli. In the presence of purified Enzyme I and HPr of the phosphotransferase system, an E. coli membrane fraction catalyzed the transfer of phosphate from phosphoenolpyruvate to d-glucose, d-mannose, and d-fructose. Extraction of the membrane fraction with a mixture of urea and 1-butanol gave a protein fraction (II-A), which catalyzed the reaction only in the presence of the residual pellet. Fraction II-A was purified free of lipid, and subfractionated by isoelectric focusing to three proteins, each being required for phosphorylation of one of the sugars. The pellet was treated with deoxycholate and fractionated, giving another protein fraction (II-B) which was purified free of lipid. The combination of II-A and II-B was inactive in the phosphorylation reaction unless supplemented with divalent cation and with crude E. coli lipid. A minor component of crude E. coli lipid, phosphatidylglycerol, was found to be the active lipid factor. Thus, reconstitution of Enzyme II activity, specific for one of the three sugars, was effected by combining the corresponding specific II-A with II-B, phosphatidylglycerol, and either Ca++ or Mg++. However, activity was dependent upon the sequence of mixing of the four components. The activity of reconstituted Enzyme II was found in a sedimentable pellet. Further study of this phenomenon showed that II-B, phosphatidylglycerol, and divalent cation interacted to give a sedimentable pellet which catalyzed the phosphorylation of the sugars in the presence of II-A and the phospho-HPr generating system. Activity of the pellet was studied as a function of the concentration of phosphatidylglycerol added to the mixture, and the optimum was reached when all of the lipid sedimented with the protein; additional quantities of lipid gave less active pellets. At the optimum, the pellet contained II-B and lipid in a ratio of 1:1 (w/w). Each of the II-A proteins appeared homogeneous when examined by disc gel electrophoresis. Protein II-B, which showed a marked tendency to aggregate in the absence of detergent, was studied by electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gel in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate, and only one protein band was detected, its mobility corresponding to a molecular weight of about 36,000. If II-B is homogeneous it represents at least 10% of the protein in the membrane preparation.
Hydrogeology of northern Sierra de Chiapas, Mexico: a conceptual model based on a geochemical characterization of sulfide-rich karst brackish springs

Conspicuous sulfide-rich karst springs flow from Cretaceous carbonates in northern Sierra de Chiapas, Mexico. This is a geologically complex, tropical karst area. The physical, geologic, hydrologic and chemical attributes of these springs were determined and integrated into a conceptual hydrogeologic model. A meteoric source and a recharge elevation below 1,500 m are estimated from the spring-water isotopic signature regardless of their chemical composition. Brackish spring water flows at a maximum depth of 2,000 m, as inferred from similar chemical attributes to the produced water from a nearby oil well. Oil reservoirs may be found at depths below 2,000 m. Three subsurface environments or aquifers are identified based on the B, Li+, K+ and SiO2 concentrations, spring water temperatures, and CO2 pressures. There is mixing between these aquifers. The aquifer designated Local is shallow and contains potable water vulnerable to pollution. The aquifer named Northern receives some brackish produced water. The composition of the Southern aquifer is influenced by halite dissolution enhanced at fault detachment surfaces. Epigenic speleogenesis is associated with the Local springs. In contrast, hypogenic speleogenesis is associated with the brackish sulfidic springs from the Northern and the Southern environments.
Piping response testing associated with pipe rupture

Abstract EPRI has sponsored an experimental program in the pipe whip impact and pipe rupture and depressurization areas. Sixteen pipe whip tests were performed with 3 in Schedule 80 (or 10) carbon steel pipes impacting on rigid target or concrete slab. The major testing parameters include distance, impact location, pipe rupture location, and concrete slab thickness and strength. The piping crushing at impact correlates with impact force and target response behavior. Conservatism was established by comparing measured and calculated impact forces. The pipe rupture and depressurization tests were carried out using 6 in stainless steel and carbon steel pipes under either PWR or BWR fluid conditions. These tests are of axial crack with initial machined-in surface flaw. It was found that pipe rupture would occur only if a long unstable through-wall crack was embedded in a sufficiently long unstable part-through crack (in the pipe wall). All other flaw configuration tested led to pipe leakage only. Reaction forces were measured which show conservatism of simplified method for fully ruptured condition. No good crack propagation information was obtained.
Development of a Curriculum to Lower Dietary Fat Intake in a Multiethnic Population with Low Literacy Skills

Abstract Low-literate, low-income populations face unique issues as they attempt to modify their diet to lower risk of chronic disease. The goal of the Stanford Nutrition Action Program (SNAP) was to design a curriculum that would address such issues and stimulate reduction of dietary fat. Initial focus groups and pilot tests were conducted to assess nutrition knowledge, interests, and dietary habits of a multiethnic, low-literate population. These investigations revealed that a nutrition education curriculum tailored to a population with low literacy skills would need to address the taste, cost, and convenience of low-fat foods, and teach participants how to incorporate low-fat foods and cooking methods into their family's diet with minimal disruption. These findings, combined with published data on food intake and preferences, were used to design the SNAP curriculum. The SNAP classroom curriculum operationalized principles of adult education, constructs from social learning theory, and followed established national guidelines on how to develop appropriate print materials for low-literate adults. Each of its six lessons included role modeling, goal setting, problem solving, group activities, and skills building tasks; many included SNAP videotapes, food demonstrations, and posters that enhanced group discussions. Print materials were written at or below the 5th grade reading level. The SNAP curriculum combined interactive teaching techniques and behavior change methods to successfully teach and stimulate the interest of low-literate, low-income population to overcome barriers to reducing fat.
Patterns in the Chemical Fractionation of Organic Nitrogen in Rocky Mountain Streams

The intraannual dynamics of particulate organic nitrogen (PON) and two fractions of dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) were investigated in two Rocky Mountain streams draining watersheds with low rates of N deposition. Organic nitrogen accounted for over 60% of the total annual nitrogen export and consisted mostly of DON. Nitrate peaked during winter months and declined considerably during the growing season (less than 10 g/L) suggesting the importance of biotic uptake. Concentrations of PON, total DON, and two DON fractions (humic and non-humic) peaked during spring runoff and were positively related to discharge, indicating hydrologic influence. Total DON and its two fractions showed significant inverse relationships to nitrate, indicating that DON and nitrate followed different intraannual patterns. Despite its seasonal fluctuations in concentration, PON showed a consistent carbon‐nitrogen (C:N) ratio suggesting that it was relatively uniform in composition. Fractionation studies indicated that DON was primarily of nonhumic origin, whereas dissolved organic carbon (DOC) was mainly derived from humic sources. The two DON fractions differed from each other in seasonal patterns of concentration and C:N ratio. The proportion of humic DON increased during snowmelt, and there were diverging seasonal patterns in the C:N ratio of the two fractions implying variations in bioavailability. Although organic nitrogen is commonly treated as a single pool in ecological studies, our results indicated that DON consists of fractions that undergo large intraannual changes in proportions and chemical composition. Treatment of DON as a single pool may be misleading from the viewpoint of understanding ecosystem processes directly related to changes in its sources and biological reactivity.
Front Tracking for Petroleum Reservoir Simulation

The front tracking method gives high quality solutions for problems with important discontinuities. The method has been applied to several model problems in reservoir simulation. Results are given for quarter 5-spot studies in an areal reservoir and the water coning problem in a vertical cylindrical section surrounding a production well. Both problems were treated as incompressible flow in the absence of capillary pressure. We have studied miscible and immiscible displacement for frontal mobility ratios of 1 and 5. Validation studies include mesh refinement, grid orientation and orthogonal coordinate changes.
Vasopressor Weaning in Patients with Septic Shock

The purpose of this article is to propose optimal weaning of vasopressors in patients with septic shock. Topics discussed include pathophysiology of sepsis and septic shock, treatment guidelines for sepsis, autoregulation of blood flow, vasopressors used in septic shock, weaning recommendations, monitor alarms in the intensive care unit, and new directions in sepsis research.
Viscosity-temperature relations and structure in fully polymerized aluminosilicate melts from ion dynamics simulations

Abstract Results of a series of molecular dynamics simulations indicate that the Al:Si ratio (and to a lesser extent the type of charge-balancing countercation) present in aluminosilicate melts induces a “chemical pressure” that significantly influences the temperature dependence of the melt viscosity. The temperature dependence of the T-O bond length and T-O-T angle in the melt has been calculated for albite, anorthite, nepheline, and MgAl2Si2O8 (a magnesium analog of anorthite) at their experimental melt densities at atmospheric pressure and for pure silica at two different densities corresponding to V V 0 = 1.0 ( 1 atm) and V V 0 = 0.8 ( ~4 GPa) . These simulations show that melt fragility can be correlated to increasing T-O length and decreasing T-O-T angle, both of which are characteristics of silicate melts under increasing pressure. Framework cations with coordination numbers greater than four are observed in these aluminosilicate melts and are shown to be related to fragile behavior. Finally, for nepheline and anorthite we infer a large contribution to fragility from configurational disordering of Al-O-Si links which are known to be dominant in the glasses but are found to be absent from the simulated melts.
Space, time and the pattern of individual associations in a group-living species: Sanderlings have no friends

The persistence of flock membership through time and space was examined for wintering sanderlings Calidris alba at Bodega Bay, California from October 1978 to March 1981. Observed patterns of association were then compared with those expected from a null model: that the set of birds within a given flock represent a random sample from the local population.