cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adenovirus-mediated increase of exogenous and inhibition of endogenous fosB gene expression in cultured pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells.

Modification of gene expression in pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) could be a valuable tool for investigating the role of specific gene products in normal and pathological PASMC growth, and a novel potential therapy for pulmonary vascular diseases. To examine the direct role of fosB protein in PASMC growth, adenovirus (Ad) vectors were used to transfer sense or antisense full-length fosB cDNAs to cultured PASMCs to modify fosB expression, and investigate the effects of this modification on PASMC growth. The full-length fosB cDNA under the control of the cytomegalovirus (CMV) early gene promoter was constructed into an E1 region-deleted, replication-deficient human type 5 Ad vector in either sense or antisense orientation. Forty-eight hours after infection with the sense construct (Ad.S. fosB) at 3 plaque-forming units per cell (pfu/cell). PASMCs expressed abundant fosB mRNA and fosB protein. FosB protein was detected by immunohistochemistry in approximately 95% of the infected cells. PASMCs infected with Ad.S.fosB at ratios of 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 1.3, and 10 pfu/cell showed a dose-dependent increase in fosB mRNA expression, with half-maximal and maximal expression at 1 and 10 pfu/cell, respectively. The increase in fosB mRNA expression was detected as early as 8 h and persisted for 25 days after infection. Forty-eight hours after infection with the antisense construct (Ad.A.fosB) at 3 pfu/cell, very low levels of fosB mRNA were detected by Northern blotting, in which the double-stranded fosB cDNA was labeled and used as a hybridization probe. FosB protein was undetectable by Western blotting or immunocytochemical analyses in the Ad.A.fosB infected cells. Cytopathical effects were observed when PASMCs were infected with either Ad.S.fosB or Ad.A.fosB at ratios of 10 pfu/cell or higher. Infection of serum-deprived PASMCs with Ad.S.fosB or Ad.A.fosB alone at 3 pfu/cell did not affect cellular growth. These results show that adenoviral vectors containing sense or antisense fosB cDNA expression units can be used to effectively modify fosB gene expression. Although changes in fos-B gene expression did not affect cellular growth, this model system offers a very effective method for elucidating the biological roles of other gene products and studying the pathways of PASMC gene regulation and signal transduction.
Le Cannibalisme dans le Conte Merveilleux Grec: Questions d'interprétation et de Typologie

Reviewed Medium: book Authors: Emmanouela Katrinaki Year: 2008 Pages: 328 Publisher: Academia Scientiarum Fennica/Suomalainen Tiedeakatemia ISBN: 978-951-41-1025-2 (hard cover).
Time-variable OH emission from S269.

The 1665 MHz OH maser emission from S269 (a.k.a. PP59) is variable on year-like time scales by factors as great as 26,000%. There is no obvious correlation between the light curves of individual spectral features and their relative positions in the maser region. These results suggest that some OH masers have short lifetimes (<2 yr), and that caution must be exercised when using OH maser variability to study interstellar refraction effects over long time scales.
Summary of the Workshop

Eighteen papers and two posters were presented by scientists from eight different countries during the two days of the NATO ARW.
The objectives of private and public judges: A comment

The model presented in this paper hypothesizes that judges try to maximize prestige and that the way to achieve this goal is to decide cases efficiently. There is, however, no basis for assuming that this is the goal of judges and even if we accept this hypothesis, the only implication is that disputes should be settled efficiently, not that efficient rules should be promulgated.
Convective self‐aggregation, cold pools, and domain size

[1] Convective self-aggregation refers to a phenomenon in cloud-resolving simulations wherein the atmosphere spontaneously develops a circulation with a convecting moist patch and a nonconvecting dry patch. All previous studies have found a sharp transition to aggregated convection when the domain size exceeds a critical threshold, typically in the range of 200–300 km. Here, we show that cold pools are responsible for this sharp transition. When cold pools are inhibited, self-aggregation occurs at all domain sizes. In this case, the aggregation strength decreases smoothly as the domain size L is decreased below about 200–300 km. A streamfunction analysis reveals two distinct sources for the air subsiding into the dry-patch boundary layer: a moist, shallow circulation and a dry, deep circulation. The deep circulation scales with L, whereas the shallow circulation does not. At small L, the shallow circulation dominates, thereby weakening the aggregation.
Religious coping and mental health outcomes: an exploratory study of socioeconomically disadvantaged patients.

Objective This study was designed to investigate the association between religious coping and mental health in a socioeconomically disadvantaged population. Methods Participants were selected as they presented for mental healthcare at a community health center for patients with little, if any, financial resources or insurance. A total of 123 patients participated in this study. Multiple regression analysis was used to identify religious coping predictors for mental health outcomes. Results Positive religious coping (PRC) was significantly associated with and predictive of better mental health ( P P = .031) with gender, income, and ethnicity controlled for in the model. The relationship between NRC and inferior mental health outcomes was more robust than the relationship between PRC and improved mental health scores. Conclusions This study illustrates the important association between PRC and NRC and mental health outcomes among economically disadvantaged patients. Interpretation of these findings and clinical implications are offered.
Robustness analysis for systems with ellipsoidal uncertainty

SUMMARY This note derives an explicit expression for computing the robustness margin for aƒne systems whose real and complex coeƒcients are related by an ellipsoidal constraint. The expression, which is an application of a result by Chen, Fan, and Nett for rank-one generalized structured singular-value problems, extends and unifies previous results on robustness margin computation for systems with ellipsoidal uncertainty. ( 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Modification of sialyl residues of gonadotropic hormones by reductive amination. Influence on biological activity and circulating half-life

The sialic acid residues of human chorionic gonadotropin, human lutropin and human follitropin were quantitatively modified by introduction of an amino compound. In radioreceptor assays, the modified chorionic gonadotropin, lutropin and follitropin saturated the receptors. However, in the low nanogram range, the gonadotropic binding was higher for the control compared to the modified sample.
MODELLING REGULATORY DISTORTIONS WITH REAL OPTIONS

ABSTRACT The introduction of uncertainty can make a significant difference in the valuation of a project. This manifests itself, inter alia, in the regulatory constraints that can affect the valuations of the firm's investment which, in turn has an adverse impact on consumers' welfare. In particular, the inability to exercise any or all of the delay, abandon, start/stop, and time-to-build options has an economic and social cost. With this view in mind, we specify and estimate a model where regulatory constraints impact on the firm's cash flow and on investment valuation with real options methods. This paper uses real options analysis to address issues of regulation that have not been previously quantified. We show that regulatory constraints on cash flow have an impact on investment valuations in the telecommunications industry. Specifically, a model is developed to estimate the cost of regulation for broadband services. We show that the cash flow constraints and the inability to delay and abandon has a s...
Factors associated with unplanned hospital readmission among patients 65 years of age and older in a medicare managed care plan

Abstract PURPOSE: Unplanned hospital readmission within 30 days of discharge is considered a "sentinel event" for poor quality. Patients at high risk for this adverse event could be targeted for interventions designed to reduce their risk of readmission. The purpose of this study was to identify patient characteristics and risk factors at discharge associated with unplanned readmission within 30 days of hospital discharge. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We performed a matched case-control study among patients in a Medicare managed care plan who had been admitted to an academic hospital. The cases were patients aged 65 years or older who were urgently or emergently readmitted to the hospital within 30 days of discharge. One control patient who was not readmitted within 30 days was matched to each case by principal diagnosis. The medical records of the first admission of the cases and the admission of the controls underwent review (blinded to case-control status) to determine the patient's baseline demographic characteristics, comorbid conditions, previous health care utilization, and functional status. The records were also reviewed to assess risk factors on discharge, including clinical instability, inability to ambulate and feed, mental status changes, number of discharge medications, and discharge disposition. RESULTS: Five factors were independently associated ( P CONCLUSIONS: If validated, these factors may identify patients at high risk of readmission. They suggest that interventions, such as improved discharge education programs, may reduce unplanned readmssion.
Stimulus properties of nicotine, amphetamine, and chlordiazepoxide as positive features in a Pavlovian appetitive discrimination task in rats

Recent experiments from our laboratory have demonstrated that drug states can signal when environmental cues will be followed by rewarding outcomes (ie Pavlovian conditioning). However, little is known about the generality of this approach and whether it can be used for studying the pharmacological properties of drug states. Accordingly, the present experiments tested the pharmacological specificity of nicotine (0.4 mg/kg), amphetamine (1 mg/kg), and chlordiazepoxide (CDP, 5 mg/kg) in this Pavlovian drug discrimination procedure. Following drug administration, presentation of a conditional stimulus (CS) was followed by brief access to sucrose. When saline was administered, the same CS was presented but sucrose was withheld. In substitution tests, rats in each condition received varying doses of all training drugs and caffeine. Anticipatory food seeking developed during the CS on drug sessions but not on saline sessions for all drug features (ie drug state-specific conditional response (CR)). In generalization tests, this CR decreased as a function of decreases in the training dose. Median effective doses (ED50s) were calculated for nicotine (0.054 mg/kg), amphetamine (0.26 mg/kg), and CDP (2.48 mg/kg). No compound tested substituted for the CDP training drug. Partial substitution was evident between nicotine and amphetamine; CDP did not substitute for either of these drug features. Caffeine fully substituted for nicotine (ED50 = 15.45 mg/kg) and amphetamine (ED50 = 3.70 mg/kg), but not for CDP. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that drug states can occasion appetitive Pavlovian CRs in a pharmacologically specific manner.
“Intensity” targets: pathway or roadblock to preventing climate change while enhancing economic growth?

Abstract After establishing the operative definitions of greenhouse gas emissions “intensity” targets and “absolute” targets for greenhouse gas emissions limits, we identify examples of these approaches in current laws and policies. We focus in particular on the US experience with the sulfur dioxide emissions “cap and trade” program as an example of the use of an “absolute” target approach. We compare and contrast this example with “performance standard” programs under the US Clean Air Act and the Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards for motor vehicles, which embody the emissions rate or “intensity” concept. These case studies give us insights into the pros and cons of the intensity versus absolute approaches. Moving from retrospective to prospective, we consider the possible application of alternative absolute and intensity targets (IT) to global, national and firm-level emissions. We then identify criteria for evaluating the use of “intensity” targets as a tool for achieving both environmental and economic goals. These include success in limiting climate change, achieving cost certainty and manageability, providing flexibility for public and private sector decision-makers in responding to new information, stimulating technological progress and sustaining a global climate regime.
Informational and motivational components of social reinforcement

Abstract Thirty-six four-year-old children of each sex were tested in a two-choice marble dropping task. There were three Ss in each cell of a 3 × 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design. The factors investigated were: reinforcement condition (Contingent, Yoked, Nonreinforcement), sex, base preference level (strong vs weak), Base Rate Level (high vs low). The dependent variables were: base preference ratio, base rate, preference ratio change, rate change. The contingently reinforced Ss had significantly higher preference change scores than Ss in the other two reinforcement conditions but only at the high base preference level. The Ss in both the contingent and yoked groups had higher rate change scores than Ss in the nonreinforcement group. The results were interpreted as indicating social reinforcement may have two effects, one a cue function and the other an effect on S's motivational system. The results indicate that regression effects do not operate in the two-choice task and that crossing baseline levels of performance is an effective way to control baseline differences in analyses of change in the two-choice task.
Gamma Ray Detectors Made from High Purity Germanium

A solution regrowth technique for growing P+ and N+ contacts on high purity germanium is described. Copper contamination of the high purity germanium is minimized by using KCN to remove copper from the surface of the germanium and by the gettering ability of molten indium in contact with the germanium. Diodes with leakage currents as low as 3 × 10-11 amp for 2000 volts applied to a fully depleted 4 mm thick detector have been fabricated. Preliminary measurements show that the resolution obtained with these diodes is comparable to the best Li drifted germanium detectors at 60 keV and 122 keV. Diodes have been warmed to room temperature as many as five times with no degradation in resolution.
Catastrophic hurricane history revealed by organic geochemical proxies in coastal lake sediments: a case study of Lake Shelby, Alabama (USA)

We developed a new method for reconstructing millennia-long hurricane records from coastal environments that uses Organic Geochemical Proxies (OGPs) of organic carbon and nitrogen concentrations and their δ13C and δ15N compositions. The new method is independent of presence/absence of sand layers and improves significantly the severe-storm history resolution. The subject of this investigation is a 1.5 m long sediment core raised at 2.8 m water depth from the center of Lake Shelby, Alabama, a freshwater lake located approximately 250 m from the Gulf of Mexico, from which an overwash sand-layer based record was previously derived. The core contains two distinct sediment units; an upper 62 cm thick, fine-grained, organic-rich lacustrine sapropel (gyttja) that shows no visible structures except one sand lamina at 23.7 cm depth, and an underlying 90 cm thick, organic-poor lagoon/estuary clay unit. The sapropel unit was deposited over a 682 ± 30 cal year time interval (1320–2002 A.D.) with a mean sedimentation rate of 0.79 ± 0.04 mm/year. Lake Shelby’s water column exhibits two contrasting states based on water chemistry surveys (i) an “isolated”, stratified, mode under calm weather conditions with a relatively low trophic state, and (ii) a “flooded” mode occurring during storm surges when nutrient-rich seawater floods the lake. Statistically significant δ13C and δ15N positive excursions in organic matter, up to maximum values of −25 (‰ PDB) and 4 (‰ Air N2), respectively, are interpreted as geochemical responses to the marine intrusions that fertilize the lake, increase light availability, and cause eutrophication spikes. Detailed OGPs analyses crossing a sand layer that offers visual evidence of a catastrophic hurricane overwash event at 1717 A.D. exhibit large δ13C and δ15N positive shifts bounded by rapid returns to base values, thus confirming the validity of the hurricane identification by the OGPs model. Our data indicate that 11 catastrophic hurricanes hit the Alabama coast over the past 682 years with a rough recurrence interval of one in 62 years.
Silica standardization: a discriminant technique applied to a volcanic arc system

Abstract A classic tholeiitic, calc-alkaline, and shoshonitic island-arc sequence has developed in western Luzon, the Philippines, as a result of subduction defined by an eastward-dipping Benioff zone. A simple technique of standardizing the data allows chemical concentrations to be recast to “andesite equivalent” compositions. Based on the excellent linear correlations that exist between SiO2 and other elements, individual analyses were standardized to 55% SiO2 by projecting parallel to least-squares regression lines. Raw and SiO2-standardized data were then treated by an univariate one-factor analysis of variance and a multivariate discriminant function analysis. Results of the analysis of variance indicate that at the 99% confidence level; 20 of the 27 chemical variates discriminate between at least two of the three geographically distinct magma series; SiO2-standardized data generally discriminate better than do raw data; and K2O, Ba, Rb, Sr, and Zr provide the best discrimination. Better classification of samples into the appropriate series is obtained from results of the discriminant function analysis using the SiO2-standardized data rather than results using the raw data. With this standardizing technique it was possible to detect offsets of SiO2-standardized K2O isopleths along the Manila Bay fracture zone that correspond to offsets in contours of depths for earthquake foci.
Role of sucrose in the fitness of Streptococcus mutans

Introduction: Dental caries has been closely linked to fermentable carbohydrates as key environmental factors. Sucrose has been identified as the most cariogenic carbohydrate. Streptococcus mutans, considered to be the primary pathogen causing dental caries, is able to utilize sucrose as a nutrient source, partially for the production of intracellular storage components and for the production of extracellular glucans via the glucosyltransferases GtfB, GtfC, and GtfD. The following study explores the competitiveness and fitness of S. mutans when grown with different concentrations of sucrose. Methods: Growth competition with oral streptococci and antimicrobial susceptibility in static biofilm models grown without sucrose or with 0.1% or 0.5% sucrose were investigated using confocal laser scanning microscopy. The numbers of surviving S. mutans of both wild-type and an isogenic Gtf-negative mutant after antimicrobial treatment were determined as colony-forming units. Results: S. mutans was able to establish microcolonies with increasing sucrose concentration in the presence of other streptococcal competitors during biofilm development. The antimicrobial susceptibility decreased when sucrose was available as substrate and was dependent on the presence of the Gtfs. Conclusion: The increased resistance against antimicrobial treatment was associated with the availability of sucrose, but was not influenced much by the concentration used during this study. The resistance was strongly associated with the Gtf activity, excluding any intracellular metabolic effect of sucrose in the resistance mechanism.
Spelling Instruction for Students with Learning Disabilities: Implications for Research and Practice:

We reviewed 27 published studies on spelling instruction for students with learning disabilities (LD) and coded them for the following variables: (a) student characteristics, (b) instructional activities, (c) nature of materials to be learned, and (d) criterial tasks (Jenkins, 1979). Most of the studies investigated the impact of instructional activities on the production of targeted spelling items by elementary-grade students with LD. We interpret the results of this review as suggesting that the following activities may enhance learning for some students with LD: (a) limiting the number of new words introduced each day, (b) facilitating student-directed and peer-assisted instruction, (c) directing students to name letters aloud as they are practiced, (d) including instruction in morphemic analysis, (e) providing immediate error imitation and correction, (f) using motivating reinforcers, and (g) providing periodic retesting and review. Only limited information is available on interventions that promote g...
Information architecture for coping with aging infrastructure

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory personnel have developed a cost-effective solution for implementing the use of advanced technologies for monitoring the condition and performance of aging industrial facilities. A combination of operations and maintenance (O & M) know-how together with Laboratory technical capabilities have been used to develop and demonstrate the effectiveness of a condition monitoring software system. Already proven in a moderate size pilot heating plant, the system is expected to pay large dividends in the reduction of O & M costs in an aging cogeneration facility. Additional projects are currently underway to develop this technology to its full potential. This advanced architecture was designed to provide each segment of the plant operations and maintenance (O & M) team with understandable information for making safe, cost-effective life-cycle operating decisions. The software will provide plant operators, maintenance technicians, engineering staff and administrators with on-target, on-line information that enables high process efficiency simultaneously with cost- effective, life cycle oriented, capital equipment management. This infrastructure information becomes increasingly critical as the equipment, systems, and the facility itself become older. The result of this research provides the O & M practitioner with the ability to intelligently select the asset management course of action that minimizes both the cost and risk engendered by the operation and maintenance of aging process facilities.© (2000) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Anisotropic free carrier voigt effect in cubic semiconductors

Abstract The free carrier Voigt effect is calculated for cubic semiconductors with free carriers having anisotropic effective masses using a Drude-Zener model. Particular attention is paid to the nature of the approximation involved in only keeping terms to the square of the magnetic field for evaluating the phase shift. Application is made to the case of mass ellipsoids in the [111]-directions and the orientational dependence of the Voigt effect for a typical sample of n -type Ge is presented for a configuration and conditions of experimental interest, namely, for a thin sample coinciding with the [100]-plane. It is shown that the infrared Voigt effect has limited application in that for realistic samples of Ge and other prospective materials, the Voigt effect will be rather small for usual working frequencies and available magnetic fields. Another interesting but less feasible experiment is noted in which, for certain magnetic field directions, with incident radiation polarized either parallel or perpendicular to the magnetic field, there occurs, in principle, a component of transmitted radiation respectively perpendicular or parallel to the magnetic field. Unfortunately this effect is not discernible for the typical sample of Ge under the experimental conditions considered.
Local observables, nonlocality, and asymptotically separable quantum mechanics

Quantum mechanics is troubled by the problem of nonlocality inherent in the theory. In a series of papers we explore the possibility of an algebraic formulation of quantum mechanics based on local observables which would incorporate nonlocality when small distances are involved but would be separable at large distances. This paper reviews some of the basic ideas and theories developed recently. These include a unified localization scheme, the introduction of local comoving evolution, local comoving observables, and related conservation laws. Technical considerations and mathematical jargon are kept to a minimum to avoid obscuring physical reasoning.
Early mandibular first molar removal because of caries facilitates eruption of the ipsilateral third molar.

Article Title and Bibliographic Information Changes in Mandibular Third Molar Angle and Position After Unilateral Mandibular First Molar Extraction Ay S, Agar U, et al. Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop 2006;129(1):36-41 Level of Evidence 4 Purpose/Question The authors wished to compare the spontaneous angular and positional changes between the mandibular third molars in patients with asymmetric mandibular first molar extraction. Source of Funding Information not available Type of Study/Design Retrospective Cohort
The Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARPs): New roles in intracellular transport

Post-transcriptional modification of proteins is crucial for balancing protein structure and function in many biological processes. The addition of polymers of adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-ribose (PAR), which are synthesized by PAR polymerases (PARPs) from nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD), is one such distinctive post-translational modification. PARP-1, the best characterized of the 17-member PARP family, is considered a key isoform responsible for poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation of several nuclear proteins. ADP-ribose polymers add a highly negative charge to their target proteins, resulting in a modification of their activities and functions. PARPs not only participate in regulating cell survival and cell death programs, but are also involved in other biological functions with which novel members of the PARP family have been shown to be involved. Among such functions are transcription regulation, telomere cohesion and mitotic spindle formation during cell division, and intracellular energy metabolism. Recent work from our laboratory and others has highlighted the novel role of PARP-1 in regulating the intracellular trafficking of key cellular proteins such as p53 and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB). Recent literature has revealed that ADP-ribosylation reactions may play important roles in cellular trafficking during inflammation, cell death, and DNA repair. This review will summarize recent findings and concepts linking the role of PARP enzymes and their poly-ADP-ribosylation activity in the regulation of intracellular transport processes. A special focus is placed on the proposed molecular mechanisms involved in such transport processes as the functional significance of PARylation of p53, NF-κB, and high-mobility group protein box 1.
Correlated hopping in a disordered medium

This paper discusses random walks with memory on a percolating network as a model of correlated hopping transport through a disordered system. Correlations can arise from such sources as hard-core and Coulomb repulsions, correlated hops of groups of particles, or lattice-relaxation effects. In general these correlations will result in a difference between the hopping probability for return to the previously visited site and the probability to jump to another nearest neighbor of the currently occupied site. Thus the hopping process possesses a memory of its previous hop. Such a random walk is investigated in this paper for the case of bond percolation on a regular lattice. The frequency-dependent conductivity \ensuremath{\sigma}(\ensuremath{\omega}) is calculated using a generalized effective-medium approximation. Results are presented for the linear chain and the hexagonal lattice. New features appear in both the real and the imaginary part of \ensuremath{\sigma}. These depend on the strength of the correlations and on the concentration of bonds. As an example, the possibility of a pronounced maximum in the real part of \ensuremath{\sigma}(\ensuremath{\omega}) at finite frequencies is found, which is sometimes accompanied by a change of sign in the imaginary part. The results are found to agree qualitatively with experimental data on ionic transport in ${\mathrm{Na}}^{+}$\char21{}\ensuremath{\beta}-alumina, where both disorder and correlations are known to be important.
Production of natural gas from methane hydrate by a constant downhole pressure well

Natural gas production from the dissociation of methane hydrate in a confined reservoir by a depressurizing downhole well was studied. The case that the well pressure was kept constant was treated, and two different linearization schemes in an axisymmetric configuration were used in the analysis. For different fixed well pressures and reservoir temperatures, approximate self similar solutions were obtained. Distributions of temperature, pressure and gas velocity field across the reservoir were evaluated. The distance of the decomposition front from the well and the natural gas production rate as functions of time were also computed. Time evolutions of the resulting profiles were presented in graphical forms, and their differences with the constant well output results were studied. It was shown that the gas production rate was a sensitive function of well pressure and reservoir temperature. The sensitivity of the results to the linearization scheme used was also studied.
Arginase-1: A novel immunohistochemical marker of hepatocellular differentiation in fine needle aspiration cytology †‡§

BACKGROUND: Arginase-I is a key urea cycle metalloenzyme that has been used as an immunohistochemistry (IHC) marker for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Previous studies have demonstrated the efficacy of HepPar-1 and glypican-3 (GPC-3) IHC in liver fine needle aspiration (FNA) cytology. METHODS: Arginase-1 IHC was performed on FNA cell blocks, and its performance characteristics were compared with HepPar-1 and GPC-3. Ninety-two formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded cell blocks were selected (HCC [n = 44], cirrhosis [n = 2], focal nodular hyperplasia [n = 3], hepatic adenomas [n = 2], dysplastic nodules [n = 6], and metastatic carcinomas [n = 35]). IHC staining with antibodies directed against arginase-1, HepPar-1, and GPC-3 was performed with appropriate positive and negative controls. RESULTS: Arginase-1 positivity was demonstrated in 37 of 44 (84.1%) cases of HCC, compared with 32 of 44 cases (72.7%) and 25 of 44 cases (56.8%) for HepPar-1 and GPC-3, respectively. Arginase-1 and GPC-3 expression were not observed in any cases of metastatic carcinoma (0%), whereas HepPar-1 expression was present in 1 case of metastatic carcinoma. In addition, both arginase-1 and HepPar-1 expression were present in all 13 cases (100%) of nonmalignant hepatocellular lesions, whereas GPC-3 expression was absent in all 13 cases (0%). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that both arginase-1 and HepPar-1 are effective IHC markers of hepatocellular differentiation. Furthermore, arginase-1 demonstrates superior sensitivity compared with GPC-3 and HepPar-1 in the diagnosis of HCC, whereas GPC-3 demonstrates superior specificity, as staining is not observed in benign hepatocellular lesions. Hence, use of arginase-1 with HepPar-1 and GPC-3 can aid in the diagnosis of HCC and separating from metastatic carcinoma. Cancer (Cancer Cytopathol) 2012. © 2012 American Cancer Society.
Computational Experience with a Dual Backtrack Algorithm for Identifying Frequencies Likely to Create Intermodulation Problems

This paper describes the results of a computational study using a particular enumeration procedure, called a backtrack algorithm, to find the lowest order of radio-frequency intermodulation. The average lowest order and its standard deviation, the average computer time and its standard deviation, along with other relevent statistics are obtained for a series of randomly generated problems with sets of five to 75 threat or source frequencies. Other parameters, such as the guard band, the maximum number of concurrent threats, and the size of the frequency band on the lowest order of intermodulation are varied during the computations. Statistics for these computer runs, along with those relating to terminating the algorithm when the lowest "acceptable" order is reached, are presented in some detail. Brief conclusions follow a listing of the results.
Equilibrium and kinetic parameters of the adsorption of α-chymotrypsinogen A onto hydrophobic porous adsorbent particles

Abstract Adsorption equilibria and rate kinetics for the binding of α-chymotrypsinogen A onto hydrophobic porous adsorbent particles, have been investigated for three different temperatures. The results show that the amount of protein adsorbed increases as the temperature increases. The values of the parameters that characterize the mechanisms of pore diffusion and adsorption were determined. The values of the pore diffusion coefficient and the values of the time constants for the mass transfer steps of pore diffusion and adsorption suggest that the pore diffusion mechanism in the porous structure of the adsorbent particles is rate limiting. An analysis of the results of the adsorption of α-chymotrypsinogen A suggests that the heat of adsorption is positive, and this would indicate that the adsorption of α-chymotrypsinogen A onto the hydrophobic adsorbent particles used in this work is entropically driven.
Incidence and significance of prostatic stones in men with chronic prostatitis/ chronic pelvic pain syndrome

Objectives Prostatic calcification is common in asymptomatic elderly men. However, young men with chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) often have significantly calcified prostates. We studied the incidence and significance of prostatic calcification in men with CPPS. Methods From July 2005 to August 2006, 130 new patients with CPPS were seen at our clinic. Of these 130 patients, 47 underwent transrectal ultrasonography. Prostatic calcification correlated with symptoms (National Institutes of Health chronic prostatitis symptom index score), examination findings, and culture results. The variables were compared using the Student t test, Wilcoxon unpaired test, or chi-square test. Results The 47 men who had undergone transrectal ultrasonography had symptoms identical to those who had not but were older (range 46.1 to 41.6 years, P = 0.02) and had had symptoms longer (median 60 versus 12 months, P = 0.0001). Of the 47 patients, 22 (47%) had significant calcification. The symptoms with or without calcification were identical (chronic prostatitis symptom score 23.7 versus 23.9). Men with calcification had had symptoms longer (median 84 versus 27 months, P = 0.05) but were similar in age (49 versus 45 years, P = 0.21) and had a similar prostate size (21.7 cm 3 for both groups). Men with calcification were less likely to have pelvic floor tenderness (50% versus 85%, P = 0.03) but were more likely to have bacteria in the prostatic fluid ( P = 0.05) and had a higher median white blood cell count (3.5 versus 0 white blood cells per high power field, P = 0.058). Conclusions Prostatic calcification is common in patients with CPPS and is associated with greater inflammation, bacterial colonization, and symptom duration. Pelvic floor spasm is more common in patients without calcification. This might be an important parameter with which to stratify clinical trials.
Epicardium-based left atrial ablation: impact on electromechanical properties.

Introduction: An important developmental task for surgical ablation of atrial fibrillation is simplification. A significant step would be the development of tools that create satisfactory ablation lesions without necessitating cardiopulmonary bypass or atriotomy. Optimally, these lesions would have no adverse impact on atrial electromechanical properties. Methods and Results: We sought to characterize left atrial (LA) lesions created by a bipolar ablation device without cardiopulmonary bypass or atriotomy and to assess their impact on LA electromechanical properties. In each of five pigs, lesions were delivered to the epicardium of the beating heart, and encircled and connected right and left pulmonary vein vestibules and the atrial appendage. Before and after ablation, LA electromechanical properties were assessed using endocardial electromechanical mapping and intracardiac echocardiography. Postmortem histologic analysis also was performed. Each lesion was thrombus-free and barotrauma-free, histologically transmural, and a complete conduction barrier. Although a large aggregate area (24% ± 6%) of LA myocardium was excluded, there was no significant change in global electromechanical properties. However, marked diminishment in appendage function was observed. Conclusion: Epicardium-based LA ablation in a beating heart could be achieved successfully without cardiopulmonary bypass or atriotomy. Although there was no adverse impact on global electromechanical properties, there was evidence of important regional diminishment. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 14, pp. ***-***, October 2003)
Proton NMR dipolar relaxation by delocalized spin density in low-spin ferric porphyrin complexes

Abstract The proton NMR spin-lattice relaxation of methyl groups in a series of low-spin ferric, S = 1 2 porphyrin complexes has been analyzed in terms of the paramagnetic influences. The differential porphyrin methyl spin-lattice relaxation rates and the dependence of the difference on the methyl contact shift patterns dictate that both ligand-centered as well as iron-centered dipolar relaxation by unpaired spin density must be considered. For the systems considered, the relaxation by delocalized spin density dominates methyl relaxation for contact shifts greater than 19 ppm. The study shows that delocalized dipolar relaxation must be included in any analysis of differential relaxation data in terms of structure in hemoproteins.
Optical detection of thymine dinucleoside monophosphate and its cis-syn photodimer by inorganic nanoparticles.

The Watson-Crick DNA double helix is an averaged ideal of multitudinous natural sequence-directed local structural deviations. By effectively derailing normal cellular physiological processes, damaged bases can induce noncanonical irregularities in the local structure of DNA if not efficiently repaired. Pyrimidine bases, especially thymine, are prone to dimerization when exposed to ultraviolet light. A [2 + 2] photocyclo-addition between adjacent thymine bases predominantly produces the cis-syn photodimer. These lesions, implicated in skin cancer, bend DNA by ∼30° due to their structural and conformational changes. Such changes in molecular properties can be detected by differential quenching of CdS nanoparticle luminescence and by surface-enhanced Raman scattering spectroscopy on metal nanoparticle substrates.
Views of older adults on patient participation in medication-related decision making.

BACKGROUND: Medication decision making is complex, particularly for older patients with multiple conditions for whom benefits may be uncertain and health priorities may be variable. While patient input would seem important in the face of this uncertainty and variability, little is known about older patients’ views of involvement in medication decision making. OBJECTIVE: To explore the views of older adults regarding participation in medication decision making. DESIGN: Qualitative study. PARTICIPANTS: Fifty-one persons at least 65 years old who consumed at least one medication were recruited from 3 senior centers and 4 physicians’ offices. APPROACH: One-on-one interviews were conducted to uncover participants’ perceptions of medication-related decision making through semistructured, open-ended questions. Themes were compared according to the constant comparative method of analysis. RESULTS: The predominant theme that emerged was the variability in perceptions concerning whether it was possible or desirable for patients to participate in prescribing decisions. For some participants, involvement was limited to sharing information. Physician and system factors that were felt to facilitate or impede patient participation included communication skills, the expanding number of medications available, multiple physicians prescribing for the same patient, and a focus on treating numbers. Perceived lack of knowledge, low self-efficacy, and fear were the patient factors mentioned. Both the presence and absence of trust in the prescribing physician were seen as alternatively impeding and enhancing patient participation. Only 1 participant explicitly mentioned patient preference, a cornerstone of shared decision making. CONCLUSIONS: While evolution to greater patient involvement in medication decision making may be possible, and desirable to some older patients, findings suggest that the transition will be challenging.
Effects on Dust Emission From an Inclined Flat Solar Panel

Flat solar panels array is one of the typical geometries used in photovoltaic (PV) power plants. The presence of these inclined solar panels can significantly accelerate or decelerate wind speed and distort the wind velocity profiles near the ground when wind flows around, which leads to considerable changes in dust emissions determined by shear stress at ground surface. To understand the fundamental principle of the effects of a flat solar panel on the dust emission rate at ground surface, the incompressible viscous flow past an inclined flat plate with ground effect was numerically investigated based on finite volume method. Results indicate that the presence of an inclined plate has little impact on the ground when the gap between the plate and ground is larger than twice plate length at tilt angle of 25° and Reynolds number of 300. However, as the gap is decreased the vortex clusters behind the plate are flattened and restrained by the ground, which results in the change of the shear stress at the ground surface. Both the magnitude and the distribution of shear stress at the ground surface can be significantly changed by varying the distance between the plate and the ground. The results demonstrate the possibility to adjust the strength and distribution of surface shear stress hence change the dust emission rate on the ground by an inclined flat plate.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Image quality for diffraction tomography, holographic backpropagation, and regularized sampling with noisy data

We consider the behaviour of inverse image reconstruction quality as a function of forward data SNR. A canonical scatterer geometry is used to obtain an analytical image contrast ratio estimate for Colton–Kirsch regularized sampling. For holographic backpropagation tomography, an estimate is developed for the SNR at which the image contrast ratio transitions from noise-dominated to the noise-free contrast ratio limit. Numerical results confirm the theoretical analyses and extend the results to more complex geometries. Holographic backpropagation exhibits the greatest noise immunity in the sense that the reconstructed image contrast ratio reaches an acceptable threshold at a lower SNR than is the case for standard diffraction tomography or the regularized sampling method.
Separating temperature from other factors in phenological measurements

Phenological observations offer a simple and effective way to measure climate change effects on the biosphere. While some species in northern mixed forests show a highly sensitive site preference to microenvironmental differences (i.e., the species is present in certain areas and absent in others), others with a more plastic environmental response (e.g., Acer saccharum, sugar maple) allow provisional separation of the universal “background” phenological variation caused by in situ (possibly biological/genetic) variation from the microclimatic gradients in air temperature. Moran’s I tests for spatial autocorrelation among the phenological data showed significant (α ≤ 0.05) clustering across the study area, but random patterns within the microclimates themselves, with isolated exceptions. In other words, the presence of microclimates throughout the study area generally results in spatial autocorrelation because they impact the overall phenological development of sugar maple trees. However, within each microclimate (where temperature conditions are relatively uniform) there is little or no spatial autocorrelation because phenological differences are due largely to randomly distributed in situ factors. The phenological responses from 2008 and 2009 for two sugar maple phenological stages showed the relationship between air temperature degree-hour departure and phenological change ranged from 0.5 to 1.2 days earlier for each additional 100 degree-hours. Further, the standard deviations of phenological event dates within individual microclimates (for specific events and years) ranged from 2.6 to 3.8 days. Thus, that range of days is inferred to be the “background” phenological variation caused by factors other than air temperature variations, such as genetic differences between individuals.
Induction of Th17 cell differentiation by B-1 cells.

B-1 cells constitute a unique B cell population with distinct ontogenic, phenotypic, and functional characteristics. Naive, unmanipulated B-1 cells induce differentiation of CD4+ T cells to become pro-inflammatory Th17 cells whereas naive B-2 cells do not. We examined the role of distinctly expressed surface membrane molecules in providing B-1 cells with Th17-differentiating function. Neither Mac-1, CD25, PD-L2 nor CD73 appeared to contribute to B-1 cell induction of Th17 differentiation. In contrast, we found that CD44 and CD86 are involved on the basis of studies with neutralizing antibodies and knock-out mice. Activation imparted to naive B-2 cells the ability to induce Th17 differentiation and this was similarly partially interrupted by interfering with CD44 and CD86. Our findings suggest that CD44-OPN and B7 family members play important roles in the induction of Th17 cell differentiation by B cells.
The shift-invariance approach to continuous-time fast estimation algorithms

We show here how fast estimation algorithms can be obtained by developing innovations decompositions that exploit certain shift-invariance properties of the involved processes. Such invariances are quite natural for stationary processes and can be employed through the use of backwards innovations processes to develop a set of identities for the solutions of the associated Wiener-Hopf equations. These results provide continuous-parameter counterparts of the well-known discrete recursions given by Levinson in 1947, and have many connections to the multi-faceted works of M.G. Krein. For nonstationary processes, there is no natural shift-invariance. However, we show how state-space descriptions can be employed to expose suitable invariances for nonstationary processes generated as the response to white noise of constant-parameter state models.