cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Temporal course and implications of intracranial atherosclerotic plaque enhancement on high-resolution vessel wall MRI

Little is known about the natural history of intracranial atherosclerotic plaque enhancement and its clinical implications. Our objective was to investigate the value of follow-up high-resolution contrast-enhanced vessel wall MRI (VWMRI) for classifying culprit plaques in patients with intracranial atherosclerotic disease (ICAD). Fourteen patients with symptomatic ICAD (50% females; median age 48 years) underwent serial 3T VWMRI. Fifty-five plaques were identified and graded based on the likelihood of having caused the ischemic event (non-culprit, indeterminate, culprit) and degree of enhancement (0, 1, 2) at baseline and follow-up (median follow-up, 140 days). For accuracy analysis, plaque enhancement at baseline and stable or increasing plaque enhancement at follow-up was tested to identify a culprit plaque, and areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) were compared. In 37/55 (67.3%) plaques, enhancement grade remained unchanged. Lack of enhancement was only seen in non-culprit plaques at baseline, and none developed enhancement over time. Enhancement never changed more than one grade. Thirty-seven percent (10/27) of non-culprit plaques that enhanced decreased in enhancement grade at follow-up, but no culprit plaques decreased in enhancement. AUC of baseline and follow-up plaque enhancement combined was significantly larger than AUC of baseline plaque enhancement alone to identify culprit plaques (0.733 vs. 0.567, p = 0.0001). Contrast enhancement of ICAD can persist months after the ischemic event. Lack of enhancement at baseline or a decrease in enhancement at follow-up suggests that the plaque is not culprit. Persistent enhancement from baseline to follow-up improves accuracy in identifying culprit plaques.
The everyday poetics of gender-inclusive French: strategies for navigating the linguistic landscape

In recent years, the heightened debate surrounding gender inclusivity in the French language has been shaped, on the one hand, by the publication of guidebooks on inclusive writing and communicatio...
DPM Dissipation Experiment At MST's Experimental Mine and Comparison with CFD Simulation

Diesel Particulate Matter (DPM) is regulated in the U.S. for both underground coal and metal/nonmetal mines. Today, many underground mines still face difficulty in compliance with DPM regulations. The DPM research carried out in Missouri University of Science and Technology (MST) is to use computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to study the DPM distribution in commonly used face areas. The result is expected to be used for selection of DPM reduction strategies and better working practices, which can help the underground mines to meet regulation limits and improve the working environment for the miners. An experiment was conducted at MST’s Experimental Mine to validate CFD simulation. DPM was collected at four locations downstream of a stationary diesel engine. The experiment data were then compared with the CFD simulation results. The comparison shows that CFD simulation can forecast the location of DPM concentration with practical accuracy (less than 0.15 m). CFD can be used to further study DPM distribution in commonly used working faces and give guidance to DPM reduction.
Incidence and Predictive Factors for Additional Opioid Prescription after Endoscopic Skull Base Surgery.

Introduction Postoperative pain management and opioid use following endoscopic skull base surgery (ESBS) is not well understood. A subset of patients requires additional opioid prescription (AOP) in the postoperative period. The objective of this study is to describe the incidence of AOP, as well as evaluate patient and surgical characteristics that may predict additional pain management requirements following ESBS. Methods A retrospective review of cases undergoing ESBS between November 2016 and August 2018 was performed. We reviewed patients' sociodemographic and clinical data, and Controlled Substance Utilization Review and Evaluation System (CURES) records. Stepwise multivariable logistic regressions were performed to evaluate the factors associated with AOP within 60 days following surgery. Results A total of 42 patients were identified. Indications for ESBS included intracranial mass (64.2%), sinonasal malignancy (23.8%), and skull base reconstruction (9.5%). AOP were recorded in nine patients (21.4%). There were no significant differences in operative factors, including approach, lesion location, or perioperative analgesia between the two cohorts. On multivariable logistic regression, we found that younger age (odds ratio [OR]: 0.891, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.79–1.00, p = 0.050), comorbid depression (OR: 86.48, 95% CI: 1.40–5,379.07, p = 0.034), and preoperative opioid use (OR: 104.45, 95% CI: 1.41–7,751.10, p = 0.034) were associated with additional prescriptions postoperatively. Conclusion The requirement for extended postoperative opioid pain control is common after ESBS. Patient demographics including age and psychosocial factors, such as depression may predict the need for AOP after ESBS. These results suggest that patient-driven factors, rather than surgical characteristics, may determine the need for prolonged pain control requirements after ESBS.
Computational thinking, mathematics, and science: Elementary teachers’ perspectives on integration.

In order to create professional development experiences, curriculum materials, and policies that support elementary school teachers to embed computational thinking (CT) in their teaching, researchers and teacher educators must under- stand ways teachers see CT as connecting to their classroom practices. Taking the viewpoint that teachers’ initial ideas about CT can serve as useful resources on which to build ed- ucational experiences, we interviewed 12 elementary school teachers to probe their understanding of six components of CT (abstraction, algorithmic thinking, automation, debug- ging, decomposition, and generalization) and how those com- ponents relate to their math and science teaching. Results suggested that teachers saw stronger connections between CT and their mathematics instruction than between CT and their science instruction. We also found that teachers draw upon their existing knowledge of CT-related terminology to make connections to their math and science instruction that could be leveraged in professional development. Teachers were, however, concerned about bringing CT into teaching due to limited class time and the difficulties of addressing high level CT in developmentally appropriate ways. We discuss these results and their implications future research and the design of professional development, sharing examples of how we used teachers’ initial ideas as the foundation of a workshop introducing them to computational thinking.
SP0058 Fine-Mapping Causal Genetic Alleles in Rheumatoid Arthritis and Type I Diabetes

Rheumatoid arthritis and Type I Diabetes are autoimmune disease causing a disabling inflammatory polyarthritis that is the result of complex genetic and environmental factors. Genetic studies have now defined >100 loci for these diseases outside of the major histocompatability complex. Only a handful of these loci implicate coding variation. Because of the difficulty in characterizing non-coding variation, investigators have only in rare instances mapped RA loci to causal alleles. This is a critical bottleneck in linking genetic risk factors to underlying disease mechanisms. If we could define causal alleles it might become possible to identify disease mechanisms, and then we might be better able to target disease therapeutically and to define biomarkers that track with disease activity. Here we first demonstrate that rheumatoid arthritis and type I diabetes risk alleles overlap gene regulatory regions specifically in CD4+ effector and 885 regulatory T cells. We then go on to lay out a fine-mapping strategy based on these results to identify causal variation within 55 Autoimmune disease loci. Disclosure of Interest None declared
Community Violence Exposure and Academic Performance: Examining the Roles of Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms and Sleep Quantity and Quality among College Students

The current study sought to address the roles of PTSD symptoms, low sleep quantity, and poor sleep quality in the association between community violence exposure and college academic performance. C...
Shifting Urban Dynamics: An Overview

In this chapter, I paint a broad-brush backdrop for the rest of the volume. Following a brief look at the shifting trends in the so-called urban-rural balance of the world population based primarily on UN data, I take a look at the Asian megacities by noting some problematic definitional issues that affect the comparability of such data. An overview of the diverse patterns of megacity growth and individual population and economic development (GDP) projections rounds out this chapter.
Quantum mereology: Factorizing Hilbert space into subsystems with quasiclassical dynamics

We study the question of how to decompose Hilbert space into a preferred tensor-product factorization without any pre-existing structure other than a Hamiltonian operator, in particular the case of a bipartite decomposition into "system" and "environment." Such a decomposition can be defined by looking for subsystems that exhibit quasi-classical behavior. The correct decomposition is one in which pointer states of the system are relatively robust against environmental monitoring (their entanglement with the environment does not continually and dramatically increase) and remain localized around approximately-classical trajectories. We present an in-principle algorithm for finding such a decomposition by minimizing a combination of entanglement growth and internal spreading of the system. Both of these properties are related to locality in different ways. This formalism could be relevant to the emergence of spacetime from quantum entanglement.
Invasive Job Hiring Practices and Social Media Data Usage Knowledge on Job Intentions

Social media data are being used to evaluate potential job applicants. Its use is controversial and widespread. Facebook users’ job intentions to accept a position were reduced when invasive data usage was employed. More knowledgeable users about how social media data can be used exhibited higher job intentions. An interaction revealed less knowledgeable users about how social media data is used had reduced job intentions when confronted with an invasive hiring practice. This relationship is not present for more knowledgeable users when invasive hiring practices are used.
External compound parabolic concentrator (XCPC) for decarbonizing industrial processing heat

The external compound parabolic concentrator (XCPC) is an emerging solar thermal technology which combines nonimaging optics and metal-glass vacuum tube technology to provide high operating temperatures from a stationary collector. In this paper we describe the technology and detail the latest performance of a 50 m2 solar field operating the following loads: space heating (70 °C), wastewater evaporation (150 °C), and double-effect absorption cooling (180 °C).
Magnetoelastic sensors for real-time tracking of cell growth.

Magnetoelastic (ME) sensors, which can be remotely activated via magnetic fields, are an excellent choice for wireless monitoring of biological parameters due to their ability to be scaled into different sizes and have their surface functionalized for chemical or biological sensing. In this study, we present the application of a commercially available ME material (Metglas 2826 MB) to develop a sensor system that can monitor the attachment of anchorage-dependent mammalian cells in two-dimensional in vitro cell cultures. Results obtained with the developed sensors and detection system correlated with microscopic image analysis of cell quantification, which showed a linear relationship between the sensor response and attached fibroblast cells on the sensor surface. It was also revealed that the developed ME sensor system is capable of providing temporal profiles of cell growth corresponding to different stages of cell attachment and proliferation in real-time.
Differences in Total and After-hours Electronic Health Record Time Across Ambulatory Specialties.

This cross-sectional study measures clinicians’ time spent using electronic health records by specialty and the activities performed.
Performance-Barrier-Based Event-Triggered Control with Applications to Network Systems.

This paper proposes a novel framework for resource-aware control design termed performance-barrier-based triggering. Given a feedback policy, along with a Lyapunov function certificate that guarantees its correctness, we examine the problem of designing its digital implementation through event-triggered control while ensuring a prescribed performance is met and triggers occur as sparingly as possible. Our methodology takes into account the performance residual, i.e., how well the system is doing in regards to the prescribed performance. Inspired by the notion of control barrier function, the trigger design allows the certificate to deviate from monotonically decreasing, with leeway specified as an increasing function of the performance residual, resulting in greater flexibility in prescribing update times. We study different types of performance specifications, with particular attention to quantifying the benefits of the proposed approach in the exponential case. We build on this to design intrinsically Zeno-free distributed triggers for network systems. A comparison of event-triggered approaches in a vehicle platooning problem shows how the proposed design meets the prescribed performance with a significantly lower number of controller updates.
Healing and hope in the midst of suffering and death

I recently celebrated my first anniversary of ordination to the priesthood, and I wanted to share a story related to this milestone. A couple weeks ago, around two o'clock in the morning, I received a phone call from the on-call chaplain at the hospital where I work. Calls in the middle of the night are rare, because most situations can wait until the following day, when I am scheduled to be in the hospital, so I suspected this case was urgent.
A Solar Dynamic Power Option for Space Solar Power

A study was performed to determine the potential performance and related technology requirements of Solar Dynamic power systems for a Space Solar Power satellite. Space Solar Power is a concept where solar energy is collected in orbit and beamed to Earth receiving stations to supplement terrestrial electric power service. Solar Dynamic systems offer the benefits of high solar-to-electric efficiency, long life with minimal performance degradation, and high power scalability. System analyses indicate that with moderate component development, SD systems can exhibit excellent mass and deployed area characteristics. Using the analyses as a guide, a technology roadmap was -enerated which identifies the component advances necessary to make SD power generation a competitive option for the SSP mission.
Optimal binary signature sets under cyclic shifts

We derive new bounds on the periodic (cyclic) total squared correlation (PTSC) of binary antipodal signature sets for any number of signatures K and any signature length L. Optimal designs that achieve the new bounds are then developed for several (K, L) cases. As an interesting side result, binary periodic complementary sequence (PCS) sets are seen to be PTSC optimal. Furthermore, as an example that arguably may be against common expectation, it is seen that neither the Gold nor the Kasami sets are PTSC optimal; the optimal sets provided herein are in this sense better suited for asynchronous and/or multipath code-division multiplexing applications
Race salience and essentialist thinking in racial stereotype development.

The authors explored the emergence and antecedents of racial stereotyping in 89 children ages 3–10 years. Children completed a number of matching and sorting tasks, including a measure designed to assess their knowledge and application of both positive and negative in-group and out-group stereotypes. Results indicate that children start to apply stereotypes to the out-group starting around 6 years of age. Controlling for a number of factors, 2 predictors contributed significantly toward uniquely explaining the use of these stereotypes: race salience (i.e., seeing and organizing by race) and essentialist thinking (i.e., believing that race cannot change). These results provide insight into how and when real-world interventions aimed at altering the acquisition of racial stereotypes may be implemented. Young children possess a number of abilities that may serve as the foundation for learning racial knowledge. Three-month-old infants can discriminate perceptually between different racial groups (Bar-Haim, Ziv, Lamy, & Hodes, 2006; Kelly et al., 2005), preferring to look at faces that belong to a familiar racial group. By 3–4 years of age, children
Hydrogen-fueled motorcycles, bicycles, and industrial trucks

Abstract The global market for motorcycles is forecast to reach $85 billion by 2015 ( King, 2013 ). Likewise, the global market for material handling equipment is projected to exceed $122 billion by 2018, of which industrial trucks make up a large portion ( Companiesandmarkets.com, 2014 ). These two markets are significantly smaller than the global automotive market and therefore present lower barriers to market entry for early adoption of emerging fuel cell technology. Battery electric motorcycles are growing in market share compared to their combustion-powered counterparts as the technology improves rapidly and vehicle emissions regulations become more stringent. Integration of hydrogen fuel cell systems into battery electric motorcycle powertrains is technically straightforward but challenging within the space and weight restrictions of two-wheeled motorcycles. This is especially true for the relatively large gaseous hydrogen storage tanks. Three-wheeled “trike” motorcycles, used globally for commerce and increasingly for recreation, have more available space for hydrogen storage tanks and are therefore better platforms for fuel cell drive implementation. In contrast to motorcycles, industrial trucks have a long history of both battery electric and internal combustion drives, such that battery electric truck types represent about 60% of the market share ( Jerram, 2014 ). In the United States, a niche market has arisen for industrial trucks powered by modular fuel cell systems that mimic the dimensions and electrical connections of the lead acid batteries they are replacing. The business case for large fleets of fuel cell powered industrial trucks is compelling because it offers improved operational performance, greater reliability, less maintenance overhead, and faster refueling compared to battery electric units. Motorcycles and industrial trucks require significantly less power and fuel storage than automotive applications, resulting in lower fuel cell system cost per vehicle. Both motorcycle and industrial truck markets represent an early opportunity for fuel cell manufacturers to build economies of scale by developing and deploying small modular fuel cells that can later be scaled up for the automotive market, where cost, volume, and other requirements are more challenging. This chapter provides a broad overview of the technical, business, and regulatory environment confronting developers of hydrogen fuel cell powered motorcycles, bicycles, and industrial trucks, while discussing progress to date.
An experimental, TDMA-system compatible, LMS adaptive array

An experimental L -band satellite simulator has been developed which is equipped with a four-element adaptive (null-steering) receiving array and operates in conjunction with prototype time division multiple access (TDMA) modems developed previously. This simulator performs signal processing operations which result in both the accommodation of multiple (pulsed-envelope) desired signals in time sequence and the suppression of undesired signals when the sources of desired and undesired signals are adequately displaced. Most notably, the composite signals received by the four array elements are processed within an adaptive spatial processor so that the amplitude of a suitable error signal is minimized in a least mean square sense. Overviews of the configuration and performance of the experimental system are presented in this paper.
Albumin quantitation by dye binding and salt fractionation techniques

Two dye-binding reagents, 2-(4'-hydroxybenzeneazo)benzoic acid (HABA) and bromcresol green (BCG), for the quantitation of serum albumin have been compared with the biuret colorimetric procedure after salt fractionation. The linear regression equations for the biuret-BCG and the biuret-HABA comparisons were y = 0.43 + 0.91 x and y = -0.45 + 1.15 x , respectively. Their corresponding correlation coefficients were 0.93 and 0.83, respectively. The effects of icterus, lipemia, and hemolysis on the dye-binding procedures were generally greater in the case of the HABA procedure. A comparison of results with BCG and HABA for 20 sera having A/G ratios of less than 1, indicates them to be equally reliable.
Loss of pH sensitivity of amino acid incorporation during early development of the horseshoe crab, Limulus polyphemus L

Embryos of the primitive arthropod, Limulus polyphemus L., exhibit a 5–50-fold increase in amino acid incorporation approximately 6–8 hours after fertilization, which is not concomitant with cytoplasmic alkalization. Lowering of intracellular pH before this increase occurs will prevent the initiation of amino acid incorporation. However, lowering the internal pH after the increase has occurred does not inhibit the incorporation rate. These results suggest that amino acid incorporation in Limulus embryos is a pH-sensitive event before the increase occurs, but becomes pH insensitive after the increase in incorporation rate has been initiated.
Development and Initial Validation of the Self-Directed Learning Inventory With Korean College Students:

This article describes the development and psychometric evaluation of the Self-Directed Learning Inventory (SDLI) tailored to Korean college students, based on study evidences of differences in lea...
An algorithm for the eigenvalues of a fixed-fixed corner

Abstract Displacements and stresses near a re-entrant corner with both sides fixed can be written as series expansions of eigenfunctions of the form r λj f j (θ) . The eigenvalues λj are in general complex numbers that are required in order of ascending real part. Usually there is a finite number of real eigenvalues and an infinite number of complex eigenvalues. An algorithm is presented that computed any number of λj in order of ascending real part. The influence of Poisson's ratio is also examined.
Risk Management: Where Is It and Where Does it Belong?

Fifty years ago the field of risk management as most know it today did not exist. The underlying concepts were there, and many, if not all, of them were being applied in some way, but their synthesis into a profession and a field of study had not yet happened. (For a brief discussion of the history of risk management, see any introductory risk management and insurance textbook.) Since its nexus just under 50 years ago risk management has evolved into a profession, with a set of concepts used in a large number of areas, and has perhaps grown beyond its own boundaries to the point where it is no longer needed as a profession.
Computer prediction of the deformed shape of a draw blank during the binder-wrap stage

A method has been developed for predicting the drawcavity shape of a draw blank during the blankholder closed, predraw punch impact stage in the sheet metal draw stamping process. By selecting and progressively feeding particular increments of a proposed set of blank holder surface displacements as input boundary conditions, the nonlinear shell computer program developed by Ford Research is utilized to accurately predict the deformed shape of a blank during this stage. The method and computer program have been successfully applied to several symmetrical body panels on an experimental basis. Further work is required to both expand the scope and provide a practical system for the production engineering of sheet metal stampings. However, this method represents a step forward to computerized predictive binder design.
Anticancer effectiveness of polymeric drug nanocarriers on colorectal cancer cells

Doxifluridine, a prodrug of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), was used as the initiator directly in ring-opening polymerization of e-caprolactone to form hydrophobic doxifluridine-poly(e-caprolactone) (doxifluridine-PCL) that was further grafted with hydrophilic chitosan to synthsize amphiphilic doxifluridine-PCL-chitosan copolymer. This amphiphilic copolymer was self-assembled into micellar nanoparticles. After HT-29 colon cancer cells were treated with the polymeric drug nanocarrier, prodrug doxifluridine was converted into 5-fluorouracil by endogenous thymidine phosphorylase (TP) and thereby resulting in cell death. Chemotherapy drug 7-ethyl-10-hydroxy-camptothecin (SN-38), an active water insoluble metabolite of irinoetcan hydrochloride, was further encapsulated in the hydrophobic core of the polymeric drug nanocarriers and treated with HT-29 cells. The anticancer effectiveness of the polymeric drug nanocarriers was extensively enhanced by synergistic anticancer activity of slowly released cytotoxic drugs (i.e., 5-FU and SN-38). HT-29 cells transfected with TP-encoding plasmids were selected by antibiotic G418 to obtain HT-29/TP cells. These cells overexpressed with TP enzyme were challenged with doxifluridine-PCL-chitosan polymeric prodrug micelles. The viability of HT-29/TP cells were dropped significantly after 72-h treatment.
Distribution of hydroxycinnamic acid conjugates in fruit of commercial eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) cultivars

There is gathering evidence that antioxidant phytonutrients in fruits and vegetables have health-promoting effects. Eggplant fruit have a high content of antioxidant phenolic compounds. We evaluated the main class of eggplant phenolics, hydroxycinnamic acid conjugates, in the fruit of seven commercial cultivars. Fourteen conjugates were quantified and identified by high-performance liquid chromatography, ES(-)-MS, and (1)H NMR data. Significant differences in their content and composition were evident among cultivars and in tissue from stem, middle, and blossom end segments. Chlorogenic acid (5-O-caffeoylquinic acid) was the predominant compound, and its 3-O-, 4-O-, and 5-O-cis isomers were also present. The 10 other phenolics fell into four groups, including 3,5- and 4,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid isomers, four amide conjugates, two unknown caffeic acid conjugates, and 3-O-acetyl esters of 5-O- and 4-O-caffeoylquinic acid. Dicaffeoylquinic and 3-O-acetyl chlorogenic acids were most variable among the cultivars. Dicaffeoyquinic acids were most abundant in the blossom end, whereas 3-O-acetyl esters were highest in the midsection.
Literature Review of Cultural Competence Curriculum within the United States: An Ethical Implication in Academic Preparational Programs

Objective : The purpose of this literature review is to explore literature focused on health related preparational programs’ ability, experiences and effectiveness in developing the skill sets of students to improve health outcomes of ethnic and racial minority populations. Method : EbscoHost, MEDLINE, PubMed and Google Scholar were searched for articles published between 1998 and 2012 to identify research on cultural competency academic curriculum in health disciplines. From this literature review, researchers extracted studies reported on cultural competency in collegiate programs and practitioner assessments. Result : Sixteen articles were identified, 10 original research studies and 6 review articles or commentaries. Of these, eight were from medicine, three from health education, two from nursing and three from pharmacy education. The majority of studies utilized a case study or multi-site assessment approach. Themes derived from the review include: administrative views and assessments; practitioner academic preparation analysis; student focused activities and; guided academic curriculum development. Conclusion : Groups currently experiencing poorer health status are expected to grow as a proportion of the total U.S. population; therefore, the future health of America as a whole will be influenced substantially by improving the health of these racial and ethnic minorities. As a result health education specialists must be culturally competent to implement effective programming targeting these populations. Cultural competence incorporates principles which contribute to understanding the cultural and social influence on individuals’ health behaviors and beliefs. Those employed in preparation programs have a responsibility to build the capacity of students through the utilization of appropriate curriculum.
43: The role of cell signaling mechanisms in the downregulation of antioxidant enzymes in the fetal brain in a mouse model of fetal alcohol syndrome

downregulation of antioxidant enzymes in the fetal brain in a mouse model of fetal alcohol syndrome Nathan Drever, Talar Kechichian, Nkechi Okonkwo, Debdeep Banerjee, Monica Longo, George Saade, Egle Bytautiene The University of Texas Medical Branch, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Galveston, TX OBJECTIVE: Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is the most common non genetic cause of mental retardation. Prenatal alcohol exposure decreases antioxidant enzymes in the fetal brain in a mouse model of fetal alcohol syndrome. Exposure to alcohol is known to decrease expression of Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3 (GSK-3 ) a serine threonine kinase that regulates glycogen synthesis through phosphorylation and inactivation of glycogen synthase. In addition to regulation of glycogen, GSK-3 is positively correlated with expression of nuclear transcription factors, NFand Nrf2, which are inactive in the cytosol and active within nucleus. Our objective was to evaluate if the effect of prenatal alcohol exposure on fetal brain antioxidants can be explained by an effect on GSK-3 , NFand Nrf2. STUDY DESIGN: A well-characterized FAS model was used (Webster, 1980). Timed, pregnant C57BL6/J mice were treated on gestational day 8 (E8) with alcohol (0.03 mL/g) or vehicle. Fetuses were harvested on gestational day 18 (E18), and the brain prepared for protein analysis. Western Blots were performed assessing the protein expression of GSK-3 and cytosolic and nuclear expression of NFand Nrf2 normalized to Glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH). Statistical analysis was performed using Student t-test (significance: p 0.05). RESULTS: GSK-3 protein levels were significantly lower (0.73 vs 1.06 ratio protein/GAPDH; p 0.01) and cytosolic Nrf2 protein levels were significantly higher (0.72 vs 0.43 ratio protein/GAPDH; p 0.01) in the brain of pups exposed to alcohol compared with control. There was no significant difference in cytosolic expression of NFor nuclear expression of NFand Nrf2 between the two groups. CONCLUSION: In utero exposure to alcohol reduces GSK-3 and increases cytosolic Nrf2 protein levels in the fetal brain. These findings provide a mechanism for the decrease in antioxidants in the brain of FAS offspring, and a potential target for preventive strategies. Oral Plenary Session II General www.AJOG.org
Flow characterization of diffusion flame oscillations using particle image velocimetry

Particle image velocimetry (PIV) was used to measure velocity fields inside and around oscillating methane-air diffusion flames with a slot fuel orifice. PIV provided velocity and directional information of the flow field comprised of both the flame and air. From this, information on flow paths of entrained air into the flame were obtained and visualized. These show that at low fuel flow rates for which the oscillations were strongest, the responsible mechanism for the oscillating flow appeared to be the repetitive occurrence of flame quenching. PIV findings indicated that quenching appears to be associated primarily with air entrainment. Velocity was found to be considerably larger in regions where quenching occurred. The shedding of vortices in the shear layer occurs immediately outside the boundary of the flame envelope and was speculated to be the primary driving force for air entrainment.
Initial data for axisymmetric black-hole collisions.

The construction of initial-data sets to be used in the simulation of black-hole collisions is studied in the context of the conformal-imaging formalism. An approach is described for evaluating a formal, infinite-series solution of the momentum-constraint equation. This solution allows for the construction of completely general three-dimensional configurations of two black holes with individually specifiable linear and angular momenta. Using this solution for the momentum constraint, the Hamiltonian constraint is solved numerically in the restricted case of axisymmetric configurations. Two codes for solving the Hamiltonian constraint are described, one based on bispherical coordinates and the other on \ifmmode \check{C}\else \v{C}\fi{}ade\ifmmode \check{z}\else \v{z}\fi{} coordinates. The accuracies of the numerical solutions are gauged by comparison with analytic results, Richardson extrapolation, and comparison of the results from the two codes. Finally, the physical content of data sets representing two equal-sized holes with linear or angular momenta is explored. The results show several expected physical effects including the gravitational spin-spin interaction.
Fractionation of Skimmilk Casein Micelles by Rate-Zone and Isopycnic-Zone Ultracentrifugation in Sucrose Gradients

Abstract Rate-zone and isopycnic-zone ultracentrifugation techniques with sucrose gradients in a swinging-bucket rotor were utilized for fractionating skimmilk proteins with emphasis upon characterizing the different size casein micelles. Rate-zone ultracentrifugation separated skimmilk casein micelles from soluble casein and whey proteins, and further fractionated the different size micelles. Up to ~92% of skimmilk casein micelles was sedimented to the bottom of a 17.2 to 27.5% w/v sucrose gradient by centrifuging at 206,000 × g for two hours at 0 to 5C. Zonal electrophoresis data, uncorrected for differences in dyebinding coefficients, revealed that the smallest casein micelles and soluble casein contained ~8.8% α s -casein, 89% β -casein and 2.2% κ -casein and the largest micelles recovered in the pellet fraction contained ~80% α s -casein, 19% β -casein, and 0.8% κ -casein. Isopycnic-zone ultracentrifugation banded whey proteins and soluble casein in ~8 to 10% w/v sucrose ( ρ = 1.02 to 1.04 g/ml), but failed to band casein micelles even in ⋚70% w/v sucrose gradients. It was concluded that the high concentrations of sucrose increased buoyant density of the casein micelles by removing their solvation and hydration layers, and thus, the isopycnic-zone technique is not applicable for studying casein micelles in their native state.
CARCINOGENESIS: Mouse lung tumors exhibit specific Ki- ras mutations following transplacental exposure to 3-methylcholanthrene

A pharmacogenetic mouse model was utilized to determine the role of Cyplal expression on the formation of Ki-ras mutations in lung tumors following transplacental exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). A backcross between Ah responsive male B6D2F1 mice and nonresponsive female DBA mice resulted in a litter in which both responsive and nonresponsive fetuses resided in the same nonresponsive maternal environment. Pregnant mothers received a single i.p. injection of either 10 or 30 mg/kg of 3-methylcholanthrene (MC) or olive oil vehicle on day 17 of gestation. At the higher dose of MC, the responsive offspring of both sexes had significantly (P < 0.05) higher incidences of lung tumors than their nonresponsive littermates. The male responsive mice also exhibited a significantly increased liver tumor incidence over the nonresponsive mice at the P < 0.05 level. Administration of 10 mg/kg of MC caused a very low incidence of lung tumors and did not result in the appearance of macroscopically visible liver tumors. Exons 1 and 2 of the Ki-ras gene were amplified from paraffin-embedded tissue samples. The PCR products were screened by allele-specific oligonucleotide hybridization (ASO). Thirteen of 16 lung tumors (81%) screened exhibited point mutations in the 12th or 13th codon, including seven tumors that contained GGT→GTT (GLY 12 →VAL 12 ) transversions, four which exhibited GGT→TGT (GLY 12 →CYS 12 ) transversions, and two which contained GGC→CGC (GLY 13 → ARG 13 ) transversions. None of the tumors had mutations at codon 61. The results obtained by ASO were confirmed by cloning and sequence analysis of the PCR products from four of these tumors. Within the subset of 16 tumors examined in this study, the same types of mutations in the Ki-ras gene were generally present in both responsive and nonresponsive mice, although G<C transversions were found in two tumors from a single responsive female mouse. Interestingly, while both males and females exhibited the GGT<GTT mutations at codon 12, the GGT→TGT transversion was only found in male mice. These results are consistent with a key role for Cyplal in modulating individual susceptibility to cancer formation through the formation of reactive intermediates that bind to DNA and result in activating mutations in key regulatory molecules.
Tissue printing on nitrocellulose paper: A new method for immunolocalization of proteins, localization of enzyme activities and anatomical analysis

Abstract In this review we discuss the application of tissue printing of plant material on nitrocellulose paper. A number of different approaches and applications can be used with imprinted nitrocellulose paper. These include immunocytochemistry, protein staining and morphological analysis of imprinted tissue. The ease with which tissue imprints on nitrocellulose papers can be handled and processed for a number of cytochemical and morphological analyses makes this technique a powerful new tool for use by plant biologists.
Sleeping with the enemy: The love/hate relationship between acquisitions and collection development

Acquisitions and collection development represent a continuum in the process of purchasing materials for libraries. However, often there is a lack of understanding of the goals of each group as they work to build collections in libraries. This paper examines the interaction between the acquisitions and collection development functions in libraries by describing a series of common problem areas. Possible strategies for working together will be examined including priority setting, boundary definition, roles, mutual expectations and respect.
Mutation of Glu-361 in Human Endothelial Nitric-oxide Synthase Selectively Abolishes L-Arginine Binding without Perturbing the Behavior of Heme and Other Redox Centers

Nitric oxide (NO) and L-citrulline are formed from the oxidation of L-arginine by three different isoforms of NO synthase (NOS). Defining amino acid residues responsible for L-arginine binding and oxidation is a primary step toward a detailed understanding of the NOS reaction mechanisms and designing strategies for the selective inhibition of the individual isoform. We have altered Glu-361 in human endothelial NOS to Gln or Leu by site-directed mutagenesis and found that these mutations resulted in a complete loss of L-citrulline formation without disruption of the cytochrome c reductase and NADPH oxidase activities. Optical and EPR spectroscopic studies demonstrated that the Glu-361 mutants had similar spectra either in resting state or reduced CO-complex as the wild type. The heme ligand, imidazole, could induce a low spin state in both wild-type and Glu-361 mutants. However, unlike the wild-type enzyme, the low spin imidazole complex of Glu-361 mutants was not reversed to a high spin state by addition of either L-arginine, acetylguanidine, or 2-aminothiazole. Direct L-arginine binding could not be detected in the mutants either. These results strongly indicate that Glu-361 in human endothelial NOS is specifically involved in the interaction with L-arginine. Mutation of this residue abolished the L-arginine binding without disruption of other functional characteristics.
Hypoxia-inducible Factor-dependent Regulation of Platelet-activating Factor Receptor as a Route for Gram-Positive Bacterial Translocation across Epithelia

Mucosal surfaces, such as the lung and intestine, are lined by a monolayer of epithelia that provides tissue barrier and transport function. It is recently appreciated that a common feature of inflammatory processes within the mucosa is hypoxia (so-called inflammatory hypoxia). Given the strong association between bacterial translocation and mucosal inflammatory disease, we hypothesized that intestinal epithelial hypoxia influences bacterial translocation. Initial studies revealed that exposure of cultured intestinal epithelia to hypoxia (pO2, 20 torr; 24–48 h) resulted in a increase of up to 40-fold in the translocation of some strains of Gram-positive bacteria, independently of epithelial barrier function. A screen of relevant pathway inhibitors identified a prominent role for the platelet-activating factor receptor (PAFr) in hypoxia-associated bacterial translocation, wherein pharmacologic antagonists of PAFr blocked bacterial translocation by as much as 80 ± 6%. Extensions of these studies revealed that hypoxia prominently induces PAFr through a hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-dependent mechanism. Indeed, HIF and PAFr loss of function studies (short hairpin RNA) revealed that apically expressed PAFr is central to the induction of translocation for the Gram-positive bacteria Enterococcus faecalis. Together, these findings reveal that some strains of Gram-positive bacteria exploit HIF-regulated PAFr as a means for translocation through intestinal epithelial cells.
The Neuron and the Mind: Clinical Directions and Implications

Abstract This article addresses the nature of basic humanness. It's about the science behind the mind and body connection. The problem at issue here involves the long standing notion that the human experience can be explained by classical physics-in pure electochemical terms. This is the basic tenet underlying the approach by neuroscientists who empirically investigate the mind/body relationship. The power of thought, volition and feelings, or what we interpret as the mind, are not considered variables in neuroscience endeavors, and they are certainly not regarded as having a causal role in the human experience. A quantum physics approach allows for the mindful element of human beings, and it provides a more accurate model for exploring the mind/body question.
On-line HPLC method for clean-up and analysis of hydrocortisone and sulconazole nitrate in a cream

Abstract The application of a new on-line high-performance liquid Chromatographic method for the clean-up and analysis of drugs in semi-solid formulations was investigated. A short column of a chemically bonded stationary phase (10 μm octadecylsilane) mounted into the sample loop position of the high pressure injection valve was used as the primary clean-up step. The elution behavior of commonly used cream excipients on the loop column as a function of various combinations of water, methanol and THF was studied using a refractive index detector. Typically, samples of the cream were dissolved in methanol-THF and injected onto the loop column. The drug substances were eluted onto the analytical column with predetermined volumes of the mobile phase. The relatively non-polar cream excipients were retained on the loop column. At this time the injection valve was switched, isolating the loop column and the retained excipients were eluted off to waste with a strong solvent (methanol-THF). Loss of efficiency due to the insertion of the loop column was negligible. This technique was applied to the simultaneous analysis of a corticosteroid (hydrocortisone) and a hydrophobic amine (sulconazole nitrate) in a topical cream formulation.
Ex-PRESS outcomes using mitomycin-C, Ologen alone, Ologen with 5-fluorouracil

To compare the complication rate and effectiveness of mitomycin C (MMC), Ologen alone, and Ologen with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) as adjunctives with Ex-PRESS mini shunt for medically uncontrolled glaucoma. Retrospective comparative study of 59 Ex-PRESS mini shunt trabeculectomy operations coupled with Ologen implantation alone, transient MMC application or Ologen implantation with 5-FU as adjunctive treatment. Eight eyes (7 patients) received Ologen alone, 37 eyes (34 patients) received MMC, and 14 eyes (14 patients) received Ologen with 5-FU as adjunctive therapy. Baseline characteristics, adjunctive used during operation, along with outcomes including intraocular pressure (IOP), number of anti-hypertensive drops, visual acuity, and complications were documented and compared. The primary outcome was IOP at 12 months. Variables were compared with r × c Fisher tests. The Ologen only group had a significantly higher IOP at 12 months (20.5 ± 10.23 mmHg) compared with Ologen combined with 5-FU (12.2 ± 1.47 mmHg) or MMC (13.8 ± 4.37 mmHg) (p = 0.015, linear mixed model). The Ologen only cohort also had a higher re-operation rate (p = 0.01, Fisher’s Exact Test) and higher rate of bleb leak (p = 0.02, Fisher’s Exact Test). Visual acuity was similar among all three groups. 5-FU with Ologen is as effective as MMC in maintaining IOP following Ex-PRESS shunt surgery at 1 year. However, Ologen alone may not be as effective as the other two adjunctive agents.
Gene cloning, purification, and stoichiometry quantification of phi29 anti-receptor gp12 with potential use as special ligand for gene delivery

Bacterial virus phi29 is the most efficient in vitro DNA packaging system, with which up to 90% of the added DNA can be packaged into purified recombinant procapsid in vitro. The findings that phi29 virions can be assembled with the exclusive use of cloned gene products have bred a thought that phi29 has a potential to be a gene delivery vector since it is a nonpathogenic virus. gp12 of bacterial virus phi29 has been reported to be the anti-receptor that is responsible for binding the virus particle to the host cell. We cloned the gene coding gp12, overexpressed it in Escherichia coli, and purified the gene product to study the properties and functions of gp12 in virus assembly. According to SDS PloyAcrylamide Gel Electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) analysis and N-terminal sequencing, recombinant gp12 isolated from E. coli had a molecular mass of 80 kDa, and 24 amino acids at N-terminal were cleaved after expression. The purified recombinant gp12 was incorporated into phi29 particles and converted the gp12-lacking assembly intermediates of phi29 into infectious virions in vitro. This purified protein gp12 was able to compete with infectious phi29 virions for binding to the host cell, thus inhibiting the infection by phi29. Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (STEM) analysis and sedimentation studies revealed that recombinant gp12 products were assembled into biologically active dimers. Analysis of the dose–response curve showed that 12 dimeric gp12 complexes were assembled onto viral particles and that each virion contained 24 copies of gp12 molecules. The results provide a basis for future research into bacteriophage–host interaction by modifying the anti-receptor protein. The ultimate goal is to re-target the bacteriophage to new host cells for the purpose of gene delivery.