cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lipid composition influences the release of Alzheimer's amyloid β‐peptide from membranes

The behavior of the amyloid β-peptide (Aβ) within a membrane environment is integral to its toxicity and the progression of Alzheimer's disease. Ganglioside GM1 has been shown to enhance the aggregation of Aβ, but the underlying mechanism is unknown. Using atomistic molecular dynamics simulations, we explored the interactions between the 40-residue alloform of Aβ (Aβ40) and several model membranes, including pure palmitoyloleoylphosphatidylcholine (POPC) and palmitoyloleoylphosphatidylserine (POPS), an equimolar mixture of POPC and palmitoyloleoylphosphatidylethanolamine (POPE), and lipid rafts, both with and without GM1, to understand the behavior of Aβ40 in various membrane microenvironments. Aβ40 remained inserted in POPC, POPS, POPC/POPE, and raft membranes, but in several instances exited the raft containing GM1. Aβ40 interacted with GM1 largely through hydrogen bonding, producing configurations containing β-strands with C-termini that, in some cases, exited the membrane and became exposed to solvent. These observations provide insight into the release of Aβ from the membrane, a previously uncharacterized process of the Aβ aggregation pathway.
Cyclic fatigue—crack growth along polymer/glass interfaces

Delamination of polymer/glass interfaces was studied under cyclic and monotonic loading using an interfacial, four-point flexure sandwich specimen. Specifically, crack growth rates along epoxy acrylate/glass interfaces were characterized over a range of velocities from 10 -9 to 10 -6 m/s as a function of low (10-20% RH) and high (75-80% RH) humidities. For low humidities, interfacial crack growth rates under cyclic loading are almost two orders of magnitude greater than those under monotonic loading with energy release rates G = G max of the cyclic loading. At high humidities, interfacial crack growth rates under monotonic loading are approximately equal to cyclic fatigue crack growth rates at low humidity.
The mid-infrared signature of photo-induced defects in the quasi-one-dimensional mixed-valence solid [PtII(en)2][PtIV(en)2Cl2][ClO4]4

Abstract The observation of photo-induced absorption features immediately to the red of the band edge in the halogen-bridged mixed-valence linear chain {[Pt II (en) 2 ][Pt(en) 2 Cl 2 ][ClO 4 ]} x (S. Kurita, M. Haruki & K. Miyagawa, J. Phys. Soc. Japan , submitted for publication) has led to the prediction of an associated absorption in the mid-infrared. We have detected this band via difference IR spectroscopic measurements and verified that it tracks the red region absorptions in rate of growth upon photolysis, saturation and in recycling upon warming the sample to room temperature. Based on theoretical predictions, we tentatively assign the mid-IR feature to absorption due to a photo-induced electron polaronic defect.
PION-PION RESONANCES IN A PURE T = 1 STATE

Proton interactions at 2.05 Bev, in which a deuteron is formed leaving the created pions in a pure T = 1 isospin state, were studied in pictures taken in the BNL 20-in. hydrogen bubble chamber at the Cosmotron (E. Pickup, et al., Phys. Rev., 125: 2091(1962)). Of 53000 interactions 149 events corresponding to p + p yields d + pi /sup + + pi /sup 0/and 75 corresponding to p + p yields d + pi /sup + + pi /sup + + pi /sup -/ were detected/ Frequency distributions were determined, and comparisons with a statistical model were made. (L.N.N.)
Proceedings of the 3rd ACM workshop on Digital rights management

The Third ACM Workshop on Digital Rights Management (DRM 2003) was sponsored by ACM SIGSAC and was held in conjunction with the 10th ACM conference on Computer and Communication Security (CCS).The notion of Digital Rights Management (DRM) has been gaining importance. This is due to the fact that the Internet has become the center of distribution for digital goods of all sorts. The business potential of digital goods distribution and manipulation is huge, as are its economic, legal and social implications. DRM, as a technical interdisciplinary field, is at the heart of controlling the digital content and assuring authorized, user-friendly, safe, well-managed, automated, and fraud-free distribution. The field combines cryptographic technology, software and systems research, information and signal processing methods, legal, social and policy aspects, as well as business analysis and economics. The diversity of sub-fields that contribute to the complex notion of DRM is an interesting characteristic of the area that was manifested in this year's workshop (as was the case in past DRM workshops).The workshop received 30 submissions, of which 13 were accepted. In this proceedings volume you will find the revised versions of the papers that were presented at the workshop. I wish to thank the authors of all submitted papers. Indeed, it is the authors of all papers who have made this workshop possible, regardless of whether or not their papers were accepted. The workshop program also included an invited talk by Tsvi Gal, the CIO of Warner Music Group, who presented possible future scenarios for intellectual property from his point of view as a consumer of DRM.
Design of a high-resolution optoelectronic retinal prosthesis.

It has been demonstrated that electrical stimulation of the retina can produce visual percepts in blind patients suffering from macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa. However, current retinal implants provide very low resolution (just a few electrodes), whereas at least several thousand pixels would be required for functional restoration of sight. This paper presents the design of an optoelectronic retinal prosthetic system with a stimulating pixel density of up to 2500 pix mm−2 (corresponding geometrically to a maximum visual acuity of 20/80). Requirements on proximity of neural cells to the stimulation electrodes are described as a function of the desired resolution. Two basic geometries of sub-retinal implants providing required proximity are presented: perforated membranes and protruding electrode arrays. To provide for natural eye scanning of the scene, rather than scanning with a head-mounted camera, the system operates similar to 'virtual reality' devices. An image from a video camera is projected by a goggle-mounted collimated infrared LED-LCD display onto the retina, activating an array of powered photodiodes in the retinal implant. The goggles are transparent to visible light, thus allowing for the simultaneous use of remaining natural vision along with prosthetic stimulation. Optical delivery of visual information to the implant allows for real-time image processing adjustable to retinal architecture, as well as flexible control of image processing algorithms and stimulation parameters.
In vitro pharmacology of cryptophycin 52 (LY355703) in human tumor cell lines

Purpose: Cryptophycin 52 (LY355703) is a new member of the cryptophycin family of antitumor agents that is currently undergoing clinical evaluation for cancer chemotherapy. The mechanism of action of the cryptophycin class of compounds is associated with an action on microtubules. This report details the pharmacological profile of this new clinical compound in a panel of human tumor cell lines. Methods: Antiproliferative effects of cryptophycin 52 were measured indirectly by detection of the metabolic reduction of alamarBlue®. Cytoxicity was assessed by enzymatic dye activation (calcein AM) combined with dye exclusion (ethidium homodimer) and by clonogenicity assay. Cell cycle effects were evaluated using flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy. Results: Both antiproliferative and cytotoxic effects of cryptophycin 52 were concentration- and time-dependent. IC50 values for antiproliferative activity in both solid and hematologic tumor cell lines were in the low picomolar range, and without exception, were significantly below values for the antimitotic agents paclitaxel and vinblastine. Flow cytometry and microscopic examination of tumor cells treated with cryptophycin 52 indicated that they accumulated in the mitotic phase of the cell cycle. Cryptophycin 52 was tested for its sensitivity to multidrug-resistance in several paired cell lines in which a sensitive parental line was matched with a multidrug-resistant derivative line. The resistant lines have been shown to over express Pgp and/or MRP multidrug-resistance transport factors. Compared to other antimitotic agents (paclitaxel, vinblastine, vincristine), the potency of cryptophycin 52 was shown to be minimally affected in multidrug-resistant cells compared to their sensitive parental lines. Conclusion: Cryptophycin 52 has potent antimitotic, antiproliferative and cytotoxic activity in in vitro human tumor cell models. It is significantly more potent and less sensitive to multidrug resistance mechanisms than other antimitotic antitumor agents currently used in cancer therapy. These characteristics may translate into therapeutic advantages for the clinical use of cryptophycin 52 in cancer chemotherapy.
A note on the microeconomics of migration.

Abstract In a simple model of consumer behavior the attractivity of large cities for consumption activities is rationalized. Conditions are given under which consumers choose to commute toward such cities for consumption vs to migrate, despite a possible loss in nominal income.
Enhanced light emission in photonic crystal nanocavities with Erbium-doped silicon nanocrystals

Photonic crystal nanocavities are fabricated in silicon membranes covered by thermally annealed silicon-rich nitride films with Erbium-doped silicon nanocrystals. Silicon nitride films were deposited by sputtering on top of silicon on insulator wafers. The nanocavities were carefully designed in order to enhance emission from the nanocrystal sensitized Erbium at the 1540nm wavelength. Experimentally measured quality factors of ∼6000 were found to be consistent theoretical predictions. The Purcell factor of 1.4 was estimated from the observed 20-fold enhancement of Erbium luminescence.
Mode switching for the multi-antenna broadcast channel based on delay and channel quantization

Imperfect channel state information degrades the performance of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communications; its effects on single-user (SU) and multiuser (MU) MIMO transmissions are quite different. In particular, MU-MIMO suffers from residual interuser interference due to imperfect channel state information while SU-MIMO only suffers from a power loss. This paper compares the throughput loss of both SU and MU-MIMO in the broadcast channel due to delay and channel quantization. Accurate closed-form approximations are derived for achievable rates for both SU and MU-MIMO. It is shown that SU-MIMO is relatively robust to delayed and quantized channel information, while MU-MIMO with zero-forcing precoding loses its spatial multiplexing gain with a fixed delay or fixed codebook size. Based on derived achievable rates, a mode switching algorithm is proposed, which switches between SU and MU-MIMO modes to improve the spectral efficiency based on average signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), normalized Doppler frequency, and the channel quantization codebook size. The operating regions for SU and MU modes with different delays and codebook sizes are determined, and they can be used to select the preferred mode. It is shown that the MU mode is active only when the normalized Doppler frequency is very small, and the codebook size is large.
Imaging real-time proteolysis of single collagen I molecules with an atomic force microscope.

The dynamic process of synthesis and degradation of extracellular matrix molecules, including various collagens, is important in normal physiological functions and pathological conditions. Existing...
Cost analysis of transthoracic cardioversion of atrial fibrillation with and without ibutilide pretreatment.

Background: Ibutilide may result in chemical cardioversion of atrial fibrillation and facilitates transthoracic cardioversion by lowering the defibrillation energy requirement. Whether routine pretreatment with ibutilide increases or decreases the cost of cardioversion is unknown. The purpose of this study was to compare the cost of outpatient transthoracic cardioversion of atrial fibrillation with and without ibutilide pretreatment.Methods: Using a model based on published literature and hospital accounting information, a hypothetical group of 100 patients with atrial fibrillation and a left ventricular ejection fraction >0.30 underwent 2 strategies of outpatient cardioversion: transthoracic cardioversion with and without routine pretreatment with 1 mg ibutilide, and with and without involvement of an anesthesiologist for sedation. If transthoracic cardioversion was unsuccessful in patients who did not receive ibutilide, transthoracic cardioversion was repeated after administration of ibutilide.Results: ...
Abstract 1216: The Fn14 receptor is highly expressed in NSCLC tumors and in NSCLC cell lines harboring EGFR-activating mutations

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the USA and worldwide and ∼85% of these cancers are of the non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) subtype. Approximately 10-15% of the NSCLC patients in the USA and 30-50% of these patients in Asia have tumors harboring somatic mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) that cause constitutive activation of this receptor. These patients have the best clinical response to the small molecule EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) gefitinib and erlotinib. Here we report that the TNF receptor superfamily member fibroblast growth factor-inducible 14 (Fn14) is frequently overexpressed in NSCLC tumors. We have also found that NSCLC cell lines that contain the same EGFR activating mutations found in patients express high levels of Fn14. Erlotinib treatment of these cells decreases Fn14 levels; therefore, EGFR signaling is indeed triggering Fn14 gene expression in these cell lines. Consistent with this proposal, when EGFR activation mutant receptors (L858R, ΔL747-E749, and D770-N771 insertion) were expressed in rat RL65 lung epithelial cells Fn14 expression was induced. In contrast, RL65 cells expressing a kinase-deficient EGFR receptor (D837A) did not show an increase in Fn14 expression. Since some NSCLC tumors with EGFR activating mutations acquire an additional EGFR mutation (T790M) that promotes TKI resistance, we examined Fn14 levels in a cell line containing both types of mutations. The Fn14 receptor was expressed at high levels in these cells. Finally, we found that shRNA-mediated Fn14 knockdown reduces NSCLC cell migration. Together, these data indicate that EGFR activation in NSCLC cells increases Fn14 gene expression and that Fn14 levels remain elevated in drug resistant cells. Furthermore, Fn14 may play a role in NSCLC cell motility. We propose that Fn14 may be a good biomarker for selection of NSCLC patients most likely to benefit from EGFR TKIs. It may also be a therapeutic target for NSCLC patients; in particular, for those patients with EGFR-driven tumors who have either primary or acquired resistance to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1216. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-1216
Matching behavior and deprivation

Four White Carneaux pigeons were trained to respond for food on concurrent variable interval reinforcement schedules. Their weights were systematically established at 73%, 80%, 87%, and 94% of ad lib. As weight increased, relative response rate and the relative time spent in the more dense schedule remained constant, while post reinforcement pause increased. There was less variation in time allocation than response ratios.
Effects of erythropoietin therapy on iron absorption in chronic renal failure.

The effect of erythropoietin administration on the absorption of dietary and therapeutic iron was examined in patients with anemia of chronic renal failure on maintenance hemodialysis. Absorption from test meals tagged extrinsically with iron 55, iron 59, or both was determined 2 weeks later by using incorporated red blood cell radioactivity and whole body counting. In an initial study of food iron absorption, the effect of initiating erythropoietin therapy was determined by measuring the absorption of heme and nonheme iron before and 2 weeks after the administration of 64 U/kg body weight erythropoietin (range, 46-85 U/kg body weight) three times weekly. Absorption of heme iron increased 1.6-fold from 18.6% to 30.1% (P < .05), and nonheme iron increased 3.7-fold from 1.3% to 4.9% (P < .01) after erythropoietin therapy. In a second study therapeutic iron absorption was evaluated at baseline and after erythropoietin administration (63 U/kg body weight (range, 48-74 U/kg body weight) three times weekly). The absorption of 50 mg of iron as ferrous sulfate increased 2.4-fold from 3.8% to 9.4% (P < .05) when given without food and 4.2-fold from 1.4% to 5.9% (P < .05) when given with food after erythropoietin administration. After adjusting for changes in iron stores with serum ferritin after erythropoietin therapy, the enhanced erythropoiesis associated with erythropoietin therapy increased absorption about 2-fold, which was similar to the response observed previously in normal subjects. In a final study we examined the absorption of therapeutic iron during the steadystate phase of erythropoietin therapy after an erythroid response to erythropoietin had occurred. The absorption of 50 mg of iron was lower than that occurring with the initiation of erythropoietin therapy at 2.2% when given alone and 1.3% when taken with food. We conclude that iron absorption with or without erythropoietin stimulation is unimpaired in patients with chronic renal failure.
Exuberant irritant reaction to paper tape

Patch testing confirmed an epoxy resin allergy in a bomb factory worker who also developed an irritant reaction to tape in patch testing. Irritant reactions to tape are common, resolved quickly, rarely severe, and poorly studied. They usually improve without therapy. Allergic reactions are common with the older rubber or rosin-based adhesive tapes and less common with the newer acrylate-based adhesive tapes.
Paleoecological Study of Pleistocene Marine Fauna, Flagler County, Florida: ABSTRACT

Selected techniques of biofacies analysis were applied to an unconsolidated sedimentary deposit in the Pamlico Formation of Pleistocene age in Flagler County, Florida. An oriented sample containing 0.61 cu. ft. of concentrated shells and sand yielded data which were subjected to analyses of taxonomic diversity, texture, abundance, and incomplete specimens. Of the mollusk shells present, 80% are pelecypods (39 species) and 20% are gastropods (37 species). Faunal elements indigenous to the depositional site could not be discerned, but the 19 species comprising 93% of all mollusk specimens suggest a depositional environment of shallow-water, high salinity bays with sand or sand-mud substrate, weak currents, considerable wave action, and a minimum water temperature of 50° -55°F. End_of_Article - Last_Page 2326------------
Plain abdominal radiography in clinically suspected appendicitis: Diagnostic yield, resource use, and comparison with CT

This study determined the diagnostic utility and hospital resource impact of plain abdominal radiography in emergency department patients with suspected appendicitis. The authors reviewed medical records of 821 consecutive patients hospitalized for suspected appendicitis; 78% had plain abdominal radiography. Sixty-four percent had appendicitis. Radiographic findings were noted in 51% of patients with, and 47% of patients without appendicitis; no individual radiographic finding was sensitive or specific. Specific conditions were suggested in 10% of impressions; these failed to correlate with final clinical diagnoses 57% of the time. Hospital cost per abdominal radiograph was $67; cost per specific, correct radiographic diagnosis was $1,593. This is compared with $270 per appendiceal computed tomography scan (based on recent literature data). The authors conclude that plain abdominal radiographs in patients with suspected appendicitis are neither sensitive nor specific, are frequently misleading, are costly per specific and correct diagnosis, and should not be routinely obtained on patients with suspected appendicitis.
An evaluation of cocaine-induced chest pain.

Study objective: To determine if enzymatic evidence of acute myocardial injury is present in patients complaining of chest pain after cocaine use when the ECG is normal or nondiagnostic. Design: Serial ECG and creatinine kinase (CK) and CK isoenzymes (CK-ISO) determinations were performed at time of emergency department presentation and every six hours over 12 hours on individuals complaining of chest pain within six hours of last cocaine use. Setting: ED of an urban tertiary care center. Type of participants: Forty-two individuals with a mean age of 28.5 years. Interventions: Patients with positive CK-ISOs were admitted immediately to formally rule out myocardial infarction. Patients developing ECG changes during observation period also were admitted even if CK-ISOs were normal. Patients with unchanged ECGs and normal CK-ISOs were discharged after 12 hours of observation. Results: Eight patients (19%) had elevated CK and CK-ISO values at presentation. Two of these patients had elevated values on three sequential determinations and were believed to have sustained acute myocardial infarction. Six patients had elevated CK and CK-ISOs at presentation only. ECGs remained normal or nondiagnostic in all patients. Conclusions: Enzymatic evidence of acute myocardial injury may occur in patients who develop chest pain after cocaine use and have normal or nondiagnostic ECGs. This injury may reflect acute infarction or transient ischemia. Single or serial normal or nondiagnostic ECGs do not rule out ischemia or injury in this group of patients.
Establishment of dependence relationships between genome replication and mitosis.

Although budding yeast cell biology and genetics provided a powerful system to isolate S-phase checkpoint mutants, initial studies relied on a defect not likely to be relevant in higher eukaryotes. The first mutants were isolated for their inability to restrain mitotic spindle elongation in S-phase. Since most eukaryotes do not assemble spindles until prometaphase the validity of this approach might have been questioned. However, these early studies were designed with a highly valid assumption in mind; that checkpoints have a variety of targets, but comprise conserved kinase cascades that make up these signaling pathways. The task that lies ahead is to determine targets of the S-phase checkpoint relevant to mammals. One step forward might be the realization that the budding yeast S-phase checkpoint prevents loss of sister chromatid cohesion while DNA replication is ongoing. If this mechanism is conserved in mammals, it could prove vital for chromosome segregation fidelity.
Explaining the Efficacy of Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV Prevention: A Qualitative Study of Message Framing and Messaging Preferences Among US Men Who have Sex with Men

We investigated message comprehension and message framing preferences for communicating about PrEP efficacy with US MSM. We conducted eight focus groups (n = 38) and n = 56 individual interviews with MSM in Providence, RI. Facilitators probed comprehension, credibility, and acceptability of efficacy messages, including percentages, non-numerical paraphrases, efficacy ranges versus point estimates, and success- versus failure-framed messages. Our findings indicated a range of comprehension and operational understandings of efficacy messages. Participants tended to prefer percentage-based and success-framed messages, although preferences varied for communicating about efficacy using a single percentage versus a range. Participants reported uncertainty about how to interpret numerical estimates, and many questioned whether trial results would predict personal effectiveness. These results suggest that providers and researchers implementing PrEP may face challenges in communicating with users about efficacy. Efforts to educate MSM about PrEP should incorporate percentage-based information, and message framing decisions may influence message credibility and overall PrEP acceptability.
P15.01WOUND HEALING COMPLICATIONS IN BRAIN TUMOR PATIENTS ON BEVACIZUMAB

Bevacizumab (BV) is a monoclonal antibody against vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) and is commonly used for treatment of recurrent glioblastoma (GBM). Wound healing problems are a well-established adverse event, which may be compounded by the concomitant use of corticosteroids. Here, we present two patients with GBM who developed wound healing complications while on chronic corticosteroids following BV treatment. Case 1: 61-year-old male diagnosed with a right frontal GBM in 2009. He was initially treated with standard chemoradiation. At first recurrence, he participated in a trial with cediranib and on second recurrence was started treatment with dexamethasone 4mg daily and BV 10 mg/kg every 2 weeks. After the 31st cycle of BV, he had trauma to left hand with significant bruising and tearing of skin after hitting his hand against a stair railing. Wound continued to expand and developed secondary infection requiring antibiotics (Abx) and debridement. BV was discontinued and wound slowly healed over period of 3 months. Case 2: 29-year-old male diagnosed with a right frontal anaplastic glioma. Initial treatment was external beam radiation and then temozolomide at recurrence 1 year later. A second focus of tumor was found in the cerebellum 3 years later and was treated with XRT requiring the use of chronic corticosteroids. During third recurrence, treatment started with BV 10 mg/kg every 2 weeks and continuation of corticosteroids. After 3 months of treatment with BV, existing abdominal striae that had developed from weight gain dehisced, resulting in a secondary infection with MRSA. Despite local wound care and Abx, the areas did not heal, and patient succumbed to the infection 2 months later. While post-surgical wound healing problems are well known issues with BV use, these cases demonstrate uncommon wound healing adverse events in patients on chronic corticosteroids treated with BV. Clinicians should be aware of the potential for these adverse events and future studies addressing wound care strategies are needed to help prevent this potentially serious complication.
Classification of Application Development for FPGA-Based Systems

Field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) have been used to accelerate DoD-related applications with promising performance. However, current development tools require significant hardware knowledge and are not amenable to the increasing complexity of FPGA-based systems. The application requirements are expected to change dramatically for future use cases, and require a well defined development methodology. This paper presents the results obtained after conducting an extensive survey and study about current FPGA tools. A classification for DoD use cases and FPGA tools is provided. This classification provides the current status of the available tools and identifies current tool limitations for DoD use cases.
Waterflood Surveillance and Supervisory Control

A successful waterflood depends on the proper operation of individual wells in a pattern, on maintaining the balance between water injection and production over the entire project or field, and on preventing well failures. The problems with waterflood are further aggravated in tight rock, e.g., carbonate, chalk or diatomite, where injector-producer linkages, uncontrolled hydrofracture growth, and water breakthrough in thief layers are often encountered. For optimal operation of a waterflood, it is mandatory that field engineers routinely acquire, store and interpret huge amounts of data to identify potential problems and to address them quickly. The cost of an error can be extreme; failure of only one well may cost more than the entire surveillancecontroller system described here. As in preventive health care, it is important to diagnose the problems early and to apply the cure on time. Our solution is to design a multilevel, integrated system of surveillance and control, which acquires and processes waterflood data, and helps field personnel make optimal decisions. Our upper-end systems will rely on the satellite radar interferograms (InSAR) of surface displacement and the new revolutionary micro-electronic mechanical systems (MEMS) sensors. Many intermediate configurations are also possible. In the near future, the next generation of smart, reliable and cheap sensors will revolutionize field operations of small independents and majors alike. We think that the impact of the new technology on the independents will be proportionally larger.
Scattering by an Eccentrically Loaded Cylindrical Cavity With Multiple Slits

Rigorous solutions for the scattered fields of an eccentrically loaded cylindrical cavity with multiple slits under TE or TM plane wave illumination are formulated using a Neumann series expansion. The series solution exhibits favorable convergence properties resulting in a computationally efficient scheme. The solution scheme is applied to several geometries, showing that the back scattered RCS due to the slot mode under TE incidence can be suppressed by reducing the continuous circumferential metallic length of the cylinder. Also, the low frequency RCS for TM excitation can be reduced by blocking large slit apertures with thin strips.
A case study utilizing Vojta/Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization therapy to control symptoms of a chronic migraine sufferer.

Summary Introduction Migraine is a complex disorder of the brain characterized by severe headache, photophobia, phonophobia, and nausea. This case report demonstrated the reduction of a 49-year-old female's chronic migraine symptoms after 12 weeks of Vojta/Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization (DNS) therapy. Methods Vojta/DNS treatment occurred either in the office or at home over a 12-week period. Symptoms were tracked via a patient diary, a VAS pain scale, and a Headache Disability Index (HDI). Results The patient's migraine symptoms were typically of 3 days duration, a frequency of 8–10 times per month, and an intensity of 10/10 on a VAS pain scale. After a 12-week trial of Vojta/DNS care, subjective improvements were noted, with a reduction in frequency to 1–2 times per month, duration of 12h at most, and decreased intensity to a 2/10 on a VAS pain scale. HDI scores dropped from 48% to 34%. Discussion This therapy reduced the patient migraine sysmptoms in frequency, duration and intensity. This therapy is not well-known in North America despite its use for over 40 years in Europe. Conclusion This case demonstrated that Vojta/DNS treatment over a 12-week period helped manage the patient's migraines and could be a possible treatment option for future research.
Prevalence of Strongyloides robustus in tree squirrels (Sciuridae) in South-Central Pennsylvania and potential impacts for the endangered northern flying squirrel, Glaucomys sabrinus.

Strongyloides robustus is a unique parasite that has conservation impacts for sciurid populations in North America. In some squirrel species, like the southern flying squirrel ( Glaucomys volans ), the eastern gray squirrel ( Sciurus carolinensis) and the red squirrel ( Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) , pathology is relatively benign. However in the northern flying squirrel ( Glaucomys sabrinus ), S. robustus infestation can result in high mortality. The objective of this project was to survey the prevalence of S. robustus within the squirrel species currently found in south- central Pennsylvania so that the risk to the northern flying squirrel could be evaluated in light of the parasite mediated competition hypothesis. Fecal samples from eastern gray, red, and southern flying squirrels were obtained through nest boxes, road kills and hunting. A modified Sheather’s sugar floatation was prepared with a specific gravity of 1.27 to evaluate parasite prevalence. Ten of the 40 nest boxes examined had flying squirrel evidence in the form of feces deposited within the nest. Strongyloides robustus was present in 30% of the 10 samples. The prevalence of S. robustus was 77.3% in the 22 road-killed and hunter-killed eastern gray squirrels. The single hunter-killed red squirrel examined in this study demonstrated S. robustus infestation. This study evaluated infection in possible reservoirs that are understudied in Pennsylvania and supported the idea of parasite mediated competition.
Heat Rejection in the Titan Surface Environment: Potential Impact on Science Investigations

Practical long-lived exploration systems on and near the surface of Saturn’s moon Titan likely would require radioisotope power systems and could usefully exploit the waste heat from such systems to maintain benign internal operating temperatures. However, the heat must still be rejected, and the understanding of heat transfer conditions to the atmosphere, as well as to liquid and solid surfaces, is summarized. This waste heat may perturb the environment in several ways that would compromise scientific measurements. The potential meteorological disturbances introduced by various power levels are discussed, and the effects of heat flux on surface materials are assessed. It is found that a heat output of ∼2 kW or higher requires a mast of 1 m or more be deployed away from a lander to avoid significant wind measurement perturbations. Even heat leaks of only 100 W·m−2 through the hull of a vehicle immersed in Titan’s liquid hydrocarbon seas may cause significant effervescence and fog generation.
Juxtamembrane contribution to transmembrane signaling

Signaling across the cell membrane mediated by transmembrane receptors plays an important role in diverse biological processes. Recent studies have indicated that, in a number of single-span transmembrane receptors, the intracellular juxtamembrane (JM) sequence linking the transmembrane helix with the rest of the cytoplasmic domain participates directly in the signaling process via several novel mechanisms. This review briefly highlights several modes of JM dynamics in the context of signal transduction that are shared by different types of transmembrane receptors.
Use, misuse, and underuse of work relative value units in a vascular surgery practice

Health care reform is forcing "alignment" between hospitals and physicians. The acceleration of employment of physicians by hospitals is bringing into focus contractual terms where compensation is tied to clinical productivity. Physician productivity is being almost entirely defined by work relative value units (WRVUs). However, vascular surgeons may bring value to a health system in ways that are unique and separate from clinical revenue as measured by WRVUs. Incentives for physicians should also be tied to behaviors that are desired, such as quality of care, efficiency, patient outcomes, patient satisfaction scores, teaching, and research, depending on the specific environment. Vascular surgeons must be aware of proper use and misuse of WRVUs and have access to the most appropriate benchmarks in negotiations for employment. With increasing employment of physicians by hospitals and focus on "alignment," a more comprehensive measure of physician productivity is necessary.
Robotic radical prostatectomy and the Vattikuti Urology Institute technique: an interim analysis of results and technical points.

We have performed >350 robotic radical prostatectomies in the last 2 years. A single surgeon (MM) performed 250 of these procedures using a technique developed at our institution, the Vattikuti Urology Institute. This article summarizes the technical highlights and interim results of the Vattikuti Institute Prostatectomy (VIP) technique. We prospectively collected baseline demographic data, such as age, race, body mass index (BMI), serum prostate-specific antigen values, prostate volume, Gleason score, percentage cancer, TNM clinical staging, and comorbidities. Urinary symptoms were measured with the International Prostate Symptom Score, and sexual health with the Sexual Health Inventory of Males. In addition, patients received the Expanded Prostate Inventory Composite at baseline and at 1, 3, 6, 12 and 18 months after the procedure via mail. Data collection is complete on 200 of the first 250 patient cases. Gleason score ≥7 was noted in 40% of patients. The average BMI was high (28), and 86% patients were classified as pathologic stage pT2a to pT2b. The mean operative time was 160 minutes and the mean blood loss was 153 mL. No patient required blood transfusion. At 6 months, 82% of the men who were 60 years of age had return of sexual function, and 64% and 38%, respectively, had sexual intercourse. At 6 months, 96% patients were continent.
NONESTROGEN MANAGEMENT OF MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS

Women who cannot or choose not to take estrogens do have alternatives; however, the options are few and unproven in longterm clinical trials with respect to safety and efficacy. Many available alternative treatments may alleviate the symptoms of the menopause, but do not convey long-term protection against osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease. This article reviews treatment alternatives to estrogen replacement therapy for symptomatic relief.
Elicitation technique selection: how do experts do it?

Requirements elicitation techniques are methods used by analysts to determine the needs of customers and users, so that systems can be built with a high probability of satisfying those needs. Analysts with extensive experience seem to be more successful than less experienced analysts in uncovering the user needs. Less experienced analysts often select a technique based on one of two reasons: (a) it is the only one they know, or (b) they think that a technique that worked well last time must surely be appropriate this time. We present the results of in-depth interviews with some of the world's most experienced analysts. These results demonstrate how they select elicitation techniques based on a variety of situational assessments.
Using DREADDs to Isolate Internal Clocks

Although much is known about the psychophysics of timing and time perception, the ability to selectively modulate discrete neuronal populations subserving interval timing could advance the field in unprecedented ways (see Buhusi and Meck, 2005; Allman and Meck, 2011; Cheng et al., 2011). Current approaches used to delineate the neuronal correlates of timing are often restricted to pharmacological (Meck, 1996; Coull et al., 2011) or ablative approaches, both physical (Meck, 2006a,b; Wiener et al., 2008) and genetic (Sysoeva et al., 2010; Agostino et al., 2011; Meck et al., 2011; Wiener et al., 2011). Most, if not all, of the ablative approaches are limited to loss of function-type hypothesis testing and frequently have unintended off-target effects. The pharmacologic approach has inherent confounds in the non-specificity of small molecule ligands. One way to overcome these confounds is to use a system in which a designer receptor exclusively activated by designer drug (DREADD) is expressed in a cell-type specific manner via transgenic expression. This chemicogenetic approach is further described by the acronym of the first tool of its type: receptor activated solely by synthetic ligand (RASSL). In short, a receptor is engineered such that it is no longer activated by any endogenous ligands and instead activated by an otherwise inert exogenous ligand. The various RASSLs and DREADDs have been reviewed elsewhere (Pei et al., 2008). In short, there are three DREADDs available with proven functionality in neuronal environments – hM3Dq (Gq-coupled, promotes neuronal excitability), hM4Di (Gi-coupled, promotes neuronal inhibition), and the rM3Ds (Gs-coupled, promotes cAMP production). Here, we discuss this technology's potential in the field of interval timing.
Why are there carbonic anhydrases in the liver

The transit of HCO; from the erythrocyte to the pulmonary capillary was believed to be too rapid to be accounted for by the uncatalysed hydration of CO,; the hunt for a catalytic factor resulted in the subsequent simultaneous discovery of carbonic anhydrase (CA; EC 4.2.1.1) at the Universities of Cambridge and Pennsylvania (Meldrum and Roughton, J. Physiol. (London), 80, 113-142, 1933; Stadie and O'Brien J. Biochem. (Tokyo), 103, 521-529, 1933). Within the following decade, a class of specific sulfonamide carbonic anhydrase inhibitors had been identified (Keilin and Mann, Biochem. J., 34, 1163-1 176, 1940) and interest in carbonic anhydrase activity for several decades became limited to a large extent to those who preferred it inactive. In the past two decades, there has been an upsurge of interest in the carbonic anhydrases as a result of the findings that there is a whole family of carbonic anhydrase isozymes. Erythrocyte carbonic anhydrase activity is now known to comprise two isozymes, CA I and CA 11, in humans and most other mammals; however, ruminants and cats have only CA 11. The five other characterized isozymes, CA 111, CA IV, CA V, CA VI, and CA VII, are distributed throughout the organs as are CA I and CA I1 (Dodgson et al. (Editors), The carbonic anhydrases: cellular physiology and molecular genetics, Plenum Press, 1991). In the past 15 years, CA I11 through CA VII have been discovered; all seven isozyrnes are known to be encoded by different genes. The CA isozymes differ kinetically in their values of K, (COJ, anion inhibition constants, and turnover numbers; e.g., human CA I1 has the highest turnover number of any known enzyme, which is two orders of magnitude higher than that of CA 111. The question as to why there are carbonic anhydrases in the mammalian liver is starting only now to be answered. CA VI, which is secreted into saliva (Fernley, In The carbonic anhydrases, 1991, op. cit.), and CA VII, which is localized to the parotid gland (reviewed in Dodgson et al., 1991, op. cit.) have not been found in the liver. All five other isozymes are known to be in the hepatocytes (Gros and Dodgson, Annu. Rev. Physiol., 50,669-694, 1988; Jeffery, In The carbonic anhydrases, 1991, op. cit.). In humans, CA I, CA 11, and CA 11, are encoded by separate, contiguous genes on chromosome 8 (Hewett-Emmett and Tashian, In The carbonic anhydrases, 1991, op. cit.); all are present in the hepatocytic cytosol; CA IV is on the plasma membrane (Carter et al., Biochirn. Biophys. Acta, 1026, 113-1 16, 1990) and CA V is inside the mitochondria (Dodgson et al., Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 77, 55625566, 1980). The only liver isozyme for which there is any evidence for a defined function is the mitochondrial CA V, which comprises less than 5% of the total hepatocytic CA activity (Dodgson and Watford, 277, 410-414, 1990). The
Engineering Freshman Enrollments: Critical and Non-critical Factors

Freshman enrollment and bachelors degree data over the last three decades for all undergraduates as well as engineering students are analyzed and compared to variations in the numbers of high school graduates. Engineering enrollment data trends are shown to differ significantly from those of undergraduates as a whole and to exhibit little correlation with trends in high school graduation data. Freshman engineering enrollments show a very strong correlation with factors which might indicate to high school students the magnitude of their personal economic gain such as on-campus industrial interviewing intensity, annual growth in starting salaries and starting salary levels relative to average salaries of all undergraduates. No correlation between engineering freshman enrollments and national economic conditions as measured by the Gross Domestic Product or unemployment was found. Implications of the correlation between freshman enrollments and perceived personal economic reward are considered in terms of strategies for recruiting freshmen, student performance in engineering curricula and trends for the future.
What Comes First: The Food or the Nutrient? Executive Summary of a Symposium

This article summarizes background materials and presentations at a symposium that considered the issue of the role of foods and dietary patterns vs. nutrients in relation to chronic disease risk. A model of food synergy is presented as a basis for studying whole foods and dietary patterns. Findings from a series of studies of walnuts were presented and support the concept that walnuts are a healthy food, with specific benefits in a mouse model of breast cancer growth, reductions in cardiovascular disease risk factors in humans, and motor performance and in vitro, in vivo, and ex vivo cellular response to challenge in an aged-rat model.
The search for a chlorine-resistant reverse osmosis membrane

Abstract Reverse osmosis membranes processing natural and waste waters are often exposed to low concentrations of chlorine in feed water. This biocide is chemically aggressive toward most commercial high performance membrane polymers. Chemical attack by chlorine ultimately results in membrane failure as measured by enhanced passage of both salt and water. Membrane failure is due to certain structural changes within the polymer in response to chlorine exposure. These changes in polyamide type membranes result from chlorine attack on amide nitrogen and aromatic rings. The resulting substitution products may cause deformation in the polymer chain or cleavage at amide linkages. The exact chemical mechanism of chlorine-polymer interaction and subsequent membrane failure is not, as yet, clearly understood. A review of published work on membrane-chlorine interaction will be presented here. Experimental evidence supporting various models for membrane failure will also be documented. In addition, certain common structural features known to enhance chlorine resistance of polymeric membranes are identified. It is anticipated that this paper will stimulate research efforts toward development of polymeric reverse osmosis membranes with high levels of chlorine resistance.
Evolution of limited seed dispersal ability on gypsum islands

UNLABELLED PREMISE OF THE STUDY Dispersal is a major feature of plant evolution that has many advantages but is not always favored. Wide dispersal, for example, leads to greater seed loss in oceanic-island endemics, and evolution has favored morphologies that limit dispersal. I tested the hypothesis that selection favored limited dispersal on gypsum islands in western North America, where edaphic communities are sparsely vegetated except for a specialized flora that competes poorly with the surrounding flora. • METHODS I applied a series of comparative phylogenetic approaches to gypsophilic species of Mentzelia section Bartonia (Loasaceae) to investigate the evolution of limited dispersal function in seed wings, which increase primary dispersal by wind. Through these tests, I determined whether narrowed wings were selected for in gypsophilic species. • KEY RESULTS Gypsophily was derived four to seven times. Seed area was not significantly correlated with gypsophily or wing area. Wing area was significantly smaller in the derived gypsum endemics, supporting the hypothesis in favor of limited dispersal function. A model-fitting approach identified two trait optima in wing area, with gypsum endemics having a lower optimum. • CONCLUSIONS Evolution into novel ecologies influences morphological evolution. Morphological characters have been selected for limited dispersal following evolution onto gypsum islands. Selection for limited dispersal ability has occurred across animals and plants, both in oceanic and terrestrial systems, which suggests that reduced dispersal ability may be a general process: selection favors limited dispersal if the difference in survival between the habitat of the parent and the surrounding area is great enough.