cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multifunctional Biocompatible Graphene Oxide Quantum Dots Decorated Magnetic Nanoplatform for Efficient Capture and Two-Photon Imaging of Rare Tumor Cells

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are extremely rare cells in blood containing billions of other cells. The selective capture and identification of rare cells with sufficient sensitivity is a real challenge. Driven by this need, this manuscript reports the development of a multifunctional biocompatible graphene oxide quantum dots (GOQDs) coated, high-luminescence magnetic nanoplatform for the selective separation and diagnosis of Glypican-3 (GPC3)-expressed Hep G2 liver cancer tumor CTCs from infected blood. Experimental data show that an anti-GPC3-antibody-attached multifunctional nanoplatform can be used for selective Hep G2 hepatocellular carcinoma tumor cell separation from infected blood containing 10 tumor cells/mL of blood in a 15 mL sample. Reported data indicate that, because of an extremely high two-photon absorption cross section (40530 GM), an anti-GPC3-antibody-attached GOQDs-coated magnetic nanoplatform can be used as a two-photon luminescence platform for selective and very bright imaging of a...
Recent developments in metal-metalloporphyrin frameworks.

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) based on porphyrin or metalloporphyrin components are of particular interest due to their potential applications in molecular sorption, light-harvesting, and heterogeneous catalysis. This perspective is focused on recent advances in the syntheses and functional properties of metal–metalloporphyrin frameworks, which are classified according to coordination moieties on the porphyrin ligands.
A Bayesian Hierarchical Regression Approach to Longitudinal Data in Empirical Legal Studies

The various forms of regression are a dominant feature of modern data analysis today. This is hardly surprising since the basic premises of regression are well understood in many different areas of research, and basic regression analysis is a standard component in many statistical software packages. However, researchers do not have to venture very far in their applications of regression analysis to run into trouble from a computational and modeling point of view. This is especially apparent when modeling longitudinal or repeated measures data using classical regression. We introduce a Bayesian hierarchical modeling approach to longitudinal data. These hierarchical models overcome many of the limitations of classical regression and are well suited to handle longitudinal data. The intuitive concepts of hierarchical models are introduced via the Donohue and Levitt (DL) abortion-crime data set, using the statistical software packages R and STATA. We show that when properly modeled, there is no empirical relationship between abortion and crime using the DL data set.
Countertrade and the Minimization of Transaction Costs: An Empirical Examination

The term "countertrade" is used to describe six types of transactions: barter, clearing arrangements, switch trading, buy-back, counterpurchase, and offset (these are described in detail below). All these transactions have one characteristic in common: In each a seller provides a buyer with goods and services and promises in return to purchase goods and services from the buyer (Banks, 1983:160). In the last decade, these reciprocal trade practices have increased dramatically in importance, with the number of countries that mandate some form of countertrade growing from 15 in 1975 to 88 in 1984 (Carter and Gagne, 1988). Today between 8 and 20 percent of world trade is subject to countertrade obligations, with 15 to 20 percent the consensus estimate.'
New alternatives for interference tolerant waveforms hosted on a software programmable multi-mission platform

We present a dynamically reconfigurable (∼ seconds) combined FPGA/DSP-based system-on-chip platform to address the need for an agile multi-function/multi-mission capability in size and weight constrained applications. The highly integrated system-in-a-package (SiP) format occupies 36 Mbps and > 30 dB of additional pilot tone interference margin over typical OFDM, so it is suitable as a primary user (PU) format tolerant to both interference and wireless channel distortions. Lastly, to show the mission diversity, the FPGA platform is extended to a stretch mode inverse synthetic aperture RADAR (ISAR) experimentally achieving 0.25 m slant range resolution and multiplicative noise ratio (MNR) of −23 dB using a 40 MHz/us chirp on an actual target.
Pancreatic Islet Transplantation Improves Body Composition, Decreases Energy Intake and Normalizes Energy Efficiency in Previously Diabetic Female Rats

We investigated the weight gain, body composition, and feed efficiency of female Wistar Furth rats (170 +/- 1 g) made diabetic with streptozotocin (55 mg/kg intravenously), then infused intraportally with 3519 +/- 838 (150 mu equivalent units) syngeneic pancreatic islets of Langerhans. After islet transplants (5-6 wk), nutritional energetics were evaluated in transplanted rats (Transplant), and also in 3- and 9-wk diabetic (Diab-3, 9) and control rats treated with sham infusions and similar surgical manipulations (Sham-3, 9). Diabetic rats demonstrated marked hyperphagia, which was corrected by islet transplantation (577 +/- 53 vs. 266 +/- 19 kJ/d; P 0.05). Three weeks of diabetes resulted in a lower protein (Diab-3, 24.8 +/- 2.6 g vs. Sham-3, 30.9 +/- 1.0 g) and fat content (1.9 +/- 0.8 g vs. 11.6 +/- 1.7 g) in the rats' carcasses. However, 6 wk after islet transplantation, rats receiving islets (Transplant) were not different than control rats (Sham-9) (31.9 +/- 1.7 g vs. 33.3 +/- 1.9 g protein and 15.4 +/- 3.0 g vs. 15.1 +/- 3.2 g fat). Three weeks of diabetes resulted in a lesser energy efficiency compared with Sham rats (2.7 +/- 2.0 vs. 7.1 +/- 1.9 kJ gained/100 kJ ingested); islet-transplanted rats were not different than Sham-9 rats (4.9 +/- 2.3 vs. 4.7 +/- 1.4 kJ gained/100 kJ ingested). These data illustrate that islet transplantation in previously diabetic female rats improves growth with proportional gains in body protein and fat mass. This is modulated in part by a reduced food intake and an energy efficiency that is improved relative to controls. These studies offer an optimistic outlook for the continued development of more physiological insulin delivery strategies that preclude the nutritional complications associated with exogenous insulin administration.
The boundary value problems for non-linear elliptic equations and the maximum principle for Euler-Lagrange equations

In this paper we investigate the boundary value problems for non-linear elliptic equations connected with infinite convex hypersurfaces. The asymptotic cone of such hypersurfaces is very important in our considerations. We study the problem of existence of solutions for Monge-Ampere equations on the entire space with prescribed asymptotic cone and the maximum principle and estimates for Euler-Lagrange equations. These problems have natural mutual connections.
Conformational analysis of 6α- and 6β-naltrexol and derivatives and relationship to opioid receptor affinity.

Naltrexol and its C6 α and β desoxy, iodo, mesyl, tosyl, trifyl, dimethylcarbamyl, and diphenylcarbamyl derivatives were studied in their energy-minimized C ring chair-like and boat-like conformations using B3LYP/6-31G** and SM5.4/A to estimate aqueous solvation free energy. The results were compared to experimental opioid receptor binding affinities. The total energy difference between β conformers correlated well with MOR binding affinity, while the aqueous solvation free energy correlated well with the KOR binding affinity.
Congenital Communications of the Right Pulmonary Veins with the Azygos Vein

A case of total pulmonary venous drainage of the right lung into the azygos vein, surgically corrected, has been reported. There have been 10 previous cases of varying degrees of partial right, total right, to total (bilateral) pulmonary venous drainage into the azygos vein. The authors' case is the third to be diagnosed during life and apparently the first case to be successfully corrected. With one exception, all previously reported cases have occurred in females. A review of previous cases and surgical considerations in the authors' case have been presented.
A Unified Approach for Classroom and Laboratory Control Systems Education

Abstract In this paper, a unified approach for control systems education will be presented. This approach is a friendly software and hardware platform that provides students with the necessary tools for gathering data for system identification, designing controllers, simulating the closed-loop system, and implementing the controller on real-time hardware. The proposed approach has been used in introductory control systems courses and can be easily extended to advanced and research-based courses. Software-based classroom assignments and projects have been presented based on this platform. Moreover, these classroom assignments and projects were smoothly extended to hardware-based labs. The feedback conveyed by students due to the incorporation of this platform into control engineering curricula has been positive. Also, professors have been endorsing the use of this platform as part of teaching control systems engineering.
The Iraq War, Partisanship, and Candidate Attributes: Explaining Variation in Partisan Swing in the 2006 U.S. House Elections

Although partisan swing is often assumed to be uniform across congressional districts, our analysis of the 2006 House elections demonstrates that systematic variation exists. In addition to incumbency status, partisanship, spending, and scandal, we find that variation in the local salience of national issues across districts affected the vote shift. Notably, partisan swing in Republican districts proved highly sensitive to the number of Iraq war deaths from that district and, to a lesser degree, to the roll-call vote of Republican House members on the war resolution. These findings have implications for theories of anticipatory representation, retrospective voting, and electoral accountability. This article is forthcoming in the Legislative Studies Quarterly, 32:4 November 2007.
LARGE BINOCULAR TELESCOPE AND SPITZER SPECTROSCOPY OF STAR-FORMING GALAXIES AT 1 <z < 3: EXTINCTION AND STAR FORMATION RATE INDICATORS*

We present spectroscopic observations in the rest-frame optical and near- to mid-infrared wavelengths of four gravitationally lensed infrared (IR) luminous star-forming galaxies at redshift 1 <z< 3 from the LUCIFER instrument on the Large Binocular Telescope and the Infrared Spectrograph on Spitzer. The sample was selected to representpure,activelystar-formingsystems,absentofactivegalacticnuclei.Thelargelensingmagnificationsresult in high signal-to-noise spectra that can probe faint IRrecombination lines, including Paα and Brα at high redshifts. The sample was augmented by three lensed galaxies with similar suites of unpublished data and observations from the literature, resulting in the final sample of seven galaxies. We use the IRrecombination lines in conjunction with Hα observations to probe the extinction, Av, of these systems, as well as testing star formation rate (SFR) indicators against the SFR measured by fitting spectral energy distributions to far-IRphotometry. Our galaxies occupy a range of Av from ∼0 to 5.9 mag, larger than previously known for a similar range of IRluminosities at these redshifts. Thus, estimates of SFR even at z ∼ 2 must take careful count of extinction in the most IRluminous galaxies. We also measure extinction by comparing SFR estimates from optical emission lines with those from farIRmeasurements. The comparison of results from these two independent methods indicates a large variety of dust distribution scenarios at 1 <z< 3. Without correcting for dust extinction, the Hα SFR indicator underestimates the SFR; the size of the necessary correction depends on the IRluminosity and dust distribution scenario. Individual SFR estimates based on the 6.2 μm polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon emission line luminosity do not show a systematic discrepancy with extinction, although a considerable, ∼0.2dex, scatter is observed.
Comparison of four-drug discriminations in training compartments with four identical levers versus four different response manipulanda

Abstract Rats were trained to discriminate between four dissimilar drugs (phenobarbital, nicotine, fentanyl, and methylphenidate) in compartments which contained either four identical levers or four dissimilar response manipulanda. During successive training sessions, the drug condition was cycled through the four training conditions. The objective was to compare speed of acquisition and asymptotic accuracy of discriminative control in the following types of compartments: (1) Undercorated compartments with four identical levers; (2) Compartments with four dissimilar response manipulanda (lever, wheel, nosepoke, panel); (3) Four-lever compartments with a unique sensory environment surrounding each lever; (4) Compartments with four dissimilar manipulanda, each surrounded by a unique sensory environment. The required four-drug discriminations were learned in all training compartments. Independent variables that produced statistically significant effects on speed of acquisition and/or asymptotic accuracy included drug, dosage use/nonuse of four dissimilar response manipulanda, and presence/absence of environmental decorations around each manipulandum. Although the use of four different response manipulanda and/or the use of distinctive decorations surrounding each of the four manipulanda did increase speed of acquisition, these manipulations also resulted in biases towards/against particular individual environments or manipulanda during the acquisition phase of the experiment. Such biases can complicate the interpretation of results of conventional drug discrimination studies, especially if they persist into the asymptotic accuracy phase, which was not observed in the present study.
Inelastic neuron scattering by benzene: Direct spectral analysis using molecular dynamics simulation

Incoherent inelastic scattering cross sections for solid and liquid benzene are calculated from molecular dynamics simulation data. The benzene molecule is modeled as a flexible twelve particle system with intramolecular forces based on an ab initio potential and the intermolecular interactions given by empirical atom-atom Buckingham (6-exp) potentials. Hydrogen atom trajectories from simulations at 10 K and 298 K are used to calculate directly the intermediate scattering function, F s (q, t) , and the proton velocity autocorrelation function. For liquid benzene, the cross section is calculated from the associated S s (q, w) . For solid benzene, the cross section is calculated from the proton velocity autocorrelation spectrum. The calculated cross sections are compared with recent experimental measurements carried out at the IPNS-ANL and are foundto show allthe observed peaks in the measured spectra (ca. 20-1600cm -1 ) with their relative intensities in reasonable agreement.
Therapeutic applications of heat shock proteins and molecular chaperones

Molecular chaperones are stress and heat shock proteins (Hsps) having important characteristics associated with stabilisation of the functional conformation of proteins and protection against cellular toxicity. Hsp expression is enhanced in response to stress that can influence post-translational modification and denaturation of proteins. In the presence of Hsp, protein unfolding and aggregation in response to denaturing conditions is inhibited. Hsps support normal folding of partially folded proteins during biosynthesis. In the presence of endogenous Hsp there is increased cellular tolerance to thermal stress, ischaemia, oxidation and other adverse conditions that can modify protein conformation and produce partially unfolded states resulting in dysfunctional aggregates. The immunogenicity of Hsp bound antigenic peptides is enhanced. Each functional characteristic of Hsp is associated with protection against abnormal, stress related conditions in which therapeutic applications involving Hsp are under dev...
On the Existence of a Capillary Surface with Prescribed Contact Angle

In this note we consider the problem of the existence and regularity of an equilibrium-free surface S of a liquid that partially fills a cylindrical container, as determined by surface forces, gravitational forces and boundary adhesion. Let D denote 'a right cross section of the cylinder and aD its boundary. We represent the capillary surface S by a height function u(x, y), (x, y)~ D. The form of the capillary surface S as determined by the principle of virtual work (cf. [l]) leads to an equation of the form
A population-based study of subsequent primary malignancies after endometrial cancer: genetic, environmental, and treatment-related associations.

Purpose To examine the risk of subsequent primary malignancies (SPMs) in women diagnosed with endometrial cancer. Methods and Materials The National Cancer Institute's Survival, Epidemiology, and End Results database was used to determine the risk of SPM after endometrial cancer in 69,739 women diagnosed between 1973 and 2005. Standardized incidence ratios were calculated (observed/expected [O/E]) for SPM sites. Results Median follow-up was 11.2 years, representing 757,567 person-years of follow-up. The risk of SPM was significantly increased for small intestine (O/E = 1.48; 99% confidence interval [CI], 1.03–2.05), colon (O/E = 1.16; CI, 1.09–1.24), vagina (O/E = 2.71; CI, 1.86–3.8), and urinary bladder (O/E = 1.41; CI, 1.25–1.59) SPMs and decreased for oral cavity and pharynx (O/E = 0.75; CI, 0.6–0.93), lung and bronchus (O/E = 0.78; CI, 0.72–0.84), and esophagus (O/E = 0.58; CI, 0.37–0.86) SPMs. Patients receiving external-beam radiotherapy for endometrial cancer had an increased risk of colon ( p p p = 0.04), and soft-tissue ( p = 0.014) SPMs. Patients treated with brachytherapy had an increased risk of bladder SPM ( p = 0.006). A positive bidirectional association with endometrial cancer was observed for colorectal cancer, with a negative bidirectional association for oropharyngeal and lung cancers. Conclusions Genetic, environmental, and treatment-related factors influence SPM risk. Genetic factors may contribute to the increased risk of colorectal cancer. Smoking's negative effect on endometrial cancer risk factors might explain the decreased risk of lung and oropharyngeal cancer. Patients treated with radiotherapy likely have a small but significantly increased risk of bladder, vagina, colon, and soft-tissue SPM.
Theoretical Study on the Rank of Integral Operators for Broadband Electromagnetic Modeling From Static to Electrodynamic Frequencies

To facilitate the broadband modeling of integrated electronic and photonic systems from static to electrodynamic frequencies, we propose an analytical approach to study the rank of the integral operator for electromagnetic analysis, which is valid for an arbitrarily shaped object with an arbitrary electric size. With this analytical approach, we theoretically prove that for a prescribed error bound, the minimal rank of the interaction between two separated geometry blocks in an integral operator, asymptotically, is a constant for 1-D distributions of source and observation points, grows very slowly with electric size as square root of the logarithm for 2-D distributions, and scales linearly with the electric size of the block diameter for 3-D distributions. We thus prove the existence of an error-bounded low-rank representation of both surface- and volume-based integral operators for electromagnetic analysis, irrespective of electric size and object shape. Numerical experiments validated the proposed analytical approach and the resultant findings on the rank of integral operators. This paper provides a theoretical basis for employing and further developing low-rank matrix algebra for accelerating the integral-equation-based electromagnetic analysis from static to electrodynamic frequencies.
Synthesis and reactivity of ethyl 7-amino-3- tert -butyl-4-thioxo-4,6-dihydropyrazolo[5,1- c ][1,2,4]triazine-8-carboxylate

Treatment of ethyl 7-amino-3-tert-butyl-4-oxo-4,6-dihydropyrazolo[5,1-c][1,2,4]triazine-8-carboxylate with P2S5 in pyridine gave ethyl 7-amino-3-tert-butyl-4-thioxo-4,6-dihydropyrazolo[5,1-c][1,2,4]triazine-8-carboxylate which was subjected to acylation, decarboxylation, and hydrazinolysis.
Health, Supportive Environments, and the Reasonable Person Model

The Reasonable Person Model is a conceptual framework that links environmental factors with human behavior. People are more reasonable, cooperative, helpful, and satisfied when the environment supports their basic informational needs. The same environmental supports are important factors in enhancing human health.
A 3-D global MHD model for the effect of neutral jets during the Deep Space 1 Comet 19P/Borrelly flyby

Abstract The Deep Space 1 (DS1) spacecraft passed the sunward side of Comet 19P/Borrelly in 2001. Along its relatively north–south orbit, a set of plasma density and velocity measurement revealed a northward shift of the plasma boundaries and the mass loading peak. Both onboard and ground based telescopes found evidence for asymmetric distribution of the dust and neutrals. In this paper, five mass-loading patterns are studied to present the first study of the effect of non-spherical neutral distribution profiles on the solar wind-cometary plasma interaction environment. Using magnetohydrodynamic simulations, it is found that a combination of Gaussian and cosine neutral jet distribution, with cosine being the major part, can fit the DS1 general plasma measurement well, with a total gas production rate of around 5 × 10 28 s −1 . These model-data comparisons indicate that the general plasma distribution around Comet Borrelly can be explained with its aspherical neutral jet distribution. However, such neutral jets by themselves are insufficient to produce the density offset in the central peak. Kinetic effects, such as finite gyroradius may be required to create the offset plasma peak.
Using testing and JUnit across the curriculum

While the usage of unit-testing frameworks such as JUnit has greatly increased over the last several years, it is not immediately apparent to students and instructors how to best use tools like JUnit and how to integrate testing across a computer science curriculum. We have worked over the last four semesters to infuse testing and JUnit across our curriculum, building from having students use JUnit to having them write their own test cases to building larger integration and use case testing systems to studying JUnit as an example of good application of design patterns. We have found that, based on this increased presentation and structuring of the usage of JUnit and testing, students have an increased understanding and appreciation of the overall value of testing in software development.
Effects of isolation on maternal aggressiveness and body growth rates of offspring.

L'isolement prolonge de souris femelles ralentit le developpement et l'augmentation de poids de leurs progenitures. Aucun effet n'a ete observe sur la fertilite ou la fecondite maternelle.
Thermal characteristics of two-phase flow of a dielectric fluid in surface-augmented microchannels

Chip-level heat flux levels have risen beyond 250 W/cm2 due to the presence of circuit architecture-driven hot-spots. After intense scrutiny over the past two decades, microchannel heat sinks are closer to commercial implementation as evidenced by the advent of the single-chip silicon cooler announced recently by IBM. Though there are a multitude of studies and data related to multichannel configurations, a number of problems still exist which require further understanding. Contradictory results have been reported in the past about the flow behavior and its characteristics such as critical heal flux (CHF), flow transition and flow instabilities. Two-phase flow instabilities in particular, have been a disturbing feature of flow boiling in microchannels and the area of focus in the recent past. A major portion of the current study is directed towards the analysis and suppression of these instabilities. This paper reports an experimental investigation of flow boiling of dielectric fluid FC72 in a heal sink consisting of 19 microchannels of height 346 mum and width 200 mum (hydraulic diameter = 253 mum). The base of the microchannel is augmented with two 20 mum reentrant cavities to trigger nucleation activity and sustain nucleate boiling. The top cover of the channel is made of Pyrex glass, which allows high speed imaging of the How behavior in the microchannel. The flow was driven by a gear pump and conducted at mass fluxes of 500-2200 kg/m2-s and inlet subcooling up to 20degC. The results delineate the effects of mass flux, heat flux and inlet subcooling on the Onset of Nucleate Boiling (ONB), temperature overshoot and the frequency of flow instabilities calculated using a Fourier transform of the average pressure drop. The frequency of instabilities was found to be a stronger function of mixture quality than of the wall heat flux.
Accumulation of iron in mitochondria of erythroblasts.

SUMMARY Abnormal accumulations of iron in the mitochondria of erythroblasts were observed in patients who developed mild transitory anaemia while on a course of chloramphenicol and in patients with porphyria cutanea tarda. These and similar observations in six other syndromes were the basis for a discussion of the biochemical aetiology of this increased deposition of iron.
Optical limiting with reverse saturable absorbers

We have used a physically realistic model to investigate the spatial and temporal behavior of reverse saturable absorption and optical limiting in organometallic cluster compounds. An algorithm was developed to solve numerically the model and is used for the case of a collimated beam to determine various material parameters by fitting theory to experimental optical limiting data. Using these parameters, the algorithm was then extended to the case of converging and/or diverging beams.
Ethanol‐Mediated DNA Damage and PARP‐1 Apoptotic Responses in Cultured Fetal Cortical Neurons

Background: Prior studies by many laboratories have illustrated that ethanol can elicit a cascade of caspase-dependent apoptotic events in cultured neurons. Studies in our laboratory have connected this to oxidative stress and effects on fetal cortical neuron glutathione homeostasis. Aims: The intent of the following studies is to address mechanisms underlying ethanol-associated DNA damage that may be connected to apoptotic death of neurons. Methods: Cultures of fetal rat cerebral cortical neurons were utilized. Estimates of DNA damage was determined by Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining and nuclear condensation; Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) expression was determined by immunostaining and Western blotting; and occurrence of parylation and AIF translocations were assessed by Western blotting. Results: Ethanol treatment of the neurons generated increases in DNA damage by 4 hours while nuclear condensation was low at the short exposure period but increased markedly by 24 hours. This was temporally related to a marked up-regulation of PARP-1 expression. Activity of PARP-1, as assessed by PolyADP-ribose (PAR) formation, occurred within 15 minutes and peaked by 6 to 8 hours of ethanol treatment. An almost complete translocation of apoptosis inducing factor (AIF) from mitochondria to the nucleus occurred by 24 hours of ethanol treatment (4.0 mg/ml). Ethanol treatment for 4, 12, and 24 hours elicited an increasing caspase-mediated cleavage of PARP-1 to its 24 kDa fragment. Conclusions: These data illustrate the rapid occurrence of DNA damage following ethanol exposure and that PARP-1 pathways may play a role in the subsequent apoptotic death of these neurons.
The role of vacuum erection devices in penile rehabilitation after radical prostatectomy

Even nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy damages the cavernous nerves and leads to temporary erectile dysfunction (ED) in men recovering from prostate cancer surgery. Historically, patients recovering from prostate cancer surgery have been advised that the return of erectile function (EF) can take from 6 to 18 months, or even longer. Unfortunately, the return of sexual function in these patients remains variable, but is generally thought to be dependent on the individual patient's pre-surgery EF, as well as the degree of cavernous nerve disruption during prostate removal. Recently, there has been a growing movement to proactively treat patients postoperatively for presumed nerve damage to stimulate nerve recovery and possibly reduce the degree of irreversible damage. This would reduce the on-demand therapy these patients would require, and hopefully remove the requirement for an implantable prosthesis. The underlying hypothesis is that the artificial induction of erections shortly after surgery facilitates tissue oxygenation, reducing cavernosal fibrosis in the absence of nocturnal erections, potentially increasing the likelihood of preserving EF. Vacuum erection devices (VED), because of their ability to draw blood into the penis regardless of nerve disturbance, have become the centerpiece of penile rehabilitation protocols. This review will discuss the pathophysiology of radical prostatectomy induced ED and the rationale for rehabilitation. It will then discuss current protocols, including those involving the VED.
Vinblastine-induced Apoptosis Is Mediated by Discrete Alterations in Subcellular Location, Oligomeric Structure, and Activation Status of Specific Bcl-2 Family Members

To gain a broader insight into the role of Bcl-2 proteins in apoptosis induced after mitotic arrest, we investigated the subcellular location, oligomeric structure, and protein interactions of Bax, Bcl-2, and Bcl-xL in vinblastine-treated KB-3 cells. Vinblastine induced the translocation of Bax from the cytosol to the mitochondria, which was accompanied by conformational activation and oligomerization of Bax. Bcl-2 was located in the mitochondria, underwent multisite phosphorylation after vinblastine treatment, and was strictly monomeric under all conditions. In contrast, in control cells, Bcl-xL existed in both monomeric (30 kDa) and oligomeric (150 kDa) forms. Treatment with agents that induced Bcl-xL phosphorylation (microtubule inhibitors) caused loss of the 150-kDa form, but this species was unaffected by apoptotic stimuli that did not stimulate phosphorylation. Vinblastine also promoted Bax activation and Bax oligomerization in HCT116 colon cancer cells. Both wild-type and Bax-deficient HCT116 cells expressed the 150-kDa form of Bcl-xL, which was depleted similarly in both cell lines upon vinblastine treatment. Co-immunoprecipitation studies revealed that in untreated KB-3 cells inactive cytosolic Bax interacted with Bcl-xL, whereas in vinblastine-treated cells, activated mitochondrial Bax did not interact with Bcl-xL. Interaction of Bcl-2 with Bax was not observed under any condition. Overexpression of Bcl-xL inhibited vinblastine-induced Bax activation and Bax dimerization and in parallel inhibited apoptosis. The results indicate that vinblastine-induced apoptosis requires translocation, activation, and oligomerization of Bax and is associated with specific changes in the oligomeric properties of Bcl-xL, which occur independently of Bax.
The Hanle Effect of the Two-Level Atom in the Weak-Field Approximation

We apply the weak-field approximation of the line profiles, ωB Δω (ωB being the Larmor frequency and Δω the width of the line profile), adopting a second-order Taylor expansion in the Larmor frequency, to the polarized emission coefficients of the resonance transition in a two-level atom with values of the total angular momentum Ju and Jl, for the upper and lower levels, respectively. Using methods of Racah's algebra, we then derive rather compact algebraic expressions for the Stokes parameters of the radiation scattered locally in this transition. The advantage of using a second-order Taylor expansion of the emission coefficients is that the contributions of the Hanle effect and the Zeeman effect to the Stokes vector of the scattered radiation are easily identified and their respective roles in determining the polarization properties of the line better understood. Under the further assumption of unpolarized lower level, these expressions can be applied to derive explicit diagnostic formulae for polarized, resonance-scattering radiation, in terms of the relative geometry of the observer with respect to the solar magnetic field at the scattering center. The typical case of a spinless, two-level atom with Ju = 1 and Jl = 0 is explicitly worked out, and the corresponding diagnostic formulae are used to clarify some interesting properties of the Hanle effect. Finally, we compare these results, derived from the quantum-mechanical theory of line formation, with a recently proposed, classical formulation of the Hanle effect.
Rapid diagnostic methods for aspergillosis.

Summary Conventional laboratory methods are always unsatisfactory for the antemortem diagnosis of systemic mycoses, especially aspergillosis, in immunocompromised patients and those with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), regardless of their age. There is increasing proof that aspergillosis is not limited to pulmonary, sinus or nasal regions. These facts, plus the high mortality rate, indicate a tremendous need for reliable and rapid methods of diagnosing this infection. Accordingly, refined techniques such as solid-phase radioimmunoassay (SPIRA), crossed-immunelectrophoresis (CIE), crossed-radioim-munoelectrophoresis (CRIE), radioallergosorbent test (RAST), radioimmunoprecipitation assay (RIPA), paper radioimmunosorbent test (PRIST), computerized enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), biotin avidin enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and gasliquid chromatography (GLC) are being considered or used in clinical laboratories for diagnosing aspergillosis. The advantages and limitations of the RIA, ELISA and GLC methods are briefly discussed.
Calcium oxalate crystals in the red alga Antithamnion kylinii (Ceramiales): cytoplasmic and limited to indeterminate axes

The red alga,Antithamnion kylinii Gardner, was found to have needle-shaped inclusions about 10 μm long and less than 0.4 μm thick. They ranged in abundance from one or a few in young cells to hundreds in fully enlarged cells. Under polarized light, the inclusions were birefringent, indicating crystallinity. Solubility tests suggested that the inclusions were composed of calcium oxalate: they dissolved in 1 N hydrochloric acid and in a saturated solution of aqueous cupric acetate, but they were not soluble in 10 N acetic acid or 5.25% sodium hypochlorite. X-ray microanalysis confirmed the presence of calcium. Calcium oxalate crystals were present in cells of indeterminate axes, but cells of determinate lateral filaments lacked them. Light and electron microscopic study demonstrated that the crystals were associated with the parietal cytoplasm. Calcium oxalate crystals were also present inA. defectum Kylin, but they were not found in ten more distantly related taxa.
Separation of nonionic compounds by CE using a lauryl poly(oxyethylene) sulfate additive

A nonionic surfactant (Brij-30) was treated with chlorosulfonic acid to form C12H25(OCH2CH2)4OSO3-Na+. Addition of a low concentration of this material to an aqueous solution−acetonitrile electrolyte makes it possible to separate nonionic organic compounds by capillary electrophoresis. Separation is based on differences in the stabilities of analyte−additive complexes in solution. Migration times of analytes can be varied over an unusually large range by varying the additive concentration and the proportion of acetonitrile in the electrolyte. This greatly expands the scope of neutral organic compounds that can be separated by CE. Several examples are given. Some very difficult separations were achieved, such as the baseline resolution of four methylbenz[a]anthracene isomers and the separation of normal and deuterated acetophenone.
Oxygen consumption of human blood platelets. II. Effect of inhibitors on thrombin-induced oxygen burst

The effect of selected inhibitors on the thrombin-stimulated burst and the basal oxygen consumption of washed human platelets were investigated and compared with inhibition of the release reaction. Cyanide (0.2 mM) caused complete inhibition of the basal respiration, but only 15% inhibition of the thrombin-stimulated burst of oxygen consumption. Similar differential inhibitory effects were observed with oligomycin, antimycin, rotenone and N-ethylmaleimide. Prostaglandin E1 (0.03 mM) and acetylsalicylic acid (0.8 mM) had little effect on basal respiration, but inhibited the thrombin-stimulated burst of oxygen consumption. N-Ethylmaleimide (0.4 mM) inhibited the release of calcium from platelets by 90%, while prostaglandin E1, acetylsalicylic acid and the above mitochondrial inhibitors caused no more than 30% inhibition of the release reaction. Our results provide evidence that basal respiration and a portion of the thrombin-stimulated burst of oxygen consumption are involved in respiratory chain phosphorylation, and that this component of the thrombin-stimulated burst may be coupled to the maintenance of the release reaction.
Repair of Inflammatory Tracheoesophageal Fistula

Benign acquired tracheoesophageal fistula is uncommon. Erosin of the membranous wall of the trachea and the anterior esophageal wall by the high-pressure cuff on a tracheostomy tube, often against the anvil of a nasogastric tube, may produce such fistulas. Techniques for closure have included patching the tracheal defect with muscle and, often, multiple staged procedures, planned or unplanned. Since any cuff lesion severe enough to cause a fistula necessarily damages the trachea circumferentially at the same level, definitive correction must include circumferential tracheal resection as well as closure of the fitstula. Five patients with tracheoesophageal fistula due to cuff perforation had repair by such a single-stage procedure. Through an anterior approach the involved trachea was resected, primary anastomosis was done, and the esophagus was closed in layers. In 3 of these 5 patients muscle was interposed for added security. One patient had undergone a prior attempt at repair elsewhere. One required a second resection of trachea for subsequent stomal stenosis. Repair in 2 additional patients with fistulas of complex origin related to direct trauma, sepsis, and foreign body involved adaptation of the basic technique to the special problem; 1 of these procedures was necessarily staged. Results in all 7 patients have been good.
Nanowires As AFM Cantilevers: A Detection Scheme to Gently Image Soft Biological Materials in Fluids

Performing AFM on soft materials in fluids (e.g., living cells) is challenging due to their ready deformation by the tip. The thermal force-noise of the cantilever is the principal limitation to reducing sample deformation and minimizing a cantilever's cross- section reduces its noise significantly. However, the minimum size of the cantilever is currently limited by a conventional deflection detection scheme, which requires a large surface area for laser specular reflection. Here we develop an optical technique to use nanowires as cantilevers, and show that we achieve a force noise in water that is orders of magnitude gentler than conventional AFM. This is a significant milestone towards non-invasive scanning probe imaging of biological processes on the surfaces of vesicles and cell membranes.View Large Image | View Hi-Res Image | Download PowerPoint Slide
Use of a subcutaneous tunnel following replantation of an amputated penis

We describe a new technique for immobilization and protection of the penis following microsurgical replantation, using a subcutaneous tunnel created in the suprapubic area. This tunnel protects the phallus from reinjury while maintaining an anatomic position and a normothermic environment in the immediate postoperative period.
The constitutive behavior of laser welds in 304L stainless steel determined by digital image correlation

A digital image correlation (DIC) method has been used to characterize the constitutive tensile stress-strain response in 304L austenitic stainless steel weldments produced by both continuous-wave (CW) and pulsed-wave (PW) laser welding. The method provides quantitative two-dimensional (2-D) strain maps of the deformation field across the transverse weld samples throughout the tensile test. Local stress-strain response was extracted from regions within the fusion zone and compared to base metal response. The weldments were found to have a higher yield strength than the base metal. The metallurgical origin for the fusion zone strengthening was largely attributed to Hall-Petch and ferrite content effects. While failures localized in the fusion zone with little appreciable necking, the material within the fusion zone retained considerable local ductility: more than 45 pct strain at failure. Significant weld root porosity found in the PW condition and absent in the CW condition appeared to have no deleterious effect on the mechanical performance under the present test conditions in this very ductile, flaw-tolerant alloy.
Collaborative Verification of Forward and Reverse Reachability in the Internet Data Plane

To debug reach ability problems, a network operator often asks operators of other networks for help by telephone or email. We present a new protocol, COVE, for automating the exchange of data plane reach ability information between networks in a business relationship. A network deploys COVE in a host (its local verifier) which can construct both forward and reverse reach ability trees in the Internet data plane for the network's provider/customer cone. Each edge in a tree is annotated by a set of packets that can traverse the edge. COVE was designed with partial deployment in mind. Reachable networks that do not deploy COVE are leaf nodes in reach ability trees. Partial trees are useful. We constructed an Internet dataset of 2, 649 ASes and performed experiments in which up to 170 workstations ran COVE as local verifiers to construct forward and reverse provider (also customer) trees for ASes. The results of these experiments demonstrate scalability of COVE to very large ASes in the Internet. We illustrate applications of COVE to solve the following network management problems: evaluating inbound load balancing policies, what-if analysis before adding a new provider, finding additional paths, configuring default routes as backup, black hole detection, and persistent forwarding loop detection.
Male responses to female competence

This study investigated the conditions under which a male would denigrate a female because of her competence. Sixty-four male subjects either cooperated or competed on anagram tasks with high/low competence male or female co-workers in the presence of a male or a female experimenter. Subsequently, these subjects evaluated their co-workers. No evidence was found to support the notion that males rejected a female partner because of her competence. In fact, some measures revealed that competent females were valued over their male counterparts in the cooperative conditions. Unexpectedly, sex of the experimenter interacted significantly with sex of the co-worker to determine the subject's responses to his partner's competence on two of the dependent measures. The discrepancies between these findings and earlier research findings are addressed. The implications for females in a mixed-sex work context are discussed.
The effects of furosemide and pentoxifylline on the flow properties of equine erythrocytes: in vitro studies.

The effects of various concentrations of furosemide and pentoxifylline on equine RBCin vitro were evaluated to facilitate better understanding of the potential effects of these drugs on blood flow properties. Furosemide induced increased mean cell volume (MCV), increased RBC potassium concentration, increased whole blood viscosity, and decreased the RBC filtrability. These data indicate that furosemide may block the RBC membrane transport pathways resulting in potassium and water retention. The increase in size and the resultant decrease in the surface-area-to-volume ratio may have caused the impaired RBC filtrability and increased blood viscosity. Pentoxifylline improved RBC filtrability without changing the RBC size or the potassium or chloride concentrations, suggesting that pentoxifylline may increase the deformability of the RBC membrane. The study indicated that pentoxifylline has potential therapeutic applications for improving microvascular blood flow but that furosemide may have adverse effects on blood flow.
Structures and syntheses of four Np5+ sulfate chain structures: Divergence from U6+ crystal chemistry

Abstract Four Np5+ sulfates, X4[(NpO2)(SO4)2]Cl (X=K, Rb) (KS1, RbS1), Na3[(NpO2)(SO4)2](H2O)2.5 (NaS1), and CaZn2[(NpO2)2(SO4)4](H2O)10 (CaZnS1) were synthesized by evaporation of solutions derived from hydrothermal treatment. Their structures were solved by direct methods and refined on the basis of F2 for all unique data collected with MoKα radiation and a CCD-based detector to agreement indices (KS1, RbS1, NaS1, CaZnS1) R 1 = 0.0237 , 0.0593, 0.0363, 0.0265 calculated for 2617, 2944, 2635, 2572 unique observed reflections, respectively. KS1 crystallizes in space group P2/n, a = 10.0873 ( 4 ) , b = 4.5354 ( 2 ) , c = 14.3518 ( 6 ) , β = 103.383 ( 1 ) ° , V = 638.76 ( 5 ) A 3 , Z = 2 . RbS1 is also monoclinic, P2/n, with a = 10.5375 ( 8 ) , b = 4.6151 ( 3 ) , c = 16.0680 ( 12 ) , β = 103.184 ( 1 ) ° , V = 699.33 ( 9 ) A 3 , Z = 2 . NaS1 is monoclinic, P21/m, with a = 7.6615 ( 5 ) , b = 7.0184 ( 4 ) , c = 11.0070 ( 7 ) , β = 90.787 ( 1 ) ° , V = 591.81 ( 6 ) A 3 , Z = 4 . CaZnS1 is monoclinic, P21/m, with a = 8.321 ( 2 ) , b = 7.0520 ( 2 ) , c = 10.743 ( 3 ) , β = 91.758 ( 5 ) ° , V = 630.1 ( 3 ) A 3 , Z = 2 . The structures of KS1 and RbS1 contain chains of edge-sharing neptunyl hexagonal bipyramids, with sulfate tetrahedra attached to either side of the chain by sharing edges with the bipyramids. NaS1 and CaZnS1 both contain chains of neptunyl pentagonal bipyramids and sulfate tetrahedra in which each bipyramid is linked to four tetrahedra, three by sharing vertices and one by sharing an edge. Bipyramids are bridged by sharing vertices with sulfate tetrahedra. Each of these structures exhibits significant departures from those of uranyl sulfates.
Large-Eddy Simulation of Flow over a Wall-Mounted Hump with Separation Control

Large-eddy simulation with a dynamic subgrid-scale model and nondissipative numerics is employed to predict the turbulent flow separation over a wall-mounted hump and its control. Large-eddy simulation results for the baseline (no control), steady suction, and oscillatory-Jet control cases are compared with the results of experimental measurements and previous computational predictions using large-eddy simulation with a constant coefficient Smagorinsky model and dissipative numerics, implicit large-eddy simulation, detached eddy simulation, and unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes simulation. The present large-eddy simulation is shown to be consistently more accurate than the previous numerical approaches in predicting the experimentally measured flow quantities such as the pressure coefficient, reattachment length, mean velocity, and turbulence statistics. It is shown that steady suction and synthetic jet oscillations cause a reduction of the reattachment length by about 12.8 and 7.3 %, respectively, compared with the uncontrolled case.