cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of gravity on the stability and structure of lean hydrogen-air flames

Detailed, time-dependent, 2D numerical simulations with full hydrogen-oxygen chemistry are used to investigate the effects of gravity on the stability and structure of laminar flames in lean, premixed hydrogen-air mixtures. The calculations show that the effects of gravity becomes more important as the lean flammability limit is approached. In a 12 percent hydrogen-air mixture, gravity plays only a secondary role in determining the multidimensional structure of the flame with the stability and structure of the flame controlled primarily by the thermo-diffusive instability mechanism. However, in leaner hydrogen-air mixtures gravity becomes more important. Upward-propagating flames are highly curved and evolve into a bubble rising upwards in the tube. Downward-propagating flames are flat or even oscillate between structures with concave and convex curvatures. The zero-gravity flame shows only cellular structures. Cellular structures which are present in zero gravity can be suppressed by the effect of buoyancy for mixtures leaner than 11 percent hydrogen. These observations are explained on the basis of an interaction between the processes leading to buoyancy-induced Rayleigh-Taylor instability and the thermo-diffusive instability.
Cluster-model calculation of Raman intensity for vibration of CO adsorbed on copper

Abstract We calculate the derivative of the static polarizability of CO with respect to the carbon-oxygen distance, for the system HCuCO. This models crudely a system of interest in surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy, namely CO adsorbed on a Cu atom which in turn is adsorbed on a single crystal Cu surface. The electronic structure calculation is done by using the ab initio Hartree-Fock method. Some of the calculations are aimed at showing that CO bound to HCu has properties similar to those of adsorbed CO. The derivative of the polarizability allows us to estimate the enhancement of the Raman signal caused by the formation of a chemical bond between CO and the Cu ad-atom. We find that this is a minor enhancement, of at most an order of magnitude.
Morphological changes in monkeys consuming a diet containing low levels of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin.

Abstract Female rhesus monkeys given a diet containing 500 ppt (t = 1012) 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) for 9 months became anaemic within 6 months and pancytopenic after 9 months of exposure. The marked thrombocytopenia was associated with widespread haemorrhage. Death occurred in five of the eight animals between months 7 and 12 of the experiment at total exposure levels of 2–3 μg TCDD/kg body weight. At autopsy, in addition to the extensive haemorrhage, there was a distinct hypocellularity of the bone marrow and lymph nodes. Hypertrophy, hyperplasia and metaplasia of the epithelium in the bronchial tree, bile ducts, pancreatic ducts, salivary-gland ducts and palpebral conjunctivae were observed. Squamous metaplasia and keratinization of the sebaceous glands and hair follicles were present in the skin. Death was attributed to complications from the severe pancytopenia.
The growth factor IL-7 incuces expression of a transformation-associated antigen in normal pre-B cells

The B lineage antigen 6C3Ag is expressed by a number of cell types involved in lymphopoiesis. We have investigated whether there is a relationship between activation of normal pre-B cells by the growth factor IL-7 and the expression of 6C3Ag. Sorted sub-populations of bone marrow pre-B cells were cultured with IL-7 and their expression of surface antigens measured. There is a rapid induction of 6C3Ag expression after exposure to IL-7 by pre-B cells but not mature B cells. In particular, the 6C3lo pre-B cells respond very strongly by increasing 6C3Ag expression. The expression of 6C3Ag coincides with increased DNA synthesis and formation of lymphoblasts by the responding cells. The responses seen were specific to IL-7, and to a lesser degree IL-4. We conclude from this that IL-7 specifically induces the expression of 6C3Ag.
MRI of the pharynx in ischemic stroke patients with and without obstructive sleep apnea.

Background Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is common after stroke and associated with poor stroke outcomes. Whether OSA after acute stroke is caused by anatomic, physiologic, or both etiologies has not been studied. We therefore used brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans to assess oropharyngeal anatomy in stroke patients with and without OSA.
Irony's Resistance to Theory pragmatism in the text of deconstruction

Oh, I’m missing all the things I knew, Yet wish I knew nothing at all. Massive Attack, “Three” Given the resistance to theory that has helped to define pragmatism as an “American evasion of phil...
Dynamic remodeling of subcellular chemical gradients using a multi-directional flow device

Elucidation of the mechanisms by which external chemical cues regulate polarized cellular behaviors requires tools that can rapidly recast chemical landscapes with subcellular resolution. Here, we describe an approach for creating steep microscopic gradients of cellular effectors at any desired position in culture that can be reoriented rapidly to evaluate dynamic responses. In this approach, micrometre pores are ablated in a membrane that supports cell adherence, allowing dosing reagent from an underlying reservoir to enter the cell-culture flow chamber as sharp streams that are directed at subcellular targets by using a system of paired sources and drains to specify flow direction. This tool substantially extends capabilities for chemical interaction with cultured cells, enabling investigations of chemotaxis via precise placement and reorientation of peptide gradients formed at the boundaries of dosing streams. These studies demonstrate that neutrophil precursor cells can repolarize and redirect their migration paths using morphological responses that depend on the subcellular localization of chemoattractant gradients.
A Woman from British Guyana with Recurrent Back Pain and Fever

Diagnosis: Chyluria associated with infection due to Wuchereria bancrofti. This patient, who had lived most of her life in an area in which Wuchereria bancrofti infection was endemic, received a diagnosis of chyluria due to lymphatic filariasis. The diagnosis was confirmed by serological testing for filarial antibody and the presence of circulating filarial antigen. Lymphatic filariasis caused by infection with W. bancrofti and Brugia species affects >120 million people worldwide. The spectrum of disease associated with filariasis includes asymptomatic microfilaremia, acute lymphangitis, and chronic manifestations, such as lymphedema, elephantiasis, chyluria, or hydrocele. Chyluria is produced by the rupture of lymphatics into the renal collecting system with resultant reflux of intestinal chyle into the urine (figure 1). This occurs when filaria residing in the lymphatics incite a chronic inflammatory reaction with scarring that ultimately increases pressure in the renal lymphatics. Filarial nematodes contain endobacteria of the genus Wolbachia, which are phylogenetic relatives of Rickettsia, Ehrlichia, and Anaplasma species [ 1-5]. Wolbachia species have coevolved in an ndosymbiotic fashion to some filarias, such as Wuchereria bancrofti, Brugia species, and Onchocerca volvulus (but not Loa loa). W lbachia endosymbionts of these filarial nematodes are vital for larval development and for fertility and viability in the adult female worm. In addition, there is evidence that Wolbachia species contribute to the inflammatory process within the lymphatics by releasing cell wall components that interact with Toll-like receptors and induce a lipopolysaccharide-like immune response [2-7]. The de endency of the filaria on Wolbachia species has led to the novel therapeutic approach of treating filariasis with antiWolbachia agents [2-4]. Doxycycline, which is active against Wolbachia species, sterilizes the adult female and interrupts transmission of Onchocerca species for up to several months. Doxycycline also enhances ivermectin-induced blockage of microfilaremia [2, 9]. On the other hand, treatment of lymphatic
An Examination of the Reliability of a New Observation Measure for Autism Spectrum Disorders: The Autism Spectrum Disorder Observation for Children.

Abstract The autism spectrum disorder observation for children ( ASD-OC ) is a newly created 54-item observation measure for autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Due to the fact that many of the ASD observation measures currently available do not have established psychometric properties and require extensive time and training to administer, the ASD-OC seeks to address these issues. The purpose of this initial study was to investigate the reliability of the ASD-OC . The measure was administered to a sample of 114 children as part of an outpatient evaluation. In a subset of the sample, 26 children were rated by two independent clinicians after the same session. Interrater reliability was calculated using intraclass coefficients (ICC). Five items were removed after this interrater reliability analysis given poor reliability coefficients less than .40. Mean interrater reliability for each of the 49 retained items was good (i.e., .73). Interrater reliability for the scale as a whole was excellent (i.e., ICC = .96). Item analysis and internal consistency were investigated in the total sample ( n = 114). Four items were removed from the scale because of little to no variance in scores. Forty-five items remained on the scale. The internal consistency of the ASD-OC as measured by Cronbach's alpha was excellent at .96. The ASD-OC proved to be a promising measure with robust reliability.
Inelastic electron lifetime in niobium films

The perpendicular magnetoconductance has been measured for thin niobium films (${R}_{\ensuremath{\square}}$=47\char21{}218 \ensuremath{\Omega}) for temperatures from near the superconducting transition temperature ${T}_{c}$ to 20 K. The electron phase-coherence lifetime has been determined by analyzing magnetoconductance data, using the theories of localization and superconducting fluctuation effects in thin films. This electron lifetime is interpreted in terms of electron-electron and electron-phonon scattering mechanisms.
Mitral stenosis caused by an amplatzer occluder device used to treat a paravalvular leak

Paravalvular leaks following valve replacement can result in heart failure and hemolysis. Surgical intervention is the treatment of choice, but it carries substantial risk of morbidity and mortality. Percutaneous techniques using devices designed for congenital heart disease are increasingly applied to the treatment of paravalvular leaks. We present the case of a mitral paravalvular leak treated with an Amplatzer occluder device. Unfortunately, the device occluded flow through the mitral valve, resulting in symptomatic mitral stenosis requiring surgical intervention.
Kinetic energy driven superfluidity and superconductivity and the origin of the Meissner effect

Abstract Superfluidity and superconductivity have many elements in common. However, I argue that their most important commonality has been overlooked: that both are kinetic energy driven. Clear evidence that superfluidity in 4 He is kinetic energy driven is the shape of the λ transition and the negative thermal expansion coefficient below T λ . Clear evidence that superconductivity is kinetic energy driven is the Meissner effect: I argue that otherwise the Meissner effect would not take place. Associated with this physics I predict that superconductors expel negative charge from the interior to the surface and that a spin current exists in the ground state of superconductors (spin Meissner effect). I propose that this common physics of superconductors and superfluids originates in rotational zero point motion. This view of superconductivity and superfluidity implies that rotational zero-point motion is a fundamental property of the quantum world that is missed in the current understanding.
A novel anti-inflammatory protective action of ethanol ingestion.

in this issue of the American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology , the study entitled “Role of calcitonin gene-related peptide in the postischemic anti-inflammatory effects of antecedent ethanol ingestion,” by Kamada et al. ([1][1]), shows that ingestion of ethanol 24 h
The relative effectiveness of an inanimate stimulus and a live surrogate during imprinting in Japanese quail, Coturnix coturnix japonica.

It has been demonstrated repeatedly that stimuli vary in their effectiveness in eliciting and maintaining imprinting. Agreement has not been reached, however, with regard to the ideal imprinting model for laboratory studies. This situation is in part a result of the inability to replicate precisely natural parameters in the laboratory. Thus laboratory results are often inconsistent with field research. In order to develop a more biologically appropriate imprinting stimulus, a live Japanese quail hen was conditioned to serve as an imprinting object. An imprinting study was then performed to assess the dimensions of effectiveness of the live model. Comparisons between the live model and a decoy yielded different patterns of imprinting in young Japanese quail.
The distinctiveness of ionic and nonionic bitter stimuli

The diverse chemical structures of stimuli that are bitter to humans suggest a need for multiple bitter receptors. Reactions of golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) to 1 mM quinine hydrochloride, 3 mM denatonium benzoate, 180 mM magnesium sulfate, 30-100 mM caffeine, and 1-1.5 mM sucrose octaacetate (SOA) were studied to address whether there are multiple sensations elicited by bitter stimuli. Methods included behavioral generalization of LiCl-induced conditioned taste aversions (CTAs), intake preference tests, and electrophysiological recordings from the chorda tympani (CT) nerve. The five compounds, all bitter to humans, were all innately aversive to hamsters. CTA for the ionic quinine.HCl, denatonium benzoate, and MgSO(4) mutually cross-generalized and these ionic compounds were effective CT stimuli. Yet, the hamsters were much less sensitive to denatonium than humans, requiring a 100,000 times higher concentration for detection. CTA for nonionic caffeine and SOA did not cross-generalize to quinine or the other two ionic stimuli and these nonionic compounds were not effective CT stimuli. SOA and caffeine may elicit aversive reflexes or systemic reactions rather than taste sensations in the animals. Thus, the three ionic and two nonionic compounds form separate aversive stimulus classes in hamsters, neither of which appears to be a close homologue of the human bitter taste.
Conditionalization and not Knowing that One Knows

Bayesian Conditionalization is a widely used proposal for how to update one’s beliefs upon the receipt of new evidence. This is in part because of its attention to the totality of one’s evidence, which often includes facts about what one’s new evidence is and how one has come to have it. However, an increasingly popular position in epistemology holds that one may gain new evidence, construed as knowledge, without being in a position to know that one has gained this evidence. These are cases of KK-Failure, cases where one knows p but is not in a position to know that one knows p. This paper assumes that certain KK-Failures are possible and argues that Conditionalization goes wrong in those cases.
Two mechanisms of permeation of small neutral molecules and hydrated ions across phospholipid bilayers

Abstract The Gibbs free energy of dipole or iron permeation of lipid bilayers is calculated as the sum of all electrostatic, solvophobic and specific interactions. Partitioning models are consistent with dipole permeation and some features of ionic permeation, particularly if the solvophobic energy is taken into account. Ionic and dipole permeabilities are extremely sensitive to the ionic/dipolar radius. Despite this sensitivity, calculations of the permeability can be carried out for typical monovalent cations, and provide reasonable estimates, but only for hydrated species. An alternative mechanism proposed for ionic permeation involves the occurrence of transient pore-like defects in lipid bilayers which permit ions to bypass the Born energy barrier. The two alternative hypothesis, partitioning vs. transient pores, can be tested by measuring the ionic and dipolar permeation through bilayers of varying thickness. Experimental observations for both potassium and proton permeability are consistent with the transient pore mechanism for shorter chain lipids, but tend towards the theoretical line for partitioning models for longer chain lipids. Results for small neutral solutes are best explained by the solubility-diffusion mechanism. The proposed method of calculation of the Gibbs free energy of ion or dipole membrane transfer and the liquid membrane permittivity can be effectively used not only in describing the biophysical properties of membranes, but also in extraction processes, pharmaceutical applications and liquid membrane separations.
Anticipatory Belief Polarization as a Function of the Expertise of a Discussion Partner

This study examined change that occurs in persons' beliefs when they anticipate being observed discussing an issue with an individual whose position on the issue opposes their own. Subjects expected to discuss an issue with a partner who held an opposing view and was much more, more, equally, or less expert on the issue. While expecting a discussion with the equally expert partner, subjects produced more arguments countering their partner's position and supporting their own position than did control subjects, who did not expect to discuss the issue. As a consequence of this preparation for the discussion, subjects expecting the equally expert partner adopted a more extreme position opposing the partner (belief polarization) than control subjects and maintained their changed beliefs after the anticipated discussion was canceled. Subjects expecting partners less expert, more expert, or much more expert than themselves did not change their beliefs. The findings of the study were assumed to be the outcome of ...
Evaluating constructivist beliefs of teacher candidates

Abstract Teacher education programs that want their future teachers to embrace and employee constructivist principles must strive to provide opportunities for teacher candidates to develop an understanding of constructivism. The paper presents a structure for embedding constructivist principles into early childhood and elementary teacher education courses and the results of a pilot study at a Mid‐Western University. The results of the study demonstrate that teacher candidates believe that constructivist practices are very to extremely important. In addition, their responses indicated that the teacher candidates believe that their role in a constructivist environment is very to extremely important. The study reinforces the importance of providing experiences in teacher education programs that will result in positive views of constructivism. © 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Should the diagnosis of benign prostatic hyperplasia be made on prostate needle biopsy

Pathologists frequently sign out benign prostate needle biopsies as "benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)". There are no data indicating that a diagnosis of BPH on biopsy correlates with either gland weight or with the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) used to measure urinary obstructive symptoms. We examined biopsies for average percentage of glands and average percentage of glands with papillary infolding per case, maximum percentage of glands and maximum percentage of glands with papillary infolding per core per case, and presence of any stromal nodules per case. BPH was measured in 2 ways: (1) IPSS grouped into 3 categories (mild, moderate, severe) and (2) prostate weight at radical prostatectomy in men with limited cancer. IPSS was classified as follows: mild (n = 12), moderate (n = 13), and severe (n = 10). There was no correlation with IPSS and any of the histologic features measured. For the 41 radical prostatectomy specimens, the average weight was 65.3 g (median, 56.0 g, range, 22 to 117 g). There was no correlation between gland weight and the average or maximum percentage of glands, or average or maximum percentage of glands with papillary infolding. Stromal nodules on biopsy correlated with gland weight. In the 30 cases without stromal nodules on biopsy, the mean gland weight was 51.4 g. In the 11 cases with stromal nodules on biopsy, the mean gland weight was 77.4 g (P = 0.0125). However, stromal nodules were not specific for a large prostate (i.e., a 15 g prostate had stromal nodules on biopsy). With the exception of stromal nodules found on biopsy, histologic findings on biopsy are not specific for either clinical or pathologic BPH. Thus benign prostate biopsies should be signed out merely as "benign prostate tissue."
Time course of blood changes during acute water deprivation in rats.

Abstract Two experiments described the onset of hyperosmolality and hypovolemia which occur during the first 24 hr of water deprivation and during periods of extended deprivation up to 72 hr. The first measurable increase in plasma osmolality and decrease in volume were coincident and occurred between 4–8 hr of deprivation, which corresponds to data concerning drinking behavior collected under similar conditions. The first reliable body weight loss occurred between 8 and 24 hr deprivation. Reliable body weight losses, but no further significant blood changes occurred between 48–72 hr water deprivation. A third experiment found increases in plasma osmolality to occur as rats aged from 85 to 100 days, and corroborated earlier findings of plasma volume decreases at that age period.
Crack Detection in a Rotor Dynamic System by Vibration Monitoring: Analysis and Experimental Results

As the power to weight ratio demand on rotordynamic systems increases, susceptibility to transverse fatigue cracking of the shaft increases as well. The ability to detect cracks in an early stage of progression is imperative for minimizing off-line repair time. A vibration monitoring system proposed prior is developed herein, employing the 2X harmonic response component of the rotor tilt as a signature indicating a transverse shaft crack. To effectively capture the 2X response, the crack model must include the local nature of the crack, the depth of the crack, and the stiffness asymmetry inducing the gravity-forced 2X harmonic response. The transfer matrix technique is well-suited to incorporate these crack attributes due to its modular nature. Two transfer matrix models are proposed to predict the 2X harmonic response. The first model applies local crack flexibility coefficients determined using the strain energy release rate, while the second incorporates the crack as a rectangular notch to emulate a manufactured crack used in the experiments. Analytic results are then compared to experimental measurement of the rotor tilt gleaned from an overhung rotor test rig originally designed to test seal face dynamics. The test rig is discussed, and experimental 2X harmonic amplitudes of the rotor tilt are provided for shafts containing manufactured cracks of depths between zero and 40 percent.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Adipokines and the Peripheral and Neural Control of Energy Balance

Adipokines are secreted by adipose tissue and control various physiological systems. Low leptin levels during fasting stimulate feeding, reduce energy expenditure, and modulate neuroendocrine and immune function to conserve energy stores. On the other hand, rising leptin levels in the overfed state prevent weight gain by inhibiting food intake and increasing energy expenditure. These actions are mediated by neuronal circuits in the hypothalamus and brainstem. Leptin also controls glucose and lipid metabolism by targeting enzymes such as AMP-activated protein kinase and stearoyl-coenzyme A desaturase-1 in liver and muscle. Likewise, adiponectin and resistin control energy balance and insulin sensitivity via central and peripheral targets. As highlighted in this review, there are distinct as well as common signaling pathways for adipokines. Understanding adipokine signaling in the brain and other organs will provide insights into the pathogenesis and treatment of obesity, diabetes and various metabolic disorders.
Simulation of the early phase of the proestrous follicle-stimulating hormone rise after infusion of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone in phenobarbital-blocked rats.

Four-day cycling rats were kept in a room with the lights on from 0500–1900 h. Plasma FSH concentrations in blood withdrawn through atrial cannulas at hourly intervals from 1400-2000 h on proestrus were very similar to serum FSH concentrations in blood collected by decapitation. Additional cannulated rats were bled at 20 min intervals from 1400–1600, 1600–1800, or 1800–2000 h. In most rats, plasma FSH concentration rose gradually to approximately three times pre-rise levels by 1900 h. It then decreased slightly by 2000 h. Injection of an ovulation-blocking dosage of phenobarbital at 1345 h blocked the FSH rise. Rapid injection of 124 or 1240 ng of LHRH at 1300 h did not elevate plasma FSH by 1315 h but the 1240 ng dose did by 1400 h. Phenobarbital injection at 1230 h did not alter this reponse. In additional blocked rats, blood was rapidly withdrawn through one of two indwelling atrial cannulas while LHRH was infused at a constant rate through the other. Administration of LHRH by infusion was much more ef...
Cytoplasmic vesicles in germinating spores ofGilbertella persicaria

Germ tube apices ofGilbertella persicaria contain cytoplasmic vesicles, similar to the secretory vesicles found at the tips of vegetative hyphae. The vesicles are present at all stages of development, from the time of germ tube initiation to the establishment of branched hyphae. In contrast to the abundant vesicles at tips of established hyphae, the germ tubes have only a few apical vesicles in a layer next to the plasma membrane. When germinated spores are treated by washing and centrifuging prior to fixation, the cytoplasm is often disrupted near the apex, and the clusters of apical vesicles disappear. The findings indicate the delicate nature of hyphal tips and the necessity of avoiding prefixation stresses in order to preserve the apical apparatus of growing hyphae.
THE UBITRON REVISITED

Whatever became of the ubitron? Old timers in the microwave tube field remember it vaguely as the original fast wave, super power amplifier. Cloaked in military secrecy, it surfaced from time to time with new records for frequency and power, only to drop from sight in the early 1960's. The author, who was the inventor and developer of the ubitron, relates the story of its rise and fall, and its relationship to its now famous and successful descendent, the free electron laser.
Radiographic Comparison of Surgical Hip Dislocation and Hip Arthroscopy for Treatment of Cam Deformity in Femoroacetabular Impingement

Background: Whether open or arthroscopic techniques are employed, the goal of femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) surgery is to achieve impingement-free range of motion. While arthroscopic approaches have improved and gained popularity, an objective evaluation of the surgical correction achieved with this approach compared with open surgery remains to be defined in the literature.Purpose: This study was undertaken to compare the efficacy of arthroscopic osteoplasty and open surgical dislocation in treating FAI dysmorphology in a consecutive series of patients.Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.Methods: Surgical treatment was performed in 60 male patients under 40 years of age for symptomatic FAI refractory to nonoperative management. Patients were matched (not randomized) to treatment groups: 30 patients (15 left and 15 right hips) underwent arthroscopic cam and/or rim osteoplasty with labral debridement and/or refixation by an arthroscopic surgeon; and 30 (14 left and 16 right hips) underwen...
Cigarette smoking increases aortic dilatation without affecting matrix metalloproteinase-9 and -12 expression in a modified mouse model of aneurysm formation

Objective The development of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) is presumed to result from multiple genetic and environmental factors, with exposure to tobacco smoke the single largest known factor predisposing to aneurysm growth. We have attempted to adapt the elastase-perfused animal model to determine whether tobacco exposure can lower the threshold of aortic injury necessary for AAA development. Methods Adult C57BL/6 mice underwent transient perfusion of the infrarenal aorta with an active solution of elastase: high-dose (HDE, 0.19 U/mL, n=9), standard-dose (SDE, 0.16 U/mL, n=21) or low-dose (LDE, 0.07 U/mL, n=24). Control animals (n = 24) were treated with heat inactivated elastase (HIE). Twenty LDE perfused mice were exposed to cigarette smoke (LDE-S) beginning 2 weeks before perfusion and continuing until aortic harvest. Aortic diameter (AD) was measured preperfusion, postperfusion, and at harvest on day 14. AAA was defined as %ΔAD ≥100% between preperfusion and harvest. Aortas from each group (except HDE) were analyzed for matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and MMP-12 expression by real-time polymerase chain reaction normalized to glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. Results All SDE mice developed large AAA by %ΔAD (189.3% ± 16.9%, mean ± standard error of the mean), but control mice had only a small dilatation (69.7% ± 3.7%, P P P = .0021). There was no difference in normalized aortic MMP-9 and MMP-12 expression between elastase doses or between smoke-exposed and unexposed animals. Histologic analysis revealed that smoking increased the extent of aortic elastin degradation when compared with LDE-S animals. Conclusion Aneurysm development in the elastase model is dependent on the quantity of active elastase infused. Exposure of animals to tobacco smoke after a relatively minor aortic elastase injury produces increases in elastin degradation and aneurysm size without affecting MMP-9 or MMP-12 expression. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration in an animal model that smoking can act as a synergistic factor in AAA development. Further understanding of the relationship between smoking and AAA in this model may help unveil the pathophysiologic pathways involved between cigarette smoke and AAAs.
Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy in Cancer Patients: Predictors of 30-Day Complications, 30-Day Mortality, and Overall Mortality

Cancer patients benefit from percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) in many ways including nutritional support and venting in cases of malignant obstruction. Lack of high-quality studies with adequate follow-up has led to limited information regarding risk stratification and predictors of morbidity and mortality. Elucidate predictors of complications and mortality with long-term follow-up in cancer patients undergoing PEG. Retrospective review of all patients undergoing PEG placement at MD Anderson Cancer Center from January 1, 2004 to December 31, 2006. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, Kaplan–Meier survival estimates, and Cox proportional hazards regression analyses. A total of 218 subjects underwent PEG. Those with American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) scores of 4, 4E, or 5E were at significant risk of a major complication in the first 30 days. Multivariate analysis revealed ASA scores ≥4, elevated WBC count, and advanced tumor stage to be independent predictors of mortality in the first 30 days and INR >1.5 and diversion/venting as an indication for PEG placement to be independent predictors of overall mortality. Patients with high baseline illness severity are more likely to have complications and are at increased risk of mortality after PEG. Our study results suggest that particular attention be directed to ASA score, INR, WBC counts, transfusion requirements, presence of advanced malignancies, and the indication for PEG placement when determining risk of complications or death. Patients undergoing venting PEG are expected to have short post-PEG survival but improvement in quality of life likely justifies the risks associated with PEG placement.
In vitro development of a primary antibody response with lymph node cells

Abstract Utilizing a variety of lymphoid tissues from three common laboratory species, comparative studies were performed to investigate the competence of the dissociated cells to respond to a heterologous erythrocyte with the development of specific plaque-forming cells. Dissociated spleen cells harvested from BDF1 mice consistently developed specific plaque-forming cells (PFC) to sheep red blood cells (SRBC), while hamster spleen cells inconsistently developed specific antibody-forming cells to SRBC. Under identical conditions, guinea pig spleen cells did not develop significant numbers of PFC to SRBC. However, lymph node cell cultures of all three species tested yielded specific PFC. In the mouse and hamster lymph node cell cultures, the yield of PFC per culture or per 106 recovered viable cells was always greater than the yield from companion spleen cell cultures. Guinea pig mesenteric lymph node cell cultures developed the major PFC response to SRBC, while both mesenteric and peripheral lymph node cell cultures from hamsters were equivalent in their response to SRBC. The data demonstrate that it is possible to develop a primary antibody response to SRBC in vitro utilizing normal endogenous hamster or guinea pig lymphoid cells, if lymph nodes are the source of cells.
Microfabricated suspensions for electrical connections on the tunable elastomer membrane

Electrical connections through microfabricated suspensions on a pneumatically pumped elastomer membrane were demonstrated. A method to fabricate the suspensions on the elastomer membrane was developed. The elastomer membrane was 1 mm in diameter and 120 μm in thickness. Resistances of the microfabricated suspensions measured across the elastomer membrane were within 1% difference when the membrane’s center deflection ranged from 0 to 100 μm, which corresponded to a numerical aperture change from 0 to 0.2 as well as a 2.6% elongation of the elastomer.
Chorion gene cis-regulatory DNA restricts tissue specificity of reporter gene expression in transformed Drosophila.

P element mediated germ-line transformation was used to study the developmental specificity ofDrosophila chorion gene regulatory sequences directing expression of the bacterial reporter genes for chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) and β-galactosidase (lacZ). DNA fragments containing 5′ flanking plus the entire 5′ untranslated and the beginning of the coding region of either thes36 or thes15 chorion gene are able to confer on the reporter genes normal tissue as well as temporal specificity of expression, exclusively in the ovary of transformed female flies. However, if 5′ untranslated and coding regions are omitted, normal ovarian expression is maintained but tissue specificity is relaxed: expression of the reporter gene is detected both in the ovary and in specific non-ovarian tissues of transformed females and males. The evidence suggests that the missing 5′ untranslated and coding sequences may include negative elements that normally suppress expression in non-ovarian tissues, and that these putative elements are distinct from those that prevent premature expression in the ovarian follicles. The exact location of ectopiclacZ expression within the internal male genitalia depends on the constellation of 5′ flanking chorion regulatory sequences included in theP element constructs. Ectopic expression of theCAT gene in the male genitalia unders15 promoter control can be abolished by mutating the hexamer TCACGT, a sequence previously shown to be essential for the normal expression of this chorion gene in the ovary.
Optimal therapy for the geriatric patient: The challenge to clinical pharmacology

Abstract The elderly are an increasing proportion of the population. Their median life span should rise to 85 years, although in later life organs of drug distribution and elimination may deteriorate in function and 100 years will remain the general maximum. Progressive containment of chronic diseases will still leave them at lethal risk from acute infectious diseases because of depleted homeostatic reserves of vital systems (cardiovascular, hepatic, immunological and renal). A decline in chronic disease should lengthen the period of well-being and reduce medical needs and perhaps drug needs of older persons. To estimate future therapeutic requirements of the elderly, information is needed on the epidemiology of drug use and rates of efficacy and toxicity in the elderly. Implicit in the data gathering is a true need for systematic post-marketing surveillance (PMS) of drugs with particular respect to drug efficacy and unanticipated adverse or beneficial reactions in this age group. Observational, non-experimental techniques can be devised and should be tested as appropriate methods of establishing the rates of anticipated efficacy and unwanted effects of drugs. The application of such techniques may be one of the only feasible ways to establish utility functions for drugs used in the elderly.
Levertov's an English Field in the Nuclear Age

(1988). Levertov's an English Field in the Nuclear Age. The Explicator: Vol. 46, No. 4, pp. 40-41.
In vivo molecular imaging of Barrett's esophagus with confocal laser endomicroscopy.

Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) arises from Barrett’s esophagus, a columnar metaplasia of the epithelium caused by chronic acid reflux.1 This disease is growing faster than any other type of cancer in Western countries,2 and despite extensive efforts for prevention, the incidence remains high and the 5- year survival rate is poor. Early detection may allow for more effective interventions, and is critical to improving prognosis. Current methods of surveillance with white light endoscopy are limited in effectiveness because pre-malignant lesions (dysplasia) are flat in appearance and difficult to visualize.3 Molecular imaging is an emerging technology that can help physicians guide biopsy by generating image contrast based on unique biological properties tissue.4 Imaging agents that are specific for overexpressed molecular targets can improve diagnosis, staging, intervention, and management of this disease. Early imaging validation is needed to establish safety and evidence of efficacy.5
Permeation of water vapor through lipid monolayers

It is well known that compression of certain insoluble monolayers on an aqueous subphase will reduce the evaporation rate of water (1-3). Permeation of other gases such as 02 and CO2 through lipid layers has also been studied (4, 5). O'Grady (6) measured evaporation coefficients for a clean water surface and surfaces covered with various surfactants, and showed that evaporation coefficients can indeed be reduced by several orders of magnitude. Fat ty alcohol monolayers have been used to reduce evaporation losses on large bodies of water, although this effect has been attributed by MacRitchie (7) to changes in gas phase convective mass transfer at the interface due to the surfactant. Regardless of the mechanism, monolayers of surfactants such as fat ty alcohols at high surface pressure (8, 9) will reduce the evaporation rate of water when compressed. Measurement of evaporation rate has recently been used by Kafka and Pak (10) to model the effect of insulin and other polypeptide hormones on calcium-containing lipid films. The alveolar lining layer of the lung is believed to consist of an aqueous subphase covered by a surface film which is principally dipalmitoyl lecithin (DPL) (11, 12). Pure lecithin monolayers are quite stable and can
Influenza A Virus PB1-F2: A Small Protein with a Big Punch

Summary Virulence factors, such as the recently discovered PB1-F2, contribute to the pathogenesis and comorbidity of influenza A virus. In this issue of Cell Host & Microbe , McAuley et al. characterize the role of PB1-F2, including in the pandemic 1918 virus, in causing increased lung pathology and fatal pneumococcus infection in mice. This work sheds light on the mechanisms of pathogenicity during influenza A virus infections.
Phenotypic heterogeneity in the extended pedigree of a proband with lipoprotein lipase deficiency

Abstract We have studied the large nonconsanguineous pedigree of a proband with Type I hyperlipoproteinemia (HL) and lipoprotein lipase (LPL) deficiency. Within the nuclear family, the mother and two of the proband's five siblings has fasting hypertriglyceridemia or low-normal tissue adipose LPL activities or both. Retention of lipoprotein retinyl esters after vitamin A feeding was present only in the propositus. The maternal side of the extended pedigree contained individuals with Types IIA, IV, and V hyperlipoproteinemia, findings most consistent with autosomal dominant multiple lipoprotein-type hyperlipidemia (familial combined hyperlipidemia). This family and previously reported pedigrees of Type I HL probands have demonstrated phenotypic heterogeneity. Without specific genetic markers, homozygous LPL deficiency and complex multiple-gene mechanisms cannot be distinguished unambiguously. Parental hyperlipidemia in nuclear pedigrees of Type I HL probands should not be equated with heterozygous LPL deficiency in the absence of extended pedigree data or more informative markers. The possibility that the complex inheritance of two different genetic defects in lipoprotein transport can produce the Type I HL phenotype must be considered.
Nematicidal activity of anion transport blockers against Meloidogyne incognita, Caenorhabditis elegans and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora.

BACKGROUND: Because methyl bromide has been phased out as a soil sterilant, new nematicides are urgently needed. Four different chemical classes of organic acids acting as anion transport (AT) blockers were tested against a free-living nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans Maupas, a plant-parasitic nematode, Meloidogyne incognita (Kofoid and White) Chitwood, and an entomopathogenic nematode, Heterorhabditis bacteriophora Poinar, in toxicity bioassays. The materials tested were DIDS (4,4′-diisothiocyanatostilbene-2,2′-disulfonic acid), 9-AC (anthracene-9-carboxylic acid), NPPB [5-nitro-2-(3-phenylpropylamino)benzoic acid] and IAA-94 (indanyloxyacetic acid). RESULTS: All the compounds showed slowly developing nematicidal activity against second-stage juveniles of M. incognita and adults of C. elegans, but not against H. bacteriophora infective-stage juveniles. The LC50 values of these compounds were < 50 mg L−1 after 48 and 72 h incubation, while at 168 h incubation the LC50 values were < 10 mg L−1 for both sensitive species. Across both species and time, the LC50 values generally differed no more than twofold among the four compounds tested in this study. In contrast, none of the compounds (200 mg L−1) caused more than control mortality to H. bacteriophora, even after 168 h of incubation. CONCLUSION: These compounds are potential leads for commercial nematicides. The insensitivity to H. bacteriophora is consistent with the natural exposure of this nematode to DST (3,5-dihydroxy-4-isopropylstilbene), a stilbene produced by its symbiotic bacterium. Based on the known activity of the compounds used in this study, it is suggested that anion transporters form the probable target sites for DIDS, 9-AC, NPPB and IAA-94 in nematodes. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry
Making a New World: Founding Capitalism in the Bajío and Spanish North America

John Tutino (2011), x+698 (Duke University Press, Durham, NC, $99.95, paperback $29.95). Ever since the 1970s, the story of how commerce and colonial settlement mutually reinforced each other in no...
Development and Implementation of an Educational Simulator Software Package for a Specific Microprogramming Architecture

Microprogramming is one technique for designing the control unit of a digital computer or computer-based instrument. It has become more widely used than a conventional hardwired logic design technique due to its flexibility and simplicity. We have developed an educational software package for the microprogramming simulation based on a computer architecture defined in a popular undergraduate computer engineering textbook [1]. This software package consists of an assembler, a compiler, and a simulator. The assembler translates a conventional assembly-language program into a macro object file, while the compiler compiles a microprogram into a micro object file. The simulator shows how a macroinstruction is interpreted by executing a series of microinstructions. The simulator is interactive, flexible, and easy to use. This software package, written in standard Pascal, is available for distribution to interested institutions.
Nonlinear-optical Rayleigh scattering

We present a general theory of second-harmonic generation from the surface of small spherical particles. Experimental data for dye-coated polystyrene spheres of 30 nm radius confirm predicted scattering patterns and selection rules.
Urban Utilization of Waste Energy From Thermal-Electric Power Plants

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has made a large-scale study of urban utilization of thermal energy from steam-electric power plants. A system was investigated which bleeds off steam, at various pressures, for supplying the thermal requirements of space heating, air conditioning, and domestic water heating in urban communities located at some distance from the power plant. This paper reports the findings of a study on urban utilization that was part of an integrated system study for utilizing warm water from steam-electric power plants. In the study, the steam bleed-off system studied by ORNL and a heat pump system are considered. Both systems are evaluated for supplying the thermal energy requirements of space heating, air conditioning, and domestic water heating for urban communities ranging in size from 30,000 to 200,000 population. Three site locations which are quite different climatologically are considered; (1) eastern Oregon with severe summer and winter conditions, (2) the Willamette Valley with moderate summer and winter conditions, and (3) coastal Oregon with moderate winters and mild summers.
Regionalized loads of sediment and phosphorus to lakes Michigan and Superior—high flow and long-term average

Daily loads of suspended sediment and total phosphorus for the 10-year, 1-day design high flow and average of the 16-year period (1975 to 1990) were computed for 18 well-monitored tributaries to Lake Michigan and Lake Superior by use of constituent-transport models. The loads from these 18 reference tributaries were used to estimate the loads from all the United States tributaries (with drainage basins greater than 325 km2) to Lake Michigan and Lake Superior by selection of a reference tributary with the most similar physical characteristics and use of a unit-area yield. Statistical comparisons between computed yields and environmental factors were used to determine the physical characteristics that were most influential in selecting a reference tributary. Suspended sediment yields were affected primarily by river gradient and secondarily by the texture of surficial deposits, whereas total phosphorus yields were affected primarily by the texture of surficial deposits and secondarily by river gradient. Average total phosphorus loads were greatest in rivers entering the middle to southern part of Lake Michigan, especially those draining clayey surficial deposits in agricultural areas. During high flow, loads of phosphorus and suspended sediment from tributaries entering the southwestern part of Lake Superior dominate the total input of these constituents because of the steep gradients of the rivers and the clayey surficial deposits that they drain. These loads were used to compute regional loads and to rank the tributaries on the basis of their respective loads during a specified high flow and over extended periods.