cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Momedemameter: An Affordable Pre-Eclampsia Detector for Low Resource Environments

Abstract BACKGROUND: Preeclampsia, a pregnancy-specific disorder, is the third leading cause of maternal morbidity and mortality worldwide. METHOD OF APPROACH: To develop a device to detect preeclampsia in pregnant women living in low resource environments, a method was needed that had to be very low cost and, preferably, easily monitored by the woman herself. Due to the high cost and expertise involved in monitoring the two diagnostic criteria of preeclampsia (elevated blood pressure and proteinuria), edema, an indicator of preeclampsia was chosen instead. RESULTS: The general principle of the method is to have each pregnant woman, early in pregnancy, fitted, on either her wrist or ankle, with a detection band, which is set to a preset expansion limit (e.g., expansion by 5%). When edema causes that body part to swell to the limit, the pregnant mother knows that she should seek medical assistance. CONCLUSIONS: The resulting prototype device and calibration method requires little knowledge, and is very durable, cost-effective and portable.
Design and Construction of a Simple, Continuous Flow Sulfur Dioxide Exposure Chamber

For experimental purposes, a reasonably large capacity, low cost, low maintenance chamber was needed to study the long-term (2-4 months) effects of sulfur dioxide on developmental rates of grasshoppers and decomposition rates of plant litter. Internal temperature, humidity, and light controls were not required since the chamber would be used in externally controlled environments. The controlled exposure chamber herein described has proved to be adequate for such studies and satisfied most of the conditions discussed by Heagle and Philbeck. Its utility could be increased by use within an environmentally controlled greenhouse. It is comparatively simple and inexpensive to contruct and maintain.
Heterogeneity of gene expression in stromal fibroblasts of human breast carcinomas and normal breast

Breast carcinoma invasion is associated with prominent alterations in stromal fibroblasts. Carcinoma-associated fibroblasts (CAF) support and promote tumorigenesis, whereas normal mammary fibroblasts (NF) are thought to suppress tumor progression. Little is known about the difference in gene expression between CAF and NF or the patient-to-patient variability in gene expression. Paired CAF and NF were isolated from six primary human breast carcinoma specimens. RNA was extracted from low-passage cultures of CAF and NF and analyzed with Affymetrix Human Genome U133 Plus 2.0 arrays. The array data were examined with an empirical Bayes model and filtered according to the posterior probability of equivalent expression and fold difference in expression. Twenty-one genes (27 probe sets) were up-regulated in CAF, as compared with NF. Known functions of these genes relate to paracrine or intracellular signaling, transcriptional regulation, extracellular matrix and cell adhesion/migration. Ten genes (14 probe sets) were down-regulated in CAF, including the pluripotency transcription factor KLF4. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis of 10 genes validated the array results. Immunohistochemical staining for three gene products confirmed stromal expression in terms of location and relative quantity. Surprisingly, the variability of gene expression was slightly higher in NF than in CAF, suggesting inter-individual heterogeneity of normal stroma.
Review of 125 SiteSelect Stereotactic Large‐Core Breast Biopsy Procedures

Abstract: Advances in stereotactic breast biopsies have introduced a variety of devices that yield different sizes of tissue samples. The choice of biopsy device should be based on which technique is most likely to yield a definitive diagnosis at the time of the initial biopsy. This is a prospective study of 104 patients who underwent a total of 125 stereotactic breast biopsies using the SiteSelect large-core biopsy device. From May 1999 to June 2001, 104 patients underwent 125 stereotactic breast biopsies with the SiteSelect large-core biopsy device. One hundred four 15 mm SiteSelect biopsies, eighteen 10 mm SiteSelect biopsies, and three 22 mm SiteSelect biopsies were performed. Atypical ductal hyperplasia (ADH) and ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) were found in 15% of the biopsies and infiltrating cancer was found in another 15% of the biopsies. Seventy-eight percent of the ADH and 90% of the DCIS lesions were associated with indeterminate calcifications noted on mammogram. Two of the 22 mm SiteSelect excisions yielded a specimen that contained the entire cancer with clear surgical margins. All of the patients with DCIS or invasive carcinoma underwent definitive surgical and adjuvant therapy. The sensitivity and specificity of SiteSelect in this series of patients was 100%. The SiteSelect biopsy procedure is safe, well tolerated by patients, and can be performed under local anesthesia. SiteSelect is comparable to an open excisional biopsy in its ability to obtain adequate tissue for accurate diagnosis, but excises significantly less normal surrounding breast tissue. Based on the data, indications for primary use of SiteSelect are indeterminate calcifications on mammogram, rebiopsy of a vacuum-assisted biopsy site that yielded atypia on pathologic examination, and complete excision of a lesion suspicious for invasive carcinoma in order to assess actual size and margin status.
miRNA-mRNA Correlation-Network Modules in Human Prostate Cancer and the Differences between Primary and Metastatic Tumor Subtypes

Recent studies have shown the contribution of miRNAs to cancer pathogenesis. Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men. Unlike other major types of cancer, no single gene has been identified as being mutated in the majority of prostate tumors. This implies that the expression profiling of genes, including the non-coding miRNAs, may substantially vary across individual cases of this cancer. The within-class variability makes it possible to reconstruct or infer disease-specific miRNA-mRNA correlation and regulatory modular networks using high-dimensional microarray data of prostate tumor samples. Furthermore, since miRNAs and tumor suppressor genes are usually tissue specific, miRNA-mRNA modules could potentially differ between primary prostate cancer (PPC) and metastatic prostate cancer (MPC). We herein performed an in silico analysis to explore the miRNA-mRNA correlation network modules in the two tumor subtypes. Our analysis identified 5 miRNA-mRNA module pairs (MPs) for PPC and MPC, respectively. Each MP includes one positive-connection (correlation) module and one negative-connection (correlation) module. The number of miRNAs or mRNAs (genes) in each module varies from 2 to 8 or from 6 to 622. The modules discovered for PPC are more informative than those for MPC in terms of the implicated biological insights. In particular, one negative-connection module in PPC fits well with the popularly recognized miRNA-mediated post-transcriptional regulation theory. That is, the 3'UTR sequences of the involved mRNAs (∼620) are enriched with the target site motifs of the 7 modular miRNAs, has-miR-106b, -191, -19b, -92a, -92b, -93, and -141. About 330 GO terms and KEGG pathways, including TGF-beta signaling pathway that maintains tissue homeostasis and plays a crucial role in the suppression of the proliferation of cancer cells, are over-represented (adj.p<0.05) in the modular gene list. These computationally identified modules provide remarkable biological evidence for the interference of miRNAs in the development of prostate cancers and warrant additional follow-up in independent laboratory studies.
Sensing and uptake of glucose in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Maintaining diverse cellular activities while consuming enough nutrients to sustain them is an essential task for all organisms. For the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, glucose is the preferred sugar that is metabolized and is also a stimulus that controls the expression level of some quarter of the yeast's genes. Interestingly, yeast can measure the level of extracellular glucose through its various sensors, but not directly how much glucose it's importing. Two of these sensors, Snf3 and Rgt2, detect the concentration of extracellular glucose and accordingly regulate the transcription of the passive hexose transporters (HXTs) that are essential for glucose uptake in yeast. Here, we show that when the transcription of HXTs is controlled independently of the two sensors, surprising behaviors in the cell's growth rate are observed. In particular, both increase in glucose uptake rate (GUR) and the extracellular glucose concentration can each lead to substantial decrease in cell's growth rate. We therefore show that the growth rate of the cell in batch cultures is not just a function of how much glucose the cell eats, but also depends on how much glucose the cell senses outside. We attribute these growth rate behaviors to an imbalance between availability and consumption of glucose. By studying a snf3Δ, rgt2Δ mutant, the two sensors are shown to have an additional role in determining the growth rate than just through the transcriptional control of the HXTs. Furthermore, we have discovered that when just one of the main hexose transporters (HXT1∼4, and HXT6) is present in a cell, glucose-sensitive post-transcriptional controls of that HXT other than the known endocytosis mechanism exist. Finally, we use an analytical model to reveal constraints placed on the synthesis of each HXTs to ensure proper scaling of GUR with extracellular glucose concentration.
Reconfiguring the rural or fording the divide?: Capitalist restructuring and the global agro‐food system

Recent analyses of the restructuring of the agro‐food system draw uncritically on the industrial restructuring literature, notably regulation theory and Fordism/post‐Fordism debates on capitalist transition. We question the extension of this periodisation and conceptual framework to the political economy of agrarian restructuring. We also interrogate the theoretical foundations of several related literatures concerned with international food regimes, the ‘new internationalisation’ of agriculture, the repositioning of agriculture‐industry relations, and the reconfiguration of rural space. Our general argument is that the industrial restructuring debates provide an inadequate conceptual architecture for analyses of the dynamics of change in agrarian production structures and rural spatial organisation.
Conservation of fiber structure and CD46 usage by subgroup B2 adenoviruses

Most subgroup B2 adenoviruses use CD46 as their primary receptor. Recent structural and mutagenesis studies suggested that Ad11 and Ad35 likely engage this receptor in a very similar fashion. However, no comparative studies assessing the cell-associated CD46 binding efficiencies of different Ad fibers have been performed. We solved the crystal structure of Ad35 fiber knob and constructed a model of the fiber knob complexed with CD46. Comparison of our model with that of Ad11-CD46 showed that despite a larger CD46-interacting region in the IJ loop of Ad11, the buried surface area was very similar, suggesting that both fiber knobs might exhibit similar binding. In support of this, cell based competition studies demonstrated almost identical binding efficiencies of Ad11 and Ad35 fibers to cell surface CD46. These findings shed further light on CD46 association by Ad and could impact the selection of novel Ad types for gene transfer.
Tertiary treatment of municipal wastewater by cypress domes

Abstract The feasibility of using cypress domes as an alternative to physical-chemical methods for tertiary treatment of sewage effluent was demonstrated over a 5-year period. Surface water quality in domes receiving effluent was degraded (low dissolved oxygen, high nutrient levels) compared to control domes, and the degree of treatment within the dome surface waters was relatively small. However, water samples from shallow wells and ceramic soil moisture tubes indicated that the underlying organic soils and clay sands served as an effective barrier to the transport of biochemical oxygen demand, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfate, fluoride, potassium, sodium, calcium, and magnesium to the shallow aquifer immediately below. High percentage removals were observed for all measured water quality parameters between the surface and groundwater stations. Standing water quality following the cessation of sewage pumping did not return to the same quality as found for the natural dome within 20 months.
Pollution Control by Locational Change and Technological Abatement

In recent years, there has been a downward trend in sulfur dioxide concentrations in downtown St. Louis. This paper examines the contribution to this trend from locational changes of polluting sources and from technological abatement. A simple diffusion model is used to relate annual average concentrations to annual emission data. The results suggest that, had there been no abatement activity, the changes in location of sources that occurred between 1963 and 1970 have more or less offset a 40% increase in annual emissions over that period. However, the abatement activity, essentially the consequence of air pollution regulations, may possibly be credited with a decline of 35% in the annual average concentration.
Mohr diagram interpretation of anisotropic diffusion indices in MRI

Descriptions of diffusion anisotropy in MR Diffusion Tensor Imaging are often based on scalar indices such as surface-to-volume ratio, volume ratio, fractional anisotropy and rotational anisotropy. Recently, Mohr diagram was introduced to visualize the anisotropic diffusion information, but in a graphical form. Even though both scalar indices and the Mohr diagram are derived from the elements of the diffusion tensor, so far, the relationships between these measures and the key aspects of the Mohr diagram have not been established. This paper demonstrates these relationships both qualitatively and quantitatively for two microscopically heterogeneous biologic tissues, kidney and spinal cord.
Biochar characteristics relate to its utility as an alternative soil inoculum carrier to peat and vermiculite

Abstract Biochar materials have greatly variable physical and chemical properties, which will affect their abilities to serve as carriers for introducing bacteria into soils. Here we examined biochars made from 5 feedstocks produced at 2 highest treatment temperatures (HTT's) by slow pyrolysis. Peat and vermiculite, which are traditional inoculum carriers, and liquid inoculum with no carrier, were included for comparison. All of the carriers were inoculated with a liquid suspension of the plant growth promoting rhizobacterial (PGPR) strain, Enterobacter cloacae UW5, carrying a green fluorescent protein (GFP) marker. Inoculum survival was determined using quantitative PCR to enumerate the GFP markers in DNA extracted from non-sterilized soils directly after incorporation of the inoculated carriers and after a 4-week incubation. The biochars were characterized with respect to carbon and nitrogen content, specific surface area, pH, electrical conductivity, water holding capacity, pore opening diameters, and hydrophobicity to identify specific attributes that influence the survival of the inoculant after introduction into soil. The results indicated that chemical properties of biochar, particularly nitrogen and pH, were among the most important characteristics affecting initial inoculum survival and hence likely the shelf life. However, once incorporated into soil, physical features, including surface area, pore opening diameters, and water-filled pore spaces, were more closely associated with inoculum survival. All biochars tested performed as well as vermiculite and none demonstrated detrimental effects on the UW5 population. The best biochar was that made from pinewood at a HTT of 600 °C (Pine600), which performed as well as peat and sustained higher population densities than vermiculite. The Pine600 biochar was further tested to assess its effect on the expression of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) deaminase and auxin synthesis, both of which were unaffected by the presence of biochar at 2% or 5% (w/v) concentrations.
Middle and Early Late Cambrian Algal Biostromes and Regional Dolomitization in Great Basin: ABSTRACT

Middle and early Late Cambrian stratigraphic sections from southeastern California, across eastern Nevada, to northern Utah are characterized by the rhythmic repetition of dolomitic algal biostromes and dolomitized pelletiferous calcisiltite. Stratigraphic and petrographic criteria indicate deposition on a very wide, shallow, low-gradient shelf on which extensive calcareous algal mats formed. Penesaline conditions, resulting in part from the combination of the width and shallowness of the shelf, led to production of brines and syndiagenetic dolomitization of the algal mats. Syndiagenesis is suggested by associated intraformational breccias composed chiefly of dolomitized algal debris in a matrix of calcisiltite and by a few erosion pits cut to depths of several inches. Subaqueously formed cracks across wrinkled mats, probably caused by the drag of passing waves, appear to represent an incipient stage in the formation of the breccias. The pelletiferous calcisiltite is a more seaward deposit and is believed to be composed largely of detritus washed from the algal-mat environment. Seaward refluxion of the brines led to the dolomitization of these rocks. Rhythmic repetition of these environmentally controlled lithic types reflects a set of conditions which alternately inhibit and enhance algal growth. End_of_Article - Last_Page 726------------
Effect of nedocromil sodium on platelet-activating factor-induced airway responses

Platelet-activating factor (PAF) is one of the chemical mediators that may participate in the inflammatory process underlying asthma. It has been shown to produce a prolonged increase in airway responsiveness in several species, including humans. In humans the increase in bronchial reactivity peaks 3 days after inhalation and can last as long as several weeks. PAF may induce this response by recruiting eosinophils into the airways and activating them in the airway walls, with the subsequent release of basic proteins. This process causes eosinophils, which are rich sources of PAF, to release their contents and sets up a self-perpetuating cycle. Nedocromil sodium reduces the increased bronchial responsiveness of asthma and can prevent the development of increased responsiveness after inhaled PAF. The precise mechanism by which this result occurs is not known and requires further investigation.
Mechanisms of hydroxylation by cytochrome P-450: exchange of iron-oxygen intermediates with water.

Abstract Highly-purified rat liver microsomal cytochrome P-450 converted cyclohexane to cyclohexanol in the presence of iodosobenzene. Oxygen from 18O-iodosobenzene was not incorporated into cyclohexanol but oxygen from H218O was readily incorporated. Cytochrome P-450 catalyzed the facile exchange of oxygen between iodosobenzene and water but neither cytochrome P-420 nor the apoenzyme did. Under these conditions cytochrome P-450 readily incorporated oxygen from 18O2 into cyclohexanol in the presence of NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase and NADPH. The results are interpreted in a mechanism in which cytochrome P-450 forms a common hydroxylating species in the presence of iodosobenzene or O2 plus NADPH.
Timing of ultrasound in pregnancy—How often? At what intervals?

The second trimester fetal anatomic survey has continued to evolve over the past 27 years. This review will summarize the changes in the anatomic survey that have occurred and provide recommendations that serve to improve compliance with the components of the survey. In order to provide clarity and direction, the goals and limitations of the second trimester fetal anatomic survey should be defined. The visualization rate of specific fetal anatomic structures can be increased by specifying acceptable, alternative views. A single follow-up examination within 2–4 weeks of a fetal anatomic survey or before 22 weeks' gestation should be offered when specific components of the fetal anatomic survey cannot be visualized. The fetal anomalies that the anatomic survey seeks to identify should be defined along with an acceptable detection rate.
SU‐E‐I‐171: On the Potential for the Production of 99Mo and 99mTc from Light‐ Ion Reactions Based Zirconium + Lithium

Purpose: To explore alternative methods based upon light‐ion beams to generate 99Mo and/or 99mTc, used in nuclear medicine imaging, due to a worldwide supply shortage of these materials from nuclear reactors. Method and Materials:Fusion‐evaporation statistical Monte Carlo code PACE4 was used to evaluate the excitation functions, i.e. cross‐sections vs. energies, of nuclear reactions that may have a potential for the production of 99Mo or 99mTc. The calculated results were compared with the experimental data to validate the code and to estimate the scale‐up or ‐down factors. Results: For reactions involving evaporating neutrons, the calculation has the right trend but overestimates cross sections by about 7 times. The maximum calculated cross sections for 96Zr(7Li, 4n)99mTc, 96Zr(6Li, 3n)99mTc, and 94Zr(7Li, 2n)99mTc are 1130 mb, 801 mb, and 146 mb, respectively. The actual cross sections may be lower, but even the scaled down values of 161 mb (1130/7) and 114 mb (801/7) are still quite high and could be used to generate significant amount of 99mTc . For those reactions with exiting charged particles besides neutrons, the code underestimates the cross sections by about 10 times. The maximum calculated cross sections for 96Zr(7Li, d2n)99Mo, 96Zr(6Li, dn)99Mo, and 94Zr(7Li, d)99Mo are 42.6 mb, 21.6 mb, and 8.51 mb. The actual cross sections could be higher. If scaled cross sections of 426 mb and 216 mb are realistic, it will be much easier to get 99Mo from 96Zr(7Li, d2n)99Mo and 96Zr(6Li, dn)99Mo, not to mention that the specific activity of 99Mo could be much higher under the optimized reaction conditions. Conclusions: Specific activity and cross sections of nuclear reactions based on zirconium target using a light‐ion beam of helium or lithium may be much higher than those based on molybdenum target. These reactions should be investigated experimentally.
Bile Duct Dysplasia in the Setting of Chronic Hepatitis C and Alcohol Cirrhosis

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas are rare and risk factors remain incompletely understood, but one recently identified potential risk factor is chronic hepatitis C (HCV) infection. To further study this potential association, we searched for dysplasia in the intrahepatic bile ducts in native explanted livers in cases of chronic HCV and control groups. Cases of chronic biliary tract disease were excluded. A total of 1058 explants were reviewed: HCV (511), alcohol alone (112), HCV and alcohol (85), HBV (67), cirrhosis from other causes (149), and noncirrhotic livers, for example, cases transplanted for acute liver failure (134). Dysplasia of the intrahepatic bile ducts was seen in 19/1058 (1.8%) of cases and was associated with chronic HCV infection and alcohol use, P=0.01. Ten out of 19 cases of dysplasia were in the setting of chronic HCV, 5/19 were in the setting of alcohol alone, and the remaining 4/19 were in the setting of combined HCV and alcohol. Seventeen out of 19 cases were classified as low-grade dysplasia and 2/19 as high-grade dysplasia. In all cases of dysplasia, the lesions were multifocal and involved septal-sized bile ducts. In 16/19 cases, the dysplasia was papillary whereas in 3/19 cases the dysplasia was flat. In conclusion, dysplasia can be found within the intrahepatic bile ducts in chronic HCV cirrhosis, supporting recent epidemiologic studies identifying chronic HCV as a major risk factor for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Alcohol also seems to be a risk factor. The dysplastic changes are multifocal, involve septal sized bile ducts, and are typically papillary.
Elasticity and Creep of Pb Single Crystals

The rigidity modulus and Young's modulus of lead single crystals have been measured by static methods as functions of crystal orientation. The elastic parameters so obtained are in agreement with the previous values determined dynamically by Goens and Weerts. The bending-torsion effect is large for certain orientations, and its effect upon the measurement of rigidity modulus by torsion has been studied. The elastic limit for lead under longitudinal stress occurred when the resolved shear stress on the most favorably placed octahedral plane was about 2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{6}$ dynes per ${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$. Observations have been made of the transient creep under longitudinal stress. The creep strain velocity at any instant was found to be proportional to the difference between the final strain reached under that load and the strain present at the instant.
Wind Speed Control of Tropical Orographic Convection

AbstractThis study compares observations from the Dominica Experiment (DOMEX) field campaign with 3D and 2D Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF) simulations to understand how ambient upstream wind speed controls the transition from thermally to mechanically forced moist orographic convection. The environment is a conditionally unstable, tropical atmosphere with shallow trade wind cumulus clouds. Three flow indices are defined to quantify the convective transition: horizontal divergence aloft, cloud location, and island surface temperature. As wind speed increases, horizontal airflow divergence from plume detrainment above the mountain changes to convergence associated with plunging flow, convective clouds relocate from the leeward to the windward side of the mountain as mechanically triggered convection takes over, and the daytime mountaintop temperature decreases because of increased ventilation and cloud shading. Possible mechanisms by which wind speed controls island precipitation are also disc...
Characterization of the Triage Process in Neonatal Intensive Care

Objective. Despite intense interest in allocation of resources to neonatal intensive care, no description exists of resource use by the large numbers of newborns admitted for triage, the process of short-term evaluation and management of infants after delivery. This study characterized the triage phase of neonatal care with respect to infant demographics, risk factors for illness, and the course of the hospital admission. We hypothesized that triage infants were responsible for a significant fraction of total intensive care resource utilization, and that patterns of use were predictable. Design. Cross-sectional cost analysis of prospectively collected data. Participants. Data were collected prospectively on 2486 inborn infants admitted to two neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) for Interventions. On a 50% random subsample, we calculated severity of illness using the Score for Neonatal Acute Physiology (SNAP) and applied a NICU resource checklist. Daily NICU workload was estimated according to the number and labor intensity of NICU admissions using Medicus and SNAP. Charges were obtained from patient-level item charge records and converted to costs using Medicare ratios of costs to charges. Length of stay (LOS) and costs for triage were correlated with diagnoses, perinatal descriptors, severity of illness, and markers of concurrent NICU workload using stepwise regression. Results. Mean birth weight for triage infants was 3367 g (standard deviation, 600 g) and mean gestational age 39.1 weeks (standard deviation, 1.8 weeks). The predominant reasons for evaluation were exclusion of sepsis (34%), birth complications including meconium aspiration, perinatal depression and trauma (24%), and transitional respiratory distress (23%). Severity illness, as measured by SNAP, was minimal, with 70% having scores of 0, indicating no derangement. Only 6% experienced depressed 5-minute Apgar scores ( Conclusions. Neonatal triage is a low-acuity but time-intensive process that contributes significantly to total resource use by newborns because of the large numbers of infants involved. Both LOS and costs are affected not only by infant medical characteristics but also by nonmedical markers of unit structure, which may be amenable to change. This source of resource consumption should be recognized in future assessments of costs associated with neonatal intensive care.
Performance models for NOx absorbers/strippers

The focus of this paper is to present a review of recent developments in the modeling of NOx absorbers and strippers. The fundamental concepts of design and process simulation for this specialized area of mass transfer are developed. This review and conceptual analysis is intended to provide simple design/simulation equations and to present the usefulnessand limitations of these equations. This activity is useful because of the interrelationships between mass transfer and the complexity of the NOxHNOxH2O chemical system.
Uniqueness and Sharp Estimates on Solutions to Hyperbolic Systems with Dissipative Source

Global weak solutions of a strictly hyperbolic system of balance laws in one-space dimension were constructed (cf. Christoforou, 2006) via the vanishing viscosity method under the assumption that t...
Dynamic Response Calibration of Sea-Bird Temperature and Conductivity Probes

Abstract Dynamic response calibrations have been made for temperature and conductivity probes produced by Sea- Bird Electronics. These probes are used on wire-lowered and towed conductivity, temperature, and depth systems (CTDs) as well as on free-fall oceanographic profilers. The response of the conductivity cell was measured for free-flow and pumped configurations. Legendre polynomials have been fitted to the measured transfer functions to provide analytic farina for data correction.
Technical communique: Dissipative analysis and control of state-space symmetric systems

The paper addresses the problem of analysis and static output feedback control synthesis for strict quadratic dissipativity of linear time-invariant systems with state-space symmetry. As a particular case of dissipative systems, we consider the mixed H"~ and positive real performance criterion and we develop an explicit expression for calculating the H"~ norm of these systems. Subsequently, an explicit parametrization of the static output feedback control gains that solve the mixed H"~ and positive real performance problem is obtained. Numerical examples demonstrate the use and computational advantages of the proposed explicit solutions.
The Effects of Acute Hypoxia and Hypercapnia on Pulmonary Mechanics in Normal Subjects and Patients with Chronic Pulmonary Disease

The influence of progressive hypoxia and hypercapnia on respiratory mechanics was evaluated in 26 subjects (six normal subjects, seven asthmatic subjects, seven patients with IPD, and six patients with COPD). During separate rebreathing runs of progressive isocapnic hypoxia and normoxic hypercapnia, breath-to-breath changes in rl and Cdyn were determined. In five of the six normal subjects, seven of the seven asthmatic subjects, and six of the seven subjects with IPD, rl decreased with both progressive hypoxia and hypercapnia without a change in Cdyn. In the patients with COPD, the effects of hypoxia and hypercapnia on rl and Cdyn were variable. Compared to normal subjects, the changes in rl during hypoxia and hypercapnia were not significantly different in the asthmatic subjects and the patients with IPD. These data provide evidence that acute progressive hypoxia and hypercapnia are associated with significant changes in Raw in both normal subjects and patients with chronic pulmonary disease.
Missense mutations that inactivate Escherichia coli lac permease

Although missense mutations that inactivate integral membrane proteins cause a variety of diseases, the mechanisms by which they act are poorly understood. To establish a model for investigating this issue, we identified 51 missense mutations arising in vivo that inactivate Escherichia coli lac permease, a well-characterized membrane transport protein. The mutants were isolated using a genetic screening procedure which eliminates mutations that block expression of the lac permease gene, such as nonsense and frameshift mutations. The majority of the 51 missense mutations caused highly non-conservative changes in membrane-spanning sequences, such as the introduction of charged residues. Nevertheless, the greatest clustering of substitutions occurred in the two regions of lac permease thought to be most important for transport function. The existence of this clustering indicates that even highly non-conservative substitutions may cause relatively localized structural defects. Conservative inactivating substitutions were scattered throughout lac permease and may affect residues that make contacts required for normal folding. Two unexpected phenotypes were observed in the collection of mutants: about 20% of the substitutions led to cold-sensitive lactose utilization, and one substitution made the mutant lac permease toxic to cells. This relatively unbiased collection of mutants should provide a resource for further studies of how missense mutations inactivate membrane proteins in vivo.
Eicosapentaenoic acid ethyl ester as an antithrombotic agent: comparison to an extract of fish oil.

Abstract Evidence suggesting that dietary ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids decrease the risk of thrombosis comes mainly from studies involving supplementation with large amounts (15–20 g/day) of fish oil extract. We investigated the inhibition of platelet function by a moderate amount (4 g/d) of ethyl eicosapentaenoate (E-EPA) compared to a concentrated fish oil extract (6 g/d) when given as a supplement to an ordinary diet. We also determined the effects of these supplements on platelet EPA incorporation, thromboxane synthesis, calcium mobilization and fibrinogen binding. After 4 weeks, both ω-3 supplements increased the amount of EPA in platelet phospholipids. The fish oil extract, which contained docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), had increased the amount of DHA also. The total increase in ω-3 fatty acids was similar for both supplements. E-EPA decreased serum cholesterol by 13% and triacylglycerols, 35%; increased the bleeding time by 57% and the threshold dose of collagen needed to induce platelet aggregation by 46%. Thromboxane synthesis in response to collagen was decreased 65% by E-EPA. Thus, the dietary supplement of pure E-EPA was more effective in limiting platelet reactivity than a concentrated fish oil extract providing an equivalent amount of ω-3 fatty acids. As an antithrombotic agent, E-EPA should allow for reasonable daily dosis in long-term treatment of cardiovascular disease.
Simultaneous measurement of cardiac output and its distribution with microspheres in the rat

The radioactive microsphere method was used to estimate simultaneously the cardiac output and its distribution in the same rat by the use of an arterial reference sample obtained during microsphere distribution. Sufficient microspheres were injected so that all counted samples contained more than 400 spheres. No haemodynamic changes occurred during microsphere injection. The results for cardiac output of 253 ± 11 ml/min per kg body weight agree with published estimates utilizing other techniques. The distribution of cardiac output also agrees with most published reports. This method should allow the rat to be conveniently used for certain haemodynamic studies when cardiac output and organ blood flow are necessary.
α -Hydrogen migration reactions in tungsten(VI) cyclopentadienyl alkylidyne complexes

Abstract W(CAd)(OCMe3)3 (Ad=1-adamantyl) can be prepared by treating W2(OCMe3)6 with 1-adamantanecarbonitrile and converted into W(CAd)(triflate)(OCMe3)2(dme) by treating it with Me3Si(triflate) (dme=1,2-dimethoxyethane). W(CAd)(triflate)(OCMe3)2(dme) reacts with NaCp to yield CpW(CAd)(OCMe3)2. CpW(CAd)(OCMe3)2 can be converted into CpW(CAd)Cl2 in dichloromethane by treating it with Me3SiCl. Alkylation of CpW(CAd)Cl2 yields CpW(CAd)(CH2CMe3)Cl or CpW(CAd)R2 complexes (R=CH2CMe3, CH2Ph, or CH3). Both CpW(CAd)(CH2CMe3)Cl and CpW(CAd)(CH2CMe3)2 tautomerize to give mixtures containing CpW(CCMe3)(CH2Ad)Cl and CpW(CCMe3)(CH2CMe3)(CH2Ad), respectively. An X-ray study of CpW(CAd)(CH2CMe3)2 is consistent with some α agostic interaction of a neopentyl proton in each neopentyl ligand with the metal. In contrast, CpW(CAd)(NMe2)(CH2CMe3) shows no evidence of tautomerizing to CpW(CCMe3)(NMe2)(CH2Ad) at room temperature over the course of two weeks, while CpW(CAd)(NHCMe3)Cl tautomerizes to two rotameric forms of CpW(NCMe3)(CHAd)Cl.
Donor-Recipient MELD-Based Match in a Patient Who Required Three Liver Grafts in the Era of Nonstandard Donors: Case Report

Abstract In recent studies, nonstandard donors and high Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) values have been indicated as risk factors for both graft survival and patient survival. A recent debate concerns which donor and recipient match guarantees the best results in terms of early and late survival. To emphasize the role of the donor–recipient match, we have reported herein a complex case of a patient who changed his preoperative risk status, being transplanted three times using donors of different risk levels. At each transplant, the patient moved to a higher MELD class: first transplant MELD = 22; second transplant MELD = 37; third transplant MELD = 38. Only at the third transplant did the patient recover. Besides the liver, almost all his organs (kidneys, heart, lungs) recovered in a few weeks, as well. Unfortunately, severe cortical and subcortical brain damage remained a crucial limiting impairment, leading to death 5 months later, due to pulmonary infection, yet with a perfectly working liver. We underlined the role of donor factors to predict the outcome after liver transplantation in the MELD era.
Comparative adult education research: methods and materials

Comparative research, however informal, is as old as history. Comparative adult education in the relatively more formal sense is only a few decades old. Barring some commendable exceptions, the paradigm adopted in comparative education and comparative adult education has towed international political boundaries. Since beliefs and values play an important role in determining people's attitudes and actions ‐ personal as well as institutional, it is of essence to look at similarities and dissimilarities among various practices in adult education from cultural rather than political perspectives. This paper seeks to analyse various issues related to this difference between the afore‐mentioned alternative viewpoints in adult education research.
Increased fear-potentiated startle in major depressive disorder patients with lifetime history of suicide attempt

Abstract Background Suicide is a common reason for psychiatric emergency and morbidity, with few effective treatments. Anxiety symptoms have emerged as potential modifiable risk factors in the time before a suicide attempt, but few studies have been conducted using laboratory measures of fear and anxiety. We operationally defined fear and anxiety as increased startle reactivity during anticipation of predictable (fear-potentiated startle) and unpredictable (anxiety-potentiated startle) shock. We hypothesized that a lifetime history of suicide attempt (as compared to history of no suicide attempt) would be associated with increased fear-potentiated startle. Methods A post-hoc analysis of fear- and anxiety-potentiated startle was conducted in 28 medication-free patients with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) divided according to suicide attempt history. Results The magnitude of fear-potentiated startle was increased in depressed patients with lifetime suicide attempts compared to those without a lifetime history of suicide attempt ( F (1,26)=5.629, p =.025). There was no difference in anxiety-potentiated startle by suicide attempt history. Limitations This is a post-hoc analysis of previously analyzed patient data from a study of depressed inpatients. Further replication of the finding with a larger patient sample is indicated. Conclusions Increased fear-potentiated startle in suicide attempters suggests the role of amygdala in depressed patients with a suicide attempt history. Findings highlight the importance of anxiety symptoms in the treatment of patients at increased suicide risk.
Modeling of Temperature and Pollutant Concentration Distributions in Urban Atmospheres

An unsteady two-dimensional transport model is constructed to study the short-term effects of urbanization and air pollution on the thermal structure and dispersion in an urban atmosphere. The model includes horizontal and vertical advection as well as turbulent diffusion and radiative transfer in the planetary boundary layer (PBL). The gaseous and particulate pollutants as well as the natural constituents in the atmosphere absorb, emit, and anisotropically scatter radiation. The variation of the physical properties of the soil, the radiation characteristics of the earth’s surface, and the urban heat and pollutant emissions along the city are modeled. A number of numerical simulations for summer conditions modeling a typical Midwestern city are performed and the effects of various parameters arising in the problem have been investigated. The diurnal variation of the temperature structure and pollutant concentrations are discussed. It was found that the temperature changes caused by radiatively participating pollutants are generally smaller than the effects induced by urbanization. A maximum urban heat island of approximately 3°C was predicted and found to be in good agreement with observations.
Implementation of SPC Techniques in the PVC Pipe Industry

ABSTRACTThis paper provides a case history on the implementation of SPC techniques in the PVC pipe industry. The difficulties, complexity of the process environment and the methods followed to reduce the dispersion are discussed. Results of two years' joint effort of academia and industry and the meaning of this research for future production are presented.
Abstract PR8: Targeted therapy for pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer is a highly aggressive and lethal neoplasm, generally resistant to chemotherapy and radiation. In vitro studies have indicated a role of PI3K/AKT as mechanisms of apoptosis resistance in pancreatic cancer. RLIP76 is a multifunctional cell membrane protein that functions as a major mercapturic acid pathway transporter as well as key regulator of receptor-ligand complexes through regulation of the rate of clathrin-dependent endocytosis. Inhibition of RLIP76 has been shown to antagonize both PI3K and AKT in other cancers. Present studies were undertaken to determine whether targeted depletion of RLIP76 can be an effective antineoplastic therapy that overcomes chemo-radio-resistance in pancreatic cancer, and whether the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway is affected. Cell survival was assessed by MTT and colony-forming assays. Cellular levels of proteins and phosphorylation was determined by Western blot analyses. The impact on apoptosis was determined by TUNEL assay. The anticancer effects of RLIP76 targeted interventions in vivo were determined using mice xenograft model of the pancreatic cancer. Doxorubicin transport was measured using 14C-DOX, and radiation sensitivity was determined by colony forming assays, respectively. RLIP76 depletion caused marked and sustained regression of established human BxPC-3 pancreatic cancer tumors in nude mouse xenograft model. The ability of RLIP76 to mediate drug and radiation resistance was confirmed. Results of signaling studies are consistent with an encompassing model for the role of RLIP76 in regulating the levels of fundamental proteins like PI3K, Akt, E-cadherin, CDK4, Bcl2 and PCNA. These studies show that RLIP76 represents a mechanistically significant target for developing effective interventions drug- and radiation-resistant pancreatic cancers. Supported by USPHS-NIH R01-CA77495 to SA. This proffered talk is also presented as Poster A23. Citation Format: Kathryn Leake, Sharad S. Singhal, Sanjay Awasthi. Targeted therapy for pancreatic cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Pancreatic Cancer: Progress and Challenges; Jun 18-21, 2012; Lake Tahoe, NV. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(12 Suppl):Abstract nr PR8.
Sensitivity of a MEMS acoustic emission sensor system

We present several findings related to acoustic emission detection using a MEMS sensor. The MEMS sensor is a capacitive resonant transducer, fabricated in the PolyMUMPs process, with a resonant frequency near 160 kHz. In this paper, the design, initial characterization, amplification electronics, and packaging of the sensor system are reviewed. We present results from an experiment that compares the MEMS sensor system to a commercial PZT sensor by comparing the response of each sensor to a pencil lead break on a plate. In addition, we describe the noise characterization of the MEMS sensor system, comparing the predicted noise voltage to the measured value. This analysis reveals that the electronic noise from the amplifier is significantly greater than the noise from the sensor, suggesting that an amplifier with less noise would increase the sensitivity of the MEMS sensor system. We describe the design of a new, transimpedance amplifier and its noise characterization, showing the new amplifier design has less noise than the old design. The experiment comparing the commercial PZT sensor and the MEMS sensor system is repeated using the new amplifier, and we present results showing an increase in sensitivity of the MEMS sensor system. Finally, we present results from an experiment comparing the ability of the commercial PZT sensor and the MEMS sensor system with the new amplifier to detect pencil lead breaks performed a large distance from each sensor.
Design and Chemical Synthesis of a Neoprotein Structural Model for the Cytoplasmic Domain of a Multisubunit Cell-Surface Receptor: Integrin .alpha.IIb.beta.3 (Platelet GPIIb-IIIa)

Integrins are a class of heterodimeric cell adhesion receptors involved in cell migration, cell anchorage, and cell-cell interactions. The cytoplasmic domains of integrins are of key importance in these activities. We have designed and chemically synthesized a 126 amino acid model protein (MP-1) containing both cytoplasmic tails of the platelet-derived integrin alpha IIb beta 3 covalently linked via a helical coiled coil. The coiled-coil tertiary structure was incorporated to mimic the membrane-spanning domain of the integrin and to act as a topological constraint fixing the two cytoplasmic tails in a parallel arrangement. This molecule, which contains two C-termini, was constructed by chemical dovetailing. The bromoacetylated and cysteinyl peptide synthons were unambiguously ligated through the formation of a thioether linkage. Ultraviolet circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy has been performed on MP-1 and related compounds, confirming that a helical coiled coil is present within the MP-1 molecule. Significantly, the helicity apparently extends beyond the predicted amphiphilic region of MP-1. Fluorescence measurements suggest that a defined tertiary structure has formed by the association of the two cytoplasmic domains. We conclude that this is a practical design strategy for the study of the cytoplasmic domain of multisubunit cell-surface receptors.
Cannibalism as a Factor in First Year Survival of Walleye in Oneida Lake

Abstract This study was undertaken to evaluate the role of cannibalism in determining year class strength of walleyes. From mid-July 1969 to May 1970, I monitored the abundance of young walleyes by trawling and examined stomachs of adult walleyes collected in trawls and gill nets. Number of young walleyes consumed was estimated from occurrence in adult walleye stomachs, digestion rates, and estimated number of adults. Daily consumption ranged from 0.044 young walleyes per adult in August to 0.002 during the winter. Monthly cannibalism, estimated by the multiplication of daily consumption by the number of days and the number of adult walleyes, varied from 1,053,000 young in August to 240,000 during the winter. Cannibalism declined proportionally with abundance of young walleyes. Overwinter mortality rates in 1969–1970 were highest for small young-of-the-year walleyes because adult walleyes were size-selective in preying upon young.