cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of pore topology and iron oxide core on doxorubicin loading and release from mesoporous silica nanoparticles

Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) have a network of pores that give rise to extremely high specific surface areas, making them attractive materials for applications such as adsorption and drug delivery. The pore topology can be readily tuned to achieve a variety of structures such as the hexagonally ordered Mobil Crystalline Material 41 (MCM-41) and the disordered “wormhole” (WO) mesoporous silica (MS) structure. In this work, the effects of pore topology and iron oxide core on doxorubicin loading and release were investigated using MSNs with pore diameters of approximately 3 nm and sub-100 nm particle diameters. The nanoparticles were loaded with doxorubicin, and the drug release into phosphate-buffered saline (PBS, 10 mM, pH 7.4) at 37 °C was monitored by fluorescence spectroscopy. The release profiles were fit using the Peppas model. The results indicated diffusion-controlled release for all samples. Statistically significant differences were observed in the kinetic host–guest parameters for each sample due to the different pore topologies and the inclusion of an iron oxide core. Applying a static magnetic field to the iron oxide core WO-MS shell materials did not have a significant impact on the doxorubicin release. This is the first time that the effects of pore topology and iron oxide core have been isolated from pore diameter and particle size for these materials.
It’s not cricket: examining political discussion in nonpolitical online space

Scholars of digital democracy share enthusiasm about the potential the Internet provides for democratic communication among citizens. Many applaud the prospect of an expanded, digital, public spher...
Abstract 2837: Differential expression of Protocadherin-7 (PCDH7) in prostate cancer (PCa) cells: a direct association between PCDH7 and castrate resistant PCa

Introduction: PCa is the most commonly diagnosed disease in American men and the second leading cause of death among them. Most of PCa deaths are a result of distant metastasis and due to emergence of castrate resistant PCa. Protocadherin-7 (PCDH7), a Cadherin superfamily transmembrane protein that is known to function in cell-cell recognition and adhesion, is reported to be overexpressed in breast cancer and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). PCDH7 has been shown to mediate brain metastasis of breast cancer. Overexpression of PCDH7 was reported to be associated with poor clinical outcome of NSCLC. However, there is no report on involvement of PCDH7 in PCa tumorigenesis and metastasis. In the present study we evaluated expression of PCDH7 in androgen dependent and androgen independent PCa cells and in TCGA and Trento/Cornell/Broad 2016 clinical data sets. Materials and Methods: PCa cells- LNCaP, C4-2b, DU145, PC3, 22Rv1 and RWPE1 were used in this study. Protein expression was checked by Western Blotting. mRNA levels were checked by quantitative real time PCR. Results: Our data reveal high PCDH7 protein expression in PC3 cells and low levels of PCDH7 in LNCaP and RWPE1 cells. qRT-PCR confirmed an increased transcript level of PCDH7 in PC3 and low levels in LNCaP cells. We also observed elevated transcript levels for PCDH7 in castrate resistant and Enzalutamide refractory PCa (22Rv1) cells. These data suggest a direct relationship between castrate resistance and PCDH7 expression. Our results also show an inverse relationship between PCDH7 and E-Cadherin and a direct relationship between PCDH7 and EMT markers, indicating expression of PCDH7 is associated with tumor progression. Interestingly, there was no correlation between PCDH7 with tumor grade or metastasis from TCGA data, but analysis of NEPC (Trento/Cornell/Broad 2016) data set revealed amplification of PCDH7 in 9% of NEPC tumors. Collectively, these data suggest PCDH7 expression may be associated with advanced PCa in general and NEPC phenotype PCa in particular. Conclusion: Our results suggest direct association of PCDH7 expression and castrate resistance in PCa cell lines. Role of PCDH7 in castrate resistant PCa needs further evaluation. Citation Format: Gauri Shishodia, Sweaty Koul, Qin Dong, Hari K. Koul. Differential expression of Protocadherin-7 (PCDH7) in prostate cancer (PCa) cells: a direct association between PCDH7 and castrate resistant PCa [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 2837. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-2837
High-power CARM experiments

High-Power CARM research at the MIT Plasma Fusion Center is described. The experimental results on a Ka-band, long-pulse CARM oscillator experiment are presented. In this experiment, a SLAC 5045 klystron gun produced an electron beam at 250-320 kV and 10-20 A; a beam α ≡p⊥/p || , variable from 0 to 1, was produced on this electron beam with a wiggler magnetic field near guide field resonance. CARM operation was observed for many parameter settings, and for frequencies ranging from 29 to 32 GHz. Output powers as high as 100 kW were achieved with an efficiency of up to 3%. Higher frequency radiation near 74 GHz was also obtained and is attributed to second harmonic CARM operation. The design of a 17 GHz CARM amplifier for application as an RF accelerator driver is presented.
Factors Associated with Timing and Adverse Outcomes in Patients with Biliary Atresia Undergoing Kasai Hepatoportoenterostomy.

Objective To assess factors associated with timing of hepatoportoenterostomy (HPE) and adverse perioperative outcomes in patients with biliary atresia in the US. Study design We examined hospitalizations in infants aged Results Our analysis of 1243 biliary atresia hospitalizations showed that only 37.7% of patients had HPE in the first 60 days of life. Patients who underwent HPE after 60 days of age were uninsured, were more likely to be black (aOR, 4.22; 95% CI, 1.49-11.95), less likely to be admitted at a teaching hospital (aOR, 0.27; 95% CI 0.10-0.79), and less likely to have a concomitant congenital malformation (aOR, 0.49; 95% CI 0.25-0.98). Patients with delayed age at HPE incurred significantly higher hospital costs ($57 914 vs $34 074; P = .026). Delayed age at HPE and weekend admission were independently associated with increased odds of adverse perioperative outcome (aOR, 1.09; 95% CI, 1.01-3.02 and 3.98; 95% CI, 1.67-9.46, respectively). Conclusion Current outcomes in patients with biliary atresia in the United States are suboptimal and result in higher costs. The specific factors associated with delayed care are further evidence that universal health care and screening are needed for all infants, along with systematic referral of potential patients with biliary atresia to specialized health centers.
The Spot Indole Test for Identification of Swarming Proteus

The authors evaluated the use of the spot indole test for rapid speciation of swarming Proteus from the primary isolation plate. One hundred seventy-two consecutive isolates of swarming Proteus were studied, 163 Proteus mirabilis and nine Proteus vulgaris. One hundred fifty-six isolates (95.7%) of Proteus mirabilis gave a negative spot indole. Seven (4.3%) gave a positive spot indole test, but all seven isolates were from cultures in which other indole-producing organisms also were present. If only isolates representing single gram-negative strains in the specimens were tested, the predictive value was greater than 99%. Eight of the nine (88.9%) Proteus vulgaris isolates gave a positive spot indole test; one (11.1%) gave a negative result. This isolate also failed to produce indole by conventional methods but was ornithine decarboxylase negative, and additional biochemical testing was consistent with the Proteus vulgaris identification. All Proteus vulgaris isolates were resistant to ampicillin, and 94.2% of the Proteus mirabilis tested were ampicillin susceptible. The spot indole test is a rapid, accurate, simple, and cost-effective means of speciating swarming Proteus strains isolated as the only gram-negative bacilli in a specimen. The spot indole test should be used in conjunction with an ampicillin susceptibility test result or other confirmatory test information if other gram-negative bacilli are present in the culture.
The Christian Sappho: Mourning Albertine in Marceline Desbordes-Valmore’s “Le Mal Du Pays”

In this paper I propose a close reading of Marceline Desbordes-Valmore’s beautiful and undervalued poem, “Le Mal du pays,” with particular focus on the interweaving of the “cradle and tomb” motifs, “le berceau et le tombeau” underlined by Gilbert Durand in his Structures anthropologiques de l’imaginaire: “the earth becomes a magic and benevolent cradle because (she) is the final resting place.” (270) Within the framework of passionate mourning for a lost woman friend, Valmore’s poem probes elegiac themes of loss, transcendence and reconciliation through images of water, cleansing, darkness and starlight. What distinguishes this poem from many other elegies is the poet’s imaginative questioning of the roots of humanity’s spiritual identity: birth is seen as tragic, in a manner which anticipates Robert Graves’ disturbing poem, “Children of Darkness.” Whereas Graves’ final lyric closes on a note of despair, “We loathe to gaze upon the sun,” Valmore universalizes her responses with evocations of “les feux blancs d’une etoile” with an emotional depth and authenticity which provides evidence for Proust’s famous dictum that “les idees nous viennent comme les succedanes du chagrin.” I also suggest some possibilities with respect to Valmore’s influence on Proust’s creation of Albertine with reference both to “Le Mal du pays” and to an extract from Valmore’s correspondence which may lead us to reconsider Montesquieu’s paradoxical and challenging description of Marceline Valmore as the “Christian Sappho.”
Human brain evolution writ large and small

Human evolution was marked by an extraordinary increase in total brain size relative to body size. While it is certain that increased encephalization is an important factor contributing to the origin of our species-specific cognitive abilities, it is difficult to disentangle which aspects of human neural structure and function are correlated by-products of brain size expansion from those that are specifically related to particular psychological specializations, such as language and enhanced "mentalizing" abilities. In this chapter, we review evidence from allometric scaling studies demonstrating that much of human neocortical organization can be understood as a product of brain enlargement. Defining extra-allometric specializations in humans is often hampered by a severe lack of comparative data from the same neuroanatomical variables across a broad range of primates. When possible, we highlight evidence for features of human neocortical architecture and function that cannot be easily explained as correlates of brain size and, hence, might be more directly associated with the evolution of uniquely human cognitive capacities.
Recent PHENIX Results on High-pT π 0 and η Production in Cu+Au and U+U Collisions

One of the key signatures of the Quark-Gluon Plasma (QGP), is the modification of hadron transverse momentum differential cross-sections in heavy-ion collisions as compared to p+p collisions. Suppression of hadron production at high transverse momenta (pT ) in heavy ion collisions has been explained by the energy loss of the partons produced in the hard scattering processes that traverse the deconfined quantum chromodynamics (QCD) matter. Recent RHIC runs with asymmetric Cu+Au collisions and non-spherical nuclear U+U collisions provide the means to systematically study suppression pattern of hadrons in different nuclear overlap geometry and different energy density and surface biases compared to Au+Au collisions. These studies provide an important input to improve theoretical description of parton energy loss in QGP. In this proceeding, we present results from π 0 and η production in Cu+Au and U+U systems and discuss how these results further our understanding of parton energy loss.
Novel Biomimetic Microphysiological Systems for Tissue Regeneration and Disease Modeling

Biomaterials engineered to closely mimic morphology, architecture, and nanofeatures of naturally occurring in vivo extracellular matrices (ECM) have gained much interest in regenerative medicine and in vitro biomimetic platforms. Similarly, microphysiological systems (MPS), such as lab-chip, have drummed up momentum for recapitulating precise biomechanical conditions to model the in vivo microtissue environment. However, porosity of in vivo scaffolds regulating barrier and interface functions is generally absent in lab-chip systems, or otherwise introduces considerable cost, complexity, and an unrealistic uniformity in pore geometry. We address this by integrating electrospun nanofibrous porous scaffolds in MPS to develop the lab-on-a-brane (LOB) MPS for more effectively modeling transport, air-liquid interface, and tumor progression and for personalized medicine applications.
Data Mining and Inorganic Crystallography

Inorganic crystallography is a data intensive field of science. Much of the work in this vast field is focused on ways to acquire, model, organize and manage that data. To a lesser extent, there are efforts to survey that information from which one hopes to glean patterns of behavior that would offer insight into the complex chemical and geometrical relationships governing the existence or stability of a given compound. In this article we provide an overview of the types of information that can be gleaned by applying data mining and statistical learning techniques to inorganic crystallography. The focus of the paper is in two broad areas, classification and prediction of data, and the two primary roles of data mining as a field.
Longitudinal stability in cigarette smokers of urinary eicosanoid biomarkers of oxidative damage and inflammation

The urinary metabolites (Z)-7-[1R,2R,3R,5S)-3,5-dihydroxy-2-[(E,3S)-3-hydroxyoct-1-enyl]cyclopentyl]hept-5-enoic acid (8-iso-PGF2α), an F2-isoprostane and biomarker of oxidative damage, and "prostaglandin E2 metabolite" (PGE-M), a biomarker of inflammation, are elevated in cigarette smokers. However, there is little information in the literature on the longitudinal stability of these widely used biomarkers. In a large clinical trial involving 10 institutional sites, smokers were given, free of charge over a period of 20 weeks, Spectrum NRC600/601 research cigarettes containing 15.5 mg nicotine/g tobacco. All participants were instructed to smoke these cigarettes for the duration of the study. At weeks 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20, first morning urine voids were collected and analyzed for 8-iso-PGF2α and PGE-M using validated liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry methods. The mean level of 8-iso-PGF2α at Week 4 was 1.34 ± 1.08 (S.D.) pmol/mg creatinine (N = 226) while that of PGE-M was 73.7 ± 113 (S.D.) pmol/mg creatinine (N = 232). The corresponding levels at Week 20 were 1.35 ± 0.93 (S.D.) pmol/mg creatinine (N = 209) for 8-iso-PGF2α and 74.2 ± 142 (S.D.) pmol/mg creatinine (N = 210) for PGE-M. There was variation in these values in the intervening weeks. The intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) were 0.51 (95% CI, 0.45, 0.57) and 0.36 (0.30, 0.43), for 8-iso-PGF2α and PGE-M, respectively, indicating fair longitudinal stability for 8-iso-PGF2α and poorer longitudinal stability for PGE-M in cigarette smokers. Males had higher ICC values than females for both 8-iso-PGF2α and PGE-M. These results indicate that, in addition to cigarette smoking, endogenous processes of oxidative damage and inflammation influence the levels of these biomarkers over time among current smokers.
FLAME: Graph-based hardware representations for rapid and precise performance modeling

The slowdown of Moore's law has caused an escalation in architectural diversity over the last decade, and agile development of domain-specific heterogeneous chips is becoming a high priority. However, this agile development must also consider portable programming environments and other architectural constraints in the system design. More importantly, understanding the role of each component in an end-to-end system design is important to both architects and application developers and must include metrics like power, performance, space, cost, and reliability. Being able to quickly and precisely characterize the needs of an application in the early stages of hardware design is an essential step toward converging on the primary components of these increasingly heterogeneous platforms. In this paper, we introduce FLAME, a graph-based machine representation to flexibly model a given hardware design at any desired resolution while providing the ability to refine specific components along the hierarchy. FLAME allows each processing unit in the system to declare its specific capabilities and enables higher level elements to reuse and leverage these declarations to form more complex system topologies. Applications are characterized with the Aspen application model; each component has the ability to report its characteristic behavior for a given application model against a supported metric. We demonstrate the feasibility of FLAME for several workloads via multi-core machine representations on different levels abstraction.
Pilots’ Role in the Critical Infrastructure of Aviation

The US government considers aviation to be a critical infrastructure as reflected in government publications developed after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The Patriot Act of 2001 defined the transportation systems sector as one of the assets essential to the physical and economic security of the nation. Aviation represents a large part of the US economy and pilots are integral to its operations. Some airline operators have declared bankruptcy citing the inability to hire enough qualified pilots. Concerns about pilot shortages have grown because the expected growth in air traffic in the coming decades will require many more pilots. Pilot unions are concerned that low pilot pay and the cost of training to earn a commercial license is making it unaffordable for prospective pilots. Cyber security vulnerabilities are likely to increase as the NexGen air traffic control system comes online and more automation is used in the aviation system. GPS jammers are not hard to obtain and might impact safety while a broad scale attack on the GPS satellite infrastructure would devastate an automated transport system. Cockpit crew composition has shrunk as technology was developed to reduce the number of crew required. This increased the criticality of the crew that remains when automated navigation equipment fails, reaches its design limits, or acts in a manner the crew is unprepared for a dilemma is looming where the aviation industry to both working to reduce the necessity of human pilots by increasing use of automation while at the same time developing new programs and incentives for people to make piloting a career. Will perspective pilots see this trend “too” soon and cause a drastic drop in available pilots before the industry has no need for them? With an unknowable timeline, the process leading to a pilotless airliner will continue until fully autonomous commercial passenger transports are a reality. Aviation, and humanity, will be forever changed.
Time-Driven Activity-Based Costing in Radiology: An Overview

Time-driven activity-based costing (TDABC) is a cost-accounting method to assess operational costs at a process-specific level. The purpose of this review is to provide a foundational methodologic overview of TDABC and offer insights from lessons we have learned by applying TDABC in radiology. Understanding these principles can help radiology practice leaders maintain local cost-stewardship while delivering the highest quality of clinical care.
Bayesian-based Hyperparameter Optimization for Spiking Neuromorphic Systems

Designing a neuromorphic computing system involves selection of several hyperparameters that not only affect the accuracy of the framework, but also the energy efficiency and speed of inference and training. These hyperparameters might be inherent to the training of the spiking neural network (SNN), the input/output encoding of the real-world data to spikes, or the underlying neuromorphic hardware. In this work, we present a Bayesian-based hyperparameter optimization approach for spiking neuromorphic systems, and we show how this optimization framework can lead to significant improvement in designing accurate neuromorphic computing systems. In particular, we show that this hyperparameter optimization approach can discover the same optimal hyperparameter set for input encoding as a grid search, but with far fewer evaluations and far less time. We also show the impact of hardware-specific hyperparameters on the performance of the system, and we demonstrate that by optimizing these hyperparameters, we can achieve significantly better application performance.
Activity of ceftazidime-avibactam against Escherichia coli isolates from U.S. veterans (2011) in relation to co-resistance and sequence type 131 (ST131) H30 and H30Rx status.

Abstract Escherichia coli ST131, with its multidrug-resistance–associated H30R1 and H30Rx clonal subsets within the H30R subclone, causes most antimicrobial-resistant E. coli infections. The activity of ceftazidime-avibactam (CZA) against ST131 strains is undefined. We determined CZA MICs for 595 E. coli clinical isolates from 24 Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (2010–2011). Resistance status and MICs were compared with study resistance category (fluoroquinolone-susceptible, fluoroquinolone-resistant, and extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)–producing); ST131, H30R1, and H30Rx status; blaCTX-M-15-like genotype; and MICs for piperacillin-tazobactam, levofloxacin, gentamicin, ceftazidime, and meropenem. Proportion resistant ranged from zero (CZA, meropenem) to 61% (levofloxacin). MICs generally increased by resistance category (from fluoroquinolone-susceptible through fluoroquinolone-resistant to ESBL), clonal subgroup (from non–ST131-H30 through H30R1 to H30Rx), and blaCTX-M-15-like status. CZA MICs were slightly but significantly greater in association with resistance (or elevated MICs) to each comparator yet remained in the susceptible range. CZA was reliably active and outperformed noncarbapenem comparators, so it should prove useful as a carbapenem-sparing alternative.
Distribution of transition metal elements in an Al-Si-Cu-based alloy

Abstract An Al-Si-Cu-based cast alloy was modified with transition metal elements Zr, V and Ti to achieve enhanced mechanical performance at elevated temperatures. Multiple microstructural characterization techniques were used to investigate the solidification segregation behavior of these transition metal elements and their partitioning to the primary intermetallic phases and secondary precipitates. Three transition metal elements were shown to segregate into the dendrite center to varying degrees. Two primary intermetallic phases enriched with different amounts of transition metal elements were identified as D022 and D023 phases. Zr was observed to concentrate much more than V and Ti in the nano-size secondary L12 precipitates, which formed in the matrix during post-solidification heat treatment.
Midlife Marital Dissolution and the Onset of Cognitive Impairment.

Background and objectives Marital dissolution has become more common in midlife with the doubling of the divorce rate among middle-aged adults. Guided by the stress model that stipulates losing economic, social, and psychological resources lowers well-being, we posited that midlife adults who experienced divorce or widowhood were at greater risk of cognitive impairment than the continuously married. Subsequent repartnering was expected to negate the increased risk. Research design and methods We used data from the 1998-2016 Health and Retirement Study to estimate discrete-time event history models using logistic regression to predict cognitive impairment onset for men and women. Results Roughly 27% of men who experienced spousal death in midlife went on to experience mild cognitive impairment by age 65. For women, experiencing divorce or widowhood was associated with higher odds of cognitive impairment onset although these differentials were accounted for by economic, social, and psychological resources. Men and women who repartnered after marital dissolution did not appreciably differ from their continuously married counterparts in terms of their likelihoods of cognitive impairment onset. Discussion and implications A stressful life event, midlife marital dissolution can be detrimental to cognitive well-being, placing individuals at increased risk of developing dementia in later life. The growing diversity of partnership experiences during the second half of life points to the continued importance of examining how union dissolution and formation shape health and well-being.
Entropy Regularized Motion Planning via Stein Variational Inference.

Many Imitation and Reinforcement Learning approaches rely on the availability of expert-generated demonstrations for learning policies or value functions from data. Obtaining a reliable distribution of trajectories from motion planners is non-trivial, since it must broadly cover the space of states likely to be encountered during execution while also satisfying task-based constraints. We propose a sampling strategy based on variational inference to generate distributions of feasible, low-cost trajectories for high-dof motion planning tasks. This includes a distributed, particle-based motion planning algorithm which leverages a structured graphical representations for inference over multi-modal posterior distributions. We also make explicit connections to both approximate inference for trajectory optimization and entropy-regularized reinforcement learning.
Strain induced second-order Jahn–Teller reconstruction and magnetic moment modulation at monovacancy in graphene

Using density functional theory simulations, we examine the electronic structure of an isolated monovacancy defect in graphene under symmetry-breaking deformation. Results show that the defect experiences a second-order Jahn–Teller reconstruction at a critical strain of 1.7%. It stabilizes the orientation of the JT bond relative to the loading direction and breaks the threefold degeneracy of the defect structure. We call it Jahn–Teller re-reconstruction (JTRR), and it is mechanically reversible. The reversibility and stabilization of the orientation depend on the direction cosine between the JT bond and the loading direction. Also, a change in the loading direction by 90 ° can change the orientation of the JT bond by 120 °. An atomic-scale analysis suggests that the maximum bond force arising from “the derivative of the kinetic energy of electrons” defines the critical strain. JTRR alters the electron occupation in the individual electronic orbitals at the defect site. The electronic charge redistribution and the density of states at the defective sites reveal that the p z orbitals dominate the reconstruction process. Furthermore, JTRR changes the magnitude of the magnetic moment at the defective site from 1.36 μ B to 1.22 μ B. This unravels a new way of controlling the magnetic behavior of monovacancy by applying symmetry-breaking mechanical strain. Results also show that passivation of the dangling bond can subside or eliminate the reconstruction process depending on the number of valence electrons available in the passivating atom.
Elections, competition, and constituent evaluations of U.S. senators

Abstract Previous research posits that constituents' evaluations of senators will vary over time depending on if a senator is up for re-election or not. In order to test the effect of the Senate electoral cycle on constituent opinion, we take advantage of the Cooperative Congressional Election Study's survey panel from 2010, 2012, and 2014. These data are particularly well suited for our study because they allow us to examine the same constituents' opinions of the same senators at various stages in the Senate electoral cycle. While our analysis finds some variation in constituent evaluations over time, many of these differences are either statistically insignificant or substantively negligible. On balance, we find much more consistency in constituent evaluations over time, but the relationship can be more nuanced and conditional on the level of electoral competition. Specifically, we find that competitive elections lead to an increased association between policy agreement and constituent evaluations.
Microinjection Method for Analyzing Zebrafish Early Stage Oocytes

Maternal factors which accumulate and establish oocyte polarity during the early stages of oogenesis play key roles in embryonic development, as well as germ cell formation. However, vertebrate oogenesis, especially early stages of oogenesis, is not well understood due to the difficulty of accessing these oocytes and the lack of analytical methods. Here, we report on a microinjection method for analyzing zebrafish early-stage oocytes and some artifacts to be aware of when performing oocyte injections or analyzing oocytes. Using this method, we successfully injected mRNAs encoding fluorescent-tagged proteins into early-stage oocytes and observed subcellular localization in the live oocytes. This method is expected to advance the functional analysis of genes involved in oogenesis.
Characterization of proteoglycans synthesized by a rat parathyroid cell line.

The structure, biosynthesis, and distribution of cell-associated proteoglycans in a clonal line of parathyroid cells, which exhibit differentiated characteristics such as calcium-regulated hormone secretion and cell growth, were studied by metabolic labeling with (3H) glucosamine and (35S)sulfate as precursors. Proteoglycans were isolated by two consecutive ion exchange chromatography steps and then analyzed by gel filtration, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and specific enzyme and chemical reactions. The cells synthesize almost exclusively (greater than 95%) heparan sulfate (HS) proteoglycans with a glycosaminoglycan synthesis rate of approximately 0.5 micrograms/10(6) cells/24 h. Two major HS proteoglycan species were identified. HS proteoglycan-I has a mass of approximately kDa with a single HS chain (approximately 12 kDa) and a core protein of approximately 150 kDa including oligosaccharides. HS proteoglycan-II has a mass of approximately 170 kDa with 3-4 HS chains (approximately 30 kDa) and a core protein of 70-80 kDa including oligosaccharides. In the medium with low ionized calcium (0.05 mM), HS proteoglycan-I is synthesized at approximately 1.6 times the rate and HS proteoglycan-II at a similar rate as for cells cultured in the medium with high ionized calcium (2.1 mM). The distribution of proteoglycans, examined by the accessibility of the molecules to trypsin, was dramatically influencedmore » by environmental calcium concentration; at low calcium levels 70-80% of the HS proteoglycans are trypsin-accessible while only 20-30% are accessible at high calcium levels. This suggests that the proteoglycans are primarily on the cell surface in low calcium and in trypsin-inaccessible compartments in high calcium conditions.« less
Association of Elevated Levels of Hyaluronidase, a Matrix-degrading Enzyme, with Prostate Cancer Progression

Abstract Components of extracellular matrix and the matrix-degrading enzymes are some of the key regulators of tumor metastasis and angiogenesis. Hyaluronic acid (HA), a matrix glycosaminoglycan, is known to promote tumor cell adhesion and migration, and its small fragments are angiogenic. We have compared levels of hyaluronidase, an enzyme that degrades HA, in normal adult prostate (NAP), benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer (CaP) tissues and in conditioned media from epithelial explant cultures, using a sensitive substrate(HA)-gel assay and an ELISA-like assay. The results show a significant elevation (3–10-fold) of this enzyme in tumor tissues compared to that in NAP and BPH tissues. Furthermore, the hyaluronidase levels in tissues correlate well with the tumor grade. For example, the concentrations in a locally extended CaP lesion (191 ± 7.9 milliunits/mg protein) are the highest, followed by high-grade tumors (36.6 ± 2.9 milliunits/mg protein), and low-grade tumors (9.4 ± 1.4 milliunits/mg protein), respectively. Among the primary epithelial explant cultures, CaP cultures secrete at least 10-fold higher levels of hyaluronidase than those secreted by NAP and BPH cultures. Furthermore, among the established prostate cancer cell lines, DU145, an androgen-unresponsive metastatic line, secretes 4-fold more hyaluronidase than LNCaP, an androgen-responsive and relatively well-differentiated cell line. We also show that prostatic hyaluronidase has an apparent Mr ≈55,000, a pH optimum of 4.6, and is distinct from other well-characterized hyaluronidases.
Reevaluation of Phosphate as a Means of Retarding Lead Transport from Sandy Firing Ranges

Phosphate has become an accepted remediation strategy to immobilize lead on firing ranges. In some cases, however, phosphate treatment has been reported to increase lead concentrations in field water leaching tests. The present study evaluated the influence of phosphate (sodium phosphate, PO4(aq), or particulate hydroxyapatite, HA) and lead (lead nitrate, Pb(aq), or particulate lead oxide, PbO(s)) sources on the physical, chemical, and relative transport properties of their reaction products. Relative transport behavior of the product of each of the four possible combinations was investigated with settling columns assessing potential surface water transport and sand columns assessing potential ground water transport. Pyromorphite (HYP) was the only product formed when PO4(aq) and Pb(aq) were combined. The HYP formed under these conditions was the least mobile form of lead and phosphate examined in this work. Although additional products were formed when PO4(aq) was combined with PbO(s), lead transport was...
The coordination cluster theory for metallic solutions

The coordination cluster theory (CCT) is a statistical mechanical theory for the thermodynamic properties of a dilute solute in a binary or higher order solvent.1–4 Although the CCT has been applied to liquids, it can be modified for solids. The theory permits one to describe the thermodynamic properties of a solute in a binary solvent in terms of the solute properties in the pure solvent components, the properties of the binary mixture and one unknown parameter. In principle, the properties of solutes in multicomponent solvents can be calculated from those in the subsidiary binary solvents. Modern quantum mechanical methods for the calculation of the energetics of metal solutions could be used to place the theory on a firm fundamental basis by testing the approximations in the theory and determining the unknown parameters.
The New Accreditation Standards are Coming to a Law School Near You – What You Need to Know About Learning Outcomes & Assessment

Drawing on the special committee‘s report and input from various interested parties, the Student Learning Outcomes sub-committee of the ABA's Standards Review Committee currently proposes revising the Standards and Interpretations to shift from a teaching-centered regime to a regime focusing on student learning as well as shifting from a curriculum focus to an outcomes focus. The Student Learning Outcomes sub-committee has developed five drafts to date and continues to make revisions, making it difficult to analyze the actual language of any revised standard; however, some guiding principles seem to be surfacing around the outcome measures issue. This Article analyzes these principles and their possible ramifications, both good and bad, on legal writing programs, the legal academy, law students, and the public. The Article then predicts a positive impact on legal education if outcome measures become more prominent in the standards. Exploring the rich literature on learning objectives and assessment, the Article offers law school faculties generally, and legal writing professors specifically, concrete and practical suggestions on how to prepare for the changes outcome measures will require.
ESTIMATES ON THE SPECTRUM OF FRACTALS ARISING FROM AFFINE ITERATIONS

In the first section we review recent results on the harmonic analysis of fractals generated by iterated function systems with emphasis on spectral duality, Classical harmonic analysis is typically based on groups whereas the fractals are most often not groups. We show that nonetheless those fractals that come from iteration of affine mappings in ℝ d have a spectral duality which is instead based on approximation and a certain dual affine system on the Fourier transform side. The present work is based on iteration of frame estimates (which have been studied earlier for regions in ℝ d ). Our emphasis is on new results regarding the interplay between the limit-fractal on the one hand, and on the other the corresponding regions in ℝ d which generate iterated function systems of contractive affine mappings. As an application of our frame results, we obtain a classification of a certain type of spectral pairs.
Ion channel regulation by G proteins

Ion channels are poised uniquely to initiate, mediate, or regulate such distinct cellular activities as action potential propagation, secretion, and gene transcription. In retrospect, it is not surprising that studies of ion channels have revealed considerable diversities in their primary structures, regulation, and expression. From a functional standpoint, the various mechanisms coopted by cells to regulate channel activity are particularly fascinating. Extracellular ligands, membrane potential, phosphorylation, ions themselves, and diffusible second messengers are all well-established regulators of ion channel activity. Heterotrimeric GTP-binding proteins (G proteins) mediate many of these types of ion channel regulation by stimulating or inhibiting phosphorylation pathways, initiating intracellular cascades leading to elevation of cytosolic Ca2+ or adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate levels, or by generating various lipid-derived compounds. In some cases, it seems that activated G protein subunits can interact directly with ion channels to elicit regulation. Although there is currently little direct biochemical evidence to support such a mechanism, it is the working hypothesis for the most-studied G protein-regulated ion channels.
Hot cell based time-of-flight mass spectrometry

A time-of-flight mass spectrometer has been designed and is presently being installed within a radiological controlled hot cell at Argonne National Laboratory-West. Direct solid sampling is performed by laser ablation or glow discharge sputtering followed by supersonic expansion into the TOFMS source chamber. Once the atom/ion beam enters the source chamber, enhanced ionization can be accomplished by laser ionization or electron impact. An assortment of samples may be analyzed ranging from irradiated nuclear fuel elements and cladding materials to eutectic salts, radioactive waste materials and environmental samples.
The QNET method for two-moment analysis of open queueing networks

Consider an open network of single-server stations, each with a first-in-first-out discipline. The network may be populated by various customer types, each with its own routing and service requirements. Routing may be either deterministic or stochastic, and the interarrival and service time distributions may be arbitrary. In this paper a general method for steady-state performance analysis is described and illustrated. This analytical method, called QNET, uses both first and second moment information, and it is motivated by heavy traffic theory. However, our numerical examples show that QNET compares favorably with W. Whitt's Queueing Network Analyzer (QNA) and with other approximation schemes, even under conditions of light or moderate loading. In the QNET method one first replaces the original queueing network by what we call an approximating Brownian system model, and then one computes the stationary distribution of the Brownian model. The second step amounts to solving a certain highly structured partial differential equation problem; a promising general approach to the numerical solution of that PDE problem is described by Harrison and Dai [8] in a companion paper. Thus far the numerical solution technique has been implemented only for two-station networks, and it is clear that the computational burden will grow rapidly as the number of stations increases. Thus we also describe and investigate a cruder approach to two-moment network analysis, called ΠNET, which is based on a product form approximation, or decomposition approximation, to the stationary distribution of the Brownian system model. In very broad terms, ΠNET is comparable to QNA in its level of sophistication, whereas QNET captures more subtle system interactions. In our numerical examples the performance of ΠNET and QNA is similar; the performance of QNET is generally better, sometimes much better.
On the odd-even ATM switch

The authors address some issues with respect to their previously proposed switching architecture the odd-even ATM switch.
Three conserved guanosines approach the reaction site in native and minimal hammerhead ribozymes.

Native hammerhead ribozymes contain RNA domains that enable high catalytic activity under physiological conditions, where minimal hammerheads show little activity. However, little is known about potential differences in native versus minimal ribozyme folding. Here, we present results of photocross-linking analysis of native and minimal hammerheads containing photoreactive nucleobases 6-thioguanosine, 2,6-diaminopurine, 4-thiouridine, and pyrrolocytidine, introduced at specific sites within the catalytic core. Under conditions where catalytic activity is observed, the two substrate nucleobases spanning the cleavage site approach and stack upon G8 and G12 of the native hammerhead, two conserved nucleobases that show similar behavior in minimal constructs, have been implicated in general acid−base catalysis, and are >15 A from the cleavage site in the crystal structures. Pyrrolocytidine at cleavage site position 17 forms an efficient crosslink to G12, and the crosslinked RNA retains catalytic activity. Multi...
Clinical Applications of a Pneumatic Intermittent Impulse Compression Device after Trauma and Major Surgery to the Foot and Ankle

A prospective study was designed to evaluate the effect of a pneumatic intermittent impulse device in the treatment of postsurgical and posttraumatic swelling of the adult foot and ankle. Two groups of patients and their respective controls were studied. Group A consisted of 19 patients and 19 controls with acute swelling of the foot and ankle after major elective or posttraumatic surgery. Group B comprised 18 patients and 16 controls with chronic postsurgical or posttraumatic swelling. The pneumatic intermittent impulse device was used according to a predetermined daily regimen in both the control and experimental groups. The control patients were treated identically, except that their impulse device was modified to prevent effective compression. Reduction in swelling was measured by volumetric analysis with water displacement at selected intervals for each group. When compared with their respective controls, those patients who used an active impulse device had a statistically significant reduction in swelling. We conclude that this device is effective in the control of both acute and chronic swelling after trauma and surgery of the foot and ankle.
Temperature sensitivity of surface channel effects on high-purity germanium detectors

The temperature sensitivity of surface channel effects on planar high-purity germanium detectors was measured using 60-keV gamma-ray scanning techniques, as part of a radiation damage study. When measured in this manner, the surface effects on most detectors showed extreme temperature sensitivity in the 72–95 K region. The effect of the surface channel increased with increasing temperature to such an extent that the efficiency, as measured by the count rate in the 1332-keV peak from a 60Co source, decreased by a factor of over two in some cases. Since the peak efficiency for the 1332-keV gamma ray decreased as the temperature increased throughout the operating range (72–120 K) the effect of the surface channel must continue to increase beyond the temperature (95 K) at which the 60-keV scan loses its sensitivity because of the strong attenuation of these much lower energy gamma rays. Radiation damage had no measurable effect on the surface characteristics. No correlation between the surface effects and the resolution changes of the 1332-keV peak was observed.
Exemptionalism vs environmentalism: the crucial debate on the value of ecosystem health

Abstract The concept of exemptionalism holds that human society is exempt from the biophysical laws that control other species because of human ingenuity, technology, creativity and economic systems. Some economists believe that resource depletion is irrelevant because alternative resources will be developed if there is enough demand backed by money. A related statement is that any problem created by technology can be resolved by technology. Within these frames of reference, ecosystem health is of minor, arguably no, importance to the exemptionalist. The concept of environmentalism views Homo sapiens as just another biological species that is tightly controlled by biophysical laws, but which is able to modify the biophysical laws more than other species. This view acknowledges human society's dependence on ecological life support systems and the services they provide and assumes that the well-being of human society is closely linked with the health of natural systems. Only within the later framework will ...
Divergence Between Dip Direction of Cross-Strata and Enclosing Cross-Strata Set Boundaries: a Characteristic of Alluvial Point-Bar Sands: ABSTRACT

Repeated post-flood mapping and trenching of laterally accreting point bars along steep, meandering streams in southeastern Louisiana reveal a characteristic divergence between the azimuths of dip of scoured set boundaries and the cross-strata which they enclose. The interrelation offers a potential criterion for recognition of ancient point-bar deposits. After floods, long curving sand waves are observed to be normal to the low-stage channel high on the emergent point-bar surfaces, but curve in the direction of flow to near parallelism with the low-stage channel near low water level. Cross-strata sets exposed in trenches on the emergent point bar are bounded by scoured surfaces which slope radially toward the low-stage channel (i.e., they mimic the radial slope of the point-bar surface in the meander bend). The enclosed cross-strata dip generally in a downstream direction or obliquely toward the higher part of the point bar, diverging from the channelward dip direction of the scoured set boundaries by 80°-135°. Sand waves which generated the cross-strata appear to have migrated downstream parallel with contours on the point bar or obliquely up onto the point bar, as revealed in the "frozen" post-flood surface sand-wave patterns. The inferred sand-wave migration pattern and growth of the point bar by lateral accretion into the flood-scoured channel were confirmed by sonic sounding during floods. Sandstones of apparent point-bar-lateral accretion origin form part of complex belt-like bodies of sandstone in the Carboniferous of central Pennsylvania. The alleged point-bar sandstones are composed of unidirectionally dipping sets of cross-strata, crudely sigmoid in shape, which thin both up and down the dip of the scour surfaces bounding the sets. Enclosed cross-strata dip, on the average, in directions perpendicular to the dip of the set boundaries, indicating that flow was along the original strike, rather than down the dip, of the scour surfaces. Lateral accretion of the point bar into the channel appears to have progressed by addition of sand deposited in the lee of sand waves migrating parallel with the point-bar surfaces, as observed on the modern point bars. End_of_Article - Last_Page 530------------