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Several cotton experiments have been conducted at the University of Arizona's Maricopa Agricultural Center from which datasets have been obtained documenting cotton responses to elevated CO2 concentrations, water supply, nitrogen fertilizer, and planting density. In particular, these experiments included FACE (free-air CO2 enrichment; CO2, water; 10 treatment-years), AgIIS (Agricultural Irrigation Imaging System, pronounced Ag Eyes; nitrogen fertilizer, water supply; 4 treatment-years), and FISE (FAO-56 Irrigation Scheduling Experiments; irrigation scheduling method, planting density, nitrogen fertilizer; 24 treatment-years). Besides achieving the experimental objectives of determining cotton's response to the several variables, as well as testing remote sensing techniques, the comprehensive datasets are suitable for validating plant growth models because they include weather, soils, management, growth, yield and other data.

Prostate Cancer is a serious public health concern in the United States. The primary obstacle to effective long-term management for prostate cancer patients is the eventual development of treatment resistance. Due to the uniquely chaotic nature of the neoplastic genome, it is difficult to determine the evolution of tumor composition over the course of treatment. Hence, a drug is often applied continuously past the point of effectiveness, thereby losing any potential treatment combination with that drug permanently to resistance. If a clinician is aware of the timing of resistance to a particular drug, then they may have a crucial opportunity to adjust the treatment to retain the drug usefulness in potential treatment combination or strategy. In this study, we investigate new methods of predicting treatment failure due to treatment resistance using a novel mechanistic model built on an evolutionary interpretation of Droop cell quota theory. We analyze our proposed methods using patient PSA and androgen data from a clinical trial of intermittent treatment with androgen deprivation therapy. Our results produce two indicators of treatment failure. The first indicator is calculated using our mathematical model with a predictive accuracy of 87.3% (sensitivity: 96.1%, specificity: 65%). The second indicator is calculated directly from serum androgen and PSA data with a predictive accuracy of 88.7% (sensitivity: 90.2%, specificity: 85%). The high sensitivity of the first indicator and the high specificity of the second indicator means they can complement one another in clinical settings. Our results demonstrate the potential and feasibility of using evolutionary tumor dynamics models in combination with the appropriate data to aid in the adaptive management of prostate cancer.

Carotid artery aneurysms account for 4% of peripheral aneurysms and may present as a neck mass, with hemispheric ischaemic symptoms, or with symptoms secondary to local compression. This case explores the presentation, investigations and management of a presumed mycotic common carotid artery aneurysm in a 77-year-old male, which was repaired using end-to-end interposition vein graft using long saphenous vein. This report discusses the aetiology, presentation and surgical management for carotid artery aneurysms, as well as focusing on that of the rare mycotic carotid artery aneurysm.

Intermittent androgen suppression is an attractive treatment approach for biochemically recurrent locally advanced prostate cancer to delay evolution of treatment resistance (PMID: 16783817). We developed a mathematical model of prostate cancer stem cell dynamics during therapy as a plausible mechanism of resistance evolution. We simulate division dynamics of cancer stem cells, non-stem cancer cells, and PSA concentration and generate highly accurate model fits to the longitudinal data of 55 patients undergoing 2-4 cycles of intermittent androgen suppression. We analyze model dynamics to identify cancer stem cell proliferation patterns that correlate with patient outcomes, and score model predictive power to accurately forecast evolution of resistance in individual patients. The presented framework may contribute to identifying patients who do and do not develop resistance to intermittent androgen suppression. The obtained predictive power on a retrospective data set warrants prospective evaluation in a clinical setting. Citation Format: Renee Brady, John Nagy, John Nagy, Heiko Enderling. Simulating prostate cancer stem cell dynamics to predict patient-specific sensitivity or resistance to intermittent androgen-deprivation therapy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Prostate Cancer: Advances in Basic, Translational, and Clinical Research; 2017 Dec 2-5; Orlando, Florida. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(16 Suppl):Abstract nr B014.

Purpose The superficial femoral vein (SFV) provides an alternative autologous conduit for fistula formation in patients who might otherwise require a prosthetic graft for hemodialysis (HD) access. The purpose of this study was to assess the results of this technique. Methods Patients who underwent formation of a SFV fistula were identified from a prospectively maintained database. Casenotes were reviewed for details of the operation, complications, subsequent interventions, and to determine whether the fistula was used for vascular access. Results Fifteen patients (seven males, eight females; median age 53, range 28–72 yrs) were identified. Patients had a median of four (range 2–9) previous fistulae. In three patients, the mobilized SFV was transferred to the upper limb while 12 patients had lower limb fistulae. Twelve patients (80%) used their SFV fistula for HD. Eleven patients developed a wound complication (infection, dehiscence, hematoma or bleeding), with four patients returning to theater for formal exploration and three requiring application of a vacuum dressing. Two patients developed post-operative lower limb ischemia. Two patients died during a median follow-up time of 7 (range 1–27) months. Conclusion In selected patients who have exhausted conventional routes for vascular access the SFV fistula can be used for the maintenance of HD. There is, however, significant associated morbidity and repeated intervention is often required.

Trauma to the popliteal artery is a recognized complication of knee arthroplasty (total knee arthroplasty). It can present in a variety of ways, one of which is the development of popliteal artery pseudoaneurysm. We report the successful endovascular management of 2 patients who developed popliteal artery pseudoaneurysms following total knee arthroplasty using covered stent grafts. From presented evidence, endovascular therapy is a safe treatment modality and it appears to be a viable alternative to open surgery.

Two cases of patients with critical ischaemia and aorto-iliac occlusion are described where standard digital subtraction angiography demonstrated groin vessel patency poorly compared with contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (CE-MRA). CE-MRA allowed surgical planning with high confidence and surgical findings correlated with the CE-MRA study and should be the investigation of choice in similar cases.

Calcination of silsesquioxane mixtures of (c-C5H9)(7)Si7O9 (OH)(3), 1, (c-C5H9)(7)Si7O12 Fe(CH3)(2)N(CH2)(2)N(CH3)(2), 2, and (c-C5H9)(7)Si7O9 (OSiMe3)O2CrO2, 3, led to microporous amorphous bimetallic Fe-Cr-Si-O materials with different Fe : Cr ratios. A set of complementary characterisation techniques including N-2 physisorption, XRD, XPS, RS, IR, HRTEM and Mossbauer spectroscopy were used to follow the variation of the textural properties, metal oxide dispersion and speciation with metal content. Fe-Cr-Si-O materials possess high surface areas and uniformly controlled micropores with an average pore size diameter of around 6-7 Angstrom. Metal oxide speciation of calcined silsequioxane mixtures appears to be significantly different from that observed for these metals in the individually calcined metal silsesquioxanes. The iron oxide and monochromates are the predominant species in the calcined precursors 2 and 3 while very small particles (2-4 nm) of bimetallic mixed oxides are the major species in the Fe-Cr-Si-O materials. This suggests that the metal oxide species are highly interdispersed and can come into close contact with each other during the calcination procedure thus favoring the formation of the bimetallic mixed oxide phase. In contrast, a silica reference material containing 7% Fe and 3% Cr prepared via the impregnation method showed only chromate species and large particles (10-30 nm) of iron oxide. This suggests that metallasilsesquioxane mixtures may be used as versatile precursors for the preparation of silica-based catalysts containing very small and well dispersed particles of mixed metal oxides

the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. Results: Twelve cohort studies involving 1512 patients were included. The majority of these were treated endovascularly (1168 patients).DR was associated with improved wound healing (Odds Ratio, OR 0.39, p

When rent control laws have vacancy decontrol–recontrol provisions, new tenants may offset lower future rent by paying higher current rent. Also when tenants compete for scarce apartments, those with longer durations will predominate in rental sectors that are controlled. New York City's rent stabilization has a vacancy decontrol–recontrol provision. As expected, I find that in 1981 tenants new to New York City's rent-stabilized sector paid higher rent than those who occupied comparable apartments in an uncontrolled sector. However, these same stabilized-sector tenants wound up paying less in 1987, provided that they still occupied the apartments. Furthermore, those who chose the stabilized sector had longer durations than those who chose the uncontrolled sector.

This paper shows that between 1978 and 1987 tenants living in New York City′s strict rent controlled sector were less mobile than those living in the city′s moderate rent stabilized sector. However after taking into account differences in tenant characteristics across section, one cannot conclude that typical renters in the controlled sector would move more often if they lived in the other sector. Controlled sector tenants tend to be white and relatively old, which are characteristics associated with immobility. If is like that the 1971 Vacancy Decontrol Act, through attrition, divided tenants into the two sectors by their characteristics.

This paper summarizes the history and early experimental studies of coal and other dust explosions. In the 1600s, the explosibility of methane, hydrogen, and other combustible gases was recognized by the scientific and industrial community, but few scholars considered the possibility of a dust explosion. (Although a dust explosion could have occurred several centuries earlier, for example in a boat transporting grain from Egypt to Greece, the first recdrded dust explosion occurd in an Italian flour mill in 1785.) In Europe, coal milling became an important industry and the dangers from explosions of fire damp (methane) were quickly recognized. However, most miners and many scientists did not accept the explosibility of coal dust. It was noted in 1803 that coal dust in passageways had burned and contributed to the flame and violence of a mine explosion in England. In the 1800s, more evidence that coal dust in the absence of fire damp was explosive was obtained by investigators of mine accidents and experimental studies. The pioneering work during the early 1900s of Taffanel in France and Rice in the United States convinced the mining industry of the danger of coal dust. Full-scale experimental studies of mine explosions began in 1911 in the Bureau of Mines Experimental Mine in Bruceton, PA. Studies on the explosibility of other industrial dusts followed the recognition of the hazard of coal dust. During the late 1800s, investigations were made to evaluate the explosibility of combustible dusts and the causes of serious dust explosions in U.S. flour mills. Formation of the National Fire Protection Association in 1896 gave impetus to the recognition of the explosion hazard of industrial dusts. Laboratory experiments on coal and other dusts continue to be made by the U.S. Bureau of Mines, universities, industry, and other research organizations.

Measurement Fundamentals Measuring Circuits Conductivity Cells Keywords: electrolytic conductivity; electrolytic resistivity

Metabolic levels of 4 male Peromyscus maniculatus, caged from November through July in the semi-natural environment, were measured in a single respirometer also kept outside and exposed to natural meteorological conditions. For tests, conducted in January, April and July, mice were placed in the respirometer and allowed to adjust for 2 days.

This general purpose, balanced triode voltmeter is stabilized by adjusting shunt resistors until the effective values of μ and Ip are the same for both tubes. Built‐in testing equipment is provided. The electrical zero of the galvanometer is unaffected by changes of ±20 percent in power‐supply voltage when the circuit has a d.c. sensitivity of 40,000 mm/volt. The tubes need not be specially selected. The balancing principle may be adapted for use in any circuit requiring matched tubes.

THE recent severe starch dust explosion in a large candy factory and newly planned applications of starches have aroused great interest in their fire and explosion hazards. Published records of the National Fire Protection Association indicate that, between 1901 and 1946, 38 dust explosions occurred in starch and corn-products plants in this country. However, many manufacturers are still unaware of the fact that starch dust can be explosive under certain conditions, and other producers believe that high atmospheric humidity or the normal moisture content of starch would prevent explosions. The ruling of the Food and Drug Administration of the U. S. Department of Agriculture to prohibit the use in the near future of nitrogen trichloride or Agene for bleaching and maturing wheat flour has resulted in a search for other suitable agents. Among the compounds tried are potassium bromate and chlorine dioxide. One proposed procedure involves mixing minute quantities of the bromate powder into the ...