cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Codistribution of Collagen Type IV and Laminin in Liver Fibrosis of Elderly Cadavers: Immunohistochemical Marker of Perisinusoidal Basement Membrane Formation

Liver sinusoids are lined by a fenestrated endothelium that lacks a basement membrane. Formation of perisinusoidal basement membranes beneath the endothelium is an integral feature of capillarization of sinusoids that is a significant pathology found in advanced fibrosis. Liver fibrosis is prevalent in elderly cadavers; however, basement membrane formation in these liver samples has yet to be studied. Collagen type IV and laminin are major basement membrane proteins and their codistribution around sinusoids provides an immunohistochemical marker of basement membrane formation. Here, we examined the intralobular sites of perisinusoidal basement membrane formation in elderly cadaveric livers having various stages of fibrosis. Collagen IV and laminin codistributed in basement membranes of portal and septal ductular and vascular structures, providing a positive control. In the parenchyma, collagen IV immunostaining of sinusoids was panlobular in all stages of fibrosis, and the stain was continuous along the sinusoids. In contrast, laminin was not detected in livers, showing minimal fibrotic change. It was rarely seen in perisinusoidal/pericellular fibrosis, but frequently in septa formation, bridging fibrosis, and cirrhosis. The laminin stain was patchy, occurring principally in sinusoids of periportal and periseptal areas, less commonly in mid-lobular and rarely in centrilobular areas. Consecutive sections revealed that laminin codistributed with collagen IV in these sinusoidal locations, thus marking the sites of perisinusoidal basement membrane formation in aged fibrotic livers. This development is presumably related to aging of the liver and exacerbated by liver injury caused by advanced liver fibrosis, possibly resulting in sinusoidal capillarization.
Signal Processing and Control in Nonlinear Nanomechanical Systems

Bestriding the realms of classical and quantum mechanics, nanomechanical structures offer great promise for a huge variety of applications, from computer memory elements \cite{badzey04} and ultra-fast sensors to quantum computing. Intriguing as these possibilities are, there still remain many important hurdles to overcome before nanomechanical structures approach anything close to their full potential. With their high surface-to-volume ratios and sub-micron dimensions, nanomechanical structures are strongly affected by processing irregularities and susceptible to nonlinear effects. There are several ways of dealing with nonlinearity: exceptional fabrication process control in order to minimize the onset of nonlinear effects or taking advantage of the interesting and oftentimes counterintuitive consequences of nonlinearity. Here, we present evidence for the use of stochastic resonance as a means of coherent signal amplification for use in nanomechanical devices. Aside from being simply one more system in which the phenomenon has been demonstrated, nanoscale systems \cite{lee03} are interesting because of their proximity to the realm of quantum mechanics. The combination of stochastic resonance and quantum mechanics has been the subject of intense theoretical activities \cite{wellens00, goychuk99, grif96, lof94} for many years; nanomechanical systems present a fertile ground for the study of a broad variety of novel phenomena in quantum stochastic resonance. Additionally, the physical realization of such nonlinear nanomechanical strings offer the possibility of studying a whole class of phase transition phenomena, particularly those modeled by a Landau-Ginzburg quantum string \cite{benzi85, hu99}.
K-Pg extinction: Reevaluation of the heat-fire hypothesis

[1] The global debris layer created by the end-Cretaceous impact at Chicxulub contained enough soot to indicate that the entire terrestrial biosphere had burned. Preliminary modeling showed that the reentry of ejecta would have caused a global infrared (IR) pulse sufficient to ignite global fires within a few hours of the Chicxulub impact. This heat pulse and subsequent fires explain the terrestrial survival patterns in the earliest Paleocene, because all the surviving species were plausibly able to take shelter from heat and fire underground or in water. However, new models of the global IR heat pulse as well as the absence of charcoal and the presence of noncharred organic matter have been said to be inconsistent with the idea of global fires that could have caused the extinctions. It was suggested that the soot in the debris layer originated from the impact site itself because the morphology of the soot, the chain length of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and the presence of carbon cenospheres were said to be inconsistent with burning the terrestrial biosphere. These assertions either are incorrect or have alternate explanations that are consistent with global firestorms. We show that the apparent charcoal depletion in the Cretaceous-Paleogene layer has been misinterpreted due to the failure to correct properly for sediment deposition rates. We also show that the mass of soot potentially released from the impact site is far too low to supply the observed soot. However, global firestorms are consistent with both data and physical modeling.
Personalization of Mail Surveys for General Public and Populations with a Group Identity : Results from Nine Studies

Abstract The effect of personalization on mail survey response rates was examined in nine studies that included 17 comparisons under several research conditions. A study of this variable across multiple experiments in five agricultural experiment stations was undertaken because of conflicting results from previous research and from concern that the effectiveness of personalization might have decreased over time. Results show that, while response to general public surveys appeared to increase modestly across all treatment groups, there was no positive effect for populations in which a group identity (e.g., Dear Oregon Gardner or Dear ATV Owner) is employed to address respondents in cover letters. Personalization appears to remain useful for improving response in surveys of the general public.
Effects of Secretin on Fat Mobilizing Lipolysis and Cyclic AMP Levels in Rat Adipose Tissue

Secretin, 0.0025 μg/ml, stimulated fat mobilizing lipolysis in rat adipose tissue in vitro, while cholecystokinin was without effect. Various fragments of the secretin peptide (amino acids 1–14, 15–27, 1–23 and 1–6) were inactive in roughly equirnol amounts. Secretin raised the concentration of cyclic AMP in isolated fat cells with a half maximal concentration of 2 × 10-8M. Secretin also increased the formation of cyclic AMP from ATP in homogenates of isolated fat cells. Nicotinic acid and PGE1 inhibited the effects of secretin in rat fat with regard to lipolytic rate and accuniulation of cyclic AMP.
Plantar fascia thickness and first metatarsal mobility in patients with diabetes and neuropathy

Individuals with Diabetes Mellitus and Neuropathy (DN) are at increased risk for ulcer development at sites exposed to repetitive, high plantar loading. Limited joint mobility may contribute to increased forefoot loading by limiting foot flexibility and restraining the forward progression of body weight during the stance phase of gait. However data substantiating the causes and consequences of limited mobility in forefoot loading is limited. The purpose of this study was to compare plantar fascia thickness, passive and active 1st metatarsal (Met) mobility and loading in patients with and without DN.
A model of dynamic equilibrium asset pricing with heterogeneous beliefs and extraneous risk

Abstract We study equilibrium security price dynamics in an economy where nonfundamental risk arises from agents’ heterogeneous beliefs about extraneous processes. We completely characterize equilibrium in terms of the economic primitives, via a representative agent with stochastic weights. Besides pricing fundamental risk, an agent now also prices nonfundamental risk with a market price which is a risk-tolerance weighted average of his extraneous disagreement with all remaining agents. Consequently, agents’ perceived state prices and consumption are more volatile in the presence of extraneous risk. The interest rate inherits additional terms from: agents’ misperceptions about consumption growth, and precautionary savings motives against the nonfundamental uncertainty.
Characterization and post-natal development of rat cerebellum tyrosylprotein sulfotransferase

Caracterisation et developpement post-natal des tyrosylsulfotransferases chez le rat. On montre que l'activite de ces enzymes varie au cours du developpement et qu'il existe des differences significatives entre le sulfatation d'un polymere synthetique acide (Glu-Ala-Tyr) dans le foie et le cerveau
Ortho and para O-H 2 complexes in silicon

Interstitial ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$ becomes bound to interstitial O in silicon, forming an ${\mathrm{O}\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{H}}_{2}$ complex. Infrared absorption experiments performed for the O-HD complex in Si reveal HD vibrational lines that appear at elevated temperature $(Tg10\mathrm{K}).$ These lines and their properties lead to the conclusion that the ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$ molecule in the ${\mathrm{O}\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{H}}_{2}$ complex is a nearly free rotor. Two near-lying lines seen for the oxygen mode of the ${\mathrm{O}\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{H}}_{2}$ complex are attributed to the ortho and para ${\mathrm{O}\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{H}}_{2}$ complexes. The ortho and para states of the ${\mathrm{O}\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{H}}_{2}$ complex also give rise to ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$ vibrational lines with distinct properties. These results may be understood in terms of a hindered-rotor model for the hydrogen molecule.
Enhanced interferon production from chick embryo cells aged in in vitro.

Abstract The plaque-forming efficiency of Sindbis virus decreased as much as 1000-fold, and plaque size was diminished markedly, when tested on chick embryo cell monolayers aged in vitro. The plaquing efficiency and plaque size of Newcastle disease virus was unaffected. The reaction(s) associated with aging in vitro which lead to lowered plaquing efficiency are slowed considerably when cell monolayers are: (1) established in Simpson-Hirst medium rather than standard growth medium; (2) held at 31°; (3) given a regimen of daily medium changes; or (4) trypsinized and used as young secondary cultures. A loss in the average yield of virus per cell accompanies the loss in plaquing efficiency of Sindbis virus on aged monolayers. Adding actinomycin D to the aged cells at the time of infection eliminated completely the inhibition of Sindbis virus replication. Cells aged for 7 days in vitro were found to produce up to 32 times more interferon than cells 1–2 days old and were more sensitive to the action of interferon. The decrease in efficiency of Sindbis virus plaquing and yield in aged cells is accounted for by their development of an enhanced capacity to synthesize interferon upon appropriate stimulation. The process of contact inhibition and its concomitant regulation of macromolecular synthesis seems implicated in the aging phenomenon in that it may produce a generalized state of “enhanced derepressibility” in the cell.
Cross-Sectional Assessment of Diet Quality in Individuals with a Lifetime History of Attempted Suicide

Increased evidence indicates an association between psychiatric disorders and dietary pattern. The objective of this study is to describe the differences in food consumption between suicide attempters and non-attempters. We analyzed the dietary information retrospectively collected from 6803 adults, aged 17 to 39 years, who also completed a mental disorder diagnostic interview as a part of the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988-1994. The Healthy Eating Index score was used to measure the degree of compliance with the national diet guidelines. In men, attempters (n=92) had a high odds of low consumption of vegetables (OR=2.47, 95%CI=1.19, 5.15). In women, attempters (n=275) had a high odds of insufficient fruit consumption (OR=2.36, 95%CI=1.15, 4.85). For both men and women, the component scores for meat were lower in non-attempters compared with attempters. On a scale of zero (no serving) to 10 (meeting the serving recommendations), the scores were 6.74 (SE: 0.39) and 7.76 (0.10), respectively, for attempters and non-attempters among men, and 5.81 (0.33) and 6.43 (0.07), respectively, for attempters and non-attempters among women. It was further observed that female attempters ate significantly less fish and seafood. These results were obtained after adjustment for various factors, including the history of medical and psychiatric illnesses. The data suggest that fruits, vegetables and meat were significantly under-consumed in adults who had ever attempted suicide. The deleterious contribution of insufficient consumption of these foods to physical and psychiatric status in attempters merits investigation. In clinical practice, psychiatrists should pay more attention to what patients eat.
A Multicenter Study of Key Stakeholders’ Perspectives on Communicating with Surrogates about Prognosis in Intensive Care Units

Rationale: Surrogates of critically ill patients often have inaccurate expectations about prognosis. Yet there is little research on how intensive care unit (ICU) clinicians should discuss prognosis, and existing expert opinion–based recommendations give only general guidance that has not been validated with surrogate decision makers.Objective: To determine the perspectives of key stakeholders regarding how prognostic information should be conveyed in critical illness.Methods: This was a multicenter study at three academic medical centers in California, Pennsylvania, and Washington. One hundred eighteen key stakeholders completed in-depth semistructured interviews. Participants included 47 surrogates of adult patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome; 45 clinicians working in study ICUs, including physicians, nurses, social workers, and spiritual care providers; and 26 experts in health communication, decision science, ethics, family-centered care, geriatrics, healthcare disparities, palliative ca...
San Andreas fault geometry through the San Gorgonio Pass, California

Three-dimensional numerical models are needed to investigate the role of nonvertical strike-slip fault segments on the deformation within restraining bends. Numerical models simulate geologic deformation of two alternative three-dimensional present-day configurations for the San Andreas fault through the restraining bend within the San Gorgonio Pass region (SGPR) in Southern California. Both models produce decreasing strike-slip rates southward along the San Bernardino strand of the San Andreas fault, similar to geologic data. The north-dipping San Andreas fault model better matches the available strike-slip data as well as the geologic uplift data for the southern San Bernardino Mountains than the vertical San Andreas fault model. We conclude that a north-dipping fault configuration is preferred for models of the San Andreas fault in the SGPR. The complexity of the active fault geometry at the SGPR promotes the transfer of strike slip from the San Andreas fault to the nearby but unconnected San Jacinto fault. Slip rates and uplift patterns are sensitive to fault geometry within strike-slip restraining bends.
Abstract 4905: Targeting NPM1 for the radiosensitization of NSCLC

Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA Lung cancer is a global scourge. In 2008 alone there were more than 1.25 million deaths from this disease worldwide. Eighty five percent of lung cancers are classified as non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and for those NSCLC patients who present with locally advanced stage IIIA/B disease the standard of care is chemo/radiation therapy. Yet even with this approach the median duration of survival is only 17 months. Thus, there is an urgent need for the development of new strategies that improve therapeutic outcomes. We addressed this challenge by employing a forward chemical genetics screen designed to identify compounds that could be used to exploit DNA repair pathways in tumor cells burdened with oncogenesis-mediated replication stress. Using this approach we identified YTR107, a substituted 5-((N-benzyl-1H-indol-3-yl)methylene)pyrimidine-2,4,6(1H,3H,5H) trione, that amplifies replication stress and inhibits repair of DNA DSBs. Using biochemical approaches we identified NPM1 as a potential target and found that YTR107 impairs NPM1 oligomerization, a requirement for NPM1's biochemical activity. However, direct genetic evidence demonstrating that the specific targeting of NPM1 is a radiosensitizing event remains to be established. Therefore we employed a defined genetic model consisting of NPM1 null and wild type mouse embryo fibroblasts (MEFs). We found that proliferating NPM1-null mouse embryo fibroblasts (MEFs), but not wild type MEFs, are burdened with high levels of γH2AX foci, a characteristic of replication stress. NPM1-null MEFs exhibit a defect in Rad51-mediated repair of DNA DSBs that increases radiation sensitivity. Use of this model allowed us to demonstrate that YTR107-mediated radiosensitization requires NPM1. Because the DNA damage response pathway is continuously activated in NSCLC in response to constant replication stress, and with the knowledge that NPM1 expression minimizes such stress, we hypothesized that NSCLC tumors might require significant expression of NPM1. This hypothesis was validated by analyzing a NSCLC tumor microarray. We then showed that YTR107-mediated targeting of NPM1 is a radiosensitizing event in 6 NSCLC cell lines and in a syngeneic tumor model. We also found that YTR107 is well tolerated in mice, does not produce overt toxicity, and does not potentiate radiation-mediated pulmonary fibrosis. These data suggest that NPM1 represents a potential molecular target for radiosensitization of NSCLC. Citation Format: Konjeti R. Sekhar, Mouadh Benamar, Amudhan Venkateswaran, Narsimha R. Penthala, Peter A. Crooks, Stephen R. Hann, Ling Geng, Ramesh Balusu, Tarek Abbas, Michael L. Freeman. Targeting NPM1 for the radiosensitization of NSCLC. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 4905. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-4905
Nuclease Sensitivity of Permeabilized Cells Confirms Altered Chromatin Formation at the Fragile X Locus

Fragile X syndrome is caused by the expansion and concomitant methylation of a CGG repeat in the 5′ untranslated region of the FMR1 gene which results in the transcriptional silencing of the FMR1 gene, delayed replication of the FMR1 locus, and the formation of a folate sensitive fragile site (FRAXA) at Xq27.3. The mechanism by which repeat expansion and methylation causes these changes is unknown. An in vivo system in which cells were permeabilized with lysophosphatidylcholine followed by digestion with MspI endonuclease was utilized to assess the chromatin conformation at the fragile X locus. The FMR1 gene was inaccessible to Mspl digestion in fragile X patients, but not in normal or carrier individuals, confirming that altered chromatin conformation results from the repeat expansion and methylation seen in fragile X syndrome.
Prophylactic antibiotic use: hardwiring of physician behavior, not education, leads to compliance.

Background Surgical wound infections can be significantly reduced by appropriate administration of prophylactic antibiotics (ProAbx). The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of interventions, specifically, forced functions, designed to improve administration of ProAbx in a university hospital setting. Study Design We retrospectively reviewed charts from 1,622 consecutive patients, seen between March 2005 and June 2007, for evaluation of ProAbx administration to determine correct choice, appropriate timing of administration, and appropriate postoperative cessation of antibiotics. Processes designed to improve compliance were devising orders to limit ProAbx choice; requiring those orders in preadmission testing; administering ProAbx in the preparation and hold area, subsequently, at the time of the universal timeout; and standardizing postoperative orders in the computerized physician order entry. Results Specialty-specific standardized orders improved compliance from 76% to 91% (p Conclusions Despite hospital-wide education, improving compliance with evidence-based recommendations for ProAbx required processes that "forced" physician behavior, specifically: specialty-specific, preprinted physician orders limiting ProAbx choice; linking administration of preoperative ProAbx administration to the universal timeout; and standardization of the postoperative ProAbx order in the computerized physician order entry.
LDV measurements on a rectangular wing with a simulated glaze ice accretion

LDV measurement results are presented for the upper surface of a rectangular semispan wing with and without simulated glaze ice accretion. Inspection of the model centerline flow field indicates that a large region of reverse flow exists aft of the ice horn on the iced model. At alpha = 0 deg, this region extends to 7 percent chord, while at alpha = 4 deg the bubble grows to more than 12 percent chord. At alpha = 8 deg, the time-averaged separation bubble is measured well beyond 50 percent chord. Experimental and computational flow visualization support these findings. The flow in the vicinity of the ice shape contains many of the features of flow over a backward-facing step.
Dray--'t Hooft geometries and the death of white holes

Astrophysical white holes may be modeled as special cases of the Dray--'t Hooft geometries. With this observation one may better understand the physics underlying the death of these white holes.
Electoral Consequences of Neighborhood Improvement Projects

The urban politics literature, excepting referenda studies, has ignored local electoral behavior as an indicator of citizen response to local policy decisions. The article examines the possibility that neighborhood improvement projects may result in negative voter feedback if such projects are causing disruption at the time of an election. Public construc tion and voting data were collected for a mayoralty election in a major midwestern city and aggregated at the precinct level. Analysis of the data suggests that local officials must be conscious of the potential costs, as well as benefits, of public works projects if they expect to reap electoral rewards for their efforts.
Defect Centers Formed During Wet Oxidation of Si-Ge/Si Heterostructures

Germanium incorporated oxide films formed by wet oxidation of SiGe substrates have been studied using Electron Paramagnetic Resonance. SiGe layers 400 nm thick were prepared by molecular beam epitaxy and oxidized in a steam ambient at 900° C. After a 10 Mrad x-ray irradiation, an oxide defect with a zero crossing at g=1.995 is observed. Comparison of the spectrum with that obtained from Ge-doped silica suggests that the defect observed in the thin film is an oxygen vacancy related defect, a Ge E' center.
An interference alignment based precoder design using channel statistics for OFDM systems with insufficient cyclic prefix

This paper proposes an interference alignment (IA) based precoder design for OFDM with insufficient cyclic prefix (CP) when only the statistics of channel coefficients is known at the transmitter. This precoding not only performs the inter-block interference (IBI) separation and elimination as in our previously proposed channel independent IA based precoding schemes, but also minimizes the MSE in a linear MMSE receiver and therefore improves the BER performance.
Pirfenidone mitigates left ventricular fibrosis and dysfunction after myocardial infarction and reduces arrhythmias

Background Post–myocardial infarction (MI) complications include ventricular tachycardia (VT). Excessive non-MI fibrosis, involving the infarct border zone (IBZ) and beyond, is an important substrate for VT vulnerability. Objective This study assessed whether the antifibrotic agent pirfenidone can mitigate fibrosis in remodeling and determined its effects on myocardial function and VT susceptibility in a rodent MI model. Methods We studied 2 groups of rats undergoing MI 1 week prior to treatment: a control group (n = 15) treated with placebo and a pirfenidone group (n = 15). We performed serial echocardiograms, and after 4 weeks of treatment, we conducted electrophysiological and optical mapping studies as well as histology. Results There was less decline in left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction for pirfenidone-treated rats, 8.6% versus 24.3% in controls ( P P P P P P Conclusion Pirfenidone decreased total and nonscar fibrosis in a rat MI model, which correlated with decreased infarct scar, improved LV function, and decreased VT susceptibility. Directly targeting post-MI fibrotic substrates may have a role in limiting infarct-dense scar, improving LV function, and reducing VT vulnerability.
Porous media approaches to studying simultaneous heat and mass transfer in food processes. I: Problem formulations

Heat and mass transfer formulations appearing in the food processing literature are synthesized in a systematic and comprehensive way, under the umbrella of transport in porous media. The entire range of formulations starting from the most fundamental to the semi-empirical are covered. Relationships of different formulations to each other and to the fundamental conservation laws are shown. The important transport mechanism in foods governed by the Darcy's law is emphasized. Food processing examples of various formulations are provided.
Statistical Properties of Superpenumbral Whorls around Sunspots

We study properties of 897 superpenumbral fibrils using Hα Big Bear Solar Observatory (BBSO) and photospheric magnetic field National Solar Observatory/Kitt Peak (NSO/KP) data of 139 sunspots between 2000 July and 2001 April. From this low-resolution data, we find that about one-third of all superpenumbral fibrils begin inside the penumbra. The typical length of fibrils is 2.7 times the sunspot white-light penumbral radius. A majority of the fibrils are curved, i.e., 67% of them exhibit bow-extent/footpoint separation greater than 0.1. Both clockwise and counterclockwise fibrils are typically present within the same superpenumbra. We show that the topology of fibrils is clearly affected by distribution of magnetic fields around the sunspot.
Voltage-controlled surface magnetization of itinerant ferromagnet Ni 1-x Cu x

We argue that surface magnetization of a metallic ferromagnet can be turned on and off isothermally by an applied voltage. For this, the material's electron subsystem must be close enough to the boundary between paramagnetic and ferromagnetic regions on the electron density scale. For the $3d$ series, the boundary is between Ni and Cu, which makes their alloy a primary candidate. Using Ginzburg-Landau functional, which we build from ${\text{Ni}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\text{Cu}}_{x}$ empirical properties, ab-initio parameters of Ni and Cu, and orbital-free LSDA, we show that the proposed effect is experimentally observable.
Feasibility of an Ovarian Cancer Quality-of-Life Psychoeducational Intervention

Background. Diagnosis of ovarian cancer often portends a poor prognosis with significant quality-of-life (QOL) concerns. Method. We report on a pilot study that tested the feasibility of a structured, ovarian cancer psychoeducational intervention (OCPI). Patients (N=33) were randomly assigned to either the control or OCPI study arms in which those in the intervention arm received 4 sequential, structured, in-person educational sessions. Data were collected at the time of accrual and at 1 and 3 months postaccrual. Results. This study demonstrated the feasibility of a structured psychoeducational program in an outpatient clinical setting. Conclusion. Study findings underscore the importance of developing interventions that address the 4 QOL domains impacted by ovarian cancer and support initiating a comprehensive psychoeducational intervention earlier in the course of illness.
Geomagnetic survey of the volcanic areas of Guatemala

In many ways the volcanos dominate Guatemala. They dominate her geography and economy, her people, her plants, and her animals. Even the Earth's magnetism in that country submits to their influence, as may be seen from an isogonic chart (see Fig. 1) based upon the extensive work of the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism of the Carnegie Institution of Washington in that country. Because of the volcanos, or because of the cause of the volcanos, wide-spread anomalies of the Earth's field exist—the isogonic lines which would normally traverse Central America without much deviation swing in great bights to the west as they cross the volcanic rift. Similarly, the other elements of terrestrial magnetism are affected by this conspicuous geological feature.
Reproducibility of registration-based measures of lung tissue expansion

Purpose: Lung function depends on lung expansion and contraction during the respiratory cycle. Respiratory-gated CT imaging and 3D image registration can be used to locally estimate lung tissue expansion and contraction (regional lung volume change) by computing the determinant of the Jacobian matrix of the image registration deformation field. In this study, the authors examine the reproducibility of Jacobian-based measures of lung tissue expansion in two repeat 4DCT acquisitions of mechanically ventilated sheep and free-breathing humans. Methods: 4DCT image data from three white sheep and nine human subjects were used for this analysis. In each case, two 4DCT studies were acquired for each subject within a short time interval. The animal subjects were anesthetized and mechanically ventilated, while the humans were awake and spontaneously breathing based on respiratory pacing audio cues. From each 4DCT data set, an image pair consisting of a volume reconstructed near end inspiration and a volume reconstructed near end exhalation was selected. The end inspiration and end exhalation images were registered using a tissue volume preserving deformable registration algorithm and the Jacobian of the registration deformation field was used to measure regional lung expansion. The Jacobian map from the baseline data set was compared to the Jacobian map from the followup data by measuring the voxel-by-voxel Jacobian ratio. Results: In the animal subjects, the mean Jacobian ratio (baseline scan Jacobian divided by followup scan Jacobian, voxel-by-voxel) was 0.9984±0.021 (mean ± standard deviation, averaged over the entire lung region). The mean Jacobian ratio was 1.0224±0.058 in the human subjects. The reproducibility of the Jacobian values was found to be strongly dependent on the reproducibility of the subject’s respiratory effort and breathing pattern. Conclusions: Lung expansion, a surrogate for lung function, can be assessed using two or more respiratory-gated CT image acquisitions. The results show that good reproducibility can be obtained in anesthetized, mechanically ventilated animals, but variations in respiratory effort and breathing patterns reduce reproducibility in spontaneously-breathing humans. The global linear normalization can globally compensate for breathing effort differences, but a homogeneous scaling does not account for differences in regional lung expansion rates. Additional work is needed to develop compensation procedures or normalization schemes that can account for local variations in lung expansion during respiration.
Inadvertent Abducens Nerve Block during Therapeutic Trigeminal Nerve Block

A case is presented where reversible abducens nerve block accompanied second and third division trigeminal block with bupivacaine on two occasions. Intra-orbital injection through the inferior orbital fissure most likely took place. Careful positioning of the needle and limitation of the drug volume is mandatory for therapeutic trigeminal nerve blocks with neurolytic solutions.
From the Ashes of the Poet Kings: Exodus, Identity Formation, and the New Politics of Place in Mexico City's Industrial Suburbs, 1948–1975

This essay explores working-class political culture in Mexico City's burgeoning industrial suburbs and traces the emergence after 1968 of vigorous protest movements demanding union democratization and improved urban services. The first postwar generations of factory workers took on cosmopolitan identities and considered the suburbs an escape from the problems of the countryside and inner city. By the 1970s, however, unresponsive and corrupt union and municipal officials had made many workers feel like second-class citizens. Protest movements, while highly disparate, all sought more meaningful political participation and advocated ideas of equal opportunity and access, thus indicating that suburban laborers had begun to question a state that previous generations had viewed as sympathetic to the working class.
Funding Grants for Rare Diseases at the Food and Drug Administration

With the availability of various funding sources for studying therapies in rare diseases, choosing the right funding source is often challenging. Assessing the unique aspects of each individual funding source may benefit the applicant as the correct funding source will help ensure that their study receives an appropriate level of support. One such funding source for rare diseases is offered through the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This paper will discuss the mission, specific program details and achievements of the FDA's Orphan Products Grants Program in an effort to help future grant applicants determine if the program is suited to their needs.
Design issues in interaction modeling for free improvisation

In previous publications (see for example [2] and [3]), we described an interactive music system, designed to improvise with saxophonist John Butcher; our system analyzes timbral and gestural features in real-time, and uses this information to guide response generation. This paper overviews our recent work with the system's interaction management component (IMC). We explore several options for characterizing improvisation at a higher level, and managing decisions for interactive performance in a rich timbral environment. We developed a simple, efficient framework using a small number of features suggested by recent work in mood modeling in music. We describe and evaluate the first version of the IMC, which was used in performance at the Live Algorithms for Music (LAM) conference in December 2006. We touch on developments on the system since LAM, and discuss future plans to address perceived shortcomings in responsiveness, and the ability of the system to make long-term adaptations.
Increased 17β-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Activity in a Masculinizing Adrenal Adenoma in a Patient with Isolated Testosterone Overproduction

The patient studied had noted the onset of virilization shortly after menopause. Urinary 17-ketosteroid levels were normal, as were fractionated 17-ketosteroid levels by gas liquid chromatography, but for 3 yr, serum testosterone levels had been greater than 490 ng/dl. The ovaries were found to be normal by laparoscopy. Abdominal exploration revealed a 1-cm adenoma in the right adrenal. A part of the adenoma excised from our patient was homogenized and incubated with 5 µCi ;14C=androstenedione. Five percent of the 14C was converted by the tumor homogenate to a metabolite with the same mobility as testosterone on LH-20 chromatography. After thin layer chromatography, the radiolabeled material together with 3H-labeled authentic testosterone were crystallized to a constant specific activity. The net rate of testosterone synthesis by the tumor was 26 pmol⁄mg wet tissue wt.h us. 0.56 pmol/mg-h by a control adrenal homogenate. Thus, the tumor demonstrated a 50-fold increase in 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase a...
Some highlights of the planetary sciences sessions at the spring Meeting: A Collection of reports: Venus

The Venus session was devoted exclusively to observations during the 1962 conjunction, including the Mariner radiometer results. F. T. Barath, A. H. Barrett, J. Copeland, D. E. Jones, and A. E. Lilley presented the results of the Mariner microwave measurements. Only the 19-mm data have been analyzed but they show definite and significant limb darkening, thus demonstrating that the source of the intense radio emission is the surface of Venus. After eliminating the limb darkening and dividing the resulting brightness temperature by an assumed surface emissivity, a fairly uniform actual surface temperature of about 700°K was obtained. T. Gold commented during the discussion that part of the limb darkening could be due to anisotropy in the surface emissivity. The authors agreed, and L. D. Kaplan pointed out that this would not invalidate the conclusion that a hot surface was the primary source of the cm emission.
Skeletal and extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma: A comparative clinicopathologic, ultrastructural, and molecular study

BACKGROUND Skeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma (SMC) is considered to be either a typical chondrosarcoma with prominent myxoid alterations or an altogether unique malignant cartilage tumor. Extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma (EMC) is a relatively rare but well-recognized neoplasm. It was initially thought to be a low grade sarcoma of cartilage derivation and was recently found, in most cases, to contain a reciprocal t(9;22), resulting in a fusion of the EWS and CHN genes. Are SMC and EMC the same entity arising in two different locations, or are they two separate entities? To the authors' knowledge, this study represents the first systematic attempt to answer this question. METHODS Forty consecutive cases of EMC (20 cases) and SMC (20 cases) were compared by light and electron microscopy, immunohistochemistry, and molecular analysis. The mean clinical follow-up for both groups was 55 months. Histologic criteria for SMC consisted of 95% myxoid matrix, with only minimal hyaline cartilage formation. RESULTS The gender distribution was identical in both groups (13 males and 7 females). The mean age was 55 years for EMC patients and 45 years for SMC patients. The EMC tumors were predominantly located in the deep soft tissues of the lower extremity (60%) and buttock (20%), and the mean tumor size was 13 cm. SMC was most commonly located in the bones around the hip joint (pelvis 35%; proximal femur 20%) and shoulder (20%); the mean size was 9 cm. Histologic grade in the EMC group correlated with survival (82% of the high grade tumors metastasized). Electron microscopy performed in 8 EMC cases revealed intracisternal microtubules in 3 cases and prominent mitochondria in 5, whereas in 5 SMC cases it revealed only inconspicuous organelles. Molecular analysis for the EWS-CHN fusion RNA resulting from the t(9;22) was performed in 15 cases (9 EMC and 6 SMC) and was detected in 7 of 9 EMC cases and 0 of 6 SMC cases. In one case, the molecular structure of the EWS-CHN fusion RNA was novel. The probability of metastasis was significantly higher (P = 0.004) for the EMC group than for the SMC group. CONCLUSIONS Although similar light microscopic features are noted in EMC and SMC, fundamental differences are noted at the ultrastructural and molecular levels, suggesting that EMC and SMC represent two distinct entities in the chondrosarcoma family of tumors. Cancer 1998;83:1504-1521. © 1998 American Cancer Society.
Bedside capillary glucose measurement by staff nurses in a general hospital

The accuracy of capillary blood glucose monitoring has been well demonstrated when applied by patients in the outpatient setting or by specially trained nurses on inpatient diabetes units. In order to determine the applicability of this technique in the more general hospital setting, a program was initiated for instructing general staff nurses in the use of Chemstrips bG strips and the Accu-Chek bG meter. As a pilot study, nurses on four general medical and surgical hospital floors performed capillary glucose determinations within 15 minutes of the drawing of venous blood samples for determination of plasma glucose in the hospital's Chemistry Laboratory. Two hundred ten paired measurements were made by 31 nurses. Linear regression analysis yielded a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.96 between bedside and laboratory glucose measurements. The mean percent deviation between the two values was 7.9 percent. Acceptance by both nurses and patients was high. Properly supervised capillary glucose monitoring can provide a valuable adjunct to the care of hospitalized patients with diabetes.
Analysis of Transient Heat Transfer in a Microchannel Heat Exchanger During Magnetic Heating of the Substrate Material

The paper presents a systematic analysis of heat transfer processes during the heat up and cool down phases of a magnetic material when subjected to a magnetic field. As a first step towards the development of a MEMS magnetocaloric refrigerator for hydrogen liquefaction, a computer simulation of fluid flow and transient heat transfer in microchannels was carried out. The study considered microchannels with rectangular and square cross sections with heat generation in the substrate due to imposed magnetic field. The results computed were for gadolinium substrate and water as the working fluid. In order to achieve the liquefaction of a cryogen such as hydrogen, heat need to be removed from the working fluid by taking the advantage of the demagnetization of the material when the magnetic field is removed. The purpose of this study is to explore the transient heat transfer coefficient when the fluid is circulated through the substrate via microchannels. The application of the magnetic field was simulated by using the concept of volumetric heat source distributed uniformly over the entire solid material. Because of the relatively small size of the MEMS device, the magnetic field strength is expected to be uniform throughout the material. The strength of the source was calculated from energy balance during magnetization of the material. From the simulation results, plots of Nusselt number and heat transfer coefficient over the length of the channel as well as locally at different sections were obtained. A thorough investigation for velocity and temperature distributions were performed by varying channel aspect ratio, Reynolds number, and heat generation rate in the channel.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Rural Local Government Finance in Kenya: The Case of Murang'a County Council

The Murang'a County Council is recognized in Kenya as one of the country's most effective rural local authorities. Compared to other county councils, Murang'a raises substantial revenues and provides a wide variety of services. This case study presents some background on the local economy of Murang'a District, details available information about the county council's excellent fiscal performance, and highlights some of the major factors behind the effectiveness of Murang'a in resource mobilization and service delivery.
Measurement of true absorption, endogenous fecal excretion, urinary excretion, and retention of calcium in term infants by using a dual-tracer, stable-isotope method.

A dual-tracer, stable-isotope method was used to measure the percentage of true calcium absorption ( α ), true calcium absorption rate (V a ), endogenous fecal calcium excretion rate (V f ), urinary calcium excretion rate (V u ), and calcium retention rate (V r ). Twenty-seven infants with a mean gestation of 30.6±1.7 weeks and a mean birth weight of 1.4±0.21 kg were studied at 2 or 3 weeks of age, or both, during feedings of human milk (HM), fortified human milk (HMF), and commercially available formula (20 or 24 calories per ounce) for premature infants (EPF-20/780 and EPF-24/940) (part 1 of our study). Of 13 additional infants with a mean (±SD) birth weight of 1.26±0.25 kg and gestation of 29.6±2.5 weeks, 11 completed a crossover-design study at 2 and 3 weeks of age, receiving two identical formulas containing calcium, 940 mg/L, and phosphorus, 470 mg/L (EPF-24/940 formula) or calcium 1340 mg/L, and phosphorus, 680 mg/L (EPF-24/1340 formula) (part 2 of our study). The α value was higher in infants receiving HM (76.4±15.1%) or HMF (68.0±7.8%) than in those receiving EPF-20/750 formula (54.1%±5.6%) or in previously reported infants fed standard formula (47.1%±11.5%); those given EPF-24/940 formula had intermediate values (63.9%±13.9%, part 1; 56.1%±16.5%, part 2). No significant differences existed among groups for either V u or V f per kilogram. In the crossover study (part 2), no significant differences were seen between formulas for α and for V a , V f , or V f per kilogram. However, V u per kilogram was significantly decreased in infants receiving the higher mineral formula (EPF-24/940: 3.6±2.3; EPF-24/1340: 2.9±2.3 mg/kg per day; p = α , V u per kilogram, and V f per kilogram were not related to gestational age, age at study, calcium intake, or each other. However, V f per kilogram was inversely related to birth weight. Thus, α , V u , and V f appear to be independent and may be differentially affected by factors altering calcium dynamics. We conclude that increasing formula mineral content does not ensure increased retention; careful monitoring of individual infants remains indicated.
Vapor Pressure of 1,1,1,2,2-Pentafluoropropane

We have used a comparative ebulliometer to measure the vapor pressure of 1,1,1,2,2-pentafluoropropane (HFC245cb) in the temperature range (248 to 326) K. Pressures ranged from (74 to 995) kPa. The ...
Finite Element Aortic Injury Reconstruction of Near Side Lateral Impacts Using Real World Crash Data

Traumatic rupture of the aorta (TRA) remains the second most common cause of death associated with motor vehicle crashes, only less prevalent than brain injury. On average, nearly 8000 people die annually in the United States due to blunt injury to the aorta. It is observed that over 80% of occupants who suffer an aortic injury die at the scene due to exsanguination into the chest cavity. In the current study, eight near side lateral impacts, in which TRA occurred, were reconstructed using a combination of real world crash data reported in the Crash Injury Research and Engineering Network (CIREN) database, finite element (FE) models of vehicles, and the Wayne State Human Body Model - II (WSHBM). For the eight CIREN cases reconstructed, the high strain regions in the aorta closely matched with the autopsy data provided. The peak average maximum principal strains in all of the eight CIREN cases were localized in the isthmus region of the aorta, distal to the left subclavian artery, and averaged at 22 ± 6.2% while the average maximum pressure in the aorta was found to be 117 ± 14.7 kPa.