cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Salt sensitivity and systemic hypertension in the elderly

Abstract Aging in industrialized societies is accompanied by increases in the incidence and prevalence of hypertension, with a disproportionately greater increase occurring among aging blacks than among aging whites. This geriatric hypertension is generally of a salt-sensitive nature with a disproportionate frequency of isolated systolic hypertension. Although salt-taste acuity declines with age, salt sensitivity among the elderly does not appear to result from a compensatory increase in salt intake. Rather, age-related increases in salt sensitivity result, in part, from a reduced ability to appropriately excrete a salt load, which is due to a decline in renal function and to a reduced generation of natriuretic substances such as prostagiandin E2 and dopamine. Age-associated declines in the activity of membrane sodium/potassium-adenosine triphosphatase ( Na K -ATPase) may also contribute to geriatric hypertension because this results in increased intracellular sodium that may cause reduced sodium-calcium exchange and thereby increase intracellular calcium and vascular resistance. Reductions in cellular calcium efflux due to reduced calcium-ATPase activity may similarly cause an increase in intracellular calcium and vascular resistance. Increasing dietary calcium intake may represent an effective nonpharmacologic treatment for some salt-sensitive persons because it appears to reduce intracellular calcium by (1) suppressing parathyroid hormone-mediated calcium influx, (2) increasing Na K -ATPase activity, and (3) reducing intravascular volume due to calcium-induced natriuresis.
Pharmacological modulation of fluid secretion in the pigmented rabbit conjunctiva.

We determined net fluid secretion rate across the pigmented rabbit conjunctiva in the presence and absence of pharmacological agents known to affect active Cl- secretion and Na+ absorption. Fluid flow across a freshly excised pigmented rabbit conjunctiva mounted between two Lucite half chambers was measured by a pair of capacitance probes in an enclosed cabinet maintained at 37 degrees C and a relative humidity of 70%. Fluid transport was also measured in the presence of compounds known to affect active Cl- secretion (cAMP, UTP, and ouabain), Na+ absorption (D-glucose), or under the Cl--free condition on both sides of the tissue. Net fluid secretion rate across the pigmented rabbit conjunctiva in the serosal-to-mucosal direction at baseline was 4.3+/-0.2 microl/hr/cm2 (mean +/- s.e.m.). Net fluid secretion rate was increased approximately two-fold by mucosally applied 1 mM 8-Br cAMP (8.4+/-0.4 microl/hr/cm2) and 10 microM UTP (9.8+/-0.6 microl/hr/cm2), but was abolished by either serosally applied 0.5 mM ouabain (0.3+/-0.1 microl/hr/cm2) or under the Cl--free conditions (0.06+/-0.04 microl/hr/cm2). Mucosal addition of 20 mM D-glucose decreased net fluid secretion rate to 1.0+/-0.5 microl/hr/cm2. In conclusion, the pigmented rabbit conjunctiva appears to secrete fluid secondary to active Cl- secretion. This net fluid secretion is subject to modulation by changes in active Cl- secretion rate and in mucosal fluid composition such as glucose concentration.
Stigmata and negotiated outcomes: Management of appearance by persons with physical disabilities

This paper explores the role of clothing in the management of appearances by persons with disabilities. A negotiated outcomes perspective is used to study the clothing choices of disabled persons, rather than viewing them as passive recipients of the labels supplied by perceivers. A two‐part study of college students with physical disabilities, including comments from a series of focused group interviews and open‐ended responses to a questionnaire with national distribution, resulted in the data presented. The data indicated that most of the students strived to appear as normative as possible through their clothing choices and accordingly used a variety of techniques: “making do” with ingeniously adapted ready‐to‐wear apparel; using clothes to conceal a disability; deflecting attention from a disability toward more normative but slightly discrediting attributes; compensation through fashionable dress or by emphasizing other social roles and abilities; and social inclusion, i.e., the assertion that all per...
Metabolic Disposition and Pharmacokinetics of [14C]-Amprenavir, a Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 (HIV-1) Protease Inhibitor, Administered As a Single Oral Dose to Healthy Male Subjects

The objective of this study was to determine the metabolic profile, routes of elimination, and total recovery of amprenavir and its metabolites after a single oral dose of [14C]-amprenavir. Six healthy male subjects each received a single oral 630 mg dose of amprenavir containing 95.76 microCi of [14C]-amprenavir in this Phase I mass balance study. The metabolic disposition of amprenavir was determined through analyses of radiocarbon in whole blood, plasma, urine, and stool samples, collected for a period of 10 to 17 days postdosing. Cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) sampling was conducted on day 1. The ratio of unchanged amprenavir AUC0-->infinity to plasma radiocarbon was 27%, suggesting that most of the radiocarbon was metabolites. The median total recovery of the administered dose of radiocarbon was 89% (range: 66%-93%), with 75% (range: 56%-80%) recovered in the feces and 14% (range: 10%-17%) in the urine. Most of the recovered radiocarbon in the feces and urine was excreted within 240 and 48 hours postdose, respectively. Of the 75% of the radiocarbon dose recovered in the feces, 62% was identified as a metabolite resulting from dioxidation of the tetrahydrofuran ring (GW549445X) and 32% as a metabolite resulting from subsequent oxidation of the p-aniline sulfonate group (GW549444X). Unchanged amprenavir was below the limit of quantitation in feces and urine. Therefore, approximately 94% of the dose excreted in the feces was accounted for by these two metabolites. Concentrations of radiocarbon in the CSF were below the limit of quantitation in 5 of 6 subjects sampled. In summary, oral amprenavir is extensively metabolized in humans, with concentrations of unchanged drug below the limits of quantitation in urine and feces. The majority (75%) of administered radiocarbon was excreted in feces.
Biological Inspiration for Technological Innovation

This talk will focus on bio-inspired principles for feedback control systems, as investigated within the Institute for Collaborative Biotechnologies (ICB). The ICB investigates the functioning of high-performance biological networks and uses these insights to design powerful new technologies for scalable and robust mobile ad hoc networking, reliable robotic flight and locomotion and control of autonomous vehicle networks. The ICB pioneers novel approaches in synthetic biology that enable design and analysis of biomolecular controllers with fault-tolerant performance for environmental protection, synthetic biological circuits for rapid signaling of chemical and biological threats, and simplified biosynthetic pathways for production of electronic and photonic nanomaterials.
Inventions, capitalist wealth and liberal think

The essay, “inventions, capitalist wealth and liberal think” is a philosophical discourse. It points out a similarity between aristocratic and capitalist wealth. Both arise out of the receipt of producer surplus. The sources of producer surplus are somewhat different. For the aristocracy, the source was largely land whereas inventions are more significant for capitalist wealth. Wealth gives power, which can be exercised in different ways and yield different social and political outcomes. One particularly noteworthy offshoot is the ideology that is devised to defend and rationalize wealth and its usages. The ideology that serves capitalist wealth is quite unique and varied in nature, and is not as mutually consistent as might be expected.
Invited Review: The Substance Abuser and Home Intravenous Therapy: Above All Else, Do No Harm

Home care therapy is being challenged by changes in patient populations and technologic advances. The selection of appropriate candidates for home intravenous therapy is a critical issue faced by health care professionals. This process is more complex when the patient has a history of intravenous drug abuse. The issues concern patient compliance, safety, ethics, and legal responsibilities. Safe care depends on the ability of the patient to demonstrate a predetermined level of competence with catheter use. The potential use of illicit drugs may influence the ability of the patient to be compliant. Ethical principles of the patient's autonomy and free choice are weighed against the health professional's sense of beneficence. Legal guidelines stress informed consent, standards of care, and adequate documentation. An exploration of each of these factors outlines the potential risks and benefits and provides a basis for making clinical judgments.
Culture conditions for the detection of allergen-specific T-cell reactivity in cord blood: influence of cell number.

Raised T-cell proliferation of cord blood mononuclear cells (CBMC) in response to various ingestant and inhalant allergens has been reported in newborns, suggesting a prenatal allergen contact. In general, for in vitro proliferation assays a concentration of 50 x 10(3) or 100 x 10(3) cells/well are used. The aim of this study was to analyze whether cell concentration influences T-cell reactivity in cord blood cells and to study differences of T-cell reactivity triggered by inhalant and ingestant allergens. CBMC from 51 neonates (34 females: 22 with and 29 without a family history of allergy, i.e. FH+ or FH-) were incubated with interleukin-2 (IL-2), beta-lactoglobulin (beta-LG), ovalbumin (OVA), house dust mite allergen Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Der p 1), and timothy grass allergen Phleum pratense (Ph1 p 1) for 7 days. The cell concentration ranged from 6.25 x 10(3) to 100 x 10(3) cells/well. Proliferation was assessed by incorporation of [3H]-thymidine and was expressed as counts per minute (c.p.m.). In unstimulated cells, a decreasing cell concentration paralleled a steep drop of background activity. In response to IL-2, a decreasing cell concentration led to a slow decrease of c.p.m. The corresponding mean stimulation indices (SI) were 9, 32, 77, 47, and 21 for 100 x 10(3), 50 x 10(3), 25 x 10(3), 12.5 x 10(3), and 6.25 x 10(3) cells/well, respectively. In addition, the highest number of positive proliferative responses to specific allergens were obscured at lower cell concentrations. For beta-LG, the maximal number of positive responses were obtained between 25 x 10(3) (n = 44) and 12.5 x 10(3) (n = 46) cells/well, for OVA at 25 x 10(3) (n = 3) cells/well, for Der p 1 at 50 x 10(3) (n = 5) cells/well, and for Ph1 p 1 between 25 x 10(3) and 12.5 x 10(3) (n = 5) cells/well. Positive proliferation in at least one of the tested assays was observed in 100% of samples in response to beta-LG, in 22% in response to Ph1 p 1, and in 14% in response to OVA and Der p 1. T-cell reactivity did not differ between samples of newborns with or without a family history of atopy. Therefore, sensitivity of T-cell proliferation measurement is highly influenced by background proliferation of unstimulated cells. Hence, proliferation assays with lower cell numbers unmask T-cell reactivity in response to ingestant and inhalant allergens. We suggest the use of concentrations of 12.5 x 10(3)-50 x 10(3) cells/well in proliferation experiments.
INSULIN IS A GROWTH-PROMOTING PEPTIDE IN THE RAT BRAIN

Previous work in this laboratory documented specific insulin binding (IB) in various areas of the developing rat brain (J Neurochem, Jan. 1984, in press). IB was correlated with brain growth and increments in protein content in these areas during the first 21 days of postnatal life, supporting our hypothesis that insulin stimulates brain growth directly. We recently studied the effect of insulin on protein and nucleic acid synthesis in newborn rat brain glial cells in culture to further substantiate the role of insulin as a growth factor for the brain. IB to glial cells is rapid, reversible and specific (particularly with respect to insulin-like growth factors which competed only 3% as well as insulin for binding). Insulin stimulated the incorporation of valine into glial cell protein beginning at a concentration of 0.8nM. The stimulation was dose-dependent and became significant at 3.5nM, which was well below the empty site dissociation constant for IB by glial cells. A dose-dependent stimulation of thymidine incorporation into DNA nucleo-protein was also seen, but at higher concentrations of insulin. The studies document that glial cells have specific receptors for IB. In addition, and of particular importance, glial cells in culture are target cells for insulin with respect to those metabolic processes (i.e. protein and nucleic acid synthesis) which mediate brain growth.
Carnahan-Starling-DeSantis and Lee-Kesler-Plöcker interaction coefficients for several binary mixtures of ozone-safe refrigerants

Abstract Interaction coefficients (ICs) which characterize the non-ideal behaviour of refrigerant mixtures are an important parameters for predicting or modelling the thermodynamic performance of these mixtures in air-conditioning and refrigeration cycles. Experimental data which permit calculation of these parameters for many combinations of the newer, more environmentally acceptable refrigerants are scarce. Saturated vapour pressure data for 70 known mixtures of 8 different refrigerants in 18 binary combinations were analysed to find the interaction coefficients from the best correlation between vapour pressures calculated from the Carnahan-Starling-DeSantis (CSD) and Lee-Kesler-Plocker (LKP) refrigerant property routines and experimental data. Nine of the experimentally measured ICs were not previously given for the CSD routines in the current version of refprop ® from the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Fifteen new LKP ICs are reported. Comparisons are made with both published values and those estimated using algorithms unique to each system of subroutines. Agreement between the ICs reported in this work and published or estimated values is reasonably good in most cases given the simplicity of the test apparatus and experimental procedures. Very good agreement was seen between the ICs calculated in this work and the literature values for R12/R152a, R134a/R134 and R22/F152a, but poor agreement was seen for R22/R142b. Comparisons of published to estimated ICs and reported to estimated ICs suggest that estimation techniques should be improved.
A confirmation of the correlation between hydrocarbons and chlorophyll in the upper euphotic zone

Abstract The average hydrocarbon content found in 14 water samples from the euphotic zone off Northwest Africa was 4.4 μg l. −1 with no extreme values. The average chlorophyll a content was 1.9 μg l. −1 . The data fit a model proposed in a previous paper (Zsolnay, 1977). The resulting equation was HC = −2.7 + 4.82 Ch −0.942 Ch 2 and could explain 59% of the variance in the hydrocarbon distribution. This indicates a correlation that is significant at the 0.002 level.
Effects of gamma radiation on rabbit lens

Eyes of young New Zealand white rabbits were irradiated with 2000 rads of gamma radiation (60Co) and the eyes removed at 2, 8, 16, and 30 days post-irradiation for electron microscopic analysis. Lenses were treated histochemically for acid phos-phatase localization to examine the role of lyso-somal enzymes in the early development of radiation cataracts. Progressive degenerative morphological changes due to radiation included pronounced nuclear degeneration and cellular shrinkage within the germinative and pregerminative epithelium and severe swelling of superficial portions of lens fibers beneath these epithelial zones. Less dramatic changes occurred elsewhere in the superficial portions of the anterior and marginal lens segments. The epithelium of both irradiated and non-irradiated lenses contained small (60-70 nm) vesicles fused with the apical and lateral cellular borders. Irradiated lenses showed a 30-40% increase in population of these vesicles at all time intervals in the central (including the pre...
Photoelectric Charging of Submicron Aerosols and Macromolecules in the Titan Haze

Abstract We quantify the charge states of submicrometer aerosols and aromatic macromolecules in Titan's organic haze. The aerosol charge is balanced between the recombination of positive ions with the aerosol plus the ejection of electrons from the aerosol via the UV-driven photoelectric effect and the recombination of electrons with the aerosol. During the day, the dominant charge state for submicro-meter aerosols is positive. Macromolecules composed of fewer than 32 carbon atoms with low electron affinities (
Flicker assessment of rod and cone function in a model of retinal degeneration.

Critical flicker frequency (CFF) is the lowest frequency for which a flickering light is indistinguishable from a non-flickering light of the same mean luminance. CFF is related to light intensity, with cone photoreceptors capable of achieving higher CFF than rods. A contemporaneous measure of rod and cone function can facilitate characterization of a retinal degeneration. We used sinusoidal flicker ERG to obtain CFF values, over a wide range of light intensities, in RCS dystrophic (RCS-p+) and wild type rats. Recordings were made at PN23, PN44, and PN64. The CFF curve in control animals increased in proportion to the log of stimulus intensity, with a gentle slope over the lowest 4 log-unit intensity range. The slope of the CFF curve dramatically increased for higher intensities, indicating a rod-cone break. In the RCS rats the rod driven CFF was significantly lower in amplitude compared to normal rats at the earliest age tested (PN23). By PN64 the rod driven CFF was immeasurable in the RCS rats. The amplitude of the cone driven CFF approached normal values at PN23, but was greatly reduced by PN44. By PN64 the entire CFF function was greatly depressed and there was no longer a discernable rod–cone break. These CFF/ERG data show that RCS rats exhibit significant early degeneration of the rods, followed soon after by degeneration of the cones. Using this approach, rod and cone function can be independently accessed using flicker ERG by testing at a few select intensities.
Enrichment for Auxotrophic Mutants of Tetrahymena Using Density Gradient Centrifugation

SYNOPSIS. A protocol based on density differences between starved and fed cells and employing density gradient centrifugation has been devised to facilitate the isolation of auxotrophic mutants of cell lines derived from Tetrahymena thermophila strain B1868. First, a mass phenotype screening procedure was established whereby true auxotrophic mutants and slow-growing wild-type cells such as strain C* could readily be distinguished. Second, simulation experiments were performed in which wild-type cells starved first in non-nutritive buffer, then suspended in a defined medium lacking a single essential amino acid became significantly denser than the same cells when starved, then suspended in a complete defined medium. Finally, using the same protocol, a reconstruction experiment was carried out which resulted in effective separation of wild-type cells from cells of a tyrosine auxotroph. The overall procedure resulted in a 9-fold increase in the relative frequency of auxotrophic cells, while the density gradient centrifugation alone provided a 400-fold enrichment.
On the role of intra-adrenal unesterified cholesterol in the steroidegenic effect of corticotropin

Abstract Since ACTH (corticotropin) increases intra-adrenal and intramitochondrial free cholesterol levels, the relative importance of these effects during ACTH-induced steroidogenesis was examined. Rats were treated in vivo with ACTH plus aminoglutethimide to increase free cholesterol (2–3-fold), and the latter was tested as a steroidogenic factor after removal of aminoglutethimide blockade and subsequent prolonged incubation of the cholesterol-rich adrenal sections in vitro. The increased free cholesterol served as a positive steroidogenic factor only during the early phase of incubation when other ACTH-induced steroidegenic factors were operative. At later times of incubation, the increased free cholesterol did not, of itself, enhance steroidogenesis unless ACTH was added. These results suggest that the ACTH-induced enhancement of intra-adrenal (and mitochondrial) free cholesterol may be important in determining the amount of steroids produced in response to a given ACTH stimulus, but another ACTH-induced factor is more important in initiating the steroidogenic process. This factor (? labile protein) appears to control a metabolic process which is distal to the mitochondrial uptake of free cholesterol.
Growth and body weight of free-range reindeer in western Alaska

Total body weight of 9749 reindeer calves and 4798 adult reindeer were measured from 1984 to 1999 on the Seward Peninsula, western Alaska, USA. Growth rates of male and female calves, and annual growth patterns of adults were determined. Male calves grew faster than female calves. Reproductive females were lighter than non-reproductive females during summer but there was no effect of reproduction on average body weights the following winter. Adult males age 3-5 were heavier during summer than winter. Castrated males weighed the same as uncastrated males in summer, but were significantly heavier in winter, and did not display the large annual fluctuations in weight typical of reproductive males and females. Growth rates were higher and body weights greater in this herd than many other cir-cumpolar reindeer populations. We suggest these kinds of physiological indices should be used to monitor the possible effects of spatial and temporal variation in population density and to evaluate changes in herding practices.
Symbolic mapping of neurons in feedforward networks

It is common to view multiple-layer feedforward neural networks as black boxes since the knowledge embedded in the connection weights of these networks is generally considered incomprehensible. This paper proposes a solution to this deficiency of neural networks by suggesting a mapping procedure for converting the weights of a neuron into a symbolic representation and demonstrating its use towards understanding the internal representation and the input-output mapping learned by a feedforward neural network. Several examples are presented to illustrate the proposed symbolic mapping of neurons.
Development and Characterization of a New, Highly Specific Antibody to the Human Chorionic Gonadotropin-β Fragment*

In addition to high concentrations of hCG, pregnancy urine contains even higher concentrations of a fragment of the hCG beta-subunit. This biologically inactive material complicates immunological measurement of hCG, since it cross-reacts with many polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies to the hCG beta-subunit that are employed for assays of hCG in urine. Although we and others have developed antibodies to this fragment, specific measurement of the fragment in the presence of free hCG beta has remained difficult due to intrinsic cross-reactivity of these antibodies with the intact hCG beta. Rather than attempt to increase specificity by assay optimization, we developed a new, highly specific monoclonal antibody, designated B210, which cross-reacts less than 0.1% with the free hCG beta-subunit in both liquid and solid phase immunoassay formats. We have used this new monoclonal antibody in immunoradiometric assays to measure specifically the hCG beta fragment in urine throughout pregnancy as well as in the sera of two individuals with cancers producing the hCG beta-subunit. We discovered that the hCG beta fragment can bind three monoclonal antibodies simultaneously, indicating that although the epitope for antibody B210 is a new determinant exposed on the hCG beta fragment and not on intact hCG or on free hCG beta-subunit, the hCG beta fragment retains at least two other hCG beta-related epitopes intact, i.e. those that bind monoclonal antibodies B108 and B201.
Neurohormonal pathways regulating food intake and changes after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass.

i a a h p s h The major goal of obesity therapy is to reduce body eight and improve comorbidities, thereby improving the atient’s quality and length of life [1]. Obesity treatment nvolves 2 basic principles: (1) restricting food intake by ieting and (2) increasing energy expenditure by exercise. aintaining long-term weight loss is difficult even with the id of approved drugs like sibutramine. Sibutramine susains a modest 5% to 10% weight loss for up to 1 year with ontinued treatment; however, weight is frequently regained ith cessation of pharmacotherapy [2], and long-term safety nd reduction in morbidity and mortality are unclear [3]. Surgical intervention has thus far proven to be the most ffective method of achieving prolonged weight loss and everse metabolic comorbidities in morbidly obese persons those with body mass index [BMI] 40 kg/m or 35 g/m with a comorbidity) [1]. Bariatric surgery has volved over the past 50 years and has led to the currently erformed operations that achieve weight loss via restrictive echanisms, malabsorptive mechanisms, or both [4]. Rouxn-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) combines restrictive and malbsorptive mechanisms, limiting caloric intake by limiting unctional stomach volume and by excluding part of the
Phytophagous and Flower-Visiting Insect Fauna of Baccharis salicifolia (Asteraceae) in the Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico

Phytophagous insects representing 106 species, 36 families and seven orders, and one eriophyid mite, fed on seepwillow, Baccharis salicifolia (Ruiz Lopez and Pavon) Persoon (= glutinosa Persoon) (Asteraceae: Astereae) in the study area. Sixteen (18%) of these were economically important. About 50% of the species were polyphagous, 10% apparently feed only on plants in Asteraceae, and 6% were apparently restricted to feeding in the genus Baccharis . Seepwillow was a host for about 82 species of foliage- and sap-feeding insects. Flower-visiting insects, representing 37 species, 15 families and three orders, were collected from flowers of seepwillow between July and December.
Theory of multivalent binding in one and two-dimensional lattices.

Abstract Ligand binding to a linear lattice composed of N sites, under general conditions of cooperativity and number of sites covered upon binding, m, is approached in terms of the theory of contracted partition functions. The partition function of the system obeys a recursion relation leading to a generating function that provides an exact analytical solution for any case of interest. Site-specific properties of the lattice are derived from simple transformations of the analytical expressions. The McGhee-von Hippel model is obtained as a special case in the limit N → ∞. The derivation is straightforward and involves no combinatorial arguments. Partition functions and site-specific properties are also derived for the case of non-cooperative binding to a two-dimensional torus of length N, containing s sites in its section for a total of sN sites. The torus provides a relevant model for ligand binding to double-stranded DNA (s = 2) or protein helices (s = 3,4). It is proved that non-cooperative binding to the two-dimensional torus can mimic cooperative binding to a one-dimensional linear lattice when m = s. The dimensional embedding of the lattice and the geometry of interaction of its sites play a crucial role in defining the binding properties of the system accessible to experimental measurements. Hence, caution must be exercised in the interpretation of Scatchard plots in terms of the one-dimensional McGhee-von Hippel model, especially when m ≤ 4 and the geometry of the system is clearly two-dimensional.
Malignant lesions of the eyelids.

background . The ocular adnexal area contains virtually every tissue type; nearly any type of malignant tumor may develop in this area. However, the vast majority of malignant eyelid tumors are carcinomas. Three types of carcinomas produce most of the malignancies in this group. They are: basal cell carcinomas, squamous cell carcinomas, and sebaceous cell carcinomas. objective . The management of these three tumors is discussed. methods . A review of current treatment options for eyelid malignancies was performed. results . A summary of the current treatment of the three most common eyelid carcinomas is discussed. conclusion . With early recognition and appropriate management of eyelid malignancies, an extremely favorable prognosis can be obtained. The management is twofold and consists of curing the patient of the malignancy and then restoring the form and function of the eyelid in order to save the eye if possible. J Dermatol Surg Oncol 1992;18:1056–1059.
Linking the electronic structure of solids to their thermodynamic and kinetic properties

Predicting measurable thermodynamic and kinetic properties of solids from first-principles requires the use of statistical mechanics. A major challenge for materials of technological importance arises from the fact that first-principles electronic structure calculations of elementary excited states are computationally very demanding. Hence statistical mechanical averaging over the spectrum of excited states must rely on the use of effective Hamiltonians that are parameterized by a limited number of first-principles electronic structure calculations, but nevertheless predict energies of excited states with a high level accuracy. Here we review important effective Hamiltonians that account for vibrational and configurational degrees of freedom in multi-component crystalline solids and show how they can be used to predict phase stability as a function of composition and temperature as well as kinetic transport constants such as diffusion coefficients in non-dilute crystalline solids.
Fractography of polyethylene glycol dimethacrylate doped with polymethyl methacrylate

The presence of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) can greatly affect the properties of materials made by polymerization of ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDM). Fracture surfaces, examined by scanning electron microscopy, show a much wider range of morphologies in mist regions than observed in previous work on PEGDM alone. These morphologies are attributed to the moderation of brittle fracture by localized plastic deformation. It is suggested that the effect of PMMA is due to its segregation around clusters of highly cross-linked particles of PEGDM that, as a result, become more discrete and, hence, more susceptible to interparticle displacements during fracture. In agreement With this suggestion, the mist regions usually exhibit a particulate microstructure.
Conifer regeneration following stand-replacing wildfire varies along an elevation gradient in a ponderosa pine forest, Oregon, USA

Abstract Climate change is expected to increase disturbances such as stand-replacing wildfire in many ecosystems, which have the potential to drive rapid turnover in ecological communities. Ecosystem recovery, and therefore maintenance of critical structures and functions (resilience), is likely to vary across environmental gradients such as moisture availability, but has received little study. We examined conifer regeneration a decade following complete stand-replacing wildfire in dry coniferous forests spanning a 700 m elevation gradient where low elevation sites had relatively high moisture stress due to the combination of high temperature and low precipitation. Conifer regeneration varied strongly across the elevation gradient, with little tree regeneration at warm and dry low elevation sites. Logistic regression models predicted rapid increases in regeneration across the elevation gradient for both seedlings of all conifer species and ponderosa pine seedlings individually. This pattern was especially pronounced for well-established seedlings (⩾38 cm in height). Graminoids dominated lower elevation sites following wildfire, which may have added to moisture stress for seedlings due to competition for water. These results suggest moisture stress can be a critical factor limiting conifer regeneration following stand-replacing wildfire in dry coniferous forests, with predicted increases in temperature and drought in the coming century likely to increase the importance of moisture stress. Strongly moisture limited forested sites may fail to regenerate for extended periods after stand-replacing disturbance, suggesting these sites are high priorities for management intervention where maintaining forests is a priority.
Network-based mutation analysis of putative cancer genes from next-generation sequencing data

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) has enabled fast detection of somatic mutations in cancer genomes. A major challenge in interpreting the large volume of mutation data is to distinguish driver mutations from neutral passenger mutations. Current approaches are primarily single-gene based prioritization according to mutation frequencies, which harbors both high false positive and false negative discoveries. We propose a novel network-based method of mutation data for driver gene prioritization from large scale mutation data for cancer. Our method takes into consideration of the mutation profile of each patient by fitting sample-specific generalized additive models. It builds on joint frequency of both mutation genes and their close interactors, which are optimized by the algorithm Random Walk with Restart in a protein-protein interaction network. We demonstrated our method in two large-scale NGS datasets: a lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) dataset including 183 patients and a melanoma dataset including 121 samples. In each cancer, we derived a consensus mutation subnetwork with significantly enriched consensus cancer genes and cancer-related functional pathways. The LUAD subnetwork recruited 70 genes of the Cancer Gene Census (CGC) collection (p-value <; 2.2×10-16, Fisher's Exact Test) and the melanoma subnetwork included 65 CGC genes (p-value <; 2.2x10-16). In addition, our results indicate that some well-known, infrequently mutated genes, which have been ignored by conventional single-gene based approaches, are also prioritized and are shown to interact with those highly recurrently mutated genes. In sum, our method is effective in prioritizing candidate driver genes from more than ten thousand mutation genes and provides biological interpretations for future work.
Diagnosing Malingering in Chronic Pain

Psychosocial factors are commonly present in cases involving chronic pain. There are numerous risks associated with unnecessary medical treatment and societal burdens associated with unwarranted disability compensation. A published system for the diagnosis of malingering pain-related disability (Bianchini, Greve, & Glynn, 2005, The Clinical Neuropsychologist, 20, 831–847) provides a framework for evaluating multiple sources of data in making decisions about the likelihood that intentional exaggeration may be present and differentiating malingering from other psychosocial factors. The application of the Bianchini et al. (The Clinical Neuropsychologist, 20, 831–847, 2005) system in chronic pain cases is illustrated, with an emphasis on integrating multiple sources of information.
Oil, Democracy, and Context: A Meta-Analysis

A considerable debate precludes drawing conclusions about oil’s effect on democracy. This article challenges this stalemate by significantly expanding the scope of the previous research and using meta-regression analysis to examine the integrated results of extant scholarship. While the results suggest a nontrivial negative association between oil and democracy across the globe, they also indicate a notable variation in this relationship across world regions and institutional contexts. A conditioning effect of institutions may lie more in a broader set of economic and political institutions, less so in previous political regime, but not in institutions associated with British colonial past. Finally, while oil does not seem to impede democracy by retarding two key channels of modernization—income and urbanization—it may have an indirect negative effect on democracy through its adverse impact on education.
Effect of soybean storage on tofu and soymilk production

Century 84 and Century -L 2 L 3 (lacking lipoxygenase isozymes 2 and 3) near isogenic soybean varieties were stored at five temperature and relative humidity conditions for up to three months. At one-month intervals, soybeans were retrieved from storage and processed into soymilk and tofu. Chemical and physical characteristics of the soybeans, soymilk, and tofu were analyzed. In general, soybean storage above 25C and 50% relative humidity adversely affected the characteristics of the soymilk (reduced pH and solids content) and tofu (decreased yield and moisture content, and darker color) produced. Century -L 2 L 3 soybeans were more resistant to changes during adverse storage than were Century 84 soybeans.
Abstract 3558: A pilot clinical study of limonene in women with early stage breast cancer: Effects of short-term treatment on tissue limonene disposition and serum markers

Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL Background: Limonene is a highly lipophilic monoterpene found in citrus peel oil that has demonstrated anticancer properties in preclinical studies. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether limonene and its primary metabolite perillic acid (PA) would distribute extensively to the breast tissue and reach an effective drug concentration. Secondary endpoints included evaluation of changes in cancer-related biomarkers in plasma and tissue. Methods: Participants (N = 40) with newly diagnosed stage 0 - 2 breast cancer took 2 grams daily of oral limonene for 2 - 6 weeks (21.5 ± 8.8 days) prior to planned surgical tumor resection. Blood was drawn pre/post intervention for measurement of serum concentration of limonene, PA, and protein biomarkers, as well as to assess toxicity profiles. A small piece of breast tissue adjacent to the tumor mass was also collected for analysis of limonene and PA levels. Limonene and PA levels in tissue and serum were analyzed using specific chromatography-based assays. Results: Limonene was found to preferentially concentrate in breast tissue (332.3 + 336.1 uM) versus plasma (0.49 + 0.67 uM) with tissue-to-plasma concentration ratio (TPCR) of 1,667 + 312.5 (P<0.001). PA did not concentrate in breast tissue (5.73 + 10.28 uM) versus plasma (3.89 + 6.81 uM) with TPCR of 1.4 + 0.56. Post-intervention serum levels of leptin, adiponectin, TGF-beta1, IGFBP-3 and IL-6 were unchanged from baseline. There was a small but statistically significant post-intervention increase in IGF-1, however the change was no longer significant after adjustment for number of days on agent. Possibly or probably related adverse events were primarily GI-related and were not dose-limiting. No clinically significant changes in complete blood count, renal, hepatic or other blood chemistry studies were noted. Analysis of the intervention effects on tissue biomarkers of proliferation, apoptosis, and cell cycle regulation is ongoing. Discussion: Oral limonene preferentially concentrates in the breast tissue and has a favorable side effect profile. PA does not readily concentrate in breast tissue when administered as oral limonene. Short-term limonene intervention resulted in minimal changes in systemic biomarkers. Further clinical trials with a longer intervention are necessary to establish limonene's potential role as a chemopreventive agent in breast cancer. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3558. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-3558
Subjective sleep disturbances in adolescents with chronic pain: Relationship to daily functioning and quality of life

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between pain symptoms, daily functioning, health-related quality of life (HRQOL), and subjectively reported sleep disturbances in adolescents with chronic pain. Depressive symptoms were tested as a general risk factor for increased sleep problems. During routine subspecialty clinic visits, 86 adolescents (mean age, 14.75 years; 67% female) diagnosed with chronic headaches, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, or sickle cell disease completed measures to assess pain, sleep disturbances, functional disability, depression, and HRQOL. Across pain diagnoses, adolescents experienced similar sleep patterns and sleep behaviors with the exception of daytime sleepiness, which was higher in adolescents with headache compared to adolescents with sickle cell disease. Bivariate correlations showed low relationships between pain and sleep and moderate to high relationships between depressive symptoms, daily functioning, HRQOL, and sleep. In multivariate analyses, as hypothesized, depressive symptoms were predictive of the severity of sleep disturbances after controlling for the effect of all other demographic, pain, and functional impact variables. Results suggest that a relationship between the experience of recurrent and chronic pain and sleep disturbances exists for adolescents, and these sleep disturbances are linked to mood disturbances and reductions in daily functioning and quality of life. Sleep disturbances have been described in adult patients with chronic pain, but little is known about sleep in adolescents with chronic pain. This study examined the complex interrelationship between sleep, pain, mood, functioning, and HRQOL. Findings suggest that mood is strongly related to sleep and might share common pathophysiologic or behavioral origins in adolescents with chronic pain.
Effects of Discontinuous Fiber Reinforcement on the Mechanical and Thermomechanical Properties of a Shape Memory Polymer

Over the last few years, we have developed shape memory polymers (SMPs) with several properties suitable for use in minimally-invasive biomedical devices. These properties include biocompatibility, the ability to fully recover large strains, the potential to serve as medication reservoirs for drug delivery, and low production cost. We and others have proposed use of shape memory polymers for various applications including cardiovascular stents, an endovascular clot removal system, and a self-tying suture.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Impact of the Environmental Low-Level Wind Profile on Ensemble Forecasts of the 4 May 2007 Greensburg, Kansas, Tornadic Storm and Associated Mesocyclones

AbstractThe early tornadic phase of the Greensburg, Kansas, supercell on the evening of 4 May 2007 is simulated using a set of storm-scale (1-km horizontal grid spacing) 30-member ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) data assimilation and forecast experiments. The Next Generation Weather Radar (NEXRAD) level-II radar data from the Dodge City, Kansas (KDDC), Weather Surveillance Radar-1988 Doppler (WSR-88D) are assimilated into the National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) Collaborative Model for Multiscale Atmospheric Simulation (COMMAS). The initially horizontally homogeneous environments are initialized from one of three reconstructed soundings representative of the early tornadic phase of the storm, when a low-level jet (LLJ) was intensifying. To isolate the impact of the low-level wind profile, 0–3.5-km AGL wind profiles from Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma (KVNX), WSR-88D velocity-azimuth display (VAD) analyses at 0130, 0200, and 0230 UTC are used. A sophisticated, double-moment bulk ice microphysics scheme i...
Open spinal dysraphism (meningocele and mmc)

The term spina bifida refers to a series of congenital malformations which depend on a failure of the neural tube to fuse The c1inical manifestations vary from the simple anomalies of one or several vertebral arches (absence of the spine process, interruption of the posterior arch) to severe abnormalities of the vertebrae (absence of the arch and laminae, deformation of the vertebral body, kyphosis), meninges, spinal cord and spinal roots. In the severest form, myelomeningocele, the whole Central Nervous System is involved together with its meso-and ectodermal coverings; associated anomalies of other systems of the body are also commono The etiology of the defects of the neural tube c10sure is still unknown;the modality of their genetic transmission is multifactoria1. The therapeutical approach for the correction of the severe forms of spina bifida has undergone significant modifications in the last years, when the necessity of a combined interdisciplinary treatment (neurosurgeon, pediatrician, urologist, orthopedist, physical therapist, and others) became evident. The importance ofthe role of the parents, social workers and of the school has been also stressed. In spite, however, of undoubted progress recorded in the care of subjects with spina bifida, the social cost -economic and emotionalof the condition remains very high. Thus, the treatment of open spinal dysraphism continues to be a subject of controversial debate, not on1y because of the medical difficulties but also because of the ethical and moral implications.
Word identification in isolation and in context by college dyslexic students

College dyslexic students (DYS) were compared to chronological age (CA)-matched and to reading age (RA)-matched control groups on tasks assessing naming of words and nonwords, regular and irregular words, and the use of context in word identification. The DYS group had the slowest naming latency for words in all tasks. In addition, they had extreme difficulty in naming nonwords, which in terms of the dual-route model for word recognition indicates impairment in the indirect route to the lexicon. However, they displayed a regularity effect in reading regular and irregular words and thus apparently utilized the indirect route in reading words. Correlational data supported the conclusion that the data are in conflict with the traditional dual-route model, and an alternative conceptualization is suggested. The use of context is discussed in terms of the interactive-compensatory model (Stanovich, 1980) and findings were generally supportive of the model. The DYS subjects of the present study appeared to be different from the RA controls and their performance did not support a developmental-lag model for explaining their reading problems.
Vortex pairing and droplet dispersion in a turbulent, free shear layer

An experimental characterization of the entrainment and transport of small droplets in a turbulent,plane mixing layer is presented. Specifically, this study addresses the contribution of vortex pairing to the dispersion process. The experimental data were obtained using optical measurements that allowed for the characterization of mean, root mean square (rms), and conditional-averaged profiles of attenuation, in addition to the conditional-averaged evolution of the dispersed-phase number frequency and velocity for the various-sized particulate. It is shown that the pairing process resulting from the combination of harmonic and subharmonic forcing contributes to an increased rate of homogenization of the droplet concentration across the mixing layer when compared to the case of single-frequency forcing. The amount of homogenization depends strongly on the history of the flow and the size of the particulate.