cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Harpagophytum procumbens Extract Ameliorates Allodynia and Modulates Oxidative and Antioxidant Stress Pathways in a Rat Model of Spinal Cord Injury

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a deliberating disorder with impairments in locomotor deficits and incapacitating sensory abnormalities. Harpagophytum procumbens (Hp) is a botanical widely used for treating inflammation and pain related to various inflammatory and musculoskeletal conditions. Using a modified rodent contusion model of SCI, we explored the effects of this botanical on locomotor function and responses to mechanical stimuli, and examined possible neurochemical changes associated with SCI-induced allodynia. Following spinal cord contusion at T10 level, Hp (300 mg/kg, p.o.) or vehicle (water) was administered daily starting 24 h post-surgery, and behavioral measurements made every-other day until sacrifice (Day 21). Hp treatment markedly ameliorated the contusion-induced decrease in locomotor function and increased sensitivity to mechanical stimuli. Determination of Iba1 expression in spinal cord tissues indicated microglial infiltration starting 3 days post-injury. SCI results in increased levels of 4-hydroxynonenal, an oxidative stress product and proalgesic, which was diminished at 7 days by treatment with Hp. SCI also enhanced antioxidant heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression. Concurrent studies of cultured murine BV-2 microglial cells revealed that Hp suppressed oxidative/nitrosative stress and inflammatory responses, including production of nitric oxide and reactive oxygen species, phosphorylation of cytosolic phospholipases A2, and upregulation of the antioxidative stress pathway involving the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 and HO-1. These results support the use of Hp for management of allodynia by providing resilience against the neuroinflammation and pain associated with SCI and other neuropathological conditions.
Necrotizing Group A Strep Following Use of Penile Constriction Ring

The development and management of necrotizing cellulitis following penile constriction ring use is described. Devastating injuries such as this can be highly distressing for patients and focused counseling is often needed to address concerns regarding cosmetic outcomes. The timeframe and appearance of recovery has not been previously captured. We present a photographic timeline covering the development, management, and postoperative recovery from penile constriction ring injury over the course of 1 month.
Effect of Hydraulic Retention Time on MES Operation for Biomethane Production

Hydraulic retention time (HRT) is one of the most important factors to be analysed and optimised in continuous flow operations such as the integrated process of microbial electrosynthesis system (MES) and anaerobic digestion (AD). Highest methane production rate of 12.2±0.1 mmol/L(feed)-d was obtained at 18-hr HRT with reject water feed that was supplemented with acetic acid. Highest amount of COD removal of 23.4% was obtained at 18-hr HRT operation with the reject water feed that was not supplemented with acetic acid. The pH of the effluent was 8.63 and 7.64 at 18-hr HRT for both the feed types respectively. This resulted in net alkalinity reduction implying conversion of bicarbonate to methane at 90% of biogas. It was also observed that the electrochemical methane production rates were higher in feeds that were not supplemented with acetic acid along with additional COD degradation via direct electro-oxidation of organics at anode.
Targeted Imaging of CD206 Expressing Tumor-Associated M2-like Macrophages Using Mannose-Conjugated Antibiofouling Magnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles.

Although tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) have been shown to promote cancer progression, their roles in tumor development and resistance to therapy remain to be fully understood, mainly because ...
FACELESS YOUTUBERS: HOW CONTENT CREATORS SHAPE AUDIENCEEXPECTATIONS

YouTube's maturation as a platform can be seen through a collection of social norms, audience expectations, and politics, all of which weave themselves into the technosocial fabric of digital life. As such, certain practices that regulate the flow of information have become normalized across a certain subset of YouTube channels. This paper will look at this practice among YouTubers that are “faceless”—content creators who do not reveal their faces on camera while voluntarily revealing many other aspects of their identity. Specifically, a content analysis is performed on these channels: The Lockpicking Lawyer, AvE, SteadyCraftin, This Old Tony, bigclivedotcom, CGP Grey, and fastASMR. The wide range of categories these channels belong to (DIY, self help, science and technology, home crafting, electrical appliance teardown, and audio therapy) indicates that choosing to remain faceless is not a function of a certain type of material, but rather a salient trend that crosscuts YouTube genres. The channels analyzed suggest that these YouTubers feel empowered through remaining faceless, allowing for increased disclosure about the topic at hand. They also demonstrate that Faceless YouTubers selectively share information depending on a range of motivations, all of which revolve around imparting meaningful content to specific audiences while maintaining a specifically-constructed notion of privacy. As a platform that is continually evolving,this paper represents an advance in the study of YouTube.
Early main-phase electrodynamics of the ring current inferred from DMSP

Abstract This paper exploits capabilities implicit in DMSP plasma and field data through which users may infer local IGRF magnetic fields ( B → 0 ), as well as components of magnetic perturbations ( δ B → ⊥ ) and plasma drift ( V → ⊥ ) vectors perpendicular to B → 0 . We use relations between V → ⊥ and δ B → ⊥ , associated with Region 2 (R-2) field-aligned currents (FACs), consistent with Faraday's law, to determine Alfvenic reflection coefficients (α). Early main-phase measurements from three DMSP satellites, F16, F17 and F18 during the 17 March 2015 storm confirm the predicted V → ⊥ and δ B → ⊥ relationships. Data also show that high-latitude limits of R-2 FACs lie close to the equatorward boundaries of precipitating auroral electrons. Measurable fluxes of down-coming, ring-current ions are restricted to the vicinity of this auroral boundary. It thus remains an open question as to what particle population is responsible for carrying the downward FACs (j||) and Poynting fluxes (S||), inferred from δ B → ⊥ measurements acquired over the full latitudinal ranges of storm-time R-2.
Spoken language outcome measures for treatment studies in Down syndrome: feasibility, practice effects, test-retest reliability, and construct validity of variables generated from expressive language sampling.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate expressive language sampling (ELS) as a procedure for generating spoken language outcome measures for treatment research in Down syndrome (DS). We addressed (a) feasibility, (b) practice effects across two short-term administrations, (c) test-retest reliability across two short-term administrations, (d) convergent and discriminant construct validity, and (e) considered comparisons across the conversation and narration contexts. Participants were 107 individuals with DS between 6 and 23 years of age who presented with intellectual disability (IQ < 70). The utility of ELS procedures designed to collect samples of spoken language in conversation and narration were evaluated separately. Variables of talkativeness, vocabulary, syntax, utterance planning, and articulation quality, derived from transcripts segmented into C-units (i.e., an independent clause and its modifiers), were considered. A 4-week interval was used to assess practice effects and test-retest reliability. Standardized direct assessments and informant report measures were collected to evaluate construct validity of the ELS variables. Low rates of noncompliance were observed; youth who were under 12 years of age, had phrase-level speech or less, and had a 4-year-old developmental level or less were at particular risk for experiencing difficulty completing the ELS procedures. Minimal practice effects and strong test-retest reliability across the 4-week test-retest interval was observed. The vocabulary, syntax, and speech intelligibility variables demonstrated strong convergent and discriminant validity. Although significant correlations were found between the variables derived from both the conversation and narration contexts, some differences were noted. The ELS procedures considered were feasible and yielded variables with adequate psychometric properties for most individuals with DS between 6 and 23 years old. That said, studies of outcome measures appropriate for individuals with DS with more limited spoken language skills are needed. Context differences were observed in ELS variables suggest that comprehensive evaluation of expressive language is likely best obtained when utilizing both contexts.
γ-Hydroxybutyric Acid–Ethanol Drug-Drug Interaction: Reversal of Toxicity with Monocarboxylate Transporter 1 Inhibitors

The drug of abuse, γ-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB), is commonly co-ingested with ethanol, resulting in a high incidence of toxicity and death. Our laboratory has previously reported that GHB is a substrate for the monocarboxylate transporters (MCT), necessary for its absorption, renal clearance, and tissue distribution, including across the blood-brain barrier. Our goal was to investigate the drug-drug interaction (DDI) between GHB-ethanol and evaluate MCT1 inhibition as a strategy to reverse toxicity. The toxicokinetics of this DDI were investigated, including brain to plasma concentration ratios, in the presence and absence of ethanol. The toxicodynamic parameters examined were respiratory depression (breathing frequency, tidal volume) and sedation (time of return-of-righting reflex). Ethanol was administered (2 g/kg i.v.) 5 min before the i.v. or oral administration of GHB, and MCT1 inhibitors, AZD-3965 and AR-C155858 (5mg/kg i.v.) were administered 60 min after GHB administration. Ethanol administration did not alter the toxicokinetics or respiratory depression caused by GHB after i.v. or oral administration; however, it significantly increased the sedation effect, measured by return-to-righting time. AZD-3965 or AR-C155858 significantly decreased the effects of the co-administration of GHB and ethanol on respiratory depression and sedation of this DDI, and decreased brain concentrations and the brain/plasma concentration ratio of GHB. The results indicate that ethanol co-administered with GHB increases toxicity and MCT1 inhibition is effective in reversing toxicity by inhibiting GHB brain uptake when given post-GHB/ethanol administration. Significance Statement The aim of this project was to investigate the enhanced toxicity observed clinically when GHB is co-ingested the alcohol, and evaluate strategies to reverse this toxicity. The effects of the novel MCT1 inhibitors AR-C155858 and AZD-3965 on this drug-drug interaction have not been studied before, and our preclinical studies indicate that MCT1 inhibitors can decrease brain concentrations of GHB by inhibiting brain uptake, even when administered at times after GHB/ethanol. AZD-3965 represents a potential treatment strategy for GHB/ethanol overdoses.
Moralizing the Production and Sale of Student Papers in Uganda

Sociologists have shown that moral understandings of market exchanges can differ between historical periods and institutional settings, but they have paid less attention to how producers’ moral fra...
The (Un)Managed Heart: Racial Contours of Emotion Work in Gendered Occupations

The concept of emotional labor has been very useful for elucidating how the expansion of a service economy perpetuated new forms of work that maintained gender divisions and inequalities. Research ...
Minimum Zone Evaluation of Cylindricity Using Nonlinear Optimization Method

Minimum Zone Evaluation (MZE) of cylindricity, as mathematically defined in ASME standard, yields a nonlinear optimization problem which could be an arduous task due to the convergence difficulty. In this paper, the problem is formulated by introducing a new expression and simplification. The contribution of the new formulation to the problem implementation is revealed through the investigation of Objective Function Images (OFIs). This formulation possesses improved characteristics in comparison with the conventional one. This improvement is one of the keys to a successful optimum procedure. Based on the new formulation and the simplex searching technique, an algorithm has been accomplished and verified statistically and experimentally. The verification results are satisfactory in view of accuracy and robustness of the algorithm.
Data Integration and Exchange for Scientific Collaboration

As the sciences have become increasingly data driven, it is clear that information integration is critical to their advancement. By integrating diverse data, we can allow biologists to discover big-picture patterns or behaviors, or to do comparative analyses among different organisms or systems. By enabling collaborative editing and annotation of integrated data -- incorporating contributions from parties with different viewpoints -- we can facilitate higher-quality, better-understood data. One of the open challenges, however, lies in developing the right architectures and models for supporting effective data integration and exchange in science.
Comparative mammalian genomics and adaptive evolution: divergent homologs and novel genes in the cattle genome.

The convergence of two major currents in biology, comparative genomics and evolutionary biology, provides the pretext for greater understanding of the molecular mechanisms of adaptive evolutionary change. Our hypothesis is that rapidly evolving and novel genes contribute to the broad range of adaptive phenotypes observed among the mammalian orders. We have implemented an efficient scheme for the identification and characterization of divergent homologs and novel mammalian genes in order to obtain the necessary resources to test this hypothesis. The scheme is applicable to any species, particularly those whose genomes have not been completely sequenced. Herein, we discuss Bos taurus (domesticated cattle) as a model organism for studies in evolutionary biology and present a summary of results obtained using our scheme that led to the discovery of the MHCLA genes, a rapidly evolving gene family in cattle that is related to human ULBP/R4ET1. The rapid evolution of these genes appears to be related to their function as ligands for receptors present on natural killer cells of the immune system. In addition to MHCLA, 13 divergent homologs and 257 novel transcripts have been identified and are currently being characterized in detail for their chromosome map location and expression profiles in different tissues. The essential question to be answered is what roles these genes play in generating the adaptive phenotypes that arose among the Ruminantia during the past 85 million years.
Parameter Convergence in the Recursive Identification of Multivariable Systems

A multivariable adaptive identifier is designed on the basis of a canonical form leading to a unique set of parameters to identify. Frequency domain conditions for parameter convergence are derived. The sufficient condition to guarantee convergence in all cases is that n + v distinct frequency components be present in each input of the plant, where v is the maximum of the observability indexes, and n the order of the plant. On the other hand, the necessary condition requires n + mv distinct frequency components distributed over the inputs, where m is the number of inputs, and at least v frequency components in each separate input. Through examples, it is shown that convergence may or may not occur for intermediate number of frequency components, depending on their location and on the plant parameters.
Engineering and elementary school partnershhs (or Dean Kamen's challenge revisited)

1 Bogdan Adamczyk, Seymour and Esther Padnos School of Engineering, Grand Valley State University, adamczyb@gvsu.edu 2 Shirley Fleischmann, Seymour and Esther Padnos School of Engineering, Grand Valley State University, fleischs@gvsu.edu Abstract What can engineering students and faculty offer to inner city fifth and sixth graders and their teachers – and vice versa, what could be the benefit to engineering departments? In this paper we will describe a successful partnership that is now in its third year. The elementary students are from an inner city neighborhood where the high school dropout rate is high – about 30%. Using the projects that have been developed as a context, we will describe the history of the partnership, the benefits to all parties involved, and some of the surprises that were encountered. We will also address how this partnership seems to be another answer to the challenge presented to engineering educators by Dean Kamen at the 2001 ASEE Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico. That challenge was and still is to draw promising students from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds into engineering and technically based careers.
Composition of the plasmasphere and implications for refilling

[1] We compare measurements of He+ by IMAGE/EUV with measurements of the local electron density ne by IMAGE/RPI to derive new constraints on the relative abundance of He+ in the plasmasphere. Analysis of 1067 pairs of He+ and ne determinations shows that the ratio of He+ to ne is much more variable early in the refilling process as compared to late, which may be related to interspecies differences in refilling rates. Further, the ratio is roughly constant with L for the periods studied, with a typical value of about 0.09.
Microfluidic diffusion-based separation and detection

Most fluids show laminar behavior in miniature flow structures with channel cross-sections below 0.5 mm. Different layers of miscible fluids and particles can flow next to each other in a microchannel without any mixing other than by diffusion. Small particles diffuse faster than larger ones, which allows separation of particles by size. It is possible to design fluidic microchips in which separations, chemical reactions, and calibration-free analytical measurements can be performed directly in very small quantities of complex samples such as whole blood and contaminated environmental samples.
Nosocomial Transmission of Group B Streptococci

Group B streptococci are an important cause of infant septicemia and meningitis. A prospective study of group B streptococcal colonization in a 300-bed community hospital disclosed rates of 29% of 297 third-trimester women, 37% of 242 newborn infants, and 45% of 22 hospital personnel. Colonized parturients were more frequently black and anemic on admission for delivery. Infant colonization was statistically associated with a positive maternal genital culture, low birthweight, and prematurity. Nosocomial transmission of group B streptococci was strongly suggested by observations that 41% of colonized infants were born to culture-negative women and such infants became colonized later in their hospital stay than did colonized infants born to colonized women. Furthermore, hospital personnel working in the labor-delivery and nursery areas had a significantly higher prevalence of the organism than did personnel from other areas. Clearly, more information is needed about the epidemiology of group B streptococcal disease before appropriate and rational control measures can be recommended.
Earthquake size distribution: power-law with exponent beta=1/2 ?

We propose that the widely observed and universal Gutenberg-Richter relation is a mathematical consequence of the critical branching nature of earthquake process in a brittle fracture environment. These arguments, though preliminary, are confirmed by recent investigations of the seismic moment distribution in global earthquake catalogs and by the results on the distribution in crystals of dislocation avalanche sizes. We consider possible systematic and random errors in determining earthquake size, especially its seismic moment. These effects increase the estimate of the parameter beta of the power-law distribution of earthquake sizes. In particular, we find that estimated beta-values may be inflated by 1-3% because relative moment uncertainties decrease with increasing earthquake size. Moreover, earthquake clustering greatly influences the beta-parameter. If clusters (aftershock sequences) are taken as the entity to be studied, then the exponent value for their size distribution would decrease by 5-10%. The complexity of any earthquake source also inflates the estimated beta-value by at least 3-7%. The centroid depth distribution also should influence the beta-value, an approximate calculation suggests that the exponent value may be increased by 2-6%. Taking all these effects into account, we propose that the recently obtained beta-value of 0.63 could be reduced to about 0.52--0.56: near the universal constant value (1/2) predicted by theoretical arguments. We also consider possible consequences of the universal beta-value and its relevance for theoretical and practical understanding of earthquake occurrence in various tectonic and Earth structure environments. Using comparative crystal deformation results may help us understand the generation of seismic tremors and slow earthquakes and illuminate the transition from brittle fracture to plastic flow.
U.S. Competitiveness And Global Markets

Since the beginning of the 19 th century, the U.S. economy achieved leadership and supremacy in technology, innovation and productivity. This uncontested supremacy was the result of the combined efforts of both private sector investment policies in research and development and the supporting funding government policies of these corporations. These combined efforts in capital intensive R&D programs propelled the U.S. economy to the forefront of innovation and resulted in significant productivity gains--the drivers behind the U.S. long term economic growth, and the increases in the standards of living. Is the U.S. able to maintain its supremacy in innovation-technology and thereby its economic leadership? The authors discuss this question in light of the recent role assumed by the newly emerging countries and their respective educational, technological and economic quest for global reach.
Challenges in Implementing an ESP Service

Although active network services have been widely studied, the task of mapping these services and algorithms onto actual network hardware presents an additional set of challenges. For example, high-end routers and switches are designed to handle as many interfaces delivering packets at wire speed as possible; in such an environment decentralized processing, pipelining, and efficient synchronization are crucial for good performance. At the low end (e.g. small routers/firewalls for the home), cost and flexibility are paramount; such systems are often structured as a general-purpose processor running modular software. Thus, the two environments are different and have different goals and objectives. We present a case study based on a representative active service called Ephemeral State Processing (ESP) that highlights many of the issues that arise when mapping services to real hardware. We discuss engineering considerations for ESP in both low-end uniprocessor and higher-end network processor scenarios, and present performance measurements from both implementations.
Application of temperature‐programmed oxidation (TPO) in studying the mechanism of deposits formation from the degradation of lubricants on metal surfaces

Temperature-programmed oxidation (TPO) was used to investigate the mechanism of lubricant-derived deposit formation on metal surfaces. The relationship between the crystalline structures of different carbonaceous specimens, along with their chemical reactivity, was used to distinguish between more reactive and less reactive lubricant deposits. Multiple CO2 peaks obtained were attributed to differences in the oxidation reactivity of the deposits with respect to their structural characteristics. Findings from this work suggest that as deposits evolve, they become more complex (varied) due to loss of O and H atoms during a carbonisation-type process. As these deposits undergo visible changes over time (lacquer deposit transforming into dark carbon), the average peak temperature (weighted average oxidation temperature) monotonically increases. Characterisations of lubricant deposits by TPO indicate that the global change in carbonaceous structure proceeds across the deposits in a uniform layer deposition model. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An Efficient Technique for Searching Very Large Files with Fuzzy Criteria Using the Pigeonhole Principle

Big Data is the new term of the exponential growth of data in the Internet. The importance of Big Data is not about how large it is, but about what information you can get from analyzing these data. Such analysis would help many businesses on making smarter decisions, and provide time and cost reduction. Therefore, to make such analysis, you will definitely need to search the large files on Big Data. Big Data is such a construction where sequential search is prohibitively inefficient, in terms of time and energy. Therefore, any new technique that allows very efficient search in very large files is highly demanded. The paper presents an innovative approach for efficient searching with fuzzy criteria in very large information systems(Big Data). Organization of efficient access to a large amount of information by an "approximate" or "fuzzy" indication is a rather complicated Computer Science problem. Usually, the solution of this problem relies on a brute force approach, which results in sequential look-up of the file. In many cases, this substantially undermines system performance. The suggested technique in this paper uses different approach based on the Pigeonhole Principle. It searches binary strings that match the given request approximately. It substantially reduces the sequential search operations and works extremely efficiently from several orders of magnitude including speed, cost and energy. This paper presents a complex developed scheme for the suggested approach using a new data structure, called FuzzyFind Dictionary. The developed scheme provides more accuracy than the basic utilization of the suggested method. It also, works much faster than the sequential search.
Halting the progression of atherosclerosis with intensive lipid lowering: results from the Reversal of Atherosclerosis with Aggressive Lipid Lowering (REVERSAL) trial

Intravascular ultrasonography is a catheter-based technique used to provide 3-dimensional views of the vessel lumen as well as the size and distribution of atherosclerotic plaques. This imaging technique was used in the Reversal of Atherosclerosis with Aggressive Lipid Lowering (REVERSAL) study, an 18-month, randomized, controlled, multicenter trial comparing the effects of intensive versus moderate lipid-lowering therapy on plaque progression in patients requiring coronary angiography. A total of 253 patients were randomized to atorvastatin 80 mg/day (intensive lipid lowering) and 249 patients were randomized to pravastatin 40 mg/day (moderate lipid lowering). Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels decreased from a baseline mean of 150 mg/dL (3.9 mmol/L) in both groups to 79 mg/dL (2.0 mmol/L) in the atorvastatin group and 110 mg/dL (2.9 mmol/L) in the pravastatin group. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels decreased by 36.4% in the atorvastatin group versus 5.2% in the pravastatin group (P
Toxicity of alum sludge extracts to a freshwater alga, protozoan, fish, and marine bacterium

Alum sludges from ten water treatment plants throughout North America were subjected to a battery of toxicity tests which included the S. capricornutum growth test, the fathead minnow survival and growth test, a protozoan mortality test, and the Microtox® test. S. capricornutum was more sensitive than any other test species to sludge extracts. Algal growth inhibition was observed in extracts obtained at pH 5 but generally not in circumneutral solutions. Alum sludge extracts prepared with natural receiving waters were toxic to S. capricornutum at all extract pH levels tested if receiving water hardness was less than 35 mg CaCO3/L. These results indicate that water-soluble constituents from alum sludges discharged into receiving waters may affect algal growth.
Exercise in treating hypertension: tailoring therapies for active patients.

IN BRIEF: Even mild-to-moderate elevations in blood pressure dramatically increase the risk of left ventricular hypertrophy, stroke, and renal disease. Although antihypertensive drugs can reduce blood pressure, their side effects and cost have stimulated a search for alternatives. Nonpharmocologic interventions can serve as definitive therapy for selected patients and as adjunctive therapy for many hypertensive patients. Patients with secondary hypertension should be treated directly and may not derive as much benefit from exercise. Low-to-moderate intensity aerobic exercise can help mildly hypertensive patients and reduce the drug dosage of those more severely affected. For active patients who require medication, regimens can be tailored to minimize adverse drug effects.
Ion/ion proton-transfer kinetics: implications for analysis of ions derived from electrospray of protein mixtures.

Protein ions of different mass and charge but similar mass-to-charge ratios are shown to undergo significantly different rates of differential neutralization, defined as the rate of change of charge with time, upon initiation of reactions with oppositely charged ions in the quadrupole ion trap. Overlapping charge state distributions arising from mixtures of ions of dissimilar charge are separated on the mass-to-charge scale at short reactions times. It is also demonstrated that the time frame for near total neutralization, defined as charge reduction to the 1+ ion, is relatively insensitive to initial charge state. It is shown, for example, that the (M + 11H)11+−(M + 22H)22+ ions derived from horse skeletal muscle apomyoglobin yield the (M + H)+ ion as the major ion/ion reaction product over the same reaction period that largely converts doubly protonated bradykinin to the singly protonated species. Less than 25% of the bradykinin ions are expected to be totally neutralized when roughly 7% of the myoglobi...
Targeted therapy for metastatic breast cancer

Metastatic breast cancer is incurable, so most oncologists favor sequential chemotherapy with one agent at a time over concurrent therapy with multiple agents.1 The use of single agents on a sequential basis can control the growth of metastases and improve the quality of life without a detrimental effect on survival. This conventional practice is about to change as a result of the development of new targeted agents for cancer.2 These targeted therapies — drugs that are specifically designed to block one or more critical pathways involved in cancer-cell growth and metastases — have led to major advances in the treatment . . .
Transesophageal echocardiography to guide cardioversion in patients with atrial fibrillation: ACUTE trial update.

The Assessment of Cardioversion Using Transesophageal Echocardiography (ACUTE) trial was the first randomized prospective study to compare the conventional strategy of 3 weeks of anticoagulation before direct current cardioversion (DCC) for atrial fibrillation (AF) to a transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) guided approach with an expedited course of anticoagulation. This was a multicenter, international study with 70 sites enrolling 1222 patients between 1994–1999. The primary endpoint of composite embolic events and secondary endpoints including bleeding, functional status, prevalence of sinus rhythm, and death were assessed at 8 weeks following randomization.
HOT‐FAT TRIMMING OF PORK CARCASSES TO REDUCE PALE, SOFT AND EXUDATIVE PORK

Eighty market hogs were allotted to stressed and unstressed treatment groups, and one side of each carcass was conventionally chilled while the counterparts were hot-fat trimmed to 6.4 mm immediately postmortem. Temperature and pH declines were monitored after slaughter. At 2 h postmortem, internal ham temperatures from the hot-fat trimmed carcasses were about 3C lower (P < 0.05) than the control sides in both the stressed and unstressed groups but, no differences were found after 4 h. Muscle from stressed carcasses had a lower pH at 2 and 4 h postmortem with no differences after 4 h. Purge loss from vacuum packaged loins was evaluated after 7 and 14 days of storage. Hot-fat trimming reduced the incidence of PSE by 50%. The stressed carcasses had a 20% higher incidence of PSE. These results indicate that PSE can be reduced by decreasing muscle temperatures immediately postmortem through hot-fat trimming.
Male and Female Voice Quality and Its Relationship to Vowel Formant Frequencies

Speech samples obtained from a group of adult males and females while they articulated the tone produced by a single-frequency electrolarynx were played to a panel of listeners who were asked to de...
Replication-Extension Studies

Replication-extension studies combine results from prior studies with results from a new study specifically designed to replicate and extend the results of the prior studies. Replication-extension studies have many advantages over the traditional single-study designs used in psychology: Formal assessments of replication can be obtained, effect sizes can be estimated with greater precision and generalizability, misleading findings from prior studies can be exposed, and moderator effects can be assessed.
Decoupling as an alternate model for transpression during the initial opening of the Norwegian-Greenland Sea

Transpressive plate motions during the opening of the Norwegian-Greenland Sea were in some manner responsible for the development of Spitsbergen's Tertiary fold-and-thrust belt. A flower model has been proposed for the large-scale structural architecture of Tertiary deformation (Lowell 1972). An alternate model of decoupling, where convergent and transcurrent motions were accommodated in totally or partially separated, subparallel belts is suggested.
Hemodynamics and peak oxygen uptake in bicaval versus standard orthotopic heart transplantation - a five year follow-up

Conclusion. This investigation suggests that microvascular perfusion is decreased in cardiac allografts irrespective of angiographic disease. The presence of epicardial narrowing is indicative of a global decrease in tissue perfusion, not limited to the vessel involved. Conversely, “distal” coronary artery narrowing is not associated with reduced microvascular perfusion, indicating a heterogeneity between form and function.
Successful treatment of Candida parapsilosis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection using medical and surgical management in an injecting drug user with mitral and aortic valve endocarditis: a case report

Polymicrobial endocarditis is a well-recognized problem in intravenous drug users and it accounts for 1 to 3% of endocarditis cases overall and up to 9% in other series. The most common combinations of organisms include Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae followed by Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Candida parapsilosis endocarditis carries a mortality rate of 45%, and each infection with Candida or Pseudomonas endocarditis per se carries a very high mortality rate approaching 85% and 80%, respectively. The combination of P. aeruginosa and C. parapsilosis has never been encountered and there have been no earlier reports of the combination of C. parapsilosis and P. aeruginosa in adult intravenous drug users as a cause of endocarditis. We present a 49-year-old man with bivalvular endocarditis with P. aeruginosa and C. parapsilosis. He had a prior bivalvular replacement in 2005 that became infected with the above microorganisms and he was treated with intravenous antibiotics. Because of ongoing intravenous drug use, a second valve replacement was denied. A few days later, the patient presented with septic shock secondary to P. aeruginosa and C. parapsilosis recurrent endocarditis. The infection was cured with a second bivalvular replacement and extended therapy with antibiotics and antifungals. This is the first time a patient has presented with P. aeruginosa and C. parapsilosis endocarditis. Relapsing polymicrobial endocarditis can be cured with medical and surgical therapy.
One-Party Politics and the Voter.

The existence of one-party systems of politics within the larger framework of the democratic society merits an increased share of the attention of students of American politics. For too long the common conception has been that one-party politics is a problem unique to the Southern states. This misconception persists even though systematic studies such as the monumental work of V. O. Key and Alexander Heard have illustrated that the politics of the so-called Solid South is in many respects the politics of the nation.As a case in point, an examination of the composition of contemporary legislative delegations indicates that monopolistic control of elective offices is clearly not the exclusive province of the Southern Democrats. In 1955, three out of every four state legislative bodies or congressional delegations were so completely dominated by a single political party that that party controlled more than 66 per cent of the members of the group. Excluding the 15 Border and Southern states, fully half of the remaining 33 state legislatures were controlled by one party holding at least two out of every three seats; in only six states was the controlling margin below 55 per cent. Within the same group of non-Border, non-Southern states, 25 of the 33 congressional delegations were dominated by one party controlling two-thirds or more of the delegation members; only four delegations were so evenly divided as to give the majority party less than 55 per cent of the members.
The formation of Ca-Cl-rich groundwaters in the Dry Valleys of Antarctica: Field measurements and modeling of reactive transport

Abstract Ca-Cl-rich brines have been found in shallow subsurface flows, groundwater systems, lakes, and ponds throughout the Dry Valleys of Antarctica. The apparent abundance of Ca-Cl-rich waters near the surface is unusual compared to global surface water compositions and a number of theories have been proposed to explain the genesis of these brines. We show that an ice-cemented soil developing on fluvial sediment in Taylor Valley also contains Ca-Cl-rich brine. The distribution of soluble ions, exchangeable cations, and stable isotopes down to 2.1 m depth in the soil suggests that CaCl2 was formed by cation exchange reactions during downward reactive transport of Na-Cl-rich brine from the soil surface. To explore the implications of exchange reactions for the formation of Ca-Cl-rich brine, Ca-Na and Ca-Mg exchange properties were measured in 1 mM, 0.1 M, and 4.75 M solutions. Low-temperature reactions and brine transport were modeled in PHREEQC by incorporating FREZCHEM Pitzer parameters and solubility products into PHREEQC. Modeling shows that by freezing soils in equilibrium with Dry Valley surface waters, a strong Ca-Mg enrichment of the soil solution is caused by the exchange of aqueous Na+ with exchangeable Ca2+ and Mg2+. Ca-Mg enrichment also occurs as Na-Cl-rich brine from the soil surface advects into ice-cemented soil. By modeling this process in the borehole soil, trends in ion distributions with depth can be predicted. Brine compositions from cation exchange reactions are consistent with Ca-Cl-rich brine compositions in the Dry Valleys, although additional water–rock interaction is proposed to account for the low Mg2+ concentrations in Don Juan Pond. Furthermore, the amount of CaCl2 that can be produced by exchange reactions is consistent with estimated amounts of CaCl2 in groundwaters beneath Don Juan Pond. This suggests that cation exchange reactions can explain the Ca-Cl-rich composition of the enigmatic Don Juan Pond and other brines in the Dry Valleys.
Protein-Free Efavirenz Concentrations in Cerebrospinal Fluid and Blood Plasma Are Equivalent: Applying the Law of Mass Action To Predict Protein-Free Drug Concentration

Efavirenz (EFV) is one of the most commonly prescribed antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) for the treatment of HIV. Highly protein-bound drugs, like EFV, have limited central nervous system (CNS) penetration when measured using total drug concentration gradients between blood plasma (BP) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). However, the more relevant pharmacologically active protein-free drug concentrations are rarely assessed directly in clinical studies. Using paired BP and CSF samples obtained from 13 subjects on an EFV-containing regimen, both the protein-free and total concentrations of EFV were determined. Despite a median (interquartile range [IQR]) total EFV BP/CSF concentration ratio of 134 (116 to 198), the protein-free EFV BP/CSF concentration ratio was 1.20 (0.97 to 2.12). EFV median (IQR) protein binding was 99.78% (99.74 to 99.80%) in BP and 76.19% (74.47 to 77.15%) in CSF. In addition, using the law of mass action and an in vitro-derived EFV-human serum albumin dissociation constant, we have demonstrated that the predicted median (IQR) protein-free concentration in BP, 4.59 ng/ml (4.02 to 9.44 ng/ml), compared well to that observed in BP, 4.77 ng/ml (3.68 to 6.75 ng/ml). Similar results were also observed in CSF and seminal plasma. This method provides a useful predictive tool for estimating protein binding in varied anatomic compartments. Our results of equivalent protein-free EFV concentrations in BP and CSF do not support prior concerns of the CNS as a pharmacological sanctuary from EFV. As CSF penetration of ARVs may increase our understanding of HIV-associated neurological dysfunction and antiretroviral effect, assessment of protein-free CSF concentrations of other highly protein-bound ARVs is warranted.
Social Puzzles: Context-Based Access Control in Online Social Networks

The increasing popularity of online social networks (OSNs) is spawning new security and privacy concerns. Currently, a majority of OSNs offer very naive access control mechanisms that are primarily based on static access control lists (ACL) or policies. But as the number of social connections grow, static ACL based approaches become ineffective and unappealing to OSN users. There is an increased need in social-networking and data-sharing applications to control access to data based on the associated context (e.g., event, location, and users involved), rather than solely on data ownership and social connections. Surveillance is another critical concern for OSN users, as the service provider may further scrutinize data posted or shared by users for personal gains (e.g., targeted advertisements), for use by corporate partners or to comply with legal orders. In this paper, we introduce a novel paradigm of context-based access control in OSNs, where users are able to access the shared data only if they have knowledge of the context associated with it. We propose two constructions for context-based access control in OSNs: the first is based on a novel application of Shamir's secret sharing scheme, whereas the second makes use of an attribute-based encryption scheme. For both constructions, we analyze their security properties, implement proof-of-concept applications for Facebook and empirically evaluate their functionality and performance. Our empirical measurements show that the proposed constructions execute efficiently on standard computing hardware, as well as, on portable mobile devices.
Long-term isohaline salt balance in an estuary

Abstract The salinity budget in a 3-D numerical model of an estuary is analyzed using isohaline surfaces to define the volume of integration. Such surfaces move with the currents, and as a result of turbulent mixing. The isohaline analysis allows us to clarify the processes which create and destroy water in different salinity classes in the estuary. We find that the estuary naturally divides into three salinity classes, with different mechanisms maintaining the volume in each, when averaged over a time long enough to have a steady mean salinity field (two spring-neap cycles in our model). In the low salinity region, where isohalines never leave the estuary, there is an advective–diffusive balance. The river flow tend to increase the volume of low salinity water, while isohaline “drift” tend to decrease it. The “drift” is the non-advective motion of isohalines, caused by turbulent diffusion. In the high salinity region, direct injection of ocean water at the mouth brings in salt, balanced mainly by this drift. There the mean drift of isohalines is toward higher salinity, whereas in the low salinity region the drift is toward lower salinity. Correspondingly, the drift tends to increase the volume of water in the mid-salinity range, consistent with turbulent creation of mixed water out of ocean and river endpoints. This increase is balanced by the direct ejection of that water out the mouth of the estuary, due to restratification during neap tides. The magnitude of this ejection depends upon the location of the estuary mouth, which is somewhat arbitrary. The ability of the estuary to permanently export mixed water at the mouth is a key factor in the overall salinity structure.
Suppression and shifting of odd-photon resonant excitations and stimulated hyper-Raman emissions

When a principal atomic transition (dipole allowed from the ground state) is driven by odd- multi-photon excitation or by stimulated hyper-Raman scattering, a nonlinear multi-wave mixing field is generated at the transition frequency. A number of dramatic effects on such odd-photon mediated processes can ensue as a result of the internally generated wave-mixing fields. Excellent agreement between theory and experimental studies in Xe and in metal vapors is illustrated for a number of predicted effects including: suppression and strong shifting of resonance lines and hyper-Raman emissions under single and multi-laser excitation. We illustrate the dependence of the interference-related effects on pressure, oscillator strength, wavelength combination and relative propagation directions of pump laser beams. Contrary to most other nonlinear effects, we show that none of the features (in the semi-classical regime) depends on the intensity of the driving laser field.
Low-frequency calcium oscillations accompany deoxyhemoglobin oscillations in rat somatosensory cortex

Spontaneous low-frequency oscillations (LFOs) of blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signals are used to map brain functional connectivity with functional MRI, but their source is not well understood. Here we used optical imaging to assess whether LFOs from vascular signals covary with oscillatory intracellular calcium (Ca2+i) and with local field potentials in the rat’s somatosensory cortex. We observed that the frequency of Ca2+i oscillations in tissue (∼0.07 Hz) was similar to the LFOs of deoxyhemoglobin (HbR) and oxyhemoglobin (HbO2) in both large blood vessels and capillaries. The HbR and HbO2 fluctuations within tissue correlated with Ca2+i oscillations with a lag time of ∼5–6 s. The Ca2+i and hemoglobin oscillations were insensitive to hypercapnia. In contrast, cerebral-blood-flow velocity (CBFv) in arteries and veins fluctuated at a higher frequency (∼0.12 Hz) and was sensitive to hypercapnia. However, in parenchymal tissue, CBFv oscillated with peaks at both ∼0.06 Hz and ∼0.12 Hz. Although the higher-frequency CBFv oscillation (∼0.12 Hz) was decreased by hypercapnia, its lower-frequency component (∼0.06 Hz) was not. The sensitivity of the higher CBFV oscillations to hypercapnia, which triggers blood vessel vasodilation, suggests its dependence on vascular effects that are distinct from the LFOs detected in HbR, HbO2, Ca2+i, and the lower-frequency tissue CBFv, which were insensitive to hypercapnia. Hemodynamic LFOs correlated both with Ca2+i and neuronal firing (local field potentials), indicating that they directly reflect neuronal activity (perhaps also glial). These findings show that HbR fluctuations (basis of BOLD oscillations) are linked to oscillatory cellular activity and detectable throughout the vascular tree (arteries, capillaries, and veins).