cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Restorative proctocolectomy in patients older than fifty years.

PURPOSE: This study was undertaken to compare functional results, complications, preoperative durations of disease, and rates of dysplasia and neoplasia between older and younger chronic ulcerative colitis patients undergoing restorative proctocolectomy (RPC) with mucosectomy. METHODS: A total of 392 patients with a preoperative diagnosis of chronic ulcerative colitis underwent elective RPC with mucosection and handsewn ileoanal anastomosis. Pathologic reports were reviewed, with specific reference to findings of dysplasia or cancer. Functional results concerning the number of bowel movements per 24 hour period and the incidence of fecal soilage were obtained by direct or telephone patient interview. FINDINGS: Group I consisted of 326 patients aged 5 to 49 (mean, 30.9) years and 160 women. Group II comprised 66 patients aged 50 to 74 (mean, 56.9) years and 29 women. Duration of disease was significantly longer in the older group (6.2 vs. 15.6 years; P < 0.001). The older group had significantly higher rates of dysplasia (29/326 vs. 19/66; P < 0.0001) and malignancy (14/326 vs. 9/66; P = 0.003). Rates of complication, hospital days following RPC, and total hospital days for all causes were comparable between groups. Perfect daytime continence was observed in 81.6 percent of Group I and 80 percent of Group II patients (213/261 vs. 40/50; P = 0.79). Perfect continence during sleep was observed in 65.1 percent of Group I and 62 percent of Group II patients (170/261 vs. 31/50; P = 0.67). Mean number of bowel movements per 24 hour period for Group I was 6.3 ± 0.2 and for Group II was 7.4 ± 0.5. Mean difference, one movement per 24 hours, was not significant (95 percent confidence interval, -0.02 to 2.1; t = 1.95, P = 0.055). CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that patients older than 50 years are suitable candidates for RPC with mucosectomy. Functional results and complication rates are similar to those observed among younger patients. Patients older than 50 years have a significantly higher rate of concurrent dysplasia and malignant degeneration than younger patients, most probably because of a longer duration of disease. RPC with mucosal excision potentially lowers this risk by elimination of all colorectal mucosa.
Comparison between the temperatures of intracellular ice formation in fresh mouse oocytes and embryos and those previously subjected to a vitrification procedure.

When cells that have been subjected to supposedly innocuous freezing or vitrification procedures are used as the source material for subsequent experiments, it is important that they possess or exhibit the same relevant properties as fresh cells. In this study, we compared the temperatures of intracellular ice formation (IIF) in previously vitrified mouse oocytes/embryos with those in fresh intact ones. In the case of MII oocytes, 2-cell embryos, 4–6-cell embryos, and morulae, there are no significant differences (p > 0.05); namely, −33.3 °C (fresh) vs. −35.4 °C (vitrified) with MII oocytes, −40.6 °C (fresh) vs. −38.7 °C (vitrified) with 2-cell embryos, −38.0 °C (fresh) vs. −38.5 °C (vitrified) with 4–6-cell embryos, −24.5 °C (fresh) vs. −17.7 °C (vitrified) with morulae. But, in 8-cell embryos, there is a significant difference (p < 0.05) between fresh (−37.9 °C) and vitrified (−32.9 °C). If we include this significant difference, the overall IIF temperature of fresh cells is 1.44 °C lower than that of previously vitrified cells. If we exclude it, the IIF temperature for fresh cells is 1.3 °C higher than that for previously vitrified cells. Our conclusion then is that there is no difference between the IIF temperatures of fresh and previously vitrified cells.
Use cases in an IV&V system reference model

As the complexity of software-intensive systems increases, it becomes more difficult for independent verification and validation (IV&V) agents to perform comprehensive requirements analysis early in the product lifecycle. In order to accelerate early-lifecycle IV&V, the NASA IV&V Program has explored a system reference model (SRM) approach using unified modeling language (UML) constructs to model key system behaviors. This paper describes the SRM concept and early results of its application.
Content Type, Media Type and Carrier Type: MARC 21 Fields Related to Resource Description and Access

MARC 21 fields were defined to support three elements in Resource Description and Access: content, media, and carrier types. The fields contain terms and codes that may be used for cataloging all types of resources. The article describes the new fields with attention to their use in cataloging textual electronic serials and integrating resources issued online and in direct access formats.
To model or not to model

In theory, the combination of mathematical modeling with experimental studies can be a powerful and compelling approach to understanding cell biology. In practice, choosing appropriate problems, identifying willing and able collaborators, and publishing the resulting research can be remarkably challenging. To provide perspective on the question of whether and when to combine modeling and experiments, a panel of experts at the 2010 ASCB Annual Meeting shared their personal experiences and advice on how to use modeling effectively.
The effect of timed water stress on quality, total solids and reducing sugar content of potatoes

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) solids and reducing sugars were examined before, just after, and two weeks after transient water stress to gain an understanding of tuber changes that occur directly associated with water stress. Russet Burbank and A082260-8 potatoes were grown on Owyhee silt loam at the Malheur Experiment Station, Ontario, Oregon. Potatoes were subjected to a single episode of transient water stress by omitting furrow irrigation in either late June, July, or in early August of 1988 and 1989 to examine variety differences in the short term effects of water stress on changes in solids and reducing sugars in tuber stem ends. Irrigation was managed to maintain soil water potential above -65 kPa at 20 cm depth during tuber initiation through bulking except during transient stress when the soil water potential reached -82 to -110 kPa. Tuber samples were taken from plots and minimally stressed check treatments before stress, at the peak of stress, two weeks after the transient stress period, and after harvest. Tubers were sectioned longitudinally and the percent solids and reducing sugars were determined for samples from the tuber stem end, center, and apical end. Longitudinal tuber strips were fried after harvest to determine fry color. Tuber stem-end fry color did not darken in A082260-8 potatoes subjected to water stress. The line A082260-8 had higher stem-end solids and lower stem-end reducing sugars than Russet Burbank. Neither variety responded to transient water stress or recovery from transient stress with an immediate increase in reducing sugars in any tuber part. Reducing sugars were elevated in harvested tubers, particularly in the stem-ends of Russet Burbank potatoes subjected to water stress. Increases in tuber reducing sugars related to transient water stress were not found during the stress period or immediately after stress, but were present in harvested tubers.
Human bite infections

Abstract 1. 1. Sixty-eight cases of infections caused by human teeth are reported. Thirty-eight involved the metacarpophalangeal joint regions, having resulted from fist fight injuries. Thirty were caused by actual bites. 2. 2. Superficial abrasions and avulsive bites did not cause serious infections. Penetrating bites and fist fight injuries to knuckles resulted in the most serious complications, of which the most common were abscess, tissue necrosis, sloughing of tendons, osteomyelitis, and suppurative arthritis. The discharge in these cases was very offensive and malodorous. Late sequelae were stiff fingers from tendon destruction, soft tissue scarring and ankylosis of joints. 3. 3. Nine amputations were done. Two of these were of stiff, useless fingers after the infection had subsided. Seven were of fingers because of extensive severe active infection, and of these two later required forearm amputations to control spreading infections. 4. 4. Smears of discharge in forty-one cases revealed both the fusiform bacillus and the spirochete of Vincent in ten, while eleven others showed the fusiform bacillus but not the spirochete. A majority of the cultures from these cases yielded Staphylococcus aureus and a few yielded Streptococcus viridans and Streptococcus hemolyticus. 5. 5. Oxidizing agents, such as hydrogen peroxide and sodium perborate, applied to the wounds appeared to produce more rapid healing than when ordinary hot wet soaks were used. Intravenous neoarsphenamine had no appreciable influence on the repair of these wounds.
Development of the Concept of Family Vigilance

Although there is an increase in the visibility offamilies in hospitals, there was little known about the meanings, patterns, and day-to-day experience offamilies staying with hospitalized relative...
Molecular characterization and functional significance of the Vti family of SNARE proteins in tick salivary glands

Exocytosis involves membrane fusion between secretory vesicles and the plasma membrane. The Soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment proteins (SNAPs) and their receptor proteins (SNAREs) interact to fuse vesicles with the membrane and trigger the release of their sialosecretome out of the tick salivary gland cells. In this study, we examined the functional significance of the Vti family of SNARE proteins of blood-feeding Amblyomma maculatum and Amblyomma americanum. Vti1A and Vti1B have been implicated in multiple functional roles in vesicle transport. QRT-PCR studies demonstrated that the highest transcriptional expression of vti1a and vti1b genes occurs in unfed salivary glands, suggesting that elevated secretory vesicle formation occurs prior to feeding but continues at low rates after blood feeding commences. Vti1A and Vti1B localize to the secretory vesicles in unfed tick salivary glands in immunofluorescence microscopy studies. Knockdown of vti1a and vti1b by RNA interference resulted in a significant decrease in the engorged tick weight compared to the control during prolonged blood-feeding on the host. RNA interference of vti1a or vti1b impaired oviposition and none of the ticks produced eggs masses. Surprisingly, the double knockdown did not produce a strong phenotype and ticks fed normally on the host and produced egg masses, suggesting a compensatory mechanism exists within the secretory system which may have been activated in the double knockdown. These results suggest an important functional role of the Vti family of SNARE proteins in tick blood feeding and ultimately oviposition. Understanding the basic functions of the Vti family of SNARE proteins in salivary glands may lead to better ways to prevent tick attachment and transmission of tick-borne diseases.
Pervasive Multinucleotide Mutational Events in Eukaryotes

Many aspects of mutational processes are nonrandom, from the preponderance of transitions relative to transversions to the higher rate of mutation at CpG dinucleotides [1]. However, it is still often assumed that single-nucleotide mutations are independent of one another, each being caused by separate mutational events. The occurrence of multiple, closely spaced substitutions appears to violate assumptions of independence and is often interpreted as evidence for the action of adaptive natural selection [2, 3], balancing selection [4], or compensatory evolution [5, 6]. Here we provide evidence of a frequent, widespread multinucleotide mutational process active throughout eukaryotes. Genomic data from mutation-accumulation experiments, parent-offspring trios, and human polymorphisms all show that simultaneous nucleotide substitutions occur within short stretches of DNA. Regardless of species, such multinucleotide mutations (MNMs) consistently comprise ~3% of the total number of nucleotide substitutions. These results imply that previous adaptive interpretations of multiple, closely spaced substitutions may have been unwarranted and that MNMs must be considered when interpreting sequence data.
Association of a baculovirus-encoded protein with the capsid basal region.

Abstract An open reading frame homologous to AcMNPV ORF9 (ORF1629) was characterized in the Orgyia pseudotsugata multinucleocapsid nuclear polyhedrosis virus (OpMNPV). Sequence analysis indicated that the OpMNPV homolog (called ORF2) encoded a protein predicted to contain 545 amino acids with a molecular weight of 61 kDa. The first 80 amino acids did not have a counterpart in the AcMNPV homolog. The remainder of the ORF was poorly conserved with 29% amino acid identity overall with the AcMNPV ORF. However, the amino terminal 150 amino acids of AcMNPV ORF9 demonstrated about 45% amino acid sequence identity with OpMNPV ORF2 and conserved runs of proline residues were present in internal regions of both molecules. Transcriptional mapping indicated the ORF2 transcripts were initiated at a late promoter sequence, ATAAG, beginning about 24 hr p.i. These transcripts terminated near the 3′ end of the ORF2 reading frame. Antibodies were produced against a fusion protein derived from the bacterial gene encoding the maltose binding protein and most of the ORF2 sequence. These antibodies reacted with a protein of 69 kDa on Western blots and the protein was found to be associated with virions isolated from both polyhedra and budded virus. The OpMNPV ORF2 antiserum also reacted with the AcMNPV ORF9 gene product. Immunoelectron microscopic analyses indicated that ORF2 was associated with the ends of the capsids which contain the basal structure. This end appears to be oriented away from both the virogenic stroma and membranes involved in intranuclear envelopment. In addition, as virions bud from the nucleus into the cytoplasm, this end also appears to be oriented away from the nuclear membrane.
Wear behavior of Au–ZnO nanocomposite films for electrical contacts

Electrical contact switches require low contact resistance for efficient passage of signals, while withstanding repetitive cycling. Hard gold with alloy additions of Ni, Co, or Ag can increase the wear resistance of Au films, however, this causes a significant decrease in conductivity and alloying elements can segregate during long-term aging leading to property evolution. The current work demonstrates that Au–zinc oxide (ZnO) nanocomposites can create a hard Au coating with a uniform, stable structure under frictional loading. Addition of ZnO particles decreases the grain size and texture of the film by 35 and 40–75 %, respectively, indicating a change in growth behavior of the film. The nanoindentation hardness increased directly with increasing ZnO concentration. Atomic force microscopy examination of wear-tested films demonstrated morphological stability after frictional contact and thus showed the potential for these films to replace current hard Au used on contact terminals.
Should CMS Cover Lung Cancer Screening for the Fully Informed Patient

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death1 and an estimated 12,000 lung cancer deaths could potentially be averted each year in the United States through early detection with low-dose computed tomography (LDCT).2 The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is currently considering national coverage of lung cancer screening with LDCT for individuals at high risk of developing lung cancer based on their age and smoking history.3 The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recently updated its recommendation about screening for lung cancer to recommend annual screening with LDCT for adults aged 55–80 years who have a 30-pack-year smoking history and who currently smoke or have quit within the past 15 years (B recommendation, update published December 31, 2013).4 In making its recommendation, the USPSTF weighed many factors including the estimated 16% mortality reduction associated with screening and surgical resection5 and the high false positive rate associated with screening.6 Unlike new private insurance plans, coverage of preventive services with a grade of A or B by the USPSTF is not mandatory for Medicare. CMS is allowed to cover additional preventive services if it determines through the Medicare national coverage determinations process that the service is reasonable and necessary for prevention or early detection of illness, is recommended with an A or B grade by the USPSTF, and it meets certain other requirements.
Surgically-Induced Weight Loss Significantly Improves Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and the Metabolic Syndrome

Objective: To evaluate the effects of surgical weight loss on fatty liver disease in severely obese patients.
The synthesis and in vivo evaluation of [18F]PF-9811: a novel PET ligand for imaging brain fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH).

Introduction Fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) is responsible for the enzymatic degradation of the fatty acid amide family of signaling lipids, including the endogenous cannabinoid (endocannabinoid) anandamide. The involvement of the endocannabinoid system in pain and other nervous system disorders has made FAAH an attractive target for drug development. Companion molecular imaging probes are needed, however, to assess FAAH inhibition in the nervous system in vivo. We report here the synthesis and in vivo evaluation of [18F]PF-9811, a novel PET ligand for non-invasive imaging of FAAH in the brain.
Shuttle Damage/Repair from the Perspective of Hypersonic Boundary Layer Transition - Experimental Results

An overview is provided of the experimental wind tunnel program conducted at the NASA Langley Research Center Aerothermodynamics Laboratory in support of an agency-wide effort to prepare the Shuttle Orbiter for Return-to-Flight. The effect of an isolated protuberance and an isolated rectangular cavity on hypersonic boundary layer transition onset on the windward surface of the Shuttle Orbiter has been experimentally characterized. These experimental studies were initiated to provide a protuberance and cavity effects database for developing hypersonic transition criteria to support on-orbit disposition of thermal protection system damage or repair. In addition, a synergistic experimental investigation was undertaken to assess the impact of an isolated mass-flow entrainment source (simulating pyrolysis/outgassing from a proposed tile repair material) on boundary layer transition. A brief review of the relevant literature regarding hypersonic boundary layer transition induced from cavities and localized mass addition from ablation is presented. Boundary layer transition results were obtained using 0.0075-scale Orbiter models with simulated tile damage (rectangular cavities) of varying length, width, and depth and simulated tile damage or repair (protuberances) of varying height. Cavity and mass addition effects were assessed at a fixed location (x/L = 0.3) along the model centerline in a region of near zero pressure gradient. Cavity length-to-depth ratio was systematically varied from 2.5 to 17.7 and length-to-width ratio of 1 to 8.5. Cavity depth-to-local boundary layer thickness ranged from 0.5 to 4.8. Protuberances were located at several sites along the centerline and port/starboard attachment lines along the chine and wing leading edge. Protuberance height-to-boundary layer thickness was varied from approximately 0.2 to 1.1. Global heat transfer images and heating distributions of the Orbiter windward surface using phosphor thermography were used to infer the state of the boundary layer (laminar, transitional, or turbulent). Test parametrics include angles-of-attack of 30 deg and 40 deg, sideslip angle of 0 deg, freestream Reynolds numbers from 0.02x106 to 7.3x106 per foot, edge-to-wall temperature ratio from 0.4 to 0.8, and normal shock density ratios of approximately 5.3, 6.0, and 12 in Mach 6 air, Mach 10 air, and Mach 6 CF4, respectively. Testing to simulate the effects of ablation from a proposed tile repair concept indicated that transition was not a concern. The experimental protuberance and cavity databases highlighted in this report were used to formulate boundary layer transition correlations that were an integral part of an analytical process to disposition observed Orbiter TPS damage during STS- 114.
Weinstein Calculations for Excited States

Weinstein's principle for an energy level, 〈H〉—Q≤Ej≤〈H〉+Q, gives both a lower and an upper bound and is applicable to both ground and excited states. Here, Q2=〈(H—〈H〉)2〉, all expectation values being calculated with respect to the same approximate wavefunction. An iterative method is proposed for solution of the necessary nonlinear equations. In tests on H2+ and H2, it is shown that the iterative method is workable, and that fair lower bounds are obtained. A formal perturbation theory is used to partly explain our results. Comparisons are made with the conventional variation method.
993-43 Towards a Better Understanding of the Development of Atrial Fibrillation After Cardiac Surgery: Risk Factor Analysis in a Large Prospective Study

In a recent prospective study, we had identified prolonged p-wave duration on signal-averaged (SA) ECG as a predictor of atrial fibrillation (AF) after cardiac surgery. Although several clinical characteristics have also predicted AF, the results have been inconsistent. The purpose of the present study was to examine a variety of clinical, surgical and laboratory parameters to establish accurate risk factors, and to gain insight into the mechanism, of AF in this setting. 272 consecutive patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery were enrolled. clinical data collected and pre-op p-wave SAECG recorded. Patients were observed after cardiac surgery for the development of AF. During the period of observation, 79 of the 272 patients (29%) developed AF 2.5 ± 1.7 days (range of 1 – 8 days) after surgery. 22 variables were analyzed and univariate predictors of AF were identified: EF l 40%, valve surgery, pre-op use of digoxin, p-wave SAECG and p-wave on SAECG g 140 msec. Prior MI, HTN, pre-op use of beta blockers, aortic cross clamp time were not predictive. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that p-wave SAECG and low EF were significant independent predictors of AF. P-wave duration on SAECG g 140 msec and EF l 40% were associated with relative risks of 3.1 and 2.8, respectively. P-wave SAECG was the most sensitive test, identifying 82% of patients who experienced AF. Conclusion AF continues to be a common complication after cardiac surgery. The presence of pre-op anatomic and electrophysiologic abnormalities promote AF, and clinical variables can be used to identify those at greatest risk.
Parallel and divergent landscapes: cultural encounters in the ethnographic space of Tuareg medicine.

This essay explores the dialogue between the local quest for healing and the anthropological quest for healing knowledge, and local assessments of knowledge-power relationships in these processes. The context is medical discourse among the Tuareg of Niger Republic, West Africa, and my research experiences among these people. I examine local medical specialists and their traditional and changing practice in terms of how they perceive and respond to wider knowledge and power systems that impinge on local health care. Paramount in these systems are central state policies and medical anthropological research on healing, as these intersect in a postcolonial and post-separatist/rebellion setting. The essay analyzes parallels between the exchange of medicine and the exchange of knowledge and reflects upon how anthropological knowledge of African healing systems is constructed in an environment highly charged with power and danger-of political violence and economic crisis. The broader issue addressed here is how to give greater empowerment to local residents' voices in their "indigenous critique" of the medical anthropological project. [(cultural) medical anthropology, ethnographic analysis and writing issues, Africa, indigenous critique, anthropology of religion] hat should the anthropologist know in order to elicit the subjective experience of medicine? What happens to such knowledge once it is acquired? I consider these issues as a researcher in the Air Mountains of northern Niger, where stories of personal illness, pains, and cures are pervasive. Against the backdrop of their precolonial heritage of social statification, Islam, and seminomadism, the Tuareg residents of this region now experience a cultural predicament involving economic crisis and political conflict.' They must struggle with contradictions and tensions surrounding their urgent, but also often ambivalent and hesitant, quest for medicine, called amagal in Tamajaq, the local language.
Third-Party Forgiveness: (Not) Forgiving Your Close Other's Betrayer

Building on attribution and interdependence theories, two experiments tested the hypothesis that close friends of victims (third parties) are less forgiving than the victims themselves (first parties). In Experiment 1, individuals imagined a scenario in which either their romantic partner or the romantic partner of a close friend committed the identical relationship offense. Third parties were less forgiving than first parties, a phenomenon we termed the third-party forgiveness effect. This effect was mediated by attributions about the perpetrator's intentions and responsibility for the offense. In Experiment 2, first and third parties reported an actual offense and their subsequent unforgiving motivations. The third-party forgiveness effect was replicated and was mediated by commitment to the perpetrator. Perpetrator apology or amends to the victim increased third-party forgiveness. Future third-party research can expand interpersonal forgiveness research beyond the victim-perpetrator dyad.
A center-unstable manifold theorem for parametrically excited surface waves

When fluid in a rectangular tank sits upon a platform which is oscillating with sufficient amplitude, surface waves appear in the “Faraday resonance.” Scientists and engineers have done bifurcation analyses which assume that there is a center manifold theory using a finite number of excited spatial modes. We establish such a center manifold theorem for Xiao-Biao Lin’s model in which potential flow is assumed but an artificial dissipation term is included in the system of partial differential equations on the free surface. We use interpolation spaces developed by da Prato and Grisvard, establish maximal regularity for a family of evolution operators, and adapt the center manifold theory of Chow, Lin, and Lu.
Efficient multiway radix search trees

We present a new scheme for building static search trees, using multiway radix search. We apply this method to the problem of code generation for switch statements in imperative languages. For sparse case sets, the method has an advantage over existing methods, empirically requiring fewer than three branches for the average search. We give timing results that show that in practice our method runs faster than other methods on large sparse case sets.
Health Professionals' Advice to Iowa Adults With Hypertension Using the 2002 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System

Abstract Purpose. We investigated the prevalence of hypertension-lowering lifestyle-modification advice given to adults living in Iowa. We sought to determine if persons with high blood pressure and those who are overweight receive more advice than do persons with normal blood pressure and a desirable body weight. Methods. By using the 2002 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, we asked Iowa adults with (N = 1050) and without (N = 2514) high blood pressure five questions relating to the most recent Joint National Committee guidelines on lowering blood pressure. Respondents with high blood pressure were placed into normal weight and overweight categories. Chi-square analysis revealed group differences in amount of advice received. To reflect the true Iowa population, data were weighted by SPSS software. Results. Compared with persons without high blood pressure, those with high blood pressure received more lifestyle-modification advice (p < .001) for eating less high-fat or highcholesterol foods (28....
Neuron Population in the Spinal Cord of Children with Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus

SUMMARY Estimates of the neuron populations of the spinal cord of children with hydrocephalus and meningomyelocele show that neuron numbers may be reduced in any of the 3 regions studied. The reduction may be associated with cord compression, a gross cord lesion, or may occur in a superficially normal segment. RESUME L'evaluation de la population des neurones de la moelle epiniere d'enfants atteint d'hydrocephalie et de meningomyelocele montre que les nombres des neurones peuvent etre reduits dans chacune des trois regions etudiees. La reduction peut etre associee a une compression de la moelle, a une lesion grave de la moelle, ou bien elle peut apparaitre dans un segment superficiellement normal. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG Einschatzungen der Neuron-Bevolkerung des Ruckenmarks bei Kindern mit hydrocephalus und meningomyelocele zeigen dass die Neuron-Anzahl verringert sein kann in jeder der 3 untersuchten Regionen. Diese Reduktion mag mit einer Kompression des Marks oder mit einer schweren Lasion deselben verbunden sein oder kann auch in einem der Oberflache nach normalen Segment auftreten. RESUMEN Calculos del numero de neuronas en la medula espinal de ninos afectos de hidrocefalia y de mielomeningocele muestran que el numero de neuronas puede ser reducido en cualquiera de las tres regiones estudiadas. Esta reduccion puede asociarse con una compresion de la medula, con una lesion grave de la medula, o puede ocurrir en un segmento al aparecer normal.
Micro column chromatographic method for analysis of oligosaccharides

Abstract A micro column chromatographic method for qualitative identification and quantitative measurement of oligosaccharides from cellulose and other series of oligosaccharides is presented. Analyses are made with 0.2-mg quantities of test material. Contaminants in the form of homologs are estimated with the use of 2-mg quantities.
Fixed-size rectangular confidence regions

A sequential procedure is given for determining a fixed-size rectangular confidence region RN for the mean vector of a k-variate population with covariance matrix σ2[Vtilde], where V is a known positive definite matrix. This procedure is shown to be asymptotically consistent and efficient as the volume of RN becomes arbitrarily small, In addition, exact expressions for P(μ~ ∊ RN) and E[N] are given for the Gaussian Case, An application of these results is given for multiple comparisons between treatments and a control.
Children with ASD can use gaze to map new words

Background The conclusion that children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) do not use eye gaze in the service of word learning is based on one-trial studies. Aims To determine whether children with ASD come to use gaze in the service of word learning when given multiple trials with highly reliable eye-gaze cues. Methods & Procedures Fifteen children with ASD with a mean age of 59 months (range = 36–92 months) and 15 typically developing (TD) peers with a mean age of 37 months (range = 16–92 months), and matched to the ASD group on receptive vocabulary raw scores, participated in four conditions formed by crossing-gaze load (high versus low) and attention load (high versus low). The high eye-gaze load condition required the children to shift attention to the examiner and follow her gaze to fast map new words correctly. The low-gaze load did not require shift and follow behaviours. The high-attention condition involved three (as opposed to one) distracter objects. Outcomes & Results As compared with the TD group, a lower proportion of the ASD group shifted and followed the examiner on the initial trial of the high-gaze load condition, but there was not a significant difference between groups when shift and follow behaviours were averaged over subsequent trials, nor was there a difference between groups in fast-mapping performance. Fast-mapping outcomes were correlated with gaze shift and follow behaviours in the high-gaze load condition. Conclusions & Implications The finding that the children with ASD altered their looking behaviour over the course of the experiment suggests that children with ASD were sensitive to statistical regularities present in the examiner's gaze cues and used this information to alter their looking behaviour over the course of the experiment.
Sensors for characterization of extracorporeal shock wave devices

The increasing use of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) in the treatment of kidney and gall bladder stones has intensified interest in studying the properties of the pressure waveforms used for the treatment. It is expected that the acoustic shock wave parameters, such as risetime, peak positive and peak negative pressure amplitudes, and frequency content can all influence the treatment's efficiency. The authors evaluate three prototype piezoelectric sensors for their applicability to quantitative shock-wave measurements. The results of the evaluation indicate that PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride) polymer transducers with a low acoustic backing have the greatest potential as shock wave-sensors. >
Membrane depolarization induces calcium-dependent secretion of tissue plasminogen activator

Tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), a serine protease that converts inactive plasminogen to active plasmin, is produced in the rat and mouse hippocampus and participates in neuronal plasticity. To help define the role of tPA in the nervous system, we have analyzed the regulation of its expression in the neuronal cell line PC12. In control cultures, tPA activity is exclusively cell-associated, and no activity is measurable in the culture medium. When the cells are treated with depolarizing agents, such as KCI, tPA activity becomes detectable in the medium. The increased secreted tPA activity is not accompanied by an increase in tPA mRNA levels, and it is not blocked by protein synthesis inhibitors. In contrast, tPA release is abolished by Ca2+ channel blockers, suggesting that chemically induced membrane depolarization stimulates the secretion of preformed enzyme. Moreover, KCI has a similar effect in vivo when administered to the murine brain via an osmotic pump: tPA activity increases along the CA2-CA3 regions and dentate gyrus of the hippocampal formation. These results demonstrate a neuronal activity-dependent secretory mechanism that can rapidly increase the amount of tPA in neuronal tissue.
Privacy aware data sharing: balancing the usability and privacy of datasets

Existing models of privacy assume that the set of data to be held confidential is immutable. Unfortunately, that is often not the case. The need for privacy is balanced against the need to use the data, and the benefits that will accrue from the use of the data. We propose a model to balance privacy and utility of data. This model allows both the data provider and the data user to negotiate both requirements until a satisfactory balance is reached, or one (or both) determine such a balance cannot be reached. Thus, this model enables less than perfect privacy, or less than complete utility, as is appropriate for the particular circumstances under which the dat a was gathered and is being held, and the specific use to which it is to be put.
INFLUENCE OF MATRIX PLASTICITY AND RESIDUAL THERMAL STRESS ON INTERFACIAL DEBONDING OF A SINGLE FIBER COMPOSITE

Fiber/matrix interfacial debonding in a single short-fiber reinforced polymer composite is investigated using finite elements and a cohesive zone model. The glass fiber is modeled as an isotropic, linear elastic material. The matrix is modeled as a linear elastic/elastoplastic material characterized by incremental isotropic hardening. A cohesive zone model governed by the traction-separation law describes the fiber/matrix interface. The simulated stress field of the single fiber debonded and perfectly bonded composites are compared. The results indicate that the interfacial shear stress decreases to zero on the debonded interface. It increases to its maximum value over a small processing zone and decreases exponentially to zero at the fiber midpoint. The debonding length growth in the plastic model is larger than that in the elastic model at small applied strain levels, but the trend is reversed as the applied strain level increases. The influence of factors such as residual thermal stress, interfacial strength, and fracture toughness on the debonding process of a single fiber composite are discussed.
Estimates of the global indirect energy-use emission impacts of USA biofuel policy

Abstract This paper evaluates the indirect energy-use emission implications of increases in the use of biofuels in the USA between 2001 and 2010 as mandates within a dynamic global computable general equilibrium model. The study incorporates explicit markets for biofuels, petroleum and other fossil fuels, and accounts for interactions among all sectors of an 18-region global economy. It considers bilateral trade, as well as the dynamics of capital allocation and investment. Simulation results show that the biofuel mandates in the USA generate an overall reduction in global energy use and emissions over the simulation period from 2001 to 2030. Consequently, the indirect energy-use emission change or emission leakage under the mandate is negative. That is, global emission reductions are larger than the direct emission savings from replacing petroleum with biofuels under the USA RFS2 over the last decade. Under our principal scenario this enhanced the direct emission reduction from biofuels by about 66%. The global change in lifecycle energy-use emissions for this scenario was estimated to be about −93 million tons of CO2e in 2010, −45 million tons of CO2e in 2020, and an increase of 5 million tons of CO2e in 2030, relative to the baseline scenario. Sensitivity results of six alternative scenarios provided additional insights into the pattern of the regional and global effects of biofuel mandates on energy-use emissions.
Genetic variation and recombination in Penicillium miczynskii and Eupenicillium species

Reproduction in the genus Penicillium is thought to be completely asexual. Sexual reproduction, as occurs in the related genus Eupenicillium, is thought to provide evolutionary benefits because it allows for new combinations of alleles and therefore increases the amount of variation within the species. This hypothesis was tested using inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSRs) to assess the amount of intraspecific and intra-population variation within Penicillium miczynskii and the closely related Eupenicillium shearii. The data for both genera were also used to test for clonal reproduction against the null hypothesis of panmixis, using measures of genotypic diversity, linkage disequilibrium and phylogenetic tree length. The ISSR fingerprints indicated that the 70 Eupenicillium strains actually included two distinct species, Eupenicillium shearii and Eupenicillium tropicum sp. nov., each represented by populations in both Costa Rica and India. While none of the species or populations were found to be randomly recombining, the relative strength of the clonal component differed among the species. Penicillium miczynskii had the smallest clonal component, with the highest genotypic diversity, lowest Index of Association, 40 % of alleles non-randomly associated, and phylogenetic tree length closer to that of recombined data sets than to the minimum possible. Eupenicillium tropicum showed nearly complete clonal reproduction with the lowest genotypic diversity and 100 % of alleles non-randomly associated in both populations. On the other hand, it also had the greatest amount of intraspecific variation, with as little as 38 % similarity among strains. The results indicate that Penicilliumspecies may, on rare occasion, genetically recombine; the regular occurrence of meiosis in the life cycle of Eupenicilliumspecies does not facilitate recombination; and the greatest amount of genetic variation was not associated with recombination, but with clonal propagation.
Influence of surface chemistry on cytotoxicity and cellular uptake of nanocapsules in breast cancer and phagocytic cells.

The present work tests the hypothesis that stabilizers have a critical role on nanocarrier stealthiness and anticancer drug efficacy. Two different types of docetaxel (Doc)-loaded nanocapsules (NCs) stabilized with polysorbate 80 (NCT80) and polyvinyl alcohol (NCPVA) were synthesized using the emulsion solvent diffusion method. These NCs were characterized for particle mean diameter (PMD), drug content, morphology, surface composition, and degree of crystallinity. Furthermore, the cytotoxicity and cellular uptake of the NCs were investigated in MDA-MB 231 cells, THP-1 monocytes, and THP-1-derived macrophages. The optimized spherical NCT80 had 123.02 ± 14.6 nm, 0.27 ± 0.1, and 101 ± 37.0% for PMD, polydispersity index, and drug encapsulation efficiency, respectively. Doc release kinetics from NCT80 and NCPVA mostly provided better fit to zero-order and Higuchi models, respectively. Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results revealed the presence of amorphous stabilizers on the surface of the NCs. At high drug concentration, the cytotoxicity of NCT80 was substantially improved (1.3–1.6-fold) compared with that of NCPVA in MDA-MB 231 cells. The uptake of both NCs was inhibited by latrunculin A and dynasore, indicating an actin- and dynamin-dependent endocytosis in MDA-MB 231 cells. This occurred via a multifaceted mechanism involving clathrin, caveolin, cytoskeleton, and macropinocytosis. Interestingly, the uptake of NCPVA was 2.7-fold greater than that of NCT80 and occurred through phagocytosis in monocytes and macrophages. This study demonstrates the potential impact of the surface chemistry on the cytotoxicity and phagocytic clearance of nanocarriers for a subsequent improvement of the efficacy of Doc intended for breast cancer chemotherapy.
Stress-strain model for concrete confined by FRP composites

In this paper, a stress–strain model for concrete confined by fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites is developed. The model is based on the results of a comprehensive experimental program including large-scale circular, square and rectangular short columns confined by carbon/epoxy and E-glass/epoxy jackets providing a wide range of confinement ratios. Ultimate stress, rupture strain, jacket parameters, and cross-sectional geometry were found to be significant factors affecting the stress–strain behavior of FRP-confined concrete. Such parameters were analyzed statistically based on the experimental data, and equations to theoretically predict these parameters are presented. Experimental results from this study were compared to the proposed semi-empirical model as well as others from the literature.
Random forcing and (S) and (L)

Abstract In this article I will analyze the impact of forcing with a measure algebra on various topological statements. In particular our interest will focus on the study of hereditary separability and the hereditary Lindelof property in the classes of compact, extremally disconnected, and cometrizable spaces.
Endoscopic skull base surgery: probably not the time for meta-analyses but certainly for prospectively collected data

n this issue of WORLD NEUROSURGERY, de Divitiis and Laws address an important topic of current discussion in skull I base surgery: What is the approach of choice for skull base tumors of the anterior skull base and suprasellar area? Transnasal or transcranial? Endoscopic or microsurgical? An inquiry of the neurosurgical community with these questions most likely would lead to a wide collection of heterogeneous answers. One article (5) documented ample variability in technical neurosurgery decision making by submitting the case of a young patient with a suprasellar, mainly cystic tumor to 40 neurosurgeons; the result was the suggestion of 10 different approaches. The authors commented that “decades into the era of evidence-based medicine, most neurosurgeons are aware that the vast majority of our day-to-day patient care decisions are not guided by class I evidence, especially those related to surgical procedures” (5).
Steganography in streaming multimedia over networks

This paper presents steganography methods to covertly transmit data via RTP (Real-time Transport Protocol) header and RTP payload in multimedia streaming over networks. The proposed covert channels do not change the original traffic pattern. The bandwidth and the impact of the proposed covert channels on the received video quality are analyzed. Steganalysis of the proposed hiding methods is also discussed and the proposed covert channels cannot be detected by traffic pattern, received video quality, or the statistical property required by the standard. Simulations on real video traces and RTP packets collected from multicasting videos to LAN (Local Area Network) are conducted and the results show the proposed covert channels not only achieve relatively high bandwidth but also keep the received video quality high or unchanged. Those features make the proposed covert channels practical and not easy to be detected.
The Visual Politics of Terror

What exactly is driving our response to the threats that the Islamic State presents? Distinguishing between information about real national-security concerns and images strategically designed to shock and titillate us will not be easy. But given the stakes, it is undoubtedly worthwhile.
An Integrated Model for Whether, Who, When, and How Much in Internet Auctions

We develop a general parametric modeling framework for bidding behavior in Internet auctions. Toward this end, we incorporate and model simultaneously four key components of the bidding process under our integrated framework: Whether an auction will have a bid at all, (if so) who has bid, when they have bid, and how much they have bid over the entire sequence of bids in an auction. This integrated framework is based on a single latent time-varying construct of consumer willingness to bid (WTB), which bidders have and update for a particular auction item over the course of the auction duration. Our modeling approach is also based on a simple yet very general bidding premise: The observed bidder's latent WTB at a specific bid is greater than the outstanding bid; yet, WTB is unconstrained for all other potential bidders. In this manner, we impose no structural assumption on bidder rationality or equilibrium behavior; instead, deriving our model using a probabilistic modeling paradigm. We describe in detail the advantages that our reducted-form approach allows us, and the limitations such an approach also entails. Using a database of notebook auctions from one of the largest Internet auction sites in Korea, we demonstrate that this general (yet parsimonious) model captures the key behavioral aspects of bidding behavior. Furthermore, substantively, through a data-windowing procedure to assess the set of potential bidders for a given auctioned item, we provide a valuable tool for managers at auction sites to conduct their customer relationship management efforts which require them to evaluate the goodness (whether) of the listed auction items and the goodness (who, when, and how much to bid) of the potential bidders in their Internet auctions.