cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Oxidative rearrangement of B-methylated 1-alkene-1,1-diboronic esters to methyl ketones

Abstract Treatment of 1,1-bis(trimethylenedioxyboryl)-2-phenylethene (I) or the analogous 2-cyclohexyl compound (II) with two tool of methyllithium followed by oxidation with alkaline sodium perborate (under air) gives good yields of phenylacetone or cyclohexylacetone, which are the products of methyl migration from boron to carbon. Reactions of I with other organolithiums lead to lower yields of ketones, as do reactions of 2,2-disubstituted alkene-1,1-diboronic esters with methyllithium. Examination of the reaction intermediates by 1 H NMR revealed that methyl migration is not brought about by water or acid and does not occur until the oxidation step. These results illustrate that structures of organoborane intermediates which contain reactive neighboring groups cannot be assigned solely on the basis of their peroxide oxidation products.
An experimental flexor tendon repair in zone II that allows immediate postoperative mobilization

An experimental method of approximating severed flexor tendons in zone II that allows immediate postoperative mobilization is described. The repair uses a nonabsorbable suture anchored into the severed tendon in zone III. This experimental repair was performed on one foot in each of 18 adult, white Leghorn chickens. The control side used the modified Kessler technique to repair the zone II laceration. The animals were prevented from weight-bearing activities but were allowed active motion of the foot for 5 to 6 weeks postoperatively. The results demonstrated a marked diminution in flexor tendon adhesions, with intrinsic tendon collagen formation serving to reconstitute tendon continuity on the experimental side. The breaking strengths of the two repair methods were equivalent. These results suggest that this method may allow primary repair of tendon injuries in zone II, with minimal formation of adhesions.
Strategic Change: The Effects Of Founding And History

The research reported here examined the evolution of strategy over time and the conditions under which change in strategy is likely. Findings show that characteristics of an organization's founding imprint its initial strategy by contributing to an internal consensus around a given strategic approach. Conditions subsequent to founding also influence the degree to which an initial strategy is perpetuated. The study examined perspectives on organizational change and inertia and further developed them to explain the role of history and precedence in shaping strategic action.
LDL size and subclass pattern in a biethnic population.

Recently, the presence of small, dense low-density lipoprotein (LDL) has been recognized as a risk factor for coronary heart disease. There has been little work on correlates of LDL size in population-based studies and none in Mexican Americans. We examined the relationship of LDL size and pattern to anthropometric and metabolic variables in 466 Mexican Americans and non-Hispanic whites in the San Antonio Heart Study. LDL size in Angstrom units was significantly lower in Mexican Americans (255.8 +/- 0.6) than in non-Hispanic whites (257.9 +/- 0.7) (P = 0.041) after adjustment for gender and age. The percentage of subjects with pattern B tended to be higher in Mexican Americans than in non-Hispanic whites (40.0% versus 34.4%, respectively), although this difference did not reach statistical significance. In univariate analysis, LDL size was significantly associated with glucose (r = -.20), insulin (r = -.19), male gender (r = -.20), total cholesterol (r = -.22), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (r = .53), and triglyceride concentrations (r = -.63). In multivariate analyses, higher triglyceride, insulin, and glucose concentrations, lower HDL-C, and male gender were independent correlates of smaller, denser LDL. Correlates of LDL size were similar in Mexican Americans and non-Hispanic whites. Our results confirm previous reports that triglyceride and HDL-C concentrations are the most important variables associated with LDL size. The additional findings of independent effects of male gender, glucose, and insulin concentrations suggest that sex hormones and the insulin resistance syndrome may also play an important role.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
One-dimensional analysis of liquid-fueled combustion instability

A one-dimensional computational analysis is performed to investigate the liquid-fueled combustion instability. The governing gas-phase equations in an Eulerian frame are solved using an implicit scheme based on the implicit continuous-fluid Eulerian (ICE) method. The liquid-phase equations in a Lagrangian frame are solved using the Effective Conductivity Model. Dirichlet boundary conditions are imposed at the combustor inlet, with a time-dependent inlet gas velocity. Neumann boundary conditions with the short-nozzle approximation are employed at the outlet. Spray characteristics, mixture ratio profiles, and combustor geometry are amongst the parameters studied. Both stable and unstable modes of combustor operation are found. Under certain conditions, limited cycle behavior of pressure, temperature, and velocity oscillations is obtained. The frequency of oscillation is approximately the fundamental resonant frequency of a chamber with one closed end and one open end, and is independent of the forcing function frequency. Large-scale temperature or entropy waves convected with the gas velocity are seen for some cases. The parameter domains of stable/unstable combustor operation have been plotted. Vaporization is rate controlling and the ratio of the period of oscillation to droplet heating time and the ratio of residence time to droplet heating time emerge as important parameters.
Incorporating peer review of course term project in structural analysis course

Students frequently find their junior year challenging as those courses provide the transition between lower-level courses where fundamentals are emphasized and upper-level design courses where instructors assume prior knowledge. Project-based learning provides a great instrument for students to enhance their learning and further develop critical engineering skills. However, students still struggle when not given exact procedural steps and want the reassurance they are ‘doing the correct thing.’ This paper presents the implementation of a peer-review cycle into the team course project of a structural analysis course. The peer review process asks students to evaluate and provide feedback on both the analytical content as well as the written presentation of the project. This process allows students to see different approaches, both in analysis and in presentation, to the same problem. Their familiarity with the problem allows them to provide constructive feedback, while reviewing the work of another group allows them an objectivity they cannot yet apply to their own work. The peer review cycle not only enhances the learning of the material for the course, but it is also a critical engineering skill for students.
Assigning the polymorphic human insulin gene to the short arm of chromosome 11 by chromosome sorting.

We have determined the subchromosomal location of the human insulin gene by analyzing DNA isolated from sorted human metaphase chromosomes. Metaphase chromosome suspensions were sorted into fractions according to relative Hoechst fluorescence intensity by the fluorescence activated chromosome sorter. The chromosomal DNA in each fraction was characterized by restriction endonuclease analysis. Initial sorts indicated that the insulin gene-containing fragment resided in a fraction containing chromosomes 9, 10, 11 and 12. Studies of cell lines that contained chromosome translocations permitted the assignment of the insulin gene to a derivative chromosome that contains portions of the short arm of chromosome 11. Simultaneous sorting of the normal homolog from this small derivative chromosome separated the two different sized insulin gene-containing restriction fragments in this individual. These data indicate that the two restriction fragments represent insulin gene polymorphism and not duplicate gene loci.
Government's Role in Milk Pricing; Then and Now: Discussion

These two papers approach government's role in milk pricing from much different perspectives. Gardner applies tight economic logic in summarizing findings from previous studies of price discrimination and stabilization. He finds that economists' results remain inconclusive and attributes this to insufficient "weighing of evidence" and too much reliance on "particular models." He suggests that dairy intervention is more a response to political than economic factors, and that the final answer may require a "large-scale, long-term experiment" without programs. Novakovic and Boynton trace some of the problems that led to the adoption of marketing orders and price supports by reviewing letters, articles, and testimony from as early as 1872. They maintain that the problems that existed then still exist, and if intervention was needed before, it is needed today. The two papers thus carry sharply different implications for dairy policy: Gardner would have us experiment with a free market, while Novakovic and Boynton would continue intervention with only modest changes. I shall subsequently suggest that a middle course would best serve the interests of society, but first I want to examine some of the underlying arguments. Gardner directs our attention to two areas, price discrimination and stabilization, where lack of knowledge greatly limits what economists have to say about the effects of dairy programs. Adding knowledge in these areas through careful research deserves high priority. I think our most important task is to quantify the effects of stabilization, both through price supports and through the minimum pricing provisions of marketing orders. Policy makers are ill-served when one group of economists says that stabilization benefits outweigh program costs, while another group maintains that such benefits are unmeasurable and cannot be taken into account. I believe that we can do better. Gardner's use of the
The theory of planned behavior as applied to preoperative smoking abstinence.

Abstinence from smoking on the morning of surgery may improve outcomes. This study examined the explicatory power of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to predict smoking behavior on the morning of surgery, testing the hypothesis that the constructs of attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control (PBC) will predict intent to abstain from smoking the morning of surgery, and that intent will predict behavior. TPB constructs were assessed in 169 pre-surgical patients. Smoking behavior on the morning of surgery was assessed by self-report and CO monitoring. Correlations and structural equation modeling (SEM) were used to determine associations between measures and behavior. All TPB measures, including intent as predicted by the TPB, were correlated with both a lower rate of self-reported smoking on the morning of surgery and lower CO levels. The SEM showed a good fit to the data. In the SEM, attitude and PBC, but not subjective norm, were significantly associated with intent to abstain, explaining 46% of variance. The effect of PBC on CO levels was partially mediated by intent. The amount of variance in behavior explained by these TPB constructs was modest (10% for CO levels). Thus, attitude and perceived behavioral control explain a substantial portion of the intent to maintain preoperative abstinence on the morning of elective surgery, and intent and perceived behavioral control explain a more modest but significant amount of the variance in actual smoking behavior. Trial Registration: Clinical Trials.gov registration: NCT01014455
The young adult chronic patient and the care system: Fragmentation prototypes

Case reports show how system breakdowns impede continuity of care for young adult chronic patients and how these fragmentation prototypes can affect individual patients.
Ovarian hormones and binge eating: exploring associations in community samples.

Background Significant associations between changes in ovarian hormones and binge eating are present across the menstrual cycle in women with bulimia nervosa. However, no study has examined these relationships in a non-clinical sample, despite the need for these data for designing risk-factor studies. Method In study 1, we modified several continuous measures of binge eating and identified those that were most sensitive to menstrual-cycle fluctuations in a non-clinical sample of 10 women who completed measures for 35 days. In study 2, we explored associations between ovarian hormones and binge-eating scores in nine women who completed these same measures for 65 days and provided daily saliva samples for assays of estradiol and progesterone concentrations. Results In study 1, the Emotional Eating subscale of the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire exhibited superior reliability and was most sensitive to predicted menstrual-cycle changes in binge eating (i.e. increased scores in the mid-luteal/premenstrual compared with follicular/ovulatory phases). In study 2, this scale showed predicted inverse associations with estradiol and positive associations with progesterone across the menstrual cycle that could not be accounted for by changes in negative affect. Conclusion Associations between ovarian hormones and binge eating are robust and present in clinical and non-clinical samples. Findings support the ability to examine the role of ovarian hormones as risk factors for binge eating in large-scale prospective studies and twin studies.
Hospitalization-Associated Disability in Adults Admitted to a Safety-Net Hospital

Background Little is known about hospitalization-associated disability (HAD) in older adults who receive care in safety-net hospitals.
Visualizing Flow Trajectories Using Locality-based Rendering and Warped Curve Plots

In flow simulations the behavior and properties of particle trajectories often depend on the physical geometry contained in the simulated environment. Understanding the flow in and around the geometry itself is an important part of analyzing the data. Previous work has often utilized focus+context rendering techniques, with an emphasis on showing trajectories while simplifying or illustratively rendering the physical areas. Our research instead emphasizes the local relationship between particle paths and geometry by using a projected multi-field visualization technique. The correlation between a particle path and its surrounding area is calculated on-the-fly and displayed in a non-intrusive manner. In addition, we support visual exploration and comparative analysis through the use of linked information visualization, such as manipulatable curve plots and one-on-one similarity plots. Our technique is demonstrated on particle trajectories from a groundwater simulation and a computer room airflow simulation, where the flow of particles is highly influenced by the dense geometry.
Predictors of depressive symptoms following mandibular fracture repair.

Purpose This study sought to identify sociodemographic, psychosocial, and clinical factors associated with increased postsurgery depressive symptoms among inner-city minority patients recovering from a mandibular fracture. Patients and Methods Surveys of African American and Hispanic adults receiving treatment at King/Drew Medical Center for a mandible fracture (n = 98) are used to identify factors associated with increased postsurgery depressive symptoms. Using correlation coefficients and t tests, bivariate relationships between patient characteristics and depressive symptoms at first follow-up were examined. Multiple regression analysis was used, predicting depressive symptoms at 1 month postadmission by entering covariates that were found to be significant at the bivariate level. Results Consistent with the etiology of maxillofacial trauma, the majority of study participants were male (88%), unmarried (92%), unemployed (57%), and experienced some type of interpersonal violence resulting in their broken jaw (77%). Patient characteristics significantly associated with depressive symptoms at first follow-up included age (r = 0.26, P = .011), symptoms of post-traumatic stress (r = 0.31, P = .003), prior dental problems (r = 0.24, P = .022), current pain (r = 0.38, P P = .001). Two of the 5 significant covariates (pain and GOHAI) remained significant at the multivariate level (adjusted R 2 = 0.33). Conclusion Findings from this study show that depressive symptoms increase immediately after oral surgery for jaw fracture. This increase is associated with pain and quality of life during recovery.
Impact of a hospital-wide hand hygiene initiative on healthcare-associated infections: results of an interrupted time series

Background Evidence that hand hygiene (HH) reduces healthcare-associated infections has been available for almost two centuries. Yet HH compliance among healthcare professionals continues to be low, and most efforts to improve it have failed. Objective To improve healthcare workers' HH, and reduce healthcare-associated infections. Design 3-year interrupted time series with multiple sequential interventions and 1-year post-intervention follow-up. Setting Teaching hospital in rural New Hampshire. Interventions In five categories: (1) leadership/accountability; (2) measurement/feedback; (3) hand sanitiser availability; (4) education/training; and (5) marketing/communication. Measurement Monthly changes in observed HH compliance (%) and rates of healthcare-associated infection (including Staphylococcus aureus infections, Clostridium difficile infections and bloodstream infections) per 1000 inpatient days. The subset of S aureus infections attributable to the operating room served as a tracer condition. We used statistical process control charts to identify significant changes. Results HH compliance increased significantly from 41% to 87% (p<0.01) during the initiative, and improved further to 91% (p<0.01) the following year. Nurses achieved higher HH compliance (93%) than physicians (78%). There was a significant, sustained decline in the healthcare-associated infection rate from 4.8 to 3.3 (p<0.01) per 1000 inpatient days. The rate of S aureus infections attributable to the operating room rose, while the rate of other S aureus infections fell. Conclusions Our initiative was associated with a large and significant hospital-wide improvement in HH which was sustained through the following year and a significant, sustained reduction in the incidence of healthcare-associated infection. The observed increased incidence of the tracer condition supports the assertion that HH improvement contributed to infection reduction. Persistent variation in HH performance among different groups requires further study.
Arthroscopic evaluation and treatment of the rotator cuff.

SUMMARY Arthroscopy has improved our diagnostic assessment of rotator cuff disease, especially in understanding patterns of articular surface partial-thickness tears. Arthroscopic subacromial decompression is a proven and reliable alternative to open acromioplasty. Despite continued controversy, most partial-thickness rotator cuff tears may be satisfactorily treated by arthroscopic debridement and decompression. The role for debridement and decompression without repair for full-thickness rotator cuff tears seems less than initially suggested, as several recent independent studies have documented results inferior to open repair. Arthroscopically assisted miniopen repair of small, full-thickness rotator cuff tears is a reliable procedure. Arthroscopic repair appears promising, but is not yet well enough documented to be considered a standard treatment.
Molecular integrity of chloroplast DNA and mitochondrial DNA in mesophyll and bundle sheath cells of maize

When compared to maize mesophyll cells, the plastid and mitochondrial DNAs in bundle sheath cells are less fragmented, less damaged, and contain fewer DNA polymerase-blocking impediments. Plants that conduct C4 photosynthesis differ from those that employ C3 photosynthesis with respect to leaf anatomy, biochemical pathways, and the proteins and RNA transcripts present in the leaf mesophyll (M) and bundle sheath (BS) cells. Here, we investigate the organellar DNA (orgDNA) from plastids and mitochondria in these two cell types. We use standard qPCR, long PCR, and DNA damage analysis to quantify the amount and quality of orgDNA in isolated M and BS cells of maize. When compared to M cells, BS cells have less orgDNA damage and a higher percentage of unimpeded orgDNA. In addition, the orgDNA is more fragmented in M than BS cells, although orgDNA in BS is subject to more in vitro repair. We suggest that the differences in molecular integrity of orgDNA in these two cells are due to higher levels of reactive oxygen species in M than BS cells.
“None Of Us Think About Being A Woman:” Performing Gender Without Norms

This paper discusses how female jazz instrumentalists perform gender while talking about gender in the context of jazz. Drawing on Judith Butler’s notion of gender as a norm, I argue that these women’s different attitudes embody different types of gender performance. I am most interested in those women who insist that they never think of being a woman. I consider these women to be performing gender without norms. Further, I will explore why they choose to do this type of gender performance, which, I suggest, would keep the existing gender norms unchanged.
Evidence for hyperparasitism of coffee rust (Hemileia vastatrix) by the entomogenous fungus, Lecanicillium lecanii, through a complex ecological web

The entomogenous fungus, Lecanicillium lecanii is hyperparasitic on Hemileia vastatrix , the cause of coffee leaf rust in the laboratory, and has frequently been observed attacking it in the field. The existence of a complex ecological web involving the spatially clustered mutualism of an ant ( Azteca instabilis ) with a scale insect ( Coccus viridis ), where the scale insect was infected by L. lecanii , prompted a search for a spatial correlation between the attack of L. lecanii on the scale insect and the incidence of rust in a commercial coffee crop. A weak but statistically significant effect of hyperparasitic control of coffee rust was observed on two distinct scales: in a 45-ha plot and on a scale of approximately 10 m. It was concluded that this effect was linked to an indirect effect of the ant‐coccid mutualism, where L. lecanii was a parasite of the coccid.
Using multiple grid resources for bioinformatics applications in GADU

During the past decade, the scientific community has witnessed the rapid accumulation of gene sequence data and data related to physiology and biochemistry of organisms. Bioinformatics tools used for efficient and computationally intensive analysis of genetic sequences require large-scale computational resources to accommodate the growing data. Grid computational resources such as the Open Science Grid and TeraGrid have proved useful for scientific discovery. GADU is a high-throughput computational system developed to automate the steps involved in accessing the Grid resources for running bioinformatics applications. This paper describes the requirements for building an automated scalable system such as GADU that can run a job simultaneously on different grids. The paper describes the resource-independent configuration of GADU using the Pegasus-based virtual data system that helps in using heterogeneous grid resources. The paper also highlights the features implemented to make GADU a gateway to computationally intensive bioinformatics applications on the Grid.
CHARISMA: A Context Hierarchy-based cognitive architecture for self-motivated social agents

In this paper, we are developing the CIVS (Civilization-Inspired Vying Societies) system, which is a novel evolutionary learning multi-agent system loosely inspired by the history of human civilization. The main objective of the CIVS system is to develop a bottom-up artificial-life approach to produce artificial agents that are inherently social in how they think, learn, adapt, and operate, so as to be more adaptable and generally intelligent in a complex, challenging environment. To this end, the CHARISMA (Context Hierarchy-based Adaptive ReasonIng Self-Motivated Agent) cognitive architecture is proposed for the agents within the CIVS system. By using intrinsic motivations and dynamic knowledge representation, the CHARISMA cognitive architecture can provide autonomous mental development capability for the agent to develop its knowledge and skills through its own interactions within a dynamic challenging environment as well as social interactions with other agents.
Medial temporal lobe epilepsy is associated with neuronal fibre loss and paradoxical increase in structural connectivity of limbic structures

Background It has been hypothesised that seizure induced neuronal loss and axonal damage in medial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) may lead to the development of aberrant connections between limbic structures and eventually result in the reorganisation of the limbic network. In this study, limbic structural connectivity in patients with MTLE was investigated, using diffusion tensor MRI, probabilistic tractography and graph theory based network analysis. Methods 12 patients with unilateral MTLE and hippocampal sclerosis (five left and seven right MTLE) and 26 healthy controls were studied. The connectivity of 10 bilateral limbic regions of interest was mapped with probabilistic tractography, and the probabilistic fibre density between each pair of regions was used as the measure of their weighted structural connectivity. Binary connectivity matrices were then obtained from the weighted connectivity matrix using a range of fixed density thresholds. Graph theory based properties of nodes (degree, local efficiency, clustering coefficient and betweenness centrality) and the network (global efficiency and average clustering coefficient) were calculated from the weight and binary connectivity matrices of each subject and compared between patients and controls. Results MTLE was associated with a regional reduction in fibre density compared with controls. Paradoxically, patients exhibited (1) increased limbic network clustering and (2) increased nodal efficiency, degree and clustering coefficient in the ipsilateral insula, superior temporal region and thalamus. There was also a significant reduction in clustering coefficient and efficiency of the ipsilateral hippocampus, accompanied by increased nodal degree. Conclusions These results suggest that MTLE is associated with reorganisation of the limbic system. These results corroborate the concept of MTLE as a network disease, and may contribute to the understanding of network excitability dynamics in epilepsy and MTLE.
Gastric dilatation-volvulus syndrome in dogs

Gastric dilatation-volvulus is a medical and surgical emergency that principally affects large-breed dogs. Surgical treatment should be undertaken as soon as the patient has been stabilized with fluid therapy and decompression. A gastrectomy might be required if the stomach is becoming necrotic. A gastropexy is required to prevent recurrence.
Feature compensation employing online GMM adaptation for speech recognition in unknown severely adverse environments

This study proposes an effective feature compensation-method to improve speech recognition in real-life speech conditions, where (i) severe background noise and channel distortion simultaneously exist, (ii) no development data is available, and (iii) clean data for ASR training and the latent clean speech in the test data are mismatched in the acoustic structure. The proposed feature compensation method employs an online GMM adaptation procedure which is based on MLLR, and a minimum statistics replacement technique for non-speech segments. The DARPA Tank corpus is used for performance evaluation, which includes severe real-life noisy conditions. The clean Broadcast News (BN) corpus is used for training the speech recognition system in this study. Experimental results show that the proposed feature compensation scheme outperforms GMM-based FMLLR and the ETSI AFE for DARPA Tank data, achieving a +5.56% relative improvement compared to FMLLR. These results demonstrate that the proposed feature compensation scheme is effective at improving speech recognition performance in unknown real-life adverse environments.
Large scale, highly conductive and patterned transparent films of silver nanowires on arbitrary substrates and their application in touch screens

The application of silver nanowire films as transparent conductive electrodes has shown promising results recently. In this paper, we demonstrate the application of a simple spray coating technique to obtain large scale, highly uniform and conductive silver nanowire films on arbitrary substrates. We also integrated a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-assisted contact transfer technique with spray coating, which allowed us to obtain large scale high quality patterned films of silver nanowires. The transparency and conductivity of the films was controlled by the volume of the dispersion used in spraying and the substrate area. We note that the optoelectrical property, σDC/σOp, for various films fabricated was in the range 75‐350, which is extremely high for transparent thin film compared to other candidate alternatives to doped metal oxide film. Using this method, we obtain silver nanowire films on a flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate with a transparency of 85% and sheet resistance of 33 �/ sq, which is comparable to that of tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) on flexible substrates. In-depth analysis of the film shows a high performance using another commonly used figure-of-merit, � TE. Also, Ag nanowire film/PET shows good mechanical flexibility and the application of such a conductive silver nanowire film as an electrode in a touch panel has been demonstrated. (Some figures in this article are in colour only in the electronic version)
Investigation of a method to improve VNA calibration in planar dispersive media through adding an asymmetrical reciprocal device

If a passive asymmetrical reciprocal device is used in addition to short open load thru standards in a two-port vector network analyzer calibration, systematic errors in the calibration kit parameters can be reduced dramatically through numerical optimization to minimize asymmetry after correction. The method is described and the quality of correction assessed using simulated data. Measured results are then presented for calibration on a printed circuit board. Encouraging results and practical limitations are discussed.
What a Drop Can Do: Dried Blood Spots as a Minimally Invasive Method for Integrating Biomarkers Into Population-Based Research

Logistical constraints associated with the collection and analysis of biological samples in community-based settings have been a significant impediment to integrative, multilevel biodemographic and biobehavioral research. However, recent methodological developments have overcome many of these constraints and have also expanded the options for incorporating biomarkers into population-based health research in international as well as domestic contexts. In particular, using dried blood spot (DBS) samples—drops of whole blood collected on filter paper from a simple finger prick— provides a minimally invasive method for collecting blood samples in nonclinical settings. After a brief discussion of biomarkers more generally, we review procedures for collecting, handling, and analyzing DBS samples. Advantages of using DBS samples—compared with venipuncture—include the relative ease and low cost of sample collection, transport, and storage. Disadvantages include requirements for assay development and validation as well as the relatively small volumes of sample. We present the results of a comprehensive literature review of published protocols for analysis of DBS samples, and we provide more detailed analysis of protocols for 45 analytes likely to be of particular relevance to population-level health research. Our objective is to provide investigators with the information they need to make informed decisions regarding the appropriateness of blood spot methods for their research interests.
Finding the right genes for disease and prognosis prediction

It is possible to get gene expression data relatively inexpensively from micro-arrays. So, this leads to hope that the genes can tell us who will get or has a disease. Perhaps one can find the stage of the disease to enable effective treatments. However, we are currently at the stage where there are many challenges to evaluating the possibilities for genes to be used in diagnosis and treatment. There are typically many more genes that might be involved than samples for any given disease. Which genes are important and how stable are the choices an algorithm provides? We do not know the time of the true onset of a disease, just sometimes when symptoms started and sometimes when diagnosis was done. Some of the promising work on diagnosis or prognosis has suffered from data or scientific errors. This talk will discuss the problems and pitfalls of using genes to predict disease presence or prognosis. It will also discuss some promising ways to choose the genes that may be predictive for a particular disease, with a focus on cancer, and point out some open questions.
CyberKnife for hilar lung tumors: report of clinical response and toxicity

Objective To report clinical efficacy and toxicity of fractionated CyberKnife radiosurgery for the treatment of hilar lung tumors.
Pool boiling of nanofluids: Comprehensive review of existing data and limited new data

Abstract Nanofluid pool boiling experimental studies have shown mixed results. Recent literature is reviewed and compared here. It is demonstrated here that experiments can be fit to the traditional Rohsenow correlation by changing the surface constant, Csf. Therefore, this study suggests surface conditions are responsible for varying results. Some limited new experimental data are reported for Al2O3/H2O nanofluids using the hot wire method. Relative to the baseline of pure water, boiling incipience occurs 2–3 °C earlier, heat transfer is enhanced 25–40%, but sub-cooled boiling deteriorates. These results are essentially in agreement with most earlier studies showing enhancement [S.K. Das, N. Putra, W. Roetzel, Pool boiling of nanofluids on horizontal narrow tubes, Int. J. Multiphase Flow 29 (8) (2003) 1237–1247; D. Wen, Y. Ding, Experimental investigation into the pool boiling heat transfer of aqueous based c-alumina nanofluids, J. Nanoparticle Res. 7 (2005) 265–274; S. Witharana, Boiling of refrigerants on enhanced surfaces and boiling of nanofluids, Ph.D. thesis, The Royal Institute of Technology, 2003; S.M. You, J.H. Kim, K.H. Kim, Effect of nanoparticles on critical heat flux of water in pool boiling heat transfer, Appl. Phys. Lett. 83 (2003) 3374–3376].
Joint Code Acquisition and Channel Estimation for UWB Transmission

This paper deals with joint channel estimation and pseudo-noise code acquisition for ultra-wideband communications. The estimation and acquisition in a realistic frequency selective channel, and in the presence of additive white Gaussian noise are based on the maximum-likelihood criterion. In particular, three systems are considered, namely, time-hopping, direct-sequence, and bi-orthogonal time-hopping CDMA digital systems. The efficiency of the synchronization process and the quality of the channel estimates are assessed and compared via analysis and simulations. Specifically, the performance of different systems are compared in terms of probability of correct synchronization, mean-square error of the channel estimates, and bit-error-rate.
Physiological and Morphological Characteristics of Spinal Neurons Projecting to the Parabrachial Region of the Cat

Neurons in the lumbosacral, superficial spinal dorsal horn in the cat were recorded extra-and intracellularly, using dorsal root stimulation as a search stimulus. Isolated neurons were tested for antidromic activation from the contra-and ipsilateral parabrachial region. Seventy-one nociceptive-specific neurons, 11 innocuous cooling neurons, and 8 multireceptive neurons were antidromically activated from the lateral parabrachial region. The receptive fields and response properties were typical of other lamina I and lamina II neurons, in that the receptive fields were usually discrete and relatively small, and the responses ranged from sluggish and decrementing to brisk and augmenting with afterdischarge. The conduction velocity to the parabrachial region averaged 3.7 m/sec for the nociceptive-specific neurons, 3.9 m/sec for the innocuous cooling neurons, and 13.5 m/sec for the multireceptive neurons. Intracellularly labeled neurons were mostly medium to large Waldeyer-like neurons in lamina I. Some had axo...
Detection of Intracellular Antigen-Specific Cytokines in Human T Cell Populations

Determination of antigen-specific cytokine responses of T lymphocytes after vaccination is made difficult by the low frequency of responder cells. In order to detect these responses, the profile of intracellular cytokines was analyzed using flow cytometry after antigenic expansion. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were stimulated with antigens for 5 days, further expanded with interleukin (IL)-2, and then restimulated on day 10. Cytokine production was detected by intracellular staining with monoclonal antibodies after saponin-based permeabilization. Influenza expansion resulted in specific interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) production of 6%-20%, with less IL-4 production (0%-2%). Tetanus toxoid resulted in even greater production. IL-4 and IFN-gamma were produced mainly by memory cells of the CD45RO+ phenotype. IFN-gamma production was contributed by both CD4 and CD8 populations. These methods were then applied to a clinical trial of a candidate human immunodeficiency virus type 1 vaccine. Antigen-specific increases in IFN-gamma were measured, which corresponded to antibody production, lymphoproliferation, and skin testing.
A quantitative analysis of SNR in the short-time Fourier transform domain for multicomponent signals

A quantitative analysis is given for the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in the short-time Fourier transform domain for multicomponent signals in additive white noise. It is shown that the SNR is increased on the order of O(N/K), where K is the number of components of a signal, N/T is the sampling rate, and T is the window size. The SNR increase rate is optimal for given K. For this result, the SNR definition is generalized, which is suitable for signals not only in the time domain but also in other domains. This theory is illustrated by one numerical example.
Nucleosome Remodeling by the Human SWI/SNF Complex Requires Transient Global Disruption of Histone-DNA Interactions

We utilized a site-specific cross-linking technique to investigate the mechanism of nucleosome remodeling by hSWI/SNF. We found that a single cross-link between H2B and DNA virtually eliminates the accumulation of stably remodeled species as measured by restriction enzyme accessibility assays. However, cross-linking the histone octamer to nucleosomal DNA does not inhibit remodeling as monitored by DNase I digestion assays. Importantly, we found that the restriction enzyme-accessible species can be efficiently cross-linked after remodeling and that the accessible state does not require continued ATP hydrolysis. These results imply that the generation of stable remodeled states requires at least transient disruption of histone-DNA interactions throughout the nucleosome, while hSWI/SNF-catalyzed disruption of just local histone-DNA interactions yields less-stable remodeled states that still display an altered DNase I cleavage pattern. The implications of these results for models of the mechanism of SWI/SNF-catalyzed nucleosome remodeling are discussed.
The relationship between circulating natural killer cells after reduced intensity conditioning hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and relapse-free survival and graft-versus-host disease.

Background Natural killer cells are known to have anti-tumor activity in haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. We hypothesized that reconstituted circulating natural killer cells may be associated with improved relapse-free survival after HLA-matched hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.Design and Methods Serial peripheral blood absolute natural killer cell counts were prospectively measured by flow cytometry of lymphocytes expressing CD56 and CD16 in 167 patients. Cluster analysis was used at engraftment and 60 days post-transplant to distinguish patients with high and low absolute natural killer cell counts. At engraftment 80 patients had high counts (> 22.2/mm3) and 43 had low counts. At 60 days post-transplant 84 patients had high counts (> 18.2/mm3) and 38 had low counts. The primary study end-points were death, relapse and acute graft-versus-host disease. The median follow-up was 373 days (range, 67–1767).Results Among patients given reduced intensity conditioning, a low absolute natural killer cell count at 60 days post-transplant was independently associated with relapse [adjusted hazard ratio (AHR) = 28.4, 95% confidence interval (CI) 4.3–186.4] and death (AHR = 17.5, 95% CI 4.3–71.3). Furthermore, patients given reduced intensity conditioning who had a high absolute natural killer cell count at 60 days had a significantly better 1-year survival than those with a low count by Kaplan-Meier analysis (83% vs. 11%, p
Gestational naltrexone ameliorates fetal ethanol exposures enhancing effect on the postnatal behavioral and neural response to ethanol

The association between gestational exposure to ethanol and adolescent ethanol abuse is well established. Recent animal studies support the role of fetal ethanol experience-induced chemosensory pla...
Pharmacology of the Airways

Short-acting beta-2 adrenergic agonists are administered for the acute relief of bronchospasm, wheezing, and airflow obstruction. Long-acting beta-2 adrenergic agonists are for long-term control of symptoms. Inhaled anticholinergics are first-line therapy in COPD. They are useful for both maintenance therapy and in acute exacerbations. Inhaled corticosteroids are used to control inflammation in asthma and COPD. In asthma, they can be used as monotherapy. In COPD, they are used in conjunction with long-acting beta-adrenergic agonists and long-acting antimuscarinic antagonists. Systemic corticosteroids are used for the reduction of inflammation in asthma and COPD exacerbations and are not typically prescribed as maintenance therapy. Phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitors can be used in patients with severe COPD who have a history of bronchitis and exacerbations. Leukotriene modifiers, mast cell stabilizers, and methylxanthines are alternative therapies used in asthma when symptoms are not well-controlled on first-line therapy. Volatile and intravenous anesthetics provide a degree of bronchodilation that may be useful in treating intraoperative bronchoconstriction. Helium/oxygen mixtures, antihistamines, and magnesium sulfate are alternative therapies used when bronchospasm does not respond to conventional therapies.
Fuzzy Connectedness Segmentation: A Brief Presentation of the Literature

For any positive integer M, M-object fuzzy connectednessFCsegmentation is a methodology for finding M objects in a digital image based on user-specified seed points and user-specified functions, called fuzzyaffinities, which map each pair of image points to a value in the real interval [0,i¾?1]. FC segmentation has been used with considerable success on biomedical and other images. We provide a brief presentation of the literature on the topic of FC segmentation.
Molecular Tubes for Lipid Sensing: Tube Conformations Control Analyte Selectivity and Fluorescent Response

Two fluorescent sensors for lipids have been prepared and tested for detection of a number of hydrophobic compounds of varying shape and size. The data suggest that the two sensors have a different mode of fluorescent response. Yet, the two sensors are only different in the bridging group—one having a flexible amide and one having a rigid allyl bridge. The fluorescence data are explained based on a difference in conformation of the two sensors in aqueous solution.
Stressful Work and Turnover: The Mediating Role of Psychological Strain

The subject of employee turnover continues to attract global research attention (Hom, Mitchell, Lee, & Griffeth, 2012). Work stress is considered to be a secondary (or distal) dimension of turnover...
Panendoscopy in the early diagnosis of acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding.

In 100 consecutive major upper gastrointestinal bleeders, panendoscopy (esophagogastroduodenoscopy) was employed as the initial diagnostic procedure, and documented the source of hemorrhage in 92% of cases. The "emergency" upper gastrointestinal series added another two diagnoses (duodenal ulcers missed on endoscopy). Emergency surgery also added two diagnoses, and in both of these patients endoscopy had directed the surgeon to the correct area of bleeding (gastric fundal ulcers). Nineteen fewer diagnoses would have been made if endoscopy had been limited to visualization of the esophagus and stomach.
Complementary and alternative medicine: a primer.

You may be surprised by the number of your patients using CAM therapy. This primer provides the background and tips you’ll need to have a productive conversation about it.