cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interleukin-2-Induced Lymphocyte Infiltration of Multiple Organs Is Differentially Suppressed by Soluble Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor

Interleukin-2 (IL-2) mediates the regression of metastatic cancer, but clinical application is restricted by associated toxicities. Previous studies implicate tumor necrosis factor (TNF) as an important mediator of certain IL-2-induced toxicities. We hypothesized that soluble TNF receptor (sTNFr), a TNF antagonist, would alter lymphocyte trafficking into normal tissues and ameliorate IL-2-induced toxicity. Four groups of C57BL/6 mice were treated for 4 days with intraperitoneal injections of 100,000 IU IL-2 alone, 100,000 IU IL-2 and 30 micrograms sTNFr combined, 30 micrograms sTNFr alone, or equal volumes of saline. Animal activity was graded and blood obtained for SGPT and SGOT. At necropsy, organs were harvested for wet:dry ratios as a measurement of organ edema. The lung, liver, and thymus were examined histologically for lymphocytic infiltration and graded on a scale of 1 to 5. IL-2-treated groups had a statistically significant increase in organ edema, lymphocytic infiltration into the lung and liver, liver enzyme elevation, and pancytopenia when compared with controls. Soluble TNFr significantly suppressed IL-2-induced pulmonary lymphocytic infiltration and associated serum lymphopenia without significant alteration of other IL-2-induced effects. These data implicate TNF as a mediator of the pulmonary lymphocytic infiltration and of lymphopenia that accompanies IL-2 therapy and further suggest that alternative mechanisms are involved in other IL-2-induced deleterious effects.
Cavitary Pneumonia Due to Yersinia enterocolitica in a Healthy Man

A previously healthy 51-year-old man was admitted to the hospital because of pulmonary infiltrates of the right upper lung field with cavitation. Blood cultures were sterile. Sputum and stool cultures grew Yersinia enterocolitica. The patient was treated with intravenous ampicillin and recovered. Review of the literature yielded five previously reported sputum-positive cases of Y. enterocolitica pulmonary infections in patients with significant underlying diseases. All patients recovered.
Hollow-fiber reactors containing mammalian arginase: An approach to enzyme replacement therapy

Abstract Hollow-fiber reactors containing partially purified rat liver arginase were examined for possible use as a method of enzyme replacement therapy in familial hyperargininemia. In vitro studies reported here indicate that significant enzyme activity can be obtained. Arginase in the reactor demonstrated similar properties to the soluble enzyme including dependence upon Mn2+ for maximal activity and prolonged stability at 37°C. The arginase activity observed in the reactors was partially controlled by diffusion of arginine across the hollow fiber membrane. Inhibition by the product ornithine was also observed in this closed, recirculating system. Results from experiments using rabbit blood indicate that the use of these reactors in an extracorporeal shunt may provide a viable approach to the treatment of familial hyperargininemia.
Induction of PTEN-p53 Crosstalk in Mammary Epithelial Cells: A Novel Mechanism of Breast Cancer Prevention by the Dietary Factor Genistein.

Consumption of soy foods either at an early age or for lifetime has been associated with reduced risk for developing breast cancer in humans and in animal models. However, this association continues to be controversial and the precise mechanisms for protection remain elusive. Among the soy products, the isoflavone genistein (GEN) has been widely suggested to confer mammary tumor protection. Previously we demonstrated the increased expression of tumor suppressors PTEN and p53 in mammary epithelial cells (MECs) isolated from young adult female rats fed dietary soy protein isolate (SPI) or casein (CAS) supplemented with GEN, when compared to MECs from rats fed the control (CAS) diet. Since NMU-administered rats fed SPI had reduced tumor incidence and increased tumor latency than those fed CAS, PTEN and p53 likely mediate the observed tumor resistance with SPI in vivo. We hypothesized that GEN induction of PTEN and p53 in MECs results in the formation of a PTEN/p53 functional complex to negatively regulate breast cancer development. Here, we used the human non-tumorigenic, ER-negative mammary epithelial cell line, MCF-10A, as an in vitro system to mechanistically dissect ER-independent actions of GEN involving PTEN and p53. GEN (40 nM, 2μM) augmented PTEN and p53 expression in treated relative to control cells. GEN also induced nuclear co-localization and physical association of PTEN and p53. To test a functional consequence of GEN-induced PTEN/p53 cross-talk on mammary epithelial phenotype, we analyzed GEN effects on cell cycle progression and acini formation in 3D cultures. Our results showed attenuated cell proliferation and lower cyclin D1 and pleiotrophin transcript levels in GEN-treated cells, which were abrogated by small interfering RNA to PTEN, indicating PTEN-dependence. Using FACS analysis, we showed that GEN induced cell cycle arrest at G0-G1 phase. Treatment with GEN promoted early acini formation of MECs grown in Matrigel, which temporally coincided with PTEN-dependent suppression of p21 and p27 transcript levels. Further analyses of GEN effects on MECs demonstrated induction by GEN of PTEN promoter-luc reporter activity as measured by dual-luciferase assay. Interestingly, treatment with siRNA to either PTEN or p53 reduced basal and GEN-induced PTEN promoter activity. Given that p53 binds to the PTEN promoter, our results suggest a feed-forward cycle in which dietary factor (GEN) induction of nuclear PTEN leads to PTEN promotion of its own signaling. By maintaining a stable pool of nuclear p53 to boost its transcription, PTEN ensures its continuous expression in MECs to favor cell differentiation. These data elucidate a novel mechanism by which dietary factors with PTEN-inducing activity may attenuate breast cancer risk and development. Funding by USDA-CRIS 6251-5100002-06S and the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Program (0810548). Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(24 Suppl):Abstract nr 3149.
Digital imaging of peripheral blood identifies atypical chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

![Figure][1] A 77-year-old woman presented with cervical adenopathy. A complete blood count was performed: white blood cells (WBCs), 13.8 × 109/L; absolute lymphocytes, 11.9 × 109/L; hemoglobin, 12.4 g/dL; and platelets, 199 × 109/L. Immunophenotyping of peripheral blood confirmed a
Emergent Treatment of Variceal Bleeding in Two Infants

Two infants with portal hypertension were treated on an emergency basis for life-threatening uncontrollable variceal bleeding. One 9-month-old girl had portal vein thrombosis, and the other 28-months-old girl had liver cirrhosis secondary to biliary atresia. Following percutaneous transhepatic embolization of the varices, successful bleeding control was achieved in both patients.
A Bacterial Genetic Screen Identifies Functional Coding Sequences of the Insect mariner Transposable Element Famar1 Amplified From the Genome of the Earwig, Forficula auricularia

Transposons of the mariner family are widespread in animal genomes and have apparently infected them by horizontal transfer. Most species carry only old defective copies of particular mariner transposons that have diverged greatly from their active horizontally transferred ancestor, while a few contain young, very similar, and active copies. We report here the use of a whole-genome screen in bacteria to isolate somewhat diverged Famar1 copies from the European earwig, Forficula auricularia, that encode functional transposases. Functional and nonfunctional coding sequences of Famar1 and nonfunctional copies of Ammar1 from the European honey bee, Apis mellifera, were sequenced to examine their molecular evolution. No selection for sequence conservation was detected in any clade of a tree derived from these sequences, not even on branches leading to functional copies. This agrees with the current model for mariner transposon evolution that expects neutral evolution within particular hosts, with selection for function occurring only upon horizontal transfer to a new host. Our results further suggest that mariners are not finely tuned genetic entities and that a greater amount of sequence diversification than had previously been appreciated can occur in functional copies in a single host lineage. Finally, this method of isolating active copies can be used to isolate other novel active transposons without resorting to reconstruction of ancestral sequences.
Samarium-neodymium evolution of meteorites

We have obtained Sm-Nd data on two differentiated meteorites, Ibitira, a eucrite with distinct basaltic texture and with evidence of crystallization; and Morristown, a group 3A mesosiderite; as well as on Acapulco, an unclassified meteorite with chondritic chemical composition and a highly recrystallized texture. We have demonstrated the presence of in situ decay of short-lived ^(146)Sm in these meteorites with initial abundance of ^(146)Sm/^(144)Sm from 0.009 to 0.007 for the different meteorites. Precisely defined ^(147)Sm-^(143)Nd internal isochrons were obtained yielding ages of 4.60 ± 0.03 AE for Acapulco, 4.47 ± 0.02 AE for Morristown and 4.46 ± 0.02 AE for Ibitira. The corresponding initial ^(143)Nd/^(144)Nd values obtained were 0.2 ± 0.9, 2.1 ± 0.7 and 1.6 ± 0.8 ϵu (epsilon units). Detailed consideration of the coupled ^(147)Sm-^(143)Nd and ^(146)Sm-^(142)Nd systematics and of the elevated initial ^(143)Nd/^(144)Nd values indicates the presence of inconsistencies in the data for the two Sm-Nd parent-daughter pairs in spite of the precise isochrons. We present a model which provides an interpretation of the paired Sm-Nd systematics in terms of an impulsive disturbance. The abundance of phosphate, with large concentrations of REEs, controls the REE economy. Plagioclase, with low REE concentrations is assumed to be susceptible to exchange. Pyroxene is considered to be undisturbed because of the low diffusion coefficients of trace elements. The experimental results can be reasonably explained by this model. The results indicate that three meteorites studied, some with very low REE concentrations, including a mesosiderite, are relatively ancient objects, formed within the first 50 to 100 m.y. of the solar system, by planetary differentiation and impact processes, and were subjected to late metamorphism. The time of late metamorphism is substantially younger than 4.4 AE and possibly as recent as ~3.9 AE. This metamorphism has resulted in partial, very limited reequilibration between plagioclase and phosphate, resulting in the observed shifts in initial ^(143)Nd/^(144)Nd, Sm-Nd model ages, and the ^(142)Nd/^(144)Nd abundances, but preserving the major temporal structures of early original formation and later disturbances. These results show the need for care in the interpretation of the parent-daughter systematics, even when they appear well behaved and the mineral phases are viewed as highly resistant to mild metamorphism.
Cross-linking bridges associated with the microbody-lipid globule complex inChytriomyces aureus andChytriomyces hyalinus

Determining how the orientation and association among organelles are maintained within zoospores of theChytridiales is important to understanding the control of zoospore motility. Zoospores of the aquatic fungi,Chytriomyces aureus andC. hyalinus, contain microbody-lipid globule complexes with an elongate microbody adjacent to the portion of a lipid globule facing the cell's interior and a fenestrated cisterna (the rumposome) opposed to the surface of the lipid globule toward the plasma membrane. Mitochondria are intimately associated with the microbody. Electron microscopy of the microbody-lipid globule complex fixed in glutaraldehyde and osmium tetroxide, with or without tannic acid, reveals cross-linking bridges connecting the rumposome to the plasma membrane, to the microbody, and to microtubules of the rootlet extending from the kinetosome. It is concluded that these bridges are responsible, at least in part, for the consistent location of the microbody-lipid globule complex in the zoospore body. The possible role of the rumposome as a receptor organelle is discussed.
A Comparison of Probabilistic and Deterministic Reserve Estimates: A Case Study (includes associated paper 36358 )

This study was designed to compare the currently used deterministic definition of proved reserves (where the estimator is reasonably certain) with a probabilistic definition with three levels of certainty. The first level is defined as proved or P{sub 90}. This is the amount of reserves where there is a 90% probability that the actual reserves will be greater. The second level is proved plus probable or P{sub 50}. This is defined as the amount of reserves where there is a 50% probability that the actual reserves will be greater. The third level is proved plus probable plus possible or P{sub 10}. This is defined as the amount of reserves where there is a 10% probability that the actual reserves will be greater. To the authors` knowledge, there are no published multiple evaluator comparisons of the deterministic and probabilistic approaches. The research in this paper is designed to add insight into the use of the two methods. There is one known comparative study of deterministic reserve estimates. The estimators in this case were students. Although each study uses a different field and different wells, it is interesting to note that the variability in the professional evaluator`s estimates is similar to themore » variability observed in the students` estimates.« less
The relative Lewis acidities of BF3 and SO3: the enthalpies of complexation with the anionic bases F−, OH−, NH2−, CH3− and CF3−

Abstract Ab initio quantum chemical calculations, literature thermochemical studies in both gas and condensed phases, and simple chemical rules and regularities are used to show that SO3 is a stronger Lewis acid than BF3. We show that this is due to the composite effect of relative bond strengths to sulfur and to boron, and the relative resonance energies of the two Lewis acids and the derived tetracoordinate complexes.
Drosophila TRPA1 channel is required to avoid the naturally occurring insect repellent citronellal.

Summary Plants produce insect repellents, such as citronellal, which is the main component of citronellal oil. However, the molecular pathways through which insects sense botanical repellents are unknown. Here, we show that Drosophila use two pathways for direct avoidance of citronellal. The olfactory coreceptor OR83b contributes to citronellal repulsion and is essential for citronellal-evoked action potentials. Mutations affecting the Ca 2+ -permeable cation channel TRPA1 result in a comparable defect in avoiding citronellal vapor. The TRPA1-dependent aversion to citronellal relies on a G protein (Gq)/phospholipase C (PLC) signaling cascade rather than direct detection of citronellal by TRPA1. Loss of TRPA1, Gq, or PLC causes an increase in the frequency of citronellal-evoked action potentials in olfactory receptor neurons. Absence of the Ca 2+ -activated K + channel (BK channel) Slowpoke results in a similar impairment in citronellal avoidance and an increase in the frequency of action potentials. These results suggest that TRPA1 is required for activation of a BK channel to modulate citronellal-evoked action potentials and for aversion to citronellal. In contrast to Drosophila TRPA1, Anopheles gambiae TRPA1 is directly and potently activated by citronellal, thereby raising the possibility that mosquito TRPA1 may be a target for developing improved repellents to reduce insect-borne diseases such as malaria.
Photoresist striation study on the 8-inch topography wafer

The striation problem on 8' topographical wafers is reported. The striation on topographical wafers is not observed on planar wafers. The degree of striation increases with topographical step-height for the traditional photoresist dispense method. In this study, two modified photoresist dispense methods have been adopted for improving striation problems on topographical wafers. The design of experiment by Taguchi method has been used to determine the optimized conditions for the resist dispense methods. The results of signal-to- noise ratios analyses indicate the factors influencing the degree of striation are strongly dependent on the dispense method being used. It is noted that the traditional dispense method only shows a small degree of improvement in striation even by using Taguchi design-of- experiment (DOE). A large degree of improvement in striation can be achieved by using the modified dispense methods suggested in this study. In summary, this study shows the striation problem on 8' topographical wafers can be improved by using the modified dispense methods suggested in the study. The Taguchi design of experiment method is a valuable tool to determine the optimized process conditions.
An integrated, silica-based, MEMS-actuated, tunable-bandwidth optical filter with low minimum bandwidth

We present a MEMS-actuated tunable-bandwidth filter implemented in phosphosilicate glass (PSG). Tuning range is 0.8 to 8.5GHz. Based on performance of our stand-alone PSG resonator, minimum bandwidth in PSG can be as low as 30MHz.
Bioinspired Directional Surfaces for Adhesion, Wetting, and Transport

In Nature, directional surfaces on insect cuticle, animal fur, bird feathers, and plant leaves are comprised of dual micro-nanoscale features that tune roughness and surface energy. This feature article summarizes experimental and theoretical approaches for the design, synthesis and characterization of new bioinspired surfaces demonstrating unidirectional surface properties. The experimental approaches focus on bottom-up and top-down synthesis methods of unidirectional micro- and nanoscale films to explore and characterize their anomalous features. The theoretical component of the review focuses on computational tools to predict the physicochemical properties of unidirectional surfaces.
An altruistic reanalysis of the social support hypothesis: The health benefits of giving

Can helping others be good for our health and well-being? This chapter summarizes recent research that offers new evidence in favor of this possibility.
Expression and regulation of Groucho-related genes in the embryonic chicken feather bud.

The groucho-related gene (Grg) products modulate the transcriptional response to several extracellular signals, including the Wnts. In an effort to define the roles of Grgs in the morphogenesis of the feather bud, cDNAs encoding members of the Grg family were cloned from embryonic chick skin. In situ hybridization was used to localize transcripts for cGrg2, Grg3, Grg4, and Grg5 in embryos from day 6 through day 9. Expression of cGrg2, 3, and 5 is detected throughout the initial epidermal placode. As the buds mature, expression becomes limited to the posterior halves and eventually to the distal tip of the outgrowing bud. This pattern and the effects of forced activation of the bone morphogenetic protein and beta-catenin signal transduction pathways on Grg gene expression suggest that these genes act downstream of the early activation of the beta-catenin pathway that initiates placode formation. Induction of Grg genes by beta-catenin may serve as a negative feedback to modulate pathway activation while also altering the activity of other transduction pathways involved in bud patterning.
The Deaf Jerker Mouse Has a Mutation in the Gene Encoding the Espin Actin-Bundling Proteins of Hair Cell Stereocilia and Lacks Espins

The espins are actin-bundling proteins of brush border microvilli and Sertoli cell-spermatid junctions. We have determined that espins are also present in hair cell stereocilia and have uncovered a connection between the espin gene and jerker, a recessive mutation that causes hair cell degeneration, deafness, and vestibular dysfunction. The espin gene maps to the same region of mouse chromosome 4 as jerker. The tissues of jerker mice do not accumulate espin proteins but contain normal levels of espin mRNAs. The espin gene of jerker mice has a frameshift mutation that affects the espin C-terminal actin-bundling module. These data suggest that jerker mice are, in effect, espin null and that the jerker phenotype results from a mutation in the espin gene.
Tool life and other process constraints for NC path planning

Abstract The path of the cutter in a face milling operation is a critical parameter that governs the total production time. Computer Aided Design (CAD) systems allow for the careful planning of the cutter path without physical verfication. Optimization of cutter path for generic shapes is still an unsolved problem. Moreover, while planning the path of the cutter analytically, many real time process effects get neglected. Of chief mention is a variable that affects the non-machining time, Viz., tool life. Often the optimal path is insignificant in the light of the damage the tool will suffer if it follows this path. Tool life in face milling depends on the entrance and exit conditions of the cutter into the workpiece (among other variables). Using the actual (trochoidal) path of the cutter tip (compared to the commonly used circular path) allows for a better evaluation of cutter entances and exits. In this research, an attempt is made to point out the importance of “process effects” in NC verification. Further, a program is developed to study the above mentioned variables in relation to the tool path. Preliminary testing of this program proved the validity of the proposal.
Pharmacokinetics of methotrexate administered by intramuscular and subcutaneous injections in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

The serum concentrations and the pharmacokinetics of low-dose methotrexate (MTX) were compared after both intramuscular (IM) and subcutaneous (SQ) injections in 5 patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Values for the observed peak concentration, the time to the observed peak concentration, and the area under the time versus concentration curve for IM injections were not significantly different from these values for SQ injections. These results suggest that IM and SQ are interchangeable routes of administration. SQ administration may be a more convenient and less painful way of administering low-dose MTX.
Indium-Carbon Co-Implantation in GaAs

We report on the formation of p+ layers in GaAs by the co-implantation of indium with carbon. Sheet hole concentrations of 2E14 cm-2 were achieved. The co-implant acts to create stoichiometric disturbances and to increase VAs concentration, allowing the C to occupy the vacant As lattice sites. The effect of In on the stoichiometry of the implanted layer was investigated. It was found that addition of 0.1–1% of a group III ion had the effect of shifting the effective As fraction toward the Ga-rich region, thus altering the crystal stoichiometry.
Barrier Layers in the Tropical South Atlantic: Mean Dynamics and Submesoscale Effects*

AbstractBarrier layers are generated when the surface mixed layer is shallower than the layer where temperature is well mixed, in geographical regions where salinity plays a key role in setting up upper-ocean density stratification. In the tropical oceans, thick barrier layers are also found in a latitude range where spiraling trajectories from surface in situ drifters suggest the presence of predominantly cyclonic submesoscale-like vortices. The authors explore these dynamical processes and their interplay in the present paper, focusing on the tropical South Atlantic Ocean and using a high-resolution modeling approach. The objective is threefold: to investigate the mean dynamics contributing to barrier-layer formation in this region, to study the distribution and seasonality of submesoscale features, and to verify whether and how the submesoscale impacts barrier-layer thickness. The model used is the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) in its Adaptive Grid Refinement in Fortran (AGRIF) online-nested co...
Effects of defects on the shear stress relaxation in self-assembled protein networks

The long-time reorganization of peptide networks formed by mixing “junction” and “linker” components, where the junctions contain multiple high-affinity, high-specificity binding sites for divalent “linkers”, is investigated using a mesoscale simulation model. An interesting feature of this type of system is that the concentration of defects can be controlled experimentally by varying the ratio of junction and linker concentrations in the system. In this study we use a simple simulation model to evaluate how the migration of defects controls the rate of relaxation of shear stress, and how this rate is related to junction multiplicity, defect concentration, and linker stiffness. The mean stress relaxation per defect migration event obtained through simulation was two to three times greater than assumed by standard simple theories. The results are used to develop a phenomenological theory to predict the dependence of shear viscosity on the equilibrium constant and rate constants associated with linker-junction binding, stoichiometric mismatch, and network topology. The shear stress relaxation time and viscosity are predicted to fall away sharply when junction and linker concentrations are mismatched by even 1%. Furthermore, the time-dependence of viscosity during gel “aging” is modeled as an approach to equilibrium through diffusion-limited recombination of complementary defects.
Supercritical CO2 welding of laminated linear low density polyethylene films

Supercritical carbon dioxide (SC CO 2 ) is used as a reversible plasticizing agent to promote solvent welding in highly oriented LLDPE films. These films are laid up in a quasi-isotropic fashion to enhance material properties in all directions. It is shown that, after processing, the oriented morphology and crystallinity are effectively unchanged. These laminated films are investigated both physically and mechanically. The mechanical strength of laminate interfaces is tested using a T-Peel test. Tensile properties of the laminated film are evaluated and compared to the single oriented plies. Tear resistance is measured using a single specimen J 1C .
The evidence that lead increases the risk for spontaneous abortion

Background Reports from a period spanning more than a century, and covering occupationally exposed women in several countries, support an increase in pregnancy loss from high maternal lead exposures. Nevertheless, most studies conducted among populations with low/moderate exposures have provided little evidence of an association with pregnancy loss, or in particular, spontaneous abortions. Methods A critique of these low/moderate level studies reveals small sample sizes, problems in definition or ascertainment of outcome, lack of control for confounding, and/ or deficiencies in the exposure assessment. For estimating exposure, either an ecologic measure was used, or individual biologic specimens were taken but attention was not paid to the timing of measurement of lead levels in these samples. A prospective study that overcame most of the deficiencies of previous studies enrolled pregnant women in Mexico City with low-to-moderate-level lead exposures, collected blood specimens during their first trimester, and ascertained spontaneous abortions by week 20. A key design element of this study was the use of incidence-density-matched controls in order to achieve comparable opportunity for the outcome and comparable timing of exposure measurements. The latter is especially important because blood lead levels are altered by pregnancy. Results In the prospective Mexico City Study, a striking dose-response relation between blood lead and risk of spontaneous abortion was found: the odds ratio for spontaneous abortion was 1.8 (95% confidence interval = 1.1-3.1) for every 5 pg/dL increase in blood lead. Conclusions Low-to-moderate lead exposures may increase the risk for spontaneous abortion at exposures comparable to U.S. general population levels during the 1970s and to many populations worldwide today; these are far lower than exposures encountered in some occupations. Further research is needed to confirm the association, to delineate the role of maternal vs. paternal exposures, and to assess increases in menstrual variability as an explanation for this finding.
Isotopically pumped isotopic CF 4 laser

Single-mode optical pumping of CF4 to generate 16-μm frequencies has been extended to include the isotopic species 12CF413CF4, and 14CF4 for the lasing medium and 16O12C16O and 18O12C18O for the CO2 pump laser. Thirty-three lasing transitions, between 614 and 645 cm−1, and their respective energies are reported and discussed in relation to pertinent spectroscopic parameters.
Toward accommodating realistic fuel chemistry in large-scale computations

The need and prospect of incorporating realistic fuel chemistry in large-scale simulations of combustion phenomena and combustor performance are reviewed. The review first demonstrates the intricacies of chemical kinetics in homogeneous and diffusive systems, and emphasizes the essential importance of the comprehensiveness of chemical fidelity for mechanisms at the detailed and reduced levels. A systematic approach towards developing detailed reaction mechanisms is then outlined, followed by an extensive discussion on the development of reduced mechanisms and the associated strategies towards facilitated computation. Topics covered include skeletal reduction especially through directed relation graph; time-scale reduction based on the concepts of quasi-steady species enabled through computational singular perturbation; the lumping of isomers and of species with similar diffusivities; on-the-fly stiffness removal; the relative merits of implicit versus explicit solvers; and computation cost minimization achieved through tabulation and the judicious re-sequencing of the computational steps in arithmetic evaluations. Examples are given for laminar flames and direct numerical simulations of turbulent combustion to demonstrate the utility of the integrated strategy and the component methods in incorporating realistic chemistry of practical fuels in large-scale simulations, recognizing that the detailed mechanisms of these fuels may consist of hundreds to thousands of species and thousands to tens of thousands of reactions. Directions for further research are suggested.
Should an individual composed of selfish goals be held responsible for her actions

We discuss the implications of the Selfish Goal model for moral responsibility, arguing it suggests a form of skepticism we call the "locus problem." In denying that individuals contain any genuine psychological core of information processing, the Selfish Goal model denies the kind of locus of control intuitively presupposed by ascriptions of responsibility. We briefly consider ways the problem might be overcome.
Phenomenal fallacies and conflations

A “fallacy” is something like the sense-datum fallacy, involving a logically invalid argument. A “conflation” is something like Block's conflation of the (alleged) raw feel of an experience with what it is like to have the experience. Trivially, a self is conscious of something only if it accesses it. Substantive issues concern the nature of the conscious self and the nature of access.
Preliminary exploration of worry: Some characteristics and processes

Abstract The present paper reports two questionnaire studies and an experimental investigation of worrying. Worry correlated more highly than general tension reports with a variety of affect scales and was characterized by: (a) feelings of anxiety, tension and apprehension; (b) moderate awareness of somatic cues including muscle tension and upset stomach; and (c) concerns over future rather than past or present situations. Self-labeled worriers were most distinguished from non-worriers by their reported uncontrollability of cognitive intrusions once worrying was initiated. In the experimental study, worriers and non-worriers were assessed for their ability to focus their attention on a monotonous (breathing) stimulus before and after 0, 15 or 30 min of worrying. Worriers reported significantly higher anxiety. depression and hostility, a lower frequency of focused attention and a greater frequency of negative thought intrusions than did non-worriers prior to the worry period. For both worriers and non-worriers. 15 min of worry resulted in an apparent incubation of negative cognitive intrusions on the subsequent attention-focusing task.
Dabigatran in Clinical Practice

Abstract Background Stroke and systemic thromboembolism remain critical causes of mortality and morbidity in patients with paroxysmal or persistent atrial fibrillation. Dabigatran etexilate is a novel oral direct thrombin inhibitor, which provides stroke risk reduction for patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation. Randomized clinical data demonstrate dabigatran to be an alternative oral anticoagulant with an improved efficacy profile compared with oral warfarin dose adjusted to an INR (international normalized ratio) target of 2.0 to 3.0. Objectives Our aim was to review the pharmacology, mechanism of action, drug metabolism, and clinical trial data supporting dabigatran use. Methods We reviewed all the major published clinical studies of dabigatran and analyzed data regarding practical applications in selected clinical scenarios. Results This review provides recommendations for clinicians regarding dosing during invasive surgical procedures, transitioning off alternative anticoagulants, and a discussion of storage and handling of the drug. Conclusions Our effort should facilitate the safe and effective use of dabigatran in atrial fibrillation.
Using business content explorer for smarter projects

We built a standalone tool, the Business Content Explorer, to provide domain-specific content, consisting of concepts, business rules, metrics and business processes that are readily available to IT professionals (software architects and developers). This tool structures content based on the Business Content Hierarchy (BCH). The novelties in the tool are: (a) how the user can use the tool, and (b) how the content is created. The user is able to use the tool to browse both relevant and authoritative content, and also view its evolution over different projects. Specifically, the user can select a specific subset that can be used in their project, enhance it, export it, and then re-import the extended content to reconcile it with the master content. For content creation, we followed a novel, semi-automated, method in which public documents such Request for Proposals (RFPs), tenders and papers are collected; then, content extraction techniques in off-the-shelf tools are used to identify content.
Assessment of cardiovascular risk factors after renal transplantation: a step towards reducing graft failure.

Abstract Background Prolongation of renal allograft survival a considerable challenge. The primary cause of renal graft failure is recipient death and cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality. We assessed the management of hypertension, dyslipidemia and diabetes mellitus (DM) in a protocol-driven renal transplant clinic. Methods We reviewed 128 patients who received a renal allograft between 2004 and 2008 at our institution. Blood pressure (BP), low density lipoprotein (LDL) and hemoglobin AlC (HbAlC) were assessed annually for up to 5 years. Results were compared with the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes guidelines which target BP at ≤ 130/80 mmHg, LDL ≤ 100 mg/dL, and HbAlC ≤ 7.5%. Use of statins and antihypertensive medications was reviewed. Chi-square and t tests were used for analysis. Results A history of hypertension, dyslipidemia, and DM were present in 96.1%, 60.9%, and 43.8%, respectively. The percentage of patients on ≥3 antihypertensive medications, statins, and other lipid-lowering medications were 38.01%, 44.5%, and 17.2%, respectively. One-year posttransplant targets for BP, LDL, and HbAlC were achieved in 41.4%, 71.7%, and 70.5% of patients, respectively. Five-year posttransplant target BP, LDL, and HbAlC were achieved in 55%, 91.7%, and 88.9% of patients, respectively. Conclusions Even in a university-based clinic with protocols designed to improve compliance, treatment goals for BP, LDL, and HbAlC were not achieved in a substantial number of patients, especially in the first year posttransplantation. Better strategies are needed to meet treatment objectives and prevent untoward outcomes.
Oxygen-sensitive outcomes and gene expression in acute ischemic stroke

Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) results in focal deprivation of blood-borne factors, one of them being oxygen. The purpose of this study was two-fold: (1) to identify therapeutic conditions for supplemental oxygen in AIS and (2) to use transcriptome-wide screening toward uncovering oxygen-sensitive mechanisms. Transient MCAO in rodents was used to delineate the therapeutic potential of normobaric (NBO, 100% O2, 1ATA) and hyperbaric oxygen (HBO, 100% O2, 2ATA) during ischemia (iNBO, iHBO) and after reperfusion (rNBO, rHBO). Stroke lesion was quantified using 4.7 T MRI at 48 h. Supplemental oxygen during AIS significantly attenuated percent stroke hemisphere lesion volume as compared with that in room air (RA) controls, whereas identical treatment immediately after reperfusion exacerbated lesion volume (RA=22.4±1.8, iNBO=9.9±3.6, iHBO=6.6±4.8, rNBO=29.8±3.6, rHBO=35.4±7.6). iNBO and iHBO corrected penumbra tissue pO2 during AIS as measured by EPR oxymetry. Unbiased query of oxygen-sensitive transcriptome in stroke-affected tissue identified 5,769 differentially expressed genes. Candidate genes were verified by real-time PCR using neurons laser-captured from the stroke-affected somatosensory cortex. Directed microarray analysis showed that supplemental oxygen limited leukocyte accumulation to the infarct site by attenuation of stroke-inducible proinflammatory chemokine response. The findings provide key information relevant to understanding oxygen-dependent molecular mechanisms in the AIS-affected brain.
Headache in the Elderly

Headache in an elderly patient can be a sign of serious, potentially life-threatening disorders. All patients require a full assessment, including a complete neurologic examination. Particular emphasis should be placed on excluding subarachnoid hemorrhage, subdural hematoma, giant cell arteritis, intracranial neoplasm, cerebrovascular accident, acute-angle-closure glaucoma, and infectious etiologies such as meningitis and encephalitis. Once life-threatening disorders are excluded, the geriatrician can focus on more benign etiologies such as migraine, tension headache, and medication withdrawal. Treatment depends on the underlying etiology. This article discusses headaches that require emergent treatment and then describes more benign etiologies of headaches.
Synthesis and Self-Limited Electrochemical Doping of Polyacetylene Ionomers

The synthesis, electrochemical characterization, and self-limited electrochemical doping of a family of soluble polyacetylene ionomers are reported. The conjugated ionomers (also known as conjugated polyelectrolytes) are synthesized by the ring-opening metathesis copolymerization of ionically functionalized cyclooctatetraenes with the nonionic trimethylsilylcyclooctatetraene. Sulfonate and alkylammonium derivatized polyacetylenes are reported with functional group densities ranging from 1 per 5 double bonds to 1 per 65 double bonds and weight-average molecular weights of 10−20 kDa. Electrochemically, the copolymers can be reversibly n- and p-doped, although not sequentially on the same polymer film, and their voltammetric behavior appears as a superposition of their constituent homopolymers. The extent of electrochemical doping becomes self-limited by the ion density built into the polymer when it is carried out in an appropriately charged polyelectrolyte-based electrolyte. More specifically, the extent o...
Ceremonial Equity: Low-Income Energy Assistance and the Failure of Socio-Environmental Policy

In an era of declining natural resources and rising consumption, environmental equity is emerging as an increasingly important social problem. This paper considers the limitations of contemporary policymaking designed to mitigate environmental inequalities. We critically examine the history of low-income energy assistance (the federal Low Income Weatherization and Low Income Home Energy Assistance Programs) — the largest such effort in the United States to date — and explore the sources of decline and eventual transformation of these initiatives into largely symbolic adjuncts to state social welfare systems. Persistent inequalities in the distribution of energy assistance benefits are explored, and we use a series of CHAID models to analyze access routes to residual program benefits. Implications of the energy assistance case for other large-scale environmental equity efforts are considered. Suggestions are also offered for a more ecologically oriented and community-based approach to energy equity — one grounded in the realities of stratified environmental relations, better integrated with other social and environmental policies, and more clearly oriented toward the sustainability of natural and social systems.
Photochemical reactions in an isothermal laminar-flow chemical reactor

The photolysis of a photon sensitive material in a laminar-flow tubular reactor is examined theoretically. Included in the analysis are the coupled effects of diffusion, convection, photon attenuation and reaction rate. The analytical solution to the problem is complex and somewhat tedious to apply. Consequently, an approximate solution, which is simpler, has been devised and the accuracy of the approximation tested.
Expression of HIV-1 genes in podocytes alone can lead to the full spectrum of HIV-1-associated nephropathy.

Expression of HIV-1 genes in podocytes alone can lead to the full spectrum of HIV-1-associated nephropathy. Background Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1-associated nephropathy (HIVAN) is characterized by collapsing focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) and microcystic tubular dilatation. HIV-1 infection is also associated with other forms of nephropathy, including mesangial hyperplasia. Since HIV-1 gene products are detected in podocytes and other renal cells, it remains uncertain whether podocyte-restricted HIV-1 gene expression can account for the full spectrum of renal lesions involving nonpodocytes. Methods To define the role of podocyte-restricted HIV-1 gene expression in the progression of HIVAN, we generated transgenic mice that express nonstructural HIV-1 genes selectively in podocytes. Results Four of the seven founder mice developed proteinuria and nephropathy. In a subsequently established transgenic line, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis detected mRNAs for vif , vpr , nef , and spliced forms of tat and rev , but not vpu , in the kidney. In situ hybridization localized HIV-1 RNA to the podocyte. Transgenic mice on FVB/N genetic background exhibited cuboidal morphology of podocytes with reduced extension of primary and foot processes at 2 weeks of age. After 3 weeks of age, these mice developed massive and nonselective proteinuria with damage of podocytes and other glomerular cells and, after 4 weeks of age, collapsing FSGS and microcystic tubular dilatation. In marked contrast, transgenic mice with C57BL/6 genetic background showed either normal renal histology or only mild mesangial expansion without overt podocyte damage. Conclusion The present study demonstrates that podocyte-restricted expression of HIV-1 gene products is sufficient for the development of collapsing glomerulosclerosis in the setting of susceptible genetic background.
Phenotypic stability and variation in cells of the porcine aorta: Collagen and elastin production

The extracellular matrix of the developing vasculature varies in composition as a function of time and position. Cellular models of vascular biology and pathology depend on the assumption that stable phenotypic characteristics of vascular cells can be propagated through several generations of in vitro cultivation. We show that the positional and developmental heterogeneity of matrix phenotypes in the porcine aorta are expressed by explanted vascular smooth muscle cell (SMC) and adventitial cell populations for a limited number of passages. Elastin was expressed most highly by thoracic SMC while interstitial collagen production was usually maximal in abdominal segments. Parallel gradients of collagen types I, III and V, detected by specific ELISA assays, were expressed in early-passage SMC. Adventitial cell populations from the abdominal aorta of the neonatal pig accumulated significant levels of collagen, while these fibroblasts produced less than 10% of the elastin made by SMC. All cell populations expressed alpha-smooth muscle actin in vitro. Gradients of collagen and elastin expression were evident for no more than three passages, and direct outgrowth of cells without limited digestion of the matrix further reduced phenotypic stability. Variation and decline of the elastin phenotype could be due to hypermethylation of regulatory sequences in the elastin gene or trans-acting factors, but elastin production was dose-dependently stimulated to a similar extent (100%; 10 microM 5-azacytidine) in all segmental SMC populations at early (p1) and late (p3) passage. These data indicated that faithful reflection of in vivo SMC behavior was limited to a few population doublings, at least under standard culture conditions. Modification of the cellular environment by reducing serum factors, changing matrix, or adding mechanical stimulation may increase phenotypic stability.
Association between duration of use of pharmacotherapy and smoking cessation: findings from a national survey.

Objective To investigate the association of the duration of use of prescription medications and nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) with smoking cessation using a national sample of the general population in the USA, controlling for nicotine dependence and sociodemographic variables. Setting USA. Participants We used data from the 2010–2011 Tobacco Use Supplement to the US Current Population Survey. We limited the analysis to current daily smokers who made a quit attempt in the past year and former smokers who were a daily smoker 1 year prior to the survey (n=8263). Respondents were asked about duration of use of prescription medication (varenicline, bupropion, other) and NRT (nicotine patch, gum/lozenges, nasal spray and inhaler) for smoking cessation. Primary outcome measure Successful smoking cessation. Individuals who reported to have smoked at least 100 cigarettes in their lifetime but were not smoking at all at the time of the interview and were a daily smoker 1 year prior to the interview were considered to have successfully quit smoking. Results After adjusting for daily cigarette consumption and sociodemographic covariates, we found evidence for an association between duration of pharmacotherapy use and smoking cessation (p Conclusions Use of pharmacotherapy for at least 5 weeks is associated with increased likelihood of successful smoking cessation. Results suggest that encouraging smokers who intend to quit to use pharmacotherapy and to adhere to treatment duration can help improve chances of successful cessation.