cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Acinic cell carcinoma of the parotid gland presenting as an external auditory canal mass.

Background. The fissures of Santorini have long been known as a gateway for disease to pass from the external auditory canal to the periparotid and neck spaces. Although anatomically understandable, description of disease that originates in the parotid gland and extends through the fissures to the external auditory canal is rare. This is, in fact ,the first presentation of such a patient at our institution in a previously untreated patient. Case Report. A 43-year-old woman was seen with a mass in her right external auditory canal. Further evaluation found this to be the presenting finding of a parotid neoplasm. The patient also had a right marginal mandibular paresis. Biopsy of the external auditory canal mass provided a diagnosis of an acinic cell adenocarcinoma. She underwent a right lateral temporal bone resection, type III modified neck dissection, and radical parotidectomy with facial nerve sacrifice and rectus abdominus reconstruction with facial nerve grafting. Pathologic examination of the specimen revealed an acinic cell carcinoma of the right parotid gland with focal dedifferentiation into a high-grade adenocarcinoma. Conclusions. Care should be taken with auditory canal masses to remember the possibility that disease is extending from the parotid through the fissures of Santorini, and evaluation and management should proceed accordingly. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck26: 85–88, 2004
Intraplant Movement of Generalist Slug Caterpillars (Limacodidae: Lepidoptera) : Effects of Host Plant and Light Environment

Insect herbivores frequently move about on their host plants to obtain food, avoid enemies and competitors, and cope with changing environmental conditions. Although numerous plant traits influence the movement of specialist herbivores, few studies have examined movement responses of generalist herbivores to the variable ecological conditions associated with feeding and living on an array of host plants. We tested whether the movement patterns of two generalist caterpillars (Euclea delphinii Boisduval and Acharia stimulea Clemens, Limacodidae) differed on six different host tree species over 10 d. Because these tree species vary in the range of light environments in which they commonly grow, we also compared the movement responses of E. delphinii caterpillars to two contrasting light environments, sun and shade. For both caterpillar species, multiple measures of movement varied significantly among host tree species. In early censuses, movement rates and distances were highest on red oak and black cherry and lowest on white oak. Site fidelity was greatest on white oak and lowest on black cherry. Movement of both caterpillar species varied inversely with mean predator density on five of the six host trees. Other ecological predictors (e.g., leaf size and the density of other herbivores) were unrelated to movement. Light environment altered behavior such that caterpillars in the shade moved and fed more often, and moved greater distances, than caterpillars in the sun. Although the mechanism(s) promoting or inhibiting movement under these different conditions requires further study, the consequences of increased movement for caterpillar development and mortality from natural enemies are discussed.
The importance of lipid evaluation and management in the prevention and treatment of acute myocardial infarction.

There is an obvious need to measure low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in all patients with acute myocardial infarction and coronary artery disease. The recent guidelines of the National Cholesterol Education Program have established the desired level for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol for such patients at <100 mg/dL. However, several studies have demonstrated a lack of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol measurement and lipid-lowering therapy with statins in patients with acute myocardial infarction and coronary artery disease. These findings point to a need for quality of care improvement efforts to foster both lipid measurement and statin use in such patients. Many studies have demonstrated the numerous beneficial effects of statin use. In addition to lipid lowering, these include plaque stability and ant platelet, ant macrophage, and antiatherothrombotic activities as well as enhanced endothelial activity. As a class of drugs, the statins have been shown to offer significant benefits with little in the way of associated risks.
The Second Course in Statistics: Design and Analysis of Experiments?

Statistics departments are facing rapid growth in enrollments and increases in demand for courses. This article discusses the use of design and analysis of experiments (DAE) as a nonterminal second course in statistics for undergraduate statistics majors, minors, and other students seeking exposure to the practice of statistics beyond the introductory course. DAE is a gateway to approaching statistical thinking as data-based problem solving by exposing students to statistical, computational, data, and communication skills in the second course. Given the somewhat antiquated view of design and deemphasis of classical design of experiments topics in the new ASA curriculum guidelines, DAE may seem an odd choice for the second course; however, it exposes students to the breadth of the statistical problem-solving process, explores foundational issues of the discipline, and is accessible to students who have not yet finished their advanced mathematical training. These skills remain essential in the data science ...
Abstract 379: Modulation of Inflammatory Signaling by PPARα and PPARγ in Acrolein-Treated gp91phox Knockout Mice

Acrolein, a copious environmental pollutant plays a role in development of inflammation in vasculature. Oxidative stress & inflammation are important in acrolein-induced toxicity. Peroxisome Proliferator Activated receptor alpha and gamma (PPARα and PPARγ) and their ability to influence oxidative stress (OS) has been the focus of inflammatory signaling. NAD(P)H oxidase is a source of free radical generation. This study investigated the influence of PPARα and γ ligands (clofibrate & GW1929) in attenuating oxidative stress in acrolein-induced insult. gp91phox knockout (KO) mice and age/weight matched wild type (WT) were treated with acrolein (0.5 μg/kg; i.p.; 7 days) with/without clofibrate (Clof: 250 mg/kg; i.p; 10 days) or GW1929 (5 mg/kg, gavage, 10 days). KO mice (1.44±0.14 pg/μg prt) had higher (97%) 8-Isoprostane in response to acrolein than WT (2.19±0.11 pg/μg prt). Clof had no effect on 8-Isoprostane but GW1929 reduced it in both WT and KO mice by 35% and 43% (p<0.05) respectively. There was a significant reduction in Total Antioxidant Status (TAS) which was more prominent in WT (69%) than KO (53%). Clof and GW1929 improved TAS in WT (21% and 19%). Xanthine Oxidase (XO) enzyme activity was higher in KO (0.53±0.05) than WT (0.35+0.02). Acrolein and clof increased XO activity in WT while GW1929 had no effect. Acrolein increased cycloxygenase (COX) in WT (4.58±0.3) and remained at basal level in KO. Clof and GW1929 reduced COX in WT (54% and 48% respectively). Clof reduced Cox only in KO mice (31%). NFκB activity was twice in acrolein treated WT and remained unchanged in KO. Both GW1929 and clof blunted this increase. Acrolein increased CD36 activity, an inflammatory marker, in KO (56%). Clof attenuated this increase in KO but increased it in acrolein treated WT. GW1929 blunted CD36 increase in KO mice but did not affect WT. These results suggest that in absence of a functioning NAD(P)H oxidase other oxygenase contributes in acrolein-induced oxidative stress and PPARα ligand, clofibrate, is beneficial via attenuating inflammatory signaling of NFκB and COX. We also suggest that beneficial effect of PPARγ ligand involves inhibition of NAD(P)H oxidase as in absence of NAD(P)H this effects are minimal.
Engineering Collaborations In Medical Modeling And Simulation

Fifty years ago computer science was just beginning to see common acceptance as a growing discipline and very few universities had a computer science department although other departments were utilizing computers and software to enhance their methodologies. We believe modeling and simulation (M&S) is on a similar path. Many other disciplines utilize M&S to enhance their methodologies but we also believe that M&S fundamentals can be essential in making better decisions by utilizing the appropriate model for the problem at hand, expanding the solution space through simulation, and understanding it through visualization and proper analyses. After our students learn these fundamentals, we offer the opportunity to apply them to varied application areas. One such application area is medical M&S, which is a broad area involving anatomical modeling, planning and training simulations, image-guided procedures and more. In this paper, we share several research projectsinvolving M&S and the collaborations that make them possible.
Abstract TP6: Octogenerians Have High Rates Of Favorable Outcomes After Endovascular Therapy For Acute Stroke Due To M1 Occlusion If Final Infarct Volumes Are Small

Background and Purpose: Octogenerians have consistently been shown to have poor outcomes after endovascular therapy for acute stroke. On the other hand, final infarct volumes are predictive of outcomes. We sought to explore the relationship between final infarct volumes and outcomes in octogenerians with acute stroke due to M1 MCA occlusion treated with endovascular therapy at our institution. Methods: Retrospective analysis of an acute stroke endovascular database was performed. Inclusion criteria were acute M1 MCA occlusion and post procedural MRI allowing for final infarct volume analysis through an automated software application. Results: A total of 219 patients were identified of which 51 (23%) were 80 years or older. Median age in non-octogenerians was 65.5 versus 83 in octogenerians. Females were 51.8% versus 67%, respectively. Median admission NIHSS was 16 versus 17 (p=ns). Median final infarct volume was 43.6 cc vs. 43.3 cc (p=ns). Median time to treatment was 5.6 hours versus 5.5 hours. Successful recanalization rate (TIMI 2/3 flow) was achieved in 139/168 (83%) versus 45/51 (88%) (p=ns). Multivariate analysis, controlling for admission NIHSS score, recanalization and intubation and time from symptom onset to procedure, identified age (OR 0.9, p Conclusions: Despite similar recanalization rates and final infarct volumes, outcomes after endovascular therapy for MCA occlusions in octogenerians are worse than in non-octogenerians. However, outcomes are strongly related to infarct volumes and consequently nearly half of octogenerians with final infarct volume of
The Paradox of the Knower without Epistemic Closure — Corrected

This essay corrects an error in the presentation of the Paradox of the Knowledge-Plus Knower (a variant of Kaplan and Montague’s Knower Paradox) given in Cross 2001 (‘The Paradox of the Knower without Epistemic Closure’). The correction adds a universally quantified transitivity principle for derivability as an additional assumption leading to paradox. This correction does not affect the status of the Knowledge-Plus paradox as a rebuttal to an argument against epistemic closure, since the quantified transitivity principle is true in the standard model of arithmetic and therefore innocuous.
Valley trion dynamics in monolayer MoSe 2

Charged excitons called trions play an important role in the fundamental valley dynamics in newly emerging two-dimensional semiconductor materials. We use ultrafast pump-probe spectroscopy to study the valley trion dynamics in a ${\mathrm{MoSe}}_{2}$ monolayer grown by using chemical vapor deposition. The dynamics displays an ultrafast trion formation followed by a nonexponential decay. The measurements at different pump fluences show that the trion decay dynamics becomes slower as the excitation density increases. The observed trion dynamics and the associated density dependence are a result of the trapping by two defect states as being the dominating decay mechanism. The simulation based on a set of rate equations reproduces the experimental data for different pump fluences. Our results reveal the important trion dynamics and identify the trapping by defect states as the primary trion decay mechanism in monolayer ${\mathrm{MoSe}}_{2}$ under the excitation densities used in our experiment.
Simultaneous determination of benzoyl peroxide and benzoic acid in flour by High performance liquid chromatography

Objective:To simultaneously determine benzoyl peroxide and benzoic acid in flour with High performance liquid chromatography.Methods:The benzoyl peroxide and benzoic acid in flour were extracted with anhydrous alcohol.The HPLC separation was carried out with a Waters Symmetry C18 column using methanol-water contaning 0.05% phosphate acid(80:20) as mobile phase and detected by DAD at 235.5 nm.Results: The limit of detection(LOD) was 0.14 mg/kg and 0.20 mg/kg for benzoyl peroxide and benzoic acid,respectively.The recovery and RSD of benzoyl peroxide are 97.50%～101.60% and 1.51%,respectively;and which of benzoic acid are 95.60%～104.20% and 3.03%,respectively.Conclusion:This method is accurate and sensitive,easy to operate for simultaneously analyze the benzoyl peroxide and benzoic acid of flour.
The structure of the minimum size supertail of a subspace partition

Let $$V=V(n,q)$$V=V(n,q) denote the vector space of dimension n over the finite field with q elements. A subspace partition$$\mathcal {P}$$P of V is a collection of nontrivial subspaces of V such that each nonzero vector of V is in exactly one subspace of $$\mathcal {P}$$P. For any integer d, the d-supertail of $$\mathcal {P}$$P is the set of subspaces in $$\mathcal {P}$$P of dimension less than d, and it is denoted by ST. Let $$\sigma _q(n,t)$$źq(n,t) denote the minimum number of subspaces in any subspace partition of V in which the largest subspace has dimension t. It was shown by Heden et al. that $$|ST|\ge \sigma _q(d,t)$$|ST|źźq(d,t), where t is the largest dimension of a subspace in ST. In this paper, we show that if $$|ST|=\sigma _q(d,t)$$|ST|=źq(d,t), then the union of all the subspaces in ST constitutes a subspace under certain conditions.
Dirty Politics: Mining Booms and Politician Behavior in India

We study how natural resource wealth affects the selection and behavior of holders of public office. Using global price shocks to thirty-one different minerals, and nationwide geological and political data from India, we show that local mineral wealth shocks cause the election of criminal politicians. We also find a moral hazard effect: politicians commit more crimes and accumulate greater wealth when mineral prices rise during their term in office. There are no local fiscal revenue effects in this context; we thus isolate the direct impacts of mining sector operations on politics.
Frontal Lobe Infarction and Cognitive Deficits

Cognitive deficits associated with frontal-lobe infarction in children with sickle cell disease (SCD) were examined at the Institute of Child Health, London, UK.
Anxiety, Culture, and Expectations: Oncologist-Perceived Factors Associated With Use of Nonrecommended Serum Tumor Marker Tests for Surveillance of Early-Stage Breast Cancer.

Purpose:Breast cancer offers several opportunities for reducing use of ineffective practices based on American Society of Clinical Oncology guidelines. We assessed oncologist-perceived factors associated with use of one such practice—serum tumor markers for post-treatment breast cancer surveillance—focusing on medical oncologists with high, medium, or low test use.Methods:Using a mixed-methods design, we identified patients who had been treated for early-stage breast cancer diagnosed between January 1, 2009, and December 31, 2012, within Kaiser Permanente Southern California and calculated the number of tests ordered from January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2014. We identified oncologists with high, medium, or low use and subsequently performed semistructured interviews. We used patient satisfaction data to assess association between pattern of use and satisfaction score.Results:We identified 7,363 patients, with 40,114 tests ordered. High-use oncologists were defined as those ordering at least one test annu...
The relative reinforcing value of sweet versus savory snack foods after consumption of sugar- or non-nutritive sweetened beverages

The effects of sugar-sweetened (SSB) and non-nutritive sweetened (NSB) beverages on the regulation of appetite, energy intake and body weight regulation remain controversial. Using a behavioral choice paradigm, we sought to determine the effects of consuming a SSB or NSB on appetite and the reinforcing value of sweet relative to salty/savory snack foods. In a randomized crossover study, 21 healthy weight adults consumed 360 ml of SSB (sucrose; 31 g) or NSB (sucralose; 4 g) with a standardized meal. Hedonic ratings for the sweet and salty/savory snack foods used for the reinforcement task were assessed prior to the start of the study. Satiety and the desire to eat foods with a specific taste profile were assessed before and every 30 min post-meal for 4 h. The relative reinforcing value of the snack foods was assessed using a computer-based choice task (operant responding with concurrent schedules of reinforcement) 4 h post-meal. Hedonic ratings did not differ between the most highly liked sweet and salty/savory snack foods. Beverage type did not influence measures of satiety or the desire to eat foods with a specific taste. However, sweet snacks were more (p < 0.05) reinforcing relative to salty/savory snack foods after consuming a NSB than after a SSB. In conclusion, this is the first study to demonstrate that NSB can increase the motivation to gain access to sweet snacks relative to salty/savory snack foods later in the day.
Population in Transition: North Africa’s Health and Health Care System(s)

This chapter begins with general remarks about the health and health status of North Africa followed by a discussion of the conditions in each individual country often lumped together as the Maghreb and the Middle East. As a result, some individual observations may be a contrast to, or overlap at times with, the general remarks made about the conditions of the region, particularly when there is a need to sharpen what is known about the Arab states facing the Atlantic and the Indian Oceans, the Red Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea. Unlike Sub-Saharan Africa, much less is known about the state of health and health care in North Africa.
Air Traffic Controller Additional Work Load as a Result of Aircraft Dynamic Separations

For some years, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Eurocontrol and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) have proposed several initiatives as part of the effort to reduce wake mitigation separation that could increase airport capacity. Among different proposed wake mitigation concepts, dynamic wake separation has been identified as a promising method to increase airport capacity in the near-term. Dynamic wake separations take into account the environmental and aircraft dependent parameters that influence wake behavior. The intent of this paper is to study and discuss the additional workload and complexity to air traffic controllers as a result of dynamic separation standards associated with aircraft recategorization (RECAT Phase 3). There is a potential capacity benefit that could result from taking into consideration dynamic parameters; at the same time, there is an additional workload being imposed on air traffic controllers due to the complexity of non-static separations.
Cementless TKA: The preferred method for young, active, and heavy patients

Abstract Cementless fixation has the advantage of obtaining biological fixation, which should respond better than cement to the increased stresses that are expected in younger, active, and/or obese patients. In total, 1011 Natural-Knee® cementless total knee replacements were performed by the author from 1986 to 2015 in this patient population. The 10-year failure rates of 20–30% were noted in the early cases, which included the use of metal-backed patellae and use of tibial screws that allowed back-side polyethylene wear debris-induced osteolysis. Reliable bone attachment occurred. The last 760 total knee replacements in this series have been performed with cementless femoral and tibial components, no tibial screws, cemented patellae, and highly cross-linked polyethylene tibia with only one revision for aseptic loosening or osteolysis.
An analysis of inpatient pediatric sickle cell disease: Incidence, costs, and outcomes

Objective To identify characteristics of pediatric sickle cell disease (SCD) hospitalizations and to examine admission demographics and medical expenditures. Methods Admissions with SCD were identified from the 2009 and 2012 releases of the Healthcare and Cost Utilization Project's Kids Inpatient Database. Disease-specific secondary diagnoses including acute chest syndrome (ACS), vaso-occlusive pain crisis (VOC), splenic sequestration, and stroke/transient ischemic attack were analyzed for patient and hospital demographics. Analytical endpoints included total healthcare expenditures and mortality. Results We reviewed 75,234 inpatient hospitalizations with a diagnosis of SCD. Over $900,000,000 was spent annually in associated healthcare expenditure. The median length of hospitalization stay (LOS) for all admissions was 3 days (interquartile range [IQR] 2–5 days). VOC was the most frequent secondary diagnosis, recording 48,698 total hospitalizations and a median LOS of 3 days (IQR 2–6 days). Of the 8,490 hospitalizations with ACS, the infant population had a significantly higher mortality rate compared to other age groups (2% vs. 0.3%, P < 0.001). Cerebral vascular accidents incurred the second highest median hospitalization cost ($18,956), behind ACS ($22,631). A high proportion of Caucasian patients died during hospitalization for VOC (0.4% vs. 0.1%, P = 0.014) and ACS (4% vs. 0.2%, P < 0.001) when compared to non-Caucasians. Conclusion Inpatient hospitalizations for secondary manifestations of pediatric SCD were associated with significant healthcare expenditures. Patients with an increased statistical risk for death during hospitalization included Caucasians with SCD complications of ACS and VOC, and patients <1-year-old with ACS. Further research is needed to substantiate the associated clinical significance of these findings.
Inferring Ocean Storm Characteristics from Ambient Seismic Noise: A Historical Perspective

Abstract Microseisms seen on seismograms worldwide were once viewed as “noise” contaminating records of earthquakes. However, these low-amplitude oscillations generated by storms over the oceans are now recognized as carriers of an important meteorological “signal”. Decades-long archives of analog seismograms may thus represent a high-resolution record of climate change significantly longer than those based on traditional meteorological observations. One of the first phenomena investigated by the then-new field of seismology, microseism research began with their identification around 1870. Improved characterization came from subsequent investigations in Europe, Japan, and North America, which sought out their sources and source regions. Two-generation mechanisms were identified in the mid-twentieth century. In both, microseisms originate with atmospheric energy in the form of storms over the oceans. It is coupled into the water column via the generation of ocean swell, transmitted to the seafloor, and then travels as elastic waves at the seafloor. Analysis of secondary microseisms, recorded in eastern North America during August 1992 Saffir/Simpson category 5 hurricane Andrew, shows the feasibility of using these signals to identify North Atlantic Ocean hurricanes. The shift in dominant microseism frequency with Andrew intensification demonstrates that these microseisms were generated over the deep waters of the North Atlantic Ocean at or near the hurricane and are thus a near real-time record of hurricane changes. Variations in secondary microseism frequency and amplitude allow detection of the hurricane while over the ocean and up to ∼2000 km from the recording station. Analog seismograms from seismic stations in North America may thus document unobserved North Atlantic hurricanes. However, uncertainties remain. The relative contributions of deep- and shallow-water sources remain uncertain, and the generation of microseisms with transverse wave components lacks a satisfactory explanation. Better understanding of the various controls on microseism properties is necessary before information in these waveforms can be used to infer storm characteristics, especially for less-energetic storms.
Biofuel Economics and Policy: The Renewable Fuel Standard, the Blend Wall, and Future Uncertainties

Abstract Biofuels are currently in a state of flux. The main operative policy for biofuels in the United States is the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). It specifies a minimum quantity of four different types of biofuels that must be blended each year in the United States through 2022. However, the United States also faces what is called the blend wall, which is a physical limit on blending given that the United States blends at a 10% rate. The blend wall upper limit is now below the RFS lower limit for corn ethanol, and that is causing problems with the administration of the RFS. This chapter explains how the RFS functions and then examines alternatives to the current administration of the RFS. The RFS is critical for cellulosic biofuels and biodiesel, and its elimination would likely end use of those fuels. Corn ethanol, however, is now much less expensive than gasoline and would continue.
Testing Hypotheses of Phylogeny of Heteroderidae

Knowledge of phylogeny of Heteroderidae is essential to achieving stable meaningful systematics. Stable systematics has been elusive. New genera are frequently described and genera are variously grouped into subfamilies and other taxa by a number of authors. Luc et al. (1978) pointed out “heterogenity and inconsistencies” within subfamilies and proposed abolishing existing subfamilies. They suggested that arrangement of genera into meaningful (i.e. phylogenetic) groups must await additional information. Currently, characters useful for interpreting phylogenetic relationships are scarce. Nevertheless, systematists have relied on these limited characters to propose several competing hypotheses of phylogeny of Heteroderidae (Wouts, 1973; Stone, 1977; Krall and Krall, 1978; Ferris, 1979, 1985). Further advancement requires testing, refining and retesting of these hypotheses.
PATTERN RECOGNITION APPLIED TO EVOKED TIME FUNCTIONS: COMPUTER-AIDED DIAGNOSIS

This paper describes a pattern recognition program for the classification of evoked time functions represented by discrete quantized data. The relative efficiency of several descriptions in the time and frequency domains is discussed, and the information content of various descriptions is quantitatively evaluated. Relationships between the Fourier transform and the coefficients of a Fourier series representation are applied to the description of evoked time functions. A criterion is developed for selecting an algorithm which gives the necessary recognition accuracy. Reasons for adopting a standard set of descriptions that reference communication between investigators to a common basis are explained.
A Transition Management Approach for Shrinking Cities in the United States

Transition Management is not a widely used approach for guiding urban development and change in the United States. However, the principles of Transition Management may prove valuable to planning and policymaking efforts in the US, particularly in the shrinking cities of the Rustbelt region. In these cities, population loss and deindustrialization pose daunting challenges, but also offer robust and multi-faceted opportunities to pursue more sustainable urban futures. Established planning practices in the United States are primarily geared toward managing growth. These practices are often ineffective in cities that are not growing. New, more flexible approaches to planning and community engagement are needed. The principles of Transition Management may prove especially relevant for shrinking cities in the US because the overarching idea that Transition Management is not about adapting, or correcting current conditions, but rather a focus on transformative change.
Time Lags and Niche Shifts in a Biological Invasion of Hummingbirds

Shifts in a species' realized niche can lead to rapid population growth by increasing the carrying capacity of local habitats and allowing colonization of new areas. This process is well known in "invasive" species introduced to novel ranges by humans, but can also occur when native species expand their range. In these cases expansions may be driven either by a shift in the available environment or by a shift in the species' use of existing niche space, but identifying the specific environmental or behavioral changes involved is often hindered by time lags in the process of colonization. Here I document a century of range shifts in the Anna's Hummingbird (Calypte anna) and show that recent abundance in the Pacific Northwest is the product of a series of range and niche expansions that started in the early 20th century following the spread of garden cultivation and introduced plant species in California. Demographic trends in the northwest have tracked simple models of exponential growth since populations became established in the 1960's and 70's, and nest records suggest that the species has delayed the beginning of the breeding season by at least 18 days in the north. Niche models trained on historic climate and occurrence data fail to predict the modern range, suggesting that climate change is not the primary cause of the expansion. Range expansions in the Anna's Hummingbird thus closely track the dynamics of an invasive species spreading across a novel range, and were made possible by a mix of introduced plants, phenological acclimation, and an expansion of the realized climatic niche.
Dose-response characteristics of impaired glucose oxidation in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

To determine the dose-response characteristics of impaired glucose oxidation in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), indirect calorimetry was performed on eight matched control and NIDDM subjects during the basal state and during three glucose clamps at insulin infusion rates of 150, 300, and 1,500 pmol.m-2.min-1. Hyperglycemia was used to achieve matched rates of glucose uptake at each insulin infusion. Glucose uptake in the basal state was greater in NIDDM [3.75 +/- 0.23 vs. 2.50 +/- 0.10 mg.kg fat-free mass (FFM)-1.min-1, P less than 0.005] but was similar at approximately 8, 12, and 26 mg.kg FFM-1.min-1 at each insulin infusion. Basal protein oxidation, fat oxidation, and plasma free fatty acids were similar and equally sensitive to suppression by insulin in both groups. Glucose oxidation was reduced 20-26%, and circulating lactate increased 50-90% at physiological but not at pharmacological insulin concentrations in NIDDM. The dose-response relationship between serum insulin and glucose oxidation was right shifted in NIDDM with half-maximal activation at 368 +/- 91 vs. 179 +/- 27 pM in controls (P less than 0.05). In conclusion, glucose oxidation is reduced at physiological insulin concentrations in NIDDM and cannot be explained by concomitant obesity, increased fat oxidation, or reduced glucose uptake but results from impaired sensitivity to stimulation by insulin, possibly at pyruvate dehydrogenase.
Environmental Aspects of the Pfeiffer Effect

Pfeiffer and co-workers1-3 in an attempt to prepare and resolve complexes of the zinc ion using bidentate ligands encountered an optical anomaly which since has been named the Pfeiffer effect.§ Pfeiffer and Quehl determined the rotation of a 0.04 M solution of zinc camphor sulfonate, Zn(CS)2-6H2O, to be 0.92°. On addition of a three mole quantity of phenanthroline (phen) the rotation diminished to 0.08°. In a similar experiment using the brom-camphor sulfonate (BCS~) salt of zinc (in place of camphor sulfonate), there was noted an increase of the rotation from 4.55° to 8.44° at Na-D line. It has long been recognized that these two resolving agents (as NH4CS and NH4BCS) do give opposite enantiomers when used in resolutions of complexes. It was also reported by the same authors that a solution of zinc sulfate, NH4BCS and phen in the ratio 1:2:3 gave the same optical rotation as a solution containing the same concentrations of the complex represented as [Zn(phen)3] (BCS)2. The present authors have investigated this claim further and the experiments will be discussed later.
Endoscopic full-thickness muscle biopsy for rectal tissue sampling in patients with severe gut motility disorders: an initial experience (with video).

Background and Aims Diagnosis of GI neuromuscular diseases is mostly on the basis of symptomatology and is often unreliable. Pathologic analysis of affected tissue (eg, the myenteric plexus and muscle) is a potentially valuable method for both diagnosis and advancement of our knowledge about the biologic basis for these syndromes. However, until now access to the deeper layers of the GI tract has been limited, generally requiring invasive surgical techniques. Methods We report a “close-then-resect” endoscopic full-thickness biopsy sampling (EFTB) technique using an over-the-scope clip and telescope for rectal muscle biopsy sampling in patients with suspected severe neuromuscular gut disorders. The main outcome measures were technical success and adverse events. Results Thirteen patients (11 women; mean age 27 ± 5.4 years) with diffusely delayed colonic transit underwent EFTB. The mean (± standard deviation) procedure time was 30 ± 5.2 minutes. The mean size of the resected specimen was 18 ± 3.5 mm. Histologic full-thickness tissue samples were achieved for all patients. Postprocedural adverse events were reported in 2 patients, and both were graded as mild (1 self-limited bleeding and 1 with rectal pain). Hematoxylin and eosin staining of tissue samples confirmed adequate cross-sectional imaging of muscularis propria in all patients with excellent demonstration of the myenteric plexus and both layers of muscle. Two patients demonstrated a decrease in interstitial cells of Cajal as demonstrated by CD117 staining. No cases demonstrated appreciable inflammation involving myenteric ganglia. Conclusions Diagnostic EFTB with modified over-the-scope clip for the close-then-resect method appears to be a safe and effective technique to obtain adequate full-thickness rectal specimens, allowing for both quantitative and qualitative analysis for the diagnosis of neuromuscular GI dysmotility.
Propionibacterium acnes–induced immunopathology correlates with health and disease association

Genomic studies revealed the existence of health- and acne-associated P. acnes strains and suggested novel approaches for broadening understanding of acne vulgaris. However, clinical association of P. acnes with disease or health has yet to be corroborated experimentally. Current animal models of acne do not closely mimic human disease and have unclear translational value. We have developed a murine model of acne by combining P. acnes inoculation with topical application of a synthetic human sebum. We showed that human sebum promoted persistence of intradermally injected P. acnes with little loss of viability after 1 week and permitted use of more physiologic inoculums. Application of acne-associated P. acnes RT4/5 strains led to development of moderate to severe skin pathology compared with application of health-associated type II P. acnes strains (RT2/6). RT4/5 P. acnes strains uniformly induced higher levels of KC (IL-8), IL-1α, IL-1β, and IL-6 in vitro and in vivo compared with type II P. acnes strains. Overall, our data provide immunopathologic corroboration of health and disease association of clinical P. acnes strains and inform on a platform to query putative virulence factors uncovered by genomic studies.
Tuning the material properties of a water-soluble ionic polymer using different counterions for material extrusion additive manufacturing

Abstract Additive manufacturing (AM) affords the opportunity to print tailored pharmaceuticals to customize the quantity of medicine, number of medicines, and time and rate of release to be adapted for an individual's needs. A series of sulfonated poly(ethylene glycol) (SPEG) polymers for fused filament fabrication (FFF) that (i) dissolves quickly (
Laser brain cancer surgery in a xenograft model guided by optical coherence tomography

Higher precision surgical devices are needed for tumor resections near critical brain structures. The goal of this study is to demonstrate feasibility of a system capable of precise and bloodless tumor ablation. An image-guided laser surgical system is presented for excision of brain tumors in vivo in a murine xenograft model. The system combines optical coherence tomography (OCT) guidance with surgical lasers for high-precision tumor ablation (Er:YAG) and microcirculation coagulation (Thulium (Tm) fiber laser). Methods: A fluorescent human glioblastoma cell line was injected into mice and allowed to grow four weeks. Craniotomies were performed and tumors were imaged with confocal fluorescence microscopy. The mice were subsequently OCT imaged prior, during and after laser coagulation and/or ablation. The prior OCT images were used to compute three-dimensional tumor margin and angiography images, which guided the coagulation and ablation steps. Histology of the treated regions was then compared to post-treatment OCT images. Results: Tumor sizing based on OCT margin detection matched histology to within experimental error. Although fluorescence microscopy imaging showed the tumors were collocated with OCT imaging, margin assessment using confocal microscopy failed to see the extent of the tumor beyond ~ 250 µm in depth, as verified by OCT and histology. The two-laser approach to surgery utilizing Tm wavelength for coagulation and Er:YAG for ablation yielded bloodless resection of tumor regions with minimal residual damage as seen in histology. Conclusion: Precise and bloodless tumor resection under OCT image guidance is demonstrated in the murine xenograft brain cancer model. Tumor margins and vasculature are accurately made visible without need for exogenous contrast agents.
Proton channel blockers inhibit Duox activity independent of Hv1 effects

Abstract The NADPH oxidase reaction produces protons. In the case of the NADPH oxidase, NOX2, activity depends on secretion of these protons and is inhibited by blockade of the voltage-gated proton channel (Hv1). Duox1 and Duox2 activities similarly produce intracellular protons but synthesize hydrogen peroxide directly instead of superoxide. Hv1 contributes to acid secretion in some epithelia that express Duox. To test the hypothesis that Duox activity is also sensitive to Hv1 channel blockers, Duox was assayed in the presence of either Zn2+ or 5-chloro-2-guanidinobenzimidazole (ClGBI). Both compounds inhibited Duox activity in normal human bronchial epithelial cells but with an IC50 over 10-fold higher than that reported for Hv1 (IC50 Zn2+ = 0.68 mM; IC50 ClGBI = 0.07–0.14 mM). Homogenized HEK293T cells expressing either Duox1 or Duox2 showed similar IC50 values for ClGBI suggesting these compounds inhibit the enzymes through alternate mechanisms independent of Hv1 proton secretion. Inclusion of superoxide dismutase did not restore Duox hydrogen peroxide synthesis. Addition of nigericin to eliminate any possible transmembrane pH gradients in intracellular membrane-localized Duox did not alter activity in HEK293T homogenates. Extracellular Zn2+ blocked intracellular Ca2+ increases needed for Duox activity. Together the data suggest that Duox enzyme activities in epithelia are inhibited by compounds that block Hv1 but inhibition occurs through Hv1-independent mechanisms and support the idea that Hv1 is not required for Duox activity.
What’s Wrong with MHC Mate Choice Experiments?

It has been convincingly demonstrated that mice can discriminate MHC-related odors among congenic strains under laboratory conditions (see Yamaguchi et al. 1981). There is, however, debate about the use of these MHC-related odors as mate choice cues (Partridge, 1988; Klein et al., 1990; Nei and Hughes, 1991). MHC-based mate choice has been postulated to function either to produce presumably more fit MHC heterozygous offspring (Doherty and Zinkernagel, 1975) or to avoid close inbreeding (Brown, 1983). In either case, mating should be disassortative. Data from semi-natural half-wild enclosure studies (Potts et al., 1991) suggest that disassortative matings produce an excess (from random mating expectations) of MHC heterozygous progeny. Behavioral observations also suggest that these disassortative matings are due primarily to female choice. In a subset of 305 pups of known maternity, those in litters of mixed paternity (30 out of 58 litters) show a significant excess of heterozygotes over what would have been produced if females had mated only with their territorial males. Those litters sired only by the female’s territorial male did not deviate from the number of heterozygotes expected. This suggests that an important factor in producing more MHC heterozygous progeny is extra-territorial matings. In 41 observations of mating pairs, all matings took place on the territory of the male. All 13 extra-pair matings observed involved females who had left their nesting territory to travel to the territory of the male with which they were mating. No male was ever observed mating off of his territory. For details see Potts et al. this volume.
Detection of LV apical thrombus by three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography.

INTRODUCTION Patients with apical myocardial infarction are at higher risk of developing left ventricular (LV) thrombi. Standard transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is commonly used in assessing cardiac source of embolic cerebrovascular accident (CVA). Contrast-enhanced transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) improves sensitivity for thrombus detection compared with noncontrast TTE, and however for LV apical thrombi, contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and/or contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) outperform both TTE and TEE in some studies. CASE A 67-year-old man with history of prior myocardial infarction (MI), four-vessel coronary artery bypass surgery, congestive heart failure with LV ejection fraction of 30%, and diabetes mellitus presented to our facility with acute right occipital-parietal stroke and recent history of left lower extremity ischemia. Head and neck MRI and MR angiography found multiple posterior circulation infarcts suggestive of cardio-embolic etiology. TTE image quality was suboptimal even after contrast use to evaluate for LV thrombus, and due to renal insufficiency, MRI or CT was precluded and 3DTEE identified large LV apical thrombus with mobile components. CONCLUSION 3DTEE may increase the detection of LV apical thrombi as well as evaluating its characteristics by live imaging as well as by offline reconstruction. TEE may be a useful diagnostic modality, especially in patients with decreased renal function, where iodinated contrast for cardiac CT or Gadolinium for MRI may be contraindicated. Multimodality imaging studies may further prove the utility of 3D echocardiographic imaging in the detection of LV apical thrombus.
Study of mm-sized Coil to Coil Backscatter Based Communication Link

Distribution of a large number of mm-sized sensing units in brain is a vision for the next generation of implantable devices for neural recording. Recorded data from the implants is conventionally transferred to a central external device and the bandwidth of the uplink channel is limited by the number of the implanted units. For the first time, we demonstrate the feasibility of local communication between mm-sized coils using backscattering technique which promises to reduce the requirement on the uplink bandwidth between the external device and the implants. To demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed link, two implanted coils located at 14 mm implantation depth are used with the distance between coils of 1.5 mm. The transmitting coil switches between two terminating impedance and the input voltage at the receiving coil is observed in the simulations with a triple-loop inductive link designed at 90 MHz. We show that the voltage difference in the received signal for two transmitting states can be resolved by demodulator of the receiving implant demonstrating the link feasibility. Several simulations show the functionality of the link under wide range of different angular and lateral misalignment.
Survivors of Chronic Stroke Experience Continued Impairment of Dexterity But Not Strength in the Nonparetic Upper Limb

Abstract Objective To investigate the performance of the less affected upper limb in people with stroke compared with normative values. To examine less affected upper limb function in those whose prestroke dominant limb became paretic and those whose prestroke nondominant limb became paretic. Design Cohort study of survivors of chronic stroke (7.2±6.7y post incident). Setting The study was performed at a freestanding academic rehabilitation hospital. Participants Survivors of chronic stroke (N=40) with severe hand impairment (Chedoke-McMaster Stroke Assessment rating of 2-3 on Stage of Hand) participated in the study. In 20 participants the prestroke dominant hand (DH) was tested (nondominant hand [NH] affected by stroke), and in 20 participants the prestroke NH was tested (DH affected by stroke). Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measure Jebsen-Taylor Hand Function Test. Data from survivors of stroke were compared with normative age- and sex-matched data from neurologically intact individuals. Results When combined, DH and NH groups performed significantly worse on fine motor tasks with their nonparetic hand relative to normative data (P .140). Conclusions Survivors of stroke with severe impairment of the paretic limb continue to present significant upper extremity impairment in their nominally nonparetic limb even years after stroke. This phenomenon was observed regardless of whether the DH or NH hand was primarily affected. Because this group of survivors of stroke is especially dependent on the nonparetic limb for performing functional tasks, our results suggest that the nonparetic upper limb should be targeted for rehabilitation.