cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Association between age and disease specific mortality in medullary thyroid cancer

Abstract Background The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between age and disease specific mortality (DSM) among adults diagnosed with medullary thyroid cancer (MTC). Method Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER-18) was used to analyze adult MTC patients stratified by age (18–64, 65–79, ≥80 years). Associations between patient demographics, tumor size, nodal status, metastatic disease, and extent of surgery on DSM was assessed with multivariable Cox regression. Results Among 1457 patients with MTC, 1008 (69.2%) were younger adults, 371 (25.5%) older adults, and 78 (5.4%) were super-elderly. A significantly higher proportion of older adults and super-elderly had less than the recommended operation for MTC. On multivariable analysis, older adults and super-elderly were 2.9 and 6.7 times more likely to have an increased DSM (HR:2.91, 95% CI: 1.83–4.63; p Conclusions Increased age is an independent predictor of DSM in patients with MTC.
Convolutional neural network for automated mass segmentation in mammography

Abstract Background: Automatic segmentation and localization of lesions in mammogram (MG) images are challenging even with employing advanced methods such as deep learning (DL) methods. We developed a new model based on the architecture of the semantic segmentation U-Net model to p recisely segment mass lesions in MG images. The proposed end-to-end convolutional neural network (CNN) based model extracts contextual information by combining low-level and high-level features. We trained the proposed model using huge publicly available databases, (CBIS-DDSM, BCDR-01, and INbreast), and a private database from the University of Connecticut Health Center (UCHC) . Results: We compared the p erformance of the proposed model with those of the state-of-the-art DL models includin g the fully convolutional network (FCN), SegNet, Dilated-Net, original U-Net, and Faster R-CNN models and the conventional region growing (RG) method. The proposed Vanilla U-Net model outperforms the Faster R-CNN model signi[fi]cantly in terms of the runtime and the Intersection over Union metric (IOU). Training with digitized [fi]lm-based and fully digitized MG images, the proposed Vanilla U-Net model achieves a mean test accuracy of 92.6%. The proposed model achieves a mean Dice coe[ffi]cient index (DI) of 0.951 and a mean IOU of 0.909 that show how close the output segments are to the corresponding lesions in the ground truth maps. Data augmentation has been very e[ff]ective in our experiments resulting in an increase in the mean DI and the mean IOU from 0.922 to 0.951 and 0.856 to 0.909, respectively . Conclusions: The proposed Vanilla U-Net based model can be used for precise segmentation of masses in MG images. This is because the segmentation process incor p orates more multi-scale spatial context, and captures more local and global context to predict a precise pixel-wise segmentation map of an input full MG image. These detected maps can help radiologists in di[ff]erentiating benign and malignant lesions depend on the lesion shapes. We show that using transfer learning, introducing augmentation, and modifying the architecture of the original model results in better performance in terms of the mean accuracy, the mean DI, and the mean IOU in detecting mass lesion compared to the other DL and the conventional models.
How Patient-Centered Medical Homes Integrate Dental Services Into Primary Care: A Scoping Review

Integrated care delivery is at the core of patient-centered medical homes (PCMHs). The extent of integration of dental services in PCMHs for adults is largely unknown. We first identified dental–me...
The Limits of Justice-Informed Research and Teaching in the Presence of Antiblackness and Black Suffering: Surplus of Transformation or (Un)Just Traumatic Returns?:

In this conceptual article, I examine the turn of justice-oriented research and teaching from transformative to traumatic and its relationship to antiblackness. I consider the affordances and limit...
Preparation of Amniocytes for Interphase Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (FISH)

FISH has been used to detect and clarify deletions and/or other structural rearrangements, and also has applications in interphase analysis. This unit describes preparation of uncultured amniotic fluid cells for FISH analysis. Cells are swollen, and then slides are prepared by standard methods. The cells are then fixed and permeabilized for subsequent FISH. An alternate protocol describes attachment of amniocytes to a glass or plastic surface followed by hypotonic swelling, fixation, and permeabilization for subsequent FISH. Interphase FISH analysis of amniotic fluid cells is also described.
Oxytocin and milk ejection

Abstract 1. 1. Oxytocin isolated from the posterior pituitary gland free of any detectable amount of vasopressin and by available physical and chemical criteria essentially a pure chemical compound has milk-ejection activity in recently parturient women who have milk in their breasts. 2. 2. A synthetic octapeptide amide, in so far as has been tested, indistinguishable from naturally occurring oxytocin in other properties, has milk-ejection activity in similar puerperal women indistinguishable from the naturally occurring oxytocin, thus affording conclusive proof that oxytocin has both oxytocic and milk-ejection activities inherent in its molecular structure. 3. 3. Milk ejection occurs consistently in these women when approximately 0.5 unit of oxytocin is administered intravenously, or when 2 units of oxytocin are administered intramuscularly.
All-Optical Packet Routing - Architecture and Implementation

We report in this paper the architectural design and implementation of all-optical packet networks. Using photonic switches to route information, an all-optical network has the advantages of bit rate, wavelength, and signal format transparencies. Within the transparency distance, the network is capable of handling a widely heterogeneous mix of traffic. We will describe our research on the implementation of all-optical backbone switches. The switch components including frame synchronizers, frame delineation units, frame header over-writing units, wavelength converters, frame concentrators, and WDM buffers were constructed at 2.5 Gb/s. Their subsystem and device structure as well as preliminary performance are reported.
The Effect of Stopping Rules on the Evaluation of Audit Evidence

Does the value of audit evidence depend on whether a fixed sample was taken, or sampling was stopped when some specified outcome was achieved? This study extends the literature on probabilistic inference in auditing by empirically examining the relevance of stopping rules to judgment in planning work on internal controls. Statisticians debate whether stopping rules should have inferential value: Bayesians say not, but frequentists may conclude differently about a hypothesis depending on whether a sample size was determined in advance or an optional stopping rule was used. In a 2×2×2×2 mixed between- and within-subjects experiment, subjects assess the strength of evidence obtained using different stopping rules. Stopping rule is manipulated between subjects; strength of evidence, direction of evidence, and sampler are manipulated within subjects. A linear mixed model is estimated with restricted maximum likelihood. We find that stopping rules strongly influence subjects' judgment: audit evidence obtained using a sampling plan that allows for optional early stopping is attributed less weight than evidence obtained using a plan that fixes the sample size in advance. This is consistent with arguments in cognitive psychology that human statistical intuition conforms better to the frequentist than to the Bayesian paradigm of inference (Gigerenzer 1994; Cosmides and Tooby 1996). We find no support for the hypothesis that the reduction in perceived strength of evidence between a fixed and an optional stopping rule will be greater if the sampling is carried out by someone else; we find that evidence strength and direction also affect audit judgment.
Sperm Motion Predicts Fertility in Male Hamsters Treated with α-Chlorohydrin

An understandingof the relationship between altered sperm motion and sperm function (fertility) Is Important when inter- preting the biological significance of toxicant-Induced changes in sperm velocity in rodent test species. Previous studies showed that a brief (4-day) exposure of male hamsters to the model chemical u- chlorohydrin (ACH) results in significant deficits in epididymal and uterine sperm velocity, which are associated with both a delay and a failure of fertilization In vivo. To characterize this effect in terms of fertility, similarly treated male hamsters were bred to untreated fe- males and pups were counted the day before parturition. ACH treat- ment resulted in a dose-dependent decline in the percentage of sperm-positive females that were pregnant at the end of gestation (100, 78, 87, 22, and 0 where males were treated with 0, 33, 49, 86, and 83 mg ACH/kg/day, respectively). Cauda epididymal sperm from the same males were assayed for motion characteristics using computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA), and for fertilizing ability In vitro, While the percentage of motile sperm was unaffected by ACH treatment, sperm velocity declined In a dose-dependent man- ner at all ACH treatment levels. Futhermore, the velocity of sperm from Infertile males was shifted downwardconsistentlyacross the entire velocity distribution. Since treated males tended to either be infertile (no pups) or have near normal litter size, the correlation between sperm velocity and litter size was nonlinear. Therefore, lo- gistic regression models using velocity cut-off values were the most useful models for predicting fertility. These results support the con- tention that fertility relies on there being a sufficient number of sperm that exceed a velocity threshold. Sperm from treated males were also less likely to support In vitro fertilization (IVF), providing further evidence of impaired sperm function associated with acute exposure to ACH.
Cryptanalysis of RSA with private key d less than N 0:292

We show that if the private exponent d used in the RSA public-key cryptosystem is less than N0:292 then the system is insecure. This is first improvement over an old result of Wiener showing that when d < N0:25 the RSA system is insecure. We hope our approach can be used to eventually improve the bound to d < N0:5.
Sampling and Sample Preparation in Process Analysis

The purpose of this article is to introduce the reader to the important design characteristics of sampling and sample preparation systems for process analytical measurements, as well as to discuss several of the most commonly used configurations for gas- and liquid-phase process streams. Design criteria essential to the success of any process-analyzer installation are discussed at length, and the pitfalls associated with neglecting these items are highlighted. This article provides an overview of what must be considered while building the interface between the analytical instrument and the process stream. It is not intended to be a comprehensive dissertation on the subject or a tutorial. The reader is referred to literature references and textbooks for detailed explanations and relevant design formulae. In addition, we also provide several sections regarding calibration procedures, maintenance concerns, and safety considerations. Keywords: time lag; representative sample; sampling; sampling for specific types of analyzers; sample conditioning
Exercise-associated hyponatremia.

A 39-year-old white woman was brought to the emergency department at Baylor University Medical Center by emergency medical services. Prior to the ambulance arrival, she had complained of a progressively worsening headache, with the onset of nausea and vomiting, lethargy, and eventual obtundation. By the time the ambulance arrived on the scene, the patient was disoriented, unresponsive to verbal interaction, and responsive only to pain stimuli. Her vital signs were as follows: heart rate, 72 beats per minute; respiratory rate, 18 breaths per minute; blood pressure, 120/69 mm Hg; and temperature, 99°F. En route to the emergency department, the patient received intravenous fluids, approximately 1 L of normal saline. The patient was accompanied by her husband, who provided the history. He indicated that she was previously in good health, with no preexisting illnesses other than migraine headaches. The patient's husband had met his wife at the gym around noon. She had already completed a 2-hour workout, including tennis and weightlifting. The tennis game was outdoors on a humid 100°F Texas summer day. She had not eaten breakfast that day but was diligent about hydration, keeping a 1 L water bottle with her during the workout. She estimated that she had drunk 4 L of water before and during exercise. Following the tennis game, she continued her workout indoors in the weight room. There she developed a headache. Assuming that the headache was related to dehydration and/or heat, especially since she had not urinated, the patient continued drinking water and completed the weight-training workout. Afterwards, her headache worsened. She assumed that because of the severity, the headache was a migraine. She drove her own car home, followed by her husband. Once she got home, her headache continued to worsen and she felt something was seriously wrong. She quickly became nauseated and began vomiting. She then asked her husband to call an ambulance and within a few minutes became disoriented and unresponsive to verbal interaction. By the time the ambulance arrived, she was responsive only to pain stimuli. In the emergency department, a number of laboratory tests were done. Results were as follows: sodium, 123 mEq/L; chloride, 95 mEq/L; potassium, 3.9 mEq/L; calcium, 6.6 mg/dL; creatine phosphokinase, 223 U/L; hematocrit, 26.4%; and hemoglobin, 9.9 g/dL. Urinalysis revealed an elevated urinary sodium of 190 mEq/L (reference range, 30–90). In addition, computed tomography (CT) scans and magnetic resonance (MR) images were obtained (Figures ​(Figures11–3). Figure 1 Axial CT images in the emergency department showing (a) effacement of the cortical sulci and (b) effacement of the basilar cisterns (arrows). Figure 3 (a) Axial T2-weighted MR image shows effacement of the cortical sulci and generalized mild hyperintensity of the cortex. (b) Axial T2-weighted image shows effacement of the basilar cisterns (arrows), generalized mild hyperintensity of the cortex, and ... What is the most likely diagnosis? DIAGNOSIS: Exercise-associated hyponatremia (EAH) with exercise-associated hyponatremic encephalopathy.
The Federal and State Roles in Environmental Enforcement: A Proposal for a More Effective and More Efficient Relationship

The allocation of enforcement responsibility between the state and federal government has varies dramatically in different statutory programs enacted in the 1970s and 1980s. These variation appear to have occurred as a result of short-term environmental and resource problems rather than in response to any set of principles concerning the appropriate role of each level of government. In the past, when the environmental enforcement workload was smaller, a clear allocation of enforcement responsibilities was less important. Now, faced with the task of assuring that a huge universe of regulated facilities are complying with environmental laws, neither federal nor state officials can afford the confusion, delay, disputes, and duplicative enforcement efforts that result when the roles of various government entities are not clearly and consistently laid out. The article sets out a set of principles that could be used in more rationally allocating enforcement responsibilities between the federal government and state governments.
Implicit Monte-Carlo Methods and Non-Equilibrium Marshak Wave Radiative Transport

Two enhancements to the Fleck implicit Monte Carlo method for radiative transport are described, for use in transparent and opaque media, respectively. The first introduces a spectral mean cross section, which applies to pseudoscattering in transparent regions with a high frequency incident spectrum. The second provides a simple Monte Carlo random walk method for opaque regions, without the need for a supplementary diffusion equation formulation.
Longitudinal polarization transfer in the T→p, →n)3He reaction☆

Abstract The longitudinal polarization of neutrons has been measured for the reaction T →p , →n ) 3 He with the incident proton beam longitudinally polarized. Measurements were performed at 0° for proton energies from 4 to 15 MeV and an angular distribution was measured at 10 MeV. The data determine the polarization transfer coefficient Kzz′, which is equivalent to the Wolfenstein A′ parameter for nucleon-nucleon scattering. The quantity Kzz′ at 0° increases from about 0.3 at 3 MeV incident energy to 0.9 at 9 MeV, and then decreases to 0.5 at 15 MeV. The data are computed with R-matrix calculations which reproduce the qualitative shape of the data at 0° and the angular distribution at 10 MeV.
Seizure worsening and its predictors after epilepsy surgery

Summary Purpose: This study aims to investigate seizure worsening and its predictors after epilepsy surgery. Methods: A retrospective chart review of patients who underwent unilobar epilepsy surgery between 1990 and 2007 and had recurrence of at least one seizure was performed. Seizure worsening was defined as an increase in total average monthly seizure frequency, average monthly generalized tonic–clonic seizures (GTCS), new-onset GTCS, or new-onset status epilepticus. The occurrence of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) was captured. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify predictors of worsening. Key Findings: A total of 276 patients with postoperative seizure recurrence were identified. Monthly average seizure frequency worsening occurred in 9.8%, GTC worsening in 8.0%, new-onset GTCs in 1.4%, new-onset status epilepticus in 2.2%, and death from SUDEP in 1.4%. A higher risk of worsening was seen with extratemporal resections as compared to temporal lobe surgeries (odds ratio [OR] 3.11, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.21–7.95; p = 0.018), and in patients with low preoperative seizure frequency <30 seizures/month (OR 14.82, 95% CI 2.81–275.41; p = 0.0003). Predictors of increased GTCs included an incomplete resection (OR 3.98, 95% CI 1.39–12.59; p = 0.010) and multiple recorded ictal patterns (OR 5.91, 95% CI 1.20–26.96; p = 0.030). Multiple seizure semiologies correlated with worsening after temporal lobe resections. Significance: The most vulnerable patients for seizure worsening following epilepsy surgery include those with extratemporal resections, incomplete resections, and multiple recorded ictal patterns.
Problem Solving at the Mesolevel

The distinctions between macro- and microsociology have been debated for sometime (Eisenstadt and Halle, 1985; Knorr-Cetina and Cicourel, 1981). As Huber (1991) pointed out there is controversy among sociologists about the meaning of the words micro and macro. There is a tendency to equate micro with individual and macro with collective level events. Whether one focuses one’s efforts at the individual or personal level or at a broader social systems level, both are linked. The nature of macro-micro linkages is increasingly important as the etiologies, prevention, and solutions to contemporary societal problems, in the United States and elsewhere, lie in understanding the interfaces and linkages between individual behavior and factors at the societal level. While the emphasis in this chapter will be on problem solving at the macrolevel, it is our premise that problem solving cannot be effective if it is based on what it includes or excludes. Rather problem solving should be interactive between levels of human behavior, and this requires an interdisciplinary perspective (Sanderson, 1988).
The vMatrix: server switching

Today most Internet services are pre-assigned to servers statically, hence preventing us from doing real-time sharing of a pool of servers across as group of services with dynamic load. Fluidly copying services in and out of servers remains a challenge due to the many dependencies that such services have on software, hardware, and most importantly, people. In this paper we present a novel solution, which builds on top of the classic operating systems concept of a virtual machine monitor (VMM). A VMM allows us to encapsulate the state of the machine in a virtual machine file, which could then be activated on any real machine running the VHM software. This eliminates the software dependencies problem by allowing us to move the whole machine around including the operating system, libraries, and third party modules that the service depends on. It eliminates the hardware dependencies problem by allowing us to mimic the hardware that the service expects regardless of the real hardware of the hosting machine. It also solves the people dependency problem by presenting the developers and system administrators with the same isolation model that they are used too with statically allocated servers. We describe our vMatrix framework in detail and address how to load balance the virtual machine services across the real-machines to maximize utilization efficiency (in terms of machines and people costs) such that total cost of the system is reduced without degrading the service performance and without requiring cost prohibitive code and architectural changes to existing legacy services. Our solution also offers additional side benefits like on-demand replication for absorbing flash crowds (in case of a newsworthy event like a major catastrophe) and faster failure recovery times.
Human papillomavirus detection by polymerase chain reaction in benign and malignant prostate tissue is dependent on the primer set utilized

Abstract Objectives Prior investigations evaluating the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) in prostatic tissue by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology have yielded detection rates of 0% to 100%. Contamination by viral DNA from prostatic urethral colonization or less than optimal laboratory conditions have been suggested to explain this discrepancy. In addition, the various investigations have differed in the specific oligonucleotide primers utilized for amplification and, therefore, have searched for different segments of the viral genome. The objective of this study is to address these differences. Methods Forty-one archival radical prostatectomy specimens were evaluated, identifying areas of normal and abnormal histology. Meticulous technique was used during tissue acquisition, histologic confirmation, DNA isolation, PCR amplification, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and staining. Primers for a 126 and 99-base pair (bp) fragment of the E6 portion of HPV 16 as well as a consensus primer for the L1 portion of the papillomavirus genome were utilized. Results Of the normal prostatic tissues, 13.5% (5/37) contained the 126-bp E6 viral DNA as did 33.3% (7/ 21) of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) samples, 25% (5/20) of dysplasia, 18.2% (2/11) of Gleason grades 1 and 2 adenocarcinoma, 25.9% (7/27) of Gleason grade 3 adenocarcinoma, and 6.7% (1/15) of Gleason grade 4 adenocarcinoma. Sections from the urethras of the prostatectomy specimens contained viral DNA in 31.7% (13/41). Viral detection was variable among different specimens in the same patient. With amplification for the 99-bp fragment of HPV 16, 1 of 37 normal (2.7%), 2 of 21 BPH (9.5%), 1 of 20 dysplasia (5.0%), and 2 of 53 cancer (3.8%) specimens revealed HPV DNA. In none of the specimens was DNA amplified using primers for a 450-bp fragment of the LI portion of HPV. Conclusions Previously published discrepancies in HPV detection may be solely due to the differences in primer sets utilized. UROLOGY 50, 150–156, 1997.
Itô and Stratonovich stochastic partial differential equations: Transition from microscopic to macroscopic equations

We review the derivation of stochastic ordinary and quasi-linear stochastic partial differential equations (SODE's and SPDE's) from systems of microscopic deterministic equations in space dimension d > 2 as well as the macroscopic limits of the SPDE's. The macroscopic limits are quasi-linear (deterministic) PDE's. Both noncoercive and coercive SPDE's, driven by Ito differentials with respect to correlated Brownian motions, are considered. For the solutions of semi-linear noncoercive SPDE's with smooth and homogeneous diffusion kernels we show that these solutions can be obtained as solutions of first-order SPDE's, driven by Stratonovich differentials and their macroscopic limit, and are solutions of a class of semi-linear second-order parabolic PDE's. Further, the space-time covariance structure of correlated Brownian motions is described and for space dimension d > 2 the long-time behavior of the separation of two uncorrelated Brownian motions is shown to be similar to the independent case.
The differential impact of criminal stigmatization on male and female felons

By way of survey-experimental methods, stigmatization responses of a college student sample and a community sample were examined to assess how sex of convicted felon and sex of subject affect levels of stigmatization. Major results were that (a) relatively high levels of stigmatization were expressed by subjects in both samples toward both male and female felons; (b) female felons, however, were the recipients of less stigmatization than male felons, with the difference being larger in the community than the student sample; and (c) sex of subject had little effect on the expression of stigmatization. It is suggested that the factors leading to less stigmatization of the female felon are nativete concerning the female offender and greater fear of the male offender. Finally, attitudinal and background correlates of stigmatization are examined.
METABOLISM OF THE STEROID HORMONES: METABOLISM OF DEHYDROISOANDROSTERONE1

The metabolism of dehydroisoandrosterone was studied in 2 individuals, a normal woman and a man with Addison’s disease. While this work was in progress, Mason and Kepler (1945, 1947) reported the results of administration of dehydroisoandrosterone to 3 patients. Our findings confirm those of these workers, that androsterone and etiocholanol-3(α)-one-17 were the major products obtained from dehydroisoandrosterone. These 2 compounds are also, the major products obtained after administration of testosterone (Dorfman et al., 1939; Callow, 1939). Following administration of dehydroisoandrosterone to the patient with Addison’s disease, etiocholanediol-3(α); 17(α) was also isolated, and has been previously reported (Miller and Dorfman, 1948); up to this time it had not been found to occur in human urine. experimental Melting points were determined with the Fisher-Johns apparatus and are uncorrected. 17-Ketosteroids were determined by the Holtorff-Koch (1940) method. Patient 1 (E.H.) A normal woman received 1800 ...
Every-Other-Week Darbepoetin Alfa in the Correction and Maintenance of Haemoglobin Levels in Elderly Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease: Post Hoc Subanalysis of Data from Two Clinical Trials

Background Anaemia is a common complication of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and is associated with increased rates of mortality and diminished quality of life in patients with CKD. Although extended dosing with darbepoetin alfa, an erythropoiesis-stimulating agent (ESA), has been shown to be effective in maintaining haemoglobin (Hb) levels in CKD patients, little information is published on the use of darbepoetin alfa in the correction and maintenance of Hb levels in elderly CKD patients naive to ESA therapy.
Efficient analog verification against Trojan states using divide and contraction method

Identifying and removing the undesired stable operating point (also called “Trojan state” in analog circuit) is one of the most important problems in circuit design. In this paper, an innovative divide and contraction verification method against Trojan states is proposed. Unlike the traditional methods to find all operating points, it only targets searching the voltage interval containing undesired stable operating point. Based on this, a monotonic divide and contraction algorithm (MDC) is proposed, it could verify the existence of Trojan state in high efficiency. Simulation results show that this method is effective and efficient in identifying Trojan states and verifying the efficacy of Trojan state Elimination (TSE) circuits which is commonly termed start-up circuits.
Porcine satellite cells are restricted to a phenotype resembling their muscle origin

Muscles in most domestic animals differ in function and growth potential based largely on muscle fiber type composition. Though much is known about satellite cells (SC), information is limited regarding how populations of SC differ with muscle fiber type, especially in pigs. Therefore, the objective of this study was to isolate and culture SC from red (RST) and white (WST) portions of the semitendinosus muscle of neonatal and adult pigs and determine their capacity to proliferate, differentiate, and express various myosin heavy chain (MyHC) isoforms in vitro. Porcine satellite cells were isolated from RST and WST muscles of 6-wk-old and adult (>6-mo-old) pigs and cultured under standard conditions. Muscle from neonatal pigs yielded nearly 10 times more (P < 0.001) presumptive satellite cells as those from adult pigs, with fusion percentages close to 60% for the former. The RST yielded more (P < 0.001) SC per gram muscle compared to WST, 8.1 ± 0.2 × 10(4) cells versus 6.7 ± 0.1 × 10(4) cells/gram muscle in young pigs, and 9.7 ± 0.4 × 10(3) cells versus 5.5 ± 0.4 × 10(3) cells/gram muscle in adult pigs, respectively. Likewise, satellite cells from RST proliferated faster (P < 0.001) than those from WST across both ages, as indicated by a shorter cell doubling time, 18.6 ± 0.8 h versus 21.3 ± 0.9 h in young pigs, and 23.2 ± 0.7 h versus 26.7 ± 0.9 h in adult pigs, respectively. As a result of shorter times to confluence, satellite cells from RST also formed myotubes earlier than those SC originating from WST. Once induced, however, SC from WST differentiated and fused faster (P < 0.05) as evidenced by fusion percentage within the first 24 h, 41.6% versus 34.3%, respectively; but reached similar ultimate fusion percentages similar to WST by 48 h. Over 90% of MyHC expressed in maximally fused SC cultures from both RST and WST was restricted to the embryonic isoform. Type IIX MyHC mRNA was not detected in any culture. Myotube cultures from RST expressed more (P < 0.01) Type I MyHC isoform mRNA than those from WST, whereas those cultures from WST expressed more (P < 0.05) Type II (including Types IIA and IIB) MyHC transcripts. These data show SC cultures from porcine fast and slow muscles express MyHC profiles largely reflective of their muscle of origin and suggest satellite cells are partially restricted to a particular muscle phenotype in which they are juxtapositioned. Understanding the molecular nature of these intrinsic control mechanisms may lead to improved strategies for augmenting meat animal growth or muscle regeneration.
Periprosthetic joint infection: the incidence, timing, and predisposing factors.

Periprosthetic joint infection is one of the most challenging complications of joint arthroplasty. We identified current risk factors of periprosthetic joint infection after modern joint arthroplasty, and determined the incidence and timing of periprosthetic joint infection. We reviewed prospectively collected data from our database on 9245 patients undergoing primary hip or knee arthroplasty between January 2001 and April 2006. Periprosthetic joint infections developed in 63 patients (0.7%). Sixty-five percent of periprosthetic joint infections developed within the first year of the index arthroplasty. The infecting organism was isolated in 57 of 63 cases (91%). The most common organisms identified were Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis. We identified the following independent predictors for periprosthetic joint infection: higher American Society of Anesthesiologists score, morbid obesity, bilateral arthroplasty, knee arthroplasty, allogenic transfusion, postoperative atrial fibrillation, myocardial infarction, urinary tract infection, and longer hospitalization. This study confirmed some previously implicated factors and identified new variables that predispose patients to periprosthetic joint infection.
Aprotinin in cardiac surgery

Aprotinin is a naturally occurring serine protease inhibitor that is being used with increasing frequency in cardiac surgery and beyond to reduce blood loss and the need for perioperative blood transfusion. Through inhibition of serine proteases such as plasmin, aprotinin significantly reduces fibrinolysis, thereby aiding hemostasis during surgical procedures. In addition, aprotinin interacts with other factors in the coagulation and fibrinolytic cascade, creating a hemostatic balance, without increasing the risk of thrombosis. These proven benefits are supplemented by the anti-inflammatory properties of aprotinin, which may help curb some of the deleterious effects of cardiopulmonary bypass. This article will review the discovery of aprotinin, its mechanism of action, dosing and adverse effects, and highlight the major recent trials demonstrating its efficacy.
Regulation of protein degradation by insulin-degrading enzyme: Analysis by small interfering RNA-mediated gene silencing

Proteins are vital to the overall structure of cells and to the function of cells in the form of enzymes. Thus the control of protein metabolism is among the most important aspects of cellular metabolism. Insulin's major effect on protein metabolism in the adult animal is inhibition of protein degradation. This is via inhibition of proteasome activity via an interaction with insulin-degrading enzyme (IDE). IDE is responsible for the majority of cellular insulin degradation. We hypothesized that a reduction in IDE would reduce insulin degradation and insulin's ability to inhibit protein degradation. HepG2 cells were transfected with siRNA against human IDE and insulin degradation and protein degradation measured. Both IDE mRNA and protein were reduced by >50% in the IDE siRNA transfected cells. Insulin degradation was reduced by approximately 50%. Cells were labeled with [3H]-leucine to investigate protein degradation. Short-lived protein degradation was unchanged in the cells with reduced IDE expression. Long-lived and very-long-lived protein degradation was reduced in the cells with reduced IDE expression (14.0+/-0.16 vs. 12.5+/-0.07%/4h (long-lived), 9.6+/-2.2% vs. 7.3+/-0.2%/3h (very-long-lived), control vs. IDE transfected, respectively, P<0.005). The inhibition of protein degradation by insulin was reduced 37-76% by a decreased expression of IDE in HepG2 cells. This shows that IDE is involved in cellular insulin metabolism and provides further evidence that insulin inhibits protein degradation via an interaction with IDE.
Incompatibility among group Y plasmids.

Abstract Incompatibility expressed by the group Y plasmid prophages P1 and P7 was investigated by analysis of the behavior on nonselective medium of heteroplasmid cells immediately after introduction of the second plasmid by infection. Homologous plasmid pairs (P1-P1 or P7-P7) segregate more rapidly than heterologous (P1–P7) pairs. The determinant of this difference is genetically separable from the immunity determinant of the prophage. Rapid segregation of two homologous plasmids apparently results from the lack of replication of either plasmid and their subsequent separation during cell division. Slower segregation of two heterologous plasmids may be explained by preferential replication of only one of them, followed by the equal distribution of the newly replicated plasmids to daughter cells. Integration of the resident plasmid into the bacterial chromosome does not alter its expression of incompatibility. Incompatibility in group Y seems to involve at least two mechanisms: one is plasmid specific (shown by homologous plasmids) and one is group specific (shown by heterologous plasmids).
Classical appetitive conditioning of the rabbit's jaw movement response under partial and continuous reinforcement schedules ☆

Abstract Continuous, random 50%, and single alternation (SA) schedules of reinforcement were employed in an investigation of classical appetitive conditioning of the jaw movement response in the rabbit. It was found that: ( a ) random 50% and SA reinforcement schedules led to lower levels of acquisition performance than continuous reinforcement; ( b ) evidence of response patterning to the SA schedule appeared only within and not across acquisition sessions; and ( c ) extinction performance decreased at a faster rate under continuous than under the partial reinforcement schedules. The findings are discussed with regard to Spence's (1960) account of partial reinforcement effects in instrumental reward conditioning, and Capaldi's (1966) sequential hypothesis of partial reinforcement extinction effects.
Estimating non-crystalline and crystalline aluminum and iron by selective dissolution in a riparian forest soil

Abstract We compared sequential and separate extraction procedures for estimating non‐crystalline and crystalline aluminum (Al) and iron (Fe) in a floodplain forest soil. We used 0.2M acid ammonium oxalate (pH 3.0) to estimate non‐crystalline Al and Fe, dithionite‐citrate‐bicarbonate to estimate crystalline Fe, and 0.1M sodium hydroxide (NaOH) to estimate crystalline Al. Both separate and various combinations of sequential extractions were compared, as well as variations in soil:solution ratio, extraction time, extraction temperature, and the use of field‐moist versus dried soils. A sequential oxalate/NaOH extraction, using 0.4 g dry weight equivalent of field‐moist soil and a soil:solution ratio of 1:100, gave the best estimate of non‐crystalline Al and Fe and crystalline Al, while a separate 16 hour DCB extraction at room temperature, using 0.8 g dry weight equivalent of field‐moist soil and a soil:solution ratio of 1:50, gave the best estimate for non‐crystalline plus crystalline Fe. A sequential oxala...
Activation of human progelatinase A by collagenase and matrilysin: Activation of procollagenase by matrilysin

Proteolytic and nonproteolytic methods were used to investigate the mechanism(s) by which human fibroblast progelatinase A and fibroblast-type procollagenase can be activated. Both collagenase and matrilysin were able to activate progelatinase A, resulting in an amino terminus in gelatinase A of Tyr81. The cleavage occurred distal to Cys73 within the sequence of PRCGNPDVAN80-Y81NFFPRKP. While several nonproteolytic reagents were tested, only the heavy metal Hg(II) and p-chloromercuribenzoate (PCMB) were able to induce activation of progelatinase A and resulted in the conversion of the latent 72-kDa gelatinase A to an active form of about 64.5 kDa. Matrilysin was also able to activate procollagenase and resulted in an amino terminus in collagenase of Phe81. These results suggest that fibroblast-type collagenase and matrilysin may be physiologically relevant activators of progelatinase A; the maintenance of latency and the process of activation for progelatinase A may occur through the cysteine-switch mechanism, and the proteolytic activation of procollagenase by matrilysin resulted in the same amino terminus as produced by stromelysin-1.
The Real Little Ice Age

The Little Ice Age is not a dogma. It is an increasingly firm consensus backed by considerable evidence across a variety of sources. To disprove it, or even to call it into question, would mean finding systematic errors in several types of proxy data. Kelly and O Grada have not cleared any of these hurdles, or even come close. The refutation of their arguments demonstrates just how strong the evidence for the Little Ice Age has become and just how important it is for historians to take it seriously.
ATP sulfurylase from filamentous fungi: which sulfonucleotide is the true allosteric effector?

Abstract Fungal ATP sulfurylase has been reported to be allosterically inhibited by 3′-phosphoadenosine 5′-phosphosulfate (PAPS), the product of adenosine 5′-phosphosulfate (APS) kinase, the second enzyme in the sulfate activation sequence. However, the affinity of ATP sulfurylase for its immediate product, APS, is 1000 times higher than that for PAPS. Moreover, each sulfurylase subunit contains two sulfonucleotide binding sites (the catalytic site and a C-terminal, APS kinase-like allosteric site). Consequently, the possibility that the cooperative effects were caused solely by trace levels of APS, or by APS acting in concert with PAPS could not be dismissed. To identify the true allosteric effector, the molybdolysis reaction kinetics in the absence and in the presence of APS kinase were compared. The rationale was that in the absence of APS kinase, submicromolar levels of APS would be generated from contaminating SO2−4present in the assay components, while in the presence of APS kinase, any APS formed would be converted to PAPS. The results were as follows: In the presence of added APS kinase, the initial velocity versus [MgATP] or versus [MoO2−4] plots at 100 μ M PAPS were clearly sigmoidal as was the velocity versus [PAPS] plot at subsaturating substrate levels. Hill coefficients were in the range of 2 to 3. Also, low concentrations of S2O2−3, an inhibitor competitive with MoO2−4, activated the reaction at high PAPS and low substrate levels. These results are consistent with PAPS serving as a classical allosteric inhibitor. Although APS kinase should be superfluous to the molybdolysis reaction, the omission of this enzyme from assay mixtures resulted in rates that were higher, the same as, or lower than the corresponding “plus APS kinase” rates, (depending on the fixed level of substrates and PAPS). Additionally, the “minus APS kinase” velocity curves were less sigmoidal and, in some cases, nearly hyperbolic. The effect of APS kinase was shown to be catalytic in nature. If the data are analyzed in terms of the concerted transition (symmetry) model for allosteric enzymes, the cumulative experimental results indicate that PAPS is the true allosteric inhibitor of fungal ATP sulfurylase, binding preferentially to the T-state allosteric site (or to the allosteric site of the R state inducing the R → T transition), while APS binds preferentially to the R state, probably as a competitive product inhibitor at the catalytic site. If it is assumed that occupancy of the allosteric site by any ligand that fits would induce the R → T transition, then the results suggest that the allosteric site has evolved to have a higher affinity for PAPS than for APS (in contrast to real APS kinase). Computer-assisted simulations allowing for APS and PAPS binding to both the catalytic and regulatory sites of the hexameric enzyme yielded results that nearly duplicated the experimental curves.
Robust frontal view search using extended manifold learning

Many 2D face processing algorithms can perform better using frontal or near frontal faces. In this paper, we present a robust frontal view search method based on manifold learning, with the assumption that with the pose being the only variable, face images should lie in a smooth and low-dimensional manifold. In 2D embedding, we find that manifold geometry of face images with varying poses has the shape of a parabola with the frontal view in the vertex. However, background clutter and illumination variations make frontal view deviate from the vertex. To address this problem, we propose a pairwise K-nearest neighbor protocol to extend manifold learning. In addition, we present an illumination-robust localized edge orientation histogram to represent face image in the extended manifold learning. The experimental results show that the extended algorithms have higher search accuracy, even under varying illuminations.
A new vital stain for visualizing vacuolar membrane dynamics and endocytosis in yeast

We have used a lipophilic styryl dye, N-(3-triethylammoniumpropyl)-4- (p-diethylaminophenyl-hexatrienyl) pyridinium dibromide (FM 4-64), as a vital stain to follow bulk membrane-internalization and transport to the vacuole in yeast. After treatment for 60 min at 30 degrees C, FM 4-64 stained the vacuole membrane (ring staining pattern). FM 4-64 did not appear to reach the vacuole by passive diffusion because at 0 degree C it exclusively stained the plasma membrane (PM). The PM staining decreased after warming cells to 25 degrees C and small punctate structures became apparent in the cytoplasm within 5-10 min. After an additional 20-40 min, the PM and cytoplasmic punctate staining disappeared concomitant with staining of the vacuolar membrane. Under steady state conditions, FM 4-64 staining was specific for vacuolar membranes; other membrane structures were not stained. The dye served as a sensitive reporter of vacuolar dynamics, detecting such events as segregation structure formation during mitosis, vacuole fission/fusion events, and vacuolar morphology in different classes of vacuolar protein sorting (vps) mutants. A particularly striking pattern was observed in class E mutants (e.g., vps27) where 500-700 nm organelles (presumptive prevacuolar compartments) were intensely stained with FM 4-64 while the vacuole membrane was weakly fluorescent. Internalization of FM 4-64 at 15 degrees C delayed vacuolar labeling and trapped FM 4-64 in cytoplasmic intermediates between the PM and the vacuole. The intermediate structures in the cytoplasm are likely to be endosomes as their staining was temperature, time, and energy dependent. Interestingly, unlike Lucifer yellow uptake, vacuolar labeling by FM 4-64 was not blocked in sec18, sec14, end3, and end4 mutants, but was blocked in sec1 mutant cells. Finally, using permeabilized yeast spheroplasts to reconstitute FM 4-64 transport, we found that delivery of FM 4-64 from the endosome-like intermediate compartment (labeled at 15 degrees C) to the vacuole was ATP and cytosol dependent. Thus, we show that FM 4-64 is a new vital stain for the vacuolar membrane, a marker for endocytic intermediates, and a fluor for detecting endosome to vacuole membrane transport in vitro.
Determination of hydrocarbon-water partition coefficients from chromatographic data and based on solution thermodynamics and theory

The octanol—water and hexadecane-water partition coefficients for series of alkylbenzenes, alkanes, alkenes, alcohols, and bromoalkanes were determined by the generator column technique and compared favorably to those calculated from the activity coefficients in each phase. A lattice-model theory suggested and the data confirmed that the logarithms of the partition coefficients are linearly related to each other and to the solute molar volume for each homologous series. As predicted by the theory, the slopes of the linear relationships between the logarithms of the partition coefficients and solute molar volume were the same for all homologous series studied. Furthermore, the logarithms of the octanol-water partition coefficients were linearly related (r2 = 0.993) to the logarithms of the reversed-phase liquid chromatographic adjusted retention volumes determined by extrapolation to 100% water as the mobile phase for a variety of the solutes.
Modelling of multimachine transients during unbalanced power system disturbances

Abstract The d,q model has been widely used to study single machine transients but it is difficult to use for multimachines during unbalanced faults when the effect of source impedance is taken into account. In this paper, a hybrid model ( ABC/dq ) of an induction motor has been used in order to analyze multimachines connected to the same bus. In this model, the algorithm is simpler and applicable for the analysis of a motor drive connected to the same bus with the induction motors.