cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
External validation of the SEARCH model for predicting aggressive recurrence after radical prostatectomy: results from the Duke Prostate Center Database.

Study Type – Prognosis (retrospective cohort) Level of Evidence 2b OBJECTIVE To validate a model previously developed using the Shared Equal Access Regional Cancer Hospital (SEARCH) database to predict the risk of aggressive recurrence after surgery, defined as a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) doubling time (DT) of <9 months, incorporating pathological stage, preoperative PSA level and pathological Gleason sum, that had an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.79 using a cohort of men from the Duke Prostate Center (DPC). PATIENTS AND METHODS Data were included from 1989 men from the DPC database who underwent RP for node-negative prostate cancer between 1987 and 2003. Of these men, 100 had disease recurrence, with a PSADT of <9 months, while 1889 either did not have a recurrence but had ≥36 months of follow-up or had a recurrence with a PSADT of ≥9 months. We examined the ability of the SEARCH model to predict aggressive recurrence within the DPC cohort, and examined the correlation between the predicted risk of aggressive recurrence and the actual outcome within DPC. RESULTS The SEARCH model predicted aggressive recurrence within DPC with an AUC of 0.82. There was a strong and significant correlation between the predicted risk of aggressive recurrence based on the SEARCH tables and the actual outcomes within DPC (r= 0.68, P < 0.001), although the model predictions tended to be slightly higher than the actual risk. CONCLUSIONS The SEARCH model to predict aggressive recurrence after RP predicted aggressive recurrence in an external dataset with a high degree of accuracy. These tables, now validated, can be used to help select men for adjuvant therapy and clinical trials.
The microbiome, autoimmunity, and arthritis: cause and effect: an historical perspective.

The etiology of arthritis has been sought for centuries, employing the art and science of the times to clarify, identify, and establish a cause and a cure. None other than Sir William Osler in his 1909 edition of Principles and Practice of Medicine stated that the etiology/origin of rheumatoid arthritis was related to “the nervous system or infections, with exciting causes that included age, gender, family history, cold, damp, errors in diet, worry and care, and local injuries.” Since Osler's observation more than 100 years ago, there has been tantalizing, but often inconclusive, evidence about the etiological role that microorganisms play in the development of arthritis and autoimmune diseases. Current therapy focuses on the pathogenesis rather than the etiology of these disorders. To rein in the overactive immune system we believe is causing the disease, we use immunosuppressive drugs, an act that would be counterintuitive if infection were the root cause of the problem. We have come light-years from Osler's clinical observations with regard to our understanding of the innate and adaptive immune systems and how they interact, the interplay of the nervous system and aspects of the immune system, appreciation of the genome and microbiome of humans and microorganisms, recognition of the impact of trauma as well as environmental and nutritional factors upon health. Despite this increased understanding, we have still not defined the etiology of many types of tissue- and life-altering arthritis and autoimmune disorders, including rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, the vasculitides, psoriatic arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis. We are closer, however, to understanding the connection between micro-organisms and reactive arthritis, and we have come much farther in establishing a connection between infectious agents and septic arthritis, Lyme disease and Borrelia burgdorferi, mixed cryoglobulinemia and hepatitis C, polyarteritis nodosa and hepatitis B, group A beta-hemolytic streptococci and rheumatic fever, and Whipple's disease and Tropheryma whipplei. It is these disorders that will be the subject this paper.
En las redes

Noticia de un hombre. Joaquin Mattos Omar. Cuadernos de Poesia Ulrika, vol. 7, Bogota, 1988.
Anti-immunoglobulin autoantibodies are not preferentially induced in polyclonal activation of human and mouse lymphocytes, and more anti-DNA and anti-erythrocyte autoantibodies are induced in polyclonal activation of mouse than human lymphocytes

Using a plaque assay with immunoglobulin (Ig)-coated SRBC, we and others have previously reported that the majority of polyclonally activated mouse lymphocytes secreted antibodies that appeared to be IgM anti-IgG autoantibodies. Careful reexamination of this assay, with application of several highly purified mouse serum and myeloma IgG and IgM preparations, revealed that IgM, which was a minor contaminant of Ig preparations, rather than IgG, was responsible for the formation of these plaques. High numbers of plaques could also be detected in assays with polyclonally activated human lymphocytes, Ig-coated SRBC, and anti-Ig developing sera. Of all IgG-, IgM- or IgA-secreting cells, 40 to 100% were detected with SRBC coated with gamma-globulin or Ig of the same isotype as the isotype to which the developing serum was specific; in general, low proportions of all PFC were detected with SRBC coated with Ig of a different isotype. Studies on the sequence of events leading to the formation of plaques with Ig-sensitized SRBC (both in humans and mice) revealed that antibodies detected in these assays were not able to bind to the Ig-coated SRBC (without the presence of developing serum), and therefore were not anti-Ig autoantibodies. It is our conclusion that the plaque assays with Ig-coated SRBC represent another type of a reverse hemolytic PFC assay that detects cells secreting antibodies regardless of their specificity, and these plaques are formed due to the cross-linking by the anti-Ig developing serum of the Ig coated on SRBC and the Ig secreted by lymphocytes. Our results confirmed preferential induction of anti-DNA antibody secreting cells in mice by showing that these antibodies indeed bind to DNA coated on SRBC. In cultures of polyclonally activated human lymphocytes, anti-DNA and anti-erythrocyte autoantibody-secreting cells were over 10 to 100 times less frequent than in mice. These results, therefore, disprove the concept of preferential induction of anti-Ig autoantibodies in the polyclonal activation of mouse and human lymphocytes, and show that anti-DNA and anti-erythrocyte autoantibodies are easily induced in the polyclonal activation of mouse, but not human, lymphocytes.
Bovine meniscal tissue exhibits age- and interleukin-1 dose-dependent degradation patterns and composition-function relationships.

Despite increasing evidence that meniscal degeneration is an early event in the development of knee osteoarthritis, relatively little is known regarding the sequence or functional implications of cytokine-induced meniscal degradation or how degradation varies with age. This study examined dose-dependent patterns of interleukin-1 (IL-1)-induced matrix degradation in explants from the radially middle regions of juvenile and adult bovine menisci. Tissue explants were cultured for 10 days in the presence of 0, 1.25, 5, or 20 ng/ml recombinant human IL-1α. Juvenile explants exhibited immediate and extensive sulfated glycosaminoglycan (sGAG) loss and subsequent collagen release beginning after 4-6 days, with relatively little IL-1 dose-dependence. Adult explants exhibited a more graded response to IL-1, with dose-dependent sGAG release and a lower fraction of sGAG released (but greater absolute release) than juvenile explants. In contrast to juvenile explants, adult explants exhibited minimal collagen release over the 10-day culture. Compressive and shear moduli reflected the changes in explant composition, with substantial decreases for both ages but a greater relative decrease in juvenile tissue. Dynamic moduli exhibited stronger dependence on explant sGAG content for juvenile tissue, likely reflecting concomitant changes to both proteoglycan and collagen tissue components. The patterns of tissue degradation suggest that, like in articular cartilage, meniscal proteoglycans may partially protect collagen from cell-mediated degeneration. A more detailed view of functional changes in meniscal tissue mechanics with degeneration will help to establish the relevance of in vitro culture models and will advance understanding of how meniscal degeneration contributes to overall joint changes in early stage osteoarthritis. © 2015 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 34:801-811, 2016.
ICSI, male pronuclear remodeling and cell cycle checkpoints.

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI; Palermo et al., 1992; Van Steirteghem et al., 1993) has heralded an era of enormous improvements in treating male infertility; it has resulted in the births of thousands of babies. In fact its success has led some clinicians to claim that male infertility is now “cured”, while others raise concerns over the global application of ICSI for all cases of in vitro fertilization (Tucker et al., 1995). These concerns may be, in part, based on the lack of supporting pre-clinical studies in relevant animal models (Ng et al., 1995; Yanagimachi et al, 1995). Others are worried about the possible long-term effects of ICSI on the offspring (Hamberger et al., 1998]; Moutel et al., 1999). While the current view of ICSI is one of cautious optimism, the development of a preclinical, non-human primate model has been established to address the safety of ICSI and other methods of assisted reproduction (Hewitson et al., 1998; Hewitson et al., 1999; Hewitson et al., 2001). Using advanced fluorescent imaging techniques, the cytoskeletal events that occur during rhesus fertilization have been examined after both in vitro fertilization (IVF) and ICSI. It was found that rhesus monkeys share many similarities with humans in terms of cytoskeletal and chromatin dynamics after fertilization by IVF (Simerly et al., 1995; Wu et al., 1996). However, rhesus oocytes fertilized by ICSI resulted in abnormal nuclear remodeling leading to asynchronous chromatin decondensation in the apical region of the sperm head, delaying the onset of DNA synthesis. The persistence of the acrosome and perinuclear theca on the apex of sperm introduced into the oocyte by ICSI may constrict the DNA in this region (Hewitson et al., 1999; Ramalho-Santos et al., 2000a). Despite these differentces, normal rhesus ICSI embryos have been produced and, after transfer to surrogate females, have resulted in several births (Hewitson et al., 1999; Hewitson et al., 2001)
RULE FOSSILIZATION: A TENTATIVE MODEL†

A cybernetic model of factors involved in the fossilization of grammatical and lexical forms in learner grammars is offered. A distinction is made between affective and cognitive dimensions of a multidimensional channel of human communication. A distinction is also made between expected and unexpected feedback. It is argued that expected negative feedback on the cognitive dimension of language usage is the principal de-stabilizing factor in the development of learner grammars. When the configuration of feedback to the learner becomes predominantly expected positive feedback on the cognitive dimension it is predicted that the learner's level of proficiency will tend to fossilize. Thus, the tendency toward fossilization of either correct or incorrect forms is governed by feedback principally on the cognitive dimension. However, if feedback on the affective dimension is not predominantly as expected, and predominantly positive, the feedback on the cognitive dimension will lose much of its force. Predominantly negative affective feedback whether expected or unexpected is likely to result in abortion of further communication attempts.
Sotalol and a broken heart.

Sotalol and a Broken Heart. An 82-year-old woman with persistent atrial fibrillation underwent successful electrical cardioversion and was begun on sotalol. After 3 days of in-hospital observation she had only mild lengthening of the QT interval. Two weeks later in clinic, the day after her husband's unexpected death, she was noted to have profound QT interval prolongation. Although she was asymptomatic and echocardiography did not disclose regional wall motion abnormalities consistent with takotsubo cardiomyopathy, she probably had a forme fruste of stress cardiomyopathy. Following emotional trauma, a period of heightened vigilance for ventricular proarrhythmia is probably warranted in women treated with antiarrhythmic drugs that lengthen repolarization. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 21, pp. 207-210, February 2010)
Perspective on Computational Fluid Dynamics Validation

A comprehensive approach to computational fluid dynamics (CFD) validation is presented. Requirements from computational and experimental perspectives are given. Experimental validation is emphasized because it ultimately determines the accuracy of CFD modeling and its application to complex problems. The concepts of building block and benchmark experiments are introduced. The types of measurements required of these experiments and their accuracy determination are explained. Contributions from such experiments toward the development and validation of CFD are reviewed and examples provided. Future challenges and strategies for validation are discussed.
Phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylglycerol and cardiolipin synthesis in adult Dirofilaria immitis females.

Abstract Srivastava A. K. and Jaffe J. J. 1987. Phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylglycerol, and cardiolipin synthesis in adult Dirofilaria immitis females. International Journal for Parasitology 17 :917–920. The pathways leading to the formation of phosphatidylinositol (PI), phosphatidylglycerol (PG) and cardiolipin (CL) in adult Dirofilaria immitis females were investigated. PI was synthesized by both de novo as well as via base exchange pathway in the worms. Under specified assay conditions, the respective rates of PI formation by way of these pathways in crude homogenates of the worms in the order given were around 3.0 and 0.75 nmol min −1 mg −1 protein. PG synthesizing activity in the worms was mainly associated with the particulate fractions and the rate of formation by these fractions was around 1.5 nmol min −1 mg −1 protein. The worms were unable to synthesize CL by the pathway found in mammals.
Mechanisms of Cadmium-Induced Proximal Tubule Injury: New Insights with Implications for Biomonitoring and Therapeutic Interventions

Cadmium is an important industrial agent and environmental pollutant that is a major cause of kidney disease. With chronic exposure, cadmium accumulates in the epithelial cells of the proximal tubule, resulting in a generalized reabsorptive dysfunction characterized by polyuria and low-molecular-weight proteinuria. The traditional view has been that as cadmium accumulates in proximal tubule cells, it produces a variety of relatively nonspecific toxic effects that result in the death of renal epithelial cells through necrotic or apoptotic mechanisms. However, a growing volume of evidence suggests that rather than merely being a consequence of cell death, the early stages of cadmium-induced proximal tubule injury may involve much more specific changes in cell-cell adhesion, cellular signaling pathways, and autophagic responses that occur well before the onset of necrosis or apoptosis. In this commentary, we summarize these recent findings, and we offer our own perspectives as to how they relate to the toxic actions of cadmium in the kidney. In addition, we highlight recent findings, suggesting that it may be possible to detect the early stages of cadmium toxicity through the use of improved biomarkers. Finally, some of the therapeutic implications of these findings will be considered. Because cadmium is, in many respects, a model cumulative nephrotoxicant, these insights may have broader implications regarding the general mechanisms through which a variety of drugs and toxic chemicals damage the kidney.
Identification of 12 polymorphic microsatellite loci for the eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina)

We developed 12 highly polymorphic microsatellite markers for the eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina). The number of alleles per locus ranged from 5 to 27 (mean: 15.2 per locus) and the observed heterozygosities ranged from 0.371 to 0.943 among 35 individuals. Two loci exhibited significant deviations from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. Five loci exhibited putative null alleles but this is probably due to the high number of alleles relative to the sample size. There was no evidence of linkage disequilibrium between pairs of loci. This library should facilitate research on the population structure and ecology of this threatened species.
NMDA and kainate receptor expression, long-term potentiation, and neurogenesis in the hippocampus of long-lived Ames dwarf mice

In the current study, we investigated changes in N-methyl d-aspartate (NMDA) and kainate receptor expression, long-term potentiation (LTP), and neurogenesis in response to neurotoxic stress in long-living Ames dwarf mice. We hypothesized that Ames dwarf mice have enhanced neurogenesis that enables retention of spatial learning and memory with age and promotes neurogenesis in response to injury. Levels of the NMDA receptors (NR)1, NR2A, NR2B, and the kainate receptor (KAR)2 were increased in Ames dwarf mice, relative to wild-type littermates. Quantitative assessment of the excitatory postsynaptic potential in Schaffer collaterals in hippocampal slices from Ames dwarf mice showed an increased response in high-frequency induced LTP over time compared with wild type. Kainic acid (KA) injection was used to promote neurotoxic stress-induced neurogenesis. KA mildly increased the number of doublecortin-positive neurons in wild-type mice, but the response was significantly enhanced in the Ames dwarf mice. Collectively, these data support our hypothesis that the enhanced learning and memory associated with the Ames dwarf mouse may be due to elevated levels of NMDA and KA receptors in hippocampus and their ability to continue producing new neurons in response to neuronal damage.
Solid‐state fermentation of sweet sorghum to ethanol

Solid-state fermentation of chopped sweet sorghum particles to ethanol was studied in static flasks using an ethanol tolerant yeast strain. The influence of various process parameters, such as temperature, yeast cell concentration, and moisture content, on the rate and extent of ethanol fermentation was investigated. Optimal values of these parameters were found to be 35 degrees C, 7 x 10(8) cells/g raw sorghum, and 70% moisture level, respectively.
Immunoreactive neuropeptide Y (NPY) in plasma and platelets of rat and mouse strains and human volunteers

Immunoreactive-neuropeptide Y (i-NPY) is present in platelets of rats, and has recently been demonstrated to be authentic rat NPY based on its amino acid sequence. This potent vasoconstrictor and putative smooth muscle mitogen is released during platelet activation, suggesting a role in platelet-vascular interactions. We have now extended this work to several strains of rats and mice, and humans of both sexes. Among mice, strains in which NPY mRNA has been demonstrated in megakaryocytes have markedly higher levels of i-NPY (0.63-1.11 pmol/ml in NZB/B1NJ, NZBWF1/J, BXSB/MpJYaa, BALB/cJ) in platelet rich plasma (PRP) than other strains (DBA/2J, CBA/J, C3H/HeJ, MRL/MpJ-lpr, C57BL/6J; each < 0.02 pmol/ml). In rats, high content of i-NPY was observed in PRP and platelets of all strains examined (Sprague-Dawley, Wistar, Wistar Kyoto). i-NPY level was 30.6, 3.7 and 10.1 pmol/ml in PRP of the three strains, respectively. In humans, low levels of i-NPY occur in plasma and platelet fractions compared to rodents (0.069 and 0.048 pmol/ml in male and female PRP, respectively), but they, too, have greater i-NPY in platelet rich plasma and platelets than in platelet poor plasma. Assuming this is authentic NPY, platelet-derived NPY might have a role in pathophysiological states involving activation of platelets in humans.
Place Management in Commercial Areas: Customer Service Representatives in Philadelphia's Central Business District

Over the past decade, North American and British cities have witnessed a tremendous growth in the number of private security personnel charged with patrolling public spaces in commercial areas. Sponsored by business interests—primarily in downtown areas—the growth in the number of ‘business improvement districts' (BIDs) has ushered in an era of increased private security coverage in public areas. A discussion of the growth of these organizations, as well as a description of their services, provides the backdrop for a research endeavor focused on ‘customer service representatives’ (CSRs) in Philadelphia's downtown commercial area. After a description of the crime prevention services delivered by the Philadelphia Center City District, an overview is presented, using observational techniques and examination of official records, of the role of CSRs in providing security and place management activities in the commercial district.
Three-dimensional reflective-notching simulation using multipole-accelerated physical optics approximation

This paper discusses a new formulation of the Fast Multipole Method of 3D topography scattering in the physical-optics approximation. The novelty of this formulation lies in the use of generalized Sommerfeld integrals to represent the vector multipole waves. This technique allows 3D reflective-notching simulation to be done on an ordinary workstation in O(N3/2) time, where N is the number of nodes on the surface of the topography. Simulation results for 3D topography with different slope angles are presented. The simulated reflective-notching effects were found to be consistent with a ray-optics model.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Phase II trial of bevacizumab in combination with docetaxel in women with advanced breast cancer.

Vascular endothelial growth factor is a promising target for anticancer therapy, and bevacizumab has been developed for this purpose. Bevacizumab is a recombinant humanized anti-VEGF monoclonal antibody that is composed of human immunoglobulin G 1 framework regions with complementary determining regions from murine monoclonal anti-VEGF antibody.5 Bevacizumab recognizes all known isoforms of VEGF. In phase I clinical trials in patients with solid tumors, bevacizumab alone or in combination with chemotherapy was shown to be well tolerated at doses ranging from 0.1 to 10 mg/kg.6,7
Nor2chlorpromazine sulphoxide and 3,4-dimethoxyphenethylamine.

SEVERAL workers have found a spot isographic with 3,4-dimethoxyphenethylamine (DMPEA) in urine chromatograms of some schizophrenic patients but never or rarely in those of non-schizophrenic persons1–3. A metabolite of chlorpromazine (CPZ), however, noted4 to have been identified as nor2chlorpromazine Sulphoxide (N2CPSO)5, causes a spot close to or isographic with DMPEA in the chromatographic system originally used to detect the spots apparently diagnostic of schizophrenia4,5 (referred to below as system 1). If a phenothiazine metabolite caused the apparently diagnostic spots (the pink spots) the following conditions must be fulfilled. (1) The RF for the metabolite in system 1 should be almost identical to that of DMPEA because fifteen pink spots were originally studied and even a small consistent difference in RF between these spots and authentic DMPEA would have been detectable. (2) The metabolite must be isographic with DMPEA in the two-way system used by Kuehl et al.2, for they reported that certain samples found positive by Friedhoff and van Winkle showed a ninhydrin positive spot isographic with DMPEA in their system. (3) The metabolite must persist in urine after the parent drug has been stopped because all of the original patients and many of those found subsequently to have pink spots had been withdrawn from drugs for at least 2 weeks. (4) The metabolite must give a pink spot with modified Ehrlich's reagent (DABA) following ninhydrin-pyridine and a negative reaction with DABA alone because this test was applied to the original spots1. Also, an explanation must be found for the fact that material isolated from the original spots was indistinguishable from authentic DMPEA in several sensitive tests of identity1,11 and for the fact that Takesada et al., who were aware of the problem of confounding drug metabolites and particularly N2CPSO, found pink spots in the urine of schizophrenic patients and others as well5.
Effect of Sex Identification on Instrument Assignment by Band Directors

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of sex identification on the assignment of instruments to beginning band students. Participants were band directors solicited at music conferences and music education students solicited from major universities across the United States. Participants completed an online survey about instrument assignments. Half the participants were sent to a Web site that had full-head pictures of eight students and assigned them to one of six beginning band instruments. The other half of the participants were given a site address that had pictures of the same students, but only the lips and dental aspects of the students' faces were visible. Results indicated that the ability to identify the sex of subjects only had an effect on the assignment of an instrument for one of the eight students. Furthermore, when data were analyzed factoring in the sex of the respondent, one other difference became apparent. Since this difference was for the sole African-American stimulus...
Exploiting fine-grain thread level parallelism on the MIT multi-ALU processor

Much of the improvement in computer performance over the last twenty years has come from faster transistors and architectural advances that increase parallelism. Historically, parallelism has been exploited either at the instruction level with a grain-size of a single instruction or by partitioning applications into coarse threads with grain-sizes of thousands of instructions. Fine-grain threads fill the parallelism gap between these extremes by enabling tasks with run lengths as small as 20 cycles. As this fine-grain parallelism is orthogonal to ILP and coarse threads, it complements both methods and provides an opportunity for greater speedup. This paper describes the efficient communication and synchronization mechanisms implemented in the Multi-ALU Processor (MAP) chip, including a thread creation instruction, register communication, and a hardware barrier. These register-based mechanisms provide 10 times faster communication and 60 times faster synchronization than mechanisms that operate via a shared on chip cache. With a three-processor implementation of the MAP, fine-grain speedups of 1.2-2.1 are demonstrated on a suite of applications.
NUMERICAL SIMULATIONS OF THE 2004 INDIAN OCEAN TSUNAMIS — COASTAL EFFECTS

The 2004 Sumatra earthquake and the associated tsunamis are one of the most devastating natural disasters in the last century. The tsunamis flooded a huge coastal area in the surrounding countries, especially in Indonesia, Thailand and Sri Lanka, and caused enormous loss of human lives and properties. In this paper, tsunami inundations in Trincomalee, Sri Lanka and North Banda Aceh, Indonesia were simulated by using a finite-difference model based on nonlinear shallow-water equations. The calculated tsunami heights and inundations in these two regions are compared with the field measurements and observations. Fairly good agreement is observed. Numerical results confirm again that the local bathymetric and topographic characteristics play important roles in determining the inundation area. Numerical simulations further indicate that although nonlinearity becomes important in many dynamic aspects when tsunamis approach the shore, its influence on determining the inundation area is relatively small in the regions examined for this tsunami event. Finally, the potential capability of sediment transport and a force index on a virtual structure in flooded areas are introduced and discussed.
Dynamic Simulation of Human Gait Using a Combination of Model Predictive and PID Control

Human gait studies have not been applied frequently to the prediction of the performance of medical devices such as prostheses and orthoses. The reason is most biomechanics simulations require experimental data such as muscle activity or joint moment information a priori. In addition, biomechanical models are normally too complicated to be adjusted and these simulations normally take a long period of time to be performed which makes testing of various possibilities time consuming; therefore they are not suitable for prediction purpose. The objective of this research is to develop a control oriented human gait model that is able to predict the performance of prostheses and orthoses before they are experimentally tested. This model is composed of two parts. The first part is a seven link nine degree-of-freedom (DOF) plant to represent the forward dynamics of human gait. The second part is a control system which is a combination of Model Predictive Control (MPC) and Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) control. The purpose of this control system is to simulate the central nervous system (CNS). This model is sufficiently simple that it can be simulated and adjusted in a reasonable time, while still representing the essential principles of human gait.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Mesothelial cell modulation of pleural repair: thrombin stimulated mesothelial cells release prostaglandin E2.

Abstract Repair of an injured pleura without fibrosis not only requires a re-establishment of the normal pleural mesothelial monolayer but also a downregulation of the inflammatory response, including inhibition of fibroblast proliferation and collagen synthesis. However, the role of the mesothelial cell in regulating these processes in the pleural space remains underfined. We therefore hypothesized that mesothelial cells, stimulated by thrombin, release prostaglandin E 2 PGE 2 , which is capable of inhibiting fibroblast proliferation. In vitro rat visceral mesothelial cells were exposed to thrombin and PGE 2 levels in the supernatant were measured using a competitive radioimmunoassay. Our results demonstrated that mesothelial cells produce PGE 2 in a dose- and time-dependent manner. In addition, both anti-thrombin 3 and indomethacin completely blocked the PGE 2 released. Finally, conditioned media from thrombin-stimulated mesothelial cells inhibited fibroblast [ 3 H]thymidine incorporation. These results demonstrate that the mesothelial cell is capable of contributing to the repair process of pleural injury by the release of a local factor such as PGE 2 .
Initial safety evaluation of the Unified Departure Operation Spacing (udos) standard concept

The initial spacing applied between departing aircraft is a major factor affecting the safety and efficiency of departure operations at an airport. When departure operations are conducted under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR), successive in-trail departures must be provided a minimum of 3 nautical miles (NM) Radar Separation unless visual separation is applied. However, if the departure paths diverge by 15 degrees or more immediately after takeoff, reduced initial spacing of the Same Runway Separation standard can often be applied. The Unified Departure Operation Spacing (UDOS) separation standard concept was developed as a separation standard alternative to increase the operational efficiencies where diverging departure operations are not feasible. This paper investigates how UDOS spacing applications would affect departure operations at airports across the National Airspace System (NAS). It presents the analysis approach taken to characterize departure performance parameters of aircraft observed in actual operations, the simulation model developed to quantify their impact on aircraft spacing, and the methodology used to validate model performance. The paper presents quantitative estimates of proximity event probabilities and outlines applicable controller mitigation strategies. The results demonstrate key advantages of employing Performance-Based Navigation (PBN) departure procedures that define a divergence waypoint. These advantages promise to largely eliminate controller workload limitations as a dependency for mitigation effectiveness.
Hypertension-induced peripheral neuropathy and the combined effects of hypertension and diabetes on nerve structure and function in rats

Diabetic neuropathy includes damage to neurons, Schwann cells and blood vessels. Rodent models of diabetes do not adequately replicate all pathological features of diabetic neuropathy, particularly Schwann cell damage. We, therefore, tested the hypothesis that combining hypertension, a risk factor for neuropathy in diabetic patients, with insulin-deficient diabetes produces a more pertinent model of peripheral neuropathy. Behavioral, physiological and structural indices of neuropathy were measured for up to 6 months in spontaneously hypertensive and age-matched normotensive rats with or without concurrent streptozotocin-induced diabetes. Hypertensive rats developed nerve ischemia, thermal hyperalgesia, nerve conduction slowing and axonal atrophy. Thinly myelinated fibers with supernumerary Schwann cells indicative of cycles of demyelination and remyelination were also identified along with reduced nerve levels of myelin basic protein. Similar disorders were noted in streptozotocin-diabetic rats, except that thinly myelinated fibers were not observed and expression of myelin basic protein was normal. Superimposing diabetes on hypertension compounded disorders of nerve blood flow, conduction slowing and axonal atrophy and increased the incidence of thinly myelinated fibers. Rats with combined insulinopenia, hyperglycemia and hypertension provide a model for diabetic neuropathy that offers an opportunity to study mechanisms of Schwann cell pathology and suggests that hypertension may contribute to the etiology of diabetic neuropathy.
Predicting Outcome after Perinatal Hypoxia Ischemia - the Value of a Neonatal Encephalopathy Score and Sarnat Staging • 1223

Predicting Outcome after Perinatal Hypoxia Ischemia - the Value of a Neonatal Encephalopathy Score and Sarnat Staging • 1223
Structural Investigations of Vapochromic Behavior. X-ray Single-Crystal and Powder Diffraction Studies of [Pt(CN-iso-C3H7)4][M(CN)4] for M = Pt or Pd

We have synthesized [Pt(CN-iso-C3H7)4][M(CN)4] (M = Pt, Pd) and studied their reversible hydration and sorption properties with UV−vis, FT-IR spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. Powder diffraction studies show that anhydrous [Pt(CN-iso-C3H7)4][Pt(CN)4] and [Pt(CN-iso-C3H7)4][Pd(CN)4] crystallize in a tetragonal space group with nearly identical lattice constants. Gravimetric studies reveal that variable guest−host stoichiometries occur when solid [Pt(CN-iso-C3H7)4][Pt(CN)4] sorbs the guest at room temperature from the gas phase [water, 12.1(1) molecules per formula unit, chloroform 6.0(1), methanol 8.0(1), and trifluoroethanol 4.1(1)]; these sorption processes are reversible. The unit cell distances in the tetragonal ab-plane expand dramatically when the solvent guests are sorbed, but changes along the c-axis (the M−M direction) are minimal. Crystallization of [Pt(CN-iso-C3H7)4][Pt(CN)4] from water gives monoclinic crystals of a hexadecahydrate [Pt(CN-iso-C3H7)4][Pt(CN)4]·16H2O. This salt consists of alt...
A rotation-invariant transform for target detection in SAR images

ABSTRACT Rotation of targets pose great a challenge for the design of an automatic image-based target detection system.In this paper, we propose a target detection algorithm that is robust to rotation of targets. Our key ideais to use rotation invariant features as the input for the classier. For an image in Radon transform space,namely R (b, ), taking the magnitude of 1-D Fourier transform on ,weget|F {R (b, )}|. It was proved thatthe coec ients of the combined Radon and 1-D Fourier transform, |F {R (b, )}| is invariant to rotation of theimage. These coecients are used as the input to a maximum-margin classier based on I-RELIEF featureweighting technique. Its objective is to maximize the margin between two classes and improve the robustness ofthe classier against uncertainties. For each pixel of a sample SAR image, a feature vector can be extracted froma sub image centered at that pixel. Then our classier decides whether the pixel is target or non-target. Thisproduces a binary-valued image. We further improve the detection performance by co nnectivity analysis, imagedierencing and diversity combining. We evaluate the performance of our proposed algorithm, using the dataset collected by Swedish CARABAS-II systems, and the e xperimental results show that our proposed algorithmachieves superior performance over the benchmark algorithm.Keywords: VHF SAR, rotation invariant transform, target detection, I-RELIEF
Hydroxyurea stimulates the release of ATP from rabbit erythrocytes through an increase in calcium and nitric oxide production

Abstract Hydroxyurea, a proven therapy for sickle cell disease, is known to improve blood flow and reduce vaso-occlusive crises, although its exact mechanism of action is not clear. The objective of this study was to determine if hydroxyurea results in an increase of ATP release from the red blood cell (RBC) via the drug's ability to stimulate nitric oxide (NO) production in these cells. A system enabling the flow of RBCs through microbore tubing was used to investigate ATP release from the RBC. Incubation of rabbit RBCs (7% hct) with 50 μM hydroxyurea resulted in a significant increase in the release of ATP from these cells. This level of ATP release was not detected in the absence of flow. Studies also showed that increments in hydroxyurea and NO (from spermine NONOate) resulted in an initial increase in ATP release, followed by a decrease in this release at higher concentrations of hydroxyurea and the NO donor. Incubation with L-NAME abolished the effect of the hydroxyurea, suggesting that NO production by the RBC was involved. Indeed, in the presence of 50 μM hydroxyurea, the amount of total Ca 2+ measured (by atomic absorption spectroscopy) in a 7% solution of RBCs increased from 363 ± 47 ng/ml and 530 ± 52 ng/ml. Finally, EPR studies suggest that an increase in nitrosylated Hb in the RBC is only measured for those studies involving hydroxyurea and a Ca 2+ -containing buffer.
Testing the Engagement Theory of Program Quality in CACREP-Accredited Counselor Education Programs

This study examined the engagement theory of program quality (Haworth & Conrad, 1997), which highlights positive student learning outcomes that result from stakeholder involvement in program evaluation within master's-level graduate programs. A total of 481 master's-level counseling students and 63 faculty members, representing 68 Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)–accredited counselor education programs, participated in the study. Findings reveal that engagement theory is a potentially useful quality assessment resource for CACREP-accredited programs in their efforts at enhancing and sustaining program quality.
The Oxygen Index of Surgical Drape Materials

An effective method for minimizing operating room fires is to use materials that are least flammable in air and in oxygen-enriched atmospheres (OEA). The objective of this study was to characterize the flammability of commonly used surgical drapes by measuring the minimum concentration of oxygen [O2] required to support a candle-like flame on the test specimen, the oxygen index (OI) [1]. Under the conditions studied, the OI was 17.8 for woven cotton towels (Huck), 18.5 for nonwoven cellulose draping, and 22.8 for polypropylene draping. These data demonstrate that materials commonly used for surgical draping have an OI less than or near the O2 content of ambient air (21 %), making them particularly susceptible to fire in the localized OEA of the operating room. Quantitative measures, such as the OI, are useful for determining the relative flammability of materials and their consideration should play an important role in optimizing operating room safety.
The correlation of serum estrogens and androgens with bone density in the late postmenopause.

A pilot group of 16 women in the late postmenopause were evaluated for bone density by computerized axial tomography (CT) scanning and for hormonal milieu. A highly statistically significant positive correlation between lumbar-3 spongiosum density and both dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEA-S), r = 0.6 7; P < 0.005 and androstenedione (A), r = 0.56; P < 0.03 was found. No such correlations were observed with estradiol (E,), estrone (E J or an array of other hormones. The results of this preliminary report indicate a clear association of weak androgens with bone density in the late postmenopause.
The Pacific Islands. Policy options for telecommunications investment.

Abstract In the four years since the Maitland Commission made its initial report, many countries around the world have focused political and economic resources towards meeting the Commission's recommendations. Within the PINs, such efforts have manifested themselves in the various island countries' Five Year Development Plans and through the coordinated efforts of the regionally focused SPTDP. Examining telecommunication policy and development goals in relation to real and projected growth in telecommunications infrastructure within four Pacific Island countries and New Zealand, this paper analyses the feasibility of meeting the Maitland Commission's goals in the Pacific Islands Region.
Fiber Optic Bragg Grating Strain Sensor with Direct Reflectometric Interrogation

We describe a strain sensor concept based on the use of a tailored Bragg grating element in which the grating reflectivity at a given wavelength is monitored with strain. The concept is simple and can be extended to allow the addresing of potentially a large number of elements using OTDR analysis.
Correlation of Henry's Law, Virial Coefficients for the Adsorption of Hydrocarbons and Chlorofluorocarbons on Microporous Solids

Abstract Correlations were developed and used to calculate gas-solid interaction energy parameters which in turn were used to calculate Henry's law constants for the adsorption of a series of hydrocarbons and chlorofluorocarbons on either a 13X zeolite or a microporous carbon, SuperSorb. The adsorption energetic parameter was correlated with the boiling point, critical constant ratio (critical temperature divided by the square root of the critical pressure), number of carbon atoms, and molecular structure or atomic structure of the adsorbate molecule. These correlations were used to calculate gas-solid interaction energies and, with a selection of the gas-solid interaction potential parameters, were used in an integral expression to calculate the gas-solid virial coefficients. The critical constant ratio was found to provide the best means of predicting the gas-solid interaction energy and the corresponding second gas-solid virial coefficient. This approach could be used to predict the extent adsorption in the Henry's law region using only adsorbate molecular properties where energy correlations have been previously established for a series of adsorbate molecules.
An analysis of online news comments on children's racial perceptions in the U.S.

This paper studies how a large online community made sense of a television and online news organization's co-sponsored study of children's perceptions of race in the America. 2,906 readers' comments from the CNN special report were collected in December 2010. After classifying these comments, there were four data sets: all comments, negative comments, positive comments, and popular comments (comments with “Like). Wordstat, a content-analysis software program, was used to analyze the word/phrase frequency of four data sets. The purpose of the content analysis was to identify any similar pattern of word/phrase among the data sets. Of 2,906 comments, 1,745 comments (60%) received the “Like” votes from other online readers. However, the majority of these comments (1,723; 59.29%) received fewer than 26 votes of “Like.” Regarding the positive comments, only 68 comments were agreed upon by the three reviewers. Seven of those comments were highly positive (over 6 based on a 7-point Likert scale). On the other side, 456 comments were agreed upon by the reviewers as negative comments. However, the majority of those comments (443) were slightly negative (2.01–3 based on a 7-point Likert scale).
Numerical simulation of partially coherent broadband optical imaging using the finite-difference time-domain method

Rigorous numerical modeling of optical systems has attracted interest in diverse research areas ranging from biophotonics to photolithography. We report the full-vector electromagnetic numerical simulation of a broadband optical imaging system with partially coherent and unpolarized illumination. The scattering of light from the sample is calculated using the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) numerical method. Geometrical optics principles are applied to the scattered light to obtain the intensity distribution at the image plane. Multilayered object spaces are also supported by our algorithm. For the first time, numerical FDTD calculations are directly compared to and shown to agree well with broadband experimental microscopy results.
A robotic perceptual system utilizing passive vision and active touch

This paper presents a robotic perceptual system which utilizes passive vision and active touch. The task is one-fingered exploration of a single unmodeled object for apprehension— the determination of the features of the object and the rela tions among them. A two-stage exploration is utilized. Vision is first used in a feedforward manner to segment the object and to obtain its position. Touch is then used in a feedback mode to further explore the object. In designing this system, we have addressed several issues. The first concerns the way in which the robotic perceptual system should be structured. The model which we propose here is based upon theories of human perception. It consists of a highly modularized set of knowledge-based modules, each of which is domain specific and informationally encapsulated. Within the framework of this model, we have designed both vision and touch subsys tems. In each case, we have defined the primitives, features, and representations extracted and created by the system. ...