cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Treating Chronic Hepatitis C Viral Infection: Rethinking Dose Reduction Strategies for PEG-IFN and Ribavirin in the Setting of New Direct Acting Agents

Hepatitis C treatment is a rapidly changing field with new and more effective therapies being developed. Practice guideline changes have recently advocated the use of new classes of therapies such as the direct-acting antivirals, boceprevir and telaprevir, to combat this illness. However, drug studies and clinical experience have uncovered increasing adverse events with the new therapeutic regimens. Managing these side effects will be an equally important aspect of care for chronic hepatitis C patients. Research studies have assessed dose reduction strategies to combat the most significant adverse event of anemia. Adjustments in the dose of ribavirin in response to anemia have been found to be a safe and effective method to maintain optimal therapeutic efficacy while minimizing adverse events. Continued research is required to fully address the effects of dose reduction on outcomes as well as the development of less toxic regimens for future hepatitis C treatment.
The stability of collagen cross-links when derived from hydroxylysyl residues☆

Abstract The cross-linked cyanogen bromide peptide, (4×9), previously isolated after reduction of cartilage collagen, has been isolated without prior reduction of the collagen. The unreduced cross-link is cleaved by periodate allowing recovery of the component peptides. When isolated after borotritide reduction of the collagen, (4×9) contains a single residue of radioactive hydroxylysinohydroxynorleucine. Radioactivity in the cross-link remains in the component peptides when the cross-link is cleaved with periodate. Performic acid oxidation removes this radioactivity and produces an additional glutamic acid residue in each peptide. These data indicate that dehydrohydroxylysinohydroxynorleucine undergoes an Amadori rearrangement producing a more stable keto-amine form of the cross-link.
Engineering Escherichia coli to convert acetic acid to free fatty acids

Abstract Fatty acids (FAs) are promising precursors of advanced biofuels. This study investigated conversion of acetic acid (HAc) to FAs by an engineered Escherichia coli strain. We combined established genetic engineering strategies including overexpression of acs and tesA genes, and knockout of fadE in E. coli BL21, resulting in the production of ~1 g/L FAs from acetic acid. The microbial conversion of HAc to FAs was achieved with ~20% of the theoretical yield. We cultured the engineered strain with HAc-rich liquid wastes, which yielded ~0.43 g/L FAs using waste streams from dilute acid hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass and ~0.17 g/L FAs using effluent from anaerobic-digested sewage sludge. 13C-isotopic experiments showed that the metabolism in our engineered strain had high carbon fluxes toward FAs synthesis and TCA cycle in a complex HAc medium. This proof-of-concept work demonstrates the possibility for coupling the waste treatment with the biosynthesis of advanced biofuel via genetically engineered microbial species.
Chronic clorgyline treatment of Syrian hamsters: an analysis of effects on the circadian pacemaker.

Clorgyline, a type A monoamine oxidase inhibitor with antidepressant properties when administered to depressed patients, is often associated with disturbances of the human sleep-wake cycle. In order to assess its effects on the mammalian circadian system, this drug was administered chronically to Syrian hamsters. It was found to affect the hamster circadian system in four specific ways. Clorgyline increased the intrinsic period of wheel-running ac tivity, altered the phase response curve to brief light pulses, altered the educed waveform of running activity in animals maintained in light-dark cycles or constant darkness, and in creased the activity-rest ratio in animals maintained in constant darkness. Our data support the interpretation that clorgyline exhibits direct or indirect input to the circadian pacemaker and alters the processing of photic information to the pacemaker.
Leucine modulation of mitochondrial mass and oxygen consumption in skeletal muscle cells and adipocytes

Background The effects of dairy on energy metabolism appear to be mediated, in part, by leucine and calcium which regulate both adipocyte and skeletal muscle energy metabolism. We recently demonstrated that leucine and calcitriol regulate fatty acid oxidation in skeletal muscle cells in vitro, with leucine promoting and calcitriol suppressing fatty acid oxidation. Moreover, leucine coordinately regulated adipocyte lipid metabolism to promote flux of lipid to skeletal muscle and regulate metabolic flexibility. We have now investigated the role of mitochondrial biogenesis in mediating these effects.
CT colonography screening.

1on the use of colonoscopy versus non-cathartic CT colonography in population-based screening for colorectal cancer. The investigators should be congratulated for focusing their trial on whether participation with CT colonography is substantially higher than with colonoscopy and thus leads to similar advanced neoplasia detection rates. Their data strongly support further study of CT colonography as an additional option for population cancer screening.
Link contexts in classifier-guided topical crawlers

Context of a hyperlink or link context is defined as the terms that appear in the text around a hyperlink within a Web page. Link contexts have been applied to a variety of Web information retrieval and categorization tasks. Topical or focused Web crawlers have a special reliance on link contexts. These crawlers automatically navigate the hyperlinked structure of the Web while using link contexts to predict the benefit of following the corresponding hyperlinks with respect to some initiating topic or theme. Using topical crawlers that are guided by a support vector machine, we investigate the effects of various definitions of link contexts on the crawling performance. We find that a crawler that exploits words both in the immediate vicinity of a hyperlink as well as the entire parent page performs significantly better than a crawler that depends on just one of those cues. Also, we find that a crawler that uses the tag tree hierarchy within Web pages provides effective coverage. We analyze our results along various dimensions such as link context quality, topic difficulty, length of crawl, training data, and topic domain. The study was done using multiple crawls over 100 topics covering millions of pages allowing us to derive statistically strong results.
Beta and angiotensin blockades are associated with improved 10-year survival in renal transplant recipients.

Background Mortality in allograft kidney transplant recipients is high, and cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in these patients. They have heightened activity of sympathetic and renin–angiotensin systems. We tested the hypothesis that blockade of sympathetic and renin–angiotensin systems in these patients may offer a survival benefit using a large cohort of patients with long-term follow up. Methods and Results Medical records of 321 consecutive patients from our institution who had received renal transplantation between 1995 and 2003 were abstracted. Survival was analyzed as a function of pharmacological therapies adjusted for age, sex, and comorbidities. The characteristics of the 321 patients were as follows: age at transplant, 44±13 years; 40% male; 89% with hypertension; 36% with diabetes, and mean left ventricular ejection fraction of 60%. Over a follow-up of 10±4 years, there were 119 deaths. Adjusted for age, sex, diabetes, and coronary artery disease, use of a beta-blocker therapy ( P =0.04) and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor or receptor blocker ( P =0.03) was associated with better survival. This treatment effect was seen across all major clinical subgroups and was supported by propensity score analysis. The propensity score–adjusted 10-year survival was 95% in those taking both groups of medications, 72% in those taking either of them, and 64% in those taking neither ( P =0.004). Conclusions Use of beta-blocker and angiotensin blocking therapies is associated with higher survival after renal transplantation, indicating their potential protective role in this high-risk population.
Isolation of viable virus from a patient with atypical measles and rash in an inverse photodistribution

A patient hadacuteonsetoferythematouspapules that coalesced into plaquesin an inverse photodistribution associated with malaise, fever, and nonproductive cough. Low-gradedisseminated intravascularcoagulation (DIe) quickly developed. This article highlights the ability of atypical measles to mimic several life-threatening conditions, extends our clinical understanding of this potentiallyseriousdisorder, and emphasizes the utilityofrapid, direct immunofluorescence techniques1,2 in diagnosis.
Sodium and the kidney: the non‐modulator concept

In the late 1960s, Professor Gordon Williams and I, inindependent, studies made observations that were tooccupy us for the next 35 years of our scientiﬁc livesw1,2x. I identiﬁed a subset of patients with essentialhypertension in whom renal blood ﬂow did not followshifts in salt intake. Dr Williams identiﬁed a group ofpatients in whom the adrenal aldosterone release inresponse to a reduction in salt intake was blunted.Because his interests in angiotensin-mediated controlof the adrenal and my parallel interest in the controlof the renal circulation were essentially identical, wedecided to join forces in a collaboration that hascontinued for over three decades.
Efficiency of Dispatch and Infiltrator cardiac infusion catheters in arterial localization of nanoparticles in a porcine coronary model of restenosis.

Localized intramural delivery of sustained release biodegradable nanoparticles containing an antiproliferative agent could provide prolonged drug effect at the site of vascular injury that could inhibit the proliferation of smooth muscle cells and hence restenosis. The efficiency of arterial localization of nanoparticles is crucial in maximizing the drug effect in the target tissue. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to determine the comparative efficiency of the Dispatch ® and the Infiltrator ® cardiac infusion catheters to localize nanoparticles in the arterial wall. Following a standard balloon angioplasty procedure on the left anterior descending artery (LAD) in a porcine coronary model of restenosis, a suspension of nanoparticles containing a fluorescent marker was infused at the site of injury using either the Dispatch ® or the Infiltrator ® catheter. One hour following the infusion, animals were sacrificed and the nanoparticle levels in the LAD and other tissue were analyzed. The Dis...
A V-band divide-by-three differential direct injection-locked frequency divider in 65-nm CMOS

In this paper, a novel circuit topology of CMOS divide-by-three injection-locked frequency divider is demonstrated. By using a differential direct injection pair with a LC-tank oscillator, the proposed circuit can perform the division ratio of three while the wide locking range is obtained. Based on the presented circuit architecture, a V-band frequency divider is implemented in 65-nm CMOS for demonstration. Operated at a supply voltage of 1.0 V, the divider core consumes a dc power of 5.2 mW. At an incident power of 0 dBm, the fabricated circuit exhibits an input locking range from 58.6 to 67.2 GHz. The measured output power and locked phase noise at a 1-MHz offset are −10 dBm and −127 dBc/Hz, respectively. To the authors' best knowledge, this work is the first CMOS V-band divide-by-three injection-locked frequency divider owning a locking range over 10% without any tuning mechanism reported to date.
Photoinitiated multi-step charge separation and ultrafast charge transfer induced dissociation in a pyridyl-linked photosensitizer–cobaloxime assembly

Using visible and near-infrared transient absorption spectroscopy to track distinct excited state, cation, and anion signals, we report a detailed kinetic analysis of photoinitiated multi-step charge separation and ultrafast charge transfer induced dissociation in a self-assembled donor–bridge–acceptor–cobaloxime triad. The donor–bridge–acceptor ligand consists of a perylene chromophore linked via a xylene bridge to a pyridyl-substituted 1,8-naphthalimide electron acceptor. Coordination of the ligand to the catalyst [Co(dmgBF2)2(L)2], where dmgBF2 = (difluoroboryl)dimethylglyoximato and L = water or a solvent molecule, yields a donor–bridge–acceptor–catalyst triad assembly. Photoexcitation with 416 nm laser pulses generates the perylene S1 excited state. Subsequent electron transfer from perylene to the acceptor occurs in τ = 9.0 ± 0.1 ps followed by electron transfer to the catalyst in τ = 6 ± 1 ps. Of the charge-separated state population formed, 79 ± 1% undergoes charge recombination to either the singlet ground state (τ = 0.8 ± 0.1 ns) or the perylene triplet state (τ = 4.3 ± 0.1 ns). Co(I)-pyridyl bond dissociation with τ = 2.4 ± 0.2 ns competes with intramolecular charge recombination resulting in a 21 ± 1% yield of dissociated oxidized photosensitizer and reduced catalyst. Subsequent diffusional charge recombination occurs with k = (1.8 ± 0.2) × 1010 M−1 s−1. This detailed analysis of the electron transfer and dissociation dynamics of an integrated photosensitizer–catalyst system will inform the rational design of novel molecular assemblies that efficiently absorb photons, transfer electrons, and catalyze fuel-forming reactions.
Atherosclerosis: progression, regression, and resolution.

35. Wackers FJT, Becker AE, Samson G, Sokole EB, Van der Schoot JB, Vet AJTM, Lie KI, Durrer D, Wellens H: Location and size of acute transmural myocardial infarction estimated from thallium-201 scintiscans. A clinicopathological study. Circulation 56~72, 1977. Adams DF, Hessel SJ, Judy PF, Stein JA, Abrams HL: Differing attenuation coefficients of normal and infarcted myocardium. Science 192:467, 1976. Powell WJ, Wittenberg J, Miller SW, Maturi RA, Dinsmore RE: Assessment of drug intervention on the ischemic myocardium: Serial imaging and measurement with computerized tomography. Am J Cardiol 44:46, 1979. Powell WJ. Wittenbere J. Maturi RA. Dinsmore RE. Miller SW: Detection of edem; associated with myocardial i&hernia by computerized tomography in isolated, arrested canine hearts. Circulation 55:99, 1977. Wittenberg J, Powell WJ, Dinsmore RE, et al: Computerized tomography of ischemic myocardium: Quantitation of extent and severity of edema in an in vitro canine model. Invest Radio1 12:215, 1977. McChesney EW, Hoppe JO: Studies of the tissue distribution and excretion of sodium diatrizoate in laboratory animals. AJR 78:137, 1957. Abraham JL, Higgins CB, Newell JD: Uptake of iodinated contrast material in ischemic myocardium as an indicator of loss of cellular membrane integrity. Am J Path01 101:319, 1980. 36.
A Salmonella Virulence Factor Activates the NOD1/NOD2 Signaling Pathway

The invasion-associated type III secretion system (T3SS-1) of Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium (S. Typhi- murium) activates the transcription factor NF-B in tissue culture cells and induces inflammatory responses in animal models through unknown mechanisms. Here we show that bacterial delivery or ectopic expression of SipA, a T3SS-1-translocated pro- tein, led to the activation of the NOD1/NOD2 signaling pathway and consequent RIP2-mediated induction of NF-B-dependent inflammatory responses. SipA-mediated activation of NOD1/NOD2 signaling was independent of bacterial invasion in vitro but required an intact T3SS-1. In the mouse colitis model, SipA triggered mucosal inflammation in wild-type mice but not in NOD1/ NOD2-deficient mice. Thesefindings implicate SipA-driven activation of the NOD1/NOD2 signaling pathway as a mechanism by which the T3SS-1 induces inflammatory responses in vitro and in vivo. IMPORTANCE Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) deploys a type III secretion system (T3SS-1) to in- duce intestinal inflammation and benefits from the ensuing host response, which enhances growth of the pathogen in the intesti- nal lumen. However, the mechanisms by which the T3SS-1 triggers inflammatory responses have not been resolved. Here we show that the T3SS-1 effector protein SipA induces NF-B activation and intestinal inflammation by activating the NOD1/ NOD2 signaling pathway. These data suggest that the T3SS-1 escalates innate responses through a SipA-mediated activation of pattern recognition receptors in the host cell cytosol.
Retinoic Acid–Induced Tissue Transglutaminase and Apoptosis in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells

Retinoids exert antiproliferative and prodifferentiating effects in vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and reduce neointimal mass in balloon-injured blood vessels. The mechanisms through which retinoids carry out these effects are unknown but likely involve retinoid receptor-mediated changes in gene expression. Here we report the cloning, chromosomal mapping, and biological activity of the retinoid-response gene rat tissue transglutaminase (tTG). Northern blotting studies showed that tTG is rapidly and dose-dependently induced in a protein synthesis-independent manner after stimulation with the natural retinoid all-trans retinoic acid (atRA). The induction of tTG was selective for atRA and its stereoisomers 9-cis and 13-cis RA, because little or no elevation in mRNA expression was observed with a panel of growth factors. Western blotting and immunofluorescence confocal microscopy showed an accumulation of cytosolic tTG protein after atRA stimulation. Radiolabeled cross-linking studies revealed a corresponding elevation in in vitro tTG activity. The increase in tTG activity was reduced in the presence of 2 distinct inhibitors of tTG (monodansylcadaverine and cystamine). atRA-induced tTG mRNA and protein expression were followed by a significant elevation in SMC apoptosis. Such retinoid-induced programmed cell death could be partially inhibited with each tTG inhibitor and was completely blocked when both inhibitors were used simultaneously. These results establish a role for atRA in the sequential stimulation of tTG and apoptosis in cultured SMCs. atRA-mediated apoptosis in SMCs seems to require the participation of active tTG, suggesting a potential mechanistic link between this retinoid-inducible gene and programmed cell death.
Life-History Notes on Cambarus hubbsi Creaser (Hubbs Crayfish) from the South Fork Spring River, Arkansas

Abstract Many crayfish species native to the southeastern United States are imperiled due to small range sizes and anthropogenic impacts such as habitat loss and introduction of non-native species. Furthermore, effective management of crayfish is limited by the scarcity of life-history and ecological data for many of these species. We report results of the first life-history study of the crayfish Cambarus hubbsi (Hubbs Crayfish). We collected 466 Hubbs Crayfish from the South Fork Spring River, AR throughout 2006 and recorded carapace lengths, wet weights, indicators of reproductive activity, and number of eggs on ovigerous females. Using length-frequency distributions, we identified four Hubbs Crayfish age classes and evaluated growth rates by plotting size by season (winter, spring, summer, autumn). Male Hubbs Crayfish were more common than females in all seasons except autumn, and males weighed more at equivalent lengths than females. Reproductive activity in Hubbs Crayfish peaked in late winter and sp...
A Study of Voice-Recognition Software as a Tool for Teacher Response

Abstract Voice-recognition technology (VRT) promises ease of use in responding to student writing, but its impact on writing processes and the quality of teacher commentary is unclear. This article details the results of a study undertaken to evaluate the effectiveness of VRT in responding to student writing. Over the course of two semesters, in response to texts written by students in his first-year college composition course, one of the authors composed 58 end comments, alternating between two methods of composition: typing on a keyboard and dictating directly into text by means of VRT. While his writing processes in the respective modalities differed dramatically, particularly in terms of revision, the quality of the resulting texts appeared roughly the same: A detailed content analysis of the comments, using Richard Straub and Ronald Lunsford's (1995) typology, revealed significant variation in only 1 of 25 variables, measured as a proportion of total words. Meanwhile, students surveyed indicated they found few differences between the typed and dictated comments in terms of their usefulness, clarity, and tone. These findings, along with a comparison of time on task and user impressions of the two modalities, indicate that VRT represented a valuable tool for producing end comments that the user was able to dictate fluently, but that the technology was ineffective for the limited editing and revising attempted within the design of the study.
Teaching Environmentally Benign Manufacturing

Teaching Environmentally Benign Manufacturing (EBM) presents the general challenges of teaching an application rather than a discipline. This is not too different from the challenges of teaching manufacturing about ten years ago. In that case we could rely heavily on successful practice and then develop principles to explain those successes. The principal success at that time was the Toyota Production System. Even today people continue to observe and write about why it works and its limitations [1, 2, 3].Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Changing computing: the computing community and DARPA

Between 1962 and 1986, the Information Processing Techniques Office (IPTO) of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) provided significant support for computer science R&D. The design and implementation of the support programs of this office was the responsibility of a small group of computer scientists who emerged from the growing computer science community. Program directors focused on radical technologies, organized programs to develop them, and promoted their use in various settings, with substantial success. A better understanding of the evolution of the Department of Defense's policy for computing R&D can be gained from an analysis of the backgrounds, research experience, interests and methods of the people engaged to design and implement this policy in IPTO.
Design considerations and tools for low-voltage digital system design

Aggressive voltage scaling to 1 V and below through technology, circuit, and architecture optimization has been proven to be the key to ultra low-power design. The key technology trends for low-voltage operation are presented including low-threshold devices, multiple-threshold devices, and SOI and bulk-CMOS based variable threshold devices. The requirements on CAD tools that allow designers to choose and optimize various technology, circuit, and system parameters are also discussed.
A Comparison of Accelerated Aging Test Protocols for Cellular Foam Insulation

Both the ASTM Standard Test Method for Estimating the Long-Term Change in the Thermal Resistance of Unfaced Rigid Closed-Cell Plastic Foams by Slicing and Scaling Under Controlled Laboratory Conditions (C 1303) and the Standard for Determination of Long-Term Thermal Resistance of Closed-Cell Thermal Insulating Foams (CAN/ULC-S 770 ) are based on accelerating the foam aging process by slicing the foam into thin specimens. This accelerates the diffusion process so that thermal conductivity for foam insulation of varying thickness can be determined in a short period of time, typically less than one year. The C 1303 process calls for a series of measurements to define a relationship between thermal conductivity and a scaled aging time which is then analyzed to calculate the time-average thermal conductivity over any given service life. The S 770 process also uses scaled aging time, but uses the projected thermal conductivity at precisely five years of age to represent the insulation's useful service value. There is also a difference in how the thermal results are reported. The S 770 protocol calls for very careful determination of the initial thermal resistivity of a full thickness board, to which an aging factor is applied to determine the five-year value. The C 1303 protocol calls for reporting both the average thermal resistance for the selected thickness and service life and the aging curve data from the thin specimens. During a round-robin exercise performed in support of the S 770 standard, parallel measurements were made on the same specimens to permit application of the C 1303 procedure. This paper presents the results of that comparison for several types of foam. This paper also gives more explicit instructions on the proper application of the C 1303 methodology than is found in that document.
Defining Yield from Bender Element Measurements in Triaxial Stress Probe Experiments

This paper describes the elastic response of a block sample of compressible Chicago glacial clay under a variety of stresses and its relationship with the deformation characteristics at relatively large strains. The elastic shear stiffness was obtained from bender element tests during consolidation and shearing in drained triaxial stress probe tests. An empirical correlation was established based on the elastic shear stiffness in a preyield condition. By comparing the empirical correlation with the measured elastic shear stiffness in the stress region during probing, the changes of elastic shear stiffness were investigated. The departure of elastic shear stiffness from values computed by the empirical relation based on K0 loading directly relates to the yielding characteristics of the clay. The large-scale change of soil structure at yielding alters the well-established relationship between the elastic shear stiffness and stresses in the preyield condition. The mechanical yielding response of clays can be...
Human Oriented?: Angels and Monsters in China's Health-Care Reform

This article examines yihuan guanxi , or relations between medical professionals and patients, under China’s health-care reform. Invoking “biopolitics” as a way of understanding the capillary workings of power in producing specific forms of lives and humans, I explore the ways in which different kinds of humans and tenuous claims to humanness are produced through the entanglement of government policy, market experimentation, and subject formation. Beginning in the mid-1990s, China’s socialist health-care system has been rapidly transformed into a set of highly marketized practices, institutions, products, and subjects. In recent years, even though the emphatically “human-oriented” reform targets an emerging and heterogeneous middle-income citizenry as its primary subject and beneficiary, in everyday clinical encounters patients are confronted with rising health-care costs, inefficiencies, and even unethical practices. Medical professionals meanwhile have come to bear the brunt of patients’ frustration. No longer praised as the self-sacrificing “angels” and “heroes” of the socialist health-care system, medical professionals are often portrayed in popular discourses as “monsters in white coats” that epitomize the wrongs of the market and the failures of the reform. This article, however, complicates such bifurcating representations of patients and doctors. Drawing on ethnographic and archival research, I suggest that, instead of pitched against each other from the opposite ends of the spectrum of humanity, medical practitioners and patients alike strive after statepromoted middle-class dreams. Yet, marginalized in the human-oriented health-care policy, the aspirations of medical professionals remain precarious and highly contested. Rather than wedged between patients and doctors, then, the friction in yihuan guanxi is produced from within situated discourses of the human and thus must be understood within shifting understandings and practices of humanness.
Abstract 88: Feasibility of a Novel Model of Subacute Stroke Care in a Resource-Constrained Setting

Background: Los Angeles County (LAC) is the largest county in the US, with a population of 10 million. Despite a substantial proportion of uninsured/underinsured patients, the county has only 4 pub...
Patients who hate.

Few experiences in the life of the mental health professional are more unpleasant than being intensely hated by a patient he is trying to help. In most cases the hatred is mitigated by periods where the patient sees the treater as more helpful and less malevolent, a shift that makes the treatment process more tolerable. However, there are patients who hate relentlessly, presenting a challenge that taxes the therapist's emotional and intellectual resources to an extraordinary degree.
Novel reconstruction of the anterior craniocervical junction using an expandable cage with integrated fixation after total C2 spondylectomy for chordoma

Chordoma is a locally aggressive malignant tumor that generally occurs in the clivus, mobile spine and sacrum. While en bloc resection with wide margins has been advocated as the only cure for chordomas, tumor characteristics and violation of critical anatomical boundaries may preclude pursuing this treatment option in the cervical spine. We present a C2 chordoma in a 35-year-old man with epidural and prevertebral extension that was treated with a single stage anterior-posterior total C2 spondylectomy with novel reconstruction using an expandable cage with integrated fixation followed by stereotactic radiosurgery. Single stage intralesional total C2 spondylectomy via anterior transoral and posterior approaches was performed. The anterior column was reconstructed using an expandable cage with integrated fixation from the clivus to C3. The patient maintained his intact neurological status at 6 month follow-up with full resumption of activities of daily living without any significant morbidity.
A Sop to Cerberus: Response to Besnard

Besnard raises a variety of interesting and provocative points in his commentary. Some of them make technical corrections which I freely accept, and I acknowledge that Besnard's command of French is superior to mine. So, for instance, I may have erred in suggesting in a footnote that Durkheim's use of the category "unmarried women" (in French, "filles") leaves it unclear as to whether it refers not only to women who have "never married" but also to "divorced" ones. Still, Durkheim's discussion in "Divorce by Mutual Consent" (hereafter, DMC) is ambiguous as to whether the tabular data he presents under the category of "married women" are meant to refer to "divorced women," to all women who have been married, or those presently married. It is only if the reader thinks of going to Table 22 of Suicide that he will realize Durkheim means just "wives" by married women, and that consequently the latter's treatment of divorce in the passage in question in DMC is that of a contextual variable. As the text reads (in either French or English), "divorce does not appear unfavorable to married women" might seem puzzling, given the data presented. While I do provide in note 2 of my article an explication of Durkheim's concept of "coefficient of preservation," it might have been more accurate or more precise to have stated on page 1028 "the greater the occurrence of sexual anomie . . . , the lower the suicide rates of wives in relation to those of unmarried women, and correspondingly, the higher that of husbands relative to unmarried men." I thought the context of the discussion made it clear, just as it is the case where Durkheim states "in countries where there is no divorce, the wife is less protected than the husband . . . where divorce is practiced . . . , the husband is less protected than the wife" (a, 266; b, 298f) without bothering to make explicit that what is related here is married to unmarried persons of the same sex, rather than wives and husbands directly. In any case, I wholeheartedly agree with Besnard that there is no substitute for using the original text, and I acknowledge succumbing at times to the temptation of using English translations which are more widely available to American readers. However, Mr. Besnard makes more serious accusations which cannot go unchallenged. While thanking me for having cited his 1973 article, he chides me in the same breath for not having "read it completely." Let
Finding needles in the haystack

Lung cancer screening has received much attention from researchers, clinicians, and the general public in recent years. The National Lung Screening Trial (NLST), which enrolled over 50,000 high-risk individuals, demonstrated that annual low-dose computed tomography (CT) scans among selected high-risk patients decrease lung cancer mortality by 20%. Recently, widespread lung cancer screening according to this model was endorsed by the United States Preventive Services Task Force. Lung cancer screening has raised several questions and concerns, among them cost, impact on smoking cessation rates, and effects of radiation exposure from CT scans. Perhaps one of the most pressing concerns is the handling of vast numbers of false-positive screens. CT scans are highly sensitive, but not specific, for lung cancer. In the NLST, ~25% of all CT screens were positive, but only 4% of these were ultimately found to be cancer. Increasing the specificity of radiographic findings could spare thousands of patients the anxiety and subsequent procedures that arise from a false-positive test result. Efforts to identify biomarkers so as to supplement radiographic results for lung cancer screening go back decades. In the most recent take on this quest, Mathe and colleagues have identified a urinary metabolic profile that may not only help identify lung cancer cases but also provide prognostic information. Specifically, they used unbiased liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry to measure small molecules (<1500 daltons) in urine collected from a training set of 469 lung cancer patients and 536 healthy controls. Putative biomarkers were validated at two different time points and in an independent sample set. Creatine riboside and N -acetylneuraminic acid (NANA) were each significantly elevated in lung cancer and associated with worse outcomes. Both metabolites were also enriched in tumor tissue compared with adjacent normal tissue, implicating a role in tumor metabolism. A urinary biomarker offers numerous advantages: It is noninvasive, the source is abundant and requires minimal preparation, and there is no radiation risk. Although considerable work lies ahead, we can only hope that these or other biomarkers—whether alone or as an adjunct to CT—will one day help identify early-stage lung cancer in an efficient, cost-effective, and straightforward fashion. E. A. Mathe et al ., Non-invasive urinary metabolic profiling identifies diagnostic and prognostic markers in lung cancer. Cancer Res. 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-14-0109 (2014). [[Abstract]][1] [1]: http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/early/2014/04/23/0008-5472.CAN-14-0109.abstract
Solvent-Modulated Formation of “Pac-man” and Capsular Host–Guest Bilayers from a Dicationic Ionic Liquid and C-Butylpyrogallol[4]arene

The pyrogallol[4]arenes have been shown to act as versatile host macrocycles for a wide variety of guest molecules, including the imidazolium-based cations of ionic liquids. This report demonstrates the use of alkyl-linked geminal dications in the design of bilayers comprising dimeric host–guest complexes. The pivotal role of solvent choice in controlling the resultant solid-state structure is particularly highlighted. The synthesis and single-crystal X-ray diffraction structures of two dimeric host–guest cocrystals generated by the use of different solvents while employing identical host and guest species are presented to illustrate this point. In one solvent, a “Pac-man”-type dimeric host–guest complex is assembled into bilayer galleries. With a switch to an alternate crystallization solvent, a bilayer-type structure in which each layer is composed of alternating complexes of a capsule and two “offset dimers” is instead constructed.
Strain-Energy Functions

The isotropic elastic properties of a hyperelastic material model are described in terms of a strain-energy (stored-energy) function, typically as a function of the three invariants of each of the two Cauchy-Green deformation tensors, given in terms of the principal extension ratios, or stretches. A number of different strain-energy formulations exist, having properties and characteristics that make them appropriate for characterizing different hyperelastic material systems. The primary, and probably best known and most widely employed, strain-energy function formulation is the Mooney-Rivlin model, which reduces to the widely known neo-Hookean model. Other models which have been demonstrated to be quite appropriate and desirable for modeling rubberlike materials are the Ogden, Yeoh, Arruda-Boyce (statistically based), and Gent models. Flexible foams which exhibit finite elasticity characteristics can be modeled as hyperelastic material systems to a large extent. Strain-energy function models which are designated as foam models are the Blatz-Ko model and the Ogden-Storaker model. Soft tissues can also be modeled employing hyperelastic material models. Models designated as soft tissue models are the Fung model, the Holzapfel-Gasser-Ogden (HGO) model, and the Veronda-Westmann model.
Safety of insulin lispro: pooled data from clinical trials

The safety of insulin lispro was compared with that of regular human insulin of recombinant DNA origin (Humulin R, Lilly), with special emphasis on the development and progression of the chronic complications of diabetes mellitus in relation to insulin therapy. Ten clinical trials of 3634 patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus were analyzed. The primary focus was treatment-emergent adverse events, and the secondary focus was the development and progression of the chronic complications of diabetes. The evaluations were based on pertinent laboratory values, predetermined disease-specific COSTART (coding symbol and thesaurus for adverse event terminology) terms, physician evaluations of patients, and physical examinations. There were no clinically or statistically significant differences in the frequency of treatment-emergent adverse events or progression of retinopathy, neuropathy, or cardiovascular disease reported with each therapy. There was no difference between insulin lispro and Humulin R in the occurrence and progression of kidney disease as measured by changes in serum creatinine levels. Pooled data from clinical studies show that insulin lispro has a safety profile comparable to that of Humulin R.
Pressure Linearization Method for the Computation of Real Fluids

We present a method for the numerical solution of the Euler equations for fluids governed by a general equation of state, in the framework of finite volume schemes. In the evolut ion step, the idea is to replace the original pressure law with a locally-parameterized linear one. Then, the original EOS is used in the projection step to update the cell values of the pressure. A validation of the proposed scheme is provided by its interpretation as a relaxation method for the Euler equat ions. In the present paper we specialize our approach to a Roe-type method, and some two-dimensional numerical results are presented. Finally, we propose a modification of our scheme that allows us to ensure the invariance of the pressure and the velocity across contact discontinuities, for those cases in which difficulties arise in updating the pressure through the original nonlinear equation of state, as a consequence of the cell-based discretization of finite volume methods.
Assessing the Effect of Environmental Vibration in Buildings - BS 7385: Part 2

A new British Standard on the effect of groundborne vibration on buildings has been developed. Guide values for environmental vibration are given for both transient and continuous vibration at the foundation level of the building. These guide values have been proposed based upon a survey of damage data of UK origin, and a review of both international data and experience. Procedures for both vibration measurement and pre/post exposure building inspections are recommanded to ensure that as far as possible, effects are attributed to the correct cause.
The effects of Ca++ on the strength of polycrystalline ice

Recent studies have suggested a physical link between Ca++ ions and an increase in the ductility or ‘softening’ of polycrystalline ice. In order to investigate the potential effects of Ca++ on deformation, we created sets of both undoped and CaSO4-doped specimens of polycrystalline ice for testing in uniaxial tension or compression. Deformation tests in tension were carried out under a constant load at an initial stress of 0.75 MPa and a temperature of −6°C. Compression tests were carried out at −10 and −20°C at constant strain rates of 1×10−4 s−1, 1 × 10−5 s−1 and 1 × 10−6 s−1 and taken to 5% strain. Our results show that CaSO4 increases the strength of polycrystalline ice at higher strain rates and lower temperatures, an effect that decreases with decreasing strain rate and higher temperatures. A microstructural analysis of the post-test compression specimens reveals mean grain diameters much larger in the CaSO4-doped specimens tested at the lowest applied strain rate of 1 × 10−6 s−1. Precipitates were found to have formed along grain boundaries in some doped specimens and evidence of intergranular fracture was observed in all specimens tested at 1 × 10−4 and 1 × 10−5 s−1. In tension-tested specimens, there was no difference in the mean grain diameter between doped and undoped specimens at 25% strain.
Stigma and Health Services Use Among Veterans and Military Personnel

Despite high rates of physical and mental health difficulties, veterans have low rates of health service utilization. Among other barriers to accessing needed treatment, stigma is associated with poorer quality of healthcare and lower intentions to seek treatment for health concerns. Healthcare-related stigma is prevalent among veterans and includes privacy concerns and a variety of personal beliefs regarding mental illness and treatment that deter them from seeking services. Despite efforts targeted toward reducing stigma, progress in this area has been limited, and increasing access to needed physical and mental healthcare among veterans and service members remains a persistent concern. This chapter explores the various stigma faced by today’s veterans, synthesizes the extant research on stigma-reducing strategies, and provides our recommendations for future directions. Avenues for future work include the development of prospective research designs to more completely examine the impact of stigma on service use, the development of novel approaches to interventions that expand upon existing models, and a focus on normalizing health and treatment seeking in military settings.
Artificial microtubule cytoskeleton construction, manipulation, and modeling via holographic trapping of network nodes

Cytoskeletal networks are 3D arrangements of filaments whose complex spatial structure contributes significantly to their intracellular functions, e.g. biomechanics and cargo motility. Microtubule networks in cells are a particular challenge for in vitro modeling because they are sparse and possess overall structure and so cannot be approximated experimentally as a random hydrogel. We have used holographic optical trapping to precisely position and hold multiple microtubule filaments in an in vitro assay, where chemical and environmental variables can be carefully controlled. Below we describe the relevant practical details of the approach and demonstrate how our approach can scale to accommodate modeling of molecular motor transport and biomechanics experiments.
Regulation of Cell Surface CB2 Receptor during Human B Cell Activation and Differentiation

Cannabinoid receptor type 2 (CB2) is the primary receptor pathway mediating the immunologic consequences of cannabinoids. We recently reported that human peripheral blood B cells express CB2 on both the extracellular membrane and at intracellular sites, where-as monocytes and T cells only express intracellular CB2. To better understand the pattern of CB2 expression by human B cells, we examined CD20+ B cells from three tissue sources. Both surface and intracellular expression were present and uniform in cord blood B cells, where all cells exhibited a naive mature phenotype (IgD+/CD38Dim). While naive mature and quiescent memory B cells (IgD-/CD38-) from tonsils and peripheral blood exhibited a similar pattern, tonsillar activated B cells (IgD-/CD38+) expressed little to no surface CB2. We hypothesized that regulation of the surface CB2 receptor may occur during B cell activation. Consistent with this, a B cell lymphoma cell line known to exhibit an activated phenotype (SUDHL-4) was found to lack cell surface CB2 but express intracellular CB2. Furthermore, in vitro activation of human cord blood resulted in a down-regulation of surface CB2 on those B cells acquiring the activated phenotype but not on those retaining IgD expression. Using a CB2 expressing cell line (293 T/CB2-GFP), confocal microscopy confirmed the presence of both cell surface expression and multifocal intracellular expression, the latter of which co-localized with endoplasmic reticulum but not with mitochondria, lysosomes, or nucleus. Our findings suggest a dynamic multi-compartment expression pattern for CB2 in B cells that is specifically modulated during the course of B cell activation.
Microtubule dynamics drive enhanced chromatin motion and mobilize telomeres in response to DNA damage

Mechanisms that drive DNA damage-induced chromosome mobility include relaxation of external tethers to the nuclear envelope and internal chromatin–chromatin tethers. Together with microtubule dynam...
Performance improvement of ohmic contacts on Al-rich n-AlGaN grown on single crystal AlN substrate using reactive ion etching surface treatment

Four orders of magnitude improvement in specific contact resistivity of Al-rich n-AlGaN grown on single crystal AlN substrates is achieved by surface treatment based on reactive ion etching (RIE). The ohmic contacts to as-grown Al-rich n-AlGaN/AlN exhibit a high contact resistance and nonlinearity due to a large Schottky barrier and low dislocation density. The RIE surface treatment reduces the barrier height at the free surface by ~0.5 eV and is also expected to introduce a defective surface required for ohmic contact formation.
Terpene-lnduced Morphological Changes to Exoskeleton of Formosan Subterranean Termites (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae): Toxic Effects of cis-nerol

The terpenoid, cis-nerol was found to be highly toxic to the Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki. Morphological abnormalities were observed in the exoskeleton including th...
Crowd-Pleasers and Crime Fighters

This brief chapter introduces the book and why foot patrol is fundamentally different to other forms of patrol and police work. It also outlines the foot beat experience that the authors bring to the book. The chapter outlines some of the key themes that are explored in greater depth in the rest of the work, including the pace of foot patrol, the value in taking time to patrol the community, and the possibilities for information gathering.
Persuasion and Coercion in the Clientelistic Exchange: A Survey of Four Argentine Provinces

How do political parties guarantee enforcement of a clientelistic exchange? This research note empirically supports a catalog of clientelism compliance enforcement tactics. It also suggests that by focusing on the personalization of tactics and the constraints they place on individual voters, we can evaluate how intrusive these tactics are and further help to bridge existing instrumentalist and reciprocity theories of client compliance. The supporting evidence comes from interviews carried out with 73 elected Argentine local and provincial officials. How persuasive or coercive the tactics need to be to make clients comply with their part of the bargain has implications for our understanding of the legitimacy of the clientelistic bondage and our assessment of the roles of patrons and brokers in such exchanges.