cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A novel pathway involving progesterone receptor, 12/15-lipoxygenase-derived eicosanoids, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ regulates implantation in mice

The 12/15-lipoxygenases (12/15-LOX) catalyze the stereo-specific oxygenation of arachidonic and linoleic acids into a complex series of signaling molecules, including the hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acids (HETEs) and hydroxyoctadecadienoic acids (HODEs). Our previous studies, using high density oligonucleotide microarrays, suggested a novel link between progesterone receptor (PR) signaling and 12/15-LOX-mediated fatty acid metabolism in preimplantation mouse uterus. In this paper, using PR knockout mice, we established that the transcripts encoding leukocyte-12/15-LOX (L-12/15-LOX) and epidermal-12/15-LOX (E-12/15-LOX) are indeed downstream targets of regulation by PR in the uterine surface epithelium. Maximal induction of both L- and E-12/15-LOX on the day of implantation resulted in a marked increase in the uterine levels of the eicosanoids, 12-HETE, 15-HETE, and 13-HODE. Mice with null mutation in L-12/15-LOX had significantly reduced uterine levels of arachidonic acid metabolites and exhibited a partial impairment in implantation. Complete blockade of uterine 12/15-LOX activity by a specific inhibitor led to greater than 80% reduction in a number of implantation sites relative to untreated controls. Cell-based assays indicated that 12-HETE, 15-HETE, and 13-HODE function as activating ligands of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ), suggesting that this nuclear receptor could be a downstream target of 12/15-LOX-derived metabolites in the preimplantation uterus. Consistent with this hypothesis, administration of rosiglitazone, a potent PPARγ-selective agonist, efficiently reversed inhibition of implantation by the 12/15-LOX-specific inhibitor. Rosiglitazone also induced a number of potential target genes of 12/15-LOX-derived metabolites in the pregnant uterus, indicating their regulation by PPARγ. Collectively, our results uncovered a novel signaling pathway in which progesterone-induced synthesis of the 12/15-LOX-derived lipid mediators activates PPARγ and its downstream gene networks, which in turn function as critical regulators of implantation in the mouse.
Resedential space conditioning with solid sorption technology

Abstract Approximately 50% of residential energy use in the U.S. is for space heating and cooling. The most popular type of system installed in U.S. houses is a central air-circulating system combining a natural-gas-fired direct-air-heating furnace and an electric-driven vapor compression cooling system. Natural-gas-driven heat pump technology offers considerable benefits over these existing technologies including a reduction in energy use, improved environmental impact, and reduced investment in electric power plant construction. However, over the past 30 years, more than 100 major natural-gas-driven heat pump development projects have been undertaken without a currently successful product. These past projects have focused on engine-driven vapor compression refrigeration cycles and liquid sorption refrigeration cycles. New solid sorption technology offers significant advantages over these engine and liquid sorption technologies. The fundamental advantages of solid sorption refrigeration technology in natural gas residential heat pumps are presented and the societal benefits over existing residential systems discussed.
Effects of hydrodynamics and Lagrangian transport on chemically reacting bubble flows

Abstract The objective of this study is to investigate the dynamics of flows occurring in the wakes of rising bubbles of different shapes and sizes. Different wake dynamics can result in qualitatively different mixing characteristics. In the case of fast gas–liquid reaction networks, reactions occur almost exclusively in the bubble wake. Thus, wake mixing can have a strong impact on the reaction yield and selectivity. Dynamic numerical simulations were performed to study the flow of liquid around bubbles of different shapes. The obtained velocity and pressure fields were used to investigate the liquid-phase mixing in the flow for each case. As a strong connection between mixing and chaos is known to exist, Lagrangian tracking of passive tracer particles was used to identify chaotic fluid transport in the flows. Chaotic dynamics lead to folding and stretching of fluid elements, which results in very effective mixing. To quantify mixing, stretching fields were computed for each flow case. Finally, different liquid-phase chemical reaction networks were tested to illustrate the effects of mixing on chemical reaction yields and selectivities.
Prevalence of Combined Fecal and Urinary Incontinence: A Community-Based Study

OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of combined fecal and urinary incontinence. DESIGN: A cross-sectional, community-based study. SETTING: Olmsted County, Minnesota. PARTICIPANTS: Men (n = 778) and women (n = 762), aged 50 years or older, selected randomly from the population. MEASUREMENTS: Participants completed a previously validated self-administered questionnaire that assessed the occurrence of fecal and urinary incontinence in the previous year. RESULTS: The age-adjusted prevalence of incontinence was 11.1% (95% Confidence Interval (CI), 8.8–13.5) in men and 15.2% (95% CI, 12.5–17.9) in women for fecal incontinence; 25.6% (95% CI, 22.5–28.8) in men and 48.4% (95% CI, 44.7–52.2) in women for urinary incontinence; and 5.9% (95% CI, 4.1–7.6) in men and 9.4% (95% CI, 7.1–11.6) in women for combined urinary and fecal incontinence. The prevalence of fecal incontinence increased with age in men but not in women, from 8.4% among men in their fifties to 18.2% among men in their eighties (P for trend =. 001). For women, the prevalence increased from 13.1% among 50- year-old women to 20.7% among women 80 years or older (P for trend =. 5). Among persons with fecal incontinence, the prevalence of concurrent urinary incontinence was 51.1% among men and 59.6% among women (P =. 001 and P =. 003, respectively). Cross-sectionally, the age-adjusted, relative odds of fecal incontinence among persons with urinary incontinence was greater in men than in women (Odds Ratio (OR) = 3.0; 95% CI, 1.9–4.8 in men and OR = 1.8; 95% CI, 1.2–2.7 in women, P =. 04). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that persons with one form of incontinence are likely to have the other form as well. Despite the higher prevalence of urinary and fecal incontinence among women, the association between fecal incontinence and urinary incontinence was stronger among men than women. This finding, and the significant association between fecal incontinence and age observed in men but not in women, suggest that the etiologies may be more closely linked in men than in women.
Spiritual crisis: a concept analysis.

Title. Spiritual crisis: a concept analysis. Aim. This paper is a report of an analysis of the concept of spiritual crisis. Background. The term spiritual crisis has been used ambiguously in the literature, resulting in lack of clarity. A holistic approach includes spirituality in nursing care of the whole person. Data sources. Papers available online between 1998 and 2007 in the CINAHL, Medline and PsycInfo databases were retrieved for analysis. The search engine Google was also used to examine additional references to ‘spiritual crisis’. Review methods. Spiritual crisis, spiritual emergency and life crisis were the terms initially used to search each database. The search was expanded to include spirituality to draw more literature into the review. Findings. Using Walker and Avant’s method of concept analysis, a definition of spiritual crisis was identified. Spiritual crisis can be described as a unique form of grieving or loss, marked by a profound questioning of or lack of meaning in life, in which an individual or community reaches a turning point, leading to a significant alteration in the way life is viewed. Possible antecedents include sudden acute illness and loss of important relationships. Potential consequences may include physical and emotional responses. Conclusion. People with terminal illness, depression, and those who are grieving losses may be at special risk of spiritual crisis. The literature suggests an interdisciplinary approach, nurses’ self-exploration of spirituality, and refraining from defining spirituality by religious affiliation as part of improving practice.
A Review of Food Allergy and Nutritional Considerations in the Food-Allergic Adult

In the United States, the prevalence of adults with food allergies is approximately 2% to 3%. Theoretically, any food can cause an allergic reaction; however, some foods are clearly more allergenic...
A review of development and implementation of an active nonlinear vibration absorber

We present an account of an implementation of an active nonlinear vibration absorber that we have developed. The control technique exploits the saturation phenomenon that is known to occur in quadratically-coupled multi-degree-of-freedom systems subjected to primary excitation and possessing a two-to-one internal resonance. The technique is based on introducing an absorber and coupling it with the structure through a sensor and an actuator, where the feedback and control signals are quadratic. First, we consider the case of controlling the vibrations of a single-degree-of-freedom system. We develop the equations governing the response of the closed-loop system and use the method of multiple scales to obtain an approximate solution. We investigate the performance of the control strategy by studying its steady-state and transient characteristics. Additionally, we compare the performance of the quadratic absorber with that of a linear absorber. Then, we present theoretical and experimental results that demonstrate the versatility of the technique. We design an electronic circuit to emulate the absorber and use a variety of sensors and actuators to implement the active control strategy. First, we use a motor and a potentiometer to control the vibration of a rigid beam. We develop a plant model that includes Coulomb friction and demonstrate that the closed-loop system exhibits the saturation phenomenon. Second, we extend the strategy to multi-degree-of-freedom systems. We use PZT ceramics and strain gages to suppress vibrations of flexible steel beams when subjected to single- and simultaneous two-mode excitations. Third, we employ Terfenol-D, a nonlinear actuator, and accelerometers to control the vibrations of flexible beams. In all instances, the technique is successful in reducing the response amplitude of the structures.
Morphologic features of declining renal function in type 1 diabetes.

Summary Progressive renal dysfunction is a major complication of type 1 diabetes. Studying relationships between evolution of diabetic nephropathy lesions and renal functional alterations (structural-functional relationships) helps to better understand the natural history of diabetic nephropathy. The focus of this review is our current understanding of the interplay between morphologic changes of diabetic nephropathy and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) loss. These morphologic changes often may not progress in parallel to each other or to the decline in GFR or increase in albumin excretion rate (AER). Quantitative measures of renal (mainly glomerular) structural changes can predict a substantially larger fraction of AER variability compared with that of GFR, especially using linear correlation analyses. However, nonlinear models better fit the structural-functional relationships across a wide range of GFRs and AERs. Currently, there are insufficient longitudinal data to show which structural changes predict the slope of GFR decline in type 1 diabetic patients. Based on cross-sectional studies, however, such a predictor would be about 10% more robust in patients whose GFR was 45 mL/min/1.73 m 2 or greater if comprised of a composite of glomerular, tubular, and interstitial parameters versus glomerular changes alone. For a slowly progressive disease, such as diabetic nephropathy, in which, especially in the earlier stages, it takes a long time for GFR to decline substantially, such predictors are much needed and, if sufficiently precise, could potentially serve as a surrogate of renal functional decline in clinical trials.
Rural transit systems benefits in Tennessee: methodology and an empirical study

This paper describes the application of a detailed benefits assessment framework and sensitivity analysis of the operation of rural public transit services in the state of Tennessee. The paper describes the major components of this benefits framework and its application to the demand-responsive services operated within the state during the 1998/99 fiscal year. An empirical analysis yields a benefit/cost ratio greater than 1.0, with benefits dominated by accessibility gains to current transit patrons through the provision of mobility-enhancing vanpool services. Without these services, the costs of providing an equivalent level of access to health care, job training, and other important household activities would be much higher. Improved and expanded transit rider-based data collection efforts are recommended. (A)
Effect of Bark Beetle Infestation on Secondary Organic Aerosol Precursor Emissions

Bark beetles are a potentially destructive force in forest ecosystems; however, it is not known how insect attacks affect the atmosphere. The emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were sampled i.) from bark beetle infested and healthy lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia) trees and ii.) from sites with and without active mountain pine beetle infestation. The emissions from the trunk and the canopy were collected via sorbent traps. After collection, the sorbent traps were extracted with hexane, and the extracts were separated and detected using gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy. Canister samples were also collected and analyzed by a multicolumn gas chromatographic system. The samples from bark beetle infested lodgepole pine trees suggest a 5- to 20-fold enhancement in total VOCs emissions. Furthermore, increases in the β-phellandrene emissions correlated with bark beetle infestation. A shift in the type and the quantity of VOC emissions can be used to identify bark beetle infestation b...
Preparation of Charcoal Flowers

Charcoal flowers had been used at tea ceremony in Edo era in Japan by the name of “Ohanazumi”, but they remained in the literature only its name without any description on their preparation method. In the present study a preparation of charcoal flowers was tried by the application of pre-oxidation process. Flowers were dried at first and then oxidized in a furnace or in an air oven at temperatures between 200°C and 300°C. The flowers thus oxidized were put into a quartz vessel and carbonized by heating in a crucible furnace from 250°Cd to 600°C in a flow of argon gas with a heating rate of 120°C/hr. The charcoal flowers could easily be prepared by this method in a short time of four hours or so. The charcoal flowers obtained in the present study were those from chrysanthemum, babies-breath, sazanka, fuyou (a kind of rose mallow) and etc. Art charcoals from leaves of Japanese holly and ginkgo, mandarin oranges and dried mushrooms (Shiitake) were also made.
Characteristics of immediate and fatigue strength of a dual-threaded pedicle screw in cadaveric spines

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Novel dual-threaded screws are configured with overlapping (doubled) threads only in the proximal shaft to improve proximal cortical fixation. PURPOSE: Tests were run to determine whether dual-threaded pedicle screws improve pullout resistance and increase fatigue endurance compared with standard pedicle screws. STUDY DESIGN/SETTING: In vitro strength and fatigue tests were performed in human cadaveric vertebrae and in polyurethane foam test blocks. PATIENT SAMPLE: Seventeen cadaveric lumbar vertebrae (14 pedicles) and 40 test sites in foam blocks were tested. OUTCOME MEASURES: Measures for comparison between standard and dual-threaded screws were bone mineral density (BMD), screw insertion torque, ultimate pullout force, peak load at cyclic failure, and pedicular side of first cyclic failure. METHODS: For each vertebral sample, dual-threaded screws were inserted in one pedicle and single-threaded screws were inserted in the opposite pedicle while recording insertion torque. In seven vertebrae, axial pullout tests were performed. In 10 vertebrae, orthogonal loads were cycled at increasing peak values until toggle exceeded threshold for failure. Insertion torque and pullout force were also recorded for screws placed in foam blocks representing healthy or osteoporotic bone porosity. RESULTS: In bone, screw insertion torque was 183% greater with dual-threaded than with standard screws (p!.001). Standard screws pulled out at 93% of the force required to pull out dualthreaded screws (p5.42). Of 10 screws, five reached toggle failure first on the standard screw side, two screws failed first on the dual-threaded side, and three screws failed on both sides during the same round of cycling. In the high-porosity foam, screw insertion torque was 60% greater with the dual-threaded screw than with the standard screw (p5.005), but 14% less with the low-porosity foam (p5.07). Pullout force was 19% less with the dual-threaded screw than with the standard screw in the high-porosity foam (p5.115), but 6% greater with the dual-threaded screw in the low-porosity foam (p5.156). CONCLUSIONS: Although dual-threaded screws required higher insertion torque than standard screws in bone and low density foam, dual-threaded and standard pedicle screws exhibited
Control of photoassimilate movement in source-leaf tissues of Ipomoea tricolor Cav.

Autoradiographs obtained from discs from mature, peeled Ipomoea tricolor Cav. leaves indicated that a 15-min 2 mM p−chloromercuribenzene sulfonic acid (PCMBS) pretreatment did not prevent the accumulation of 14CO2−derived 14C-photosynthate within the minor veins. However, accumulation of 14C-photosynthate within these veins was almost, or completely prevented by treatment of the leaf discs at pH 9.0. Peeled Ipomoea leaf discs were also used to study the kinetics of exogenously supplied [14C]sucrose; influx occurred by the combined operation of a saturable and a first-order kinetic mechanism. Both transport mechanisms were inhibited by a 15-min 2 mM PCMBS pretreatment or by treatment at pH 9.0. An analysis of autoradiographs obtained on leaf discs that had been fed exogenous [14C]sucrose, showed that whereas all cells of the leaf took up sucrose at pH 5.0, uptake at pH 9.0 occurred primarily into cells of the minor veins. In contrast with 14C-photoassimilate experiments, PCMBS pretreatment, at either pH 5.0 or pH 9.0, resulted in a reduction in the radioactivity within the minor veins when the label was supplied exogenously as [14C]sucrose. Kinetic experiments conducted with mesophyll cells isolated enzymatically from peeled source-leaf discs indicated that [14C]sucrose influx also occurred by a saturable and a first-order kinetic mechanism. Comparative studies between leaf discs and isolated mesophyll cells showed that mesophyll cells could account for 75% of the total uptake occurring into the peeled leaf discs. These results indicate that the effects of PCMBS and alkaline pH on net sucrose uptake by leaf tissues are not exerted solely on phloem tissues, and that some of the effects of these treatments may be attributable to an inhibition of symplasmic transport to the minor veins.
Ground-state conformational equilibrium and photochemical behavior of syn and anti N,N'-dimethyl-N,N'-di-1-naphthylurea protophanes.

The structure, spectroscopy, and photochemistry of N,N‘-dimethyl-N,N‘-di-1-naphthylurea have been investigated and compared to the properties of the corresponding secondary diarylurea N,N‘-di-1-naphthylurea and the tertiary mono arylurea N,N,N‘-trimethyl-N‘-1-naphthylurea. The crystal structures and solution NMR spectra of the tertiary and secondary dinaphthylureas establish that they adopt folded (E,E) and extended (Z,Z) structures, respectively, both in the solid state and in solution. In solution, the tertiary E,E-dinaphthylurea exists as a mixture of syn and anti conformations separated by a barrier of ca. 14 kcal/mol, as determined by variable-temperature 1H NMR spectroscopy. Computational exploration of the ground-state potential energy surface suggests that the lowest energy pathway for interconversion of the syn and anti conformers requires concurrent rotation about both the nitrogen−naphthalene and the nitrogen−carbonyl single bonds. The tertiary dinaphthylurea exhibits blue-shifted absorption an...
Strategic alignment for sales organization transformation

The highly competitive, turbulent business environment calls for the creation and delivery of superior customer value. In order to meet customer expectations and deliver superior value, many firms are undergoing significant transformations by developing a market orientation, building strategic relationships, improving processes and structures, enhancing the relationship between the marketing and sales functions, and developing appropriate new metrics. This paper addresses the crucial role of the sales organization and the importance of strategic alignment to the success of firm and sales organization transformations. Key alignment linkages between firm transformation strategy, sales organization strategy, and sales management practice are discussed in the context of delivering superior customer value. Sales organization implications and research directions are discussed.
Veterans Health Information: A Webliography

Veterans and their families need reliable health information resources and training to locate health information that is sensitive and pertinent to their needs. Resources are abundant for finding information on general health conditions, mental health resources including those for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), family issues, substance abuse, amputations, support groups, and more. The annotated webliography of selected Web sites provides information on a wide variety of potential topics of interest to veterans and those who assist this population.
Solid-Phase Synthesis of a Thymidinyl Dipeptide Urea Library

A thymidinyl dipeptide urea library with structural similarity to the nucleoside peptide class of antibiotics was designed and synthesized. To generate the library, a solid-phase synthesis was developed starting from 5‘-azidothymidine attached to a polystyrene butyl diethylsilane (PS-DES) resin support. This study describes the prelibrary solid-phase synthesis development including maximum loading capacity optimization, selection of orthogonal functionalized side-chain protection strategies, synthesis of a 64-member test library, and optimization of the final cleavage step. Using the optimized procedures, we synthesized a 1000-member library in a 50 μmol quantity using IRORI-directed sorting technology in MiniKans, producing the target library in good yields and purity.
Effect of mustard gas on mitosis and p32 uptake in regenerating liver.

Summary1. Within 3 hours after intravenous injection, 0.1-0.4 mg of βis (β-chloroethyl) sulfide per 50 g rat produces a marked reduction in the number of cells in metaphase and anaphase in regenerating rat liver. A dose of 0.2 mg inhibits mitosis for at least 24 hours. By 48 hours, this inhibition is released. If the mustard reaches the liver before mitosis is initiated the cells are prevented from entering into mitosis.2. There is no significant change in P32 uptake by liver cells during the interval 3-23 hours after the mustard is injected.3. Comparison is made with the effects of X-rays on mitosis and P32 uptake. No chromosome abnormalities were observed at the dosage levels used.
AutoDVS: an automatic, general-purpose, dynamic clock scheduling system for hand-held devices

We present AutoDVS, a dynamic voltage scaling (DVS) system for hand-held computers. Unlike extant DVS systems, AutoDVS distinguishes common, course-grain, program behavior and couples forecasting techniques to make accurate predictions of future behavior. AutoDVS uses these predictions in combination to guide dynamic voltage scaling. AutoDVS estimates periods of user interactivity, user non-interactivity (think time), and computation per-program and system wide to ensure quality of service while reducing energy consumption.We describe our implementation of AutoDVS which consists of a set light-weight, Linux, kernel modules and user library routines for the iPAQ hand-held computer. We evaluate AutoDVS using real user workloads of iPAQ software that consist of interactive and soft-real time tasks executing alone and concurrently. Our results indicate that AutoDVS decreases energy consumption significantly without negatively impacting user perception of system performance.
Evaluation of Tumor Position and PTV Margins Using Image Guidance and Respiratory Gating

Purpose To evaluate the margins currently used to generate the planning target volume for lung tumors and to determine whether image-guided patient setup or respiratory gating is more effective in reducing uncertainties in tumor position. Methods and Materials Lung tumors in 7 patients were contoured on serial four-dimensional computed tomography (4DCT) data sets (4–8 4DCTs/patient; 50 total) obtained throughout the course of treatment. Simulations were performed to determine the tumor position when the patient was aligned using skin marks, image-guided setup based on vertebral bodies, fiducials implanted near the tumor, and the actual tumor volume under various scenarios of respiratory gating. Results Because of the presence of setup uncertainties, the reduction in overall margin needed to completely encompass the tumor was observed to be larger for imaged-guided patient setup than for a simple respiratory-gated treatment. Without respiratory gating and image-guided patient setup, margins ranged from 0.9 cm to 3.1 cm to completely encompass the tumor. These were reduced to 0.7–1.7 cm when image-guided patient setup was simulated and further reduced with respiratory gating. Conclusions Our results indicate that if respiratory motion management is used, it should be used in conjunction with image-guided patient setup in order to reduce the overall treatment margin effectively.
A community-scale microgrid demonstration: FortZED/RDSI

From October 2008 through September 2011, a coalition of business, academia and public sector partners completed a distributed generation demonstration in Fort Collins, Colorado under the US Department of Energy's Renewable and Distributed Systems Integration (RDSI) program. The project achieved its primary goals, albeit operating during a demonstration period that was reduced in length from the original proposal. Many of the most significant challenges, and resulting learning, derived from non-technical, economic, political and legal issues which were not directly anticipated in the original project submission.
Analysis of the Physical and Functional Characteristics of Cell Clumping in Lactose-Positive Transconjugants of Lactococcus lactis ssp. lactis ML3

Abstract Transconjugants of Lactococcus lactis ssp. lactis ML3 that acquire the ability to utilize lactose often exhibit self-aggregation and become able to transfer the ability to utilize lactose at frequencies 10 2 to 10 5 times higher than strain ML3. Our laboratory investigated the physical and functional characteristics of cell aggregation in ML3 transconjugants. Results showed that donor cell auto-aggregation was dissociated when cells were suspended in buffers that contained EDTA or when they were briefly exposed to proteinase K or α-chymotrypsin. Conjugation studies revealed that disruption of donor cell aggregation substantially decreased the efficiency of lactose plasmid transfer. Dissociation by EDTA or proteolytic enzyme treatments was reversible, and recovery of high frequency lactose plasmid transfer ability accompanied the restoration of donor self-aggregation. Analysis of cell-surface proteins isolated from lactose-positive, aggregation-positive and from lactose-positive, aggregation-negative transconjugants of ML3 by PAGE indicated that aggregation-positive cells produced a unique protein of approximately 125 kDa. The results suggested that cell aggregation was essential for high frequency lactose plasmid transfer in ML3 transconjugants and that at least one large protein was involved in aggregation.
Multivariate Modeling with Interdependent Network Data

In the recent comparative literature the problem of simultaneously modeling func tional and diffusional effects is being penetrated from two directions. One approach emphasizes the similar problem ...
Poe and Hemingway on violence and death

Rappel de la critique des oeuvres de H. Un passage de The Green Hills of Africa, une interview attestent l'influence des themes de P. sur H., malgre le reproche d'exces de rhetorique.
Exploring Molecular Biology: An Older Surgeon Looks at a New Universe

The rapidity and the magnitude of progress in molecular biology slipped by many of us practicing surgeons. Although articles about molecular medicine appear regularly in our surgical literature, for many of us, their content is rather mysterious. The articles often end with a glossary, because most readers do not understand the language. In November 1993, the entire issue of theArchives of Surgerywas devoted to molecular medicine. In an editorial,1Claude Organ, Jr, MD, a member of this association, encouraged the surgeon to "cohabit" with the molecular scientist. Many university departments of surgery have professors who are both surgeons and molecular biologists. Ed Passaro, MD, also a member of this association, observed in 1992 that most surgeons had overlooked this new field and needed to learn about it to play a role in applying it to clinical medicine.2That means knowing what new tests and treatments are
The effect of Facebook users’ arousal and valence on intention to go to the festival: Applying an extension of the technology acceptance model

Abstract The rapid development of social media has challenged event managers to rethink how this trend will shape traditional marketing practices. Given the rise of these technologies, the current breed of special event “fan” has started to take advantage of and venture into this social space for possible benefits. For event managers, the fundamental issue becomes how to uncover the process through which special event consumers come to accept social media marketing. This paper reviews social media marketing literature, the characteristics of event marketing, and highlights the emotional aspect of social media applications. An extended TAM (technology acceptance model) is adopted to explain the mechanism by which social media marketing influences attitudes toward Facebook event pages. The authors find that users’ emotions exhibited on the Facebook event page do have a significant impact on the perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and perceived enjoyment of such social media marketing. However, only the last construct significantly influences users’ attitudes and intentions toward an event. Implications and insights were provided to event practitioners and were discussed accordingly.
Preparation and characterization of large amounts of restriction fragments containing the E. coli lac control elements

Large quantities of pure DNA fragments (789, 203 and 95 bp in length) containing the Escherichia coli lac controlling elements (operator, promoter, CRP binding site) were prepared from appropriate recombinant plasmids. High pressure liquid chromatography on RPC-5 or preparative sucrose gradient centrifugation was used to fractionate the pVH51 vector from the inserts. The fragments had few, if any, nicks or depurinated sites, and the majority of the fragment ends were intact. Absorbance-temperature profiles on the fragments showed multiphasic transitions.
Mood states of oncology outpatients: Does pain make a difference?

The purposes of this study were to determine if there were significant differences in the mood states of oncology outpatients who had cancer-related pain and those who were pain free, and to evaluate the relationships between pain intensity and duration and mood states in those patients with pain. Two hundred (54.2%) patients experienced cancer-related pain during the previous month and 169 (45.8%) patients were pain free. Those patients who experienced cancer-related pain scored significantly higher on all of the subscale scores of the Profile of Mood States, except vigor, and had a significantly higher total mood disturbance (TMD) score than did pain-free patients. In addition, the subscale scores of tension, depression, anger, fatigue, confusion, and TMD scores were moderately correlated with increases in pain intensity. Also, depression, fatigue, confusion, and TMD scores were moderately correlated with increasing duration of pain. These data suggest that there is a relationship between pain and mood in oncology outpatients and that health-care professionals need to assess for mood disturbances in this population and develop appropriate treatment strategies.
A new class of counterexamples to the integrability problem

Abstract For many years, it was believed that the solvability of the integrability problem for a transitive Lie pseudogroup depends only on the local solvability of linear differential operators arising from the abelian quotients in Guillemin's Jordan-Holder decomposition for the transitive Lie algebra associated to the pseudogroup. We provide an example of a transitive pseudogroup for which the integrability problem is not solvable and whose corresponding Jordan-Holder sequence has only non-abelian quotients.
Turnover In Vivo of Lactosyl‐ceramide and Other Glycosphingolipids in the Adult Rat Brain

: The quantitative contribution of glucose to the biosynthesis of lactosyl-ceramide and other glycosphingolipids was studied in the adult rat brain in vivo using a semicompartmental model. Half-lives of glucose carbon in both the total carbon pool and the carbohydrate residue of the lipid were calculated. In all glycolipids the half-life of carbohydrate units was six to eight times shorter than the half-life of carbon in the total carbon pool of the same lipid. This carbohydrate half-life appears to be closely related to the turnover rate of the glycolipid. The shortest carbohydrate half-life (2.2 days) was obtained for lactosyl-ceramide followed by gangliosides. galactosyl-ceramides, and sulphatides. The results indicate that lactosyl-ceramide may serve as a branch point for the biosynthesis of cerebral gangliosides in vivo rather than occur as a breakdown product of more complex molecules.
Multiplane Transesophageal Echocardiographic Doppler Imaging Accurately Determines Cardiac Output Measurements in Critically III Patients

Objectives To compare cardiac output and stroke volume measured by multiplane transesophageal Doppler echocardiography with that measured by the thermodilution technique. Design Prospective direct comparison of paired measurements by both techniques in each patient. Setting Cardiac surgery and myocardial infarction intensive care units. Patients Twenty-nine patients, mean age (± SD) 67 ± 8 years. Nineteen had undergone open heart surgery and 10 had suffered acute myocardial infarction. M ethods Cardiac output and stroke volume were measured simultaneously by the thermodilution technique and multiplane transesophageal Doppler echocardiography via the transgastric view (119 ± 8°) with the sample volume positioned at the level of the left ventricular outflow tract. Results Stroke volume and cardiac output measurements were obtained in 29 of 33 patients (88%). Mean values were 50 ± 13 mL and 4.8 ± 1.3 L/min by Doppler and 51 ± 14 mL and 4.9 ± 1.4 L/min by thermodilution (r=0.90, r=0.91, p Conclusions Multiplane transesophageal echocardiography enhances the ability to estimate accurately cardiac output and stroke volume by providing new access to left ventricular outflow tract in critically ill patients.
Formation of proline metabolites in chick embryo bone: Interference with the measurement of free hydroxyproline by ion-exchange chromatography

Abstract Metabolites of l -[ 14 C]proline were found in the trichloroacetic acid-soluble fraction of 16-day-old chick embryo frontal bones. In several ion-exchange procedures these metabolites interfered with the analysis of hydroxyproline derived from the metabolic breakdown of collagen. The major metabolite was identified as glutamic acid by its chromatographic and crystallization properties. It was eluted from AG50 cation-exchange resin with 1.0 n HCL in the hydroxyproline region, but was separated from hydroxyproline on a DC-6A column in the amino acid analyzer. Another metabolite was identified as aspartic acid. It was not separated from hydroxyproline on either AG50 using 1 n HCL for elution or on DC-6A using 0.1 m sodium citrate, pH 3.25, for elution, but adequate separation was obtained by elution with 0.2 m sodium citrate buffer at pH 2.91. Formation of these metabolites was not related either to protein synthesis or proline hydroxylation. Therefore, it is possible to analyze for hydroxyproline accurately by using a separate unhydroxylated sample to correct for the presence of the metabolites. The formation of glutamic acid suggested that proline oxidase activity might be present in bone tissue, but none was detected using a sensitive radioisotopic assay. Although the amount of radioactivity found in the metabolites was 36% of the amount of [ 14 C]proline incorporated into protein, no radioactive glutamic or aspartic acid was present in protein hydrolyzates. This observation suggests that the metabolites did not enter the major amino acid pool used for protein synthesis.
Distributed and fail-safe routing algorithms in toroidal-based metropolitan area networks

Abstract A two-dimensional toroidal network is simply a rectangular mesh where opposite nodes on the left and right boundaries are connected to each other and opposite nodes on the upper and lower boundaries are also connected to each other. Examples of toroidal based metropolitan area networks are HR 4 -NET and Manhattan Street Network (MSN). The original routing algorithm for HR 4 -NET proposed by Borgonovo and Cadorin, however, does not direct packets through shortest paths. This paper presents shortest path routing algorithms for HR 4 -NET, which are distributed and fail-safe. These algorithms can also be applied to multiple traffic types. Simple routing rules that use of the regular structure of the network are compared to MSN.
Altered response to meta-chlorophenylpiperazine in anorexia nervosa: support for a persistent alteration of serotonin activity after short-term weight restoration.

Objective Patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) have disturbances of appetite and behaviors, such as dysphoria, inhibition, and obsessions, that could be related to altered serotonin activity. To investigate such relationships, we administered meta-chlorophenylpiperazine (m-CPP), a relatively serotonin-specific drug. Methods To avoid the confounding effects of malnutrition or weight loss, we studied 12 patients with restricting-type AN between 5 and 17 days after a return to a normal weight and while on a stable dietary intake. We compared them to 12 healthy control women (CW). m-CPP was administered double blind and placebo controlled. Results Although weight restored, AN women had lower body weight and increased ratings for depression and obsessionality compared with CW. After m-CPP, AN women had an elevation in mood and a reduction in body image distortion when compared with placebo. After m-CPP, groups had similar cortisol, adrenocorticotropin (ACTH), and growth hormone responses whereas AN women had an uncertain reduction in prolactin response. Discussion These data support other studies that suggest that altered serotonin activity persists after weight restoration in AN patients. The finding that m-CPP temporarily improved mood and reduced body image distortions supports the hypothesis that altered serotonin activity may contribute to the pathophysiology of AN. © 2001 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 30: 57–68, 2001.
Systemic hypertension and the renin-angiotensin system in diabetic vascular complications

Antihypertensive treatment in the diabetic patient is a critical issue because hypertension has an impact on all of the vascular complications of diabetes, including nephropathy, retinopathy, atherosclerosis, and left ventricular hypertrophy. These complications are a consequence of altered endothelial-vascular smooth muscle interrelations that ultimately enhance vasoconstriction and alter the remodeling processes in the vascular wall. Several observations suggest that the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) may be an important contributor to these processes in diabetes mellitus. In both animal and human studies, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors have been demonstrated to slow the progression of glomerulosclerosis, prevent abnormal remodeling processes in the heart following injury, and slow the progression of atherosclerosis. In particular, ACE inhibitors appear to protect the kidney more than would be expected from simply the lowering of blood pressure and decreasing of intraglomerular pressure, possibly because angiotensin II has both hemodynamic and direct effects on the glomerulus. Paradoxically, however, the activity of the circulating RAS is low in diabetic patients. Part of these seemingly inconsistent observations may be due to (1) potential activity of tissue RASs, (2) increased sensitivity to angiotensin II in diabetes, or (3) an effect of ACE inhibition on other systems in addition to the RAS. Investigation of these mechanisms will be important in determining the therapeutic role of inhibition of the RAS in diabetes mellitus.
TU-A-213CD-06: A Cone Beam CT Scatter Reduction Method with Piecewise Prior Image Knowledge

Purpose: In cone beam computerized tomography(CBCT), the reconstructed image contains significant image artifacts induced by scatter effects. The purpose of this study is to develop a scatter reduction method to improve CBCTimage quality with piecewise prior image knowledge. Methods: The hypothesis of the proposed method is that in scatter‐free CBCTimage, the image intensities of different kind of materials are approximately globally uniform, i.e. piecewise property. However, the scatter induced image artifacts diminish the piecewise property of the CBCTimage. In the proposed scatter reduction method, an extended fuzzy C‐mean (EFCM) function is used to describe the degree of piecewise property of the CBCTimage. Since the scatter components in projection domain can be characterized as low frequency, by minimizing the EFCM function in image domain, the proposed method removes an appropriate low frequency component from projection domain so that the reconstructedCBCTimage achieves a piecewise property.Results: The performance of the proposed scatter reduction algorithm was tested using both digital phantom and pelvis CBCTimages. In a phantom study, the proposed method reduced the maximum HU errors from 420HU to about 80HU; in a pelvis case, the HU errors were reduced from 580HU to 150HU. All those maximum HU errors occur around area with high imagecontrast. For soft tissues, the proposed method reduced the HU errors to less than 60HU. In addition, there are severe shading‐artifacts that appeared in the uncorrected CBCTimages in which the proposed method significantly improved the image intensity uniformity of different tissue types in the corrected CBCTimage.Conclusions: For an object with piecewise property, the proposed scatter reduction method demonstrated substantial reductions in scatter‐induced image artifacts commonly encountered in CBCTimaging. This methodology may be an avenue to significantly improve the image quality of clinical CBCTimages.
Nonparametric path analysis—The multivariate structure of dichotomous data when using the odds Ratio or Yule's Q

The recent paperback text, Elementary Survey Analysis (1971, James A. Davis, Ed., Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N.J.), gives a set of intuitive rules for path analysis of dichotomous variables. In this paper a statistical model using odds ratios is used to evaluate this system of rules more precisely. The major conclusions are as follows. (1) With nonrecursive systems and no higher-order interaction effects, the rules are quite valid and can even be simplified a little. (2) In the presence of interactions and strong skews on the variables, the rules are not correct. (3) The rules, as stated, are not valid for recursive systems.
Learning Adjectives in the Real World: How Learning Nouns Impedes Learning Adjectives

Previous studies have documented that children are slow to acquire adjectives into their productive vocabulary. Yet in laboratory studies, even very young children can extend novel adjectives to new instances. Two studies examined the relation between children's acquisition of adjectives and children's emerging knowledge about nouns. In Study 1, the input parents provide to children when talking about properties was examined. The results indicate that the type of input provided in laboratory experiments is infrequent in parent speech to children, and that parents often talk about adjectives using syntax that is ambiguous as to the adjectival status of the words and confusable with nouns. In Study 2 children participated in a training study designed to teach children color words without strong syntactic cues. In Study 3 children participated in a training study designed to teach children color words with syntactic cues that strongly indicated the adjectival status of the word. The results show that younger...
Recently discharged inpatients as a source of emergency department overcrowding.

OBJECTIVE To assess the impact on the emergency department (ED) of recently discharged inpatients and how they contribute to and worsen the current situation of ED overcrowding. METHODS Retrospective, observational study of medical records and billing data of all patients presenting to the ED within seven days of inpatient discharge from the hospital ("returns") in September 2000. The data were collected from electronic logs. Billing charges were used to estimate ED resources. Medical records were reviewed to classify visits: 1) new problem, 2) related problem, likely preventable, 3) related problem, not likely preventable, 4) unable to classify, or 5) incomplete chart. RESULTS One-hundred seventy-four returns occurred among 6,290 total ED visits (3%). Significant differences between returns and total ED patients were noted for length of stay (LOS) (6.58 vs 5.22 hours, p = 0.000), percent admitted (47% vs 19%, p = 0.000), and ED billing (1,415.67 dollars vs 391.00 dollars, p = 0.000). The highest rate of admission was for patients presenting 48-72 hours after inpatient discharge (65.4%). Admission rate was higher for patients presenting >48 hours than <48 hours (54% vs 33%, p = 0.01). A review of the medical records (117/174) revealed: 15 new problems (13%); 16 related, likely preventable (14%); 72 related, not likely preventable (62%); 4 unable to assess (2%); and 10 incomplete charts (9%). CONCLUSIONS The ED is appropriately utilized as a safety net for discharged inpatients. Though "returns" are a small percentage of ED patients, they have longer LOSs, have higher ED charges, and are more frequently admitted. Returns increase the strain on an already overcrowded ED.