cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pulmonary delivery of amikacin liposomes and acute liposome toxicity in the sheep

Abstract Although liposome-encapsulated antibiotics designed for intrapulmonary delivery by instillation or aerosolization have been proposed, little is known about the pharmacokinetic profile and toxicity of liposomal drug formulations when delivered to the lung. A technique for large-scale preparation of sterile amikacin liposomes including preparation of a lyophilized amikacin/phospholipid coprecipitate and a highly efficient hollow-fiber dialysis method for rapid removal of unencapsulated drug is described. Doses of 5 and 15 mg/kg amikacin solution or 15 and 45 mg/kg amikacin-containing liposomes consisting of soy phosphatidylcholine/ phosphatidylglycerol (SPC/PG 7:3, molar ratio) or SPC/PG with cholesterol (SPC/PG/CH 4:3:3) were administered intratracheally into intubated, awake sheep. For the 15 mg/kg amikacin solution, the terminal half-life time ( t 1 2 ) was 117 min with maximum plasma levels (cpmax) of 8.3 μg/ml after 2 h and a bioavailability of 38%. The t 1 2 for both doses of amikacin-SPC/PG liposomes was greater than 3 h. Bioavailability varied from 35 to 58%, with a cpmax of 5.5 μg/ml (15 mg/kg) and 23.6 μg/ml (45 mg/kg) after 1.5 h. The t 1 2 of amikacin-SPC/PG/CH liposomes was greater than 10 h with a cpmax of 3.3 μg/ml after 3 h and a bioavailability of 46%. The dosage form was found to be the overall rate-limiting factor for amikacin pharmacokinetics. For assessment of pulmonary function and blood gases, awake sheep inhaled plain liposomes consisting of 15 and 150 mg/ml SPC or hydrogenated SPC (HSPC) for 30 min via a Collision nebulizer. Dynamic compliance (Cdyn), lung resistance (RL), paO2 and paCO2 were analyzed for 6 h post-inhalation (acute effects 0–2 h; delayed effects 2–6 h). All parameters remained within physiologically normal ranges over the entire observation period. It was concluded that liposomes delivered by the pulmonary route act as local sustained release reservoir, and are safe and nonirritating to the lung.
Characterization of Epitaxial Superconducting YBacuO Thin Films with Three Different Orientations

Epitaxial thin films of YBaCuO were prepared by multilayer deposition from Y, Cu, and BaF 2 sources with: (1) the a‐axis perpendicular to (100)SrTiO 3 ; (2) the c‐axis perpendicular to (100)SrTiO 3 ; and (3) the [110] axis perpendicular to (110)SrTiO 3 . XRD patterns as well as SEM and HREM images confirm that the films are highly oriented, essentially epitaxial. Both the a‐axis oriented and the c‐axis oriented films exhibit zero resistance at 91K. The [110] oriented film shows the sharpest transiton with a transition width of IK and zero resistance at 85K. The zero field critical current density, J c , determined magnetically, is in excess of 10 7 A/cm 2 at 4.4K and 1.04 x 10 6 A/cm 2 at 77K for the c‐axis oriented film; for the a‐axis oriented film we obtained 6.7 x 10 6 A/cm 2 at 4.4K and 1.2 x 10 5 A/cm 2 at 77K. The orientation dependence of the critical current density in the basal plane of the a‐axis oriented film was studied. The largest J c 's occur along the in‐plane axes of the substrate.
Reinforcing properties of clonidine in rhesus monkeys

Intravenous clonidine self-administration was studied in rhesus monkeys under condttions of limited and unlimited access. Limited access consisted of daily 2-h experimental sessions with drug available on a fixed ratio 10 schedule. For unlimited access, drug was availabe 23 h/day with each response resulting in an injection. In all animals under both conditions, responding was maintained at levels that were above those maintained by saline injections at doses between 0.3 and 10 μg/kg/inj, and the number of injections taken per session depended upon the dose. Under conditions of limited access, peak self-administration rates varied between animals but averaged approximately 30 inj/session. Total session intake was occasionally in excess of 1.0 mg/kg. Under conditions of unlimited access animals frequently self-administered more than 300 inj/day and intakes averaging 3.6 mg/kg/day occurred at the highest dose tested (10 μg/kg/inj). When saline was substituted for clonidine after periods of clonidine access that ranged from 10–40 days, withdrawal signs included facial flushing, refusal of preferred food, restlessness, salivation, and emesis. These signs could be reversed with IV clonidine but could not be reliably precipitated with IV naloxone.
A P-N-P Triode Alloy-Junction Transistor for Radio-Frequency Amplification

The performance of alloy-junction transistors falls off as the frequency increases. Heretofore, the chief cause of this has been the resistance-capacitance low-pass filter effect in the base-emitter input. The effect is produced by the germanium resistance (between the external base connection and the active junction region) and the emitter-to-base diffusion capacitance. The latter may be extraordinarily high because of the relatively slow diffusion of charge carriers into the base region which must be charged up and discharged with minority carriers. In the new transistor design of the present paper, resistance and capacitance have been reduced by using a thick wafer of low-resistance germanium and placing the active junctions on a very thin section produced by drilling a well into the wafer. The junctions are about 0.0005 inch apart. Other capacitances are reduced by using small diameter junctions. To prevent limitation due to transit-time dispersion, nearly planar junctions are obtained by using germanm-indium alloy discs from which the junctions are formed. The new unit will give 39-db gain (neutralized) at 455 kc, 12 db (unneutralized) at 10 mc and has an oscillation limit of 75 mc. A noise factor at 1 mc as low as 4 db is achieved.
Abstract 1758: Influence of stromal microenvironment on rGel/BLyS-induced cytotoxicity in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma cells

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL Diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is an aggressive sub-type accounting for 30-40% of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Despite recent advances in the understanding of the molecular and cellular basis for their pathogenesis, these tumors are still associated with poor response to treatment and a fatal outcome. The interactions of marrow stromal cells (MSCs) with tumor cells appear to be important in the development of tumor drug resistance through complex cytokine and adhesion-mediated mechanisms. We previously generated a highly cytotoxic growth factor fusion toxin designated rGel/BLyS for receptor-mediated delivery of the rGel toxin to malignant B cells. This fusion toxin specifically targets malignant B cells expressing the BLyS receptors BAFF-R, TACI, and BCMA. In this study, we examined the impact of marrow stromal cells (MSCs) on rGel/BLyS-induced cytotoxicity in DLBCL cells. Treatment of tumor cell lines with dexamethasone and doxorubicine in the presence of MSCs was found to suppress the cytotoxic effect. In contrast, in vitro treatment with rGel/BLyS showed specific cytotoxic effects to DLBCL cell lines (IC50 ∼ 1-10 nM) in absence of MSCs or in presence of MSCs. At these doses, we found no cytotoxicity to MSCs. Treatment with rGel/BLyS induced down-regulation of Mcl-1, c-Myc, Bcl-xL, X-IAP, and Bcl-2 in DLBCL cells in absence of MSCs or in presence of MSCs. We also found that rGel/BLyS induced down-regulation of interleukin-6 receptor in DLBCL cells in absence of MSCs or in presence of MSCs. In addition, treatment of cells with rGel/BLyS induced apoptosis through caspase-9 activation, caspase-3 activation, and PARP cleavage. Our results demonstrate that rGel/BLyS can overcome stromal cell-mediated drug resistance which is a factor reducing the effectiveness of other conventionally-used agents for the treatment of this disease. This suggests that rGel/BLyS may be an excellent candidate for the treatment of DLBCLs which are resistant to conventional chemotherapeutic regimens. This research was conducted, in part, by the Clayton Foundation for Research and by Translational Research Award (LLS 6234-07) from the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1758. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-1758
Framing Faith: Explaining Cooperation and Conflict in the US Conservative Christian Political Movement

Despite the burgeoning literature on coalition work, very little is known about the cooperative potential within social movements. Drawing on archival, interview, and secondary data, we examine cooperation and conflict in the US conservative Christian political movement from 1970 to 1994. We highlight how framing, political elites and intramovement dynamics within the conservative Christian political movement altered the cooperative potential over time. Specifically, we find that the conservative Christian political movement initially had a strong coordinative potential and even engaged in organization building as a way to formalize cross-denominational cooperation. However, as the evangelical wing of the movement sought to build and consolidate its political power, it began to frame issues in ways that reflected a particularized world view regarding the role of the state in fostering a moral society. Other conservative Christian organizations responded by couching their understanding of political issues ...
Melting Alpine Glaciers Enrich High-Elevation Lakes with Reactive Nitrogen

Alpine glaciers have receded substantially over the last century in many regions of the world. Resulting changes in glacial runoff not only affect the hydrological cycle, but can also alter the physical (i.e., turbidity from glacial flour) and biogeochemical properties of downstream ecosystems. Here we compare nutrient concentrations, transparency gradients, algal biomass, and fossil diatom species richness in two sets of high-elevation lakes: those fed by snowpack melt alone (SF lakes) and those fed by both glacial and snowpack meltwaters (GSF lakes). We found that nitrate (NO3−) concentrations in the GSF lakes were 1−2 orders of magnitude higher than in SF lakes. Although nitrogen (N) limitation is common in alpine lakes, algal biomass was lower in highly N-enriched GSF lakes than in the N-poor SF lakes. Contrary to expectations, GSF lakes were more transparent than SF lakes to ultraviolet and equally transparent to photosynthetically active radiation. Sediment diatom assemblages had lower taxonomic ric...
Development of a culvert inventory and inspection framework for asset management of road structures

Abstract The deteriorating highway culvert infrastructure has become a major challenge for the 21st century. While more importance usually is given to highway embankments, pavements, and bridges, the maintenance of culverts has commonly been neglected. For the purpose of this study, culvert is defined as storm sewers and drainage structures crossing roads, railroads and highways consisting of concrete, corrugated metal, and plastic materials and spanning less than or equal to three meters (10 feet). As many culverts reach the end of their design life, the departments of transportation (DOTs) overseeing maintenance of road structures are in need of a model to track the existing culverts and forecast their remaining service life. Therefore, the main goal of this research was to assess the status of culvert asset management in the U.S.A. and to develop a framework by providing protocols and condition rating systems for culvert inventory and inspection. Performance scores for the culverts are calculated using an Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) to determine the magnitude of the deterioration and assist in short- and long-term planning. Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) is a structured technique addressing complex decisions. With prescribing the problem and an appropriate decision, the AHP helps the decision makers to find the one that best suits their needs. The developed model contributes to an effective culvert asset management strategy.
Video and Computer Games: Effect on Children and Implications for Health Education

Video and computer-based games have assumed a prominent role in the culture of American children and adolescents. Given the pervasiveness of their influence, it is likely that these games may affect the health and well-being of children. This paper examines the health effects of these games on children, suggests criteria upon which parents and teachers may evaluate the games, and notes some implications for health educators.
Enhancements to an Atmospheric Ascent Guidance Algorithm

Enhancements to an advanced ascent guidance algorithm for rocket-powered launch vehicles are described. A general method has been developed for conveniently and efficiently handling the common case of (asymmetric) launch vehicles with unbalanced thrust and aerodynamic moments. The new part of this development concerns the treatment of endo-atmospheric flight. An alternative method for handing the transversality conditions has been developed that eliminates the need for a priori elimination of the constant multipliers that adjoin the terminal state constraints to the performance index. As a result, new constraints can be formulated and implemented with relative ease. The problem of burn-coast-burn trajectory optimization is treated using a modified multiple shooting technique.
Effects of diethyldithiocarbamate and fusaric acid upon memory storage processes in rats

Diethyldithiocarbamate (DDC) and fusaric acid (FA), administered immediately posttraining, disrupted retention performance of rats trained on a one-trial inhibitory avoidance task. Posttraining DDC disrupted retention performance if the treatment was delayed up to at least 24 h (but not 72 h) after training. A single DDC injection also disrupted retention performance if the treatment was administered up to 10 days prior to training. The effects of DDC and FA upon several neurobiological measures were also investigated. Amnestic doses of DDC influence brain and adrenal catecholamine levels, brain electrographic activity and hippocampal Timm's staining. On the other hand, amnestic doses of FA only affected catecholamine levels. The amnestic effects of DDC were dissociated from brain seizure activity produced by DDC. The effects of DDC and FA upon retention may have been related to the drugs' effects upon catecholamine systems, but the bleaching by DDC of Timm's staining could reflect additional processes involved in DDC's effects upon retention. As opposed to the more widespread effects of DDC, FA's relative lack of effect upon other neurobiological measures more strongly supports a catecholaminergic interpretation for its effect upon retention.
Impact of noise on an optoelectronic neural network

Noise in an optoelectronic neural network alters the performance of the network. The shortest distance from a pattern to a decision plane limits the amount of system noise the network can tolerate. In this paper the noise model of a neural network implemented in optoelectronics is given, as well as an upper limit on the noise the network can tolerate and still classify patterns.
Laser window materials — An overview

The laser window problem is reviewed with emphasis on failure mechanisms, absorption processes, and material evaluation. Failure by thermal fracture and by optical distortion is discussed and the material parameters needed to calculate figures of merit for these failure modes are tabulated for a variety of materials. The exponential dependence of absorption coefficient on wavenumber for intrinsic multi-phonon processes is discussed and its use in discriminating extrinsic from intrinsic absorption emphasized. Laser calorimeter absorption measurements at 10. 6 Μm and 5. 25 Μm are described and the measured values tabulated. The use of internal reflection spectroscopy to examine the effect of various surface treatments on
Utilizing Spatial Locality to Optimize Temporal Efficiency in OLSR Route Calculations

The Optimized Link State Routing (OLSR) protocol has received considerable attention as a viable routing solution for mobile ad hoc networks. However, OLSR suffers from high routing and computational overhead, resulting in significant energy consumption and is quite detrimental to the lifetime and service duration of mobile ad hoc networks. In this work, we provide a detailed analysis of the OLSR protocol and show that its route calculation (RC) algorithm is responsible for the majority of the overhead as it redundantly re-computes the entire routing table after each routing change. We further evaluate the performance of the classic RC algorithm as a function of network size, node mobility, and network density and determine that the RC algorithm is overwhelmingly triggered by very localized topology changes. Interestingly, our analysis shows that after a local topology change, the majority of the recomputed routing tables remain unchanged from their original state. Based on this analysis we identify two distinct types of routing table re-calculations that are not necessary: local changes and vain changes. Hence, we proposed novel algorithms to optimize route table calculation in the case of these two changes. The proposed ARC algorithms work cooperatively to reduce overall runtime (and therefore energy consumption) by utilizing spatial locality to provide incremental updates to the routing tables (as opposed to re-computing the entire table upon each route change). Extensive experiments verify that the proposed method is scalable with respect to both network size and node density and reduces overall RC runtime by 80% - 90% for practical scenarios. Moreover, the proposed RC algorithms are fully-compatible with existing OLSR implementations.
The effect of trypsin on measles virus antigenicity.

SummaryDigestion of whole measles fluids with crystalline trypsin at either 37° or 45° results in a 2- to 3-fold increase in amount of sedimentable complement fixing antigen. This treatment, however, markedly reduces the ability of these fluids to induce formation of neutralizing or complement fixing antibodies when injected in guinea pigs.
Happy Birthday Keggin Structure

This Essay for EurJIC's cluster issue on polyoxometalate chemistry pays tribute to the Keggin structure and acknowledges its contribution to the development of the field. This area of research has come a long way since its slow beginning, and great potential lies ahead.
Carotid Artery Stent Placement

In the past 3 years, there have been significant developments in the field of carotid revascularization, including: 1) the results of a large primary stroke prevention trial; 2) the emergence of novel platforms for emboli protection; 3) improved characterization of the high-risk carotid artery stent (CAS) patient; 4) completion of several very large post-market surveillance (PMS) trials of CAS in high-surgical-risk patients; and 5) the completion of 4 large randomized controlled trials comparing CAS with carotid endarterectomy in average-risk patients. The purpose of this review is to update the current status of revascularization therapies to reduce stroke in patients with extracranial carotid artery disease with a focus on the most recent developments regarding the role of CAS.
Euthyroid graves' disease. ]Report of a case observed over a 12-year period

A 49-year-old woman had proptosis and inflammation occurring in each eye on separate occasions over a 12-year period. Results of thyroid function studies were normal. Thyroid antibodies, microsomal and thyroglobulin, were not demonstrable. Thyroid-stimulating immunoglobulins were not demonstrable. Thyrotropin-releasing hormone testing showed a normal response. Results of computed axial tomographic scanning of the orbits were normal. The patient had a response on each occasion to prednisone. This patient with euthyroid Graves' disease supports the hypothesis that Graves' eye disease and Graves' hyperthyroidism are distinct and separate entities.
The Impact of Guide Dogs on the Identity of People with Visual Impairments

ABSTRACTThis paper explores the effect of peoples' association with guide dogs on how they understand and feel about themselves and how they are regarded by those with whom they interact. The concepts of personal, collective, and social identity are used to situate the discussion. Of central importance is the way working with a guide dog shapes public interaction and how owner' self definitions and social identities are extended by being intimately involved in the owner—dog team.
Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger state protocols for fully connected qubit networks

We generalize the recently proposed Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger tripartite protocol [A. Galiautdinov and J. M. Martinis, Phys. Rev. A 78, 010305(R) (2008)] to fully connected networks of weakly coupled qubits interacting by way of anisotropic Heisenberg exchange g(XX+YY)+g-tildeZZ. Our model differs from the more familiar Ising-Heisenberg chain in that here every qubit interacts with every other qubit in the circuit. The assumption of identical couplings on all qubit pairs allows an elegant proof of the protocol for arbitrary N. In order to further make contact with experiment, we study fidelity degradation due to coupling imperfections by numerically simulating the N=3 and 4 cases. Our simulations indicate that the best fidelity at unequal couplings is achieved when (a) the system is initially prepared in the uniform superposition state (similarly to how it is done in the ideal case) and (b) the entangling time and the final rotations on each of the qubits are appropriately adjusted.
Wildlife Responses to Vegetation Height Management in Cool-season Grasslands

Herbaceous vegetation comprises the main habitat type in cool-seasons grasslands and can be managed by various methods. We compared changes in plant communities and bird and mammal use of grasslands that were not managed, managed by mechanical methods (mowing), or managed by chemical methods (plant growth regulator). This 1-year study was conducted from May through October 2003 in Erie County, Ohio. Twelve circular 1.5 ha plots were established: 4 were not managed, 4 were mowed to maintain vegetation height between 9–15 cm, and 4 were sprayed with a plant growth regulator and mowed when vegetation exceeded 15 cm. We monitored vegetation growth, measured plant community composition, and observed all plots for wildlife activity each week. Vegetation in unmanaged plots was taller and denser (P , 0.001) than vegetation in mowed and growth regulator plots. Plant community characteristics differed among study plots (P , 0.001); managed plots had higher grass cover and lower woody cover than unmanaged plots. We observed more (P , 0.001) total birds per 5-minute survey in unmanaged than mowed or growth regulator plots. We observed more (P , 0.001) white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in mowed plots than either control or growth regulator plots. We captured 13 small mammals in unmanaged plots and no small mammals in managed plots. Applying the plant growth regulator was not a cost-effective alternative to mowing for managing vegetation height in our study. Vegetation height management practices altered plant communities and animal use of grassland areas and thus might be useful for accomplishing species-specific habitat management objectives.
Characterization of Sertoli cell-germ cell junctional specializations in dissociated testicular cells.

To further characterize Sertoli cell-germ cell junctional specializations seminiferous tubules from sexually mature Sprague-Dawley rats were dissociated by enzymatic and mechanical methods. Ultrastructural analysis of cell suspensions prepared by incubation in collagenase alone or by mechanical methods revealed that spermatids remained attached to Sertoli cells or Sertoli cell fragments. Such cellular associations were found only between Sertoli cell fragments and spermatids in which the developing acrosome had made contact with the plasma membrane (step 8 and subsequent steps of spermiogenesis). Furthermore, the fragments were confined to that region of the plasma membrane over the acrosome. The Sertoli cell half of this adhesive site displayed the typical elements of Sertoli cell junctions, filamentous bundles and associated cisterna of endoplasmic reticulum, in apposition to the spermatids. The spermatids demonstrated no surface specializations at the attachment sites. In contrast, in cell suspensions prepared with trypsin, spermatids were free of attachments to Sertoli cells or their fragments. These results demonstrate that: (1) the junctions act to bind cells together, (2) adhesive type contact is established between Sertoli cells and spermatids at step 8 and subsequent steps of spermiogenesis, (3) contact is restricted to the spermatid plasma membrane over the acrosome, and (4) spermatids can be freed from the junctional specializations by treatment with trypsin.
Improving performance and reducing energy-delay with adaptive resource resizing for out-of-order embedded processors

While Ultra Deep Submicron (UDSM) CMOS scaling gives embedded processor designers ample silicon budget to increase processor resources to improve performance, restrictions with the power budget and practically achievable operating clock frequencies act as limiting factors. In this paper we show how just increasing processor resource size is not effective in improving performance due to constraints on achievable operating clock frequency. In response we propose two adaptive resource resizing techniques L2RS and L2ML1RS that adaptively resize resources by exploiting cache misses. Our results show a significant performance improvement and overall energy-delay reduction of on average 9.2% (upto 34%) and 3.8% respectively across SPEC2K benchmarks for L2ML1RS. Applying L2RS resulted in 6.8% performance improvement (upto 24%) and 4.6% energy-delay reduction. We also present the required circuit modification to apply these techniques which shown to be minimal.
Effects of Contingent Reinforcement of Actions on Infants' Object-Directed Reaching

The role of contingency learning was examined in 3-month-old infants’ reaching movements. Infants in the experimental group experienced 9 min of active training during which they could move their arms in a reach-like fashion to pull and move a mobile. Infants in the control group experienced 9 min of passive training during which they watched a mobile move. Prior to (pre-training) and following the mobile experience (post-training), infants in both conditions were given an opportunity to interact with a rattle placed within and out of their reach. Compared with infants in the control condition, infants in the experimental condition produced reach-like movements more frequently during the mobile experience; they also showed a greater increase in reaching attempts from pre- to post-training assessments with the rattle. These findings show that reinforcement of arm extensions and retractions increases the frequency of infants’ reaching behaviors. This result suggests that the reinforcement of components of infants’ behaviors may
POWOW: power without wires: a SEP concept for space exploration

Electric propulsion has emerged as a cost-effective solution to a wide range of satellite applications. Deep Space 1 successfully demonstrated electric propulsion as the primary propulsion source for a satellite. The POWOW concept is a solar-electric propelled spacecraft capable of significant cargo and short trip times for traveling to Mars. It would enter aerosynchronous orbit and from there, beam power to surface installations via lasers. The concept has been developed with industrial partner expertise in high efficiency solar cells, advanced concentrator modules, innovative arrays, and high power electric propulsion systems. The latest version of the spacecraft, the technologies used, and trip times to Mars are presented. The POWOW spacecraft is a general purpose solar electric propulsion system that uses new technologies that are directly applicable to commercial and government spacecraft with power levels ranging from a LEO power level of 4 kW up to GEO spacecraft about 1 MW. The system is modular, expandable, and amenable to learning curve cost projection methods.
A direct quadrature approach for nonlinear filtering

The nonlinear filtering problem consists of estimating states of nonlinear systems from noisy measurements and the corresponding techniques can be applied to a wide variety of civil or military applications. Optimal estimates of a general continuous-discrete nonlinear filtering problem can be obtained by solving the Fokker-Planck equation, coupled with a Bayesian update. This procedure does not rely on linearizations of the dynamical and/or measurement models. However, the lack of fast and efficient algorithms for solving the Fokker-Planck equation presents challenges in real time applications. In this paper, a direct quadrature method of moments is introduced which involves approximating the state conditional probability density function as a finite collection of Dirac delta functions. The weights and locations, i.e., abscissas, in this representation are determined by moment constraints and modified using the Baye's rule according to measurement updates. As compared with finite difference methods, the computational cost is lower without a compromising in accuracy. As demonstrated in two classical numerical examples, this approach appears to be promising in the field of nonlinear filtering.
Tapered colonoscope performs better than the pediatric colonoscope in female patients: a direct comparison through tandem colonoscopy

Background The pediatric variable-stiffness colonoscope (PVSC) is used by many endoscopists to negotiate the colon that requires a flexible colonoscope; it has a smaller diameter, but may lead to excessive looping. A prototype colonoscope tapers from an adult width to a pediatric diameter at approximately 25 cm. The tapered colonoscope (TC), while retaining the flexibility of the PVSC, has the column strength of the adult colonoscope to help negotiate the proximal colon. Objective Our hypothesis is that use of the TC in female patients would be associated with less looping than the PVSC during the procedure, fewer required maneuvers, and thus a quicker examination. Design Direct comparison through tandem colonoscopies. Setting University endoscopy suite. Patients Forty unselected female patients. Interventions Tandem colonoscopies with PVSC and TC. Main Outcome Measurements Time to the cecum and the ability to retroflex in the cecum. Results Compared with the PVSC, the TC had faster times to achieve cecal intubation (mean [standard deviation], 8.83 ± 4.68 minutes versus 6.88 ± 4.08 minutes; P = .013) and a higher rate of retroflexion in the cecum (31/40 patients vs 39/40 patients; P P Conclusions The TC achieved faster cecal intubation rates and had a higher success of cecal retroflexion than a PVSC. This performance likely was because of diminished looping and thus a decreased need for maneuvers. The TC may be preferable to the PVSC for female patients.
Porphyroblasts and ‘Crystallization Force’: Some Textural Criteria: Reply

The controversial concept that porphyroblasts are capable of pushing out pre-existing schistose matrix is examined in the light of textural evidence. While many post-tectonic porphyroblasts clearly have replaced schistose matrix on a constant-volume basis, and while bowing-out of schistosity commonly is due to tectonic flow of matrix around pre-existing porphyroblasts, other porphyroblasts show evidence of having, indeed, pushed out pre-existing schistosity during their growth. The best evidence for this process is provided by post-tectonic porphyroblasts that have both replaced and displaced (pushed out) pre-existing schistose matrix. Several examples are described (including one from a thermally metamorphosed rock). It is held that this common textural pattern cannot be explained by later tectonic flow of matrix around pre-existing porphyroblasts. The latter process, where demonstrable, produces different types of textural patterns. Superficially similar-appearing phenomena, such as bowing out of schistosity at porphyroblasts, may originate in more than one way. Late-formed porphyroblasts that have simultaneously replaced and pushed out pre-existing schistose matrix, are thought to have made room for themselves by a combination of chemical and mechanical forces (“crystallization force”). Such porphyroblasts perhaps had to overcome only part of the existing solid pressure to bow out schistosity, part of the expansion of the growing crystal being accommodated by chemical means. This proposal seems to be supported by the observation that bowed-out layers of schistose matrix tend to be conspicuously attenuated next to the porphyroblast, suggesting “pressure solution” of some mineral matter in these areas—compensated by precipitation of some matter in the lee of the porphyroblast. Such local pressure differences induced by the expansion of a porphyroblast which attempts to assert itself against a confining earlier schistosity, are seen as something quite separate from pressure differentials caused by non-homogeneous tectonic deformation, such as flow of matrix around a pre-existing rigid crystal.
Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship of Multidrug Resistance Reversal Agents

Multidrug resistance (MDR) is one of the major obstacles to long term successful cancer chemotherapy. The use of MDR reversal (MDRR) agents is a promising approach to overcome the undesired MDR phenotype. To design more effective MDRR agents that are urgently needed for clinical use, a data set of 609 diverse compounds tested for MDRR activity against P388/ADR-resistant cell lines was submitted to the MULTICASE computer program for structure-activity analysis. Some substructural features related to MDRR activity were identified. For example, the CH2-CH2-N-CH2-CH2 group was found in most of the active compounds, and the activity was further enhanced by the presence of (di)methoxylphenyl groups, whereas the presence of a stable quaternary ammonium salt, a carboxylic, a phenol, or an aniline group was found to be detrimental to activity. Possible explanations for these observations are proposed. Some physicochemical properties, e.g., the partition coefficient (log P) and the graph index (which in some sense measures the "complexity" of a molecule) were also found to be relevant to activity. Their role in MDRR was also rationalized. Based on our quantitative structure-activity relationship study of MDRR agents, some compounds with desired substructural features and activity were identified from the MACCS-II and National Cancer Institute DIS databases and tested experimentally. Our study may also help the rational design of anti-cancer drugs. Based on this study and on observations by other researchers, we postulate that P-glycoprotein-mediated resistance to paclitaxel could probably be eliminated by proper substitution of its benzamido and phenyl groups. Several novel compounds with the paclitaxel skeleton are proposed, which may lead to a new generation of paclitaxel anti-cancer drugs with less MDR potential.
Evolving standards for clinical content in biomedicine: overview and lessons

In this paper, we review the various categories of standards in biomedicine: communication protocols, interchange standards, data model standards and controlled vocabularies. We then focus on the types of clinical data, discuss where vocabularies are employed, and consider various challenges that confront those who design and maintain controlled vocabularies, as well as those who use them. Biomedicine has a large number of partially redundant vocabularies that have evolved for different purposes, and we discuss how the National Library of Medicine's UMLS project attempts to merge these into a single resource. We introduce Extensible Markup Language (XML), provide a brief tutorial and describe pitfalls that can lead to its inappropriate use. Finally, we discuss the problems in designing and implementing biomedical standards, providing both a historical perspective as well as relating such issues to similar ones in information technology.
Empirical Evidence for the Effect of Airline Travel on Inter-Regional Influenza Spread in the United States

Background The influence of air travel on influenza spread has been the subject of numerous investigations using simulation, but very little empirical evidence has been provided. Understanding the role of airline travel in large-scale influenza spread is especially important given the mounting threat of an influenza pandemic. Several recent simulation studies have concluded that air travel restrictions may not have a significant impact on the course of a pandemic. Here, we assess, with empirical data, the role of airline volume on the yearly inter-regional spread of influenza in the United States.
Cooperative communication and routing over fading channels in wireless sensor networks

The dense deployments of wireless sensor networks offer the opportunity to develop novel communication techniques based on multi-node cooperation that can perform efficiently even over harsh fading channels. Several key contributions in the development and analysis of such techniques are provided. First, prior studies on cooperative communication and routing are extended by explicitly considering fading channels and relaxing synchronization requirements. It is demonstrated that significant asymptotic spatial diversity gains are achievable with K-cooperation even if error propagation is considered. Second, we provide a low complexity near-optimal power distribution algorithm over cooperating nodes, which selects the number of cooperating transmitters based on observed channel conditions, and several power distribution strategies over links are compared. Finally, it is shown that multi-hop cooperative routing can be highly energy efficient in realistic settings.
The effects of incongruent feedback on bimanual task performance

Previous studies analyzing the effects of incongruent visual and haptic feedback have found differences in the perceived stiffness of an object depending on what modality was delayed. These studies required only unilateral performance of the individual and did not measure functional task completion. Our study evaluated the effects of incongruent visual and haptic feedback during a bimanual pick and place task within a virtual environment using two Phantom Omnis. Subjects were asked to place three different colored spheres into matching colored baskets under various testing conditions. The testing conditions included various temporal delays in either the haptic feedback, visual feedback or both feedback modalities simultaneously. The amount of time required to complete the task as well as the number of spheres broken were recorded for each trial. The results show that delays in either or both of the feedback modalities had a negative effect on the subject's ability to complete the task. The most detrimental effects on task performance were observed when both feedback modalities were simultaneously delayed 133 ms for both the completion time and number of broken spheres.
Antiangiogenic therapy for patients with glioblastoma: current challenges in imaging and future directions

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common primary malignant brain tumor, and despite recent advances in therapy, the prognosis for patients with GBM remains dismal. The median survival of newly diagnos...
Spectrophotometric Assay for Maltose

To quantify spectrophotometrically maltose secreted by isolated endosymbiotic algae in vitro.
Quantitative mapping of phase coexistence in Mott-Peierls insulator during electronic and thermally driven phase transition

Quantitative impedance mapping of the spatially inhomogeneous insulator-to-metal transition (IMT) in vanadium dioxide (VO2) is performed with a lateral resolution of 50 nm through near-field scanning microwave microscopy (SMM) at 16 GHz. SMM is used to measure spatially resolved electronic properties of the phase coexistence in an unstrained VO2 film during the electrically as well as thermally induced IMT. A quantitative impedance map of both the electrically driven filamentary conduction and the thermally induced bulk transition is established. This was modeled as a 2-D heterogeneous resistive network where the distribution function of the IMT temperature across the sample is captured. Applying the resistive network model for the electrically induced IMT case, we reproduce the filamentary nature of electronically induced IMT, which elucidates a cascading avalanche effect triggered by the local electric field across nanoscale insulating and metallic domains.
OBIB-a novel ontology for biobanking.

Biobanking necessitates extensive integration of data to allow data analysis and specimen sharing. Ontologies have been demonstrated to be a promising approach in fostering better semantic integration of biobank-related data. Hitherto no ontology provided the coverage needed to capture a broad spectrum of biobank user scenarios. Based in the principles laid out by the Open Biological and Biomedical Ontologies Foundry two biobanking ontologies have been developed. These two ontologies were merged using a modular approach consistent with the initial development principles. The merging was facilitated by the fact that both ontologies use the same Upper Ontology and re-use classes from a similar set of pre-existing ontologies. Based on the two previous ontologies the Ontology for Biobanking ( http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/obib.owl ) was created. Due to the fact that there was no overlap between the two source ontologies the coverage of the resulting ontology is significantly larger than of the two source ontologies. The ontology is successfully used in managing biobank information of the Penn Medicine BioBank. Sharing development principles and Upper Ontologies facilitates subsequent merging of ontologies to achieve a broader coverage.
Renal-Replacement Therapy in the Critically Ill — Does Timing Matter?

Deciding when to initiate renal-replacement therapy (hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, or continuous hemofiltration) in critically ill patients is challenging. Although there is wide acceptance that dialysis should be started in patients with end-stage renal disease when the glomerular filtration rate is 5 to 10 ml per minute per 1.73 m2 of body-surface area, consensus is lacking for patients with acute kidney injury. The current guidelines regarding acute kidney injury note that hyperkalemia, acidosis, or diuretic-resistant fluid overload are potentially fatal, yet they leave the decision to initiate dialysis to the judgment of the clinician,1 resulting in wide variations in interpretation and . . .
Interplay of Electrostatics and Hydrophobic Effects in the Metamorphic Protein Human Lymphotactin.

The human lymphotactin (hLtn) is a protein that features two native states both of which are physiologically relevant: it is a monomer (hLtn10) at 10 °C with 200 mM salt and a dimer (hLtn40) at 40 °C and without salt. Here we focus on the networks of electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions that display substantial changes upon the conversion from hLtn10 to hLtn40 since they are expected to modulate the relative stability of the two folds. In addition to the Arg 23–Arg 43 interaction discussed in previous work, we find several other like-charge pairs that are likely important to the stability of hLtn10. Free energy perturbation calculations are carried out to explicitly evaluate the contribution of the Arg 23–Arg 43 interaction to the hLtn10 stability. hLtn40 features a larger number of salt bridges, and a set of hydrophobic residues undergo major changes in the solvent accessible surface area between hLtn10 and hLtn40, pointing to their importance to the relative stability of the two folds. We also dis...
Exit Poll Sponsorship and Response Intentions

Scholars and practitioners alike are increasingly concerned about growing and differential rates of nonresponse in exit polls. In this paper, I examine how exit poll sponsorship affects response intentions. I leverage an experiment imbedded in a nationally-representative probability sample telephone sample that probed respondents about exit poll participation intentions. The survey, fielded by Opinion Research Corporation for CNN in November 2006, randomly varied whether respondents were informed the exit poll would be conducted by the “television networks,” specifically, or generically, by “some organizations.” The results reveal that respondents are significantly more likely to report they would be likely to participate in exit polls when television networks are explicitly identified as sponsors. These effects are robust across a series of specifications and do not appear to be moderated by key observable attributes including age, gender, race, partisanship or educational attainment.
A linha ténue entre a demência e depressão no idoso: relato de caso

Background: Memory problems in the elderly are a frequent reason for consultation in primary health care. This common complaint can have different causes with different outcomes, emphasizing the need for early diagnosis and timely management. The following case illustrates how family doctors can approach this problem and manage the diagnosis and treatment of memory problems. Case description: An 82-year old female patient widowed for 2 years and living with her daughter, who is her primary caregiver, came with her daughter to a medical appointment. The daughter complained that her mother was more apathetic, sadder, and sleepier in the last few months. She had been showing less interest in housework and did not want to leave the house as she formerly did. She had repetitive speech. Recently, she had experienced memory lapses and seemed to be slowing down. During the clinic visit, she told the doctor about her difficulty in paying for groceries, in recognizing acquaintances’ names, and in recognizing familiar objects. She had been disoriented at times, getting lost more than once in the street. The possible diagnoses considered were depressive disorder with cognitive impairment or dementia with depressive symptoms. The patient began treatment with sertraline, showing significant improvement in mood, performance and cognitive function, without signs of a cognitive deficit. Comment: Depression is not a natural consequence of old age. Many elderly people put physical complaints before feelings of sadness in primary care consultations. Pseudodementia may be potentially reversible with antidepressants and psychotherapy.
Exploring The State of Salesperson Insecurity: How It Emerges and Why It Matters?

The literature identifies several stressors (e.g., role ambiguity, role conflict) that have a detrimental effect on salesperson well-being and performance. One such stressor—salesperson insecurity– has been largely neglected in the literature and is the focus of this research. Specifically, taking a combined phenomenology and grounded theory approach, this study provides insight into the multi-faceted nature of salesperson insecurity and the process through which it emerges. The findings reveal that salesperson insecurity is a potent work stressor that results when cognitive and affective responses to felt discomforts cannot be reconciled with past beliefs and experiences. Managerial implications are discussed.