cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Anti-inflammatory role of TPCA-1 encapsulated nanosomes in porcine chondrocytes against TNF-α stimulation

In this study, we evaluated the hypothesis that immunonanosomes carrying the drug [5-(p-Fluorophenyl)-2-ureido]thiophene-3-carboxamide (TPCA-1) will help in reducing nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB)-associated inflammation in porcine chondrocytes against tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α)-induced stress. The nanosomes were tagged with monoclonal anti-type II collagen (MabCII) antibody to specifically target the exposed type II collagen in cartilage matrix. TPCA-1 at a concentration of 10 µM significantly reduced expression of the matrix-degrading enzyme, Matrix metalloproteinase-13 (MMP-13) and blocked the p65 nuclear translocation. In comparison to the TPCA-1 solution alone, the TPCA-1 nanosomes were found to be more effective in reducing the cellular toxicity, oxidative stress and inflammation in chondrocytes treated with TNF-α. In addition, TPCA-1 nanosomes were more effective in reducing the gene expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-2alpha (HIF-2α) that in turn is associated with the regulation of MMP-13 gene. TPCA-1 nanosomes significantly reduced expression of both these genes. The data also showed that TPCA-1 did not attenuate the down-regulated gene expression levels of anabolic genes aggrecan (ACAN) and collagen type II alpha (COL2A1). In conclusion, this study showed that TPCA-1 nanosomes carrying a dose of 10 µM TPCA-1 can effectively increase the survival of cultured porcine chondrocytes against TNF-α-induced stress. The findings of this study could be used to develop nanosome-based drug delivery systems (DDSs) for animal model of OA. Moreover, the approach presented here can be further utilized in other studies for targeted delivery of the drug of interest at a cellular level.
Water walking as a new mode of free surface skipping

Deformable elastomeric spheres are evaluated experimentally as they skip multiple times over a lake surface. Some spheres are embedded with small inertial measurement units to measure the acceleration experienced during water surface impact. A model for multiple impact events shows good agreement between measured acceleration, number of skipping events and distanced traveled. The experiment reveals a new mode of skipping, “water walking”, which is observed for relatively soft spheres impacting at low impact angles. The mode occurs when the sphere gains significant angular velocity over the first several impacts, causing the sphere to maintain a deformed, oblong shape. The behavior is characterized by the sphere moving nearly parallel to the water surface with the major axis tips dipping below the water surface with each rotation while the shorter sides pass just above, giving the impression that the sphere is walking across the water surface.
A retrospective review of 93 cases of cellular dermatofibromas.

BACKGROUND Cellular dermatofibromas (CDF) are an uncommon variant of benign fibrous histiocytomas with propensity to recur and rarely metastasize as well as demonstrate histologic similarities to more dangerous lesions. OBJECTIVES The aim of this present study was to further describe the presentation and outcome of the cellular variant of benign fibrous histiocytomas so that it can be diagnosed and treated appropriately. METHODS A retrospective chart review was performed on all patients seen in a single hospital system in Detroit, Michigan, from 2007 to 2017. CDF was confirmed by pathology. Baseline demographics, specialty service of diagnosis and treatment, treatment modality, and outcome were collected. RESULTS Of the 93 qualifying patients, the average age at diagnosis was 42.65 years. The most common specialty service that diagnosed and treated patients was dermatology (38.71%). About 95.0% of CDF stained positive for Factor 13A (19/20), and 90.48% were CD34 negative (19/21). Of patients, 33.33% had recurrences of their CDF (9/27). Two patients had three or more recurrences. One patient's death was attributed to the CDF. CONCLUSION CDF have a high local recurrence rate and similarities to more dangerous and malignant lesions. Patients with cellular dermatofibromas present to many subspecialty services for diagnosis and should be treated aggressively.
Health Promotion in Volunteer Firefighters: Assessing Knowledge of Risk for Developing Cardiovascular Disease.

Cardiac events are strongly associated with line of duty deaths among firefighters. Among a convenience sample (N = 14) of volunteer firefighters, a questionnaire assessed their knowledge of cardio...
Understanding Vicarious Trauma, Burnout, and Compassion Fatigue in High-Conflict Divorce:

Family court–involved professionals work regularly with individuals immersed in personal and family crisis stemming from litigation and the high-conflict divorce experience. Regardless of the profe...
Scale and Where the Three Prongs Can Meet

The importance of scale in research and planning for the MCR in the developing world is no longer debatable. This is especially true in the current era of globalization and technological advances transforming traditional scalar hierarchies and creating multiple spatialities. The aspatial, network-based, representational, and discursive roles of scale are also becoming increasingly more consequential. I see scale as the third prong in a coherent tri-pronged approach to sustainable development in the Asian MCR that should be used in conjunction with the other two prongs, as discussed in the previous chapter. I recognize that scale remains a confounding concept, although a paradigmatic shift toward conceptual inclusivity by reconciling its many facets, seems to be taking place in the literature. In this chapter I offer an overview of this shift, followed by a brief look at the framework of the MCR from a bi-scalar perspective, and, given the need to recognize the diversities among (and within) the spaces in the MCR, conclude with one example of how elements of the three prongs can converge into a coherent approach for sustainable planning.
KLF3 Mediates Epidermal Differentiation through the Epigenomic Writer CBP

Impairments in the differentiation process can lead to skin diseases that can afflict ∼20% of the population. Thus, it is of utmost importance to understand the factors that promote the differentiation process. Here we identify the transcription factor KLF3 as a regulator of epidermal differentiation. Knockdown of KLF3 results in reduced differentiation gene expression and increased cell cycle gene expression. Over half of KLF3's genomic binding sites occur at active enhancers. KLF3 binds to active enhancers proximal to differentiation genes that are dependent upon KLF3 for expression. KLF3's genomic binding sites also highly overlaps with CBP, a histone acetyltransferase necessary for activating enhancers. Depletion of KLF3 causes reduced CBP localization at enhancers proximal to differentiation gene clusters, which leads to loss of enhancer activation but not priming. Our results suggest that KLF3 is necessary to recruit CBP to activate enhancers and drive epidermal differentiation gene expression.
FSHB Transcription is Regulated by a Novel 5' Distal Enhancer With a Fertility-Associated Single Nucleotide Polymorphism.

The pituitary gonadotropins, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone, signal the gonads to regulate male and female fertility. FSH is critical for female fertility as it regulates oocyte maturation, ovulation, and hormone synthesis. Multiple genome-wide association studies (GWAS) link a 130 Kb locus at 11p14.1, which encompasses the FSH beta-subunit (FSHB) gene, with fertility-related traits that include polycystic ovary syndrome, age of natural menopause, and dizygotic twinning. The most statistically significant single nucleotide polymorphism from several GWAS studies (rs11031006) resides within a highly conserved 450 bp region 26 Kb upstream of the human FSHB gene. Given that sequence conservation suggests an important biological function, we hypothesized that the region could regulate FSHB transcription. In luciferase assays, the conserved region enhanced FSHB transcription and gel shifts identified a binding site for Steroidogenic factor 1 (SF1) contributing to its function. Analysis of mouse pituitary single-cell ATAC-seq demonstrated open chromatin at the conserved region exclusive to a gonadotrope cell-type cluster. Additionally, enhancer-associated histone markers were identified by immunoprecipitation of chromatin from mouse whole pituitary and an immortalized mouse gonadotrope-derived LβT2 cell line at the conserved region. Furthermore, we found that the rs11031006 minor allele upregulated FSHB transcription via increased SF1 binding to the enhancer. All together, these results identify a novel upstream regulator of FSHB transcription and indicate that rs11031006 can modulate FSH levels.
Experimental Models of Myocardial Ischemia, Reperfusion, and Coronary Steal: Scientific Foundations and Clinical Significance

Summary and Conclusion The occlusion of a coronary artery, acutely, in dog, pig, or man, followed by release after a few seconds or minutes, will not be followed by an infarction. If the occlusion is held for 20 minutes, there will be damage. If the occlusion is maintained for 2 to 6 hours, there will be a point after which release of the ligature will not have measureable benefit. In man, this “golden period” wherein reperfusion, however achieved, is likely to be most beneficial, is probably 2 hours, with perhaps an additional “silver” period (this is my term) of another 2 to 4 hours wherein some functional salvage may be achieved from reperfusion. It is clear that there is a period during which reperfusion will be likely to be associated with some benefit at least during AMI. How much benefit will occur is dependent on many factors including size of the residual stenosis, presence or absence of collateral inflow to the ischemic zone, whether or not abnormal reflexes and/or arrythmias occur during the intervention itself, and presumably other morbidity associated with or as a result of therapeutic interventions. How much benefit will accrue may also be dependent on how myocardial salvage is measured. The question of efficacy of reperfusion is extremely complex and must examine in detail the question of salvage because if the end point is to be measureable, functional improvement, then the results achieved with reperfusion, at least on an experimental basis, are not nearly as encouraging as those achieved when the end point is either regional functional improvement or histologic salvage. Despite this, the latter two methods of measurement do make some sense because it is logical that if there is more tissue alive and functioning at least to some extent, that tissue might be eventually likely to participate in better physiologic quality of life, however difficult the latter is to measure. This observer’s answer to the question “Is there a scientific foundation to the concept that reperfusion during AMI is a worthwhile therapeutic goal?” is a heavily qualified “yes,” given an understanding of the complexity described previously.
Citrullinated vimentin mediates development and progression of lung fibrosis

The mechanisms by which environmental exposures contribute to the pathogenesis of lung fibrosis are unclear. Here, we demonstrate an increase in cadmium (Cd) and carbon black (CB), common components of cigarette smoke (CS) and environmental particulate matter (PM), in lung tissue from subjects with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Cd concentrations were directly proportional to citrullinated vimentin (Cit-Vim) amounts in lung tissue of subjects with IPF. Cit-Vim amounts were higher in subjects with IPF, especially smokers, which correlated with lung function and were associated with disease manifestations. Cd/CB induced the secretion of Cit-Vim in an Akt1- and peptidylarginine deiminase 2 (PAD2)-dependent manner. Cit-Vim mediated fibroblast invasion in a 3D ex vivo model of human pulmospheres that resulted in higher expression of CD26, collagen, and α-SMA. Cit-Vim activated NF-κB in a TLR4-dependent fashion and induced the production of active TGF-β1, CTGF, and IL-8 along with higher surface expression of TLR4 in lung fibroblasts. To corroborate ex vivo findings, mice treated with Cit-Vim, but not Vim, independently developed a similar pattern of fibrotic tissue remodeling, which was TLR4 dependent. Moreover, wild-type mice, but not PAD2-/- and TLR4 mutant (MUT) mice, exposed to Cd/CB generated high amounts of Cit-Vim, in both plasma and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, and developed lung fibrosis in a stereotypic manner. Together, these studies support a role for Cit-Vim as a damage-associated molecular pattern molecule (DAMP) that is generated by lung macrophages in response to environmental Cd/CB exposure. Furthermore, PAD2 might represent a promising target to attenuate Cd/CB-induced fibrosis.
Antiviral effects of oleandrin

More importantly, our published studies demonstrated the safety of the plant extract in the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved Phase I and II clinical trials in cancer patients through the use of our novel drug PBI-05204. [...]that is our current aim for PBI-05204. With respect to oleandrin and extracts containing this molecule, we point out that although toxicity can result in the use of high doses of this molecule, when used appropriately either for cancer or, as suggested, for treatment of certain viral-mediated diseases (including envelope viruses), the compound can be used with both safety and, we hope to prove, clinical efficacy.
Critique regarding commentary on Mitsch et al. (2014) [Protecting the Florida Everglades wetlands with wetlands: Can stormwater phosphorus be reduced to oligotrophic conditions?]

Recent work regarding the usefulness of mesocosms to examine rates of phosphorus retention has attracted commentary. While raising valid concerns about experimental design and the interpretation of results, the commentaries themselves are fraught with positions that cloud rather than clarify the underlying science. The authors in turn draw conclusions constrained by their own contributions to the discipline of Everglades restoration and fail to acknowledge the larger ecological and political context.
Segmentation of 3D RF echocardiography using a multiframe spatio-temporal predictor

We present an approach for segmenting left ventricular endocardial boundaries from RF ultrasound. Segmentation is achieved jointly using an independent identically distributed (i.i.d.) spatial model for RF intensity and a multiframe conditional model. The conditional model relates neighboring frames in the image sequence by means of a computationally efficient linear predictor that exploits spatio-temporal coherence in the data. Segmentation using the RF data overcomes problems due to image inhomogeneities often amplified in B-mode segmentation and provides geometric constraints for RF phase-based speckle tracking. The incorporation of multiple frames in the conditional model significantly increases the robustness and accuracy of the algorithm. Results are generated using between 2 and 5 frames of RF data for each segmentation and are validated by comparison with manual tracings and automated B-mode boundary detection using standard (Chan and Vese-based) level sets on echocardiographic images from 27 3D sequences acquired from 6 canine studies.
Distribution of Income and the Income Tax Burden in Bulgaria

The empirical analysis of Bulgaria's income distribution and income tax burden indicates that the country has low income inequality although this is changing rapidly. The income tax is progressive and contributes significantly to reducing income inequality, and the urban sector pays proportionately more in taxes than the rural sector. Using the 1992 Bulgarian household budget survey, Bogetic and Hassan analyze the distribution of income and of the income tax burden by income and expenditure class and by rural-urban sector. They find: ° Low income inequality (although that is changing rapidly). ° A progressive income tax system. The poor (the lowest two-income decile) pay only 1.4 percent of their per capita income in income tax; the rich (the top decile) pay nearly 6 percent. In-kind income and expenditures are excluded from taxation. ° The urban sector paying proportionately more in taxes than the rural sector. For example, urban households pay 5.3 percent of their per capita income in income tax, whereas the rural sector pays 2.4 percent. ° Income tax contributes significantly to reducing income inequality at both the national and sectoral (rural-urban) level, as the poor pay a smaller share of taxes than their share of national income. These results hold whether income or expenditure is used as an indicator of economic well-being. Bogetic and Hassan caution that as in-kind income becomes monetized and the economy becomes more market-oriented, the system will become less progressive and urban-rural differences will diminish. They contend that the bias toward higher urban taxes is justified to some extent by the fact that urban households benefit more from government services than rural households do. This paper - a product of the Country Operations Division, Europe and Central Asia, Country Department I - is part of a larger effort in the region to analyze the consequences of government public finance policies. This paper is a part of a volume under preparation, Financing Government in the Transition: Bulgaria, edited by Zeljko Bogetic and Arye Hillman. The preparation of the volume is supported by the Bank's Research Support Budget under dissemination grant Taxation and Revenue Adequacy in Transition: Observations and Implications from Bulgaria (RPO 679-60). Fareed Hassan may be contacted at fhassan@worldbank.org.
Government publishing in the Third World: A bibliography of works about Official Publishing in Developing Countries

Abstract This bibliography covers works about government publishing in developing countries over the last 60 years. Material on the publishing of legal, statistical, and central bank material is selectively included. Otherwise, comprehensiveness was the goal. Large federal republics such as Brazil, India and Nigeria are disproportionately represented. This is believed to indicate a greater professional interest in the topic in such countries, whether from the challenge of particularly complex governmental structures or because of the relatively advanced development there of professional education for librarians.
Transport Approximations in Partially Diffusive Media

This paper concerns the analysis of approximations of transport equations in diffusive media. Firstly, we consider a variational formulation for the first-order transport equation that has the correct diffusive behavior in the limit of small mean free paths. The associated bilinear form is shown to be coercive on a classical Hilbert space in transport theory with a constant of coercivity independent of the mean free path. This allows us to obtain the diffusion approximation of transport as an orthogonal projection onto a subspace of functions that are independent of the angular variable. Similarly, projections onto functions that are independent of the angular variable only in subsets of the full domain can be interpreted as a transport-diffusion coupling method. Convergence results based on averaging lemmas and error estimates are presented. Secondly, we address the problem of extended non-scattering layers or filaments surrounded by highly scattering media and derive generalized diffusion equations to model transport in such geometries.
Results from mechanical docking tests of a Morpheus class AUV with a dock designed for an OEX class AUV

This paper reports on a series of experiments done to test the feasibility of docking a Morpheus class autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) on a dock originally designed for the much larger OEX class AUV. These tests were designed to observe the reaction of the vehicle upon impact with the dock and determine the success rate of the mechanical system. The tests were done at sea with the dock resting on the sea floor using divers to start and stop the vehicle for each run. Diver observations and video, as well as logged vehicle sensor data were then used to draw conclusions on the viability of the docking system.
Secure communication scheme for wireless sensor networks to maintain anonymity

In wireless sensor networks it is becoming more and more important for sensor nodes to maintain anonymity while communicating data because of security reasons. Anonymous communication among sensor nodes is important, because sensor nodes want to conceal their identities either being a base station or being a source node. Anonymous communication in wireless sensor networks includes numerous important aspects, for instance base station anonymity, communication association anonymity, and source node anonymity. From the literature, we can observe that existing anonymity schemes for wireless sensor networks either cannot realize the complete anonymities, or they are suffering from various overheads such as enormous memory usage, complex computation, and long communications. This paper is presenting an efficient secure anonymity communication protocol (SACP) for wireless sensor networks that can realize complete anonymities offering minimal overheads with respect to storage, computation and communication costs. The given secure anonymity communication protocol is compared with various existing anonymity protocols, and the performance analysis shows that our protocol accomplishes all three anonymities: sender node anonymity, base station anonymity, and communication association anonymity while using little memory, low communication cost, and small computation costs.
Degradation of MgB/sub 2/ thin films in water

We have studied the degradation of MgB/sub 2/ thin films, grown by hybrid physical-chemical vapor deposition (HPCVD), by submerging MgB/sub 2/ films into de-ionized water at different temperatures. The thickness, room temperature resistance, and superconducting transition were measured as a function of time in water and the temperature of the water. Results show that the films degrade faster at room temperature than at 0/spl deg/C. The room temperature resistance increases with time. The thickness of the MgB/sub 2/ films decreases rapidly initially, but then saturates. The resultant material is amorphous and insulating. Both T/sub c/(onset) and T/sub c/(0) of the MgB/sub 2/ films decrease with time in water, while the superconducting transition become broader. The effects of the exposure to other solvents and photoresist were also studied, and it was found that isopropanol does not cause MgB/sub 2/ films to degrade.
Design and Test of Genetic Circuits Using ${\tt iBioSim}$ iBioSim

The simulation of biological systems prior to their physical implementation can save time, money, and potentially provide insights into alternate designs. This paper presents a simulation environment which allows for a visual design process ultimately leading to a formal model which can be efficiently simulated.
A novel circuit model for PEM fuel cells

The proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell is being investigated as an alternate power source for various applications like transportation and emergency power supplies. The paper presents a novel circuit model for a PEM fuel cell that can be used to design and analyze fuel-cell power system. The PSPICE-based model uses BJTs and LC elements available in the PSPICE library with some modification. The model includes the phenomena like activation polarization, ohmic polarization, and mass transport effect present in a PEM fuel cell. The static and dynamic characteristics obtained through simulation are compared with experimental results obtained on a commercial fuel-cell module. The performance of the fuel cell module when feeding a boost converter is studied and the waveforms are presented.
Stroke volume decline during prolonged exercise is influenced by the increase in heart rate

This study determined whether the decline in stroke volume (SV) during prolonged exercise is related to an increase in heart rate (HR) and/or an increase in cutaneous blood flow (CBF). Seven active...
When a funnel becomes a martini glass: Adolescent performance on the Boston Naming Test

The Boston Naming Test (BNT), a component of the Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination, is often used by neuropsychologists to assess confrontation naming. Research indicates that performance on the BNT is impacted by a variety of factors including age, gender, measured intelligence, educational attainment, vocabulary knowledge, level of acculturation, and ethnicity. Extant normative data are available for adults and for younger children; however, descriptive data are lacking for neurologically intact adolescents. The current study obtained normative data for the BNT, second edition in 15- to 18-year-old adolescents. The sample included 200 participants (100 male, 100 female) who were screened to exclude individuals with neurologic, psychiatric, or academic difficulties. There were no statistically significant differences in BNT scores based on gender, age, or grade. Normative means and standard deviations, collapsed across age and gender, are provided. The relationship of the current data to existing child and adult norms, as well as the clinical utility of examining individual item responses for the BNT in this sample are addressed.
Non-HIV PML: A Case of PML in an Immunocompetent Patient with a Retrospective Review on Non-HIV PML Risk Factors (P4.320)

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to present a case of non-HIV PML in an immunocompetent patient, as well as perform a retrospective analysis of patients diagnosed with PML within our health system over the past 12.5 years. The prevalence of non-HIV PML and the associated risk factors will be presented. Since this is a relatively rare disease, we aim to increase the number of cases that have been analyzed and compare them to previously published data. In addition, our population is from a predominantly rural catchment area. BACKGROUND: Non-HIV PML is a rare disease (1) that is becoming more frequent with the increasing use of immunosuppressant medications. A review of recently published by the Mayo Clinic (2) revealed 58 cases of non-HIV PML, along with the prevalence of associated risk factors. Further review of the literature provided one case of an 80 year old male with no known risk factors (3). DESIGN/METHODS: Observational case report with retrospective chart review. RESULTS: With approximately 50 cases of PML identified, we anticipate about 20% will be non-HIV associated. Risk factors for each patient will be evaluated, including immunosuppressant medications for the year prior to diagnosis. Our analysis will be compared with that of the review published by the Mayo Clinic and a recent review of a large insurance data base (1)to pool and compare data in a relatively rare disease. CONCLUSIONS: Non-HIV PML remains a relatively rare disease. PML is increasing with more frequent use of immunosuppressant medications. As more information is being collected and analyzed in this disease, we are better able to assess relative risks associated with various causes and therefore decrease incidence of non-HIV associated PML. Disclosure: Dr. Graves has nothing to disclose. Dr. Bambach has nothing to disclose. Dr. Hosey has nothing to disclose. Dr. Hosey has nothing to disclose.
Design of the 200 GeV Slow Extracted Beam at NAL

The design criteria for the slow beam are given, and the methods for achieving high extraction efficiency are discussed.
William Carlos Williams

Williams Carlos Williams was a physician and a poet. He suffered from multiple episodes of major depression, and had post-stroke depressions in later life; yet, he remained a productive writer until a few years prior before his death, at age 80. The structure, style, and content of Williams' writings evolved continually, and he received a Pulitzer Prize posthumously for poetry written during his later life. The authors discuss factors that seem to be associated with his successful coping with mental illness. Williams' life helps challenge the negative stereotypes associated with serious mental illness and aging.
Differences in Distribution of Myocardial Abnormalities in Patients with Obstructive and Nonobstructive Asymmetric Septal Hypertrophy (ASH) Light and Electron Microscopic Findings

Previous studies have shown that abnormal cellular morphology is present in the ventricular septum of patients with asymmetric septal hypertrophy (ASH). The present study was undertaken to determine whether these morphologic abnormalities are limited to the ventricular septum of patients with ASH or are more diffusely distributed throughout the heart, and whether different patterns of distribution of the cellular abnormalities exist in patients with and patients without left ventricular outflow obstruction. Myocardium was obtained at operation or necropsy from 22 patients, including 14 with obstructive and eight with non-obstructive ASH, and studied by both light and electron microscopy. Many hypertrophied, bizarrely shaped, and abnormally arranged cardiac muscle cells, presumably a morphologic manifestation of the genetically transmitted myocardial defect in ASH, were present in the ventricular septum of all patients. In patients with obstructive ASH, these abnormalities were either absent or rarely found in muscle from the left and right ventricular free walls. This observation suggests that functional limitation in these patients is due largely to left ventricular outflow obstruction. In contrast, numerous disorganized cells were extensively distributed in the left and right ventricular feee walls from seven of eight symptomatic patients with non-obstructive ASH, suggesting that these abnormalities probably contribute importantly to functional impairment in such patients.
Multiple cutaneous, oropharyngeal and pulmonary nodules

Summary Erdheim–Chester disease (ECD) is a rare non-Langerhans cell histiocytosis defined by heterogeneous multiorgan involvement. Due to the rarity of this disease strong evidence-based therapies have yet to be established and prognosis has previously been considered to be poor, with more than half of patients dying within 3 years of initial presentation. We describe an 86-year-old woman with a 34-year history of extensive cutaneous and internal nodules with typical pathological and immunophenotypical (CD68+/CD1a−) features of ECD without evidence of the BRAF V600E mutation. The cosmetic appearance of cutaneous nodules and hoarse voice caused by vocal cord nodules has been managed surgically. More aggressive therapies reported for ECD were trialled for this patient, such as radiotherapy and interferon-α, with no response. This case demonstrates a relatively good prognosis in ECD that has been managed conservatively.
Vaginal birth after cesarean: an appraisal of fetal risk.

Abstract Objective: To expand on prior investigations and further evaluate the fetal risk associated with vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) by examining the incidence not only of a depressed Apgar score at 5 minutes but also of fetal acidemia. Methods: Between January 1, 1991, and December 31, 1996, the following groups of patients who delivered a singleton fetus with birth weight greater than 750 g were identified: 2082 patients with one or more prior cesarean deliveries who were allowed a trial of labor, 1677 of whom delivered vaginally and 405 of whom delivered by repeat cesarean; 920 patients delivered by elective repeat cesarean; 22,863 patients without a prior cesarean who delivered vaginally; and 2432 patients delivered by primary cesarean after laboring. Umbilical cord arterial blood gases were obtained in 88.3% of these deliveries. Comparisons of Apgar scores at 5 minutes and umbilical cord arterial pH measurements were made between groups with χ2 or Fisher exact test, and odds ratios (ORs) were calculated. Results: The only significant differences were noted between those patients who delivered vaginally after a prior cesarean and those patients who delivered vaginally without a prior cesarean. Neonates in the successful VBAC group were more likely to have an Apgar score at 5 minutes less than 7 (OR 1.52) or an umbilical arterial pH less than 7.1 (OR 1.69). Those neonates, however, were not at greater risk for an Apgar score less than 4 or a pH less than 7.0. Conclusion: Our experience suggests that VBAC poses a low level of fetal risk, although a much larger sample size would be required to exclude a two-fold increase in potentially damaging fetal acidemia.
Surgical treatment of multiple spine metastases from gastrinoma.

Study design: Case report. Clinical question: To report successful surgical therapy for spinal cord compression in a patient with spinal metastases from a pancreatic gastrinoma. Methods: A 43-year-old man presented three times within 4 years with cervical and upper thoracic spinal cord compression because of metastatic gastrinoma. He had two previous spine metastases to the lower thoracic and lumbar spine, a T11 compressive lesion which required a T9L1 fusion, and an L4 lesion that was treated with chemotherapy and stereotactic radiation. The compression was relieved each time by surgery. Results: The patient underwent three surgeries in 4 years: (1) debulking and removal of the rib head on the left at T3, and debulking of the tumor at T3 with hemilaminectomy and spinal cord decompression with internal fixation from T1–T5 using posterolateral instrumented fusion and allograft; (2) anterior C7 corpectomy with placement of a cage from C7–T1 with both anterior and posterior fusion of C2C7; and (3) T1–T3 laminectomy, T1–T3 exploration of wound, revision of hardware, T1–T3 removal of spinal tumor, and T3 bilateral transpedicular circumferential decompression. The patient is alive and regained the ability to walk 8 years after initial diagnosis, despite the appearance of spinal metastases 1 year after the diagnosis of liver metastases. Conclusion: Surgery for spinal cord compression in patients with metastatic neuroendocrine tumors can be effective in relieving radicular pain, weakness and numbness, and while not curative can greatly improve quality of life.
Special imaging casebook. Neonate with osteogenesis imperfecta and asplenia syndrome with horseshoe adrenal.

Special Imaging Casebook: Neonate With Osteogenesis Imperfecta and Asplenia Syndrome With Horseshoe Adrenal
Intra-articular corticosteroid injections in osteoarthritis: do they work and if so, how?

Intra-articular (IA) corticosteroids are recommended in several guidelines for the treatment of patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA).1 2 They are also widely used: a recent survey of rheumatologists in the United States suggesting that over 95% use them at least ‘sometimes’ and 53% ‘frequently’.3 Before considering mechanisms of action of IA corticsteroids we should first consider the evidence that they are effective in OA. A recent systematic review 4 summarised evidence from five controlled studies of IA corticosteroid in patients with OA knee. Using a quality rating system (originally designed to assess methodology and reporting of NSAID studies), critical analysis showed that none of the studies achieved a score of more than 3 out of a possible 8 for design. It would not be unreasonable, therefore, to conclude that our knowledge of the efficacy of corticosteroid in OA is based on inadequate data. Table 1 summarises the five studies, and two more recent studies. Generally, they show a positive effect but one that is short lived and confounded by a powerful response to placebo (in all cases an equal volume of saline). In one study,5 for example, both placebo and corticosteroid groups showed significant decreases in pain at one week, lasting for the duration of the study (eight weeks). A more recent double blind, placebo controlled, crossover study 6found a significantly greater decrease in pain with corticosteroid than placebo at three weeks. The inability to detect an effect of corticosteroids beyond three weeks may reflect insensitivity of pain as an outcome measure, rather than a lack of corticosteroid effect. View this table: Table 1 Controlled trials of intra-articular corticosteroids in OA (modified with permission from ref 4). All drugs given by intra-articular injection unless otherwise stated There is, therefore, some discordance between the modest and short lived benefit over placebo seen …
Numerical Simulation of the Exchange Process Within a Shallow Bar-built Estuary

Great South Bay is the largest of a series of interconnected bar-built estuaries on the south shore of Long Island, New York. The depth-averaged barotropic motions in the bay were simulated by using a finite element two-dimensional numerical model. The barotropic motions were driven with astronomical tides, subtidal coastal sea level fluctuations induced by longshore wind stress over the adjacent continental shelf, and local wind stress over the surface of the bay. There was vigorous exchange at tidal frequencies between the western part of Great South Bay and the surrounding waters, but the tidal exchange was heavily damped in the eastern part of the bay. At subtidal frequencies the volume exchange did not exhibit significant attenuation in the interior of the bay. In the eastern part of Great South Bay, the magnitude of the subtidal volume exchange could exceed that of the tidal exchange. The principal mode of subtidal volume exchange was found to be associated with subtidal sea level fluctuations along the coast, which characteristically caused a filling or emptying of the system from all open boundaries of Great South Bay.
Enhanced reduction of perchlorate by elemental iron at elevated temperatures

Abstract Kinetics of perchlorate reduction by elemental iron was examined at elevated temperatures using microwave heating and conventional block heating. It was hypothesized that increasing the solution temperature may accelerate the reduction of perchlorate by overcoming the high activation energy barrier. Results from microwave heating study showed that 98% of aqueous perchlorate was removed in 1 h at 200 °C. Similar results observed in control experiments with a block heater indicated that the enhancement in the extent and rate of perchlorate removal by elemental iron was mostly due to heat energy at high temperature. The rapid and complete reduction of perchlorate by elemental iron at elevated temperatures suggests that iron reduction process at elevated temperature may be an option to consider for complete removal of perchlorate from industrial discharges.
Sex differences in vascular and endothelial responses to acute mental stress.

Objective Our objective was to assess the differences in systemic vascular and endothelial function in response to acute mental stress between men and women. The endothelium plays a pivotal role in vascular homeostasis and the development of atherosclerotic heart disease. The mechanism and presentation of cardiovascular events show a sex-based difference, although the sex difference in the vascular and endothelial response to mental stress is not known.
Measurement of absolute differential excitation cross sections of molecular oxygen by electron impact: Decomposition of the Herzberg pseudocontinuum

Using a crossed-beam method, we have measured electron energy-loss spectra for excitation of the Herzberg pseudocontinuum of molecular oxygen. The scattering angle and electron-impact energy ranges covered were from 12\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} to 156\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} and from 10 to 30 eV, respectively. We decomposed the spectra into contributions from three superposed Gaussian line shapes by means of computerized least-squares analysis. The three line shapes were identified as representing excitation of the $A{}^{3}{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}_{u}^{+},$ ${A}^{\ensuremath{'}}{}^{3}{\ensuremath{\Delta}}_{u},$ and $c{}^{1}{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}_{u}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ states. Absolute differential and integrated cross sections for all three states' excitations were obtained, along with linear electronic potential-energy curves for the Franck-Condon region.
Cottontail rabbit papillomavirus infection in a desert cottontail (Sylvilagus audubonii) from Colorado, USA.

A wild-caught desert cottontail rabbit (Sylvilagus audubonii) from Colorado was observed to have large, pedunculated, dark cutaneous lesions on its abdomen and cylindri- cal masses on its mouth. Morphologically, the masses were consistent with previous reports of virally induced papillomas. Subsequent DNA analysis indicated widespread infection with cottontail rabbit papillomavirus.
Locally-calibrated light transmission visualization methods to quantify nonaqueous phase liquid mass in porous media

Abstract Five locally-calibrated light transmission visualization (LTV) methods were tested to quantify nonaqueous phase liquid (NAPL) mass and mass reduction in porous media. Tetrachloroethylene (PCE) was released into a two-dimensional laboratory flow chamber packed with water-saturated sand which was then flushed with a surfactant solution (2% Tween 80) until all of the PCE had been dissolved. In all the LTV methods employed here, the water phase was dyed, rather than the more common approach of dyeing the NAPL phase, such that the light adsorption characteristics of NAPL did not change as dissolution progressed. Also, none of the methods used here required the use of external calibration chambers. The five visualization approaches evaluated included three methods developed from previously published models, a binary method, and a novel multiple wavelength method that has the advantage of not requiring any assumptions about the intra-pore interface structure between the various phases (sand/water/NAPL). The new multiple wavelength method is also expected to be applicable to any translucent porous media containing two immiscible fluids (e.g., water-air, water-NAPL). Results from the sand-water-PCE system evaluated here showed that the model that assumes wetting media of uniform pore size (Model C of Niemet and Selker, 2001 ) and the multiple wavelength model with no interface structure assumptions were able to accurately quantify PCE mass reduction during surfactant flushing. The average mass recoveries from these two imaging methods were greater than 95% for domain-average NAPL saturations of approximately 2.6 × 10 − 2 , and were approximately 90% during seven cycles of surfactant flushing that sequentially reduced the average NAPL saturation to 7.5 × 10 − 4 .
A Theoretical Account of Translation - Without a Translation Theory

Abstract: This paper argues that the phenomenon commonly referred to as "translation" can be accounted for naturally within the relevance theory of communication developed by Sperber and Wilson: there is no need for a distinct general theory of translation. Most kinds of translation can be analysed as varieties of interpretive use. I distinguish direct from indirect translation. Direct translation corresponds to the idea that translation should convey the same meaning as the original. It requires the receptors to familiarise themselves with the context envisaged for the original text. The idea that the meaning of the original can be communicated to any receptor audience, no matter how different their background, is shown to be a misconception based on mistaken assumptions about communication. Indirect translation involves looser degrees of resemblance. Direct translation is merely a special case of interpretive use, whereas indirect translation is the general case. In all cases the success of the translation depends on how well it meets the basic criterion for all human communication, which is consistency with the principle of relevance. Thus the different varieties of translation can be accounted for without recourse to typologies of texts, translations, functions or the like.Resume: Cet article veut rendre compte du phenomene communement appele "traduction", en le rapportant a la theorie de la communication pertinente mise au point par Sperber et Wilson, sans faire appel a une theorie generale de la traduction. La plupart des types de traduction peuvent s'analyser en tant que varietes d'un usage interpretatif. La traduction directe est distincte de la traduction indirecte; elle repond a Videe que la traduction doit avoir la meme signification que l'original, et appelle les recepteurs a se familiariser avec le contexte de ce dernier. Que la signification puisse etre transmise a toutes les audiences, dont les arriere-plans sont souvent tres differents, apparait comme une meprise fondee sur une conception abusive de la communication. La traduction indirecte entraine un degre moins eleve de ressemblance. Elle s'impose comme la regle generale, alors que la traduction directe est un cas particulier d'usage interpretatif. Dans tous les cas, le succes de la traduction depend de ses aptitudes a respecter le critere fondamental de toute communication humaine: le lien avec le principe de la pertinence. Ainsi, les varietes traductives s'expliquent sans recours a des typologies de textes, de traductions ou de fonctions.
More results in the convergence of iterative methods for the symetric linear complementarity problem

In an earlier paper, the author has given some necessary and sufficient conditions for the convergence of iterative methods for solving the linear complementarity problem. These conditions may be viewed as global in the sense that they apply to the methods regardless of the constant vector in the linear complementarity problem. More precisely, the conditions characterize a certain class of matrices for which the iterative methods will converge, in a certain sense, to a solution of the linear complementarity problem for all constant vectors. In this paper, we improve on our previous results and establish necessary and sufficient conditions for the convergence of iterative methods for solving each individual linear complementarity problem with a fixed constant vector. Unlike the earlier paper, our present analysis applies only to the symmetric linear complementarity problem. Various applications to a strictly convex quadratic program are also given.
Increased plasma concentrations of prostacyclin metabolite 6-keto-PGF1α in essential hypertension

To evaluate the role of the vasoactive prostaglandins prostacyclin and thromboxane A2 in essential hypertension, the stable metabolites 6-keto-PGF1 alpha and thromboxane B2, respectively, were measured in plasma before and after therapy in 7 patients. During the placebo phase, plasma 6-keto-PGF1 alpha levels were significantly greater than normal. Plasma thromboxane B2 levels were not statistically different from those in normal subjects. After intravenous administration of labetalol to the point of blood pressure reduction, neither plasma 6-keto-PGF1 alpha nor thromboxane B2 values changed. With prolonged oral labetalol therapy and concurrent regulation of blood pressure, a significant decrease in plasma 6-keto-PGF1 alpha levels occurred while thromboxane B2 values remained unaltered. Elevation of plasma 6-keto-PGF1 alpha in untreated hypertensive subjects suggests that enhanced vessel wall prostacyclin synthesis may be a protective mechanism to prevent organ damage. As blood pressure is controlled this increase is no longer needed, and prostacyclin generation returns to normal.
Rapid determination of protein molecular weight by the Ferguson method and multiplexed capillary electrophoresis.

A method based on the use of the Ferguson method and multiplexed sodium dodecyl sulfate−capillary gel electrophoresis (SDS−CGE) with UV detection was demonstrated for the rapid determination of molecular weights of proteins. The method employs a capillary array where different uncoated capillaries are filled with gel buffers containing different concentrations of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO). All data required to construct Ferguson plots and universal calibration curves for the determination of the molecular weights of diverse types of proteins are generated simultaneously in an eight-capillary array within 20 min. Keywords: electrophoresis • SDS−PAGE • size separation