cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
"Electronic Cigarettes" Are Not Cigarettes, and Why That Matters

As the prevalence rates of cigarette use have declined over the past decade, use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) continues to increase, and companies are heavily invested in manufacturing new e-cigarette products. Scientists are therefore studying e-cigarette use at a rapid rate, generally by conceptualizing e-cigarettes as similar to traditional cigarettes in their use and effects. Thinking of e-cigarettes as largely comparable with cigarettes, however, fails to capture the unique e-cigarette capabilities, user experiences, and effects on nicotine dependence and even health. Assuming that e-cigarette users puff on their devices as they do cigarettes to attain doses of nicotine comparable in magnitude and asking questions about e-cigarette use modeled after how smoking behavior has been usually assessed (eg, puff number, duration, number of cigarettes per day) may miss important differences. A greater appreciation of the distinct uniqueness of e-cigarettes, as compared with cigarettes, will help to accelerate innovative research on e-cigarettes and other electronic devices, leading to new theoretical models and behavioral measures. Implications With research about electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) rapidly increasing, this commentary addresses the conceptualization of e-cigarettes as similar to traditional cigarettes. The more we attempt to understand and measure e-cigarettes as equivalent to cigarettes, the more likely research may err in conclusions about these unique devices. Our commentary notes how using unique conceptualizations and measures for e-cigarettes will help accelerate new research.
Accuracy of Three-Dimensional Soft Tissue Prediction in Orthognathic Cases Using Dolphin Three-Dimensional Software.

Introduction Orthodontists and surgeons have been looking for more accurate methods to plan and predict surgical outcomes in patients with skeletal discrepancies. Methods The sample consisted of 20 subjects from the surgical clinic of a graduate orthodontic program who had been treated with Le Fort I maxillary movement, bisagittal split osteotomy, with or without genioplasty. All subjects had to have preoperative (T0) and at least 6 months postoperative (T1) cone-beam computed tomographies that were imported to Dolphin three-dimensional (3D) software version 11.9 in digital imaging and communications in medicine format. Three-dimensional voxel-based superimposition on the cranial base was performed for T0 and T1 to accurately measure the skeletal surgical movements. A virtual orthognathic surgery was performed on T0 to mimic the actual skeletal osteotomies using the treatment simulation tool in Dolphin 3D. A prediction 3D soft tissue image (Tp) was generated based on the Dolphin virtual skeletal planning. The differences between Tp and T1 for all patients were measured using linear and angular measurements visualized by surface mapping. Results Significant differences were found between Tp and T1 in Nasolabial angle, Soft tissue A point, and Subalar area. Conclusions The soft tissue prediction accuracy after double jaw surgery using Dolphin 3D is limited in some areas, especially upper lip and base of the nose.
MHV-A59 gene 1 proteins are associated with two distinct membrane populations.

All of the stages of Coronavirus replication that have been investigated have been shown to occur on or within intracellular membranes. We and others have shown that mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) RNA synthesis occurs in association with intracellular membranes (Bi et al., 1998; Denison et al., 1999; Dennis and Brian, 1982; Sethna and Brian, 1997; Shi et al., 1999; van der Meer et al., 1999). Several proteins processed from the gene 1 (replicase gene) polyprotein have been shown by immunofluorescence and electron microscopic approaches to be associated with intracellular membranes. Specifically, membranes containing markers for late endosomes have been shown to be sites of localization of newly synthesized viral RNA as well as at least one of the mature gene 1 proteins (van der Meer et al., 1999). However, different patterns of gene 1 protein localization and interaction have been reported in the settings of distinct cell types, experimental approaches and virus strains. Most recently, it has been shown by confocal microscopic analysis of MHV-A59 infected cells that multiple replicase gene proteins as well as structural proteins may not completely colocalize but rather are organized in closely associated or “interdigitated” membranes, suggesting that proteins involved in MHV RNA synthesis may be localized to more than one membrane population (Bost et al., 2000).
Arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian hybridizable discontinuous Galerkin methods for incompressible flow with moving boundaries and interfaces

Abstract We present a class of Arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian hybridizable discontinuous Galerkin methods for the incompressible flow with moving boundaries and interfaces including two-phase flow with surface tension.
Ecological worldview, agricultural or natural resource-based activities, and geography affect perceived importance of ecosystem services

Abstract Understanding public perceptions of the importance of ecosystem services (ES) is crucial for the development and communication of sustainable management and policies. Yet public perspectives on ES and their sociocultural and geographic patterns are not well understood. This study asks: Which ES are perceived as more or less important by the general public?; Which ES are considered most similar when the public are asked to evaluate the importance of specific water, agricultural and natural resources ES?; And, what individual and geographic factors are associated with perceived importance of different ES? We conducted a survey of residents in an urban and agricultural watershed in the U.S. Upper Midwest (n = 1136). This study asked respondents about a wider range of ES than is typical, and examines how ecological worldviews influence the perceived importance of ES. Respondents rated regional provision of drinking and surface water quality, clean lakes and rivers for wildlife, and a reliable supply of drinking and surface water most important. Those with a stronger ecological worldview tended to rate natural areas and processes as more important and agricultural products as less important than respondents with a more anthropocentric worldview. Perceived importance of various ES was also predicted by other individual-level factors relating to livelihood, outdoor recreation, and proximity to lakes, forests and agriculture. For example, respondents with livelihoods dependent on agriculture rated agricultural products and rural character highly. These findings bolster the case for more context-specific assessments of public importance ratings for environmental benefits to inform planning and management.
Cancer incidence and mortality following treatment of hyperthyroidism with radioactive iodine.

Purpose of review Hyperthyroidism is a commonly encountered clinical issue. Radioactive iodine is one of the treatment modalities employed over the last 80 years. Prior studies are conflicting as to whether radioactive iodine is associated with an increased risk of subsequent malignancy and associated mortality. The present article reviews recent publications on this subject. Recent findings Two recent studies make meaningful contributions to the existing literature; however, data remain inconsistent. The first, conducted using the Clalit Health Services database, evaluated solid tumor incidence after radioactive iodine and found no association with increased risk of solid tumor malignancy. The second, which is an updated analysis of the Cooperative Thyrotoxicosis Therapy Follow-up Study, concluded that there is a dose-dependent increased risk of solid tumor mortality using a novel method of estimating organ-specific radiation exposure. Summary In patients with hyperthyroidism, radioactive iodine is a popular and effective treatment option. Prior studies reach conflicting conclusions on the potential relationship between radioactive iodine and both subsequent cancer incidence and mortality. We review recent publications that add to our understanding of this important clinical question.
Frontal Cortical Monoamine Release, Attention, and Working Memory in a Perinatal Nicotine Exposure Mouse Model Following Kappa Opioid Receptor Antagonism.

Perinatal nicotine exposure (PNE) produces frontal cortical hypo-dopaminergic state and attention and working memory deficits consistent with neurodevelopmental disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Methylphenidate alleviates ADHD symptoms by increasing extracellular dopamine and noradrenaline. Kappa opioid receptor (KOR) antagonism may be another mechanism to achieve the same results because KOR activation inhibits frontal cortical dopamine release. We administered the selective KOR antagonist norbinaltorphimine (norBNI) (20 mg/kg; intraperitoneal) or methylphenidate (0.75 mg/kg; intraperitoneal) to PNE mouse model and examined frontal cortical monoamine release, attention, and working memory. Both compounds increased dopamine and noradrenaline release but neither influenced serotonin release. Both compounds improved object-based attention and working memory in the PNE group, with norBNI's effects evident at 2.5 h and 5.5 h but absent at 24 h. Methylphenidate's effects were evident at 0.5 h but not at 2.5 h. norBNI's effects temporally coincided with frontal cortical c-Jun N-terminal kinase phosphorylation. norBNI did not alter tissue dopamine content in the nucleus accumbens, offering preliminary support for lack of reinforcement.
R CrA SMM 1A: FRAGMENTATION IN A PRESTELLAR CORE

We report the discovery of multiple condensations in the prestellar core candidate SMM 1A in the R Corona Australis cloud, which may represent the earliest phase of core fragmentation observed thus far. The separation between the condensations is between 1000 and 2100 AU, and their masses range from about 0.1 to 0.2 M ☉. We find that the three condensations have extremely low bolometric luminosities (<0.1 L ☉) and temperatures (<20 K), indicating that these are young sources that have yet to form protostars. We suggest that these sources were formed through the fragmentation of an elongated prestellar core. Our results, in concert with other observed protostellar binary systems with separations in the scale of 1000 AU, support the scenario that prompt fragmentation in the isothermal collapse phase is an efficient mechanism for wide binary star formation, while the fragmentation in the subsequent adiabatic phase may be an additional mechanism for close (≤100 AU) binary star formation.
A Case for Vibrant Library Consortia and for the Academic Libraries of Indiana (ALI): As Much and More

A few months ago I was in a conversation about the fiscal and sustainability challenges facing higher education. Discussion turned to the duplication of efforts among institutions. I suggested that libraries had a record of success along these lines from smaller to larger cooperative efforts. No sooner had I spoken than a colleague was quick to suggest, "But you are librarians. You're about service, not wielding power or building domains." That does suggest something of our situation. We may be recognized as players in teaching, research, and administration, but we do not often sit at the big table where power and resources are brokered. Still, I find the record of accomplishment of libraries working together to be a source of professional pride and also a suggestion that there are other areas for institutional cooperation to be explored. I believe this speaks to a general disposition among librarians aiming toward a common mission, though variably expressed, that seeks to connect people with information for learning, personal enrichment, and meaningful leisure.
Studies of neurofilaments that accumulate in proximal axons of rats intoxicated with β,β′-iminodipropionitrile (IDPN)

The paradigm of IDPN neuropathy was produced in rats in order to examine the neurofilaments (NFs) that accumulate in the proximal motor and sensory axons of intoxicated animals, and to compare the aggregated NFs with control NFs and with the depleted populations of NFs in the distal portions of the same experimental nerves. NFs were probed biochemically and histochemically, using a large and well-characterized library of monoclonal antibodies that included antibodies that are monospecific for each of the rat NF protein subunits (NF-H, NF-M, and NF-L) as well as antibodies that recognized differential phosphorylated states of rat NF-H and NF-M. All antibodies tested showed enhanced immunostaining of enlarged axons and of large spheroids in the spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia of experimental animals. Biochemical analyses of IDPN-treated animals revealed enrichment of NF-H, NF-M, and NF-L in homogenates of dorsal root ganglia and of proximal motor and sensory nerve roots as well as depletion of the three subunits in distal nerve roots and in sciatic nerves. Immunoblots revealed a uniform enrichment of NF-H, NF-M, and NF-L in NF aggregates as well as the same admixture of phosphorylated and dephosphorylated epitopes of NF-H and NF-M in experimental and in control tissues. The global increase of immunoreactivity in axonal swellings to antibodies that react with phosphorylated, nonphosphorylated,and phosphorylation-independent NF epitopes suggests that IDPN induces an accumulation of NFs in proximal axons without necessarily altering the state of NF phosphorylation.
Electrokinetically driven deterministic lateral displacement for particle separation in microfluidic devices

An electrokinetically driven deterministic lateral displacement device is proposed for the continuous, two-dimensional fractionation of suspensions in microfluidic platforms. The suspended species are driven through an array of regularly spaced cylindrical posts by applying an electric field across the device. We explore the entire range of orientations of the driving field with respect to the array of obstacles and show that, at specific forcing angles, particles of different size migrate in different directions, thus enabling continuous, two-dimensional separation. We discuss a number of features observed in the motion of the particles, including directional locking and sharp transitions between migration angles upon variations in the direction of the force, that are advantageous for high-resolution two-dimensional separation. A simple model based on individual particle–obstacle interactions accurately describes the migration angle of the particles depending on the orientation of the driving field and can be used to reconfigure the electric field depending on the composition of the samples.
Community Characteristics and Readmissions: Hospitals in Jeopardy: Abstract

Objective: The purpose was to identify community characteristics that contribute to reductions in readmission rates and reimbursement penalties for hospital systems in upstate New York. Methods: Hospitals in upstate NY were selected (N = 94). Using an ex post facto design and the ecological model, community characteristics of hospital systems were analyzed and coded. Independent t-tests, ANOVA, and Pearson Correlation tests were conducted. Results: Characteristicscorrelated with reduced hospital readmission rates and reimbursement penalties included hospitals (1) with critical access status; (2) located in counties with a better county health rank; and (3) located in a primary care shortage area that utilized house calls. Discussion: Implications include supporting policies that increase access to services, improve formulas for reimbursement, and encourage innovation in care delivery models. Future research efforts should focus on house calls in primary care shortage areas. Keywords: readmission rates, ecological model, house calls, community health DOI: https://doi.org/10.14574/ojrnhc.v21i1.638
Effects of Wearing Face Masks While Using Different Speaking Styles in Noise on Speech Intelligibility During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic has resulted in the recommended/required use of face masks in public. The use of a face mask compromises communication, especially in the presence of competing noise. It is crucial to measure the potential effects of wearing face masks on speech intelligibility in noisy environments where excessive background noise can create communication challenges. The effects of wearing transparent face masks and using clear speech to facilitate better verbal communication were evaluated in this study. We evaluated listener word identification scores in the following four conditions: (1) type of mask condition (i.e., no mask, transparent mask, and disposable face mask), (2) presentation mode (i.e., auditory only and audiovisual), (3) speaking style (i.e., conversational speech and clear speech), and (4) with two types of background noise (i.e., speech shaped noise and four-talker babble at -5 signal-to-noise ratio). Results indicate that in the presence of noise, listeners performed less well when the speaker wore a disposable face mask or a transparent mask compared to wearing no mask. Listeners correctly identified more words in the audiovisual presentation when listening to clear speech. Results indicate the combination of face masks and the presence of background noise negatively impact speech intelligibility for listeners. Transparent masks facilitate the ability to understand target sentences by providing visual information. Use of clear speech was shown to alleviate challenging communication situations including compensating for a lack of visual cues and reduced acoustic signals.
Factors associated with a change in disposition for mental health patients boarding in an urban Paediatric emergency department.

AIM Paediatric emergency departments (ED) nationwide experience a shared burden of boarding mental health patients. Whilst boarding, some patients have a change in disposition from hospitalization to discharge home. This phenomenon raises concern because EDs often have scarce resources for mental health patients. We sought to understand which patient and clinical factors are associated with a change in disposition outcome. METHODS A nested age-sex-race frequency-matched case-control study was conducted including paediatric patients who presented to an urban PED for mental healthcare over a 36-month period. Control patients included patients admitted to an inpatient psychiatric facility, whilst case patients were those discharged home. Descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to compare groups. RESULTS Case patients were more likely to receive intramuscular Haloperidol (OR 2.2 [CI 1.1-4.4]) for agitation and a psychiatric consult (OR 2.3 [1.4-3.9]) whilst boarding. Case patients were also more likely to present with behavioural concerns (OR 1.8 [CI 1.1-3.1]) and have additional complexities such as medical comorbidities (OR 1.8 [CI 1.1-2.9]) or suicidal ideation/attempt (OR 2.6 [CI 1.1-6.1]). Amongst the most common themes for disposition change was improved patient status (58.8%). CONCLUSION These findings suggest that boarding mental health patients have different disposition outcomes and thus may benefit from patient-specific treatment interventions. Given that patients' statuses may change during the boarding period prompting discharge to home, more focus should be directed to developing brief evidence-based practises that may be implemented in the ED and effectively bridge the gap to outpatient mental health services.
Changes in Hydration Factors Over the Course of Heat Acclimation in Endurance Athletes.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of heat acclimation (HA) on thirst levels, sweat rate, and percentage of body mass loss (%BML), and changes in fluid intake factors throughout HA induction. Twenty-eight male endurance athletes (mean ± SD; age, 35 ± 12 years; body mass, 73.0 ± 8.9 kg; maximal oxygen consumption, 57.4 ± 6.8 ml·kg-1·min-1) completed 60 min of exercise in a euhydrated state at 58.9 ± 2.3% velocity of maximal oxygen consumption in the heat (ambient temperature, 35.0 ± 1.3 °C; relative humidity, 48.0 ± 1.3%) prior to and following HA where thirst levels, sweat rate, and %BML were measured. Then, participants performed 5 days of HA while held at hyperthermia (38.50-39.75 °C) for 60 min with fluid provided ad libitum. Sweat volume, %BML, thirst levels, and fluid intake were measured for each session. Thirst levels were significantly lower following HA (pre, 4 ± 1; post, 3 ± 1, p < .001). Sweat rate (pre, 1.76 ± 0.42 L/hr; post, 2.00 ± 0.60 L/hr, p = .039) and %BML (pre, 2.66 ± 0.53%; post, 2.98 ± 0.83%, p = .049) were significantly greater following HA. During HA, thirst levels decreased (Day 1, 4 ± 1; Day 2, 3 ± 2; Day 3, 3 ± 2; Day 4, 3 ± 1; Day 5, 3 ± 1; p < .001). However, sweat volume (Day 1, 2.34 ± 0.67 L; Day 2, 2.49 ± 0.58 L; Day 3, 2.67 ± 0.63 L; Day 4, 2.74 ± 0.61 L; Day 5, 2.74 ± 0.91 L; p = .010) and fluid intake (Day 1, 1.20 ± 0.45 L; Day 2, 1.52 ± 0.58 L; Day 3, 1.69 ± 0.63 L; Day 4, 1.65 ± 0.58 L; Day 5, 1.74 ± 0.51 L; p < .001) increased. In conclusion, thirst levels were lower following HA even though sweat rate and %BML were higher. Thirst levels decreased while sweat volume and fluid intake increased during HA induction. Thus, HA should be one of the factors to consider when planning hydration strategies.
Foreign Capital and Economic Growth: A Social Network Analysis, 2001–2017:

Foreign direct investment (FDI) holds a substantial and rapidly growing presence across every region of the world. However, our understanding of how foreign capital impacts economic growth in recei...
Centaur: Host-Side SSD Caching for Storage Performance Control

Host-side SSD caches represent a powerful knob for improving and controlling storage performance and improve performance isolation. We present Centaur, as a host-side SSD caching solution that uses cache sizing as a control knob to achieve storage performance goals. Centaur implements dynamically partitioned per-VM caches with per-partition local replacement to provide both lower cache miss rate, better performance isolation and performance control for VM workloads. It uses SSD cache sizing as a universal knob for meeting a variety of workload-specific goals including per-VM latency and IOPS reservations, proportional share fairness, and aggregate optimizations such as minimizing the average latency across VMs. We implemented Centaur for the VMware ESX hyper visor. With Centaur, times for simultaneously booting 28 virtual desktops improve by 42% relative to a non-caching system and by 18% relative to a unified caching system. Centaur also implements per-VM shares for latency with less than 5% error when running micro benchmarks, and enforces latency and IOPS reservations on OLTP workloads with less than 10% error.
Massless three-dimensional QED with explicit fermions

We study dynamical mass generation in QED in $2+1$ dimensions using Hamiltonian lattice methods. We use staggered fermions, and perform simulations with explicit dynamical fermions in the chiral limit. We demonstrate that a recently developed method to reduce the fermion sign problem can successfully be applied to this problem. Our results are in agreement with both the strong coupling expansion and with the Euclidean lattice simulations.
Midplate seismicity exterior to former rift-basins

Midplate seismicity associated with some former rift-zones is distributed diffusely near, but exterior to, the rift basins. This “basin-exterior” seismicity cannot be attributed to reactivation of major basin-border faults on which upper-crustal extension was concentrated at the time of rifting, because the border faults dip beneath the basins. The seismicity may nonetheless represent reactivation of minor faults that were active at the time of rifting but that were located outside of the principal zones of upper-crustal extension; the occurrence of basin-exterior seismicity in some present-day rift-zones supports the existence of such minor basin-exterior faults. Other hypotheses for seismicity exterior to former rift-basins are that the seismicity reflects lobes of high stress due to lithospheric-bending that is centered on the axis of the rift, that the seismicity is localized on the exteriors of rift-basins by basin-interiors that are less deformable in the current epoch than the basin exteriors, and that seismicity is localized on the basin-exteriors by the concentration of tectonic stress in the highly elastic basin-exterior upper-crust. All of the hypotheses considered here appeal to the presence of a rift zone to explain the characteristics of the basin-exterior seismicity, but the hypotheses differ in their implications for the seismic risk of former rift-zones and in their implications for the causes of midplate earthquakes in general.
Effects of actinomycin D and puromycin on RNA and protein synthesis in Oncopeltus fasciatus after juvenile hormone treatment

Abstract 1. 1. Fifth instar milkweed bugs injected with juvenile hormone have a higher rate of protein synthesis than the control bugs at about 17 per cent of the stadium. 2. 2. After puromycin treatment, the rate of synthesis was about the same in the juvenile hormone injected and the control bugs. 3. 3. At lower dosages, actinomycin D increased RNA and protein synthesis. At higher dosages, actinomycin D inhibited RNA and protein synthesis on the day of ecdysis and 1 day after ecdysis. 4. 4. Results from the disc electrophoresis analysis of hemolymph proteins show that juvenile hormone controls the increased protein synthesis in fraction 9 (acid phosphatase) at transcriptional level.
On using the jackknife to estimate quantile variance

We show that the jackknife technique fails badly when applied to the problem of estimating the variance of a sample quantile. When viewed as a point estimator, the jackknife estimator is known to be inconsistent. We show that the ratio of the jackknife variance estimate to the true variance has an asymptotic Weibull distribution with parameters 1 and 1/2. We also show that if the jackknife variance estimate is used to Studentize the sample quantile, the asymptotic distribution of the resulting Studentized statistic is markedly nonnormal, having infinite mean. This result is in stark contrast with that obtained in simpler problems, such as that of constructing confidence intervals for a mean, where the jackknife-Studentized statistic has an asymptotic standard normal distribution. On montre que la technique du “jackknife” n'est pas appropriee pour estimer la variance d'un quantile echantillonnal. Considere comme estimateur ponctuel, cet estimateur n'est pas convergent. On montre que, le quotient de ľestimateur de la variance obtenu par la technique du “jackknife” et la vraie variance, converge en loi vers une loi de Weibull avec parametres 1 et 1/2. On montre aussi que, si ľestimateur de la variance obtenu par la technique du “jackknife” est utilise pour effectuer une transformation de type Student du quantile echantillonnal, alors la statistique resultante possede une loi limite tres differente de la loi gaussienne, cette loi limite a une moyenne infinie. Ce resultat est totalement different de celui obtenu dans le cas de problemes plus simples, par exemple celui de la construction d'intervalles de confiance pour une moyenne. Dans ce dernier cas, la měme demarche conduit a une convergence vers une loi gaussienne centree et reduite.
INFECTIOUS PAPILLOMATOSIS OF RABBITS : WITH A NOTE ON THE HISTOPATHOLOGY

A papilloma has been observed in wild cottontail rabbits and has been found to be transmissible to both wild and domestic rabbits. The clinical and pathological pictures of the condition have been described. It has been found that the causative agent is readily filtrable through Berkefeld but not regularly through Seitz filters, that it stores well in glycerol, that it is still active after heating to 67 degrees C. for 30 minutes, but not after heating to 70 degrees C., and that it exhibits a marked tropism for cutaneous epithelium. The activities and properties of the papilloma-producing agent warrant its classification as a filtrable virus. Rabbits carrying experimentally produced papillomata are partially or completely immune to reinfection and, furthermore, their sera partially or completely neutralize the causative virus. The disease is transmissible in series through wild rabbits and virus of wild rabbit origin is readily transmissible to domestic rabbits, producing in this species papillomata identical in appearance with those found in wild rabbits. However, the condition is not transmissible in series through domestic rabbits. The possible significance of this observation has been discussed. The virus of infectious papillomatosis is not related immunologically to either the virus of infectious fibroma or to that of infectious myxoma of rabbits.
Kupffer cells from carbon tetrachloride–injured rat livers produce chemotactic factors for fibroblasts and monocytes: The role of tumor necrosis factor‐α

Conditioned media from cultured Kupffer and mononuclear macrophagic cells obtained 48 hr after CCl4 administration to rats contains chemotactic factors for human skin fibroblasts and human monocytes. The chemotactic mediator for fibroblasts was approximately 17 kD and was more prominent at early stages of culture. It induced a dose-dependent chemotactic response in fibroblasts. Although the conditioned medium from cultured Kupffer cells of normal rats also contained detectable biological activity, it was significantly less than that in conditioned medium from cultured Kupffer cells from CCl4-treated rats. The activity obtained after purification by high-performance liquid chromatography was completely ablated by incubation with tumor necrosis factor-alpha antibody. Transforming growth factor-beta antibody diminished biological activity by 20%. Human recombinant tumor necrosis factor-alpha and transforming growth factor-beta used in the assay as control showed significant chemotactic activity. The chemotactic activity present in whole normal conditioned medium was only present after 24 and 48 hr of culture. Furthermore, this activity was not neutralized by human recombinant tumor necrosis factor-alpha or transforming growth factor-beta antibodies. Incubation of whole 6-hr conditioned medium with human recombinant tumor necrosis factor-alpha and transforming growth factor-beta antibodies demonstrated and confirmed that tumor necrosis factor-alpha plays a major role in inducing the chemotactic response. On acidification of this supernatant, we found a notable increase in the biological response that could be neutralized by transforming growth factor-beta antibody. Thus tumor necrosis factor-alpha and transforming growth factor-beta may sequentially provide important signals for fibroblast and monocyte recruitment in vivo at initial stages of liver injury.
TCAS Operational Performance Assessment in the U.S. National Airspace

Ongoing monitoring of safety critical systems is an important means of ensuring that system performance meets requirements and facilitating proactive identification and resolution of potential problems. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently implemented one such effort, the TCAS Operational Performance Assessment (TOPA) program. This program records automatic downlinks of all TCAS Resolution Advisory (RA) events within sensor coverage and correlates the RAs with surveillance data, calculates performance parameters and permanently stores the data for future analysis. Periodic and focused reports are prepared based on these data. This paper summarizes key analyses of over 15,000 TCAS RAs collected in the period April — September 2009 at 5 major terminal areas in the U.S. National Airspace (NAS). Most RAs occurred below 5,000' in Class E airspace and involved low performance General Aviation (GA) intruders. Although no significant issues were observed with the performance of TCAS logic, the analysis showed that pilot compliance with Climb and Descend RAs did not meet system design assumptions. These results indicate that pilot training and the design of future systems must explicitly consider these factors.
SU‐GG‐J‐03: 3D Pathology Validation for Head‐And‐Neck Tumor Segmentation in PET/CT/MRI Images

Purpose: To describe a prospective validation study that reconstructs a 3D pathologytumor volume from the surgically excised tumor and registers it with in vivo PET/CT/MRI images. This will provide a gold standard for evaluating the accuracy of tumor segmentation methods. Method and Materials: We design a protocol that collects in vivo PET/CT/MRI images and spatially registered surgical pathology data for patients with head‐and‐neck cancer. A 3D pathologytumor volume is reconstructed from the fixed, sectioned and pathologically marked specimen. The challenging task of registering it with the PET/CT/MRI images is implemented by acquiring intermediate CT/MRI images of the fixed and fresh specimen and registering these images sequentially. The registration is limited to a local region and the allowed translation, rotation, and scaling (based on estimated shrinkage) is bounded. Manual adjustment can be employed. The accuracy of the registration is quantitatively evaluated by manually localizing anatomic landmarks, and then measuring the distance between the transformed landmark position and the manually determined position. Results: Clear differences were observed for tumor segmentation in PET between manual contouring, thresholding, and a novel adaptive region growing + dual front active contour method. This suggested that a gold standard for 3D tumor boundary is required to evaluate the segmentation results. Six methods were evaluated for CT‐MRI and MRI‐MRI registrations. Intensity‐based registration showed similar accuracy (1.5 mm) as manual registration. Brain surface‐based registration showed inferior accuracy (3.3 mm). Both non‐rigid registration and manual registration following a rigid registration improved the accuracy by 0.1–1.1 mm. Conclusion: We proposed a study on 3D pathology validation for tumor segmentation in patient images. Cares need to be taken in collecting the data. Quantitative evaluation should accompany each registration to assure the accuracy of the process.
The effect of formalin-killing of Pasteurella multocida on the antigenicity and extractability of its lipopolysaccharide.

Abstract The extraction of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) from formalin-killed (FK) Pasteurella multocida strain X-73 and from cells not exposed to formalin (NF) were compared by the Westphal and phenol-chloroform-petroleum ether (PCP) extraction procedures. The LPS was determined by: ( 1 ) serologic analyses with antiserum specific for LPS; ( 2 ) analyses for toxicity; and ( 3 ) chemical analyses for components expected to be in LPS (such as hexoses, heptoses, amino sugars, 3-deoxyoctulosonic acid, and fatty acids). Strain X-73, the strain most virulent for chickens, was markedly affected by formalin killing. Unlike many strains, which readily yield LPS into the aqueous phase when extracted with phenol at 68° by the Westphal procedure, strain X-73 did so only with FK and not with NF cells. With the NF cells, LPS was extracted by EDTA from the precipitate obtained during the Westphal procedure. With the PCP procedure, LPS was extracted readily from NF cells, but not from FK cells. The change in extractability of LPS as a result of formalin-killing was the same for both the encapsulated form of X-73 and a nonencapsulated variant derived from it. Although formalin-killing affected the extractability of LPS, no antigenic differences could be detected by immunodiffusion. However, the chick-embryo toxicity of LPS extracted from NF cells was greater than that of LPS from FK cells.
Readability formulas may mislead you

Abstract The health-care literature has embraced readability formulas as a reasonable means of judging patient-education materials without adequately acknowledging the formulas' practical and theoretical limitations. This paper provides some background on readability formulas, describes their proper use in health education, and highlights some misuses. The paper concludes with suggestions for judging patient education materials and creating well-written texts independent of readability formulas.
Identification of TrkA on living PC12 cells by atomic force microscopy

AbstractIn neural cells, nerve growth factor (NGF) initiates its survival signal through the binding to its cell surface receptor tyrosine kinase A(TrkA). Understanding the pattern of TrkA distribution and association in living cells can provide a fingerprint for the diagnostic comparisonwith alterations underlying ligand–receptor dysfunction seen in various neurological diseases. In this study, we use the NGF–TrkA-specificinteraction as a probe to identify TrkA on living PC12 cell by atomic force microscopy (AFM). An NGF-modified AFM tip was used toperform force volume (FV) imaging, generating a 2D force map to illustrate the distribution and association of TrkA on PC12 cell membrane.It is found that TrkA is highly aggregated at local regions of the cell. This unique protein association may be required to promote its functionas a receptor of NGF. The methodology that we developed in this study can be adapted by other systems, thus providing a general tool forinvestigating protein association in its natural environment.D 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Chemical and isotopic evidence for lithospheric thinning beneath the Rio Grande rift

Continental rifting disrupts the lithosphere, thermally and chemically modifying the upper mantle and crust beneath a rift. The isotopic and chemical compositions of basaltic rocks associated with continental rifting reflect the physiochemical conditions of their mantle source reservoirs and can be used as probes to trace processes associated with modification of the upper mantle. Basalts of different ages can potentially record the evolution of mantle reservoirs beneath rifts. Late Cenozoic alkali basalts from the Rio Grande rift and adjacent tectonic provinces display a wide range of isotopic values that correlate with tectonic setting and upper-mantle geophysical properties. This correlation indicates that the upper mantle beneath the rift region is composed of two distinct geochemical reservoirs1 that, before lithospheric extension, corresponded to the ancient lithospheric mantle and asthenosphere, part of the convecting upper mantle. Here we discuss major-element and isotopic data for basalts in a small region of the southeastern Colorado Plateau transition zone adjacent to the central Rio Grande rift. Basalts from this area record an episode of lithospheric thinning that occurred between 8 and 4 Myr ago, concurrent with regional uplift and reactivation of rifting.
Antibiotics: effect on cryopreserved-thawed human sperm motility in vitro

Abstract Objective: To analyze the motility and fertilizing capacity of sperm treated with different antibiotics. Design: Prospective comparative study. Setting: Clinical and academic research environment. Patient(s): Pooled cryopreserved donor sperm (n = 14). Intervention(s): Sperm were washed with Percoll and resuspended in HEPES-buffered human tubal fluid medium containing either amoxicillin, of ioxacin, ciprofloxacin hydrochloride, nitrofurantoin monohydrate, doxycycline hyclate, cefuroxime axetil, or control medium. Main Outcome Measure(s): Sperm kinematic and fertilizing parameters. Result(s): Sperm hyperactivation was decreased in physiologic concentrations of ciprofloxacin hydrochloride and doxycycline hyclate over the course of 48 hours. At pharmacologic concentrations, ciprofloxacin hydrochloride, cefuroxime axetil, and nitrofurantoin monohydrate adversely affected motility with decreased rapid progression. Cessation of motility occurred in cefuroxime axetil and nitrofurantoin monohydrate. Sperm hyperactivation was also absent. Cefuroxime axetil decreased the percentage of intact acrosomes. In contrast, physiologic doses of ciprofloxacin hydrochloride or of ioxacin enhanced sperm fertilizing capacity. Conclusion(s): Ciprofloxacin affected hyperactivation by altering membrane properties, whereas doxycycline inhibited the capacitation process. Cessation of motility in cefuroxime axetil was linked to disrupted sperm head membranes. Sperm motility and fertilizing capacity were decreased in nitrofurantoin because of decreased metabolism. The positive effect of of ioxacin on fertilizing capacity did not involve changes in acrosome.
Complexed prostate-specific antigen improvement in detecting prostate cancer.

This article presents the current reports of complexed prostate-specific antigen (PSA) aimed for the enhancement of prostate cancer detection. Further studies are needed to ascertain the variability of complexed PSA. Comparisons of percent free PSA, potential additive value of a1 -antichymotripsin-bound PSA (PSA-ACT) and Bayer complexed PSA (cPSA) remains controversial in men with intermediate elevated total PSA concentration. Volume-referenced complexed PSA (PSA-ACT and cPSA) can enhance prostate cancer detection. Preliminary results show that PSA-α2 -macrobloblin (PSA-α2M) and PSA-α1 -protease inhibitor (PSA-API) are promising assays for improving cancer detection.
Possible association between DNA sequences flanking the insulin gene and atherosclerosis

The proportion of subjects homozygous for DNA restriction fragments of a large size class (U alleles), in the polymorphic region flanking the 5' end of the insulin gene of chromosome 11, was higher in a group of non-insulin-dependent diabetic (NIDDM) patients than in normal controls. This finding confirms that the U allele is associated with at least one form of NIDDM. The U alleles were also found to be strongly associated with macroangiopathy in diabetic as well as in non-diabetic subjects. Thus, DNA sequences contained in the U alleles might be associated with the development of atherosclerosis in an as yet unknown way.
Human erythrocytic nadp-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase

Abstract 1. 1. An NADP-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase has been purified 1400-fold from human erythrocytes. 2. 2. The mol. wt of the enzyme is estimated between 54,000 to 58,000 daltons. Sulfhydryl group(s) are essential for activity. 3. 3. The enzyme has a low affinity towards 3-acetyl-pyridine adenine dinucleotide phosphate. The enzyme is not stimulated by ammonium ion and is stable at room temperature. 4. 4. The enzyme resembles the NADP-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase isolated from rat liver cytosol.
Use of infrared thermometry to measure lavage and intravenous fluid temperature

Abstract A study was conducted to determine the accuracy of tympanic thermometers for measuring the temperature of warmed fluids in fluid bags and in tubing at the delivery site (ie, beside the intravenous [IV] catheter). One-liter 0.9% saline bags were warmed in a microwave oven. A thermocouple electronic temperature probe was then used to measure the reference temperature. The probe was inserted into each bag and bathed in the fluid. Temperature changes were recorded simultaneously over a 20-minute period using the probe and a First Temp Tympanic Thermometer (Intelligent Medical Systems, Inc, Carlsbad, CA). The warmed fluid was then allowed to run through microdrip IV tubing. Temperature of the effluent was measured in the tubing using the tympanic thermometer externally and the probe internally at the same point. The two measures were compared using linear regression and Student's t tests. Overall, the correlation between the two probes was r = 0.99 for both the fluid bags and the IV tubing. The overall mean differences were small, 0.7°C and 1.2°C for the bags and tubing, respectively, but they were statistically different ( P > .05). Data were analyzed in three temperature ranges: 41°C. Again, small differences were found on the order of 1°C. It was concluded that infrared thermometry is an accurate method for measuring the initial and delivery temperature of warmed fluids. Although tympanic thermometer measurements were statistically different from reference readings in certain temperature ranges, these differences were small and not clinically significant. Tympanic thermometers can measure the temperature of warmed fluid bags and lavage and IV effluent adjacent to the catheter site, ensuring that hypothermic patients receive fluid at therapeutic temperatures.
Headspace analysis with cryogenic focusing: a procedure for increasing the sensitivity of automated capillary headspace analysis

A convenient procedure has been described for enhancing the sensitivity of equilibrium headspace gas chromatography. The technique involves the cryogenic focusing of headspace vapors at the head of a 0.32 mm fusedsilica capillary column which has been coupled to a packed column injection port. Cryofocusing is accomplished automatically by cooling the GC oven and results in enhanced sensitivity with improved resolution. With this simple focusing technique no sample splitting is required which gives at least a 10-fold increase in sensitivity. A Multiple Headspace Injection (MHI) technique has been described which allows several rapid headspace injections to be made at the start of a single chromatographic run. Cryofocusing causes the injections to be superimposed, thus increasing the sensitivity even further. These procedures have been demonstrated for flavor and aroma analyses of toothpaste and soft drink samples.
Pepsinogen: Activation by a unimolecular mechanism

Abstract Pepsinogen rapidly develops proteolytic activity in the presence of high concentrations of denatured hemoglobin. At the same time, it is transformed into a species which is denatured at pH 8.5, showing that the activity is due to the formation of pepsin by a unimolecular mechanism, not to an active form of the zymogen.
Circadian Rhythm of Leaves of Phaseolus angularis Plants Grown in a Controlled Carbon Dioxide and Humidity Environment.

Leaf movements of primary leaves of Phaseolus angularis Wight. were studied in an environment with controlled levels of CO(2), relative humidity, temperature, light, nutrient concentrations, and water tension. Rhythmic circadian movements and irregular short period movements were evident as the leaves unfolded and persisted during development of the leaves. The mean period in rhythmic circadian movement was 27.3 hours with no significant differences in period between plants of the same or different experiments. The leaf movements of separate plants were not closely synchronized.A system is described for growing plants for extended periods while collecting data with time lapse photography. The system was developed to minimize disturbances to the plants.The occurrence of leaf movements in plants grown from the time of seeding in an environment free of any recognized fluctuation which could stimulate leaf movements supports the hypothesis that leaf movement rhythms originate spontaneously within the plant.
Bariatric surgery: To bypass or switch? That is the question in obesity surgery.

In patients with a BMI >50, the debate continues on which surgery is best to achieve weight loss and improve health. In a new study, duodenal switch is superior to gastric bypass for weight loss, but patients suffered more adverse effects.
The child suicide risk assessment: a screening measure of suicide risk in pre-adolescents

This study documents the initial reliability and validity of the Child Suicide Risk Assessment (CSRA) for children under the age of 13. The revised CSRA retained 18 of 20 original items based on item-specific psychometric data from 140 pre-adolescents in out-of-home treatment programs. The CSRA demonstrated adequate internal consistency (alpha=.69) for a multi-dimensional scale (3 factors: Worsening Depression, Lack of Support, and Death as Escape). CSRA scores correlated significantly with criterion measures of prior suicide attempts and ideations. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve discriminated significantly between prior attempters and non-attempters and was used to select preliminary CSRA cut-off scores for identifying substantial suicide risk. The CSRA is the first screening measure of suicide risk in pre-adolescents validated by associations with suicide attempts as well as ideations.