cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Increased vascular endothelial growth factor transcription in residual hepatocellular carcinoma after open versus laparoscopic hepatectomy in a small animal model.

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is overexpressed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and findings have shown that its upregulation in these tumors has an impact on tumor growth. The authors hypothesized that compared with open liver resection, laparoscopic hepatectomy would result in a decreased local angiogenic response in residual tumor cells. Right- and left-lobe hepatomas were induced in Buffalo rats via laparoscopically guided subcapsular injection of Morris hepatoma cells. After 1 week, the animals were randomized to laparoscopic or open left lateral hepatectomy. In 14 days after resection, the rats were killed, the residual right lobe tumors were measured, and tissue was procured for RNA extraction. Transcript levels of VEGF messenger RNA (mRNA) were quantified with reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT–PCR), and VEGF serum levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) both before resection and at the time of tissue harvest. None of the animals had development satellite liver lesions or distant metastases in the abdomen or thorax. The median residual tumor volume was 320 mm3 in the open group compared with 180 mm3 in the laparoscopic group (p = 0.164). The animals that underwent open resection had a 1.3-fold increase in VEGF mRNA transcript levels compared with the laparoscopic resection group (p = 0.008). The serum VEGF levels were not significantly different between the laparoscopic and open groups at baseline (open tumor resection [OR], 23.7 ± 12.0 pg/ml; laparoscopic tumor resection [LR], 30.7 ± 15.5 pg/ml; p = 0.334) nor at the time of tissue harvest (OR, 19.9 ± 19.6 pg/ml; LR, 26.9 ± 34.5 pg/ml; p = 0.549). Laparoscopic hepatic resection produces decreased VEGF mRNA expression in residual hepatoma cells compared with open resection. Decreased stimulation of angiogenesis promoters in the tumor microenvironment after minimally invasive liver resection may contribute to a lower residual disease burden and ultimately lead to a lower recurrence rate.
Antioxidant nutrient intake and diabetic retinopathy ☆: The San Luis Valley Diabetes Study

Abstract Objective Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a major cause of visual impairment and blindness in adults. Antioxidant nutrients, such as vitamins C and E and beta-carotene, may be protective of some eye disorders, such as cataract and age-related macular degeneration, but a relationship between these nutrients and DR has yet to be defined. The purpose of this study was to examine the relation between dietary and supplement intakes of vitamins C, E, and beta-carotene and the risk of DR. Design Both cross-sectional and longitudinal data were collected from participants in the San Luis Valley Diabetes Study, including non-Hispanic white and Hispanic adults in southern Colorado. Participants A total of 387 participants with type 2 diabetes completed at least 1 complete retinal examination and 24-hour dietary recall (including vitamin supplement use). Main outcome measures Type 2 diabetes was defined according to World Health Organization criteria. DR was assessed by retinal photographs, using the Airlie House criteria to classify DR as none, background, preproliferative, or proliferative. Data for both eyes, from up to three clinic visits per participant, were used for analysis. Ordinal logistic regression analysis was used, taking advantage of multiple clinic visits by individual participants and observations from both eyes, to assess the risk for increased DR severity over time as a function of changes in intake of vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta-carotene. Six categories of intake for each nutrient (first to fourth quintiles and ninth and tenth deciles) were considered to ascertain any potential threshold effect. Analyses accounted for age, duration of diabetes, insulin use, ethnicity, glycated hemoglobin, hypertension, gender, and caloric intake. Results An increase over time in vitamin C intake from the first to ninth deciles was associated with a risk for increased severity of DR (odds ratio=2.21, P = 0.01), although excess risk was not observed for the tenth decile or the second through fourth quintiles compared to the first quintile. Increased intake of vitamin E was associated with increased severity of DR among those not taking insulin (odds ratios=2.69, 2.59, 3.33, 5.65, 3.79; P P = 0.003, and 2.99, P = 0.002, respectively, for the ninth and tenth deciles compared to the first quintile). Conclusions No protective effect was observed between antioxidant nutrients and DR. Depending on insulin use, there appeared to be a potential for deleterious effects of nutrient antioxidants. Further research is needed to confirm associations of nutrient antioxidant intake and DR.
Large Specimen Bone Embedment and Cement Line Staining

Undecalcified embedment of large bone specimens is often challenging. A method is presented here that is suitable for methacrylate embedment of sections of canine vertebrae while retaining the ability to localize tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase and alkaline phosphatase activity. Specimens also retained tetracycline labelling, and sectioned preparations were readily stained with routine bone procedures. A modification of the Bodian silver stain, used for examining the nerves and spinal cord in these specimens, provided a useful stain for canaliculi and cement lines in trabecular and cortical bone. This stain is advantageous when both bone and nerve tissue are of interest, as in spinal fusion studies.
SU-C-BRD-04: Automatic Detection of Patient Identification and Patient Positioning Errors Using 3D Setup Images

Purpose: To develop an automated system to detect patient identification and patient positioning errors using algorithmic comparison between megavoltage CT (MVCT) and kilovoltage CT (kVCT) planning images. Methods: MVCT images from 35 head and neck (H&N) patients and 19 pelvis patients were collected from a Tomotherapy machine, along with the corresponding planning kVCTs. MVCTs and kVCTs were manually aligned according to clinical protocols at our institution. Patient identification errors were simulated by aligning MVCTs and kVCTs from different patients. Positioning errors were simulated by misaligning MVCTs and kVCTs by 1cm to 5cm in the each of the six anatomical directions. For each image pair, a pixel-by-pixel cross-correlation metric was computed within the MVCT image body contour. To eliminate the effect of daily variations in bowel gas, the metric was limited to voxels with HU>-700. The kVCT voxel intensities were remapped to the MVCT scale using a third-order polynomial from a publicly available software package. Results: A threshold pixel-by-pixel cross-correlation value was found that distinguished between correct and incorrect patient setup with a high degree of accuracy. A stratified 10-fold cross-validation analysis yielded average misclassification probabilities of 0.0030 for H&N and 0.00 for pelvis. For misaligned image pairs, cross-validation analysis yielded average misclassification probabilities of 0.00 and 0.0013 for H&N shifts ≥20mm and ≥10mm across all six anatomical directions, respectively. Misclassification probabilities were 0.00, 0.011, and 0.10 for pelvic shifts ≥30mm, ≥20mm, and ≥10mm, respectively. Receiver operator characteristic analysis for misaligned patients yielded areas under the curve ranging from 0.99 to 1.0 for H&N and 0.86 to 1.0 for pelvis. Conclusion: This proof-ofconcept study shows that pixel-by-pixel cross-correlation of MVCT setup images with their corresponding planning CT images can be used to detect wrong-patient errors as well as incorrect patient shifts in the pelvis and H&N regions.
Salinity management and water resources development

The interrelationship of salinity management and water management is a factor which is sometimes easily overlooked in the water resources planning, even though it can place a limit on the degree of water resource development within a basin. Costs and control measures of salinity management are considered on a case study of the Colorado River basin where salinity damages are found to be higher than previously estimated. After review of the costs of salinity management, the possible control measures, and research on adaptions in agricultural use of more saline water, it can be concluded that, at very least, the management of water quantity and water quality, especially in arid regions, are closely intertwined.
Approximate Formulas for Photoelectric Counting Distributions

The validity of a simple approximate formula for the photoelectric counting probability in a thermal optical field, which was proposed by one of us (L.M.) in 1959, is investigated. The formula is based on a generalization of the Bose-Einstein distribution and should hold for light of arbitrary spectral density. It is shown by explicit calculation for three different spectral distributions that the formula holds with good accuracy over a very wide range of conditions. It should therefore prove useful when the spectral distribution of the light being studied is not known.
Analysis of EGFR, TGF-α, neu and c-myc in 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine-induced mammary tumors using RT-PCR

2-Amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP), a mutagen found in cooked meat, has been shown to induce mammary gland tumors in rats. Our laboratory recently observed that a high fat diet enhances the incidence and severity of PhIP-induced mammary gland cancer in rats. In the current study, reverse transcription followed by polymerase chain reaction amplification was used to determine whether EGFR, TGF-alpha, neu and c-myc are differentially expressed in PhIP-induced mammary gland tumors classified histologically as benign or malignant and to evaluate whether dietary fat intake influences the expression of these genes. Of 23 total PhIP-induced mammary tumors examined, 43%, 57% and 74% had increased expression of EGFR, TGF-alpha and neu mRNA respectively. Increased expression of these genes appeared to be consistently present in tumors displaying papillomatosis. In contrast, to the other three genes, c-myc mRNA levels were infrequently elevated. The percentage of dietary fat did not appear to influence the expression of EGFR, TGF-alpha or neu in either tumors or mammary gland from control rats. However, the levels of c-myc mRNA were 1.8- and 2.9-fold higher in the control mammary gland and benign PhIP-induced tumors respectively in rats fed the high-fat diet than in rats fed the low-fat diet, suggesting a slight effect of dietary fat (P < 0.08) on c-myc expression. These results suggest that increased expression of EGFR, TGF-alpha and especially neu is associated with PhIP-induced mammary gland cancer in rats.
Fluoroketenes VIII. Adducts of perfluoromethacryloyl fluoride with unsaturated molecules. N-alkyl-bis(trifluoromethyl)ketenimines☆

Abstract Perfluoromethacryloyl fluoride has been found to yield predominantly 1,4 cyclo-adducts with olefins, isocyanates, nitriles and ketenes. With olefins and isocyanates, 1,2 cyclo-adducts and open-chain adducts are also formed, and evidence is presented to indicate that such adducts are obtained via dipolar intermediates. A new synthesis of N -alkyl-bis(trifluoromethyl)ketenimines is also reported.
Computational models for multiphonon scattering from surfaces: applications to He scattering from insulators

Abstract We consider the inelastic interaction of a neutral atomic projectile scattering from a solid surface. Several computational models are developed to analyze the diffuse multiphonon component in the scattered intensity. Through extensive numerical calculations we determine the validity ranges of these approximations. Comparisons with experimental data for He scattering from LiF(001) and KCN(001) provide examples of the applicability of these theoretical approximations.
Phase Difference and Coherence as Diagnostics of Accreting Compact Sources

We present calculations of the time lags and the coherence function of X-ray photons for a novel model of radiation emission from accretion-powered high-energy sources. Our model involves only Comptonization of soft photons injected near the compact object in an extended but nonuniform atmosphere around the compact object. Our results show that this model produces time lags between the hard and soft bands of the X-ray spectrum that increase with Fourier period, in agreement with recent observations; it also produces a coherence function equal to one over a wide range of frequencies if the system parameters do not change significantly during the observation, also in agreement with the limited existing observations. We explore various conditions that could affect coherence functions. We indicate that measurements of these statistical quantities could provide diagnostics of the radial variation of the density of this class of sources.
Aspirin prevented new colorectal adenomas in patients with previous colorectal cancer

Source Citation Sandler RS, Halabi S, Baron JA, et al. A randomized trial of aspirin to prevent colorectal adenomas in patients with previous colorectal cancer. N Engl J Med. 2003;348:883-90. 12621132
Effects of the benzodiazepine GABAA α1-preferring ligand, 3-propoxy-β-carboline hydrochloride (3-PBC), on alcohol seeking and self-administration in baboons

Rationale The various α subtypes of GABAA receptors have been strongly implicated in alcohol reinforcement and consumption.
CELL MEMBRANE PHOTOMODIFICATION: RELATIVE EFFECTIVENESS OF HALOGENATED FLUORESCEINS FOR PHOTOHEMOLYSIS

Abstract— Relative potency of 10 fluorescein derivatives as sensitizers of delayed photohemolysis of human erythrocytes has been assessed. Dilute suspensions of washed cells were illuminated in the presence of sensitizer at different concentrations for 1 h and analyzed for percent hemolysis following 23 h of dark incubation. Plots of percent hemolysis versus concentration showed a steep dependence on concentration for all sensitizers. Additional measurements of octanol/water partition coefficients, photon absorption in octanol and in saline and photobleach rates were made. After correction for absorption cross section, the effectiveness values ranged over more than three orders of magnitude with fluorescein being the least potent and rose bengal the most. A reasonable prediction of potency is obtained by taking the product of partition coefficient, relative absorption in octanol versus water and molecular weight of the substituents added to the fluorescein skeleton. The results suggest that the influence of halogen substitution on sensitizing potency is exerted by four factors; (1) distribution of sensitizer into a low polarity region of the cell membrane, (2) absorption efficiency in a low polarity region, (3) triplet quantum yield, and (4) photobleach rate.
Free energy calculations on binding and catalysis by α‐lytic protease: The role of substrate size in the P1 pocket

We present free energy calculations using molecular dynamics on different substrates of alpha-lytic protease in the gas phase, in solution, while forming a noncovalent Michaelis complex with the enzyme, and in a tetrahedral structure representing a transition state/intermediate for acylation by the enzyme. Various P1 substrates were studied, with P1 = Gly, Ala, Val, and Leu. In qualitative agreement with experiment, the enzyme was calculated to bind and catalyze most effectively substrates with P1 = Ala over those with P1 = Gly, Val or Leu. Also, the calculated relative solvation free energies of Gly----Ala and Ala----Val were in qualitative agreement with experimental values in corresponding model systems. However, the level of quantitative agreement with experiment achieved in our earlier study of relative binding and catalysis of native subtilisin and an Asn-155----Ala mutant was not achieved. We surmise that this is due to the greater difficulty in quantitatively simulating effects that are predominantly van der Waals and hydrophobic compared to those that are hydrogen bonding/electrostatic.
Neutrophils Block Bacterial Flood in Gut Infection

Rising floodwaters often worsen damage to homes and communities during storms, making flood control a priority in natural disasters. Like floodwaters, commensal bacteria in the family Enterobacteriaceae swell within the intestine during infections and magnify disease severity, making it necessary for infected hosts to contain both commensals and the inciting pathogen to restore health. Molloy and colleagues studied the host response to commensal Enterobacteriaceae overgrowth during acute Toxoplasma gondii infection in mice to understand how hosts limit their exposure to these potentially pathogenic commensal bacteria during infection. They found that host cells surrounded commensal bacteria in intraluminal cast structures that physically separated bacteria from the mucosa and minimized bacterial translocation during T. gondii infection. Moreover, intraluminal levels of Enterobacteriaceae were restored to baseline relatively quickly after an initial period of expansion, which suggests that excess Enterobacteriaceae bacteria were cleared as part of this process. Neutrophils were the primary host cell type involved in forming the intraluminal casts, and neutrophil depletion prevented cast formation and increased bacterial translocation and mortality. Mechanistically, neutrophil recruitment and intraluminal cast formation were linked to the detection of N -formyl peptides from Enterobacteriaceae via a high-affinity receptor, and mice lacking this receptor also had reduced intraluminal cast formation and worse outcomes. Thus, neutrophils sense the metabolic byproducts of Enterobacteriaceae as part of the commensal microbiota and respond by sequestering them within intraluminal casts for clearance from the intestine. This study reveals a process by which hosts limit epithelial contact and systemic invasion by potentially pathogenic commensal bacteria during acute mucosal infection. Additional studies are needed to verify the formation and significance of intraluminal casts in humans and other inflammatory intestinal disorders and the effects of neutropenia on commensal bacterial containment in clinical patients. M. J. Molloy et al ., Intraluminal containment of commensal outgrowth in the gut during infection-induced dysbiosis. Cell Host Microbe 14 , 318–328 (2013). [[Abstract]][1] [1]: http://www.cell.com/cell-host-microbe/abstract/S1931-3128%2813%2900285-0
Information theoretic prior functions for large molecular systems

Presentation de quelques fonctions «a priori» basees sur l'approximation de l'oscillateur harmonique, rotateur rigide pour differents systemes d'un interet experimental recent. Le premier de ces systemes correspond aux collisions d'un atome avec une molecule triatomique lineaire. Le deuxieme correspond soit aux collisions d'un atome avec une molecule polyatomique non lineaire, soit a la photodissociation d'une telle molecule. Le troisieme cas correspond aux collisions d'une molecule triatomique lineaire avec une molecule non lineaire ou a la photodissociation d'une molecule generale non lineaire
On the basis for regioselective oxidation within a tetragalloylpyranose substrate

Abstract Lead (IV)-mediated oxidation of a benzyl 2,3,4,6-tetragalloylglucopyranoside leads only to coupling at the O(4) O(6) galloyls. Competitive oxidation experiments with a series of positionally distinct phenolic galloyl analogs furnishes evidence that this unexpected regioselectivity stems from preferential oxidation at the O(6) galloyl ring. Companion studies with electronically dissimilar analogs provide support for a through-space component to O(6) galloyl oxidation selectivity in addition to steric and inductive influences.
Wilms tumor genes

Multiple 'WT' genes exist. The WT1 gene at chromosomal band 11p13 has been cloned and is known to be important in the etiology of at least some tumors by virtue of the identification of both germline and somatic mutations in WT patients. Genes at 11p15 and 16q are also involved, either as initiating or tumor progression events. An unlocalized familial predisposition gene is also known to be important etiologically. The identification of several genes that are involved in the etiology or progression of WT, the preferential loss of maternally derived alleles in tumor tissue, and the observed reduction to 11p homozygosity in normal tissue DNA from some patients, all strikingly indicate that a simple, one-locus-'two-hit' genetic model for WT is inadequate. The question is not if this model needs to be modified, but how it should be modified, or if it is even valid enough to be a starting point for understanding the genetics of Wilms tumor. To begin to address this, several questions can be asked. Do all Wilms tumors carry mutations at the WT1 locus? Do both alleles at the WT1 locus need to be inactivated or lost for tumorigenesis? Or, instead, do some WT1 mutations act dominantly? Do patients with bilateral disease carry germline mutations as originally hypothesized, or, as more recently suggested, is bilateral disease the result of early somatic mutations, genomic imprinting, or multifactorial inheritance? Must mutations at an 11p15 locus and/or 11p15 LOH accompany WT1 mutations, or do 11p13 and 11p15 mutations act independently of each other? Have tumors from familial WT cases (who do not carry germline WT1 mutations) sustained somatic mutations at the WT1 locus, the 11p15 locus or the 16q locus? Conversely, do tumors from sporadic WT patients carry somatic mutations at the non-11p familial predisposition gene? Will most tumors be found to carry mutations at the same one or two loci, but differ only with regard to whether the mutations are somatic or germline? Are effects of genomic imprinting layered over, so to speak, a framework of classically mendelian mutations, or in some cases is imprinting the mechanism by which genes are inactivated or their normal function modulated? Although not definitive, there are data that bear on some of these questions. Germline mutations have been observed in patients with bilateral tumors, but may not prove to be a universal feature of bilateral disease.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Simulation of Crack Growth in FRP Reinforced Concrete

Experimental results show that the crack growth of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) reinforced concrete flexural elements experience a crack development stage followed by crack stabilization. The crack length and elastic crack mouth opening displacement (CMOD) increase during the crack development stage until reaching the crack stabilization stage. A finite-element representation was proposed to predict the initial CMOD. A debonded length was specified to account for the bond-slip between FRP bar and concrete. It was assumed that there was no tangential displacement between the reinforcement and concrete outside of the debonded length. A fatigue model was created using the Paris equation to simulate the growth of elastic CMOD. The model displayed good agreement with the test results. A size effect was also observed for the exponential parameter in the Paris equation.
Bayes estimation via filtering for a simple micro-movement model of asset price with discrete noises☆

Abstract A simple partially observed model for micro-movement of stock prices is proposed. The micro-movement refers to the transactional price behavior. The model can be framed as a filtering problem with counting process observations. Under this framework, the whole sample path is observable and is used for parameter estimation. Based on the filtering equation, we construct a recursive algorithm to compute the approximate posterior and the Bayes estimates. The consistencies of the recursive algorithm and of Bayes estimates are proven. Bayes estimates for transaction prices of Microsoft are obtained with a financial application.
Development of a semi-automated method for mitral valve modeling with medial axis representation using 3D ultrasound

Purpose: Precise 3D modeling of the mitral valve has the potential to improve our understanding of valve morphology, particularly in the setting of mitral regurgitation (MR). Toward this goal, the authors have developed a user-initialized algorithm for reconstructing valve geometry from transesophageal 3D ultrasound (3D US) image data. Methods: Semi-automated image analysis was performed on transesophageal 3D US images obtained from 14 subjects with MR ranging from trace to severe. Image analysis of the mitral valve at midsystole had two stages: user-initialized segmentation and 3D deformable modeling with continuous medial representation (cm-rep). Semi-automated segmentation began with user-identification of valve location in 2D projection images generated from 3D US data. The mitral leaflets were then automatically segmented in 3D using the level set method. Second, a bileaflet deformable medial model was fitted to the binary valve segmentation by Bayesian optimization. The resulting cm-rep provided a visual reconstruction of the mitral valve, from which localized measurements of valve morphology were automatically derived. The features extracted from the fitted cm-rep included annular area, annular circumference, annular height, intercommissural width, septolateral length, total tenting volume, and percent anterior tenting volume. These measurements were compared to those obtained by expert manual tracing. Regurgitant orifice area (ROA) measurements were compared to qualitative assessments of MR severity. The accuracy of valve shape representation with cm-rep was evaluated in terms of the Dice overlap between the fitted cm-rep and its target segmentation. Results: The morphological features and anatomic ROA derived from semi-automated image analysis were consistent with manual tracing of 3D US image data and with qualitative assessments of MR severity made on clinical radiology. The fitted cm-reps accurately captured valve shape and demonstrated patient-specific differences in valve morphology among subjects with varying degrees of MR severity. Minimal variation in the Dice overlap and morphological measurements was observed when different cm-rep templates were used to initialize model fitting. Conclusions: This study demonstrates the use of deformable medial modeling for semi-automated 3D reconstruction of mitral valve geometry using transesophageal 3D US. The proposed algorithm provides a parametric geometrical representation of the mitral leaflets, which can be used to evaluate valve morphology in clinical ultrasound images.
Cyclomatic numbers of connected induced subgraphs

Abstract We give an upper bound for ω( A ), the minimum cyclomatic number of connected induced subgraphs containing a given independent set A of vertices in a given graph G . We also give an upper bound for ω( A ) when G is triangle-free. We show that these two bounds are best possible. Similar results are obtained for A to be a matching of G .
Discovery of estrogen-responsive genes using an improved method which combines subtractive hybridization and PCR

Here we describe a reliable method for isolating genes that are differentially expressed in two cell populations. The method is a combination of subtractive hybridization and PCR. Among many improvements to previously described methods is the incorporation of a new technology into the procedure which sterilizes(inactivates) PCR amplicons, and thereby overcomes the limitation of similar procedures. To test this improved method, we conducted a search for estrogen-responsive genes. Estrogen-regulated genes dominated the subtracted libraries after four rounds of subtractive hybridizations. Four estrogen-regulated genes were identified from the initial screening.
Combustion analysis of radioactivity and densitometry of protein in polyacrylamide gels

Abstract A method is described for estimating the protein content of and counting tritium-labeled substances in polyacrylamide gels. Protein content is estimated by densitometry of amido black stained gels, and radioactivity is measured by combustion of gel slices in glass vials and counting at 35% efficiency in the same vials.
Advances in Respiratory Care of the Newborn

Advances in respiratory care defined the early decades of neonatology and drove improvements in neonatal morbidity and mortality. Surfactant replacement therapy, the culmination of years of basic and translational research, changed the management and outcomes for preterm infants with respiratory distress and set a very high bar for the introduction of new evidenced-based therapies in the NICU. More recent advances in respiratory care have been driven by technological developments and bioengineering tours de force. Yet, more than 60 years after the discovery of surfactant, we are still struggling to define the optimal approach to the respiratory management of our patients. In this edition of Clinics in Perinatology we have chosen cutting-edge topics in the diagnosis and management of respiratory diseases spanning the full spectrum of neonatal care. The topics have been carefully chosen with the goal of presenting both the current state of the art and a glimpse into what the future may hold for “advances in respiratory care of the newborn.” It is clear there is still much more work to be done. We want to thank all of the authors for their comprehensive contributions to this volume. The invited authors for this edition of Clinics in Perinatology are trailblazers in their respective fields of investigation and the thought-leaders in our subspecialty. They have summarized the literature and identified gaps in our knowledge. In many cases, they have shared their views on the most promising future therapies and approaches, based on their own innovative investigations in human infants and animal models of neonatal respiratory disease. We hope you will agree that this edition serves
On the sign of the ρ-ω mixing charge asymmetric nn potential

Abstract The sign of the single-particle exchange nucleon force due to ρ°-ω mixing is shown on experimental and theoretical grounds to make the resulting charge asymmetric potential, Vnn − Vpp in the 1S0 state, attractive. The sign agrees quite well with the binding energy difference in the A = 3 mirror nuclei and is not inconsistent with present knowledge of NN scattering lengths, predicting 0 a nn ¦ − ¦a pp ¦ ≲ 1 fm .
Stereospecific halogenation of ethyl methyl phosphorothioic acid

Abstract Tetramethyl-α-halogenoenamines are useful reagents for the stereospecific conversion of phosphorothioic acids to the corresponding phosphoryl halides.
The free fibula bone graft for salvaging failed mandibular reconstructions

Drs Anthony, Foster, and Pogrel present useful information for the surgeon faced with the dilemma of salvaging failed attempts at mandibular reconstruction. While tackling large soft and hard tissue defects, the reconstructions performed by these authors were reportedly uniformly successful from anastomotic, functional, and cosmetic standpoints, although only seven cases constitute the study. This notwithstanding, the authors adequately address the purpose of their study, which was to determine the efficacy of the vascularized free fibula bone graft for mandibular salvage reconstruction. The surgical histories of the patients requiring these bone grafts is quite intriguing in several instances, and the reader is quickly reminded of the great controversies associated with the management of such patients when reviewing the discussion section of the article. Of particular interest is that four of the seven patients in the study had received radiation therapy, and indeed, three patients were reconstructed because of osteoradionecrosis. Interestingly, none of these patients received hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO) at any time during their treatment, either as part of the original or salvage reconstmctions.
A Multifaceted Approach to the Interpretation of NMR Order Parameters: A Case Study of a Dynamic α-Helix†

The model-free approach (Lipari, G.; Szabo, A. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1982, 104, 4546−4559; 4559−4570) is the standard method for the analysis of NMR relaxation data from proteins. The method assigns to...
Interplay of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 and Transforming Growth Factor-β Signaling in Insulin-Positive Differentiation of AR42J Cells

The differentiation of pancreatic exocrine AR42J cells into insulin-expressing endocrine cells has served as an important model for both endogenous in vivo beta-cell differentiation as well as potential application to beta-cell engineering of progenitor cells. Exogenous activin, possibly working through intracellular smad 2 and/or smad 3, as well as exogenous exendin-4 (a long-acting glucagon-like peptide-1 agonist) have both been shown to induce insulin-positive/endocrine differentiation in AR42J cells. In this study, we present evidence of significant interplay and interdependence of these two pathways as well as potential synergy between the pathways. In particular, insulin-positive differentiation seems to entail an exendin-4-induced drop in smad 2 and elevation in smad 3 in RNA levels. The latter appears to be dependent on endogenous transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta isoform release by the AR42J cells and may serve as a mechanism to promote beta-cell maturation. The drop in smad 2 may mediate early endocrine commitment. The coapplication of exogenous exendin-4 and, specifically, low-dose exogenous TGF-beta1 led to a dramatic 20-fold increase in insulin mRNA levels, supporting a novel synergistic and codependent relationship between exendin-4 signaling and TGF-beta isoform signaling.
Microfluidic System Simulation Including the Electro-Viscous Effect

This paper describes a practical approach using a general purpose lumped-parameter computer program, GFSSP (Generalized Fluid System Simulation Program) for calculating flow distribution in a network of micro-channels including electro-viscous effects due to the existence of electrical double layer (EDL). In this study, an empirical formulation for calculating an effective viscosity of ionic solutions based on dimensional analysis is described to account for surface charge and bulk fluid conductivity, which give rise to electro-viscous effect in microfluidics network. Two dimensional slit micro flow data was used to determine the model coefficients. Geometry effect is then included through a Poiseuille number correlation in GFSSP. The bi-power model was used to calculate flow distribution of isotropically etched straight channel and T-junction microflows involving ionic solutions. Performance of the proposed model is assessed against experimental test data.
Alcohol-Use Disorders in the Critically Ill Patient

Alcohol abuse and dependence, referred to as alcohol-use disorders (AUDs), affect 76.3 million people worldwide and account for 1.8 million deaths per year. AUDs affect 18.3 million Americans (7.3% of the population), and up to 40% of hospitalized patients have AUDs. This review discusses the development and progression of critical illness in patients with AUDs. In contrast to acute intoxication, AUDs have been linked to increased severity of illness in a number of studies. In particular, surgical patients with AUDs experience higher rates of postoperative hemorrhage, cardiac complications, sepsis, and need for repeat surgery. Outcomes from trauma are worse for patients with chronic alcohol abuse, whereas burn patients who are acutely intoxicated may not have worse outcomes. AUDs are linked to not only a higher likelihood of community-acquired pneumonia and sepsis but also a higher severity of illness and higher rates of nosocomial pneumonia and sepsis. The management of sedation in patients with AUDs may be particularly challenging because of the increased need for sedatives and opioids and the difficulty in diagnosing withdrawal syndrome. The health-care provider also must be watchful for the development of dangerous agitation and violence, as these problems are not uncommonly seen in hospital ICUs. Despite studies showing that up to 40% of hospitalized patients have AUDs, relatively few guidelines exist on the specific management of the critically ill patient with AUDs. AUDs are underdiagnosed, and a first step to improving patient outcomes may lie in systematically and accurately identifying AUDs.
Natural History of Attempts to Stop Smoking

Introduction: This study provides a prospective fine-grain description of the incidence and pattern of intentions to quit, quit attempts, abstinence, and reduction in order to address several clinical questions about self-quitting.
Resistance Mechanisms in Pieris Taxa (Ericaceae) to Stephanitis takeyai (Hemiptera: Tingidae)

This study examines some of the potential mechanisms of resistance in selected Pieris (Ericaceae) taxa to the Andromeda lace bug, Stephanitis takeyai Drake and Maa, based on differences in resistance to lace bug feeding, and the possible role of leaf parameters such as leaf wax, toughness, nutrient composition, and stomatal characters in plant resistance. Experiments with extracts of leaf-surface lipids revealed that Pieris leaf wax did not have a role in resistance to lace bug feeding. Leaf wax extracts from a resistant species P. phillyreifolia (Hook.) DC. applied to leaves of a susceptible cultivar P. japonica (Thunb.) D.Don ex G.Don ‘Temple Bells’ did not affect feeding, oviposition, or survival of S. takeyai; and neither the extracts from Temple Bells induce susceptibility in P. phillyreifolia. Leaf penetrometer measurements indicated that significantly higher force was required to puncture P. phillyreifolia leaves, which also had higher fiber, lignin, and cellulose, and lower leaf moisture contents. Ultrastructural examination of leaves of Pieris taxa revealed significant differences in the number and size of stomata. P. phillyreifolia leaves had the highest number of stomata per unit area but these were the smallest in size, whereas P. japonica (Thunb.) D.Don ex G.Don Temple Bells leaves had the fewest and largest stomata. Resistance in Pieris taxa to S. takeyai may be attributed to a combination of different factors including leaf toughness, moisture, and stomatal characters. The type of resistance may be described as antixenosis combined with antibiosis, because reduced adult survival and reproduction were observed on the taxa resistant to lace bug feeding.
Motivational Interviewing and Behavior Change

Abstract This article describes the process of 60 Motivational Interviewing (MI) or Adapted Motivational Interviewing (AMI) interventions reported in the literature between 1986 and 2002. Examination of the articles revealed a gap in our understanding of whether or not MI/AMI is effective and the process by which it is effective. An intervention-process research framework is suggested for future research in order to reduce this gap in our knowledge of psychotherapeutic and addiction treatment techniques.
An Exploratory Study of the Team Characteristics Model Using Organizational Teams

Research on teamwork in organizations has typically found positive outcomes for employees, such as high productivity, improved satisfaction, and a greater feeling of influence over their work. An important research question is, How does participating on teams lead to these positive work outcomes? In 1976, Hackman and Oldham developed their Job Characteristics Model to explain how effective job design can lead to positive work outcomes for individuals. A Team Characteristics Model was developed to explain how effective work group design can lead to positive work outcomes for teams, and it was tested on team members working on six organizational teams over a period of 4 months. The Team Characteristics Model was generally supported for the critical psychological states but generally not supported for work outcomes. Across all employees, higher levels of the critical psychological states were significantly correlated with higher levels of work outcomes. Suggestions are made for future research using the model.
Nonuniform filterbank design for audio signal modeling

In audio analysis-synthesis based on the sinusoidal model, the signal can be represented as the sum of a deterministic component, which consists of a sum of sinusoids, and a stochastic component, which is a broadband noiselike process, for instance breath noise in a flute. In coding applications, a signal estimate based solely on the deterministic component is often used. For high-fidelity synthesis, however the stochastic component must also be modeled and incorporated into the signal reconstruction. This paper presents a simple approach for designing a nonuniform filterbank based on the properties of the human auditory system; the short-term energies of the subband signals of the nonuniform filterbank provide an effective parameterization of the stochastic component of the signal model.
Teaching old tricks to new dogs.

According to an old proverb, supposedly articulated in the 17 century, but perhaps used first (although phrased differently) more than a hundred years earlier, ‘‘An old dog will learn no new tricks’’. Interpreted literally, this aphorism tells us that an old dog, set in its ways after many years of experience, is not interested in learning how to do things differently. He knows how to do whatever it is that he does, presumably does it well enough to satisfy him, and views new challenges with an attitude of ‘‘why bother’’. Applied to humans, ‘‘you can’t teach an old dog new tricks’’ means that a person who has done things in a certain manner for years is unlikely to embrace a new approach with great eagerness. The proverb is an oversimplification, of course, and does not always apply. However, the converse is certainly not true. As a lifelong dog lover, I know from experience that you can teach old tricks to a young dog— in fact, they pick them up quite quickly. And sometimes, old tricks are still very useful tricks; at an early age, my Labrador became very adept at sitting up on her hind legs and offering her paw; when she does this trick for my children, it almost always earns a treat for her. In echocardiography, old tricks also can have great value. As an example, let’s consider M-mode echocardiography. I remember first learning M-mode echocardiography almost 40 years ago by reading the first edition of Dr. Harvey Feigenbaum’s textbook Echocardiography. In fact, some of my early experiences in using echocardiography to examine patients myself depended on my being able to recognize the meaning of the A-mode spikes, since the echocardiographic machine that was available to me had a malfunctioning oscilloscope. Therefore, I could not ‘‘see’’ the sweep of the spikes across the screen as echocardiographic targets moved toward and away from the transducer during the cardiac cycle, and was able to view the M-mode display only after I had completed the exam and taken the light-sensitive recording paper out into the hallway where, under the lights, the recordings finally became visible! Many readers will think that this story (which is true) is ‘‘quaint’’ but has little to do with their day-to-day activities. Didn’t we leave the ‘‘M-mode era’’ behind many years ago, when two-dimensional echocardiography (2D echo) became widely available and gave us the means to view the heart in tomographic format, rather than as what has been termed an ‘‘ice-pick view’’? Clearly, views of the heart and great vessels using 2D echo provide important information about cardiovascular anatomy, dynamics, and function (both global and regional) that are important for proper diagnosis and patient management. And now, real-time three-dimensional echocardiography (3D echo) is a reality, for both transthoracic and transesophageal applications. Why would anybody bother with M-mode echo for examining the heart? Isn’t this an outmoded tech-
Authorization-Based Access Control for the Services Oriented Architecture

Several attempts at using the Services Oriented Architecture have failed to achieve their goals of scalability, security, and manageability. These systems, which base access decisions on the identity of the requester, have been found to be inflexible, don?t scale well, and are difficult to use and to upgrade. This paper shows that identity-based access control is a key contributor to these failures and proposes another way to approach the problem. Basing access control decisions on authorizations presented explicitly by the requester leads to a more securable and more robust architecture.
Vitamin E and vitamin C do not reduce insulin sensitivity but inhibit mitochondrial protein expression in exercising obese rats

Controversy exists as to whether supplementation with the antioxidants vitamin E and vitamin C blocks adaptation to exercise. Exercise is a first-line means to treat obesity and its complications. While diet-induced obesity alters mitochondrial function and induces insulin resistance (IR), no data exist as to whether supplementation with vitamin E and vitamin C modify responses to exercise in pre-existing obesity. We tested the hypothesis that dietary supplementation with vitamin E (0.4 g α-tocopherol acetate/kg) and vitamin C (0.5 g/kg) blocks exercise-induced improvements on IR and mitochondrial content in obese rats maintained on a high-fat (45% fat energy (en)) diet. Diet-induced obese, sedentary rats had a 2-fold higher homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance and larger insulin area under the curve following glucose tolerances test than rats fed a low-fat (10% fat en) diet. Exercising (12 weeks at 5 times per week in a motorized wheel) of obese rats normalized IR indices, an effect not modified by vitamin E and vitamin C. Vitamin E and vitamin C supplementation with exercise elevated mtDNA content in adipose and skeletal muscle to a greater extent (20%) than exercise alone in a depot-specific manner. On the other hand, vitamin C and vitamin E decreased exercise-induced increases in mitochondrial protein content for complex I (40%) and nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase (35%) in a muscle-dependent manner. These data indicate that vitamin E and vitamin C supplementation in obese rodents does not modify exercise-induced improvements in insulin sensitivity but that changes in mitochondrial biogenesis and mitochondrial protein expression may be modified by antioxidant supplementation.
Distinctions between orthographic long-term memory and working memory.

Research in the cognitive and neural sciences has long posited a distinction between the long-term memory (LTM) storage of information and the short-term buffering of information that is being actively manipulated in working memory (WM). This basic type of distinction has been posited in a variety of domains, including written language production—spelling. In the domain of spelling, the primary source of empirical evidence regarding this distinction has been cognitive neuropsychological studies reporting deficits selectively affecting what the cognitive neuropsychological literature has referred to as the orthographic lexicon (LTM) or the graphemic buffer (WM). Recent papers have reexamined several of the hallmark characteristics of impairment affecting the graphemic buffer, with implications for our understanding of the nature of the orthographic LTM and WM systems. In this paper, we present a detailed case series study of 4 individuals with acquired spelling deficits and report evidence from both error types and factors influencing error rates that support the traditional distinction between these cognitive systems involved in spelling. In addition, we report evidence indicating possible interaction between these systems, which is consistent with a variety of recent findings in research on spelling.