cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hematologist/oncologist disease‐specific expertise and survival: Lessons from chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)/small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL)

BACKGROUND: The impact of physicians' disease-specific expertise on patient outcome is unknown. Although previous studies suggest a survival advantage for cancer patients cared for at high-volume centers, these observations may simply reflect referral bias or better access to advanced technologies, clinical trials, and multidisciplinary support at large centers. METHODS: We evaluated time to first treatment (TTFT) and overall survival (OS) of patients with newly diagnosed chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL) at a single academic center based on whether they were cared for by a hematologist/oncologist who subspecializes in CLL (CLL hematologist) or a hematologist/oncologist with expertise in other areas (non-CLL hematologist). RESULTS: Among 1309 newly diagnosed patients with CLL cared for between 1999 and 2009, 773(59%) were cared for by CLL hematologists and 536 were cared for by non-CLL hematologists. Among early-stage patients (Rai 0-I), median TTFT (9.2 vs 6.1 years; P < .001) and OS (10.5 years vs 8.8 years; P < .001) were longer for patients cared for by CLL hematologists. For all patients, OS was superior for patients cared for by CLL hematologists (10.5 years vs 8.4 years; P = .001). Physician's disease-specific expertise remained an independent predictor of OS after adjusting for age, sex, stage, and lymphocyte count at diagnosis. Patients seen by a CLL hematologist were also more likely to participate in clinical trials (48% vs 16%; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Physician disease-specific expertise appears to influence outcome in patients with CLL. To the greatest extent possible, patients should be cared for by a hematologist/oncologist expert in the care of their specific malignancy. When not possible, practice guidelines developed by disease-specific experts should be followed. Cancer 2012. © 2011 American Cancer Society.
Instituting a deposit insurance system: Why? How?

The number of countries either establishing or considering establishing a deposit insurance system has expanded rapidly in recent years. By 2005, 78 countries had instituted some form of an explicit deposit guarantee programme. In establishing a deposit insurance programme, each country must consider what it hopes to achieve and whether the system that is established is internally consistent with its goal(s). Circumstances unique to the country will have a significant bearing on what a deposit insurance system can achieve and how the system should be structured. This article discusses these issues and provides a series of questions designed to help evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of deposit insurance systems. Emphasis is placed on whether the design features are internally consistent and compatible with the goals of the deposit insurance system.
Residual stresses in a bulk metallic glass cylinder induced by thermal tempering

Abstract Bulk metallic glasses are attractive structural materials that develop residual stresses during processing due to thermal tempering. In the present study, stress generation is analyzed experimentally and theoretically in a bulk metallic glass cylinder. By using a stainless steel tube as mold, thermal contact is assured throughout casting and quenching to better define the boundary conditions of the problem. The resulting residual stresses are measured using the crack compliance method. It is shown that high stresses can be attained in metallic glasses due to thermal tempering: about −300 MPa compression on the surface balanced by +150 MPa tension in the middle. The finite element method is then employed to deduce the convection heat transfer coefficient during quenching and to model the residual stress generation. The latter analysis is performed with a previously developed viscoelastic model. This model is shown to be accurate within 15–30% of the experimental stress data. It is therefore a powerful tool for estimating processing-induced residual stresses in bulk metallic glasses.
Bone density distribution and gender dominate femoral neck fracture risk predictors.

Objective. To determine whether regional characteristics of the proximal femur could discriminate between a group of patients who had just sustained a first low-trauma femoral neck fracture (n=50) from a group of healthy volunteers (n=123). Design. The application of an integral bone measurement (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) in conjunction with a volumetric cancellous bone density measurement (quantitative computed tomography) to the proximal femur in vivo provided an estimate of the contribution of the spatial distribution of bone density to hip fracture risk prediction. Results. The primary finding of this study was a significant difference between male and female hip fracture risk predictor variables. In men with femoral neck fracture, a significant decrease in bone density throughout the proximal femur was observed. In women with femoral neck fracture, a combination of local bone deficits (significant decrease in cancellous bone at the site of fracture, and a decrease in cortical bone at the site of impact) and significantly larger proximal femur dimensions (femoral neck and head widths) was evident. Conclusions. These results imply that effective hip fracture prevention strategies may require separate approaches for men and women. Screening programs for diminished bone density at the proximal femur have proved effective in previous studies. An approach which includes examining these local bone characteristics may further improve our ability to accurately determine hip fracture risk in vivo.
Simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation in the mycophenolate mofetil/tacrolimus era: Evolution from induction therapy with bladder drainage to noninduction therapy with enteric drainage

Abstract Background. In the past, enteric drainage or the omission of induction immunotherapy has been shown to be predictive of suboptimal outcomes of simultaneous pancreas-kidney (SPK) transplantation. We have reassessed the need for bladder drainage and induction immunotherapy to optimize the outcome of SPK transplantation. Methods. One hundred consecutive recipients of SPK transplants who received mycophenolate mofetil and tacrolimus immunosuppression were studied. The first 50 recipients had bladder-drained pancreas allografts and received induction immunotherapy. The results were compared with the next 50 recipients who had enteric-drained pancreas allografts, which included a subgroup (n = 17 patients) who were randomized to receive no induction immunotherapy. Results. The 1-year actuarial patient, kidney, and pancreas survival rates in the bladder-drainage group were 98.0%, 94.0%, and 94.0%, respectively. The 1-year actuarial patient, kidney, and pancreas survival rates in the enteric-drainage group were 96.8%, 96.8%, and 89.4%, respectively. In the enteric-drainage group, the incidence of rejection at 1 year was 6.1% in recipients who received induction therapy versus 23.5% in recipients who did not receive induction therapy. The average number of readmissions per recipient was 1.8 in the bladder-drainage group versus 0.9 in the enteric-drainage group. Conclusions. Primary enteric drainage of the pancreas allograft in recipients of SPK transplantation is the preferred surgical technique in the tacrolimus/mycophenolate mofetil era. (Surgery 2000;128:726-37.)
Recognition of Lipid Domain Boundaries by the HIV Fusion Peptide is an Essential Step for HIV Membrane Fusion

“Lipid rafts” which are cholesterol-enriched regions of the plasma membrane have been recognized as possible platforms for HIV entry. However, due to their highly dynamic and nanoscopic nature in biological membranes, it is challenging to investigate the role of lipid rafts in HIV-host interactions. In this study, we have used model systems with microscopic raft-like domains (Lo phase) in supported lipid bilayers and giant unilamellar vesicles mimicking HIV envelopes and T-cell membranes. We show that the phase separation of HIV or T-cell lipid mixtures is cholesterol-dependent, and membrane binding and lipid mixing are much more efficient in vesicles with coexisting Ld and Lo phases than those with single Ld or Lo phase, indicating that lipid phase separation is necessary and sufficient for efficient membrane fusion. Interestingly, time-resolved TIRF microscopy demonstrates that the HIV fusion peptide preferentially targets Lo/Ld boundary regions and promotes membrane fusion at the interface between Lo and Ld phases. Analysis of individual fusion events shows that pure Ld phase vesicles proceed to hemifusion and only vesicles with Lo/Ld phase boundaries fuse fully. Based on our designed minimal systems for understanding lipid raft-dependent HIV-host interactions, we propose that recognition of domain boundaries by the HIV fusion peptide is an essential step for HIV entry.
FORTRAN 77 programs for conductive cooling of dikes with temperature-dependent thermal properties and heat of crystallization

Abstract Temperature histories obtained from transient heat-conduction theory are applicable to most dikes despite potential complicating effects related to magma flow during emplacement, groundwater circulation, and metamorphic reaction during cooling. Here. machine-independent FORTRAN 77 programs are presented to calculate temperatures in and around dikes as they cool conductively. Analytical solutions can treat thermal-property contrasts between the dike and host rocks, but cannot address the release of magmatic heat of crystallization after the early stages of cooling or the appreciable temperature dependence of thermal conductivity and diffusivity displayed by most rock types. Numerical solutions can incorporate these additional factors. The heat of crystallization can raise the initial temperature at the dike contact, θ c1 , about 100°C above that which would be estimated if it were neglected, and can decrease the rate at which the front of solidified magma moves to the dike center by a factor of as much as three. Thermal conductivity and diffusivity of rocks increase with decreasing temperature and, at low temperatures, these properties increase more if the rocks are saturated with water. Models that treat these temperature dependencies yield estimates of θ c1 that are as much as 75°C beneath those which would be predicted if they were neglected.
Toward an understanding of the distraction construct in marketing

Abstract The results of a conceptual explication and empirical investigation of the construct of distraction are reported. The study begins with a literature review of distraction and the development of a conceptual model. The model is applied in a measurement process to create a distraction effects. A sample of 180 students was selected to establish convergent, discriminant, and nomological validity. Another sample of 64 students was used to show individual differences in distraction and to estimate relationship between distraction, recall beliefs, factual recall, and forgetting. The results indicate the scale's potential to increase knowledge about distraction in theoretical and applied setting.
Transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1) prevents the age-dependent decrease in bone formation in human osteoblast/implant cultures

Titanium implants have been extensively used in orthopedic surgery and dentistry. Most of the patients who receive such implants are elderly with a compromised ability to heal and form new bone. By using an in vitro osteoblast/implant culture system, the potency of TGF-β1 in enhancing mineralization of human osteoblast cultures from elderly subjects was investigated in this study. Primary human osteoblast (HOB) cells obtained from different age group human subjects [Young (Y), Middle (M), and Old (O)] were cultured on Ti alloy (Ti-6Al-4V) disks with or without continuous administration of 0.2 ng/mL TGF-β1 in the medium for 2 or 4 weeks. TGF-β1 significantly (p < 0.05) increased calcium content and the size of calcified nodules on implant disks in the O group, but had no effect on the Y or M groups. The number of calcified nodules was not different with or without TGF-β1 in all age groups. As measured by Northern blot analysis and RT-PCR, TGF-β1 significantly increased the expression of bone-specific extracellular matrix proteins, including alkaline phosphatase, Type I collagen, bone sialoprotein and osteocalcin, after both 2 and 4 weeks in the O group but not in the Y group. In conclusion, TGF-β1 enhances mineralization on implant materials of osteoblast cultures from elderly human subjects. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res, 2005
Mechanism of the Electrophoretic Deposition of CdSe Nanocrystal Films: Influence of the Nanocrystal Surface and Charge

Electrophoretic deposition (EPD) leads to equally thick films of distinct colloidal CdSe nanocrystals on the positive and negative electrodes due to the deposition of equal numbers of negatively and positively charged nanocrystals, even though their concentrations are not equal in solution. EPD stops when the lower concentration charged nanocrystals, here the negatively charged nanocrystals, are depleted. These and other mechanistic features of EPD are analyzed using electrophoretic mobility (ζ-potential) analysis, photoluminescence, inductively coupled plasma−atomic emission spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and related measurements, which also show that the surface charge of nanocrystals can be substantially altered by the presence of coordinating ligands. Several cycles of nanocrystal washing are needed so the nanocrystals are able to transfer charge and/or “stick” to the electrodes upon electrophoretic deposition.
Walleye pollock Theragra chalcogramma during transformation from the larval to juvenile stage: otolith and osteological development

Walleye pollock [Theragra chalcogramma (Pallas, 1814)] were collected from the Gulf of Alaska from 1991 to 1998 to examine the relationship between otolith and osteological development during transformation from the larval to juvenile life stage. Five stages of otolith development were determined for walleye pollock in conjunction with landmarks in osteological development during juvenile transformation. The first stage of otolith development (12–19 mm SL) is identified by the first accessory growth center (AGC) forming on sagittal otoliths. At this stage, the notochord is undergoing flexion as the teeth, jaws, branchiostegal rays, neural spines, and abdominal vertebral centra are ossifying. The second and third stages of otolith development (19–21 and 21–24 mm SL) are defined by the formation of the anterior, posterior, and dorsal AGCs on the otolith. This occurs during postflexion in conjunction with ossification of the principal caudal-fin rays, haemal spines, and caudal vertebral centra. The fourth stage of otolith development (24–37 mm SL) is defined by the AGCs on the ventral edge of the otolith. By this stage of development, the pelvic-, pectoral-, dorsal-, and anal-fin ray elements have started ossification and the fish has entered the transformation stage. The fifth stage of otolith development (36–48 mm SL) is identified by a completely formed sagittal otolith, which has AGCs that have grown together so that the otolith shape resembles an adult otolith, the ossification of all vertebrae and fin rays is complete, and the fish is a juvenile. By estimating what length a fish was, based solely on otolith development, would prove helpful for those who wish to reconstruct length frequencies of walleye pollock from otoliths of fish that have been damaged due to gear and/or poor handling during the preservation process.
Multiterawatt, 100-fs laser

Ultrashort-duration, high-energy laser pulses have been generated using a titanium-doped-sapphire oscillator and amplifier system. The pulses have an energy of 0.45 J with a duration of 95 fs and an energy of 0.23 J with a duration of 60 fs.
Challenges in Imaging in Preclinical Rheumatoid Arthritis

There exists a preclinical phase to the disease progression of rheumatoid arthritis, in which there is evidence of autoimmunity but no overt clinical arthritis. Identifying patients in this phase would allow for early treatment, to potentially halt manifestation of the disease. Imaging, because it is noninvasive, provides an appealing alternative to gold-standard synovial biopsies for identification of these preclinical patients. Ultrasonography, magnetic resonance imaging, and positron emission tomography all have their advantages and disadvantages as imaging modalities in this regard. Further research into alternative imaging modalities with larger cohorts is required to determine the most effective technique.
Lung vascular transport at controlled pressures with reduced coronary flow in sheep

Abstract This study was performed to measure the effects of sustained coronary flow reduction on lung lymph flow and protein clearance at normal and elevated lung microvascular pressures. Eleven halothane-anesthetized sheep were provided with lung lymph and carotid-to-left-anterior-descending coronary artery cannulas. Six sheep (ischemic group) were observed in a protocol of five periods, each of 2 hr duration: baseline, left atrial pressure ( P LA ) increased by mitral valve obstruction, return to baseline, reduced coronary flow, and reduced coronary flow plus increased P LA . Five sheep (control group) were studied in an identical protocol except that coronary flow was not reduced. P LA s were equal in the second and fifth periods. Lung lymph flow Q L and protein clearance ( Q L times the lymph-to-plasma protein concentration ratio) normalized to second baseline were greater during ischemia than in the comparable control period, and clearance was also greater during the second increased-pressure period. We conclude that reduced coronary flow is related to sustained, significant increases in lung vascular transport at elevated as well as at normal vascular pressures.
An in vitro model of persistent epileptiform activity in neocortex

An in vitro model of persistent epileptiform activity was developed to study the mechanisms involved in epileptogenesis. Extracellular recordings were obtained from rat neocortical slices exposed to magnesium-free solution for 2 h. During exposure to magnesium-free solution spontaneous epileptiform activity consisting of interictal bursting and ictal-like discharges were observed. Interestingly, this activity persisted for hours after the slices were returned to magnesium-containing control solution. The N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist CPP prevented the development of the epileptiform activity, while the non-NMDA receptor antagonist CNQX abolished the epileptiform discharge that persisted after slices were returned to control solution. These findings suggest there are two distinct phases in the development of epileptic activity in this model, namely, induction (mediated by NMDA receptor activity) and maintenance (supported largely by non-NMDA receptor activity). The similarities and possible parallels between the mechanisms underlying this epileptogenesis and other forms of use-dependent modification of synaptic excitation, such as long-term potentiation, are discussed. This in vitro model of neocortical epileptogenesis may provide insights into the events underlying the development of clinical partial epilepsy.
FPGA based robust controller applied to a boost converter

This paper presents a way to control a DC-DC Boost converter by a robust controller embedded in a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA). Normally, when the converter works for some time, the converter's inductive and capacitive components suffer heating, causing an increase on the converter's output resistance. This problem changes the system's operating point, contributing directly in output power loss. The main objective of this work is to synthetize a robust controller embedded in FPGA that minimizes the effects of load variations and input voltage variations. The main objective of the controller is maintaining a constant voltage in the output load. The results showed that the robust control technique H∞ embedded in the FPGA minimized the effects of the uncertainties and the disturbances approximating the system output response to its operating point.
Replicating adenovirus 2 DNA molecules contain terminal protein.

Abstract The type 2 adenovirus chromosome is a linear double-stranded DNA molecule with a 55,000-dalton protein, called terminal protein, covalently joined to each 5′ end. Using a quantitative filter-binding assay for the adenovirus DNA-terminal protein complex, we have shown that adenovirus DNA molecules contain a terminal protein in infected cells. Moreover, we have presented evidence that the terminal protein is linked to parental as well as newly synthesized strands in replicating viral DNA. An equation relating the number of growing points per replicating molecule to the fraction of pulse-labeled DNA retained on filters after cleavage with a restriction endonuclease has been derived. We have calculated an average of 1.6 ± 0.2 growing points per molecule using the equation.
Least upper bound on the cost of optimum binary search trees

This paper gives the least upper bound on the weighted path length of an optimum lexicographic (alphabetic) binary search tree as a function of n, given the total weight of the n terminal nodes and the n--1 internal nodes to be one.
Magnitude and duration of hyperactivity following neonatal 6-hydroxydopamine is related to the extent of brain dopamine depletion

Summary This experiment examined the relationship between the extent of brain dopamine (DA) neuron destruction in the neonatal rat and locomotor hyperactivity during subsequent development. Brain DA neurons were destroyed selectively in neonatal rats by intraventricular injections of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) following desmethylimipramine (DMI) pretreatment on both days 3 and 6 of life. Groups of rats received total doses of 50, 70, 100 or 200 μg of 6HDA or the vehicle solution. Each group of rats given 6-OHDA displayed 3- to 5-fold increases in locomotor activity relative to vehicle control rats on days 16 and 18 of life. Rats given 50 or 70 μg of 6-OHDA displayed hyperactivity that diminished during days 18–32 of life, approaching the level of activity seen in vehicle-treated rats. In contrast, rats given 100 or 200 μg of 6-OHDA displayed consistently high levels of locomotion during days 18–32 of life. When tested as sdults (days 55–66 of life) only those rats given 200 μg of 6-OHDA as neonates continued to display locomotor hyperactivity. The extent of 6-OHDA-induced depletion of DA was proportional to the magnitude of locomotor hyperactivity seen during neonatal life. Brain DA was depleted to the greatest extent in rats which displayed permanent hyperactivity. Regardless of the extent of depletion of brain DA, adult rats given intraventricular injections of 125, 200 or 275 μg of 6-OHDA at 48 days of age (following pargyline and DMI pretreatment) displayed no significant change in locomotor activity. These results indicate that the magnitude and duration of locomotor hyperactivity seen following neonatal 6-OHDA injections are correlated with the extent of loss of central DA neurons and suggest that brain DA projections exert important influences on the ontogeny of normal locomotion.
Effects of rod reduction on pedicle screw fixation strength in the setting of Ponte osteotomies

Abstract Background context The use of a rod reduction device can have deleterious consequences on pedicle screw pullout strength (POS) in the thoracic spine. However, posterior-only osteotomies in the thoracic spine are often performed to improve flexibility of the spine and offset forces of deformity correction maneuvers. Purpose To investigate the effect on pedicle screw POS caused by the rod reduction technique in the presence of facet osteotomies in the thoracic spine. Study design/setting The study is a biomechanical study using human cadaveric spine specimens. Methods Thoracic Ponte osteotomies were performed on 3 thoracic levels in 15 cadaveric specimens. The right rod was contoured with a 5-mm residual gap at the middle level and was reduced using a rod reduction device. On the left side (paired control), a rod with no mismatch was placed. Biomechanical testing was performed with tensile load to failure “in line” with the screw axis and POS measured in Newtons (N). Results After rod reduction, thoracic pedicle screw POS was significantly decreased (40%) compared with the control (419±426 N vs. 708±462 N, p=.002) and remained statistically significant after adjusting for bone mineral density (BMD) (p=.05). Eleven (73%) of the pedicle screws had visible pullout/failure during the reduction attempt and occurred irrespective of BMD. Conclusions Despite thoracic Ponte osteotomies and increased flexibility of the spinal segments, the rod reduction device still significantly decreased pedicle screw POS, typically resulting in outright failure of the screw-bone interface. Therefore, rod reduction technique of any kind should be performed with caution as it frequently results in suboptimal pedicle screw fixation.
The psychological and physiological dynamics of a simple conversation

Two experiments examined several variables that influence first impressions between previously unacquainted, opposite gender participants. The first experiment investigated the relationship among measures of extroversion, cheerfulness, and attractiveness during a first encounter. Results showed that measures of attractiveness did not correlate with measures of extroversion and cheerfulness. The second experiment examined galvanic skin response (GSR) from male and female couples engaged in conversation. The results showed a significant direct relationship between the electrical conductivity of the skin for 10 pairs of participants who were engaged in a simple conversation.
Purification of iridium by electron beam melting

The purification of iridium metal by electron beam melting has been characterized for 48 impurity elements. Chemical analysis was performed by glow discharge mass spectrographic (GDMS) analysis for all elements except carbon, which was analyzed by combustion. The average levels of individual elemental impurities in the starting powder varied from 37 μg/g to 0.02 μg/g. The impurity elements Li, Na, Mg, P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Pd, Ag, Cd, Sn, Sb, Te, Ba, Ce, Tl, Pb, and Bi were not detectable following the purification. No significant change in the concentration of the elements Ti, V, Zr, Nb, Mo, and Re was found following melting. The elements B, C, Al, Si, Cr, Fe, Ru, Rh, and Pt were partially removed by vaporization during electron beam melting. Langmuir's equation for ideal vaporization into a vacuum was used to calculate for each impurity element the expected ratio of impurity content after melting to that before melting. Equilibrium vapor pressures were calculated using Henry's law, with activity coefficients obtained from published data for the elements Fe, Ti, and Pt. Activity coefficients were estimated from enthalpy data for Al, Si, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Zr, Nb, Mo, and Hf and an ideal solution model was used for the remaining elements. The melt temperature was estimated from measured iridium weight loss and impurity measurements. Good agreement, either quantitative or qualitative, was found between measured and calculated impurity ratios for all impurity elements. The results are consistent with some localized heating of the melt pool due to rastering of the electron beam, with an average vaporization temperature of 3100 K as compared to a temperature of 2965 K calculated for uniform heating of the melt pool. The results are also consistent with ideal mixing in the melt pool.
Blood Sampling from the Venous Occipital Sinus of Birds

Venous occipital sinus blood sampling was demonstrated to be an effective nonlethal method in all species tested including ducks, geese, Chukar partridge, Japanese quail, pea-fowl, pheasants, parakeets, turkeys, and chickens. Maximum blood volume obtained from the occipital sinus of 1-day-old chicks equalled the volume obtained by cardiac puncture and exceeded the volume collected by decapitation. Venous occipital sinus puncture was successfully used to rapidly collect several successive blood samples from individual birds, thus indicating the method's utility for serial blood sampling. Hematocrit values, as well as infectious bronchitis and Newcastle disease virus antibody titers measured in blood samples drawn from the occipital sinus and the brachial vein, were compared. Significant correlation coefficients between the two blood sources for each of the variables measured suggest that occipital sinus blood sampling may be substituted for venipuncture for many routine measurements.
Combination of isothermal titration calorimetry and time-resolved luminescence for high affinity antibody–ligand interaction thermodynamics and kinetics

For experiments using synthetic ligands as probes for biological experiments, it is useful to determine the specificity and affinity of the ligands for their receptors. As ligands with higher affinities are developed (K(A)>10(8)M(-1); K(D)<10(-8)M), a new challenge arises: to measure these values accurately. Isothermal titration calorimetry measures heat produced or consumed during ligand binding, and also provides the equilibrium binding constant. However, as normally practiced, its range is limited. Displacement titration, where a competing weaker ligand is used to lower the apparent affinity of the stronger ligand, can be used to determine the binding affinity as well as the complete thermodynamic data for ligand-antibody complexes with very high affinity. These equilibrium data have been combined with kinetic measurements to yield the rate constants as well. We describe this methodology, using as an example antibody 2D12.5, which captures yttrium S-2-(4-aminobenzyl)-1, 4, 7, 10-tetraazacyclododecanetetraacetate.
Autoradiography of [3H]U-69593 binding sites in rat brain: evidence for κ opioid receptor subtypes

In vitro quantiative autoradiography was used to determine the distribution of [3H]U-69593 binding sites in rat brain. The highest density of binding was found in areas of the tel- and diencephalon while certain areas of the mes- and metencephalon were moderately labeled. The distribution of [3H]U-69593 binding sites corresponds closely (but not precisely) to the distribution of sites labeled by [3H]EKC and [3H]bremazocine at room temperature but differs substantially from the distribution of sites labeled by [3H]EKC at 4°C (as described by others). These anatomical findings support previous biochemical evidence indicating that [3H]U-69593 selectively labels a κ opioid receptor subtype with characteristics that differ from the κ receptors labeled by [3H]EKC at 4°C.
Grounding spatial language in the motor system: Reciprocal interactions between spatial semantics and orienting

Shifts of attention that are directed by spatial words are thought to be mediated by a spatial frame of reference. Previous studies have documented a selection cost when visual attention is directed along the left/right axis relative to the above/below axis due to the greater ambiguity of the horizontal endpoints. The present study investigated whether the horizontal endpoints may be more fully disambiguated when “left/right” cues are first enacted by nondivisible, more discrete, modes of orienting such as directional motor responses. This issue was investigated using a repetition priming paradigm in which the effects of prior enactments were measured on the subsequent conceptual control of visual attention. The results of four experiments showed that grounding spatial language in the motor system can enhance the focus of visual attention by disambiguating the endpoints of the horizontal axis. In so doing, the present study extends previous research demonstrating that spatial concepts can influence the sp...
Electrospray encapsulation of water-soluble protein with polylactide. I. Effects of formulations and process on morphology and particle size

Bovine serum albumin (BSA) was encapsulated with poly (lactide) (PLA) using an electrospray technique in which a sufficiently strong electric field was applied to overcome the surface tension of a droplet and to produce small particles. The influences of PLA solvent type, PLA solution concentrations; the viscosity, electrical conductivity and surface tension of PLA solutions and PLA/BSA emulsions; and the applied voltage and flow rate on the morphology and size of the BSA-loaded PLA particles were examined. 1,2-dichloroethane (DCE) was a better solvent for PLA than dichloromethane. Spherical electrosprayed particles, with smooth surfaces, were observed with both solvents. The electrical conductivity increased and particle size decreased when acetone was mixed with DCE as PLA solvent. However, the particles were no longer spherical. The size of the particles increased and shape became spherical as PLA concentration was increased from 1-3%. Increasing the concentration to 4% resulted in the formation of a mixture of beads and fibres. Particle size decreased as applied voltage was increased from 10-15 kV and increased as flow rate was increased from 0.5-3 ml h(-1).
Youth sports and the emergence of chameleon leadership

This qualitative phenomenological study explored the lived youth sports experiences of a sample of 20 North Carolina managers to determine how interpersonal skills developed through youth sports impact managing change. The data resulted in an emerging theme of a fearlessness approach to change situations, labeled chameleon leadership for this research study. The discovered theme offered information toward leadership and management skills used to manage complex organizations and diverse individuals within the realm of sports and work environments to enhance productivity in today's diverse and complex organizations.
Effects of moisture-assisted slow crack growth on ceramic strength

An investigation was made of strength degradation caused by moisture-assisted slow crack growth of surface flaws in two dense polycrystalline ceramics. Specimen sizes were varied. The observed strength degradation of each ceramic was predictable usingK IC as a material property in fracture-mechanics relations, suggesting that the only material variable involved was critical flaw size. The strength of one of the ceramics in water decreased significantly with increased specimen size, but its Weibull modulus was essentially unaffected by specimen size and slow crack growth.
Keratoblast and Keratocyte, not Keratinocyte

CELLS of both the reproductive and functional compartments of oral and cutaneous epithelia are at present indiscriminately called “keratinocytes”. The two types of cells, however, differ markedly in function and fate, and it is therefore logical, as well as useful, to distinguish them by different terms. It is therefore proposed to introduce the term “keratoblast” to denote a cell in the reproductive compartment of these tissues, and thus to distinguish dividing cells from those that produce keratin.
238Pu elimination profiles after delayed treatment with 3,4,3LI(1,2HOPO) in female and male Swiss-Webster mice

AbstractPurpose: To characterize the dose-dependent and sex-related efficacy of the hydroxypyridinonate decorporation agent 3,4,3-LI(1,2-HOPO) at enhancing plutonium elimination when post-exposure treatment is delayed.Materials and methods: Six parenteral dose levels of 3,4,3-LI(1,2-HOPO) from 1–300 μmol/kg were evaluated for decorporating plutonium in female and male Swiss-Webster mice administered a soluble citrate complex of 238Pu and treated 24 hours later. Necropsies were scheduled at four time-points (2, 4, 8, and 15 days post-contamination) for the female groups and at three time-points (2, 4, and 8 days post-contamination) for the male groups.Results: Elimination enhancement was dose-dependent in the 1–100 μmol/kg dose range at all necropsy time-points, with some significant reductions in full body and tissue content for both female and male animals. The highest dose level resulted in slight toxicity, with a short recovery period, which delayed excretion of the radionuclide.Conclusions: While diff...
Western Pacific thermocline structure and the Pacific marine Intertropical Convergence Zone during the Last Glacial Maximum

Paleoclimate proxy evidence suggests a southward shift of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) during times of Northern Hemisphere cooling, including the Last Glacial Maximum, 19–23 ka before present. However, evidence for movement over the Pacific has mainly been limited to precipitation reconstructions near the continents, and the position of the Pacific marine ITCZ is less well constrained. In this study, we address this problem by taking advantage of the fact that the upper ocean density structure reflects the overlying wind field. We reconstruct changes in the upper ocean density structure during the LGM using oxygen isotope measurements on the planktonic foraminifera G. ruber and G. tumida in a transect of sediment cores from the Western Tropical Pacific. The data suggests a ridge in the thermocline just north of the present-day ITCZ persists for at least part of the LGM, and a structure in the Southern Hemisphere that differs from today. The reconstructed structure is consistent with that produced in a General Circulation Model with both a Northern and Southern Hemisphere ITCZ.
Impact of the National Institutes of Health on radiology research.

Purpose: To retrospectively quantify the characteristics of published radiology research sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and to retrospectively characterize the contribution of the individual NIH institutes. Materials and Methods: The National Library of Medicine's PubMed database was searched for all articles published by U.S. radiology departments from 1996 to 2005. Methodology and NIH grant support were recorded for each article. Data were analyzed with linear regression curve estimation, with P ≤ .05 indicating a significant difference. Results: Worldwide, 76 838 articles were identified, with 30 156 (39.25%) originating from the United States. The NIH funded 28.36% of clinical trials and 18.58% of U.S. articles overall. The proportion of funded articles increased annually by 1.1% (P < .001) overall, by 3.5% for clinical trials (P < .001), and by 5.2% for multicenter trials (P < .001). By 2005, 54.9% of all clinical trials and 55.6% of multicenter trials were NIH funded. The Natio...
Successful simulation projects: a guide for clients

The title of this paper indicates that it is addressed to clients who have simulation models built for them. However, it is really equally addressed to those who build the models for the clients. The major message is that working with the client throughout the project is essential to a successful project. The specific roles the client and simulation consultant will play in the various phases of a project are discussed. In particular, the client is a key figure in conceptualizing the model, validating it, and using it. This does not reduce the simulation consultant to a mere programmer. On the contrary, it means that doing simulation is as much or more a process of working with people to achieve certain goals, as it is a process of working with the computer.
Modeling of Laser Cladding with Powder Injection

Laser cladding is one of the material additive manufacturing processes used to produce a metallurgically bonded deposition layer. To obtain a high-quality resulting part, a deep understanding of the underlying mechanisms is required. In this article, a mathematical model is developed to simulate the coaxial laser-cladding process with powder injection, which includes laser- substrate, laser-powder, and powder-substrate interactions. The model considers most of the associated phenomena, such as melting, solidification, evaporation, evolution of the free surface, and powder injection. The fluid flow in the melt pool, which is mainly driven by Marangoni shear stress as well as particle impinging, together with the energy balances at the liquid-vapor and the solid-liquid interfaces, are investigated. Powder heating and laser power attenuation due to the powder cloud are incorporated into the model in the calculation of the temperature distribution. The influences of the powder injection on the melt pool shape, penetration, and flow pattern are predicted through the comparison for the cases with powder injection and without powder injection. Dynamic behavior of the melt pool and the formation of the clad are simulated. The effects of the process parameters on the melt pool dimension and peak temperature are further investigated based on the validated model.
The impact of illness upon the spouse.

Abstract One hundred and twenty-one patients with chronic illness and 73 spouses of the patients were studied at the time of their application to the medical outpatient clinic of a University Medical Center. Levels of symptomatology, interpersonal tension and work activity were found to be significantly altered from pre-illness levels in both patients and spouses at the start of evaluation and treatment. There was a significant correlation between symptom levels and role tension levels in patients and spouses. The findings are interpreted in terms of the impact of illness upon intrafamily relationships.
Parathyroid hormone-stimulated development of osteoclasts in cultures of cells from neonatal murine calvaria.

Abstract Evidence was sought for the presence of osteoclasts or preosteoclasts in cells prepared from neonatal murine calvaria by sequential enzymatic digestion. Freshly isolated cells released late in the digestion process resorbed both living and devitalized calvarial bone matrix in response to PTH, accompanied by the development of osteoclasts. Light and scanning electron microscopy of these cells after 1 to 2 days in culture revealed the presence of round cells (10 to 15 μ in diameter) with minimal surface microvilli in addition to the larger osteoblastic cells. Few cells contained tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAPase). If initially seeded at confluent density, more cells positive for TRA-Pase developed during subsequent culture, and these cells retained the ability to resorb calvarial bone matrix upon treatment with parathyroid hormone (PTH). These cultured cells responded to PTH with increased secretion of TRA-Pase into the medium and increased numbers of TRAPase positive cells. These were 20 to 50 μ in diameter, sometimes multinucleated, and some were spread 100 to 200 μ in length. Observations of living cells that took up neutral red showed that, upon treatment with calcitonin (CT), surface filopodia of some but not all of the labeled cells retracted within 30 minutes. Loss of resorptive response to PTH, as well as PTH-stimulated development of TRAPasepositive cells, occurred if the cells were initially seeded at low density and grown to confluence before exposure to hormone. This correlated with the loss of most of the 10 to 15 μ diameter round cells. These observations suggest that preosteoclasts are present among these small cells that can give rise to osteoclasts upon treatment with PTH
Location and Role of Free Cysteinyl Residues in the Sindbis Virus E1 and E2 Glycoproteins

Sindbis virus is a single-stranded positive-sense RNA virus. It is composed of 240 copies of three structural proteins: E1, E2, and capsid. These proteins form a mature virus particle composed of two nested T=4 icosahedral shells. A complex network of disulfide bonds in the E1 and E2 glycoproteins is developed through a series of structural intermediates as virus maturation occurs (M. Mulvey and D. T. Brown, J. Virol. 68:805-812, 1994; M. Carleton et al., J. Virol. 71:1558-1566, 1997). To better understand the nature of this disulfide network, E1 and E2 cysteinyl residues were labeled with iodoacetamide in the native virus particle and analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. This analysis identified cysteinyl residues of E1 and E2, which were found to be label accessible in the native virus particle, as well as those that were either label inaccessible or blocked by their involvement in disulfide bonds. Native virus particles alkylated with iodoacetamide demonstrated a 4-log decrease in viral infectivity. This suggests that the modification of free cysteinyl residues results in the loss of infectivity by destabilizing the virus particle or that a rearrangement of disulfide bonds, which is required for infectivity, is blocked by the modification. Although modification of these residues prevented infectivity, it did not alter the ability of virus to fuse cells after exposure to acidic pH; thus, modification of free cysteinyl residues biochemically separated the process of infection from the process of membrane fusion.
Leptin Replacement Restores Supraspinal Cholinergic Antinociception in Leptin-Deficient Obese Mice

Abstract A single gene deletion causes lack of leptin and obesity in B6.V-Lepob (obese; ob) mice compared with wild-type C57BL/6J (B6) mice. This study compared the phenotype of nociception and supraspinal antinociception in obese and B6 mice by testing 2 hypotheses: (1) microinjection of cholinomimetics or an adenosine receptor agonist, but not morphine, into the pontine reticular formation (PRF) is antinociceptive in B6 but not obese mice, and (2) leptin replacement in obese mice attenuates differences in nociceptive responses between obese and B6 mice. Adult male mice (n = 22) were implanted with microinjection guide tubes aimed for the PRF. The PRF was injected with neostigmine, carbachol, nicotine, N6-p-sulfophenyladenosine (SPA), morphine, or saline (control), and latency to paw withdrawal (PWL) from a thermal stimulus was recorded. B6 and ob mice did not differ in PWL after saline microinjection into the PRF. Neostigmine, carbachol, and SPA caused PWL to increase significantly in B6 but not obese mice. An additional 15 obese mice were implanted with osmotic pumps that delivered leptin for 7 days. Leptin replacement in obese mice restored the analgesic effect of PRF neostigmine to the level displayed by B6 mice. The results show for the first time that leptin significantly alters supraspinal cholinergic antinociception. Perspective This study specifies a brain region (the pontine reticular formation), cholinergic neurotransmission, and a protein (leptin) modulating thermal nociception. The results are relevant for efforts to understand the association between obesity, disordered sleep, and hyperalgesia.
Movement variability near goal equivalent manifolds: Fluctuations, control, and model-based analysis

Fluctuations in the repeated performance of human movements have been the subject of intense scrutiny because they are generally believed to contain important information about the function and health of the neuromotor system. A variety of approaches has been brought to bear to study these fluctuations. However it is frequently difficult to understand how to synthesize different perspectives to give a coherent picture. Here, we describe a conceptual framework for the experimental study of motor variability that helps to unify geometrical methods, which focus on the role of motor redundancy, with dynamical methods that characterize the error-correcting processes regulating the performance of skilled tasks. We describe how goal functions, which mathematically specify the task strategy being employed, together with ideas from the control of redundant systems, allow one to formulate simple, experimentally testable dynamical models of inter-trial fluctuations. After reviewing the basic theory, we present a list of five general hypotheses on the structure of fluctuations that can be expected in repeated trials of goal-directed tasks. We review recent experimental applications of this general approach, and show how it can be used to precisely characterize the error-correcting control used by human subjects.