cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Role of Toll-Like Receptor 4 in Corneal Epithelial Wound Healing

PURPOSE We evaluated the role of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) in corneal epithelial wound healing. METHODS The expression of TLR4 during in vivo corneal epithelial wound healing was examined by immunostaining in mice. The expression and activation of TLR4 was studied in primary or telomerase-immortalized human corneal epithelial cells (HCEC). Scratch assay was performed to evaluate in vitro wound closure using live time-lapse microscopy. Transwell migration assay and Ki67 immunostaining were done to evaluate migration and proliferation, respectively. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was used to activate TLR4, whereas CLI-095 was used for its inhibition. The expression of inflammatory cytokines was determined by RT-PCR and ELISA. The activation of p42/44 and p38 was determined by immunoblotting. RESULTS In the murine model, TLR4 immunostaining was noted prominently in the epithelium 8 hours after wounding. There was a 4-fold increase in the expression of TLR4 6 hours after in vitro scratch wounding (P < 0.001). Confocal microscopy confirmed the membrane localization of TLR4/MD2 complex. There was a significant increase in migration, proliferation, and wound closure in HCEC treated with LPS (P < 0.05), while there was significant decrease with TLR4 inhibition (P < 0.05). Addition of LPS to wounded HCEC resulted in a significant increase in the expression of IL-6, TNF-α, CXCL8/IL8, and CCL5/RANTES at the mRNA and protein levels. Likewise, LPS increased the activation of p42/44 and p38 in wounded HCEC. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that epithelial wounding induces the expression of functional TLR4. Toll-like receptor 4 signaling appears to contribute to early corneal epithelial wound repair by enhancing migration and proliferation.
Flexible specialization and the German toy industry, 1870-1914

Flexible specialization presents many attractions both as an analytical tool and as a model for industrial development. Efforts to theorize and historicize the concept, however, have sometimes assumed such central importance for social, cultural and political factors that economic concerns have been obscured. As a closer examination of the German toy industry reveals, there are a variety of largely economic factors that also play a substantial role in the development and success of decentralized networks of producers. In particular, the expectations of consumers, the nature of available production technology and the number of components available for subcontracting all play substantial roles in structuring the toy industry. Once these economic considerations are included a fuller, more persuasive account of the origin and success of flexible specialization emerges.
Chemical and Petrographic Characterization of Drill Core from Beluga Coalfield: ABSTRACT

Chuitna River field is part of the Beluga-Yentna field in the upper Cook Inlet basin. Coal occurs in the Tertiary rocks of entirely continental origin. In order to characterize the vertical variation of coal more completely and to understand the environments of coal deposition, a drill hole was cored to a depth of 290 ft with the help of Diamond Alaska Coal Co. The core included five coal beds: Blue (bottom 15 ft), Red 3 (13 ft), Red 2 (26 ft), Red 1 (16 ft), and Purple (5 ft). These beds were sampled foot by foot and were characterized for ash, moisture, ash fusibility, ash composition for major oxides and trace elements, vitrinite reflectance, and petrographic composition under normal incident light as well as fluorescent illumination. A palynological evaluation is in p ogress. Ultimate analyses were made for 5-ft intervals. Ash composition of foot-by-foot samples varied widely. For example SiO2 ranged from 0.58 to 65%, Fe2O3 from 1.97 to 57%, CaO from 2.5 to 35%, P2O5 from 0.07 to 17%, and Ba from 0.19 to 3.7%. Petrologic analyses showed less drastic variations within a seam. The wide variation in ash composition, particularly of iron and silica, among others, is indicative of periodic changes in pH of the swamp environment. Lack of high inertinite zones within the seams studied shows that the swamp was not subjected to drastic changes in the water table and that the subsidence kept pace with peat accumulation during the formation of each of the seams. End_of_Article - Last_Page 676------------
Role of Familiarity in Affecting Knowledge Gaps in Geographically Dispersed Work

Increasingly, various tasks are being conducted by dispersed teams. However, such teams lack a common context, and knowledge gaps exist among dispersed team members making collaboration difficult. This paper seeks to examine whether and how properties of team context (e.g., familiarity with team members and task) have the potential to moderate the effects of structure of team context (e.g., dispersion) on dispersed team collaboration. Further, this paper teases out these effects in teams with a varying extent of dispersion. Findings offer evidence that a unique constraint of distance that dispersed teams face may not be the key factor that determines their performance.
Plate Tectonics, the Wilson Cycle, and Mantle Plumes: Geodynamics from the Top

By 1968, J. Tuzo Wilson had identified three basic elements of geodynamics: plate tectonics, mantle plumes of deep origin, and the Wilson Cycle of ocean opening and closing, which provides evidence of plate tectonic behavior in times before quantifiable plate rotations. My pre-1968 experience disposed me to try to play a part in testing these ideas. Most recently, with colleagues, I have been able to show that deep-seated plumes of the past ∼5.5 × 10 8 years have risen only from narrow plume generation zones (PGZs) at the coremantle boundary (CMB) mostly on the edges of two Large Low Shear wave Velocity Provinces (LLSVPs) that have been stable, antipodal, and equatorial in their present positions for hundreds of millions of years and perhaps much longer. A need now is to develop an understanding of Earth that embodies plate tectonics, deeply subducted slabs, and stable LLSVPs with plumes that rise from PGZs on the CMB.
Chemical coding of intrinsic and extrinsic nerves in the guinea pig gallbladder: distributions of PACAP and orphanin FQ.

The complexity of the neural regulation of the gallbladder is reflected by the variety of neuroactive compounds that are found in the intrinsic and extrinsic nerves of the guinea pig gallbladder. The studies reported here used antisera to test for the presence of gallbladder nerves that are immunoreactive for the neuroactive peptides, pituitary adenylyl activating polypeptide (PACAP), and/or orphanin FQ (OFQ, also known as nociceptin). PACAP immunoreactivity was observed in nerve fibers of the paravascular plexus that were also immunoreactive for calcitonin gene-related peptide. These nerve fibers, which are also immunoreactive for substance P, could be followed into the ganglionated plexus. Within the ganglia, a small proportion of neurons was found to be immunoreactive for PACAP; these neurons were also immunoreactive for vasoactive intestinal peptide and nitric oxide synthase. Immunoreactivity for OFQ was observed in the perivascular plexus in nerve fibers that were also immunoreactive for tyrosine hydroxylase. These nerves were previously shown to be immunoreactive for neuropeptide Y. In the ganglionated plexus, immunoreactivity was observed in all gallbladder neurons, as demonstrated by double staining with antiserum directed against the neuron-specific RNA binding protein, Hu. OFQ immunoreactivity was also present in the small catecholaminergic neurons that are observed in a subset of the ganglia. These results further demonstrate the neurotransmitter diversity of the nerves of the gallbladder, and they provide an incentive for studies of the actions of these compounds in the gallbladder wall. Anat Rec 262:101–109, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Periodic operation of a continuous culture of Baker's yeast

The possibility of enhancing the biomass productivity of a continuous culture of Saccharomyces cerevisiae growing on a glucose-limited medium is addressed. An unstructured Monod-type model is first identified using steady-state data. The culture is subjected to step changes in dilution rate, and it is seen that the Monod model is unable to predict even qualitatively the dynamic response of the culture. Incorporation of a time delay allows significant improvement in the transient fit. It is found that the culture has a time lag of about 3 h in adapting its growth rate. Cycling the dilution rate with a period of 3 h leads to substantial improvement in the average biomass productivity.
The role of amifostine in the treatment of carcinoma of the uterine cervix: An update of RTOG-0116 and review of future directions

Approximately 10,520 women will be diagnosed with carcinoma of the uterine cervix in 2004, resulting in significant mortality. While definitive or adjuvant radiation therapy remains a critical component of treatment, both local and distant recurrences may occur. The recent addition of chemotherapy has helped reduce these recurrences and improve survival, albeit at a cost of increased toxicity, especially in patients requiring extended-field treatment. New agents, such as amifostine (Ethyol, MedImmune Inc, Gaithersburg, MD), that possess cytoprotective and radioprotective properties may help ameliorate toxicity. This report reviews and updates the rationale and current experience with amifostine in the treatment of carcinoma of the uterine cervix. Data suggest a benefit in patients with pelvic malignancies receiving amifostine before either chemotherapy or radiation, and that subcutaneous administration may be as efficacious and less toxic than the intravenous route. Ongoing trials will likely provide more data to the role of amifostine in the treatment of carcinoma of the uterine cervix, and especially whether the administration of subcutaneous amifostine before both chemotherapy/radiation therapy will translate into a reduction in acute and late toxicity.
Numerical evidence on the uniform distribution of power residues for elliptic curves

Elliptic curves are fascinating mathematical objects which occupy the intersection of number theory, algebra, and geometry. An elliptic curve is an algebraic variety upon which an abelian group structure can be imposed. By considering the ring of endomorphisms of an elliptic curve, a property called complex multiplication may be defined, which some elliptic curves possess while others do not. Given an elliptic curve E and a prime p, denote by N p the number of points on E over the finite field F p. It has been conjectured that given an elliptic curve E without complex multiplication and any modulus M, the primes for which N p is a square modulo p are uniformly distributed among the residue classes modulo M. This paper offers numerical evidence in support of this conjecture.
From web search to healthcare utilization: privacy-sensitive studies from mobile data.

Objective We explore relationships between health information seeking activities and engagement with healthcare professionals via a privacy-sensitive analysis of geo-tagged data from mobile devices. Materials and methods We analyze logs of mobile interaction data stripped of individually identifiable information and location data. The data analyzed consist of time-stamped search queries and distances to medical care centers. We examine search activity that precedes the observation of salient evidence of healthcare utilization (EHU) (ie, data suggesting that the searcher is using healthcare resources), in our case taken as queries occurring at or near medical facilities. Results We show that the time between symptom searches and observation of salient evidence of seeking healthcare utilization depends on the acuity of symptoms. We construct statistical models that make predictions of forthcoming EHU based on observations about the current search session, prior medical search activities, and prior EHU. The predictive accuracy of the models varies (65%–90%) depending on the features used and the timeframe of the analysis, which we explore via a sensitivity analysis. Discussion We provide a privacy-sensitive analysis that can be used to generate insights about the pursuit of health information and healthcare. The findings demonstrate how large-scale studies of mobile devices can provide insights on how concerns about symptomatology lead to the pursuit of professional care. Conclusion We present new methods for the analysis of mobile logs and describe a study that provides evidence about how people transition from mobile searches on symptoms and diseases to the pursuit of healthcare in the world.
The effect of offset on the performance of segmented penetrators

Summary The purpose of this investigation is to study the effect of offset on the performance of segmented penetrators. The Eulerian wave propagation code CTH is used for this purpose. The veracity of the code in predicting the penetration depth of short L/D projectiles where channel sidewall interference is present is examined by comparing to a few experiments involving penetration of tungsten alloy cylinders into pre-configured cavities in monolithic armor steel. Having established the validity of the code in predicting this behavior, a series of calculations using four and eight L/D = 1 tungsten alloy segment trains at varying degrees of offset is performed, impacting semi-infinite armor steel targets. It is demonstrated that the alignment of the segments can have a considerable impact on the performance of the penetrator.
Simultaneous Temperature and Velocity Measurement in Unseeded Air Flows with FLEET

ows. In this paper, we demonstrate that femtosecond laser electronic excitation tagging (FLEET), a recently developed molecular tagging velocimetry method can also be used to simultaneously measure temperature. A 150 femtosecond pulse populates excited molecular nitrogen states, driving signicant emission in the nitrogen Second Positive and First Negative systems. Spectroscopy of emission from the excited states allows temperature to be determined from both the distribution of rotational energy and the relative strengths of the Second Positive and First Negative systems. Temperature proles are measured to an uncertainty of 20 K and 1 mm spatial resolution between 300 and 600 K in a heated turbulent jet. FLEET temperature and velocity measurements involve separate systems and can be conducted simultaneously without interference.
Social information filtering: algorithms for automating “word of mouth”

This paper describes a technique for making personalized recommendations from any type of database to a user based on similarities between the interest profile of that user and those of other users. In particular, we discuss the implementation of a networked system called Ringo, which makes personalized recommendations for music albums and artists. Ringo's database of users and artists grows dynamically as more people use the system and enter more information. Four different algorithms for making recommendations by using social information filtering were tested and compared. We present quantitative and qualitative results obtained from the use of Ringo by more than 2000 people.
TIR observations in FIFE from field, aircraft and satellite platforms

Observations of the surface radiometric temperature by the AVHRR sensor on board the NOAA-9 satellite are presented. The satellite observations were corrected for atmospheric effects using a path radiance model (MODTRAN3) and radio soundings of the atmosphere. Problems with this approach include the non-simultaneity of the soundings with the overpass and errors involved in profile measurements. For the former, soundings before and after the overpass were interpolated to the time of the overpass. For the latter, the errors arise from the +/-0.5 C uncertainty in the dry and wet bulb temperatures which produces a +/-14% relative uncertainty in the water vapor. To over come this the water vapor profiles were adjusted until the channel 4 and 5 temperature differences over a large reservoir were reduced to zero. This adjusted profiled was then used over the entire site. The results are compared to ground broadband temperature readings at about 10 sites and to aircraft results from the thermal channel of the NS001 sensor on the C-130 aircraft and found to be in good agreement considering the difference in footprint sizes.
Nonlinear development of the dust acoustic instability in a collisional dusty plasma

We study the nonlinear behavior of the low-frequency dust acoustic instability in a collisional dusty plasma by means of particle simulations. The instability arises due to the streaming of plasma ions and neutrals relative to charged dust grains. According to linear theory, the presence of collisions between the plasma ions and a neutral gas background reduces the growth rate of the instability. Nonlinearly, however, the presence of drifting neutrals maintains the initial relative drift between plasma and dust ions until the unstable waves grow to large amplitude and collisions due to wave-particle interactions exceed the neutral collisions. As a result, stronger nonlinear effects, as manifested by enhanced fluctuations, larger amounts of plasma and dust heating, and a temporary reduction of the relative drift velocity, can occur in the presence of collisions.
Surgical reduction of scrotal massive localized lymphedema (MLL) in obesity.

Summary Background Lymphedema of the penis and scrotum is physically and psychologically disabling. Obesity is a source of secondary lymphedema. When restricted to specific anatomical regions in obesity, this is termed massive localized lymphedema (MLL). Few surgical cases of specific scrotal MLL in obesity are reported in the literature. We present our case series to improve the management of this complicated pathology. Methods This is a retrospective review of obese adult patients with clinically diagnosed scrotal MLL undergoing reduction scrotoplasty by the senior author (J.R.S.) from 1992 to 2012. Medical, social, familial, surgical, and follow-up data were extracted. Prior infection of the scrotal lymphedema, surgical details, pathologic evaluation, and postoperative complications were noted. A series of the cases is presented. Results Four cases met the criteria for study. The average age was 35 years with an average body mass index of 53.9. Average resection at the first procedure was 3492 g. All patients were reconstructed with laterally based scrotal flaps. The pathology for each case was consistent with chronic lymphedema; no sarcomatous changes were noted. Fifty percent of the patients had recurrence of the scrotal MLL. The average total number of operations during the follow-up period for either complication or recurrence was two. Conclusions This is the largest case series specifically investigating surgical treatment for scrotal MLL in obesity. Lateral-based scrotal flaps (with or without mid-raphe Z-plasty) permit anatomic reconstruction. Complications are common and recurrence is frequent after surgical management. Excision with reconstruction improves urinary function and overall symptoms.
Octachloro- and octabromoditechnetate(III) and their rhenium(III) congeners.

The compound (n-Bu4N)2Tc2Br8 was prepared by the metathesis of (n-Bu4N)2Tc2Cl8 with HBr (g) in dichloromethane and characterized by X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy and UV–vis spectrosc...
Dual Role of Reactive Oxygen Species in Vascular Growth

In the last decade, it has become clear that virtually all mammalian cells produce reactive oxygen species. It was generally believed that these were by-products of cellular respiration and metabolism, and that they exerted toxic effects, including DNA damage and lipid oxidation. Recent evidence has demonstrated that this concept is incorrect, and that reactive oxygen species are produced in a controlled fashion and likely have critical signaling functions. Likewise, antioxidant defenses play a crucial role in modulating the ambient steady-state levels of reactive oxygen species. Biological or pharmacological manipulation of endogenous antioxidants can have a profound effect on cellular function. Emerging evidence suggests that hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) plays a particularly important role in signal transduction. H2O2 is uncharged and is freely diffusible within and between cells. Compared with other reactive oxygen species, it is also quite stable. A major source of H2O2 is a membrane-bound NADH/NADPH oxidase, the activity of which is regulated by hormones, growth factors, and physical forces. The primary product of this enzyme system is superoxide (O2·−), which is rapidly dismutated to H2O2 by the superoxide dismutases. Removal of H2O2 is regulated by two important enzymes, …
Decision feedback multiuser receivers for asynchronous CDMA systems

Nonlinear decision feedback receivers for the asynchronous CDMA channel are examined. A description and comparison of the two nonlinear decision feedback algorithms that have been proposed for this environment leads to a new hybrid approach. This hybrid decision feedback equalizer is shown through simulations to greatly outperform, in certain situations, the two approaches that have been proposed so far and to approach the performance of the maximum likelihood sequence estimator. >
Adenocarcina of the mouse prostate growth inhibition by celecoxib: downregulation of transcription factors involved in COX-2 inhibition.

BACKGROUND Epidemiological studies have shown a decreased risk of prostate cancer among men who regularly take aspirin or other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). In this study, we examined a dose-dependent effect of a cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor, celecoxib against transgenic adenocarcinoma of the mouse prostate. METHODS Efficacy of four different doses in parts per million of celecoxib, such as 200 ppm, 400 ppm, 600 ppm, and 1,000 ppm representing very low, moderate, and high doses, respectively were tested against adenocarcinoma of the mouse prostate using a transgenic adenocarcinoma of the mouse prostate (TRAMP) model assay. RESULTS Dietary supplement of celecoxib at doses of 400 ppm, 600 ppm, and 1,000 ppm are most effective against mPIN (mouse prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia) and adenocarcinoma of the prostate. Tumor growth inhibition by celecoxib was associated with increased rate of apoptosis. At 1,000 ppm, a complete inhibition of the PIN lesions was extended to limit the growth of adenocarcinoma (from 85% to 15%) and metastasis of the mouse prostate. The chemopreventive effect was significant (P < 0.01) at 400 ppm, 600 ppm, and 1,000 ppm doses compared to that at the lowest dose of 200 ppm and control. A dose-dependent effect on tumor growth inhibition was associated with reduced expression of NF-κBp65 and COX-2. CONCLUSIONS Dietary supplementation of celecoxib at different doses provides evidence for the suppression of prostate adenocarcinoma tumor growth in a dose-dependent manner. Suppression of adenocarcinoma by celecoxib further limits the growth of metastatic prostate cancer. Prostate 9999:1–9,2005. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Chemically Strengthened Low Crystallinity Black Glass-Ceramics with High Liquidus Viscosities

Strong, black materials are needed for electronic device backs and appliance facings. While glass-ceramics have good strength and toughness, their liquidus viscosity is too low to enable economical forming of these devices by the fusion or slot draw methods. Thus, we invented a new class of low crystallinity glass-ceramics with 10–20 nm crystallites in the Fe2O3-TiO2-MgO system. These materials were formed into transparent glasses and then heat treated to make black opaque glass-ceramics containing magnetite, pseudobrookite, and/or e-Fe2O3. The e-Fe2O3 phase exhibited extensive solid solution (ss) between Fe2O3 and MgTiO3. The blackness and opacity of the e-Fe2O3 glass-ceramics peaked at a ceram temperature of 750°C where the Fe2+ in the crystallites was maximized, resulting in peak Fe2+-Ti4+ charge transfer absorption. The liquidus viscosity was increased to more than 100 kPa*s by optimizing the base glass composition and minimizing the amount of crystallinity, thereby enabling fusion formability. These fusion formable glass-ceramics had strengths exceeding the best commercially available glasses after ion exchange. This work provides a new class of low crystallinity fusion formable glass-ceramics with high strength.
Blocking cytokines with genes

The pathophysiology of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is primarily driven by proinflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-1 (IL-1) and tumor necrosis factor alpha. Several biological agents have been identified that effectively block the activity of these cellular messengers, and administration of these agents to animal models of RA and human patients has been found to have therapeutic benefit. The application of gene therapy for the treatment of RA and other articular diseases is being explored to overcome current limitations with delivery of therapeutics to joint tissues. To date, laboratory research has focused on two main areas: (1) evaluation of gene delivery approaches and (2) identification of therapeutic gene products. Considerable progress has been reported with the use of local gene delivery to synovial cells by both in vivo and ex vivo methods and by systemic administration of gene delivery vectors via the circulation. Gene products that have therapeutic efficacy in animal models of RA include: IL-1 receptor antagonist, soluble IL-1 receptor I, soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor II, viral IL-10, and transforming growth factor beta, among others. The success of these laboratory studies has led to the implementation of a Phase I clinical trial to asses the safety and feasibility of using gene therapy in the treatment of RA.
Chaos, complexity, and short time Lyapunov exponents: two alternative characterisations of chaotic orbit segments

This paper compares two tools useful in characteris- ing ensembles of chaotic orbit segments in a time-independent galactic potential, namely Fourier spectra and short time Lya- punov exponents. Motivated by the observation that nearly reg- ular orbit segments have simpler spectra than do wildly chaotic segments, the complexity n(k) of a discrete Fourier spectrum, dened as the number of frequencies that contain a fractionk of the total power, is identied as a robust quantitative diagnostic in terms of which to classify different chaotic segments. Com- paringresultsderivedfromsuchaclassicationschemewiththe computed values of short time Lyapunov exponents shows that there is a strong, often nearly linear, correlation between the complexity of an orbit and its sensitive dependence on initial conditions. Chaotic segments characterised by complex Fourier spectratendsystematicallytohavealargermaximumshorttime Lyapunov exponent than do segments with simpler spectra. It follows that the distribution of complexities, N(n(k)), associ- ated with an ensemble of chaotic segments of length t can be used as a diagnostic for phase space transport in much the same way as the distribution of maximum short time Lyapunov exponents, N(), associated with the same ensemble.
The kinetics and mechanism of carbon monoxide hydrogenation over alumina-supported ruthenium

A study was conducted of hydrocarbon synthesis from CO and H2 over an alumina-supported Ru catalyst. Rate data for the formation of methane and C2 through C10 olefins and paraffins were fitted by power law rate expressions. The kinetics observed experimentally can be interpreted in terms of a comprehensive mechanism for CO hydrogenation, in which CHx(x = 0–3) species play a primary role. Expressions for the kinetics of methane synthesis, the kinetics and distribution of C2+ olefins and paraffins, and the probability of hydrocarbon chain growth derived from this mechanism are found to be in good agreement with the experimental results. The observed deviations from theory can be ascribed to secondary processes such as olefin hydrogenation and paraffin hydrogenolysis.
Am I Doing Architecture or Design Work

Architects obviously do architecture work, while technical consultants and engineers handle the detailed design required to accomplish project goals. This seems a reasonably simple definition, but the devil lies in the details - especially in smaller institutions where people might perform a mixture of architecture and design work. This debate occurs frequently within the architecture profession. The difference between architecture and design work is also an important topic in the professional development of HP Services employees, because the training and certification that individuals will take to work as an architect differs from what they'd take to work as a technical consultant or engineer.
Observations on the calf venous pump mechanism: determinants of postexercise pressure.

Abstract Purpose: We investigated the factors determining postexercise pressure and the relationship of venous valve closure and venous column segmentation to ambulatory venous pressure changes. Methods: Valve closure and venous segmentation were observed during dynamic ascending phlebography in 40 nonrefluxive limbs and by duplex imaging in 25 normal limbs in healthy volunteers. Simultaneous volume (air plethysmography) and pressure studies during calf exercise were also carried out. Some studies used a simple mechanical model comprised of a collapsible latex tube ("calf pump") and a graduated "popliteal" valve. Results: The femoropopliteal venous column above the popliteal valve remains unsegmented and continuous during ambulatory venous pressure changes in response to calf muscle contraction. Therefore ambulatory venous pressure changes cannot be explained purely on the basis of hydrostatic column pressure changes. Postexercise pressure appears to be determined by a complex set of factors: (1) physical segmentation of the venous column below the popliteal valve (i.e., tibial valve closure); (2) tube collapse below the closed valve, which further aids in the breakup of the hydrostatic column pressure and dampens the effect of any reflux through or around the closed valve; (3) ejection fraction, which influences the degree of tube collapse; and (4) the interaction of the resultant pressure forces with the wall properties of the venous pump. Conclusions: The mechanism of ambulatory venous pressure reduction is complex and multifactorial. The importance of venous wall characteristics as a determinant of postexercise pressure has not been previously appreciated. Changes in venous wall property after a thrombotic process, for example, could conceivably influence ambulatory venous pressure and recovery time in the absence of reflux. (J VASC SURG 1993;17:459-69.)
Stability of magnetic versus mechanical palatal expansion.

Spatial stability following palatal expansion (PE) treatment was studied longitudinally on 8 Macaca fascicularis monkeys. The sample was divided into short-term and long-term groups. The four subjects in each group received: (1) an indirect screw (IS) PE appliance ( F ¯ =2035 g), (2) an indirect magnetic (IM) PE appliance ( F ¯ =258 g and 360 g), (3) a direct magnetic (DM) PE appliance ( F ¯ =258 g and 360 g) and (4) a sham appliance. The terms direct and indirect describe force transmission directly, via pinning to the palatal shelves or indirectly, via abutment teeth. Active treatment in the long-term group was followed by a 4 month retention phase and a 2 month relapse phase. The implant study indicated the transverse stability to be greatest in the skeletally borne appliance. Correspondingly, intercanine distance relapse was 53 per cent and 23 per cent for the IS and DM subjects, respectively. Intermolar expansion was significantly more stable than intercanine expansion due to selective activity of the circum-maxillary sutures (transverse suture) and root configuration. Saggital advancement and vertical superior translation, which are controlled by selective activity of the premaxillary suture, were particularly apparent in the magnetic appliances with a low force PE regimen. Clinical implications suggest that the use of a low force PE regimen can be of substantial benefit in young skeletal Class III patients with transverse maxillary deficiency.
Anal Carcinoma Surveillance Counterpoint: USA

Anal cancer accounts for 4 % of all lower gastrointestinal tract malignancies in the United States [1]. The incidence of anal cancer appears to be on the rise, with increases in incidence rates of 2.6 % per year reported between 1992 and 2000 [2]. Over 5,000 new cases of anal cancer are diagnosed in the U.S. annually [3]. The overall 5-year survival rate is 66.5 % [4]. This varies by stage at diagnosis (82 % for local disease; 59 % for regional disease and 19 % for distant disease) [3]. The vast majority (65–85 %) of anal malignancies are squamous cell carcinomas, which include various histological subtypes such as cloacogenic, basaloid, and transitional cell cancers [2]. Cancers of the anus have been categorized as those arising in the anal canal, or intraanal, and those arising at the anal margin, or perianal region [5].
Enhanced postischemic dysfunction selective to subendocardium in conscious dogs with LV hypertrophy.

The effects of a 15-min coronary arterial occlusion (CAO) and reperfusion (CAR) for 24 h were compared in 11 normal dogs and in 13 conscious dogs with left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy (H) induced ...
Connecting and Collaborating Developing National Dental PBRN Study Concepts Through POD Engagement

Purpose. This article illustrates the process by which the Southwest Region of the National Dental Practice-Based Research Network (www.NationalDentalPBRN.org) fosters collaboration among practitioners and researchers in study concept development through protocol development groups (PODs). The Southwest Region begins this process by engaging PODs, which comprise dentists, hygienists, and/or academic faculty who share research interests related to improving dental care. Method. The PODs use the Tuckman four-stage model of group development (forming, storming, norming, and performing) to develop study concepts. This well-structured model encourages engagement among group members and enables quality discussion through organized sessions. This model provides milestones for the group’s progression and for the members’ interactions. The Southwest Region Directors play a crucial role in guiding and directing the development of PODs by aligning the members’ research interests with the goals of the National Networ...
Recent advances in diagnosis and treatment of hairy cell leukemia

Hairy cell leukemia (HCL) is a rare, indolent B-cell lymphoproliferative disorder that accounts for 2% of all cases of leukemia. Most patients present with pancytopenia and splenomegaly with variable number of ‘hairy’ lymphocytes in blood. BRAF V600E mutation can be detected in virtually 100% of HCL cases and is absent in other B-cell lymphomas. The mutated gene and its responding abnormal protein can be used as specific markers in the diagnosis of HCL. New therapeutic modalities targeting on mutated BRAF and its downstream pathways have shown encouraging results in clinical trials. The objective of this review article is to discuss the recent developments in the diagnosis and management of hairy cell leukemia.
Religious television uses and gratifications

The study approached viewers of religious television as an active audience as defined in uses and gratifications research, and considered the interrelated nature of television motives, and relationships among viewing motives and patterns. Recent religious television programming research suggests an expansion of the conceptual distinction between ritualized and instrumental secular television use. Canonical correlation identified reactionary television use as a third viewing pattern among 210 adult viewers of religious television. Dissatisfaction with secular television, rather than motives associated with religiosity, contributed to this type of use.
Behind Enemy Phone Lines: Insider Trading, Parallel Enforcement, and Sharing the Fruits of Wiretaps

Two key trends were present in the successful prosecution of Raj Rajaratnam and his coconspirators in one of the largest insider-trading conspiracies in history: the use of wiretaps to investigate and prosecute insider trading and a joint effort between the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) to conduct the investigation. Despite the close working relationship between the DOJ and the SEC, the DOJ never disclosed the fruits of the wiretaps to the SEC, presumably due to its belief that Title III of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (as amended, the “Wiretap Act”)—the comprehensive framework that authorizes the government to conduct wiretaps in certain circumstances—prohibited it from doing so. Though the Second Circuit in SEC v. Rajaratnam ultimately held that the SEC could obtain wiretap materials from the criminal defendants as part of civil discovery, the question of whether direct disclosure of the wiretap materials from the DOJ to the SEC is prohibited has been raised but not yet addressed. This Note analyzes previous cases addressing the construction of the Wiretap Act’s disclosure provisions and concludes that direct disclosure from the DOJ to the SEC is not prohibited by the Act. It further proposes a process by which civil enforcement agencies, such as the SEC, can request disclosure of wiretap materials through the DOJ in such a way that balances the benefits of disclosure against the privacy interests of the parties whose conversations were intercepted.
Ring distraction technique for measuring surface tension of sputum: relationship to sputum clearability

Albers, G. M., R. P. Tomkiewicz, M. K. May, O. E. Ramirez, and B. K. Rubin. Ring distraction technique for measuring surface tension of sputum: relationship to sputum clearability.J. Appl. Physiol....
Labor Mobility and the Cross-Section of Expected Returns

Worker's employment decisions affect the productivity of capital and asset prices in predictable ways. Using a dynamic model, I show that reliance on a workforce with flexibility to enter and exit an industry translates into a form of operating leverage that amplifies equity-holders' exposure to productivity shocks. Consequently, firms in industry with mobile workers have higher systematic risk loadings and higher expected asset returns. I use data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to construct a novel measure of labor supply mobility, in line with the model, based on the composition of occupations across industries over time. I document a positive and economically significant relation between labor mobility and expected asset returns in the cross-section. This relation is not explained by firm characteristics known in the literature to predict expected returns in the cross-section.
The Credit Crisis and the VAT Administrative Rules

While not exhaustive, this column focuses on the importance of the administrative provisions of a VAT during a serious economic recession both to VAT-registered businesses and to the tax authorities.
U.S.-Japanese Manufacturing Equity Relationships

We explored the differences between the joint venture, total ownership, and partial equity positions used by Japanese companies investing in U.S. manufacturing via a secondary data analysis. Partia...
PARAMETER IDENTIFICATION IN ESTUARINE MODELING

Parameter Identification (PI) algorithm is an optimization procedure that systematically searches the parameters embedded in a mathematical model. These parameters are not measurable from a physical point of view. The optimization is based on the minimization of a selected norm of the differences between the solution of the mathematical model and scattered observations collected from the system. Parameter identification (or inverse problem) has been studied in groundwater systems extensively for the past decade (15), and it has also drawn many researchers in the fields of open-channel flow and estuarine modeling since 1972 (1,2,9,17). All the past estuarine PI works in the literature are confined to the one-dimensional case, and hydrodynamics and transport equations are treated separately. This study deals with PI in a two-dimensional vertically-averaged estuarine salinity model. The salinity transport equation is coupled with the hydrodynamics equations. The coupled relationship introduces extra density terms in the hydrodynamics equations, which must be solved simultaneously with the transport equation. One of the most difficult problems in PI is the collection of needed observations from the system which is being modeled. With limited exception, the currently available data from the prototype estuaries are not adequate for the purposes of developing a PI algorithm. This is usually critical in quantity (the number of stations and/or the period of time) and in quality (noise of data). However, if an operational hydraulic model is available, the data could then be obtained economically and accurately under an ideally controlled environment. The large amount of data that can be collected from a hydraulic model of an estuary will provide a sufficient number of observations and the required initial and boundary conditions for the development of a PI algorithm. The use of the estuary hydraulic model could provide a better source of prototype data than would be available from the real estuary. It will be much easier to distinguish between the inadequacy of the mathematics and the inadequacy of our understanding of the prototype. Thus, it will give us an idea of how well we could expect to mathematically model the real estuary if we had an unlimited amount of prototype data. Additionally, when these types of data are used in PI, parameters can be optimally identified and the mathematical model can then be used conjunctively with the hydraulic model for prototype applications, provided that the mathematical model is consistently formulated. How well a hydraulic model simulates the prototype estuary is not considered in this study.
Finite element analysis of double cantilever beam specimen using a higher order plate theory

A nine noded lagrangian finite element for plate bending is developed using a higher order lamination theory. The higher order theory is based on the layer wise representation of inplane displacements. The accuracy of the theory is assessed by comparing results obtained from the present theory with available exact solutions for composite laminates subjected to transverse sinusoidal loading. The finite element model is used to analyze the homogeneous double cantilever beam specimen for characterizing the mode I interlaminar fracture energy in a composite material. The effect of slenderness ratio (crack length to hckness of the laminate) on the strain energy release rate on both isotropic and orthotropic specimens are investigated. The results are normalized with the values predicted using classical plate theory.
Consideration on Enhancing Effective Supervision of Condom Quality

This article analyzes the current situation of condom production and quality supervision in the campaign of promoting use of condom to prevent AIDS in China.The author illustrates the main problems encountered and gives consideration and suggestions on further effective supervision of condom quality.
Experimental Research on Yield Stress of Fracturing Fluid

During fracturing treatment,fracturing fluid concentrated in the fracture had significant yield stress which decreased the effective fracture length.The experiment theory was based on Hookes law.The relationship between stress and strain should be linear before fracturing fluid yield,which indicated that the fracturing fluid had yielded when the relationship departed linearity.The effect of the concentration of guar and breaker on the yield stress of fracturing fluid was measured by self-made experimental apparatus.The experimental results showed that the yield stress was of 0.329 Pa with 4.8 g/L guar.However,the yield stress increased quickly with the increasing of guar concentration.The yield stress of fracturing fluid had reached 63.292 Pa when the guar concentration was of 24 g/L.The yield stress could be decreased dramatically by putting breaker into fracturing fluid.When yield stress turned to zero,the relationship of the concentration between guar and breaker was near linear.
Hematuria Caused by Infrahepatic Interruption of the Inferior Vena Cava

We report a case of infrahepatic absence of the inferior vena cava, which was believed to be the cause of painless gross hematuria. Diagnosis was based on the results of computerized tomography and venacavography. Hemodynamic studies showed normal pressure in the inferior vena cava, superior vena cava and portal vein.
Pharmacologic treatment of heart failure

An increased understanding of the pathophysiologic changes underlying CHF, advanced monitoring technology, and a wider array of drug therapy have improved the prognosis of patients with this disorder. These advances allow for greater individualization of therapy, improve patient compliance, and lower the incidence of undesirable side effects. Of course, with the increase in complexity of treatment choices comes the need for more knowledgeable practitioners who can select the most appropriate therapeutic approach. All practitioners also must make every effort to educate the patients about their disease, treatments, and necessary lifestyle changes so that optimal benefits can be realized.
Effects of saccharin on rats fed chemically defined diets. Growth and blood studies.

Saccharin, at the 5 per cent level, has been shown to be carcinogenic to rats and has thus been removed from the GRAS list. This study now reports on its esect on serum proteins, lipoproteins, glucose, triglycerides, and cholesterol.
Automating data collection, analysis & documentation for medical research

The personal computer (PC) has evolved into a powerful, cost-effective computing platform capable of performing many tasks associated with the management of scientific, clinical, or other information. These activities include: Control of an instrument by the PC; Data acquisition from an experiment or subject; Analysis of the data that the computer has collected; Presentation of the analyzed data in a form that makes it useful; Long term storage of data. Until recently, these tasks required the user to be familiar with a high level programming language (HLL) in order to fulfill these assignments. Arcane text based programs whose logic is often difficult to follow is gradually being replaced by visual programming using a terminology based on icons where ideas familiar to scientists and medical practitioners rely on graphic symbols rather than textual language to describe programming actions.
Orderly Steps in Progression of JC Virus to Virulence in the Brain

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy is a neurodegenerative disease caused by demyelination in the brain. The demyelination is due to infection of oligodendroglial cells by polyomavirus JC, a circular DNA virus. The virus resides as an archetype form in uroepithelial cells and bone marrow of more than 70% of adults, in whom it seldom causes overt symptoms. The JC viral form infecting the brain differs from the archetype. This viral form contains two deletions and a duplication in the non-coding control region that are thought to be derived from the archetype. These rearrangements are necessary for neurovirulence. This review considers how these rearrangements occur in the context of transit to the brain and adaptation to infect glial cells.