cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Oscillatory support for rapid frequency change processing in infants.

Rapid auditory processing and auditory change detection abilities are crucial aspects of speech and language development, particularly in the first year of life. Animal models and adult studies suggest that oscillatory synchrony, and in particular low-frequency oscillations play key roles in this process. We hypothesize that infant perception of rapid pitch and timing changes is mediated, at least in part, by oscillatory mechanisms. Using event-related potentials (ERPs), source localization and time-frequency analysis of event-related oscillations (EROs), we examined the neural substrates of rapid auditory processing in 4-month-olds. During a standard oddball paradigm, infants listened to tone pairs with invariant standard (STD, 800–800 Hz) and variant deviant (DEV, 800–1200 Hz) pitch. STD and DEV tone pairs were first presented in a block with a short inter-stimulus interval (ISI) (Rapid Rate: 70 ms ISI), followed by a block of stimuli with a longer ISI (Control Rate: 300 ms ISI). Results showed greater ERP peak amplitude in response to the DEV tone in both conditions and later and larger peaks during Rapid Rate presentation, compared to the Control condition. Sources of neural activity, localized to right and left auditory regions, showed larger and faster activation in the right hemisphere for both rate conditions. Time-frequency analysis of the source activity revealed clusters of theta band enhancement to the DEV tone in right auditory cortex for both conditions. Left auditory activity was enhanced only during Rapid Rate presentation. These data suggest that local low-frequency oscillatory synchrony underlies rapid processing and can robustly index auditory perception in young infants. Furthermore, left hemisphere recruitment during rapid frequency change discrimination suggests a difference in the spectral and temporal resolution of right and left hemispheres at a very young age.
Energy diffusion in a chaotic adiabatic billiard gas.

A diffusion equation is derived for the energy distribution of a gas of noninteracting point particles following chaotic trajectories inside a slowly-time-dependent container. We discuss the relevance of this problem to results concerning ergodic adiabatic Hamiltonian systems, as well as to one-body dissipation in nuclear dynamics.
Effects of ambient Lake Mohave temperatures on development, oxygen consumption, and hatching success of the razorback sucker

Spawning of razorback suckers,Xyrauchen texanus, in Lake Mohave occurred from 10–22°C and larvae were collected at water temperatures from 10–15°C in 1982 and 1983. In the laboratory, hatching success was similar from 12–20°C, but reduced hatching success was found at 10°C while none hatched a 8°C. Development rate and oxygen consumption were positively related to incubation temperature. Direct effects of ambient Lake Mohave water temperatures on hatching success of razorback sucker embryos are considered minimal. Historical spawning temperatures for the species are hypothesized based upon successful incubation temperatures and comparison to the white sucker,Catostomus commersoni.
Semistable Reduction in Characteristic Zero for Families of Surfaces and Threefolds

We consider the problem of extending the semistable reduction theorem of [KKMS] from the case of one-parameter families of varieties to families over a base of arbitrary dimension. Following [KKMS], semistable reduction of such families can be reduced to a problem in the combinatorics of polyhedral complexes [AK]. In this paper we solve it in the case when the relative dimension of the morphism is at most three, i.e., for families of surfaces and threefolds.
Vision: The Additivity Law Made To Work for Heterochromatic Photometry with Bipartite Fields

Additivity failures are common in heterochromatic photometry when the usual criterion of equal brightness is used. Using instead the criterion of a minimally distinct border between two precisely juxtaposed fields, we found that the additivity law holds.
Serum ferritin as a clinical marker for renal cell carcinoma: influence of tumor volume

Objectives. At present, 35% to 50% of patients with clinically localized renal cell carcinoma (RCC) unpredictably have a recurrence after surgical therapy. Presently, no clinical serum marker exists to detect occult metastases and to allow measurement of response to therapy in RCC. Serum ferritin was previously reported to correlate with pathologic stage. We postulated that this increase in serum ferritin with increasing stage might reflect tumor volume, since higher stage tumors are often larger. Methods. Serum ferritin levels were measured preoperatively in 30 patients with radiologic evidence of RCC. Tumor volume and the largest tumor dimension were calculated from either the pathologic specimen (n = 24) or from the computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging (n = 30). Pathologic stage was determined for all patients undergoing surgery (T1 = 3, T2 = 12, and T3 = 9). Results. Preoperative serum ferritin levels did not correlate with age, blood urea nitrogen levels, creatinine levels, hematocrit, race, or gender. Although mean serum ferritin levels increased with increasing stage (T1 = 113 ± 75, T2 = 254 ± 270, and T3 = 425 ± 257 ng/mL), these differences did not reach statistical significance (P >0.05). Serum ferritin did, however, correlate with tumor volume (R = 0.75; P < 0.0001) and the largest tumor dimension measured from radiographic studies (R = 0.8; P <0.0001). Serum ferritin measured intraoperatively from the renal vein (666 ng/mL) and the inferior vena cava (564 ng/mL) from a patient with a 500 cc tumor (preoperative serum ferritin, 552 ng/mL) suggested that the tumor was the source of the elevated ferritin levels. Histologic sections from tumors taken from patients with high serum ferritin levels were more necrotic and stained intensely positively for iron and immunohistochemically for ferritin, whereas adjacent histologically normal tissue did not. Conclusions. These data suggest that ferritin may be a useful serum marker for monitoring patients with RCC, but the actual source of the ferritin remains unclear and dictates further investigation.
Whole-Genome Sequencing for High-Resolution Investigation of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Epidemiology and Genome Plasticity

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections pose a major challenge in health care, yet the limited heterogeneity within this group hinders molecular investigations of related outbreaks. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) has been the gold standard approach but is impractical for many clinical laboratories and is often replaced with PCR-based methods. Regardless, both approaches can prove problematic for identifying subclonal outbreaks. Here, we explore the use of whole-genome sequencing for clinical laboratory investigations of MRSA molecular epidemiology. We examine the relationships of 44 MRSA isolates collected over a period of 3 years by using whole-genome sequencing and two PCR-based methods, multilocus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis (MLVA) and spa typing. We find that MLVA offers higher resolution than spa typing, as it resolved 17 versus 12 discrete isolate groups, respectively. In contrast, whole-genome sequencing reproducibly cataloged genomic variants (131,424 different single nucleotide polymorphisms and indels across the strain collection) that uniquely identified each MRSA clone, recapitulating those groups but enabling higher-resolution phylogenetic inferences of the epidemiological relationships. Importantly, whole-genome sequencing detected a significant number of variants, thereby distinguishing between groups that were considered identical by both spa typing (minimum, 1,124 polymorphisms) and MLVA (minimum, 193 polymorphisms); this suggests that these more conventional approaches can lead to false-positive identification of outbreaks due to inappropriate grouping of genetically distinct strains. An analysis of the distribution of variants across the MRSA genome reveals 47 mutational hot spots (comprising ∼ 2.5% of the genome) that account for 23.5% of the observed polymorphisms, and the use of this selected data set successfully recapitulates most epidemiological relationships in this pathogen group.
Quantitative Analysis of Human Cruciate Ligament Insertions

The objective of this study was to provide quantitative data on the insertion sites of the cruciate ligaments. In the first part of the study, we determined the shapes and sizes of the insertions of the anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments (ACL and PCL), and further compared these data with the midsubstance cross-sectional areas of the ligaments. The cross-sectional area of the ACL and PCL midsubstance of 5 human knees was measured using a laser micrometer system. The insertion sites of each ligament were then digitized and the 2-dimensional insertion site areas were determined. Relative to the ligament midsubstance, the PCL tibial and femoral insertions were approximately 3 times larger, whereas those of the ACL were over 3.5 times larger. In the second part of the study, the ACLs and PCLs of 10 knees were each divided into their 2 components and the areas of each insertion were determined. Each component was approximately 50% of the total ligament insertion area and no significant difference between the 2 could be shown.
Dry sliding wear of hard materials against a diamond composite

Pin-on-disc wear tests using ceramic and metal pins running against diamond composite discs were conducted in air at room temperature. Pin wear rate and the coefficient of friction were measured. The pin wear rate did not consistently increase with decreasing hardness, and the lowest wear rate was obtained with a cemented tungsten carbide pin.
GaAs circuits for monolithic optical controller

GaAs circuits for use in a fully monolithic 1 Gb/s optical controller have been developed and tested. The circuits include photodetectors, transimpedance amplifiers and 1:16 demultiplexers that can directly control the phase of MMIC phase shifters. The entire chip contains approximately 300 self-aligned gate E/D-mode MESFETs. The MESFETs have one micron-wide gate and the E-mode FETs typically have transconductance of 200 ms/mm. Results of simulations and tests are reported. Also, the design and layout of the fully monolithic chip is discussed.
Method for measuring the intensity profile of a CT fan-beam filter

Research on CT systems often requires knowledge of intensity as a function of angle in the fan-beam, due to the presence of bowtie filters, for studies such as dose reduction simulation, Monte Carlo dose calculations, or statistical reconstruction algorithms. Since manufacturers consider the x-ray bowtie filter design to be proprietary information, several methods have been proposed to measure the beam intensity profile independently: 1) calculate statistical properties of noise in acquired sinograms (requires access to raw data files, which is also vendor proprietary); 2) measure the waveform of a dosimeter located away from the isocenter (requires dosimeter equipment costing > $10K). We present a novel method that is inexpensive (parts costing ~$100 from any hardware store, using Gafchromic film at ~$3 per measurement), requires no proprietary information, and can be performed in a few minutes. A fixture is built from perforated steel tubing, which forms an aperture that selectively samples the intensity at a particular fan-beam angle in a rotating gantry. Two exposures (1× and 2×) are made and self-developing radiochromic film (Gafchromic XR- Ashland Inc.) is then scanned on an inexpensive PC document scanner. An analysis method is described that linearizes the measurements for relative exposure. The resultant profile is corrected for geometric effects (1/LΛ2 fall-off, gantry dwell time) and background exposure, providing a noninvasive estimate of the CT fan-beam intensity present in an operational CT system. This method will allow researchers to conveniently measure parameters required for modeling the effects of bowtie filters in clinical scanners.
Optimizing cord blood sample cryopreservation.

Abstract Background aims Cord blood (CB) banking is becoming more and more commonplace throughout the medical community, both in the USA and elsewhere. It is now generally recognized that storage of CB samples in multiple aliquots is the preferred approach to banking because it allows the greatest number of uses of the sample. However, it is unclear which are the best methodologies for cryopreservation and storage of the sample aliquots. In the current study we analyzed variables that could affect these processes Methods CB were processed into mononuclear cells (MNC) and frozen in commercially available human serum albumin (HSA) or autologous CB plasma using cryovials of various sizes and cryobags. The bacteriophage phiX174 was used as a model virus to test for cross-contamination Results We observed that cryopreservation of CB in HSA, undiluted autologous human plasma and 50% diluted plasma was equivalent in terms of cell recovery and cell viability. We also found that cryopreservation of CB samples in either cryovials or cryobags displayed equivalent thermal characteristics. Finally, we demonstrated that overwrapping the CB storage container in an impermeable plastic sheathing was sufficient to prevent cross-sample viral contamination during prolonged storage in the liquid phase of liquid nitrogen dewar storage. Conclusion CB may be cryopreserved in either vials or bags without concern for temperature stability. Sample overwrapping is sufficient to prevent microbiologic contamination of the samples while in liquid-phase liquid nitrogen storage.
Effects of soy isoflavones on markers of bone turnover in premenopausal and postmenopausal women

Soy isoflavones are hypothesized to exert hormonal effects in women and thus may play a role in bone metabolism throughout life. In 2 randomized, cross-over studies, 14 pre- and 17 postmenopausal women were given 3 soy protein isolates containing different amounts of isoflavones [control, 0.13; low isoflavone (low-iso), 1.00; and high-iso, 2.01 mg/kg body wt/day, averaging 8, 65, and 130 mg/day, respectively], for over 3 months each. Food records, blood samples, and 24-h urine collections were obtained throughout the studies. The endpoints evaluated included plasma or serum concentrations of bone-specific alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin, insulin-like growth factor-I (IGFI), IGF binding protein-3 (IGFBP3), and urine concentrations of deoxypyridinoline cross-links and carboxy-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen. In premenopausal women, IGFI and IGFBP3 concentrations were increased by the low-iso diet, and deoxypyridinoline cross-links was increased by both the low- and high-iso diets during certain phases of the menstrual cycle. In postmenopausal women, bone-specific alkaline phosphatase was decreased by both the low- and high-iso diets, and there were trends toward decreased osteocalcin, IGFI, and IGFBP3 concentrations with increasing isoflavone consumption. Although soy isoflavones do affect markers of bone turnover, the changes observed were of small magnitude and not likely to be clinically relevant. These data do not support the hypothesis that dietary isoflavones per se exert beneficial effects on bone turnover in women.
Cross-country variation in the sociodemographic factors associated with major depressive episode in Norway, the United Kingdom, Ghana, and Kenya

Abstract Studies based on Western samples generally show that status characteristics like gender or marital status are associated with better mental health for individuals who occupy advantageous positions, such as men or the married. However, these patterns may not hold in developing regions that differ in important ways from the West. Guided by the Stress Process Model (SPM), this study uses logistic regression to examine the effect of gender, education, and other status characteristics on major depressive episode (MDE). Similarities and differences in these associations across two Western and two African countries are also assessed. Nationally representative data for adults ages 18 years and older are from the World Health Surveys (2002–2004) for Norway ( N = 943), the United Kingdom (UK: N = 1195), Ghana ( N = 3922), and Kenya ( N = 4331). Results indicate a mixed pattern of associations between status characteristics and MDE across the four countries. Norwegian men face higher risk of MDE than Norwegian women—an anomalous finding. With some exceptions, education and employment status are not significantly related to MDE across the countries, providing little support for SPM. Marital status differences in risk of MDE are largest for Norway and smallest for Ghana. For the UK, men face lower risk of MDE than women across levels of mastery, and the gender gap in MDE is larger at higher levels of mastery. Overall, there is some heterogeneity in the associations between status characteristics and MDE even in somewhat similar environments like Ghana and Kenya. This study extends the reach of SPM to settings in sub-Saharan Africa, and contributes to the sparse empirical literature on the prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of MDE in the general populations of Ghana and Kenya.
Effect of the microstructure of thermally sprayed coatings on friction and wear response under lubricated and dry sliding conditions

Abstract Five thermally sprayed coatings, considered for application in earth moving vehicle undercarriage components, undergoing consecutively lubricated and dry sliding wear, were prepared and investigated. Four different wear tests were employed to reveal the factors controlling the wear response under different contact conditions. An approach considering the local and overall strength of the coating in connection with the knowledge of contact stresses helped to understand the major wear modes under specific contact conditions for the materials tested. The testing illustrated that in situations with lower contact stresses the contact response of the coating may not be directly related to the intersplat binding strength and hardness, but rather to the local splat properties. It has been shown that a porous structure although limiting the wear resistance of nickel aluminum coating in dry under high contact stress may be beneficial in quasi-lubricated sliding. High local splat hardness measured for the molybdenum carbide coatings appeared to be crucial for its enhanced wear resistance. The testing configuration ‘rotating ring on flat’ newly employed in this study has been proven to be a highly reproducible and efficient way of wear testing for thermal spray coatings.
Glucose sensors: toward closed loop insulin delivery.

Continuous glucose monitoring is important for managing glycemic control in patients with diabetes. There have been significant breakthroughs in glucose sensing over the past few years with the introduction of several continuous glucose monitors for clinical use. The long-term goal of a fully automated, closed-loop insulin delivery system, however, depends on further sensor development and reliable linking to a delivery system.
Two residues in the extracellular domain convert a nonfunctional ASIC1 into a proton-activated channel

Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) are proton-activated sodium channels of the nervous system. Mammals express four ASICs, and orthologs of these genes have been found in all chordates examined to d...
Magnetic Field Measurement in Magnetized Laser Plasmas Using Zeeman Broadening Diagnostics

The Zeeman effect has been used to measure the magnetic field in high energy density plasmas. The measurements are difficult when the field orientation is fluctuating in the plasma volume or when the line broadening due to the high plasma density and temperature surpasses the Zeeman splitting. Based on an idea proposed by Tessarin et al. (2011), we implemented a solution to this problem to the field measurement in magnetized laser plasmas. Time resolved spectra were obtained at the Nevada Terawatt Facility for plasmas created by 20 J, 1 ns Leopard laser pulses in the azimuthal magnetic field produced by the 0.6 MA Zebra pulsed power generator. The time history of the components of the Al III 4s 2S 1/2 - 4p 2P 1/2,3/2 doublet were recorded via optical streak camera (approximately 400 ns frame) at various locations along the magnetic field radius. In these measurements the Zeeman splitting was not resolved, but the magnetic field strength can be measured from the difference between the widths of the line profiles.
Interannual volume variability in the tropical Pacific

[1] The question of whether or not the volume of the tropical Pacific changes over the course of an El Nino event has potentially important consequences for our understanding of the dynamical mechanisms responsible for El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events. In this study, we examine the volume variability of the tropical Pacific, defined as the areal integral of the sea surface height variability, using TOPEX/Poseidon altimetric sea surface heights and the output of a numerical model. We find that volume gradually builds up in the tropical Pacific prior to a typical ENSO event and rapidly decreases during the event due to volume flux out of the tropics. However, our results confirm the findings of previous studies showing that volume change over the entire tropical Pacific does occur on ENSO timescales, but that this variability is small when compared to the volume redistribution within the tropical Pacific. In particular, there is a large volume flux into and out of the equatorial waveguide. Furthermore, we find that the volume variability of the tropical Pacific during ENSO can be almost entirely accounted for by variations in the temperature field.
Yielding Behavior in Injectable Hydrogels from Telechelic Proteins

Injectable hydrogels show substantial promise for use in minimally invasive tissue engineering and drug delivery procedures. A new injectable hydrogel material, developed from recombinant telechelic proteins expressed in E. coli, demonstrates shear thinning by 3 orders of magnitude at large strains. Large-amplitude oscillatory shear illustrates that shear thinning is due to yielding within the bulk of the gel, and the rheological response and flow profiles are consistent with a shear-banding mechanism for yielding. The sharp yielding transition and large magnitude of the apparent shear thinning allow gels to be injected through narrow gauge needles with only gentle hand pressure. After injection the gels reset to full elastic strength in seconds due to rapid re-formation of the physical network junctions, allowing self-supporting structures to be formed. The shear thinning and recovery behavior is largely independent of the midblock length, enabling genetic engineering to be used to control the equilibrium modulus of the gel without loss of the characteristic yielding behavior. The shear-banding mechanism localizes deformation during flow into narrow regions of the gels, allowing more than 95% of seeded cells to survive the injection process.
Arteriovenous malformation in the adult mouse brain resembling the human disease.

Objective: Brain arteriovenous malformations (bAVMs) are an important cause of hemorrhagic stroke. The underlying mechanisms are not clear. No animal model for adult bAVM is available for mechanistic exploration. Patients with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia type 2 (HHT2) with activin receptor-like kinase 1 (ALK1; ACVRL1) mutations have a higher incidence of bAVM than the general population. We tested the hypothesis that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) stimulation with regional homozygous deletion of Alk1 induces severe dysplasia in the adult mouse brain, akin to human bAVM. Methods: Alk12f/2f (exons 4–6 flanked by loxP sites) and wild-type (WT) mice (8–10 weeks old) were injected with adenoviral vector expressing Cre recombinase (Ad-Cre; 2 × 107 plaque forming units [PFU]) and adeno-associated viral vectors expressing VEGF (AAV-VEGF; 2 × 109 genome copies) into the basal ganglia. At 8 weeks, blood vessels were analyzed. Results: Gross vascular irregularities were seen in Alk12f/2f mouse brain injected with Ad-Cre and AAV-VEGF. The vessels were markedly enlarged with abnormal patterning resembling aspects of the human bAVM phenotype, displayed altered expression of the arterial and venous markers (EphB4 and Jagged-1), and showed evidence of arteriovenous shunting. Vascular irregularities were not seen in similarly treated WT mice. Interpretation: Our data indicate that postnatal, adult formation of the human disease, bAVM, is possible, and that both genetic mutation and angiogenic stimulation are necessary for lesion development. Our work not only provides a testable adult mouse bAVM model for the first time, but also suggests that specific medical therapy can be developed to slow bAVM growth and potentially stabilize the rupture-prone abnormal vasculature. ANN NEUROL 2011;
Experimental measurement of surface plasmon resonance of pyramidal metal nanoparticle tips

ABSTRACT We report on the fabrication, experimental characterization and modeling of atomic force microscope (AFM) probes with pyramidal optical antennas fabricated at the ends of the tips. These are being developed for tip-enhanced near-field scanning optical microscopy. We use focused ion beam milling to etch a gold-coated Si 3 N 4 AFM tip, resulting in a pyramidal gold nanoparticle (188  240 nm long) at the end of the tip. Using finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations, we estimate the electric field distribution around the nanoparticle as a function of incident wavelength for nanoparticles of various lengths. We experimentally measure the scattering spectra of fabricated probes and show enhanced scattering associated with the localized surface plasmon resonance of the tip. Both simulations and experiments show that an increase of the tip length results in a redshift of the tip resonance wavelength. These pyramidal metal nanoparticle tips could be used for either mapping the field distribution of nanophotonic devices or high spatial resolution spectroscopy. Keywords: surface plasmon resonance; pyramidal metal nanoparticle tip; finite
Alterations of MicroRNAs Contribute to Colon Carcinogenesis

MicroRNAs are being evaluated as biomarkers and therapeutic targets for colon cancer. MicroRNAs have a functional role in the initiation and progression of colon cancer. Altered microRNA expression is found in tumors and their expression patterns may serve as useful cancer biomarkers. Polymorphisms in microRNAs or microRNA binding sites may modify the risk of developing cancer. As we continue to improve our understanding of the role for microRNAs in the initiation and progression of cancer, one goal is to gain insights that will allow for the development of microRNAs as biomarkers and therapeutic targets for cancer. This review provides a current understanding of the connection between microRNAs and colon cancer. We will cover evidence that global microRNA expression patterns are altered in colon tumors, that specific microRNAs have a functional role in colon carcinogenesis, that polymorphisms in microRNAs may be associated with risk of colon cancer, and the potential for using circulating microRNAs as a noninvasive biomarker for the detection of cancer.
Modulation-doped InGaAsP QW laser emitting at 1.55 μm

A number of parameters, such as gain, modulation response, linewidth enhancement factor and relative intensity noise in modulation-doped InGaAsP QW laser emitting at 1.55 micrometers have been theoretically investigated. The results indicate that the relaxation oscillation frequency for p-type modulation doped QW laser is enhanced by a factor of more than 2 compared to that for undoped MQW lasers, the linewidth enhancement factor of p-type modulation doped QW laser is reduced to 1/5 of that of undoped MQW laser and the relative intensity noise is reduced by a factor of > 10 dB compared to that for undoped MQW lasers.
Hot-electron relaxation effects in devices☆

Abstract Whenever the electric field in a device varies sufficiently rapidly with distance and/or time, significant deviations of the electron drift velocity from the static velocity-field characteristic occur. These relaxation effects manifest themselves not only in the high-frequency properties, but also in the static device properties of devices such as transferred-electron devices and field-effect transistors. Important quasi-static effects are drift velocity overshoot in FET's and relaxation effects in the bistable switching in TE devices. The ultimate speed limitations of TE devices are governed by relaxation effects. Transit-time modes are superior to the LSA mode, barrier-type contacts to n + -on- n contacts, and InP to GaAs.
Practical considerations for effective microendoscopy

This paper reports on the application of angioscopic technology to the endoscopy of previously inaccessible body cavities. Necessary instruments including endoscopes, light sources, cameras, video recorders, monitors, and other accessories are described. Practical considerations for effective instrumentation are discussed. An overview of our clinical microendoscopic applications in more than 630 patients is presented.
Visual illusions without low spatial frequencies.

It has been suggested that many geometrical illusions may be caused by the lower spatial frequencies in the Fourier spectra of these images. We have tested this hypothesis by constructing classical illusory figures out of a new dot stimulus, which is free of visible low spatial frequencies. In every case, not only does the illusion persist, but for the Muller-Lyer figures, which were measured quantitatively, the illusion magnitude is not significantly changed. We conclude that geometrical illusions are not primarily a consequence of low spatial frequencies in the illusory figures.
Chylomicronemia and the Chylomicronemia Syndrome: A Practical Approach to Management

Chylomicronemia is present when triglyceride levels exceed 1000 mg/dL. Chylomicronemia, when accompanied by eruptive xanthoma, lipemia retinalis, or abdominal symptoms, is referred to as the "chylomicronemia syndrome" and can cause acute pancreatitis. Treatment aimed at reducing triglyceride levels includes lifestyle modifications to promote weight loss with diet and physical activity coupled with medications, including fibrates, n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, and nicotinic acid. Chylomicronemic patients with acute pancreatitis require insulinization in an inpatient setting to abolish chylomicronemia.
Self-reported difficulty in climbing up or down stairs in nondisabled elderly.

Abstract Verghese J, Wang C, Xue X, Holtzer R. Self-reported difficulty in climbing up or down stairs in nondisabled elderly. Objective To examine clinical and functional correlates of self-reported difficulty in climbing up or climbing down stairs in older adults. Design Cross-sectional survey. Setting Community sample. Participants Older adults (N=310; mean age, 79.7y; 62% women), without disability or dementia. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures Clinical and functional status as well as activity limitations (able to perform activities of daily living [ADLs] with some difficulty). Results Of the 310 subjects, 140 reported difficulties in climbing up and 83 in climbing down stairs (59 both). Self-reported difficulty in climbing up stairs was associated with hypertension, arthritis, and depressive symptoms. Difficulty in climbing up stairs was also associated with poor balance and grip strength as well as neurologic gait abnormalities. Subjects with difficulty climbing down stairs had more falls. Both activities were associated with leg claudication, fear of falling, non-neurologic gait abnormalities, and slow gait. Examined individually, self-reported difficulty climbing down stairs captured a wider spectrum of ADL limitations than climbing up stairs. However, combined difficulty in both phases of stair climbing had a stronger association with activity limitations (vs no difficulty; odds ratio, 6.58; 95% confidence interval, 3.35−12.91) than difficulty in any one phase alone. Conclusions Self-reported difficulty in climbing up and down stairs revealed commonalities as well as differences in related clinical correlates. Difficulty in both climbing up and down stairs should be separately assessed to better capture clinical and functional status in older adults.
Unresponsiveness of vaccinated BALB/c mice to a second inoculation of lipopolysaccharide from Brucella abortus strain 2308.

A study was conducted to determine whether the protection induced in mice by a primary incoluation of lipopolysaccharide from Brucella abortus would be enhanced by a second inoculation given at different time intervals. Protection was challenged by exposure of the mice to a virulent culture of B. abortus strain 2308. Reduced mean viable count and/or weights were the criteria of protection. There was no significant difference (P>0.05) in the protective responses among mice given a single inoculation. Vaccinated mice were significantly (P<0.05) better protected than were nonvaccinated mice. Mice given vaccinal inoculations simultaneous with challenge exposure were less protected (P<0.001) than were mice vaccinated prior to challenge, but were better protected (P<0.010) than were nonvaccinated mice.
Scaling the response of nanocrescent antennas into the ultraviolet

Fundamental resonance modes of nanocrescent optical antennas are associated with large electric fields at the crescent tips. These antennas have been extensively studied due to their relative ease of fabrication and tunable response via methods such as nanosphere template lithography. To date, investigations have only been performed in the visible to mid-infrared range, where the multimode anisotropic response has been documented both experimentally and through simulations. However, the presence of interband transitions in the dielectric response of the metals used for these studies complicates the analysis of the higher-order resonance modes. In this paper, we perform a comprehensive investigation of the electromagnetic response of aluminum nanocrescent antennas. Aluminum has an interband transition in the near-infrared that facilitates scaling of the resonance modes into the ultraviolet part of the spectrum, thus, allowing investigation of the higher-order modes of the nanocrescent structure. These high...
Reduced thioredoxin: a possible physiological cofactor for vitamin K epoxide reductase. Further support for an active site disulfide.

Summary Vitamin K 2,3-epoxide reductase activity from liver microsomes requires only a thiol cofactor, particularly dithiothreitol (DTT). In order to identify a likely physiological cofactor, reduced lipoic acid and reduced thioredoxin were tested as cofactors in beef and rat liver microsomal systems. Reduced lipoic acid is only about one-third as active as DTT in both systems. Thioredoxin, however, is significantly more active than either DTT or reduced lipoic acid in both systems; thioredoxin binds 188 times better than does DTT. The thioredoxin must be in the reduced form since omission of either thioredoxin reductase or NADPH results in complete loss of enzyme activity. The concentration of DTT required to obtain maximal enzyme activity may be as much as 485 times greater than the corresponding concentration of reduced thioredoxin that gives the same enzyme activity.
BONE MINERAL DENSITY (BMD) IN ADOLESCENT FEMALES PREVIOUSLY TREATED WITH GONADOTROPIN RELEASING HORMONE ANALOGUE (GnRH-a) FOR CENTRAL PRECOCIOUS PUBERTY (CPP)

Long-acting GnRH analogues effectively and safely suppress pituitary-gonadal function in children with CPP. However, the effects of long term therapy with GnRH-a on the bone mineral density of these children has not been studied. Using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry {Hologic QDR-1000}, we evaluated the spinal (L1-L4) BMD of 9 girls with CPP who were previously treated with the GnRH-a, LeuprolideR compared to control girls matched for bone age, body mass index (BMI), and Tanner stage. Patients were treated with daily or depot injections of leuprolide acetate for 2.3 ± 1.7 years (mean ± SD). At BMD determination, GnRH-a had been discontinued for 0.5-2 years and pituitary-gonadal axis recovery documented by responses to GnRH stimlation. No significant differences in spinal BMD were observed between CPP and controls.
Improved Uniformity In Float Zone Si:Ga

The performance of an extrinsic silicon detector array depends on achieving uniform distribution of both the major dopant and compensating impurities in the array. While in some cases uniformity can be achieved during device processing (for example, by neutron transmutation doping to control compensation), usually the uniformity must be grown in. We report the influence of changing the pull rate and rotation rate in the float zone growth of gallium-doped silicon on the resulting distribution of gallium in the crystal. The gallium distribution was monitored by etching studies and by spreading resistance and four-point probe measurements. High rotation rates and low pull rates favor higher uniformity. These results can be understood in terms of steady-state segregation theory. We also examined the effects of prolonged diffusion on originally nonuniform Si:Ga by monitoring spreading resistance and measuring Hall effect vs. temperature. Observed improvements in uniformity were consistent with diffusion theory; 16 days of diffusion at 1300°C produced marked improvement in Ga uniformity.
Compact character controllers

We present methods for creating compact and efficient data-driven character controllers. Our first method identifies the essential motion data examples tailored for a given task. It enables complex yet efficient high-dimensional controllers, as well as automatically generated connecting controllers that merge a set of independent controllers into a much larger aggregate one without modifying existing ones. Our second method iteratively refines basis functions to enable highly complex value functions. We show that our methods dramatically reduce the computation and storage requirement of controllers and enable very complex behaviors.
Assessment of drug intervention on the ischemic myocardium: Serial imaging and measurement with computerized tomography

Computerized tomography was evaluated as a technique for imaging and measuring the effect of an intervention on acutely ischemic myocardium. Because cell edema occurs with acute myocardial ischemia and decreases the X-ray attenuation coefficients (tissue density) of myocardium, computerized tomographic images were used to quantitate the effect of hyperosmotic mannitol on ischemia-induced edema. Canine hearts were arrested and scanned after (1) temporary occlusion of the proximal circumflex artery followed by reflow of blood, or (2) continued occlusion of the distal left anterior descending coronary artery. X-ray attenuation values (Hounsfield units) were linearly related to tissue wet/dry weight ratios (r = 0.87, P less than 0.001). After 2 hours of occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery the hearts that received mannitol manifested a significant reduction (P less than 0.05) in the volume of left ventricular wall involved with edema. Although the area of edema measured with computerized tomography tended to be smaller in the hearts treated with mannitol than in untreated hearts subjected to a 6 hour occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery, the size of the lesion was variable and did not differ significantly from that in untreated hearts. With either short periods of circumflex arterial occlusion followed by blood reflow or with 2 or 6 hours of prolonged occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery, the difference in mean attenuation coefficients between the ischemic and nonischemic areas of myocardium in mannitol-treated and untreated hearts was significantly less. These results indicate that computerized tomography in the arrested heart can detect and quantitate the lesion of early acute myocardial ischemia and can quantitate the effect of drug intervention.
Mortality of coccinellid (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) larvae and pupae when prey become scarce

Coccinellid larvae are known to prey upon conspecific and heterospecific eggs, larvae, prepupae, and pupae. This behavior may depend on both the aggregation and intensive search of potential cannibals and predators near aphid colonies and the disappearance of aphids before coccinellid larvae have completed their development. We examined how coccinellid density and prey availability influence cannibalism and interspecific predation of larvae and pupae of 4 species of coccinellids. We determined whether coccinellid mortality and dispersal were density-dependent when prey become scarce, and estimated the leaving rates of Coleomegilla maculata (DeGeer), Adalia bipunctata (L.), and Hippodamia convergens (Guerin) larvae from plants with aphids and plants without aphids. Our results show that larval and pupal cannibalism and interspecific predation occur more frequently when aphid populations crash, but we found no evidence of coccinellid density-dependent mortality or density-dependent larval dispersal among species. However, A. bipunctata and H. convergens were significantly more aggressive and more likely to leave a plant without aphids than was C. maculata. These results suggest that the decision to stay on a plant is not strongly aphid- or pollen-mediated for C. maculata, but the decision to stay or leave does appear to be aphid-mediated for H. convergens and to some extent A. bipunctata. Whether a coccinellid larva stays or leaves and its tendency to cannibalize can affect larval and pupal survival and the population dynamics of each species.
Experimental reduction of winter food decreases body condition and delays migration in a long-distance migratory bird

Many tropical habitats experience pronounced dry seasons, during which arthropod food availability declines, potentially limiting resident and migratory animal populations. In response to declines in food, individuals may attempt to alter their space use to enhance access to food resources, but may be socially constrained from doing so by con- and heterospecifics. If social constraints exist, food declines should result in decreased body condition. In migratory birds, correlational evidence suggests a link between body condition and migration timing. Poor body condition and delayed migration may, in turn, impact fitness in subsequent seasons via carry-over effects. To determine if winter food availability affects space use, inter- and intraspecific competition, body composition (i.e., mass, fat, and pectoral muscle), and migration timing, we experimentally decreased food availability on individual American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) territories in high-quality mangrove habitat. Redstarts on control territories experienced -40% loss of food due to the seasonal nature of the environment. Redstarts on experimental territories experienced -80% declines in food, which closely mimicked natural declines in nearby, low-quality, scrub habitat. Individuals on food-reduced territories did not expand their territories locally, but instead either became non-territorial "floaters" or remained on territory. Regardless of territorial status, food-reduced American Redstarts all deposited fat compared to control birds. Fat deposits provide insurance against the risk of starvation, but, for American Redstarts, came at the expense of maintaining pectoral muscle. Subsequently, food-reduced American Redstarts experienced, on average, a one-week delay in departure on spring migration, likely due to the loss of pectoral muscle. Thus, our results demonstrate experimentally, for the first time, that declines in winter food availability can result in a fat-muscle trade-off, which, in turn, delays departure on spring migration. Previous work has demonstrated that, for each day delayed after the first male arrival on the breeding grounds, American Redstarts experience an 11% decrease in the chance of successfully reproducing. Therefore, such delays in departure likely lead to fitness costs for migratory birds. Because tropical seasonal forests are expected to become drier in response to global climate change, Neotropical migratory bird populations may experience significant winter food limitation, further exacerbating population declines in the coming decades.
Greek Philosophy, Medical Ethics, and the Influenza Vaccine

The quotation from The Epidemics indicates that early Greek physicians had the dual responsibilities of helping and not harming their patients. These responsibilities have become two of the pillars of modern medical ethics-the principles of beneficence and nonmaleficence. Zenophon's words challenge physicians to expand their concept of "helping" and "doing no harm" beyond the pedestrian calling of therapeutics to the far nobler calling of prevention. As a hospital epidemiologist, I would agree with Zenophon, and I would argue that we physicians best fulfill our moral responsibilities of beneficence and nonmaleficence when we practice prevention. Yet, from Semmelweis' time to the present, prevention has not been regarded as a noble calling. It has been, instead, relegated to "the back seat" with respect to the flashier, more technological pursuits of diagnostics and therapeutics. In medicine as in Greek mythology, we frequently neglect to keep the jar's lid tightly closed and choose instead to confront pestilence only after it has escaped. Influenza viruses cause respiratory illness that in particular individuals may be complicated by pneumonia, cardiac failure, and death. Major epidemics in the United States are associated with twofold to fivefold increased rates of hospitalization for adults with highrisk medical conditions' and with 10,000 to 40,000 excess deaths.1,2 The vast majority of these deaths occur in persons over the age of 65 years. Furthermore, estimates of the economic loss from influenza in the United States have ranged from $1 to $10 billion per year.2,3 To paraphrase a 20th century lay philosopher, "If that's not harm, what is?" Despite the grim statistics and the yearly recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, healthcare workers are remiss in using the influenza vaccine-only 30% of both high-risk patients2 and healthcare workers receive the vaccine.4 In their article, Watanakunakorn and coworkers4 report additional disturbing observations. First, the major reasons for not receiving the vaccine ("I heard it had bad side effects," "I do not like shots," "I had bad side effects from flu shots in the past," "I thought the flu shots did not work," "I did not know I needed a flu shot," etc.) indicated that misinformation and narcissism, not concern for the welfare of patients, motivated many decisions. Second, education had little effect on vaccination rates and on the attitudes of healthcare workers regarding the vaccine. Although shocking for a profession that prides itself on the acquisition of knowledge, this observation does not surprise hospital epidemiologists given the poor compliance with simple practices such as handwashing5,6 and isolation precautions.7 The observations of Watanakunakorn and coworkers support the conclusion of Wenzel and Pfaller that information alone is inadequate to alter behavior optimally.8 Given their exposure to numerous sick persons, healthcare workers might be at high risk of acquiring
Fiscal Externalities In The Globally Integrated Market

While tax competition of mobile capital has been explored in the literature, little attention has been paid to the effects on business incentives for global trading. We show that tax competition creates negative fiscal externalities via distorted production decisions of multinational companies, when the markets across countries are interrelated through intra-firm trade. Pareto improvement may emerge once the governance of the interrelated markets is coordinated across different governments.