cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Science Over Stigma: Lessons and Future Direction of HIV-to-HIV Transplantation.

Purpose of Review The HIV Organ Policy Equity (HOPE) Act permits transplantation from donors-with-HIV to recipients-with-HIV (HIV D + /R +). We assess HOPE implementation, summarizing progress and challenges at clinical, legislative, and community levels. Recent Findings As of July 2021, there have been 300 kidney and 87 liver transplants within HOPE research studies in the USA. Early HIV D + /R + kidney transplant outcomes show excellent patient survival (100%) and graft survival (92%). The number of HOPE donors continues to grow annually but remains lower than projections. State-level policy restrictions are identified in 34 states; however, these do not seem to have impacted practice; 16 states have passed new legislation to facilitate HIV D + /R + transplantation. Stigma related to HIV and low donor registration rates pose additional barriers. Summary Early outcomes of HOPE Act transplants are encouraging. Progress to reach full implementation and realize the full benefit of this innovation is ongoing.
Transplacental hemorrhage in postterm pregnancies

Abstract The sizable transplacental hemorrhage correlates with risk of isoimmunization in the Rh system. Knowledge whether postterm pregnancies carry higher risk of isoimmunization is important in management of the “unsensitized” pregnancy in rhesus-negative mothers. The combined prospective and retrospective study of 340 pregnancies at The Johns Hopkins Hospital used the Kleihauer method to single out the sizable transplacental hemorrhages before and after term. No difference in number of sizable transplacental hemorrhages is found between the preterm and postterm groups. The authors feel that routine induction of labor at term or even up to 2 weeks post term is not justified in Rh-unsensitized patients on the basis of increased risk of rhesus isoimmunization.
Hydro Plant Dispatch Using Artificial Neural Network and Genetic Algorithm

This paper presents a novel approach to solve the hydro plant dispatch problem based on the artificial neural network (ANN) and genetic algorithm (GA). In this work, the difficult water balance constraints are embedded and satisfied throughout the proposed encoding and decoding algorithms. The ANN is used as a pre-dispatch tool to generate raw hydro output for each hour temporarily ignoring time-dependent constraints. Then, the proposed decoding algorithm decodes the raw schedule of each plant into a feasible one. Finally, a GA is used to find the optimal schedule. The proposed approach is applied to an actual utility system of four hydro plants and 22 thermal units with great success. Results show that the new approach obtains a more highly optimal solution than the conventional dynamic programming method.
Efficient Privacy-Preserving Stream Aggregation in Mobile Sensing with Low Aggregation Error

Aggregate statistics computed from time-series data contributed by individual mobile nodes can be very useful for many mobile sensing applications. Since the data from individual node may be privacy-sensitive, the aggregator should only learn the desired statistics without compromising the privacy of each node. To provide strong privacy guarantee, existing approaches add noise to each node’s data and allow the aggregator to get a noisy sum aggregate. However, these approaches either have high computation cost, high communication overhead when nodes join and leave, or accumulate a large noise in the sum aggregate which means high aggregation error. In this paper, we propose a scheme for privacy-preserving aggregation of time-series data in presence of untrusted aggregator, which provides differential privacy for the sum aggregate. It leverages a novel ring-based interleaved grouping technique to efficiently deal with dynamic joins and leaves and achieve low aggregation error. Specifically, when a node joins or leaves, only a small number of nodes need to update their cryptographic keys. Also, the nodes only collectively add a small noise to the sum to ensure differential privacy, which is O(1) with respect to the number of nodes. Based on symmetric-key cryptography, our scheme is very efficient in computation.
Adverse Childhood Experiences, Military Service, and Adult Health

Introduction Prevalence of adverse childhood experiences (ACE) and associations with adult health may vary by gender and military service. This study compares the gender-specific prevalence of ACE by military service and determines the associations of ACE with adult health risk factors and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Methods This 2014 analysis used data from the 2011 and 2012 CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Total ACE was operationalized as the number of reported ACE. Associations of total ACE with adult health risk factors were estimated using general linear models; associations with HRQOL were estimated using negative binomial regression. All analyses adjusted for age and race/ethnicity. Results Those with military service had more total ACE than civilians. Higher ACE was associated with poorer HRQOL among women (physical health, military service, relative risk [RR]=1.20, 95% CI=1.09, 1.33; civilians, RR=1.18, 95% CI=1.17, 1.20; mental health, military service, RR=1.21, 95% CI=1.12, 1.32; civilians, RR=1.25, 95% CI=1.23, 1.26). Among men, these associations were somewhat attenuated in those with military service relative to civilians (physical health, military service, RR=1.13, 95% CI=1.09, 1.18; civilians, RR=1.20, 95% CI=1.17, 1.24; mental health, military service, RR=1.21, 95% CI=1.16, 1.27; civilians, RR=1.30, 95% CI=1.27, 1.34). Conclusions Relative to civilians, men and women with military service report more ACE, but associations of ACE with adult HRQOL are weaker among men with military service relative to civilians. There is a need to implement and disseminate evidence-based programs to prevent ACE and for research on the long-term health consequences of ACE in military populations.
The Association of Students Requiring Remediation in the Internal Medicine Clerkship With Poor Performance During Internship

ABSTRACT Purpose: To determine whether the Uniformed Services University (USU) system of workplace performance assessment for students in the internal medicine clerkship at the USU continues to be a sensitive predictor of subsequent poor performance during internship, when compared with assessments in other USU third year clerkships. Method: Utilizing Program Director survey results from 2007 through 2011 and U.S. Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 3 examination results as the outcomes of interest, we compared performance during internship for students who had less than passing performance in the internal medicine clerkship and required remediation, against students whose performance in the internal medicine clerkship was successful. We further analyzed internship ratings for students who received less than passing grades during the same time period on other third year clerkships such as general surgery, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, family medicine, and psychiatry to evaluate whether poo...
Egalitarian Resolution of Social Conflicts: A Study of Pair-bonded Gulls in Nest Duty and Feeding Contexts

and Summary Four species of gulls (Larus occidentalis, L. livens, L. atricilla, L. novaehollandiae) were studied in captive and free-living situations to determine which sex of paired gulls is dominant, if either, with respect to pair-bonded behaviour. Aggression against a mate was rare (all four species). Conflicts during nest reliefs (L. o. occidentalis) or feeding (all four species) were not resolved by dominance but by egalitarian mechanisms: access to the nest was decided on a case-by-case basis and food was shared (large items) or acquired on a first-come-first-served basis (small items). Analysis of the use of vocal signals (Head Toss, Mew, and Choking) during nest duty interactions suggests that reduction of signaling occurred when a pair's priorities were most in agreement. Egalitarian conflict resolution is defined and selective factors favoring egalitarian behaviour patterns are proposed. Zusammenfassung Um zu bestimmen, welches Geschlecht in Mowenpaaren dominant ist, wurden vier Arten (Larus occidentalis, L. livens, L. atricilla, L. novaehollandiae) auf ihre Paarbindungsverhaltnisse untersucht. Aggression gegen den eigenen Geschlechtspartner war bei beiden Geschlechtern selten (alle vier Arten). Mowenpaare losen Sozialkonflikte bei der Nestablosung (L. occidentalis) oder Futterung (alle vier Arten) nicht mit Hilfe von Dominanzverhaltensweisen; keiner der Partner last dem anderen standig den Vortritt. Der Zugang zum Nest wird von Fall zu Fall entschieden, und die Nahrung wird entweder geteilt (wenn die Objekte gros sind) oder nach dem Motto “wer zuerst kommt mahlt zuerst” verzehrt (bei kleinen Bissen). Zur Diskussion gestellt werden die moglichen Selektionsfaktoren, die bei verpaarten Mowen den Gebrauch egalitarer Verhaltensmuster zur Losung von Sozialkonflikten begunstigen.
Comparison of AHP and Monte Carlo AHP Under Different Levels of Uncertainty

Despite the extensive application of Monte Carlo analytic hierarchy process (MCAHP) in various fields of decision making, its performance has not been compared with the classic analytic hierarchy process (AHP). Both of these methods are heavily affected by individual or group preferences and thus provide subjective rankings. Since the mere difference between their results does not necessarily warrant the superiority of one against the other, a reliable and robust ranking of alternatives should be available as a comparison basis so that the results of these two methods can be evaluated. In this paper, we use a simulation approach to compare the results of AHP with MCAHP under different levels of uncertainty. We validate our simulation results by comparing the performance of these two alternatives against a real world and reliable ranking of blogs. Our simulation results show that as long as the variation in different pairwise comparisons is less than 0.24, the performance of AHP is not statistically different from the performance of MCAHP. When the uncertainty in terms of variation grows beyond 0.24, MCAHP provides more precise rankings. The findings of this research add to the current body of knowledge in the multicriteria decision analysis as well as Information Systems literature and provide insights for managerial applications of these techniques.
Participant Intervention in the Field

Traditionally, anthropologists have approached the study of culture change from the perspective of the outside observer of a naturally on-going process. By contrast, few attempts have been made to approach the study of change from the perspective of the intervening participant; in other words, as both the designer and activator of a socio-cultural process. It is the purpose of this paper to explore some of the potentialities of this latter method—called here the method of participant intervention—as a possibly fruitful approach to further investigation of the dynamics of culture change. Specifically, there are three points on which the paper will focus:1. The characteristics by which the method of participant intervention may be distinguished from other approaches to the study of change.2. The role of the investigator in the application of this method in the field.3. Some of the possible contributions of this approach to theory and method in the field of culture change.
Echocardiography and reversible left ventricular dysfunction.

Abstract Purpose Transient apical ballooning is increasingly recognized in acutely ill, hospitalized patients. This article reviews clinical aspects of the syndrome, its recognition by echocardiography, and will review other disorders whose recognition is due primarily to the availability of echocardiography. Methods Systematic review of the medical literature concerning the syndrome of transient apical ballooning. Results Seven recent studies of transient apical ballooning are reviewed; the clinical characteristics, biomarker data, echocardiographic findings, and angiographic data are remarkably similar. Most afflicted individuals are women in their seventh decade who develop chest symptoms in close relationship to a "trigger" event—this is usually either severe emotional distress, a medical illness, or a procedure. Conclusions Transient apical ballooning is not uncommonly encountered among acutely ill, hospitalized patients with chest symptoms. As yet there is no consensus of the underlying mechanism, although there is reason to believe that catecholamine injury to the myocardium is partially, if not wholly responsible. The widespread use of echocardiography appears to be responsible for the increasing recognition of this (and other) syndromes.
Ocular effect of neodymium-YAG laser.

We aimed a high-powered pulsed neodymium-YAG laser incrementally from air to the anterior portion of the vitreous in rabbits to evaluate its effect on the corneal endothelium, the lens, and the dynamics of intraocular fluid. Corneal endothelium damage occurred as much as 3.5 mm away from the site of optical breakdown. The degree of tissue damage was inversely proportional to the distance from the site of optical breakdown, and the damage pattern at a given distance was the same whether the optical breakdown was anterior or posterior to the corneal endothelium. A single 4-mJ shot (mode-locked train) of laser light causes disintegration and liquefaction of the lens in a spherical area 300 μm in diameter. The damage extends posteriorly to a distance of 450 μm. The effect of this explosion denatures the surrounding cortical fibers for an area of 50 to 80 μm. Increased intraocular pressure was noted in all instances of anterior or posterior capsulotomy, probably as a result of the release of liquefied cortical material and mechanical obstruction of the chamber angle. No increase in intraocular pressure occurred when the lens capsule remained intact.
Absorption of peroxidase-conjugated immunoglobulin G by human placenta: an in vitro study.

Summary The uptake of IgG-HRP into human placental villi has been demonstrated. Initial uptake occurred via coated pits at the surface of the syncytium. It was subsequently localized in small vesicles and larger vacuoles (multivesicular bodies) within the syncytium. Reaction product was also localized in occasional cytotrophoblastic cells. The basal lamina contained some reaction product; protein was apparently capable of diffusing through the basal lamina, as evidenced by the presence of reaction product in and around fetal capillaries, and in placental macrophages (Hofbauer cells). Within the fetal capillary endothelium small vesicles were labelled, suggesting movement across this layer was vesicle-mediated and not by movement through the intercellular space.
Oxidatively Modified Proteins in the Serous Subtype of Ovarian Carcinoma

Serous subtype of ovarian cancer is considered to originate from fallopian epithelium mucosa that has been exposed to physiological changes resulting from ovulation. Ovulation influences an increased in inflammation of epithelial ovarian cells as results of constant exposure of cells to ROS. The imbalance between ROS and antioxidant capacities, as well as a disruption of redox signaling, causes a wide range of damage to DNA, proteins, and lipids. This study applied spectrophotometric, dinitrophenylhydrazone (DNPH) assay, two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, and Western blot analyses to assess the levels of oxidatively modified proteins in 100 primary serous epithelial ovarian carcinoma and normal/surrounding tissues. These samples were obtained from 56 Caucasian and 44 African-American patients within the age range of 61 ± 10 years. Analyses showed that the levels of reactive protein carbonyl groups increased as stages progressed to malignancy. Additionally, the levels of protein carbonyls in serous ovarian carcinoma among African Americans are 40% (P < 0.05) higher relative to Caucasian at similar advanced stages. Results suggest that oxidative stress is involved in the modification of carbonyl protein groups, leading to increased aggressiveness of epithelial ovarian tumors and may contribute to the disease's invasiveness among African Americans.
Proton nuclear magnetic resonance studies on dideoxyribonucleoside methylphosphonates

A series of dideoxyribonucleoside methylphosphonates, d-ApA, d-ApT, d-TpA, and TpT, were synthesized chemically and the diastereoisomers of each dimer were separated [Miller, P. S., Yano, J., Yano, E., Carroll, C., Jayaraman, K., & Ts'o, P. O. P. (1979) Biochemistry 18, 5134]. The 1H NMR spectra of these compounds are similar to those of their parent diester compounds. Specifically, the assignments of the 1H resonances of the two diastereoisomers of d-ApA (designated as 1 and 2) were reaffirmed by comparing with the unmodified, parent d-ApA. The absolute configuration of the phosphonate methyl group of the two isomers (d-ApA)1 and (d-ApA)2 was determined by the NOE technique. The 1H NMR spectra of the diastereoisomers of d-ApA, as well as the corresponding monomer components dAp and CH3pdA, and TpT were analyzed by spectrum simulation techniques. Thus, all the coupling constants and chemical shifts of the proton resonances of the deoxyribofuranose ring and the phosphonate methyl group could be precisely determined. These data provide the information for an analysis of the sugar puckering and backbone conformations of these novel nonionic nucleic acid analogues. It was found that the conformations of the sugar-phosphate backbones of each isomer are similar to each other and are similar to the conformations of the parent dinucleoside monophosphates. The average adenine stacking conformations of (d-ApA)1 and (d-ApA)2 were described in numerical coordinates derived from a computer analysis which included both ring-current magnetic anisotropy and atomic diamagnetic anisotropy effects. The two computer-derived conformational models are similar to those derived from the graphic approximation based only on the ring-current effects. For each pair of dimer analogues, the base stacking mode of isomer 1 is similar to that of its parent diester while the extent of base overlap in isomer 2 is less than that in isomer 1. The results of the conformational analysis based on NMR data are consistent with the results obtained from ultraviolet and circular dichroism measurements on these dimers.
Stabilization of anilinium in vanadium(V) oxide xerogel and its post-intercalative polymerization to poly(aniline) in air

We report the oxygen-induced polymerization of anilinium to poly(aniline) in the layered compound (C6H5NH3)0.4V2O5·0.40H2O forming {1/n(–C6H4NH–)nV2O5·0.40H2O.
Methodology for implanting cortisol in Atlantic salmon and effects of chronically elevated cortisol on osmoregulatory physiology

Abstract A method for achieving high physiological concentrations of cortisol in the plasma of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) is outlined. Cortisol was emulsified in vegetable shortening:vegetable oil (1 : 1). This mixture is fluid at 24°C and can be injected into the peritoneum where it solidifies into a slow-releasing cortisol implant. Three doses of cortisol implants were used: 25, 50 and 100 μg/g body weight. Salmon in the post-smolt stage were serially sampled in short-term (1 week) and long-term (1 month) experiments. There was significant variability in the vehicle-implanted control fish over time in both experiments. Except for day of the implant, there were no differences between the implanted controls and the non-implanted controls, indicating that the implant itself was probably not stressful. The medium dose (50 μg/g body weight) was found to elevate plasma cortisol within 1 day and to maintain plasma cortisol above vehicle-implanted salmon for as long as 1 month. The low dose was ineffective after 1 week and the high dose resulted in plasma cortisol concentrations above physiological levels. Exogenous cortisol increased the fluid uptake rate of the non-everted posterior intestinal sac after 1 month and increased the gill Na + K + - ATPase activity after 1 week. These implants might be useful in allowing culturists to move salmon to sea cages at times outside the typical smolt window.
Epinephrine accumulation in rat brain after chronic administration of pargyline and LY 51641--comparison with other brain amines.

Abstract Concentrations of biogenic amines and metabolites were measured in regions of rat brain following administration of monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors for 21 days. Epinephrine concentrations were increased from 350 to 500% following chronic administration of LY 51641, a selective inhibitor of MAO type A. Norepinephrine, dopamine and serotonin showed much lesser relative accumulation. The marked relative accumulation of epinephrine may be related to the efficacy of inhibitors of MAO type A in the treatment of depression.
Survival Times and Lethal Doses for Wild and RecombinantAutographa californicaNuclear Polyhedrosis Viruses in Different Instars ofPseudoplusia includens

Abstract Survival times and lethal doses were determined in Pseudoplusia includens (Walker) for three viruses: wild-type Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus (AcMNPV.WT), recombinant AcMNPV encoding juvenile hormone esterase (AcMNPV.JHEKK), and recombinant AcMNPV encoding a scorpion toxin (AcMNPV.AaIT). Survival time was reduced significantly in insects treated with AcMNPV.AaIT compared to AcMNPV.WT, but >80% of insects treated with AcMNPV.AaIT in instars 2–5 were still alive after 6 days. For all three viruses, second instars had the longest survival times and fourth instars had the shortest, and survival time decreased with increasing viral concentration except at the highest concentrations. Median lethal doses (LD 50 ) of all three viruses, based on units of polyhedral occlusion bodies (POB) per insect, increased significantly (based on lack of overlap of 95% C.L.) in every larval instar, except that LD 50 s in fourth instars were not significantly different from those in second instars. LD 50 s calculated in units of POB per insect body weight were significantly lower in fourth instars than in first, second, third, or fifth instars for all three viruses. The only significant difference in LD 50 among viruses was in fifth instars, in which AcMNPV.JHEKK had a higher LD 50 than AcMNPV.WT. The results indicate that AcMNPV.AaIT is likely to be more efficacious than AcMNPV.JHEKK for control of P. includens. However, even AcMNPV.AaIT did not kill quickly enough to be competitive with many commercial insecticides.
Detection of Chlamydla trachomatis cervical infection: A comparison of Papanicolaou and immunofluorescent staining with cell culture

We compared tissue culture with Papanicolaou-stained cervical smears, endocervical cytologic smears stained with immunofluorescent monoclonal antibody, and a direct immunofluorescent stain of cervical specimens (MicroTrak) for detection of Chlamydia trachomatis in cervical specimens: Fifty-one (21%) of 245 women had positive cultures for C. trachomatis , 14 (27%) of whom had clinical evidence of cervicitis. With the criteria of intracytoplasmic coccoid inclusion bodies within metaplastic cells, 45 (34%) of 130 Papanicolaou smears were read as suggestive for C. trachomatis . Seventeen of the 45 positive Papanicolaou smears were positive on culture and 28 were negative (sensitivity 54%, specificity 71%). In contrast, 48 of 51 women with positive cultures and one woman with a negative culture had positive immunofluorescent-stained cytologic smears (sensitivity 94%, specificity 99%, with positive predictive value of 98%). Similarly, 47 of 51 women with positive cultures also had positive results with MicroTrak direct immunofluorescent stain, with only one positive specimen in 196 women with negative cultures (sensitivity 92%, specificity 99%, with positive predictive value of 98%). This study demonstrates that immunofluorescent staining of cervical specimens or of cytologic smears is a more sensitive and specific method than routine Papanicolaou smear for detection of chlamydia infection in a high-prevalence population.
xTCA for physics standards roadmaps & SLAC initiatives

This paper describes progress since the completion of xTCA for Physics instrumentation standards in 2011. The standards are extensions of the Telecom standard called Advanced Telecommunications Computer Architecture for the physics community. The main goals are to provide new IO, timing and synchronization features as well as standard software interface guidelines for accelerator control and instrumentation systems. After issuing the basic IO standards in 2012 for both ATCA and its smaller mezzanine card version known as MicroTCA, labs and industry have continued to collaborate to bring many lab-developed products to market for Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) availability. In the course of development some significant products were built using both lab and industry sources and tested on-beam for the LCLS-II accelerator project to prove precision of analog performance. These solutions were adopted for the LCLS-II injector and systems completed to readiness for installation in 2013. A change in direction of LCLS-II to a superconducting CW machine running at 1MHz bunch rate has raised additional challenges requiring some redesign. The ongoing Hardware and Software working group tasks are summarized including a new backplane extension as well as a brief description of impacts of the new CW machine design.
“How Do Students Get Answers Like These?” Nine Steps in Diagnosing Computation Errors

There is growing recognition that the bulk of the traditional, norm-referenced tests fail to help teachers make instructional decisions. In rejecting these measures, diagnosticians and teachers ali...
Review of experimental studies of muonium centers in semiconductors

After a brief description of muon spin rotation and muonium, the observations on muonium defect centers in semiconductors are described. Two different muonium centers are seen. Normal muonium has an isotropic hyperfine interaction which is roughly one half of that for free muonium. Anomalous muonium has a contact hyperfine parameter varying from 1.5% to 4.6% of that for free muonium. In addition, the hyperfine interaction is highly anisotropic. Normal muonium is thought to be interstitial, whereas anomalous muonium is proposed to be substitutional.
Polarization properties of quasielastic light scattering in fused-silica optical fiber.

Polarized and depolarized components of the quasielastic light-scattering spectrum of fused-silica optical fiber have been measured in the frequency range 100 kHz to 100 MHz at temperatures from 10 to 293 K. The depolarization ratio was found to be 0.14\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.03. In the backscattering geometry both polarization components are seen to obey an inverse-power-law frequency dependence. Both the temperature and frequency dependence are consistent with a model that assumes thermal activation of structural relaxations which have a wide distribution of relaxation-time constants. In the forward direction, an additional polarized component with the same temperature dependence appeared.
Productive and Nonproductive Intermediates in the Folding of Denatured Rhodanese

The competition between protein aggregation and folding has been investigated using rhodanese (thiosulfate:cyanide sulfurtransferase, EC 2.8.1.1) as a model. During folding from a urea-denatured state, rhodanese rapidly forms associated species or intermediates, some of which are large and/or sticky. The early removal of such particles by filtration results in a decreased refolding yield. With time, a portion of the smaller aggregates can partition back first to intermediates and then to refolded protein, while a fraction of these irreversibly form unproductive higher aggregates. Dynamic light scattering measurements indicate that the average sizes of the aggregates formed during rhodanese folding increase from 225 to 325 nm over 45 min and they become increasingly heterogeneous. Glycerol addition or the application of high hydrostatic pressure improved the final refolding yields by stabilizing smaller particles. Although addition of glycerol into the refolding mixture blocks the formation of unproductive aggregates, it cannot dissociate them back to productive intermediates. The presence of 3.9 M urea keeps the aggregates small, and they can be dissociated to monomers by high hydrostatic pressure even after 1 h of incubation. These studies suggest that early associated intermediates formed during folding can be reversed to give active species.
Mass spectrometric study of the distribution of cyclophosphamide in humans.

Abstract Cyclophosphamide has been identified in human milk, sweat, saliva, cerebrospinal fluid and synovial fluid after administration to patients by iv infusion. The drug was identified without purification, in organic extracts of the fluids. The mass spectrometric method is described, and some implications of this previously undocumented distribution pattern are discussed.
Biophysical Model of the Coupled Mechanisms of Cell Adhesion, Contraction and Spreading

Recent research has shown that cell spreading is highly dependent on the contractility of its cytoskeleton and the mechanical properties of its surrounding environment. This extended abstract introduces a mathematical formulation of cell spreading and contraction that couples the processes of stress fiber formation, protrusion growth through actin polymerization at the cell edge and dynamics of cross-membrane protein (integrins) enabling cell-substrate attachment. The evolving cell’s cytoskeleton is modeled as a mixture of fluid, proteins and filaments that can exchange mass and generate contraction. In particular, besides self-assembling into stress fibers, actin monomers are able to polymerize into an actin meshwork at the cell’s boundary in order to push the membrane forward and generate protrusion. These processes are possible via the development of cell-substrate attachment complexes that arise from the mechano-sensitive equilibrium of membrane proteins, known as integrins. Numerical simulations show that the proposed model is able to capture the dependency of cell spreading and contraction on substrate stiffness and chemistry. The very good agreement between model predictions and experimental observations suggests that mechanics plays a strong role into the coupled mechanisms of contraction, adhesion and spreading of adherent cells.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Regulation of CYP26 (cytochrome P450RAI) mRNA expression and retinoic acid metabolism by retinoids and dietary vitamin A in liver of mice and rats

Retinoic acid (RA), through nuclear retinoid receptors, regulates the expression of numerous genes. However, little is known of the biochemical mechanisms that regulate RA concentration in vivo. CYP26 (P450RAI), a novel cytochrome P450, is expressed during embryonic development, induced by all-trans RA, and capable of catalyzing the oxidation of [3H]RA to polar retinoids including 4-oxo-RA. Here we report that CYP26 expression in adult liver is regulated by all-trans RA and dietary vitamin A, and is correlated with the metabolism of all-trans RA to polar metabolites. In normal mouse and rat liver, CYP26 mRNA was barely detectable; however, after acute treatment with all-trans RA CYP26 mRNA and RA metabolism by liver microsomes were significantly induced. Aqueous-soluble RA metabolites were detected, but their formation was not induced. The expression of retinoid receptors, RAR-γ and RXR-α, was not changed after RA treatment in vivo. In a model of chronic vitamin A ingestion during aging, CYP26 mRNA expres...
Comparison of outcomes of open versus laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication performed in a single practice

BACKGROUND : We reviewed Nissen fundoplications performed in a single practice from January 1989 to March 1997, encompassing our transition from open to laparoscopic procedures. Because all operations were done by two surgeons in the same two hospitals, the study is well controlled for comparisons. METHODS: Records of 271 consecutive patients were reviewed. RESULTS: From 1989 to 1992 all patients underwent open fundoplication (n = 78). Thereafter, with increasing frequency, laparoscopic fundoplication was performed. The laparoscopic group was slightly younger (48 ± 14 years) than the open group (54 ± 13 years), but gender distribution and body mass index (BMI) did not differ. Mean operating time for laparoscopic cases was 163 ± 58 minutes compared with 148 ± 59 minutes for open cases (NS). Intraoperative complication rate was 8% for both groups. Length of hospitalization was shorter for patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery (2.4 days versus 7.2 for open procedures, P <0.05). In follow-up, 82% of the open Nissen group were asymptomatic compared with 84% of the laparoscopic Nissen group. The same proportion of patients required reoperation for dysphagia (3% for each group). Of patients who had the open procedure, 21% had wound complications. None of those treated laparoscopically had long-term morbidity from trocar insertion sites. CONCLUSION: Equal effectiveness in treating reflux combined with shorter hospitalization and absence of wound complications makes the laparoscopic approach the preferred method for performing fundoplication.
Constructions of Partial Difference Sets and Relative Difference Sets Using Galois Rings II

In a previous paper, Des., Codes and Cryptogr.8(1996), 215?227]; we used Galois rings to construct partial difference sets, relative difference sets and a difference set. In the present paper, we first generalize and improve the construction of partial difference sets in Des., Codes and Cryptogr.8(1996), 215?227]; also we obtain a family of relative difference sets from these partial difference sets. Second, we construct a class of relative difference sets in (Z4)2m+1?(Z4)r?(Z2?Z2)s,r+s=m, r, s?0 with respect to a subgroup (Z2)2m+1. These constructions make use of character sums from Galois rings, and relate relative difference sets to Hadamard difference sets.
Letter matching: effects of age, Alzheimer's disease, and major depression.

Abstract We compared Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients and Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), Aged normal, and Young normal controls on a letter-matching task designed to measure the time needed to access overlearned linguistic information in long-term memory. Name identity (NI) and physical identity (PI) reaction time and the NI-PI difference were compared for ADs, MDDs, and Aged normals and separately for Aged and Young normal groups. AD subjects had slower NI and PI reaction times and a bigger NI-PI difference than Aged normal and MDD subjects, suggesting that speed of access to overlearned letter-name information in long-term memory is slowed for ADs. There were no reliable differences between Aged normal and MDD subjects. Aged normals had slower NI and PI reaction times and a bigger NI-PI difference than Young normals, suggesting that the highly practiced operations needed to access letter-name information slow with age. A discriminant analysis was used to evaluate the usefulness of the “easy to perfor...
The Internet: Past, Present and Future

Although the Worldwide Web has just blossomed this past decade, the origins of the Internet date to the late 1950s and Cold War concerns. The technological underpinning of the Internet rests with the concept of packet switching of data over dispersed routes of electronic intercommunication. Grounded in applications for the national defense, and nurtured in the domains of science within academia, the Internet of the masses has exploded with the addition of strong commercial interest and potential. Electronic mail is still the predominant application of the Internet, and the ease of widespread and near simultaneous dissemination of such communication has led to the genesis of listservers, especially appropriate as well as predominant in Medicine. One such list for pediatric surgeons is Pedsurg-L. There is an impressive evolving etiquette for those contributing to such lists. Initiatives are already well developed with public and private partnerships for the future of the Internet.
Automating Inductive Specification Proofs

We present an automatic method which combines logical proof search and rippling heuristics to prove specifications. The key idea is to instantiate meta-variables in the proof with a simultaneous match based on rippling/reverse rippling heuristic. Underlying our rippling strategy is the rippling distance strategy which introduces a new powerful approach to rippling, as it avoids termination problems of other rippling strategies. Moreover, we are able to synthesize conditional substitutions for meta-variables in the proof. The strength of our approach is illustrated by discussing the specification of the integer square root and automatically synthesizing the corresponding algorithm. The described procedure has been integrated as a tactic into the NUPRL system but it can be combined with other proof methods as well.
Positron Emission Tomography Imaging of Atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis-related cardiovascular events are the leading causes of death in the industrialized world. Atherosclerosis develops insidiously and the initial manifestation is usually sudden cardiac death, stroke, or myocardial infarction. Molecular imaging is a valuable tool to identify the disease at an early stage before fatal manifestations occur. Among the various molecular imaging techniques, this review mainly focuses on positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of atherosclerosis. The targets and pathways that have been investigated to date for PET imaging of atherosclerosis include: glycolysis, cell membrane metabolism (phosphatidylcholine synthesis), integrin αvβ3, low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptors (LDLr), natriuretic peptide clearance receptors (NPCRs), fatty acid synthesis, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), macrophages, platelets, etc. Many PET tracers have been investigated clinically for imaging of atherosclerosis. Early diagnosis of atherosclerotic lesions by PET imaging can help to prevent the premature death caused by atherosclerosis, and smooth translation of promising PET tracers into the clinic is critical to the benefit of patients.
Quantum of infection of Francisella tularensis tularensis in host-seeking Dermacentor variabilis.

The American dog tick, Dermacentor variabilis, is fundamental to the perpetuation of Francisella tularensis tularensis on Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, U.S.A. Although infected ticks are relatively common on the island, human cases deriving from tick bite are rare. It may be that the quantum of bacteria within these naturally infected ticks is frequently too small to cause disease. Accordingly, we quantified the amount of F.t. tularensis bacteria in host-seeking ticks from the island. Contrary to our expectations, the majority of the ticks harbor large numbers of bacteria (median 3.3×108 genome equivalents/tick). Such a large quantum of infection might suggest that aerosolization of the ticks themselves might comprise the proximal determinant of risk for the inhalational tularemia that is common on Martha's Vineyard. However, the paradox of fewer ulceroglandular tularemia cases than would be expected given the abundance of potentially highly infectious ticks remains to be solved.
Foliar applications of nitrogen to slash pine seedlings

The absorption of N from foliar applications of various N sources by pine seedlings was studied under greenhouse conditions. Needles dipped into solutions of 4,000 ppm N from Ca(NO3)2 were burned slightly at the tips at two weeks. Although higher concentrations of (NH2)2CO and (NH4)2SO4 could be used without plant damage, a uniform concentration of 3,000 ppm was used in all comparative tests of sources. The level of tissue N, brought about by soil fertilization 6 weeks previously, did not significantly influence absorption of foliarly applied N15. Soil moisture maintained at near 100, 60 to 70, and 25 to 35 per cent of water-holding capacity of the Leon fs did not significantly affect the absorption of tagged N. Greater quantities of N15 were absorbed as urea than as Ca(NO3)2 or (NH4)2SO4. The use of a spreader-sticker increased the N15 uptake, regardless of the N compound used. However, the magnitude of the increased absorption associated with use as a sticker varied from 490 per cent with (NH4)2SO4 to 260 per cent with urea. It was calculated that approximately 71, 45, and 39 per cent of foliar applied N was absorbed into needles within 24 hours from urea, Ca(NO3)2, and (NH4)2SO4, respectively.
An ab initio study of the potential energy surface of NH3–CO

Abstract Fourth-order Moller–Plesset perturbation theory (MP4) and perturbation theory of intermolecular forces were employed to investigate the potential energy surface of the NH 3 –CO complex. Most calculations were performed using a relatively large, well-tempered basis set, though for a few selected structures an augmented basis set with bond functions was used. The global minimum of −1489 μ E h was found for a bent hydrogen-bonded configuration at the intermolecular distance of 4.3 A. The minimum energy area was discovered to be very wide and flat making the complex extremely flexible. A model potential function for the complex was developed.
Physiological Predetermination: Imbibition, Respiration, and Growth of Lima Bean Seeds.

Temperatures 15°C or lower during the first hour of imbibition immediately inhibited respiration in lima beans, with proportional inhibition of subsequent growth of seedlings. Correlations between initial respiration rates and growth rates of seedlings were found in diferent lots of seeds.
An ESR study of the cation radicals of phenothiazine, 10-methyl-phenothiazine and phenoxazine in sulfuric acid-nitromethane solutions

Abstract A new method for the production of cation radicals is described. The method which consists of a mixture of sulfuric acid and nitromethane has been used to obtain well resolved esr spectra from the cation radicals of phenothiazine, 10-methylphenothiazine and phenoxazine. These results together with some previous results on some related compounds have been compared with Molecular Orbital Calculations of the electron spin densities to evaluate a consistent set of molecular orbital parameters for the nitrogen, sulfur and oxygen atoms.
Che, Chevys, and Hemingway's Daiquiris: Cuban Tourism in a Time of Globalisation

In Cuba over the past two decades, diverse and apparently contradictory aspects of tourism have emerged along with state-led development and market-driven initiatives. This ethnographic account examines the complex ways in which Cubans and international visitors experience tourism as an economic and cultural force. Despite the unintended consequences of tourism, which has produced growing social inequality and illicit trade, tourism has met surprising success in appealing to desires for both prerevolutionary pleasures and enduring revolutionary culture and politics.
Critical challenges of inventory management in service parts supply: A Delphi study

The primary purpose of the study is to determine the critical challenges facing service parts managers and to help bridge the gap between research and practice. In order to accomplish this, a series of semi-structured interviews with 18 senior service parts managers from a variety of industries frequently dealing with service parts inventory issues was used as the basis of input for a web-based Delphi study. The results of the study include 18 commonly identified potential service parts inventory issues and ten key challenges for the service parts supply industry. The identified challenges should serve as a guide for both researchers seeking to contribute to the service parts body of knowledge and practitioners who are regularly faced with service parts inventory issues.
Data Dredging or Legitimate Research Method? Historiography and Its Potential for Management Research

Historiography's potential as a management research technique has not been extensively evaluated. This article describes historiography, evaluates criticism directed toward it, and assesses its usefulness for management research. It asserts that historiography can make significant contributions to variable selection and evaluation, theory building, and hypothesis generation.
Iloperidone redux: a dissection of the Drug Approval Package for this newly commercialised second-generation antipsychotic.

Summary Objective: To describe the contents of a Drug Approval Package and to describe the efficacy and safety of iloperidone for the treatment of schizophrenia. Data sources: Drug Approval Package from the US Food and Drug Administration available at http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/nda/2009/022192s000TOC.cfm. Data synthesis: The Drug Approval Package contains several different sections that describe both the preclinical (animal) and the clinical (human) studies conducted that led to the approval of iloperidone, a second-generation antipsychotic medication. Most of this information has not been published in the peer-reviewed literature and much of it had not been previously publicly available. Iloperidone’s indication for the acute treatment of schizophrenia in adults is supported by two of the four principal registration studies completed by the manufacturer. The documents made available reveal that there was disagreement between the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the manufacturer as to which study was considered ‘positive’ for iloperidone. There was additional controversy surrounding the appropriateness of combining patients with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder in the same study. Questions were also raised by the FDA about the relative efficacy of iloperidone vs. other antipsychotics; the need for an initial titration period was offered as a possible explanation as to why risperidone appeared to have superior efficacy. Moreover, there was disagreement as to what constitutes an appropriate study to test the long-term efficacy of an antipsychotic. Additional information is made available regarding the safety and tolerability of iloperidone, with the FDA acknowledging an overall attractive profile that includes less akathisia and extrapyramidal symptoms than other agents in its class. Of potential clinical utility are the results from FDA analyses of patients where clinical variables shifted from the normal to abnormal range. Conclusions: Iloperidone is efficacious and reasonably tolerable. The information made publicly available in the Drug Approval Package from the US FDA allows a closer examination as to how the medication was approved and allows for outside clinicians and researchers to appraise the data more carefully. Safety signals generated by FDA analyses of outliers can provide the impetus for the conduct of additional studies and post hoc analyses of registration study data already collected.
Randomized binary search technique

A mathematical model is developed for the mean and variance of the number of trials to recover a given document in a randomly received list of files. The search method described is binary in nature and offers new potential for information retrieval systems.
Dynamics of SHS in periodic media

Abstract Solutions of a 1-D free-interface problem modeling a solid combustion front (SHS) propagating in a combustible mixture with periodically varying concentration of the reactant, either smooth or discontinuous, exhibit the classical phenomenon of mode locking. Numerical simulation shows a variety of locked periodic, quasi-periodic, and chaotic solutions. A bifurcation diagram obtained via the correlation dimension of the orbits suggests the existence of a dense set of Arnold's tongues.