cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of University of Wisconsin, Euro-Collins, low-potassium dextran, And Krebs-Henseleit solutions for hypothermic lung preservation☆☆☆

Abstract Objective: We sought to test the effectiveness of 4 different solutions for hypothermic rat lung preservation. Methods: One hundred ninety-two rats were used. The rats were divided into 4 groups, and University of Wisconsin, Euro-Collins, low-potassium dextran, or Krebs-Henseleit solution was used in each group. They were further divided into 6 subgroups of 8 rats each. The lungs were preserved at 4°C for 0, 4, 6, 8, 12, or 24 hours, respectively, and lung function was studied by using a living rat perfusion model. Results: Pulmonary arterial flow decreased in each group after 4 to 6 hours of preservation; the low-potassium dextran group decreased the least and the Krebs-Henseleit group decreased the most. Pulmonary vascular resistance increased in each group after 6 hours of preservation; the Krebs-Henseleit group increased the most. Although airway pressure increased, static lung compliance and gas exchange capacity decreased after 8 hours of preservation; the Krebs-Henseleit group exhibited the worst values. Lung tissue wet/dry weight ratio increased gradually during preservation; the University of Wisconsin group exhibited the least increase. An ultrastructural study indicated the least morphologic changes in the low-potassium dextran group at 24 hours. Conclusions: At 4°C, all solutions preserved rat lungs for 4 hours with acceptable function. However, 6 hours of preservation resulted in damaged pulmonary function in some lungs, and this damage increased when preservation time was extended. The lungs preserved in low-potassium dextran solution had the best overall function, but the lungs preserved in University of Wisconsin solution had less edema. (J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2000;119:921-30)
The Ambiguous Legacy of C. Wright Mills: A Reply to G. William Domhoff

Domhoff fails to recognize that we agree the World War II mobilization contributed to the economic, political, and ideological rehabilitation of monopoly sector firms. Our dispute centers on the rise of the Pentagon within the state and the state planning of the defense industries during and after the war. Domhoff rejects C. Wright Mills' view that World War II allowed for a simultaneous victory for military and economic elites. And Domhoff is even more hostile to this positive-sum account when stated in terms of military-oriented statebuilding. Parallel to his zero-sum view of politics, Domhoff fights a holy war against his theoretical enemies in which there can only be one winner. Domhoff's approach to theoretical debate cannot be justified logically or methodologically. Moreover, Domhoff diverts attention from our more important responsibilities: analyzing U.S. militarism and contributing to its reduction. To dismantle the Cold War economy, we must learn from one another and expand our collective under...
A Scalable Synthesis of the INOS Inhibitor PHA-399733†

This contribution describes a scalable synthesis of the INOS inhibitor PHA-399733 using the Bucherer−Bergs hydantoin synthesis to introduce the amino acid function.
The polymorphic and contradictory aspects of intermittent hypoxia

Intermittent hypoxia (IH) has been extensively studied during the last decade, primarily as a surrogate model of sleep apnea. However, IH is a much more pervasive phenomenon in human disease, is viewed as a potential therapeutic approach, and has also been used in other disciplines, such as in competitive sports. In this context, adverse outcomes involving cardiovascular, cognitive, metabolic, and cancer problems have emerged in obstructive sleep apnea-based studies, whereas beneficial effects of IH have also been identified. Those a priori contradictory findings may not be as contradictory as initially thought. Indeed, the opposite outcomes triggered by IH can be explained by the specific characteristics of the large diversity of IH patterns applied in each study. The balance between benefits and injury appears to primarily depend on the ability of the organism to respond and activate adaptive mechanisms to IH. In this context, the adaptive or maladaptive responses can be generally predicted by the frequency, severity, and duration of IH. However, the presence of underlying conditions such as hypertension or obesity, as well as age, sex, or genotypic variance, may be important factors tilting the balance between an appropriate homeostatic response and decompensation. Here, the two possible facets of IH as derived from human and experimental animal settings will be reviewed.
A two-sex demographic model with single-dependent divorce rate

Divorce appears to be one of the least studied demographic processes, both empirically and in two-sex demographic models. In this paper, we study mathematical as well as biological implications of the assumption that the divorce rate is positively affected by the amount of single (i.e., unmarried/unpaired) individuals in the population. We do that by modifying the classical exponential two-sex model accounting for pair formation and separation. We model the divorce rate as an increasing function of the single population size and show that the single population pressure on the established couples alters the exponential behavior of the classical model in which the divorce rate is assumed constant. In particular, the total population size becomes bounded and a unique positive equilibrium exists. In addition, a Hopf bifurcation analysis around the positive equilibrium shows that the modified model may exhibit sustained oscillations.
Effect of Many-Body van der Waals Forces on the Lattice Dynamics of Rare-Gas Crystals

The contribution of the many-body part of the van der Waals forces to the lattice-vibration Hamiltonian of rare-gas crystals is investigated, and the result is compared with the usual two-body lattice potential (a Lennard-Jones potential, for instance). While the static lattice energy is modified only by a few percent, the harmonic term and the successive anharmonicities are so much influenced by collective dispersion forces that their perturbational developments in terms of pair, triplet, etc., contributions are inadequate. In this paper we show that, by a simple renormalization procedure, these developments can be summed so as to obtain the exact energies in closed forms. In addition to revealing the existence of a theoretical singularity as a function of the crystal "refractivity" $\frac{4}{3}\ensuremath{\pi}$ $\mathrm{N}\ensuremath{\alpha}$, these closed forms are simple enough to be used in numerical computations of various crystal properties. No such calculation is attempted here.
Wave scattering by small bodies

Wave scattering by small bodies is of great interest in theory and for applications. An incomplete list of problems for which wave scattering by small bodies is of prime importance includes: radio wave scattering by rain and hail, light scattering by cosmic dust, light scattering in colloidal solutions, light propagation in muddy water, wave scattering by small inhomogeneities in a medium. We will show that the skin effect for thin wires and radiation from small holes are also dependent on wave scattering by small bodies. The number of examples is practically unlimited. The theory was originated by Rayleigh (1871) who contributed to this field until his death (1919). Rayleigh understood that the main term in the scattering amplitude in the problem of wave scattering by a small body with diameter much less than the wavelength of the exterior field can be described as dipole radiation. J. J. Thomson (1893) realized that for a small perfect conductor the magnetic dipole radiation is of the same order as the electric dipole radiation. Some efforts were made in order to develop an algorithm for finding the expansion of the scattered field in powers of ka, where k is the wave number and a is the characteristic dimension of the scatterer, ka ⋊ 1 (Stevenson [31], Kleinman [14]). Since in many cases the first term of this expansion already provides a good approximation we will only discuss this first approximation.
Synthesis and photophysical characterization of porphyrin and porphyrin–Ru(II) polypyridyl chromophore–catalyst assemblies on mesoporous metal oxides

A layer-by-layer procedure has been used to prepare chromophore–catalyst assemblies consisting of phosphonate-derivatized porphyrin chromophores and a phosphonate-derivatized Ru(II) water oxidation catalyst on the surfaces of SnO2 and TiO2 mesoporous, nanoparticle films. In the procedure, initial surface binding of the phosphonate-derivatized porphyrin is followed in sequence by reaction with ZrOCl2 and then with the phosphonate-derivatized water oxidation catalyst [RuII(2,6-bis-(1-methylbenzimidazole-2-yl)pyridine)(2,2′-bipyridine-4,4′-hydroxymethylphosphonate)(H2O)]2+, [RuII(Mebimpy)(4,4′-(PO(OH)2–CH2)2-bpy)(OH2)]2+. Fluorescence from both the free base and Zn(II) porphyrin derivatives on SnO2 is quenched; substantial emission quenching of the Zn(II) porphyrin occurs on TiO2. Transient absorption difference spectra provide direct evidence for appearance of the porphyrin radical cation on SnO2via excited-state electron injection. For the chromophore–catalyst assembly on SnO2, transient absorption difference spectra demonstrate rapid intra-assembly electron transfer oxidation of the catalyst following excitation and injection by the porphyrin chromophore.
Contraction-initiated NO-dependent lymphatic relaxation: a self-regulatory mechanism in rat thoracic duct.

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the physiological importance of the flow and shear generated by phasic contractions of lymphatic vessels and the mechanisms responsible for the influences of such shear on lymphatic pumping. Lymphatic segments of the rat thoracic duct were isolated, cannulated and pressurized. The diastolic diameters were measured in phasically non-active segments. The diastolic and systolic diameters, half-relaxation time (HRT), contraction frequency, ejection fraction and fractional pump flow were determined in phasically active segments. Since imposed flow was excluded, flow and shear occurred only as a result of the intrinsic contractions in phasically active segments whereas in phasically non-active segments contraction-generated flow and shear were absent. The influences of incrementally increased transmural pressure (from 1 to 5 cmH2O) were examined in control conditions and after NO synthase blockade (l-NAME 10−4m) or cyclooxygenase blockade (indomethacin 10−5m). The spontaneous phasic contractions produced a flow-dependent diastolic relaxation. This reduction of the lymphatic tone is a regulatory mechanism that maintains pumping in thoracic duct in an energy-saving/efficient mode: it improves diastolic filling (enhanced lusitropy – lowering HRT), makes lymphatic contractions stronger (enhanced inotropy – higher contraction amplitude) and propels more fluid forward during each contraction (elevated ejection fraction) while decreasing contraction frequency (reduced chronotropy). The findings also demonstrated that the NO pathway, not the cyclooxygenase pathway is responsible for this reduction of lymphatic tone and is the prevailing pathway responsible for the self-regulatory adjustment of thoracic duct pumping to changes in lymph flow pattern.
Murine and Bovine Blue Cone Pigment Genes: Cloning and Characterization of Two New Members of the S Family of Visual Pigments

Two novel visual pigment genes, mouse blue and bovine blue, have been isolated from mouse and bovine genomic libraries, respectively, using a human blue cone pigment cDNA as probe. Corresponding cDNA clones have also been obtained from mouse retinas. The intron-exon boundaries for the mouse gene were determined by comparing the genomic and cDNA sequences. The visual pigments encoded by the mouse and bovine blue pigment genes are highly homologous to each other (89% amino acid identity) and to human blue and chicken violet cone pigments (greater than 80% identity), but are less homologous to chicken or goldfish blue cone pigments (less than 50% identity). These results indicate that phylogenetically both mouse and bovine blue pigments belong to the S branch of visual pigments, rather than to the M branch.
Uptake of CdSe and CdSe/ZnS Quantum Dots into Bacteria via Purine-Dependent Mechanisms

Quantum dots (QDs) rendered water soluble for biological applications are usually passivated by several inorganic and/or organic layers in order to increase fluorescence yield. However, these coatings greatly increase the size of the particle, making uptake by microorganisms impossible. We find that adenine- and AMP-conjugated QDs are able to label bacteria only if the particles are <5 nm in diameter. Labeling is dependent upon purine-processing mechanisms, as mutants lacking single enzymes demonstrate a qualitatively different signal than do wild-type strains. This is shown for two example species, one gram negative and one gram positive. Wild-type Bacillus subtilis incubated with QDs conjugated to adenine are strongly fluorescent; very weak signal is seen in mutant cells lacking either adenine deaminase or adenosine phosphoribosyltransferase. Conversely, QD-AMP conjugates label mutant strains more efficiently than the wild type. In Escherichia coli, QD conjugates are taken up most strongly by adenine auxotrophs and are extruded from the cells over a time course of hours. No fluorescent labeling is seen in killed bacteria or in the presence of EDTA or an excess of unlabeled adenine, AMP, or hypoxanthine. Spectroscopy and electron microscopy suggest that QDs of <5 nm can enter the cells whole, probably by means of oxidative damage to the cell membrane which is aided by light.
N-glycosylation alters cadherin-mediated intercellular binding kinetics

We present direct evidence that the N-glycosylation state of neural cadherin impacts the intrinsic kinetics of cadherin-mediated intercellular binding. Micropipette manipulation measurements quantified the effect of N-glycosylation mutations on intercellular binding dynamics. The wild-type protein exhibits a two-stage binding process in which a fast, initial binding step is followed by a short lag and second, slower transition to the final binding stage. Mutations that ablate N-glycosylation at three sites on the extracellular domains 2 and 3 of neural cadherin alter this kinetic fingerprint. Glycosylation does not affect the affinities between the adhesive N-terminal domains, but instead modulates additional cadherin interactions, which govern the dynamics of intercellular binding. These results, together with previous findings that these hypo-glycosylation mutations increase the prevalence of cis dimers on cell membranes, suggest a binding mechanism in which initial adhesion is followed by additional cadherin interactions, which enhance binding but are modulated by N-glycosylation. Given that oncogene expression drives specific changes in N-glycosylation, these results provide insight into possible mechanisms altering cadherin function during tumor progression.
Future coral reef habitat marginality: temporal and spatial effects of climate change in the Pacific basin

Marginal reef habitats are regarded as regions where coral reefs and coral communities reflect the effects of steady-state or long-term average environmental limitations. We used classifications based on this concept with predicted time-variant conditions of future climate to develop a scenario for the evolution of future marginality. Model results based on a conservative scenario of atmospheric CO2 increase were used to examine changes in sea surface temperature and aragonite saturation state over the Pacific Ocean basin until 2069. Results of the projections indicated that essentially all reef locations are likely to become marginal with respect to aragonite saturation state. Significant areas, including some with the highest biodiversity, are expected to experience high-temperature regimes that may be marginal, and additional areas will enter the borderline high temperature range that have experienced significant ENSO-related bleaching in the recent past. The positive effects of warming in areas that are presently marginal in terms of low temperature were limited. Conditions of the late 21st century do not lie outside the ranges in which present-day marginal reef systems occur. Adaptive and acclimative capabilities of organisms and communities will be critical in determining the future of coral reef ecosystems.
Healthcare simulation modeling and optimization using MedModel

In response to the expressed needs of MedModel users, PROMODEL Corporation has made substantial improvements in its MedModel healthcare simulation software. Beginning with its inception in 1993, MedModel was specifically designed to be simple to use and tailorable to the needs of healthcare managers, engineers and clinicians. As such, it provides a basis for the comprehensive evaluation of large, complex problems which are representative of healthcare systems in general. The paper serves as a preliminary examination of some of MedModel's comprehensive features and capabilities. Special emphasis is placed on the new and modified features of MedModel 4.1. Independent arrivals and scheduled appointments as well as new statements and functions have been carefully designed to solve unique hospital and healthcare specific simulation problems.
Prevalence of asymptomatic celiac disease in children with fibromyalgia: a pilot study

Background: The objective of this study was to prospectively determine the prevalence of asymptomatic celiac disease among children presenting with fibromyalgia. The secondary objective was to investigate if their symptoms resolved on a gluten free diet. Findings: All children seen in the Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain clinic between the ages of 12 and 17 years of age who fulfilled the 1990 American College of Rheumatology diagnostic criteria for fibromyalgia were invited to participate. A total immunoglobulin A (IgA) level, IgA antiendomysial (EMA) and IgA anti-TTG antibodies was obtained on all study subjects. A visual analog scale for pain and a functional disability inventory were obtained on all patients. If a patient had elevated EMA or TTG a small bowel biopsy was done. Patients with celiac disease were placed on a gluten-free diet and observed to see if their symptoms resolved. 50 patients, 45 females, completed the study. Only one patient was found to have celiac disease. On a gluten-free diet her tissue transglutaminase antibody level returned to normal but her visual analog scale scores increased and her functional disability inventory was 40 initially and 21 at follow up. Conclusions: In this pilot, single center study at a tertiary children’s hospital patients with fibromyalgia do not seem to have occult celiac disease at an increased rate over the population as a whole.
Principal–Agent Problem

A Principal–Agent problem is a problem of optimal contracting between two parties, one of which, namely the agent, may be able to influence the value of the outcome process with his actions. What kind of contract is optimal typically depends on whether those actions are observable/contractable or not, and on whether there are characteristics of the agent that are not known to the principal. There are three main types of these problems: (i) the first best case, or risk sharing, in which both parties have the same information; (ii) the second best case, or moral hazard, in which the action of the agent is hidden or not contractable; (iii) the third best case or adverse selection, in which the type of the agent is hidden.
"Future directions in cancer prevention and control: Workforce implications for training, practice, and policy" symposium, October 17 to 18, 2009, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center

Recent efforts to assess the future workforce in oncology have elicited concern and action from several agencies and organizations; however, none have specifically focused on the workforce in cancer prevention or addressed the impact that prevention activities could have on the future burden of
Reservoir Striped Bass Movements and Site Fidelity in Relation to Seasonal Patterns in Habitat Quality

Abstract Adult striped bass Morone saxatilis perform best when water temperatures are below 26°C and dissolved oxygen levels are above 2 mg/L and will begin to exhibit stress responses at higher temperatures or lower oxygen levels. In southern U.S. reservoirs, summer conditions may result in a reduction of suitable habitat for adult striped bass and therefore influence population dynamics and distribution. We tracked 51 adult striped bass that had been implanted with individually coded sonic transmitters for 2 years in Lake Gaston, Virginia−North Carolina, to determine the impact of habitat availability on seasonal trends in movement and distribution. Monthly movement rates of individual fish averaged 7,340 m (SE = 544 m) over the course of the study, and no significant differences in movement rates were detected among seasons or between sexes. Striped bass were relocated throughout the reservoir in all seasons despite evidence of spatial variability in the availability of suitable habitat during the summ...
Beta-adrenergic blocker withdrawal

Abrupt withdrawal of long-term beta-blocker therapy in patients with angina may be associated with unstable angina and myocardial infarction. It appears that an "overshoot" in heart rate from pretreatment values occurs, which increases myocardial oxygen demand. This increase in heart rate may be secondary to increased beta receptor numbers or increased receptor sensitivity. Another possible mechanism for the increased risk of myocardial infarction after beta-blocker withdrawal is increased platelet aggregability. Withdrawal reactions may be less severe with beta blockers that have partial agonist activity. In patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery, beta-blocker withdrawal reactions have also been observed. Maintenance of beta-blocker therapy on the morning of surgery appears to reduce this risk. Gradual withdrawal regimens in outpatients with angina may be associated with lower risk for a beta-blocker withdrawal reaction. The gradual withdrawal of beta blockers in hypertensive patients requires further study.
K -shell-hole production, multiple-hole production, charge transfer, and antisymmetry

In calculating $K$-shell-hole production when an ion collides with an atom, account must be taken of the fact that processes involving electrons other than the $K$-shell electron can occur. For example, after making a $K$-shell hole an $L$-shell electron may be knocked into it, or an $L$-shell vacancy may be produced and the $K$-shell electron promoted to that vacancy in the "Fermi sea" of the target-atom orbitals. In 1973 a theorem was proved by one of the present authors demonstrating that all these multielectron processes cancel in an independent-particle model for the target atom. In this paper it is shown that the same thing occurs for hole production by charge transfer to the ion. The authors demonstrate that multihole production does not obey this simple rule and that the probability for multihole production is not the product of independent single-electron probabilities. The correct expressions that should be used for these processes are given, together with new results for charge-transfer processes accompanied by hole production.
All pyruvylated galactose in Schizosaccharomyces pombe N-glycans is present in the terminal disaccharide, 4,6-O-[(R)-(1-carboxyethylidine)]-Galβ1,3Galα1-

The large N-linked oligosaccharides released from Schizosaccharomyces pombe by endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase H were examined to determine how the negatively chargedpyruvylated galactoses present (Gemmill,T.R., and Trimble,R.B., 1996, J. Biol. Chem ., 271, 25945-25949) were attached to the oligosaccharide chains. Binding of biotinylated human serum amyloid P and peanut agglutinin to native and depyruvylated S.pombe glycoproteins, respectively, indicated that the pyruvylated epitope was likely to be in the beta configuration. Examination by high-field 1H NMR of whole glycans and a disaccharide fragment released from them on partial acid hydrolysis showed that the pyruvylated galactose species was in fact beta1,3-linked to a second galactose, and this occurred an average of five to six times on nominal Gal57Man64GlcNAc N-glycans. The pyruvate-2,(4,6)Gal-beta1,3Gal epitope is chemically similar to acetaldehyde-Galbeta1,3Gal groups found on the glycoproteins from Paramyxovirus-infected bovine kidney cells (Prehm, P., Scheid,A. and Choppin,P.W. ,1979, J. Biol. Chem ., 254, 9669-9677). The 1:1 stoichiometry between pyruvate and beta-linked galactose in these S.pombe glycans indicates that either pyruvate addition to terminal beta1,3Gal is highly efficient or that pyruvylated Gal is transferred en bloc to alpha1,2-linked Gal residues in theN-linked chains. In contradiction to many galactomannan-producing fungi, which add substantial amounts of Gal in the furanose form to their glycoproteins, all detectable Gal in the large S.pombe galactomannans is in the pyranose form, as found in higher eukaryotes. The current work shows that the S.pombe outer chain structure is a poly-alpha1,6Man backbone 2-O-substituted with either Gal or the pyruvylated galactobiose and contains little alpha1,2-linked or 2-O-substituted Man. This is in contrast to the S. cerevisiae outer chain, which is poly-alpha1,6Man substituted with alpha1,2-linked Man sidechains (Ballou,C.E. ,1990, Methods Enzymol , 185, 440-470).
Morse indices of critical manifolds generated by min‐max methods with compact lie group actions and applications

We derive some upper and lower bounds for Morse indices of critical manifolds generated by min-max principles for functionals invariant under a general compact Lie group or a finite group action. The results generalize the similar results in the nonequivariant (no group action) case. In doing so, we also generalize the extension theorem of Dugundji type in the nonequivariant case to the equivariant (group action) case. As an application, we obtain a precise growth estimate for the whole sequence of critical values given by the min-max procedure for some superquadratic second-order differential equations. It is well-known that this growth estimate is crucial in showing the existence of multiple solutions of some superquadratic perturbed Hamiltonian systems and equations.
Trench-shaped Binding Sites Promote Multiple Classes of Interactions between Collagen and the Adherence Receptors, α1β1 Integrin and Staphylococcus aureus Cna MSCRAMM

Abstract Most mammalian cells and some pathogenic bacteria are capable of adhering to collagenous substrates in processes mediated by specific cell surface adherence molecules. Crystal structures of collagen-binding regions of the human integrin α2β1 and a Staphylococcus aureus adhesin reveal a “trench” on the surface of both of these proteins. This trench can accommodate a collagen triple-helical structure and presumably represents the ligand-binding site (Emsley, J., King, S. L., Bergelson, J. M., and Liddington, R. C. (1997) J. Biol. Chem. 272, 28512–28517; Symersky, J., Patti, J. M., Carson, M., House-Pompeo, K., Teale, M., Moore, D., Jin, L., Schneider, A., DeLucas, L. J., Hook, M., and Narayana, S. V. L. (1997) Nat. Struct. Biol. 4, 833–838). We report here the crystal structure of the α subunit I domain from the α1β1 integrin. This collagen-binding protein also contains a trench on one face in which the collagen triple helix may be docked. Furthermore, we compare the collagen-binding mechanisms of the human α1 integrin I domain and the A domain from the S. aureus collagen adhesin, Cna. Although the S. aureus and human proteins have unrelated amino acid sequences, secondary structure composition, and cation requirements for effective ligand binding, both proteins bind at multiple sites within one collagen molecule, with the sites in collagen varying in their affinity for the adherence molecule. We propose that (i) these evolutionarily dissimilar adherence proteins recognize collagen via similar mechanisms, (ii) the multisite, multiclass protein/ligand interactions observed in these two systems result from a binding-site trench, and (iii) this unusual binding mechanism may be thematic for proteins binding extended, rigid ligands that contain repeating structural motifs.
Early Palliative Care for Patients with Metastatic Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Background Patients with metastatic non–small-cell lung cancer have a substantial symptom burden and may receive aggressive care at the end of life. We examined the effect of introducing palliative care early after diagnosis on patient-reported outcomes and end-of-life care among ambulatory patients with newly diagnosed disease. Methods We randomly assigned patients with newly diagnosed metastatic non–small-cell lung cancer to receive either early palliative care integrated with standard oncologic care or standard oncologic care alone. Quality of life and mood were assessed at baseline and at 12 weeks with the use of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–Lung (FACT-L) scale and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, respectively. The primary outcome was the change in the quality of life at 12 weeks. Data on end-of-life care were collected from electronic medical records. Results Of the 151 patients who underwent randomization, 27 died by 12 weeks and 107 (86% of the remaining patients) completed assessments. Patients assigned to early palliative care had a better quality of life than did patients assigned to standard care (mean score on the FACT-L scale [in which scores range from 0 to 136, with higher scores indicating better quality of life], 98.0 vs. 91.5; P = 0.03). In addition, fewer patients in the palliative care group than in the standard care group had depressive symptoms (16% vs. 38%, P = 0.01). Despite the fact that fewer patients in the early palliative care group than in the standard care group received aggressive end-of-life care (33% vs. 54%, P = 0.05), median survival was longer among patients receiving early palliative care (11.6 months vs. 8.9 months, P = 0.02). Conclusions Among patients with metastatic non–small-cell lung cancer, early palliative care led to significant improvements in both quality of life and mood. As compared with patients receiving standard care, patients receiving early palliative care had less aggressive care at the end of life but longer survival. (Funded by an American Society of Clinical Oncology Career Development Award and philanthropic gifts; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01038271.)
Conceptions of Narcissism and the DSM-5 Pathological Personality Traits

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fifth Edition (DSM-5) features two conceptions of Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD), one based on the retained DSM-IV's categorical diagnosis and the other based on a model that blends impairments in personality functioning with a specific trait profile intended to recapture DSM-IV NPD. Nevertheless, the broader literature contains a richer array of potential conceptualizations of narcissism, including distinguishable perspectives from psychiatric nosology, clinical observation and theory, and social/personality psychology. This raises questions about the most advantageous pattern of traits to use to reflect various conceptions of narcissistic pathology via the Personality Inventory for the DSM-5 (PID-5). In this study, we examine the associations of the Personality Disorder Questionnaire-Narcissistic Personality Disorder scale, Narcissistic Personality Inventory-16, and the Pathological Narcissism Inventory and the PID-5 dimensions and facets in a large sample (N = 1,653) of undergraduate student participants. Results point to strong associations with PID-5 Antagonism scales across narcissism measures, consistent with the DSM-5's proposed representation of NPD. However, additional notable associations emerged with PID-5 Negative Affectivity and Psychoticism scales when considering more clinically relevant narcissism measures.
Designing Efficient FTP Mechanisms for High Performance Data-Transfer over InfiniBand

The rapid growth of InfiniBand, 10 Gigabit Ethernet/iWARP and IB WAN extensions is increasingly gaining momentum for designing high end computing clusters and data-centers. For typical applications such as data staging, content replication and remote site backup, FTP has been the most popular method to transfer data within and across these clusters. Although the existing sockets based FTP approaches can be transparently used in these systems through the protocols like IPoIB or SDP, their performance and scalability are limited due to the additional interaction overhead and unoptimized protocol processing. This leads to a challenge how to design more efficient FTP mechanisms by leveraging the advanced features of modern interconnects. In this paper we design a new Advanced Data Transfer Service (ADTS) with the capabilities such as zero-copy data-transfer, memory registration cache, persistent data sessions and pipelined data transfer etc. to enable efficient zero-copy data transfers over IB and iWARP equipped LAN and WAN. We then utilize ADTS to design a high performance FTP library (FTP-ADTS). From our experimental results, we observe that our design outperforms existing sockets based approaches by more that 95 in transferring large volumes of data over LAN. It also provides significantly better performance at much lower (by up to a factor of 6) CPU utilization in various IB WAN scenarios. These results present the promising future for designing high performance communication protocols to power the efficiency and scalability of next-generation parallel and distributed environments.
Input-output stability analysis with magnetic hysteresis non-linearity

Popov type frequency domain conditions for stability of feedback systems containing ferromagnetic hysteresis non-linearity are established.
Regulation of Fas Ligand Expression by Estradiol and Progesterone in Human Endometrium

Implantation involves a complex set of events, including apoptosis in endometrial cells. Apoptosis in human endometrium coincides with the implantation window, suggesting a potential role for steroid hormones in its regulation. Fas ligand (FasL) is one of the mediators of apoptosis in differentiated cells and in embryonic development. Interaction of FasL with its receptor, Fas, induces apoptosis through autocrine and paracrine signaling. We hypothesized that FasL expression in human endometrium is cycle-dependent and that sex steroid hormones regulate FasL expression. We first studied menstrual cycle-dependent expression of FasL in human endometrium by immunohistochemistry in 24 samples. We then investigated the in vitro regulation of FasL expression by ovarian steroid hormones. Throughout the menstrual cycle immunohistochemical staining intensity was stronger in the functional layer of endometrium than it was in the basal layer. FasL immunoreactivity increased gradually through the mid- and late-proliferative phases in both endometrial stromal and glandular cells. Strong FasL expression was observed throughout the late-proliferative and secretory phases. Semiquantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis in cultured endometrial glandular cells demonstrated that estradiol and progesterone stimulate FasL mRNA expression. Western blot analysis in endometrial glandular and stromal cells in culture revealed that estradiol alone and in combination with progesterone up-regulated FasL protein expression. These results suggest that estradiol and progesterone may have a role in the regulation of maternal immunotolerance for the implantation of a semiallograft embryo by inducing FasL expression. We speculate that increased FasL expression may mediate the apoptosis of endometrial cells and thus may play a role in trophoblast invasion.
Vision systems-an overview

Vision is one of the most difficult core technologies, but is essential for robotic automation. Human vision is so natural that it is hard to appreciate the complexities of creating it artificially, but vision is the only thing holding back the development of truly autonomous machine systems. Machine vision systems are designed to eliminate or reduce human observation and error, such as NASA's Mars explorers being deployed in the late 1990's or Meta Machines Ltd.'s vision system that can withstand the high temperatures encountered during high-current welding. Through research into finding better algorithms and more sensitive cameras, the number of potential applications will increase due to the decrease in price. These applications fall into three categories: measurement, inspection and guidance. Measurement systems find the dimensions of an object through digitization and manipulation of the object's picture. Inspection systems determine whether and object matches a preset description. Guidance systems cause a machine to perform certain actions based on what it "sees". Vision research is difficult because the reasoning the human brain applies to identify objects cannot be easily transferred to a computer. Computer vision work traditionally has been based on statistical and heuristics, or trial and error methods to analyze image data. Common methods, such as edge detection, give unreliable information about the scene being viewed.
ESFLIB: A library to compute the element free Galerkin shape functions

Abstract We present a library for the computation of the shape functions for the element free Galerkin (EFG) method. While the EFG method is in many respects strikingly similar to the finite element method, the construction of the shape functions for the EFG method is much more complicated than in the FEM. Thus, the question arises whether it is possible to encapsulate the complexity of the shape function construction process, while providing a simple interface to the shape function data. We present a shape function library design which proved unrestrictive (it can be used with almost any programming language without any special requirements on application program data structures), highly configurable, and robust.
The influence of basin morphometry on the regional coherence of patterns of diatom-inferred salinity in lakes of the northern Great Plains (USA)

Sedimentary diatom profiles from saline lakes are frequently used to reconstruct lakewater salinity as an indicator of drought. However, diatom-inferred salinity (DI-salinity) reconstructions from geographically proximal sites in the Great Plains (USA) have yielded disparate results. This study explores how physical changes in lake habitat resulting from drought may affect climate inferences from salinity reconstructions. Differences in relationships among drought, lake-level change, and diatom community structure over the last century were examined for three saline lakes in the northern Great Plains with dissimilar DI-salinity records. At each site, models were developed relating available planktic:benthic (P:B) habitat area to lake-level change, and models were compared with instrumental drought records and fossil diatoms to understand how drought conditions were recorded in sedimentary diatom assemblages. The degree to which DI-salinity tracked drought variation was affected by site-specific physical characteristics that influenced the relationship between lake-level change and P:B habitat zonation within each lake. Moon Lake showed the strongest correlation between drought and DIsalinity, although this relationship was weaker during wetter conditions, as highstands resulted in a larger influx of benthic diatoms. At Coldwater Lake, a dual-basin system, P:B varied depending on lake level, which apparently reduced the correlation between DI-salinity and drought. At Lake Cochrane, the simplest and freshest of the three basins, the P:B of fossil diatoms was a better proxy for drought than DI-salinity. The integration of additional ecological characteristics into interpretations of paleoclimate records, particularly for biologically-based proxies, may improve reconstructions of regional patterns of climate variation.
Uniform nonspherical latex particles as model interpenetrating polymer networks

Polystyrene/polystyrene latex interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) were prepared by seeded emulsion polymerization of styrene–divinylbenzene mixtures in crosslinked monodisperse polystyrene particles. The resulting latexes comprised uniform nonspherical particles, e.g., ellipsodal and egg-like singlets, symmetry and asymmetric doublets, and ice cream cone-like and popcorn-like multiplets. The nonspherical particles, which were formed by separation of the second-stage monomer from the crosslinked seed network during swelling and polymerization, are excellent models for studying phase separation in IPN's. The degree of phase separation increased with increasing degree of crosslinking of the seed particles, monomer/polymer swelling ratio, polymerization temperature, and seed particle size, and with decreasing divinylbenzene concentration in the swelling monomer. The results were consistent with a thermodynamic analysis based on the elastic-retractile force of the polymer network, the monomer/polymer mixing force, and interfacial tension force.
Thin Film Ruthenium Oxide - Iridium Oxide Thermocouples

Ruthenium oxide and iridium oxide have outstanding resistance to corrosion. These oxides are also excellent electrical conductors and have been used as biochemical charge injection electrodes. Their unique electrical and electrochemical properties have also led to their consideration as high temperature pH electrodes. Thin films are the most useful form for these applications as they permit the miniaturization of fast response sensors and electrodes. p]This study was used to characterize the thermoelectric and electrical conductance parameters of ruthenium and iridium oxide sputtered thin films. The electric and thermoelectric properties of the thin films were found to be sensitive to the annealing temperature of the sputtered oxides. The properties of the film are related to the microstructure, stoichiometry and crystal structure as determined by x-ray diffraction. Heat treatments were used to stabilize the thermoelectric response and the thermal coefficient of resistivity.
Contrasting soil seed-bank dynamics in relation to local recruitment modes in two clonal shrubs, Rhus aromatica Ait. and R. glabra L. (Anacardiaceae).

Abstract Soil seed bank dynamics, greenhouse seed germination and field seedling survival were compared in the weakly-clonal shrub Rhus aromatica Ait. and the strongly clonal shrub R. glabra L. (Anacardiaceae). Although both species had persistent soil seed banks, their sizes and dynamics differed greatly. The high seed density (5668 ± 1267 m−2 to 8739 ± 3303 m−2) in R. glabra was depleted by ca. 5% annually and replenished with 1102 ± 316 to 1828 ± 486 seeds m−2, whereas the low seed density (9 ± 5 to 138 ± 68 m−2) in R. aromatica was depleted by ca. 50% annually and replenished with 37 ± 7 to 69 ± 18 seeds m−2. Seeds of both species germinated within established populations. However, recruitment from seedlings was successful in R. aromatica but not in R. glabra, which depended exclusively on root suckering for aboveground population increase. This difference in local recruitment modes between the two species was correlated with differences in soil seed bank dynamics and other life history traits, such a...
Cat flea (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae) cocoon formation and development of naked flea pupae.

The rate of cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis (Bouche), pupal development and the stimuli responsible for successful cocoon formation were investigated by rearing flea pupae without an enclosing cocoon. Female larvae pupated an average 12.1 h earlier than males, and female pupae developed to the adult stage an average 1.6 d earlier than males. When larvae were not allowed to orient against a perpendicular structure, only 2.2% of these larvae were able to spin an enclosing cocoon. Although these naked flea pupae had no enveloping cocoon, 96.5% survived to become adults. Gentle sifting of the larval medium 0-12 and 12-24 h after cocoons were formed resulted in 13.7 and 3.5% of the larvae emerging, respectively. Over 40% of those larvae did not spin a second cocoon, but developed as naked flea pupae.
Dual-Isotope Brain SPECT Imaging with Technetium and Iodine-123: Validation by Phantom Studies

Phantom studies were employed to determine whether the enhanced energy resolution (9.7% FWHM) of a new high-resolution, three-headed single-photon emission computed tomograph might permit the simultaneous acquisition of 99mTc and (123)I. Various window widths (15% and 10%) and positions (centered and asymmetric to the photopeak) were used to examine cross-contamination between these two isotopes. Brain phantom experiments using a 15% centered 99mTc window in conjunction with a 10% asymmetric (123)I window (upper half of the (123)I photopeak) demonstrated that approximately 95% of observed counts were derived from the isotope of interest. Shifting the (123)I window from asymmetric to centered resulted in a significant increase in contamination of the (123)I window. Shifting the 99mTc window from centered to asymmetric did not significantly alter image quality for 99mTc. Separate experiments employing vials with varying isotope concentrations demonstrated that quantitative recovery from mixed 99mTc and (123)I sources was equivalent to that from matched single-isotope sources (r2 > or = to 0.90).
Comparative study of perceived service quality of outpatient patients and clinic doctors from a hospital in Shanghai and a center for disease control and prevention in Guangdong Province

Objective To compare the perceived service quality of patients and doctors from two types of medical institutions that hospital and center for disease control and prevention. Methods ServQual scale was used for random sampling survey and cluster sampling survey in outpatient patients and clinic doctors from a hospital in Shanghai and a center for disease control and prevention in Guangdong Province. SPSS 20.0 was used for frequency, factor analysis, reliability analysis, Pearson correlation analysis, independent sample t test, ANOVA, multiple regression analysis, Logistic regression analysis. Results KMO value was 0.978 and 0.945 respectively in outpatient patients group and clinic doctors group. Cronbach's α value was 0.981 and 0.978 in outpatient patients group and clinic doctors group. Perceived service quality in clinic doctors was lower than outpatient patients. Outpatient patients with primary and lower qualifications had lower feeling in reliability than patients with university degree(F = 3.468, P = 0.010 0.05). In clinic doctors group, medical technicians had lower feeling in response than administrative support staffs(F = 3.564, P = 0.020 0.05). In the regression model, empathising, reliability of outpatient patients group and clinic doctors group had significant influence on perceived service quality. The percentage of correct classification of high and low perceived service quality in clinic doctors from a hospital in Shanghai and a center for disease control and prevention in Guangdong Province was 77.1%. Conclusion The susceptibility of perceived service quality of outpatient patients and clinic doctors from a hospital in Shanghai is high. Hospital and staffs should strengthen the service consciousness and ability to clinic doctors and outpatient patients respectively.
Robert H. Abeles (1926–2000)

Robert Abeles: a founder of modern enzymology. Abeles' work relied on the confluence of chemistry and biology long before the interface of the two disciplines came into vogue.