cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Are gymnasium equipment surfaces a source of staphylococcal infections in the community

To determine the staphylococcal colonization of gymnasium surfaces, we obtained cultures of 5 gym surfaces, before and after routine cleaning in 3 local gyms, 3 separate times. Of 240 cultures, none was positive for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) or methicillin-sensitive S aureus (MSSA). Gym surfaces do not appear to be reservoirs for staphylococci; therefore, surface-to-skin contact in gymnasiums does not likely play a significant role in community transmission of MRSA or MSSA.
Transforming growth factor-β1 hyperexpression in African American end-stage renal disease patients

Transforming growth factor-γ1hyperexpression in African American end-stage renal disease patients. End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is more frequent in African Americans (blacks) compared to Caucasian Americans (whites). Identification of remediable causes of the increased prevalence has the potential to reduce the excess burden of ESRD. Because renal fibrosis is a correlate of progressive renal failure and a dominant feature of ESRD, and because transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-γ1) can induce fibrosis and renal insufficiency, we explored the hypothesis that TGF-γ1 hyperexpression is more frequent in black ESRD patients compared to white ESRD patients. Our postulate was tested by determining circulating levels of TGF-γ1 protein in the sera of 56 black and 42 white ESRD patients treated by chronic hemodialysis. A solid-phase sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, specific for TGF-γ1, was used to quantify TGF-γ1 levels in the ESRD cohort. Additional cytokines implicated in tissue repair/remodeling, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), were also measured. Our investigation demonstrated a significantly higher concentration of TGF-γ1 protein but not that of IL-6 or TNF-α in blacks compared to whites. Our observation that TGF-γ1 is hyperexpressed in black ESRD patients suggests a mechanism for the increased prevalence of renal failure (since TGF-γ1 hyperexpression can result in renal insufficiency in experimental models) among the black population.
Tungsten nanowire based hyperbolic metamaterial emitters for near-field thermophotovoltaic applications

Abstract Recently, near-field radiative heat transfer enhancement across nanometer vacuum gaps has been intensively studied between two hyperbolic metamaterials (HMMs) due to unlimited wavevectors and high photonic density of state. In this work, we theoretically analyze the energy conversion performance of a thermophotovoltaic (TPV) cell made of In0.2Ga0.8Sb when paired with a HMM emitter composed of tungsten nanowire arrays embedded in Al2O3 host at nanometer vacuum gaps. Fluctuational electrodynamics integrated with effective medium theory and anisotropic thin-film optics is used to calculate the near-field radiative heat transfer. It is found that the spectral radiative energy is enhanced by the epsilon-near-pole and hyperbolic modes at different polarizations. As a result, the power output from a semi-infinite TPV cell is improved by 2.15 times with the nanowire HMM emitter over that with a plain tungsten emitter at a vacuum gap of 20 nm. Moreover, by using a thin TPV cell with 10 μm thickness, the conversion efficiency can be greatly improved from 17.7% to 31.1% without affecting the power generation, due to the total internal reflection occurring at the bottom cell interface that minimizes the sub-bandgap spectral radiative energy. Furthermore, the effects of a TPV cell and a nanowire emitter with finite thicknesses are also studied. The result shows that the maximum efficiency of 31.8% is achieved with an optimal cell thickness of 3 μm while the nanowire HMM emitter should be thick enough to be opaque. The fundamental understanding and insights obtained here will facilitate the design and application of novel materials in enhancing near-field TPV energy conversion.
Human factors of 3‐D displays

Abstract— This paper provides a selected review of a number of important perceptual and human-factors issues that arise when 3-D displays are designed and used. This review and analysis draws heavily from the basic vision literature in order to help provide insight for future design solutions for 3-D displays. Issues discussed include (1) the basics of human stereopsis, (2) interocular crosstalk, (3) oculomotor responding and distance scaling of binocular disparity information, (4) accommodative-vergence mismatch, and (5) stereoanomly. The paper concludes with a presentation of several recommendations for the design of 3-D displays.
Abstract 5563: Targeting the PH domain of TIAM1 to inhibit prostate cancer metastasis.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC TIAM1 (T-lymphoma invasion and metastasis-inducing protein-1) is a highly conserved guanine nucleotide exchange factor and contains an Dbl Homology (DH)/C-terminal Pleckstrin Homology (PH) domain. The crystal structure of DH-PH of TIAM1 in complex with Rac-1 has been reported. TIAM1 has been found to be over-expressed cancers such as breast, colon and prostate cancers. An increase in TIAM1 expression has been shown to be associated with increased metastatic potential of breast cancer cell lines and is also correlated with poor prognosis of patients with prostate cancer. TIAM1 is thus a novel PH domain-containing drug target directly related to cancer progression, metastasis and patient survival. We have identified and characterized novel small molecule inhibitors targeting the phosphoinositide lipid binding PH domain of TIAM1 in order to selectively inhibit cell migration, invasion and survival. An In Silico screen of our internal and Maybridge library using the crystal structure of TIAM1 has identified 11 compounds that bind to the PH domain. In vitro assays revealed that compounds TPH-3 and TPH-15 significantly reduced the amount of active Rac1 in PC-3 prostate cancer cells (EC50 of 2.73±0.13 and 2.38±0.98 μM) by binding to PH-TIAM1 with high affinity (KD in the micromolar range) using surface plasmon resonance (SPR) spectrometry. Both compounds displaced PtdIns-3,4,5-P3 in a SPR competitive binding assay. TPH-3 and TPH-15 inhibited cell proliferation with EC50 of 19.8±3.2 and 28.7±1.7 μM in prostate cancer cells LnCaP and EC50 of 18.6±1.8 and 33.3±6.7 μM in PC-3. Wound healing assays and lamellipodia formation were both inhibited by the compounds. TPH-15 inhibited ≈70% of PC-3 invasion using a matrigel invasion assay. Finally, TPH-15 exhibits anti-tumor properties in a PC-3 mouse xenograft study (%T/C≈38.8) with good pharmacokinetic properties (T1/2≈5 hours). Cardio-injection of prostate PC-3 cells in SCID mice was used to test the effects of TPH-15 in the prevention of bone metastasis. Mice were treated with 50mg/kg ip of TPH-15 once a day for 5 days. TPH-15-treated mice developed significantly less pelvic bone lesions than the untreated group and TPH-15 treated mice lived longer, on average, than the untreated group. Overall, we have identified novel compounds which exhibit the ability to reduce prostate cancer bone metastasis by binding to the PH domain of TIAM1, an important GEF in the process of metastasis. Citation Format: Emmanuelle J. Meuillet, Sylvestor A. Moses, Jana Jandova, Eugene A. Mash, Shuxing Zhang. Targeting the PH domain of TIAM1 to inhibit prostate cancer metastasis. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5563. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-5563
Unilateral Cochlear Nerve Deficiency in Children

ObjectiveCochlear nerve deficiency (CND) is increasingly diagnosed in children with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). We sought to determine the prevalence of CND, its imaging characteristics, and...
A truncated isoform of the thyrotropin-releasing hormone receptor is expressed in the rat central nervous system as well as in the pituitary gland

Using the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), a cDNA encoding the entire rat thyrotropin-releasing hormone receptor (TRH-R) was isolated from normal rat pituitary gland mRNA. In addition, a novel truncated isoform of TRH-R which lacks 52 base pairs (bp) in the carboxyl (C-) terminal tail was isolated. This truncation, probably generated by alternate splicing, causes a frame-shift and results in a truncated TRH-R 25 amino acids shorter and with a different C-terminal amino acid sequence than the longer type receptor. This truncated TRH-R mRNA, along with the longer receptor form, was found to be expressed throughout the rat pituitary gland and brain.
New imaging technologies in the diagnosis of osteoporosis

In the context of osteoporosis, bone quality—which encompasses trabecular and cortical micro-architecture, mass, and tissue mechanical & compositional properties—plays an important and as yet undiscovered role. Non-invasive assessment of bone quality has recently received considerable attention, as bone density alone has not been able to predict existing or future osteoporotic fractures, or to explain therapeutic effects of emerging treatments. The goal of this review, therefore, is to present imaging modalities and related analysis methods capable of assessing bone quality for improved diagnosis and care of osteoporotic individuals. The techniques described include quantitative ultrasound, quantitative computed tomography, peripheral quantitative tomography, micro computed tomography, magnetic resonance, radiographic texture analysis, as well as finite element analysis based on the above-mentioned imaging modalities. The performance of these techniques in predicting osteoporotic fracture and assessing strength indices are discussed.
Introducing the sonic statistical method for quality control

The study completed permitted us for the first time in 1964 to introduce at the Pervourals Silica factory quality control for certifying silica refractories by the sonic-statistical method. At the present time this method is used in the factory to control the quality of about 70% of the articles of the most critical grades.
Improvement of software reliability modeling predictions by the detection and removal of test outliers

Modeling the times between failure of software under test is one method for predicting when the software will be ready for release. For various reasons such as poorly written test cases, a chosen software reliability model may over-estimate the mean time to the next failure (MTTF). When a test case shows a longer time to the next defect, it biases the estimation of MTTF and that failure time can be considered to be an outlier. In this paper, order statistics is used to construct a bound such that the probability that the kth largest values (relative to their positions in the ordered series) in the failure dataset will exceed that bound is fixed at a small level of significance. The simulation of contaminated datasets is used in the research to validate the proposed approach. Also, real failure datasets with actual Time To Failure (TTF) data are used to demonstrate the approach.
Instructing Children to Use Memory Strategies: Evidence of Utilization Deficiencies in Memory Training Studies

Abstract Utilization deficiencies occur when children experience little or no benefit in task performance from the use of a strategy. Miller and Seier (1994) found evidence for utilization deficiencies in over 90% of memory studies that evaluated spontaneous strategy use in children. In this article, we extend the concept of utilization deficiency to training studies and review nearly 30 years of memory-training research. We identified three different types of utilization deficiencies and evaluated 39 different studies with 76 separate conditions for evidence of utilization deficiencies (increases in strategy use with little or no corresponding increase in memory), production deficiencies (increases in both strategy use and memory performance), and unsuccessful training (increases in neither strategy use nor memory performance). Over half of all training conditions showed evidence of at least one type of utilization deficiency. Utilization deficiencies were more common for younger than older children and were more likely to be found when training involved multiple procedures (e.g., verbal instruction, rationale) rather than a single procedure (instruction only). The findings are discussed in terms of the need to broaden the concept of utilization deficiency and to reevaluate the process of strategy development.
Spiders and Borrelia burgdorferi: no evidence of reservoir occurrence in central Arkansas.

Background Although Ixodes ticks are considered the chief vector for Borrelia burgdorferi in the USA, B. burgdorferi has also been identified in mosquitoes, horse flies, and deer flies. We examined the possibility of these organisms being harbored in two species of spider in central Arkansas. Methods Ten wolf spiders (Lycosa gulosa) and two brown recluse spiders (Loxosceles reclusa) were collected in central Arkansas during early summer and fixed in formalin. Paraffin-embedded sections of the spiders were examined for spirochetes using the modified Steiner spirochete staining method and examined for B. burgdorferi using immunohistochemistry. Results All 12 spiders from both species were found to be negative for all spirochetes including B. burgdorferi. Conclusions Spiders in our sample appeared not to harbor B. burgdorferi. Further studies utilizing larger sample sizes, more sensitive testing measures, or spiders from an area more endemic with B. burgdorferi may further prove or disprove that spiders are capable of harboring this organism.
Conditioning visual orientation of conduct problem children in the classroom.

Five hyperactive, aggressive children in a special class served as Ss in an experiment designed to increase visual orientation toward the teacher. E observed Ss individually while they were listening to a story read by the teacher. After baseline, if S looked at the teacher continuously during a 10-second observation period, he was reinforced by a light flash which appeared in a small box attached to his desk, followed by candy and/or social reinforcement for the number of light flashes he had earned. The mean number of visual orientation responses significantly increased in the candy plus social reinforcement phase. Although there was a significant decrease in mean number of responses from the last time block of candy plus social reinforcement to the first time block of social reinforcement alone, the mean number of responses significantly increased in the social reinforcement phase, and the mean number of responses significantly decreased in the extinction phase.
Reoperation for Hyperparathyroidism

Reoperation for persistent or recurrent hyperparathyroidism is more hazardous than is primary cervical exploration and is also much less likely to result in cure of the disease. Only 21 of 34 reoperations (62%) were successful during the period 1970 through 1972 at the Mayo Clinic, compared with success in 312 of 327 primary operations (95%). In 9 patients who had their initial exploration at this institution, the most common cause of failure at the first operation was inadequate treatment of multiglandular disease; in 25 patients who were first operated on elsewhere, missed adenomas were far more common.
How to Reconcile Physicalism and Antireductionism about Biology

Physicalism and antireductionism are the ruling orthodoxy in the philosophy of biology. But these two theses are difficult to reconcile. Merely embracing an epistemic antireductionism will not suffice, as both reductionists and antireductionists accept that given our cognitive interests and limitations, non‐molecular explanations may not be improved, corrected or grounded in molecular ones. Moreover, antireductionists themselves view their claim as a metaphysical or ontological one about the existence of facts molecular biology cannot identify, express or explain. However, this is tantamount to a rejection of physicalism and so causes the antireductionist discomfort. In this paper we argue that vindicating physicalism requires a physicalistic account of the principle of natural selection, and we provide such an account. The most important payoff to the account is that it provides for the very sort of autonomy from the physical that antireductionists need without threatening their commitment to physicalism.
Understanding metal oxide RRAM current overshoot and reliability using Kinetic Monte Carlo simulation

A Kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) numerical simulator is developed for metal oxide resistive random access memory (RRAM). In this work, substantial improvements are made on the stochastic model in [1] by including multiple conduction mechanisms, local field and local temperature profile, and tracking of the individual oxygen migration path. The improved simulator shows extended capability to study a full set of RRAM characteristics such as set/forming current overshoot, endurance, and retention, etc. The simulations suggest that 1) eliminating the forming process and decreasing the parasitic capacitance is required for minimizing the overshoot effect and reducing the reset power consumption; 2) the degradation of endurance can be explained by oxygen escaping from the electrode during cycling; 3) the oxygen migration barrier can be extracted from the retention baking test over a suitable temperature range.
Technology licensing partners

Abstract While formal economic theory has tended to focus on strategic behavior in technology licensing within a single industry, empirical analysis in this paper shows that transaction and learning cost considerations factor in heavily when choosing technology licensing partners in multi-industry environments. The probability that two companies will engage in a licensing agreement mainly depends on the relationship between the collaborating firms and on their respective characteristics, including the similarity of their market and technological profiles, familiarity through prior interaction, and previous licensing experience, and on the strength of intellectual property protection in the primary industry of the licensor.
Kerr effect enhancement in ferromagnetic films

The enhancement of the Kerr magneto-optic effect by overcoating a ferromagnetic film with a dielectric film is studied. It is treated as an impedance-matching problem for the light wave. Closed form solutions are obtained for the polar Kerr effect. The same analysis, with modifications, can be applied to the longitudinal Kerr effect. The effect of the dielectric thickness on the enhancement is continuously monitored with a laser beam (λ = 6328A) during the dielectric film deposition. The amplification of the longitudinal Kerr signal with SiO films on iron film is of the order of five, and the enhancement varies periodically as a function of dielectric thickness. The experimentally observed period, 1600A, agrees well with the calculated value. The sense of B-H loops, which also varies periodically as a function of the dielectric thickness, is explainable in terms of the phase factor which appears in the difference between the reflection coefficients.
Target developments at TRISTAN

Abstract Developments at TRISTAN to make available non-gaseous fission-product activities have progressed along three approaches: UF 4 samples to replace the traditional stearate sample, He-jet system connected to the separator ion source, and modification of the ion beam optics to allow placement of the ion source in the neutron beam. The status of each approach is presented in the light of the resulting availability of non-gaseous fission products of interest for systematic studies of nuclear structure of neutron-rich nuclei far from stability.
Land-use strategies in the Amazon frontier : Farm-level evidence from Ecuador

This article uses farm-level data to assess the role of ecological factors, household characteristics, and policy factors in shaping overall land-use strategies among settler farmers in the Ecuadorian Amazon. The survey data which form the basis for the analysis were collected by the author in 1990 from a probability sample of 450 colonist households. A descriptive cluster analysis is used to highlight the differences across and within the observed land-use strategies regarding the underlying resource base available to farmers, the socioeconomic characteristics of farm households, and the policy environment that affect them. The findings question the inevitability of a generalized pattern of forest clearing over time constrained by a "straitjacket" of natural resources and suggest that the range of land-use options open to farmers is narrowed or widened under different socioeconomic circumstances and policy factors. The results given are exploratory and intended to stimulate further discussion.
Metabolism and cytotoxicity of trans,trans-muconaldehyde and its derivatives : potential markers of benzene ring cleavage reactions

Abstract trans , trans -Muconaldehyde (MA) has been proposed to be a myelotoxic metabolite of benzene, although it has not been isolated after benzene administration in vivo. Since the reactivity and further metabolism of MA may preclude its isolation, we have examined the metabolism of MA by: (a) mixtures of yeast alcohol and aldehyde dehydrogenases, (b) mouse liver cytosol, and (c) isolated rat hepatocytes. In all three systems, MA was metabolized rapidly and the major stable end-product of metabolism was the hydroxy/acid (OH/COOH) derivative of MA. The major route of metabolism involved initial reduction to the hydroxy/aldehyde (OH/CHO) derivative. trans , trans -Muconic acid (COOH/COOH), which is used as a marker of benzene ring cleavage reactions in vivo, was also formed from MA albeit to a much lesser extent compared to the OH/COOH. The thiol reactivity, metabolism, and cytotoxicity of MA and its different redox forms (i.e., OH/OH, OH/CHO, COOH/CHO, COOH/COOH, OH/COOH) were also investigated. MA was found to react most rapidly with reduced glutathione (GSH) in a cell-free system and was also the most cytotoxic to rat hepatocytes. Apart from MA, only the OH/CHO demonstrated GSH-reactivity and cytotoxicity. The OH/CHO was a major initial metabolite in all three systems and, thus, could represent a less reactive but more diffusible derivative of MA. These studies define the metabolism and cytotoxicity of MA and its redox derivatives and suggest that the OH/COOH metabolite of MA may have relevance as a marker of ring cleavage reactions of benzene in vivo.
Alignment of three sequences in quadratic space

We present a dynamic programming algorithm for computing an optimal global alignment of three sequences in quadratic space. The algorithm has been implemented as a portable C program. The program makes it possible to align simultaneously any three protein sequences on workstations with tens of megabytes of main memory. This rigorous program is used as a benchmark to evaluate the performance of a heuristic multiple sequence alignment program on protein sequences from the Protein Identification Resource protein sequence database. Experimental results indicate that the rigorous program may perform significantly better than the heuristic program on three sequences of weak similarity. We also describe algorithms for computing local alignments among three sequences in quadratic space.
IGF-independent regulation of breast cancer growth by IGF binding proteins.

The human IGFBP family consists of at least seven proteins, designated as IGFBP-1, -2, -3, -4, -5, -6, and-7. IGFBPs 1-6 bind IGF-I and IGF-II with high affinity whereas IGFBP-7, a newly identified IGFBP, binds IGFs with lower affinity and constitutes a low-affinity member of the IGFBP family. IGFBPs serve to transport the IGFs, prolong their half-lives, and modulate their biological action. At the cellular level, IGFBPs can either potentiate or inhibit the mitogenic effects of IGFs, depending upon cell types and IGFBP species (IGF-dependent action of IGFBPs). However, recent studies have indicated that IGFBPs, especially IGFBP-3, potently inhibit breast cancer cell growth in an IGF-independent manner. The IGF-independent action of IGFBP-3 requires interaction with cell-surface association proteins, presumably putative IGFBP-3 specific receptors, and is responsible for growth inhibitory action of the known growth suppressing factors such as TGF-β, retinoic acid, and antiestrogens in breast cancer cells. Thus, IGFBP-3 appears to be a major factor in a negative control system involved in regulating human breast cancer cell growth in vitro. IGFBP-7, representing a low affinity IGFBP, appears to function as an IGF-independent cell growth regulator in breast cancer cells. Overall structural similarity between IGFBP-7 and classical high affinity IGFBPs 1-6 suggests that the mechanisms of action and signaling pathways used by IGFBP-7 may provide insight into the IGF-independent actions of the high affinity IGFBPs. A fuller understanding of the IGF-independent action of IGFBPs will allow us to understand how the growth of neoplastic cells can be modulated by the IGF/IGFBP system, and how other growth factors or pharmacological agents can interface with this system.
Millimeter-wave video sequence denoising and enhancement in concealed weapons detection application

In this paper, we present an adaptive algorithm to improve the quality of millimeter-wave video sequence by separating each video frame into foreground region and background region, and handle them differently. We separate the foreground from background area by using an adaptive Kalman filter. The background is then denoised by both spatial and temporal algorithms. The foreground is denoised by the block-based motion compensated averaging, and enhanced by wavelet-based multi-scale edge representation. Finally further adaptive contrast enhancement is applied to the reconstructed foreground. The experimental results show that our algorithm is able to produce a sequence with smoother background, more reduced noise, more enhanced foreground and higher contrast of the region of interest.
Influence of Extracts of Anterior Lobe of Pituitary on Glucose Oxidation and Glycogen Storage

SummaryRats fasted for 24 hours, when injected intraperitoneally with one cc. of anterior lobe extract shortly before glucose feeding, show a marked decrease in the amount of carbohydrate oxidized and a corresponding increase in the amount of glycogen deposited in liver and muscles, when compared with control rats treated exactly alike and injected with 1 cc. of heat-inactivated extract.
Photoluminescence modification by a high-order photonic band with abnormal dispersion in ZnO inverse opal

We measured the angle- and polarization-resolved reflection and photoluminescence spectra of ZnO inverse opals. Significant enhancement of spontaneous emission is observed. The enhanced emission not only has good directionality but can also be linearly polarized. A detailed theoretical analysis and numerical simulation reveal that such enhancement is caused by the abnormal dispersion of a high-order photonic band. The frozen mode at a stationary inflection point of a dispersion curve can strongly modify the intensity, directionality, and polarization of spontaneous emission.
Commercialization of remote-sensing technology

Abstract The Technology Application Center (TAC) has 10 years of experience transferring applied remote-sensing technology and has assisted numerous organizations in their commercialization efforts. Management and cost data for 48 completed projects are presented that shed light on small business expectations regarding frequency and duration of projects, levels of effort required to complete projects and before-profit revenues. TAC's projects have averaged almost 10 months in length with a 4 month interval between contracts at an average contract amount of about $ 27000. The gross average salary per full time equivalent ( FTE) has averaged only $ 10 500 since 1975 suggesting that the market-place has still not developed sufficiently to support the skills required by the technology.
The fluid mechanics of copepod feeding in a turbulent flow: A theoretical approach

Abstract An important area of biodynamics research is the interaction between predator and prey in nature. Several scales are significant for interactions between predator and prey over the life cycle of each organism. A key factor is the encounter probability (group and individual). On the basis of physical considerations, the group encounter probability depends upon the respective patch sizes (on the order of 10s of km) and their relative dispersion (or aggregation) rates in turbulent systems. The encounter probability at the individual level is affected by the relative motion of the predator and the prey and is controlled by the velocity spectrum. In addition, at the individual level, the striking distance of a predator will depend on motility and perception of the prey. Here we address the mechanics of copepod predation on phytoplankton and the coupling with the physics of turbulent fluid motions. Our aim is to review pertinent fluid dynamics, on scales of less than a few metres, to provide a framework in which to consider the role of fluctuating fluid velocities on copepod feeding.
Trends in surgical treatment for trigeminal neuralgia in the United States of America from 1988 to 2008

Current surgical treatments for refractory trigeminal neuralgia (TN) include microvascular decompression (MVD), percutaneous rhizotomy, and stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). We aimed to map the trends of utilization of these procedures in the USA and examine factors associated with morbidities and discharge outcome. We performed a retrospective cohort study with time trends of patients admitted to US hospitals for TN between 1988 and 2008 who received MVD, percutaneous rhizotomy, or SRS as reported in the Nationwide Inpatient Sample. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to examine patient demographics, hospital characteristics, and other hospitalization factors affecting complications and discharges. The use of MVD increased significantly by 194% from 1988 to 2008 while rhizotomy decreased by 92%. The use of radiosurgery, introduced in the early 1990s, peaked in 2004 and has declined since. Univariate analysis revealed patient age, length of hospitalization, hospital teaching status, and hospital patient volume to be associated with discharge and complications. Multivariate analysis showed that for MVD, younger age and high hospital volume were predictive of a good discharge outcome. For rhizotomy, age, median income, urban location, and hospital volumes were associated with discharge outcome, but only teaching status, urban location, and hospital volume were associated with complications. For SRS, patient age and length of stay were found to be important by multivariate analysis on discharge. Mortality rates for MVD (0.22%), rhizotomy (0.42%), and SRS (0.12%) were low. The clinical practices for surgical treatment of TN have evolved over time with the rise of MVD and dwindling of rhizotomy procedures.
Friction and Wear Behavior of Silicon Carbonitride Processed From the Polymer-Derived Ceramic Route

Polymer derived ceramics (PDC’s) are processed from liquid organometallic precursors by cross-linking the polymers into infusible solids, followed by controlled pyrolysis. No previous work regarding their tribology has been reported. Further, the synthesis of PDC’s as thin films, and the role that the nanostructure plays on the mechanical properties has not been reported. The objective of this research was to evaluate the fundamental tribological behavior of polymer derived SiCN in both bulk and thin film form. Friction and wear evaluations were made on bulk materials and thin films using a Si3 N4 ballon-disk linear wear tester at various contact pressures and in different environments that contained various amounts of humidity. The micro/nanostructure was characterized by FTIR, microRaman, and scanning electron microscopy. Bulk SiCN gave a low friction coefficient and good wear resistance in humid environments but showed significant fracture and gouging in dry environments at higher contact pressures. Although there is ambiguity regarding the tribology of the thin films there seems to be a dependence upon the nitrogen content within the materials derived from the polymeric stage. The future work will focus on optimizing processing conditions of thin films and investigating the role that nitrogen plays in both bulk and thin film SiCN materials.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Abnormal microenvironmental signals underlie intestinal aganglionosis in Dominant megacolon mutant mice.

Abstract Dominant megacolon(Dom) is a mutation in an uncharacterized murine gene which is associated with intestinal aganglionosis and the focal absence of melanocytes in heterozygous animals. The phenotype ofDom/+ heterozygotes is similar to thelethal spottedandpiebald lethalmutations, which are due to defects in endothelin-mediated intercellular signals. In this study, theDβH–nlacZtransgenic marker for enteric neural crest cells is used to study the distribution of enteric neurons and their precursors inDom/+ mice and embryos. Vagal neural crest-derived cells in wild-type embryos colonize the gut in a cranial-to-caudal progression. InDom/+ embryos, colonization was retarded from the earliest stages examined (embryonic Day 11.0), including progression through the small intestine. The early onset of this defect contrasts with impaired neural crest colonization associated with thelethal spottedandpiebald lethalmutations which manifest only in the large intestine. Analysis ofDom/+ ←→ +/+ aggregation chimeras indicated that defective colonization is not an autonomous (intrinsic) property ofDom/+ neuroblasts, but likelethal spottedandpiebald lethal,theDominant megacolonmutation directly or indirectly affects microenvironmental signals which influence the migration, proliferation, and/or survival of enteric neural crest cells.
RNA synthesis in tobacco leaves infected with tobacco mosaic virus

Abstract The ribonucleic acid (RNA) synthesis of tobacco leaf tissue was inhibited by about 90% when the tissue was infiltrated with actinomycin D (AMD) at 50 μg/ml for 2 hours before labeling with uracil-14C without affecting pool size. Smaller doses given for longer periods, or higher doses for shorter periods, were less effective. Long exposures, even to small doses of the drug, reduced the uptake of uracil-14C by both healthy and tobacco mosaic virus (TMV)-infected tissue. Application of the optimal conditions of treatment for the suppression of cellular RNA synthesis to infected tissue enhanced the synthesis of TMV-RNA. Moreover, infected tissue exhibited an excess AMD-resistant RNA synthesis not accounted for by the RNA incorporated into virus particles. This RNA sedimented mainly in the position occupied by the light ribosomal RNA in sucrose density gradients.
Phasic coronary arterial flow velocity during arrhythmias in man

Abstract The influence of cardiac arrhythmias on coronary arterial flow velocity studied by means of a Doppler catheter flowmeter system is described in 47 patients. The arrhythmias examined included atrial and ventricular extrasystoles, atrial fibrillation, pacemaker-induced atrial tachycardia, paroxysmal atrial tachycardia, ventricular tachycardia, Wenckebach second degree atrioventricular block and complete heart block. In atrial and, less frequently, in ventricular extrasystolic beats, peak coronary arterial flow velocity did not change significantly when the preceding R-R interval was greater than 0.50 second. However, when this interval was shorter than 0.50 second, a proportional decrease in peak coronary arterial flow velocity occurred. Variations in beat to beat coronary arterial flow velocity were seen uniformly in patients with atrial fibrillation. However, there was no correlation between peak coronary arterial flow velocity and the preceding R-R interval; in addition, no correlation was found between peak coronary arterial flow velocity and the same cycle length. In pacemaker-induced atrial tachycardia, decreased peaked coronary arterial flow velocity was observed at pacing rates greater than 140/min. In 1 patient with paroxysmal atrial tachycardia with an atrial rate of 200/min, there was a marked decrease and irregularity in coronary arterial flow velocity. The more abrupt decrease in flow velocity occurred in ventricular tachycardia. In Wenckebach second degree atrioventricular block, no measurable coronary arterial flow velocity was observed in the cycle encompassed by the dropped beat. However, the total area under the velocity curve was greater in the pre-dropped atrial beat than in other beats. In patients with complete heart block, the systolic component of flow velocity was greater than in patients in sinus rhythm.
Gallosilicate sodalite-further syntheses and structural details

The syntheses of gallosilicate sodalites from solutions/gels with a range of compositions and their characterization by TGA, 29Si n.m.r. and powder X-ray diffraction are described. Conventional gel compositions generally provide good products, albeit typically in low yields. In none of these gel/solution routes are anti-Loewenstein materials with Si:Ga < 1.0 observed. Similar to the aluminosilicate system, CAN-framework zeolites can be produced by addition of appropriate anions to the gels/solutions. The structure of a basic gallosilicate sodalite with Si:Ga = 1.25, determined by full-profile analyses of time-of-flight powder neutron diffraction data, is essentially similar to that of the analogous aluminosilicates. The increased mean TO bond length is accompanied by a reduction of 7.9° in the TOT angle and the cubic unit cell constant of 8.8475(1) A is smaller than that of comparable aluminosilicates. The proton positions for the nonframework H2O/OH− species both indicate at most weak hydrogen bonding to the framework and reflect steric constraints associated with the presence or absence of sodium cations at adjoining sites.
Synaptotagmin VII regulates bone remodeling by modulating osteoclast and osteoblast secretion

Maintenance of bone mass and integrity requires a tight balance between resorption by osteoclasts and formation by osteoblasts. Exocytosis of functional proteins is a prerequisite for the activity of both cells. In the present study, we show that synaptotagmin VII, a calcium sensor protein that regulates exocytosis, is associated with lysosomes in osteoclasts and bone matrix protein-containing vesicles in osteoblasts. Absence of synaptotagmin VII inhibits cathepsin K secretion and formation of the ruffled border in osteoclasts and bone matrix protein deposition in osteoblasts, without affecting the differentiation of either cell. Reflecting these in vitro findings, synaptotagmin VII-deficient mice are osteopenic due to impaired bone resorption and formation. Therefore, synaptotagmin VII plays an important role in bone remodeling and homeostasis by modulating secretory pathways functionally important in osteoclasts and osteoblasts.
Phosphate transport in Neurospora. Derepression of a high-affinity transport system during phosphorus starvation.

Abstract In addition to the constitutive, low-affinity phosphate-transport system described previously, Neurospora possesses a second, high-affinity system which is derepressed during phosphorus starvation. At pH 5.8, System II has a K 1 2 of about 3μM and a J max of 5.2 mmol/l cell water per min. System II reaches maximal activity after about 2 h of growth in phosphorus-free minimal medium. Its formation is blocked by cycloheximide and, once made, it appears to turn over rapidly. Addition of cycloheximide to fully derepressed cultures results in the decay of System II with a t 1 2 of 14 min, very similar to the turnover rate previously reported (Wiley, W.R. and Matchett, W.H. (1968) J. Bacteriol. 95, 959–966) for tryptophan transport in Neurospora. Thus, these transport systems appear to be regulated by a balance between synthesis and breakdoown, as affected by intracellular pools of substrate or related compounds.
Effect of supplementall-tyrosine on pigment production in cultures of the Legionnaires' disease bacterium

The etiologic agent of Legionnaires' disease grows on certain agar media. Cultures of this organism on supplemented Mueller-Hinton agar are characterized by the appearance of brown pigment in and around areas of bacterial growth. The major peptone source in Mueller-Hinton agar is an acid hydrolysate of casein. Legionnaires' disease bacterium also grows on a medium in which the peptone source is 0.25% yeast extract, but no pigment is produced. If the yeast extract agar is enriched withl-tyrosine, pigment formation can occur. Pigmentation of cultures of Legionnaires' disease bacterium may be mediated by a phenolo-monooxygenase, or tyrosinase.
Biological invasions and deletions: community change in south Florida

This study used the endangered and exotic fauna of south Florida, USA, to test three non-exclusive hypotheses about community change. Over one third of the vertebrate fauna of south Florida is either endangered or exotic. We assumed that in the future, many of the currently endangered species will become extinct, while established exotics become more widespread and abundant. Using species' distributions, body mass data, and niche classifications, we compare the past (without exotics) and our predicted future (with exotics, without endangered species) vertebrate communities to determine if the future fauna would be on average smaller, more generalized feeders, or if there would be direct niche replacement. The results of the comparisons indicate that none of the hypotheses explained all of the expected changes in the vertebrate fauna of south Florida, and that the future vertebrate fauna of south Florida is likely to be very different from that of the recent past. These changes are symptomatic of the profound ecosystem-level changes occurring here. Hypotheses generated by systemic-level investigations are more likely to increase our understanding of invasions and extinctions.
Density of matter assembled from randomly incident particles

Lunar photometric properties reproducible from surfaces composed of dark randomly-fallen grains, noting density as function of grain geometry and incident angle
Basic theory of blood flow in capillaries

Abstract A model of capillary blood flow is studied theoretically by considering the mechanics of a flexible solid object (cell) suspended in a fluid (plasma) flowing in a conduit (capillary). The cell is similar in size to the conduit and deforms in compliance to the fluid stresses. Only axially symmetric systems in two and three dimensions are treated, and several approximations are made in the equations of motion of the plasma and the cell. A nonlinear boundary value problem is thus formulated and is solved numerically over a range of parameter values, including values of physiological interest. The calculations result in parachute-shaped cells whose sides do not touch the conduit wall. When the cell size is approximately equal to the conduit size, the ratio of cell to plasma velocity is 1.67 and the apparent viscosity of the two-phase mixture is 1.05, relative to plasma. These results agree semiquantitatively with experiment.
INTERORD: A Computer-Interactive FORTRAN IV Program for Developing Simple Orders.

INTERORD, a computer-interactive FORTRAN IV program for developing simple orders on a set of objects, is described. INTERORD executes in the interactive mode by presenting pairs to be judged at a remote terminal. The respondent at the terminal judges which one of the objects dominates the other. INTERORD utilizes the observed dominance relations to determine which additional relations are implied by the transitivity principle. Since pairs not implied are presented for judgment, a substantial reduction occurs in the number of judgments required in the pair comparisons procedure.
Chiral symmetry restoration at non-zero baryon density at strong coupling

Abstract I investigate chiral symmetry breaking in lattice QCD at non-zero temperature and at non-zero baryon density. In the hamiltonian formalism with Susskind fermions at strong coupling the partition function describes an antiferromagnetic Ising model in a constant magnetic field. Chiral symmetry is found to be restored at a small chemical potential μ c ∼ 1 g 2 and at low temperature T c ∼ 1 g 2 . At zero temperature the finite density transition is first order, at zero chemical potential the finite temperature transition is second order.
Unique Glycoprotein from Mouse Milk containing the Mammary Tumour Agent

MILK from mice containing the mammary tumour agent contains a unique chemical determinant which is antigenic in rabbits1–4. Agent-free mice can produce this antigen when they either suckle or receive by injection the milk containing the agent. We undertook the isolation and identification of this antigen to obtain insight into the mechanism of the malignant transformation—for its distribution and that of the tumorigenic potential in milk are similar4—and describe here our procedures.
Pyruvate and Lactate Metabolism by Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 under Fermentation, Oxygen Limitation, and Fumarate Respiration Conditions

Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 is a facultative anaerobe that derives energy by coupling organic matter oxidation to the reduction of a wide range of electron acceptors. Here, we quantitatively assessed the lactate and pyruvate metabolism of MR-1 under three distinct conditions: electron acceptor-limited growth on lactate with O(2), lactate with fumarate, and pyruvate fermentation. The latter does not support growth but provides energy for cell survival. Using physiological and genetic approaches combined with flux balance analysis, we showed that the proportion of ATP produced by substrate-level phosphorylation varied from 33% to 72.5% of that needed for growth depending on the electron acceptor nature and availability. While being indispensable for growth, the respiration of fumarate does not contribute significantly to ATP generation and likely serves to remove formate, a product of pyruvate formate-lyase-catalyzed pyruvate disproportionation. Under both tested respiratory conditions, S. oneidensis MR-1 carried out incomplete substrate oxidation, whereby the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle did not contribute significantly. Pyruvate dehydrogenase was not involved in lactate metabolism under conditions of O(2) limitation but was required for anaerobic growth, likely by supplying reducing equivalents for biosynthesis. The results suggest that pyruvate fermentation by S. oneidensis MR-1 cells represents a combination of substrate-level phosphorylation and respiration, where pyruvate serves as an electron donor and an electron acceptor. Pyruvate reduction to lactate at the expense of formate oxidation is catalyzed by a recently described new type of oxidative NAD(P)H-independent d-lactate dehydrogenase (Dld-II). The results further indicate that pyruvate reduction coupled to formate oxidation may be accompanied by the generation of proton motive force.
Are ecosystems hormetic

Abstract The phenomenon of hormesis has been observed mainly for the response of individual organisms to stress. A reasonable line of inquiry might explore the possibility of observing hormesis at other levels of ecological organization. This initial examination focuses on ecosystem hormesis. Explorations of hormetic responses of ecosystems to stress cannot be made independently of a fundamental concept of ecosystem. The scale‐dependence of ecosystem dynamics also influences whether an ecological disturbance is in reality a stressor. Ecosystem hormesis might be claimed if one or more components of an ecosystem exhibit hormesis. By this definition, ecosystem hormesis would be a trivial extension of hormesis observed for individual organisms. A non‐trivial extension of ecosystem hormesis would include the observation that integrated (i.e., holistic) measures of ecosystem structure or function displayed an hormetic response to an ecological stressor. Several such examples of ecosystem structural and function...