cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Influence of intraocular astigmatism on the correction of myopic astigmatism by femtosecond laser small-incision lenticule extraction

Purpose To evaluate the influence of the origin of astigmatism on the correction of myopia or myopic astigmatism by femtosecond laser small-incision lenticule extraction (SMILE). Setting Ophthalmology Department, Eye and ENT Hospital, Shanghai, China. Design Prospective case series. Methods Small-incision lenticule extraction was performed to correct myopia or myopic astigmatism. Ocular residual astigmatism (ORA) was determined by vector analysis using manifest refraction and Scheimpflug camera imaging of the anterior cornea. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to ORA (high >1.0 diopter [D]; low ≤1.0 D), and procedural efficacy was compared. Patients were examined preoperatively and 1, 3, and 6 months postoperatively. Results This study comprised 122 right eyes of 122 patients. No significant difference was found in the preoperative manifest astigmatism (target-induced astigmatism [TIA]) between the low ORA group (n = 67) and high ORA group (n = 55). The mean postoperative manifest astigmatism was higher in the high ORA group at all postoperative timepoints (1 month: t = 2.182, P =.031; 3 months: t = 2.30, P =.023; 6 months: t = 2.193, P =.03). The mean index of success (postoperative astigmatism/TIA) was 0.68 in the high ORA group and 0.34 in the low ORA group 1 month postoperatively ( t = 2.531, P =.013); 0.73 and 0.39, respectively, at 3 months ( t = 2.689, P =.008); and 0.77 and 0.46, respectively, at 6 months ( t = 2.105, P =.037). Conclusion Small-incision lenticule extraction was effective in correcting astigmatism but may be less effective in correcting ORA. Financial Disclosure No author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.
Biodegradable Polymer (Biopol

Keywords: branched poly(hydroxyalkanoate); biodegradable; biomaterial; biomedical; Biopol®; fermentation; biosynthesis; poly(3-hydroxybutyrate); poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate); poly(hydroxyalkanoate); Ralstonia eutropha
Dorsoventral boundary for organizing growth and planar polarity in the Drosophila eye

Publisher Summary A fundamental feature of developing tissues and organs is generation of planar polarity of cells in an epithelium with respect to the body axis. The Drosophila compound eye shows two-tier dorsoventral (DV) planar polarity. At the individual ommatidium level, the eight photoreceptors in each unit eye form a dorsoventrally asymmetric cluster. At the level of eye field, hundreds of ommatidia in the upper and lower halves of an eye are uniformly polarized dorsally or ventrally, respectively. This results in DV mirror symmetries about the equator. The uniform orientations of photoreceptor clusters over long distance in the eye field provide an excellent model for studying the genetic basis of long-range planar polarity. Ommatidial DV polarity can be detected in third instar eye imaginal disc during the early stage of retinal differentiation. The foundation for this DV polarity pattern is laid much earlier in undifferentiated eye disc. The eye disc primordium is partitioned into the DV compartments of independent cell lineages. The chapter outlines key genetic events involved in early DV patterning and growth of eye disc, and its potential role in organizing long-range signaling for DV planar polarity during later differentiation of the eye.
Acute bacterial rhinosinusitis in pediatric medicine: current issues in diagnosis and management.

In children, acute bacterial rhinosinusitis is a common infection and although rare, carries a potential for serious, life threatening complications. Bacterial rhinosinusitis usually follows a viral infection or allergic rhinitis. Early, effective antibacterial therapy is essential to shorten the duration of infection and illness, to diminish mucosal damage, and to prevent contiguous infectious involvement of the orbit or central nervous system. Because the signs and symptoms of acute bacterial rhinosinusitis are similar to those of viral upper respiratory tract infection, establishing an accurate diagnosis in children poses a clinical challenge. Infection with Streptococcus pneumoniae accounts for 30-66% of episodes of acute bacterial rhinosinusitis in children. Other important pathogens include Haemophilus influenzae (20-30%) and Moraxella catarrhalis (12-28%). In selecting initial antimicrobial therapy, priority should be given to drugs with activity against S. pneumoniae. The oral agents that currently offer the greatest activity against this pathogen include amoxicillin, amoxicillin-clavulanate, cefdinir, cefpodoxime proxetil, and cefuroxime axetil; all are considered appropriate for the initial treatment of acute bacterial rhinosinusitis in children. Amoxicillin is customarily used as first-line therapy for uncomplicated acute bacterial rhinosinusitis. For patients who are allergic to amoxicillin, second- or third-generation oral cephalosporins may be used as first-line therapy. Clarithromycin has been suggested as an alternative to amoxicillin or cephalosporins in beta-lactam allergic patients. Clindamycin may also be indicated as first-line treatment in patients who have culture-proven penicillin-resistant S. pneumoniae. If no clinical response occurs within 72 hours, the choice of a second-line antibiotic is governed by the drug's known antimicrobial efficacy, resistance patterns, dosing schedules, the potential for compliance, and knowledge of the patient's drug allergies. High-dose amoxicillin-clavulanate (90 mg/kg/d of the amoxicillin component) has been recommended for high-risk children (e.g. those in day care, and those who have recently received antibiotics) who show no improvement after treatment with the usual dose of amoxicillin (45 mg/kg/d). Broad-spectrum, third-generation oral cephalosporins, such as cefdinir, should be considered as second-line agents when standard therapy has failed or when patients show hypersensitivity to penicillin. Intramuscular ceftriaxone may be appropriate for patients who fail on a second course of antibiotic treatment.
Yes, Things Really Are Going Faster

The Extravagant Universe . Exploding Stars, Dark Energy, and the Accelerating Cosmos. Robert P. Kirshner. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, 2002. 296 pp. $29.95, £19.95. ISBN 0-691-05862-8. Writing for a popular audience, Kirshner presents a lively, personal, and often humorous account of the work that led him and his colleagues to conclude that under the influence of dark energy the universe is expanding at an accelerating rate.
SOCR data dashboard: an integrated big data archive mashing medicare, labor, census and econometric information

Intuitive formulation of informative and computationally-efficient queries on big and complex datasets present a number of challenges. As data collection is increasingly streamlined and ubiquitous, data exploration, discovery and analytics get considerably harder. Exploratory querying of heterogeneous and multi-source information is both difficult and necessary to advance our knowledge about the world around us. We developed a mechanism to integrate dispersed multi-source data and service the mashed information via human and machine interfaces in a secure, scalable manner. This process facilitates the exploration of subtle associations between variables, population strata, or clusters of data elements, which may be opaque to standard independent inspection of the individual sources. This a new platform includes a device agnostic tool (Dashboard webapp, http://socr.umich.edu/HTML5/Dashboard/ ) for graphical querying, navigating and exploring the multivariate associations in complex heterogeneous datasets. The paper illustrates this core functionality and serviceoriented infrastructure using healthcare data (e.g., US data from the 2010 Census, Demographic and Economic surveys, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Center for Medicare Services) as well as Parkinson’s Disease neuroimaging data. Both the back-end data archive and the front-end dashboard interfaces are continuously expanded to include additional data elements and new ways to customize the human and machine interactions. A client-side data import utility allows for easy and intuitive integration of user-supplied datasets. This completely open-science framework may be used for exploratory analytics, confirmatory analyses, meta-analyses, and education and training purposes in a wide variety of fields.
A dual-algorithm performance monitoring system (abstract)

Using the compiler and interpreter published by Ben-Ari, an algorithm performance monitoring system is built. By removing the randomness from the procedure which selects and controls the execution of multiple processes an unbiased execution of two algorithms can be achieved. Creating a window mechanism for viewing simultaneous execution is accomplished by the creating extensions to the language and rewriting portions of the interpreter.The extensions indicate where performance monitoring is to begin and where it is to end as well as how the screen is to be controlled during execution. A new standard procedure is used to split the screen vertically into two windows and to set flags that control input and output to each window. Another standard procedure indicates where performance monitoring is to end and causes the screen to return to normal.All instructions encountered by the interpreter which handle the input and output have been altered. The flags cause each process's input and output requests to appear in the correct window.In an educational environment, this system can be used to illustrate the fundamental operations of an algorithm. By viewing two algorithms executing simultaneously, the student can directly compare the performance of both algorithms.The complete system was constructed using VAX Pascal and utilizes the VMS Screen Management routines to manage input and output.
Preservation of pulmonary function in the ventilated neonatal piglet with normal lungs

Little attention has been focused on the progressive pulmonary deterioration which occurs in mechanically ventilated infants with normal or mildly abnormal lungs. We hypothesized that lung function would deteriorate over a 24-hr period in anesthetized neonatal piglets with normal lungs mechanically ventilated at 2 cm H2O PEEP (2PEEP group). We further hypothesized that an intermittent lung inflation procedure consisting of 15 out of 60 min of increasing lung distention (4, 8, 12 cm H2O PEEP), with the remaining 45 min at 2 cm H2O PEEP (Inflation group) would prevent this deterioration in lung function, similar to piglets mechanically ventilated continuously at 6 cm H2O PEEP (6PEEP). Results indicate that 2PEEP piglets experienced progressive deterioration in lung function, including dynamic lung compliance (-42%) and lung resistance (+55%). In contrast, inflation piglets and 6PEEP piglets had no deterioration in lung function. Hemodynamics were similar between groups, although they were the most stable in the 6PEEP group. Histopathological changes were not significantly different. We conclude that (1) prolonged mechanical ventilation at 2 cm H2O PEEP in neonatal piglets resulted in progressive deterioration in pulmonary function, (2) intermittent lung inflation or continuous 6 cm H2O PEEP prevented deterioration, and (3) functional changes occurred without changes in histopathology. Lung inflation strategies other than PEEP can be used to prevent deterioration in lung function which accompanies prolonged mechanical ventilation in anesthetized nonspontaneously breathing piglets with normal lungs.
Inhibition of glycolytic enzymes by endogenous aldehydes: a possible relation to diabetic neuropathies.

Abstract Endogenous saturated and unsaturated aldehydes were found in significant elevations in serum of diabetic humans and rats. These compounds, originating from the lipid peroxidation processes, are shown here to be potent inhibitors of the glycolytic enzymes, phosphofructokinase and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. The inhibition process is non-competitive and progressive. The aldehyde mixture, when supplemented to the standard rat diet at 1 100 ratio, caused nerve damage that is reminiscent of diabetic polyneuropathies.
Single-molecule biophysics: untying a nanoscale knot.

Mechanical unfolding of a single DNA G-quadruplex structure with and without a stabilizing ligand can be used to calculate the binding strength of the ligand and could help to identify drugs to target these important biological assemblies.
Dynamics of contraceptive use and breastfeeding during the post-partum period in Peru and Indonesia

This paper examines the interaction between contraceptive use and breastfeeding in relation to resumption of intercourse and duration of amenorrhea post-partum. We used data from the month-by-month calendar of reproductive events from Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) in Peru and Indonesia. The analyses show that breastfeeding women were less likely than non-breastfeeding women to have resumed sexual intercourse in the early months post-partum in both countries. In Peru, but not in Indonesia, breastfeeding women had a significantly lower odds than non-breastfeeding women of adopting contraception. Although the likelihood of contraceptive adoption was highest in the month women resumed menstruation in both countries, about ten per cent of subsequent pregnancies occurred to women before they resumed menses. These results emphasize the importance of integrating breastfeeding counselling and family planning services in programmes serving post-partum women, as a means of enabling those who wish to space the...
On refined creep bounds and brittle damage estimates for pressure vessels

Abstract New bounds are obtained for stresses in pressure vessels subject to primary or secondary creep and including the effect of elastic strains. These results are applied to the estimation of the times of initiation of rupture using the Kachanov theory of brittle damage.
Effects of nitrification inhibitors on germination of various seeds in soil

The effects of 19 nitrificiation inhibitors on germination of seeds in soil were investigated. The nitrification inhibitors tested were sodium azide, potassium azide, potassium ethyl xanthate, nitrapyrin (N-Serve), etridiazole (Dwell), 3-mercapto-1,2,4-triazole (MT), 2-amino-4-chloro-6-methylpyrimidine (AM), 2,4-diamino-6-trichloromethyl-s-triazine, 2-mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT), 4-amino-1,2,4-triazole (ATC), sodium thiocarbonate (STC), guanylthiourea (ASU), thiourea (TU), dicyandiamide (DCD), sulfathiazole (STC), phenylacetylene, 2-ethynyl-pyridine, 3-methylpyrazole-l-carboxamide (MPC), and ammonium thiosulfate (ATS). Germination tests were performed with seeds of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), rye (Secale cereale L.), barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench], oats (Avena sativa L.), and corn (Zea mays). Only 2 of the 19 nitrification inhibitors studied (potassium azide and sodium azide) reduced germination of the seeds tested when applied at the rate of 12.5 μg g−1. The other inhibitors studied had no effect on the germination of wheat, alfalfa, barley, corn, oat, rye, or sorghum seeds when they were applied at the rate of 125 μg g−1 soil, and most of them had no effect on seed germination when applied at the rate of 625 μg g−1 soil.
The Safety of Combined Thrombolysis and â-Adrenergic Blockade in Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction: A Randomized Study

To assess the safety of combined intervention in acute myocardial infarction, a pilot study of thrombolysis and β-adrenergic blockade was performed. Twenty-five subjects were randomized to therapy with intravenous (IV) metoprolol and IV streptokinase (group 1) or to IV metoprolol (group 2) alone. Two-dimensional echocardiography was performed before intervention and five days later. The mean time from onset of symptoms to intervention was 1.92 hours. No major adverse reactions related to the intervention were observed in either group. Significant improvement from baseline was observed with combined therapy on both the biplane mean ejection fraction (p
Regenerative medicine for retinal diseases: activating endogenous repair mechanisms

The retina is subject to degenerative diseases that often lead to significant visual impairment. Non-mammalian vertebrates have the remarkable ability to replace neurons lost through damage. Fish, and to a limited extent birds, replace lost neurons by the dedifferentiation of Muller glia to a progenitor state followed by the replication of these neuronal progenitor cells. Over the past five years, studies have investigated whether regeneration can be stimulated in the mouse and rat retina. Several groups have reported that at least some types of neurons can be regenerated in the mammalian retina in vivo or in vitro, and that the regeneration of neurons can be stimulated using growth factors, transcription factors or subtoxic levels of excitatory amino acids. These recent results suggest that some part of the regenerative program that occurs in non-mammalian vertebrates remains in the mammalian retina, and could provide a basis to develop new strategies for retinal repair in patients with retinal degenerations.
Recombinant lysyl oxidase propeptide protein inhibits growth and promotes apoptosis of pre-existing murine breast cancer xenografts.

Lysyl oxidase propeptide (LOX-PP) ectopic overexpression inhibits the growth of cancer xenografts. Here the ability and mode of action of purified recombinant LOX-PP (rLOX-PP) protein to inhibit the growth of pre-existing xenografts was determined. Experimental approaches employed were direct intratumoral injection (i.t.) of rLOX-PP protein into murine breast cancer NF639 xenografts, and application of a slow release formulation of rLOX-PP implanted adjacent to tumors in NCR nu/nu mice (n = 10). Tumors were monitored for growth, and after sacrifice were subjected to immunohistochemical and Western blot analyses for several markers of proliferation, apoptosis, and for rLOX-PP itself. Direct i.t. injection of rLOX-PP significantly reduced tumor volume on days 20, 22 and 25 and tumor weight at harvest on day 25 by 30% compared to control. Implantation of beads preloaded with 35 micrograms rLOX-PP (n = 10) in vivo reduced tumor volume and weight at sacrifice when compared to empty beads (p<0.05). A 30% reduction of tumor volume on days 22 and 25 (p<0.05) and final tumor weight on day 25 (p<0.05) were observed with a reduced tumor growth rate of 60% after implantation. rLOX-PP significantly reduced the expression of proliferation markers and Erk1/2 MAP kinase activation, while prominent increases in apoptosis markers were observed. rLOX-PP was detected by immunohistochemistry in harvested rLOX-PP tumors, but not in controls. Data provide pre-clinical findings that support proof of principle for the therapeutic anti-cancer potential of rLOX-PP protein formulations.
Ross/Konno procedure for critical aortic stenosis in infancy

Although the Ross procedure has been applied successfully to the pediatric age group, it may have its ideal application in the selected infant with critical aortic stenosis and complex left ventricular outflow tract obstruction with adequate ventricular function and size. Two neonates presented with critical aortic stenosis and complex left ventricular outflow tract obstruction, and a combined Ross/Konno procedure was performed successfully. These cases are presented along with a discussion of this topic.
Transcriptional control elements of the rat thymidylate synthase promoter: evolutionary conservation of regulatory features.

Abstract The sequence elements that are important for the transcription and regulation of the rat thymidylate synthase (TS) gene were analyzed. The rat TS promoter lacks a TATA box and directs transcriptional initiation at multiple sites between 60 and 20 nt upstream of the AUG translational start codon. Promoter deletion analyses showed that the region between −100 and −42 nt relative to the AUG codon was both necessary and sufficient for high level promoter activity and was designated the essential promoter region. The essential region also had bidirectional promoter activity. Site-directed mutagenesis revealed that four elements were especially important for promoter activity. These include Ets motifs at −85 and −50, an Sp1 motif at −80, and an LSF motif that overlapped the upstream Ets and Sp1 motifs. Inactivation of E2F motifs that are upstream and downstream of the essential promoter region had no measurable effect on promoter activity in transient transfection assays. The rat TS promoter region directed S-phase-specific expression of a stably transfected minigene if a spliceable intron was included in the transcribed region. When the intron was deleted or the E2F motifs were inactivated, expression of the minigene changed very little during the G1 to S transition.
Cyclic GMP accumulation in normal and diabetic primary culture adult rat ventricular cardiomyocytes: A minor role for nitric oxide in phosphorylase activation

The potential role of nitric oxide in the diabetes-induced hypersensitive activation of glycogen phosphorylase by epinephrine was investigated in adult rat ventricular cardiomyocytes. Pretreatment of normal and diabetic-derived cells with 1 mM sodium nitroprusside significantly diminished the phosphorylase activation response by nearly 20% in both normal and diabetic myocytes but failed to alter the hypersensitivity of the diabetic cells. Nitroprusside increased cGMP levels in both normal and diabetic myocytes although the effect was more pronounced in the diabetic cells. Epinephrine did not alter cellular cGMP content and cGMP levels were consistently lower in diabetic myocytes when compared with normal myocytes. Preincubation of ventricular myocytes with the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor L-iminoethyl ornithine did not affect phosphorylase activation. These data indicate that nitric oxide plays a minor role in phosphorylase activation by epinephrine in rat cardiomyocytes and suggest that signal transduction via nitric oxide is not affected by the onset of diabetes.
Three-Dimensional Models for Agonist and Antagonist Complexes with β2 Adrenergic Receptor

Computer-modeling techniques have been used to generate docked complexes for a series of beta adrenergic agonists and antagonists with a three-dimensional model of the beta 2 adrenergic receptor. For all ligands tested, it proved possible to dock low-energy conformers in the receptor model, with sensible electrostatic, steric, and hydrogen-bonding interactions, many of which are supported by experimental studies of the beta 2 receptor. Our results illustrate the power of molecular modeling techniques, when coupled with appropriate experimental methods and data, to investigate structure-function properties of integral membrane receptor proteins that cannot yet be studied by direct structural methods.
Single-port laparoscopic surgery: an overview

As innovation continues to move 21st century surgery forward, one of the emerging concepts is single-port or single-incision laparoscopic surgery. The fundamental idea is to have all of the laparoscopic working ports entering the abdominal wall through the same incision. The major drawback to such a surgical approach is that the concept of ‘‘triangulation’’ to which laparoscopic surgeons have grown accustomed in terms of both the instruments and scope is lacking. This, however, seems to be overshadowed by the increasing acceptability of in-line viewing, with the reemphasis on surgeons performing flexible endoscopy and on newer ideas such as natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (NOTES). This very paradigm shift has energized both surgeons and industry to research important issues and develop new technology to make concepts such as single-port laparoscopic surgery become a reality. As part of the effort put forth by the technology committee of the Society of Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) to inform surgeons about cutting edge technology, this article is published both to clarify understanding of the single-port laparoscopic surgery concept and to categorize the currently available tools and techniques.
Sedimentary signature of Hurricane Isaac in a Taxodium swamp on the western margin of Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana, USA

Abstract. Compositional and geochemical profiles were established for a 59-cm sediment core extracted from a small pothole pond in a Taxodium (bald cypress) swamp 830 m inland from Lake Pontchartrain in south-eastern Louisiana, USA. The core consists of a top organic unit (peat to clayey peat) from 0–29 cm above a bottom clay unit at 30–59 cm depth. Four distinct zones, marked by gradual changes in organic content and elemental concentrations, occur in the clay unit. These changes probably reflect two cycles of slowly changing water depths. Hurricane Isaac’s signature, a brown clay band at 3–5 cm, is identified based on the stratigraphic and compositional correspondence with the storm’s event layer, documented from nearby sites. Sedimentary and geochemical similarities between this material and clastic bands at 15–19 and 23–25 cm identify those two intervals as potentially representing earlier floods. The Cl/Br ratio presents a potentially useful method for distinguishing fluvial and marine flooding.
New synthesis of SASRIN™ resin

Abstract SASRIN™ resin is synthesized by a two step sequence involving linking 4-hydroxy-2-methoxybenzaldehyde to Merrifield resin, followed by reduction with sodium borohydride.
The decomposition of methanol on the sulfur-modified Fe(100) surface

Decomposition of methanol (CH3OH) on sulfur-modified Fe(100) surfaces has been studied under ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) conditions, using temperature-programmed reaction spectroscopy (TPRS) and high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS). Preadsorbed sulfur overlayers, prepared by thermal decomposition of CH3SH, poison the decomposition of CH3OH on the Fe(100) surface. The decomposition of methanol occurs by way of a methoxy (−OCH3) intermediate on the sulfur-modified surface. The amount of methoxy intermediate formed in the decomposition process decreases as sulfur coverage increases. Preadsorbed sulfur atoms also modify the selectivity of the methanol decomposition. The formation of formaldehyde (H2CO) is enhanced in a rather narrow sulfur coverage range, while the amount of carbon monoxide (CO) product decreases monotonically with increasing sulfur coverage. The effect of sulfur modification on the decomposition of methanol appears to be primarily a localized site blocking effect. Sulfur modification of the methanol decomposition on this surface is compared with that of the effect of oxygen modification.
The pentacyanocyclopentadienyl system : Structures and energetics

In light of the recent silylation route to protonated pentacyanocyclopentadienyl (PCCp) anion reported by Richardson and Reed (Richardson, C.; Reed, C. A. Chem. Commun. 2004, 706.), PCCp anion, neutral radical, and protonated species have been investigated theoretically. The predicted adiabatic electron affinity for PCCp (ZPVE-corrected value in parentheses) is enormous, 5.56 (5.47) eV. As with the unsubstituted cyclopentadienyl radical, the PCCp radical exhibits a Jahn-Teller distortion from the D 5 h symmetry of the aromatic anion, yielding five equivalent 2 B 2 minima that should show uninhibited pseudorotation about a D 5 h conical intersection. Formation of the conjugate acid occurs via protonation of the anion at a nitrile nitrogen, which is favored over protonation at a ring carbon by 6.5 kcal/mol, with the preference explained by retention of aromaticity upon protonation at the nitrogen. Possible acid dimer structures have been investigated to evaluate the proposed polymeric acid structure of Richardson and Reed. Our predictions confirm their suggested polymeric structure, but we also present an alternative, self-contained dimer that should be competitive kinetically and thermodynamically. Vibrational frequencies and infrared intensities are predicted, to aid in the experimental identification of several of these species.
Security management for sports and special events: an interagency approach to creating safe facilities

Sport management educators and scholars consider security management as one of the critical research and teaching topics in sport management (Fried, 2005; Hall, 2006; Marciani, Hall, & Finch, 2009)...
Transmission and distribution of aflatoxin in contaminated beef liver and other tissues

A 160-kg Holstein steer was fed 52 mg1, equivalents/day (orally) for 5 consecutive days and then slaughtered. The liver, kidneys, spleen, heart and skeletal muscle (round) were retained and assayed for aflatoxin. The liver was cut into 14 samples and each was analyzed to determine the distribution of aflatoxin in liver. Afla-toxin levels in samples from the edges of the liver were 44% lower than averages of all the remaining samples, which were 25.0 ng B,, 15.4 ng M1 and 47.1 ng total aflatoxin/g; however, cross-sectional samples would give representative assay results. Lower total aflatoxin concentrations (16.0 ng, 18.5 ng and 12.9 ng/g) were found for heart, spleen and muscle, respectively. The kidneys had the highest level of aflatoxin (145.9 ng/g) with M1 levels (105.5 ng/g) 3.6 times the B, concentration (29.3 ng/g). In the other tissues, B1 concentrations were 1.6-2.9 times greater than aflatoxin M1.
Aluminum Nitride, a Refractory for Aluminum to 2000°C.

In commercial practice, where temperatures are low, a number of commercially available materials are satisfactory as a container for molten aluminum. None of these, however, resists attack by aluminum in the temperature range 1800 to 2000 deg C. An investigation was conducted to find a material completely inert to aluminum at these high temperatures. Aluminum nitride emerged as the material that was inert to aluminum aud showed satisfactory properties as a ceramic material. A methed of preparing high-purity A1N by striking a d-c arc between two high-purity aluminum electrodes in a nitrogen atmosphere is described. A refractory having excellent strength and low porosity was achieved by hydrostatic pressing and firing at high temperatures. The mechanical, electrical, thermal, and chemical properties of the refractory are discussed. (auth)
Activation of AXIN2 Expression by β-Catenin-T Cell Factor A FEEDBACK REPRESSOR PATHWAY REGULATING Wnt SIGNALING

The Wnt pathway regulates cell fate, proliferation, and apoptosis, and defects in the pathway play a key role in many cancers. Although Wnts act to stabilize β-catenin levels in the cytosol and nucleus, a multiprotein complex containing adenomatous polyposis coli, glycogen synthase kinase 3β, and Axin1 or its homolog Axin2/Axil/conductin promotes β-catenin phosphorylation and subsequent proteasomal degradation. We found that the rat Axil gene was strongly induced upon neoplastic transformation of RK3E cells by mutant β-catenin or γ-catenin or after ligand-induced activation of a β-catenin-estrogen receptor fusion protein. Expression of Wnt1 in murine breast epithelial cells activated the conductin gene, and human cancers with defective β-catenin regulation had elevated AXIN2 gene and protein expression. Expression ofAXIN2/Axil was strongly repressed in cancer cells by restoration of wild type adenomatous polyposis coli function or expression of a dominant negative form of T cell factor (TCF)-4. TCF binding sites in the AXIN2 promoter played a key role in the ability of β-catenin to activate AXIN2 transcription. In contrast to AXIN2/Axil, expression of human or rat Axin1 homologs was nominally affected by β-catenin-TCF. Because Axin2 can inhibit β-catenin abundance and function, the data implicate AXIN2 in a negative feedback pathway regulating Wnt signaling. Additionally, although Axin1 and Axin2 have been thought to have comparable functions, the observation that Wnt pathway activation elevates AXIN2 but not AXIN1 expression suggests that there may be potentially significant functional differences between the two proteins.
Oral-maxillofacial injury surveillance in the Department of Defense, 1996-2005.

Introduction Oral–maxillofacial injuries can lead to deformity and malfunction, greatly diminishing quality of life and worker productivity. Data suggest that over 10% of civilian emergency room visits are due to craniofacial injuries. The size and scope of oral–maxillofacial injuries in the military is not well understood. This study reports U.S. military rates of oral–maxillofacial injuries, causes of oral–maxillofacial hospitalizations, and recommends approaches to improving surveillance, research, and prevention. Methods Active duty U.S. military personnel who sought inpatient or outpatient treatment for one or more oral–maxillofacial injuries from 1996 to 2005 were identified in the Defense Medical Surveillance System using ICD-9-CM diagnosis codes associated with oral–maxillofacial injuries. ICD-9-CM diagnosis codes were divided into two categories: oral–maxillofacial wounds and oral–maxillofacial fractures. Results The oral–maxillofacial fracture rates for men were consistently 1.5 to 2 times higher than those for women, with 2000–2005 rates between 1.2 and 1.5/1000 person-years for men and between 0.7 and 1.0/1000 person-years for women. Wound rates for men were similar to those for women for all years examined ( p p Conclusions Oral–maxillofacial injuries can and should be monitored using military medical surveillance data. Surveillance efforts would be enhanced by the addition of dental care data. There is also a need for additional quality intervention studies on the strategies to prevent oral and craniofacial injury.
Gaze from the Heavens, Ghost from the Past: Symbolic Meanings in Toru Takemitsu’s Music for Akira Kurosawa’s Film, Ran (1985)

In this essay I discuss two types of music that Takemitsu composed for Kurosawa’s Ran (1985), for which Shakespeare’s King Lear provides the narrative. The first type is the solo flute music that is written in the style of traditional Japanese music, notably for the Noh Theater. The second type of music is the Mahler-inspired symphonic music. The two types of music, comprised of opposing musical attributes, signify the intricately related meanings of text, jo-ha-kyu form, dramatic characterization, and Buddhist philosophy as background of the film, enhancing the film’s many symbolic meanings and connotations. More significantly, through the differences in the compositional styles of the two types of music, Takemitsu brings into the light two seemingly veiled omnipresences of the film: the blind hermit Tsurumaru for whom the flute is virtually his identity, and the gaze of the heavens as representing the vulnerable existence of humankind as a whole within history.
Sufficiently important difference: expanding the framework of clinical significance.

Background. It is generally agreed that randomized controlled trials should be powered to detect small but clinically significant treatment effects. Toward these ends, minimal important difference (MID) was proposed as a benchmark for designing trials and for interpreting health-related quality-of-life instrument scores. MID was defined in 1989 as “the smallest difference in score in the domain of interest which patients perceive as beneficial and which would mandate, in the absence of troubling side effects and excessive cost, a change in the patient’s management.”Objective.1) To expand the idea of minimal clinically important difference so as to take into account harms as well as benefits. 2) To propose concepts and methods with which to do so.Summary. The authors define sufficiently important difference (SID) as the smallest amount of patient-valued benefit that an intervention would require to justify associated costs, risks, and other harms. As a means toward estimation of SID, the authors propose be...
Use of optional gas and collision cell for enhanced sensitivity of the organophosphorus pesticides by GC-ICP-MS

Organophosphorus pesticides (OP) are used widely in agricultural and residential applications as insecticides, herbicides and fungicides. This family of chemicals is one that replaced the organochlorine pesticides banned for use in the United States in the 1970s. In this work, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) is explored as an option for the detection of OPs, monitoring the phosphorus present in the compounds previously separated by GC. Historically, phosphorus has been recognized as one of the elements that is difficult to analyze in an argon plasma. This is due to its relatively high ionization potential (10.5 eV) as well as the inherent presence of the polyatomic interferences 14N16O1H+ and 15N16O+, overlapping its only isotope at m/z = 31. In this work, the use of a commercially available GC-ICP-MS interface, in conjunction with the addition of small amounts of optional gases, has been investigated to obtain enhanced sensitivity and it is found that nitrogen yields an increase in sensitivity of over one order of magnitude. Accompanying this increase in sensitivity is an observed increase in the background due to the above detailed interferences formed in the gas phase. A collision cell is employed to reduce this background without affecting analyte signal using He as collision gas. Instrument detection limits in the high ng L−1 range are reported and the developed methodology is applied to the analysis of tap water samples from the City of Cincinnati.
Quantification of bleomycin-induced murine lung damage in vivo with micro-computed tomography.

Rationale and Objectives We explored noninvasive, in vivo cone-beam microcomputed tomography (micro-CT) to visualize and quantify fibrotic and inflammatory damage over the entire lung volume of mice. Materials and Methods We used bleomycin to induce pulmonary damage in vivo and compared the results from micro-CT with histologic measurements. Ten C57BL/6 mice were given 5 U/kg bleomycin intratracheally. Seven surviving mice were scanned with micro-CT before administration of bleomycin, and again before sacrifice. The resulting images were analyzed for lung volume measurements. After the final scan, all lungs were examined histologically and pulmonary damage was quantified. Damaged lung tissue regions were matched between micro-CT images and histologic sections for each mouse. Results The percent lung damage calculated from micro-CT and histology were correlated ( r 2 = 0.49, r = 0.64 with P = 0.12), and the means of their respective distributions were not different ( P > 0.05). Conclusion This study shows that micro-CT is a promising alternative to predicting lung damage caused by bleomycin. CT image volumes of the thorax allow for global tissue sampling, which may be useful when following nonuniform lung damage that can occur from intratracheal administration of bleomycin.
Discrete adaptive sliding control of automotive powertrains

Automotive powertrain control strategies are a key component of the software design process for vehicle systems. During implementation of control algorithms on real systems, errors often arise that prove costly if they are not detected until the Verification & Validation process. Thus, it is advantageous to mitigate potential uncertainties early on in the design. Specifically, in this paper, we present the control algorithm derivation with the direct incorporation of uncertainty from the system model. We incorporate an unknown parameter representing significant model uncertainty and design to that scenario using a nonlinear, discrete-time sliding control strategy. Additionally, we incorporate an adaptation law to estimate and update the unknown parameter online in order to decrease the control actuation effort. A Simulink representation of the cold start engine emissions process is used as a case study on which the control and adaptation strategy is demonstrated. Simulation results demonstrate that this adaptive formulation yields superior performance over its non-adaptive counterpart by successfully estimating the unknown model parameters and driving tracking error to zero in steady-state.
High-Speed Digital Data Acquisition of Sarcomere Length from Isolated Skeletal and Cardiac Muscle Cells

A digital data acquisition system has been developed which obtains sarcomere length data from a contracting skeletal muscle fiber or cardiac myocyte. The design is such that it can be used on any computer system capable of data channel operation (direct memory access).
EEG-based comparisons of performance on a mental rotation task between learning styles and gender

Retention and diversity are central issues in engineering schools. Students' learning styles may hinder understanding of course material if presented in an incompatible way. While learning styles assessments are informative in determining the students' preferences in how they learn, there have been few studies that correlate student learning styles with cognitive and intellectual abilities. The goal of this study was to determine the relationship between students' learning styles, as determined by the Felder-Solomon Inventory of Learning Styles (ILS), and their cognitive abilities. This study uses functional electroencephalography (EEG) to evaluate the areas of neural activation in the brain while engineering students are performing a mental rotation task. Learning style preferences and mental rotation scores are correlated with the EEG activation. Learning styles differences were observed, primarily across gender. Most of these differences were in EEG patterns as opposed to actual task performance, indicating that individuals of different gender and learning style preference might be engaging different parts of the brain on a task while exhibiting similar performance on the task.
Nonconvex variational problems with anisotropic perturbations

We obtain the Γ(L 1 (Ω) - )-limit for a class of variational problems which arise as an «anisotropic» singular perturbation of a nonconvex functional. Any limit of minimizers of the perturbed problems must minimize the new variational problem which arises in the Γ-limit, and the primary goal is to understand the dependence of this new variational problem on the type of perturbation chosen
Stable carbon isotope variations in sediment from Baffin Bay, Texas, U.S.A.: Evidence for cyclic changes in organic matter source

Abstract Baffin Bay, Texas, a drowned Pleistocene river valley, is filled with up to 20 m of exceptionally well-preserved Holocene and recent sediments. Piston cores from the upper 4 m have been described and analyzed for elemental composition and δ 13 C of the total organic carbon and carbonate. Strong cyclic patterns were observed for all of these parameters. The total organic carbon (TOC) level varied between 1% and 6%. (C/N ratios varied between 10 and 14. δ 13 C showed a cyclicity with depth and a slight shift toward more positive values with depths. These variations are interpreted as being due to different relative inputs of seagrass (δ 13 C−≈ 10‰) and phytoplankton (δ 13 C−20‰.) to the sediment. The cores contained fine-grained carbonate and some massive dolomite. δ 13 C of the carbonate varied between −3% and + 1‰ except for two more positive values. The lack of a trend toward light carbonate with depth was taken to mean that little ( 2 from the oxidation of organic matter is present in the carbonates. Overall the changes in the relative intensity of these sources is thought to reflect regional climatic and weathering cycles.
Non-collinear acoustic attenuation of transverse waves

Abstract The temperature dependence of the ultrasonic absorption of transverse waves in Al2O3 at low temperatures is explained by applying the non-collinear phonon interaction mechanism.
Locating children's mathematical competence: Application of the developmental niche

Abstract Within American society certain segments of the populace are differentially successful in school mathematics. Generally, lower socioeconomic status (LSES) children, although they often possess everyday mathematical competence, do not perform as well as middle socioeconomic status (MSES) children in school mathematics. This review, using Super and Harkness's (1986) construct of the developmental niche, will attempt to describe the ways in which mathematical competence develops before children's entry into school and to explore possible relations between children's everyday mathematics and school mathematics. Directions for research and curriculum design will also be suggested.
A critical assessment of the indications for in-vitro fertilization and embryo transfer

Abstract In-vitro fertilization therapy (IVF-ET) should be considered an important and indispensable component of all comprehensive infertility treatment programmes. It is neither more, nor less important than operative laparoscopy, hysteroscopic diagnosis, a broad-based programme for ovarian stimulation and ovulation induction or even psychological counseling. Clearly, with today's technology, IVF-ET is not a panacea of infertility, but in selected cases it may provide a child where other forms of therapy have failed. However, what sets this therapy apart from all others is that it has heralded a new era in human biology that will not only enable us to treat, but also to understand the problem of infertility.
Recent advances in notch analysis of fracture and fatigue

Neuber's micro- and macrosupport effect theories are applied to obtain on expression for the plastic work required for crack extension. On this basis analytical predictions for fracture toughness, thickness effects and fatigue crack propagation threshold are made and found in very good agreement with experimental results.
The Contribution of the Psychological Evaluation to Psychiatric Diagnosis

Summary The present study assessed the impact of psychological evaluations upon psychiatric diagnosis by comparing them with initial and final diagnoses in 137 psychiatric inpatients' records. Cases of three staff and three resident psychiatrists were studied to also determine if the psychiatrists' experience level affected the impact of reports or the kind and number of referral questions. Results indicated that the psychological report had a meaningful impact in no more than 16% of the cases, with no effect due to psychiatrists' status. The number and kind of question did differ for the two groups. Possible reasons referrals continue in the light of these data include physicians' emotional need for support and lack of appreciation of the cost involved. A rationale for psychologists handling referrals was suggested.
An anatomically based analysis of objectively measured pediatric snoring: a pilot study.

ObjectiveTo assess pediatric habitual snoring (PS) using home sleep test (HST) technology and attempt to correlate the objective components of PS to specific upper airway anatomy. In addition, the effects of adenotonsillectomy (± turbinoplasty) on objective measures of PS were evaluated.Study DesignProspective cohort study.SettingTertiary medical center.Subjects and MethodsPediatric patients with a chief complaint of snoring and probable obstructive sleep apnea underwent an HST (SNAP Diagnostics, Wheeling, Illinois) with a detailed acoustical snoring analysis prior to adenotonsillectomy (± turbinoplasty). During surgery, detailed anatomical measurements were performed and correlated to snoring analysis results. After surgery, patients were offered another HST with snoring analysis. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics and statistical correlation with attention to the multiple-comparisons paradox.ResultsTwenty-two patients (45% male; mean age, 5.4 years [range, 2.4-8.4 years]) completed...