cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Successful early management of adolescent inhalation injuries

We recently cared for 12 adolescents with inhalation injuries who were involved in a bus accident and subsequent fire. These patients arrived at our trauma center between 2 and 8 h following injury. Need for early intubation was mandated by hoarseness, stridor, and respiratory distress. There were 27 scene deaths attributed to smoke inhalation and thermal burns by postmortem examination in combination with carboxyhemoglobin values of 18% to 69%. There were no deaths among our 12 patients, whose carboxyhemoglobin values ranged from 3.2% to 18.8%. Seven patients required emergency endotracheal intubation, and 5 others were electively intubated in the operating room due to signs and symptoms of respiratory injury. All 12 patients were subsequently bronchoscoped. One patient who underwent bronchoscopy did not require continued intubation, but the other 11 all had dense soot lining the entire visible tracheobronchial tree. One patient developed clinical pneumonia while intubated. Patients require intubation for from 2 to 10 days and pre-extubation bronchoscopic examination was performed in 8 patients, documenting improvement. Five patients with severe facial burns underwent laryngoscopy, and vocal cord edema in 4 delayed extubation despite an improved lower airway. Two patients required late tracheotomy for glottic and interarytenoid scarring. One patient who required reintubation due to cord edema and 1 other who had been intubated emergently in the field required late tracheostomies for glottic and interarytenoid scarring. We had no mortality and low morbidity in a group of young patients with severe inhalation injuries. Rather than the more common complications of pneumonia and adult respiratory distress syndrome, glottic and supraglottic injuries caused the most disability. Periodic evaluation with bronchoscopy and laryngoscopy prior to extubation may have helped to minimize further airway trauma and contributed to our early good results.
Multiple-time-scale approach to ergodic adiabatic systems: Another look

We reexamine the multiple-time-scale method as applied to ergodic adiabatic Hamiltonian systems. Solving for the evolution of the phase space density to first order in the slowness parameter, we find a term previously overlooked. The inclusion of this term resolves a standing discrepancy between the multiple-time-scale approach to this problem, and an approach using a Fokker-Planck equation. We apply our solution to the dynamics of a ‘‘slow’’ system coupled to an ensemble of ‘‘fast’’ systems following chaotic trajectories.
Not So Scary After All? Reform in Imperial and Weimar Germany

An interesting interpretive standpoint has come in recent years to characterize synthetic treatments of Imperial and Weimar Germany, and oddly, it is most often laid out in connection with discussions of reform and reformers. The history of reform in early twentieth-century Germany, we now consistently hear, is more complex than we once thought, and this fact is a central piece of evidence that early twentieth-century Germany, too, was more complex than we thought. In fact, the invocation of the sheer variety and creativity of Wilhelmine reform as a challenge to the available interpretive frameworks in the historiography on modern Germany is in danger of becoming formulaic. The available models, it appears, are unable to contain the massive proliferation of studies of the varieties of reform in Imperial Germany; they are beginning to burst at the seams. This is uniformly perceived as an exciting development, a chance to rethink modernity in Germany.
Cloning and bioinformatics of amphibian mu, delta, kappa, and nociceptin opioid receptors expressed in brain tissue: evidence for opioid receptor divergence in mammals.

Opioid agonists produce analgesia in humans and other mammals by binding to three distinct types of G protein-coupled receptors; mu (MOR), delta (DOR), and kappa (KOR) opioid receptors. A fourth member of the opioid receptor family is the nociceptin or orphanin FQ receptor (ORL), however the role of the ORL receptor in analgesia is less clear. In the Northern grass frog, Rana pipiens, systemic and central administration of morphine and selective MOR, DOR, and KOR agonists produced dose-dependent antinociceptive effects blocked by the general opioid antagonist, naltrexone. The present study reports on the sequence, expression, and bioinformatics of four opioid receptor cDNAs cloned from Rana pipiens; rpMOR, rpDOR, rpKOR, and rpORL. These were the first opioid receptors cloned from a species of Class Amphibia, are selectively expressed in brain tissue, and show 70–84% identity to their homologous mammalian opioid receptors. Comparisons within species showed that MOR, DOR, and KOR proteins are significantly less divergent in earlier-evolved vertebrates compared to humans and other mammals. Among the four types of opioid receptors, MOR proteins show the least sequence variation among the six vertebrate species. Additionally, phylogenetic analysis supports the hypothesis that the family of opioid receptor proteins are coded by four genes that arose from two gene duplications of a single ancestral opioid receptor gene.
Analysis of chemotaxis in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans by countercurrent separation

C. elegans responds to several common chemicals. Comparisons of pairs of ions at equivalent concentrations indicated orders of attractiveness of: The least attractive pair of ions, calcium acetate, is attractive, indicating all these ions are attractive. The most attractive pair, sodium chloride, was attractive from a threshold of 0.1 mM to at least 50 mM. The response to NaCl was maximal throughout the temperature range 15 to 25°C and the pH range 3.0 to 9.0. Acid was avoided and base was attractive from concentrations of 0.1 to 1 mM. Dissolved CO2 in the concentration range 0.1 to 1 mM was attractive in 10 mM sodium borate buffer, pH 8.8, but avoided in 25 mM potassium phosphate, pH 6.0. All these responses are likely to affect the distribution of C. elegans in nature and they also provide a tool for promising studies in neurogenetics.
Hyperoscillations of dynein cross-bridge systems

A simple model proposed previously for the dynein-tubulin mechano-chemical cycle is analyzed. This model assumes that the dynein has excitability in that its power stroke is triggered only when the superthreshold sliding displacement is applied. Depending on the value of the control parameter, the model displays hyperoscillations characterized by their high frequencies and low amplitudes. These hyperoscillations are annihilated in two different ways: one is through the decrease in the frequency; and the other is through the decrease in the fraction of the dynein in the force-generating state. This model, thus, qualitatively accounts for the cessation of hyperoscillations which has been experimentally observed under two separate conditions.
The glutamate induced phase shift in the SCN slice : a two pulse study

The short-term dynamics of resetting the circadian 'clock' was assessed by a double-pulse paradigm in vitro. On day 1, single and double 1 h 'pulses' of 1 mM l-glutamate were applied to the rat suprachiamastic nuclei (SCN). On days 2 and 3, single unit activity (SUA) was recorded and time-of-peak SUA was used as a phase marker of the circadian rhythm. The time-of-peak in untreated slices at 'Zeitgeber' time (ZT; hours after lights-on) 6, was used to evaluate effects of glutamate on phase. In accordance with published data, a single glutamate pulse at ZT 14 resulted in a 3 h delay of peak SUA on days 2 and 3. A 2nd pulse, given 3 h after a 1st pulse, resulted in two distinct peaks on day 2: a 1st at ZT 7 and a 2nd at ZT 12, i. e., a 6 h phase delay and hence twice the delay obtained after a single pulse. On day 3, no peak in SUA was observed which indicates that a new steady state was not reached on day 2. The bimodal distribution of SUA on day 2 corroborates other findings which suggest that the SCN comprises two distinct neuronal populations with circadian firing patterns that are normally coupled but, possibly due to different sensitivities to glutamate, can desynchronize. The additive phase-shifting effect of two consecutive glutamate pulses suggests that, at least for one sub-population of SCN neurons, the phase shift is completed within 3 h.
Anemia in the ICU: Anemia of Chronic Disease Versus Anemia of Acute Illness

Anemia is common in the ICU, increasing morbidity and mortality. Its etiology is multifactorial but anemia of inflammation is the most common cause, followed closely by iron deficiency. The two conditions often coexist and it can be difficult to diagnose iron deficiency in the context of anemia of inflammation. Blood transfusions and use of erythropoietin agonists are two modalities used to correct anemia in critically ill patients. Randomized controlled trials have not supported the use of either therapy except in well defined clinical situations. Better understanding of the pathophysiology of anemia of inflammation may lead to development of novel therapies.
“Do try this at home” Self-treatment of BPPV

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) has been a recognized clinical entity since the early 1900s and is probably the most common cause of episodic vertigo with a population incidence of ∼64 per 100,000 persons.1 BPPV is characterized by episodes of vertigo lasting about 5 to 30 seconds provoked by changes in head position with respect to gravity, such as rolling over in bed or looking up at a high shelf. BPPV is easily diagnosed using the Dix–Hallpike maneuver, which elicits a vertical-torsional nystagmus highly characteristic of this disorder.2 Before 1980, patients with BPPV were treated with vestibular suppressant medications and were advised to avoid the symptom-producing positions until they achieved …
Noninvasive In Vivo Quantification of Neutrophil Elastase Activity in Acute Experimental Mouse Lung Injury

We developed a neutrophil elastase-specific near-infrared fluorescence imaging agent, which, combined with fluorescence molecular tomographic imaging, allowed us to detect and quantify neutrophil elastase activity in vivo, in real time, and noninvasively in an acute model of lung injury (ALI). Significantly higher fluorescent signal was quantified in mice with LPS/fMLP-induced ALI as compared to healthy controls, correlating with increases in the number of bronchoalveolar lavage cells, neutrophils, and elastase activity. The agent was significantly activated ex vivo in lung sections from ALI but not from control mice, and this activation was ablated by the specific inhibitor sivelestat. Treatment with the specific inhibitor sivelestat significantly reduced lung signal in mice with ALI. These results underscore the unique ability of fluorescence molecular imaging to quantify specific molecular processes in vivo, crucial for understanding the mechanisms underlying disease progression and for assessing and monitoring novel pharmacological interventions.
Different Ventricular Fibrillation (VF) Dynamics in Long QT Syndrome Type 1 vs. 2 in a Transgenic Rabbit Model

Long QT syndrome (LQTS) is a congenital disease characterized by APD prolongation and associated with sudden cardiac death. LQT1 and LQT2, the most common types of LQTS, lack delayed rectifying potassium currents, IKs and IKr, respectively. We hypothesize that the differential kinetic properties of IKs and IKr can influence vulnerability to ventricular fibrillation (VF) through genotype-specific enhancement of VF maintenance. We investigated VF dynamics in transgenic rabbit models of LQT1, LQT2, and littermate controls (LMC) with optical mapping (n=6). VF frequency (VFF) analysis showed wave propagation to be slowest in LQT2 in line with APD gradient in groups (LQT2=7.06Hz, LQT1=11.72Hz, LMC=12.14Hz). Despite low frequency in LQT2, complexity of VFs was comparable to LMC. Further pattern analysis revealed that LQT2 exhibited higher incidence of wave breaks per wave while LQT1 shows even lower than LMC (LQT2=0.374 vs. LQT1=0.234, LMC=0.320). These results highlight role of IKr vs. IKs in VF maintenance, suggesting that VFs in LQT1 and 2 are maintained by different mechanisms such as wave breaks and re-initiation of reentry vs. triggered activity.View Large Image | View Hi-Res Image | Download PowerPoint Slide
Global Tchebychev nets on complete two-dimensional Riemannian surfaces

Let S be a given surface. A local Tchebychev net on S is a coordinate chart of S such that the coordinate vector fields have unit magnitudes. It models physical surfaces which are reinforced with two sets of inextensible fibers. The angle between fibers of each set at any point is allowed to change. In this paper S is taken to be a two-dimensional, simply-connected, noncompact, complete Riemannian manifold on which the Gaussian curvature is assumed to have compact support. The existence of a global Tchebychev net on S is investigated.
Effects of body image on dieting, exercise, and anabolic steroid use in adolescent males

This cross-sectional survey study examined body image, dieting and exercise variables, and steroid use in 2,088 high-school graduates aged 18 years. In contrast to women, more men wished to gain (46%) rather than loose weight (32%). Men who wished to gain weight were more satisfied with their body shape, showed no fear of fatness, and dieted and exercised less frequently than did men who wished to lose weight. The prevalence of dieting was low (4%), even among men who wished to lose weight (9%), and physical exercise was more likely to be used for both weight loss and weight gain. Contrary to expectations, anabolic steroid use was rare (0.6%) and was not associated with a desire for weight gain. Steroid users were more likely to engage in running and swimming than football. The data did not support the notion that anabolic steroid use is widespread among high-school males.
Ion beam modification of metal-polymer interfaces for improved adhesion

Abstract The surfaces of Lexan Polycarbonate (PC) and ABS polymers were treated with low energy (300 eV) ion bombardment prior to and during deposition of a thin (200 nm) Al film. The effects on the adhesion characteristics, the type of ions used (Ar, N), and the type of bombardment (sputtering or during deposition) were studied for eight different deposition conditions for each polymer. The adhesion characteristics were compared by the tape and stud pull tests. The ion beam treatment caused substantial improvement in adhesion strength in all seven cases where sputtering was involved. In the case of the stud pull test for the PC samples, the failure was along the interface for the non-sputtered case only. In all others, with sputtering, we observed cohesive failure within the polymer, as confirmed by SEM. This suggests that the actual interface strength in all the sputtered cases was higher than that of the polymer itself. SEM, RBS, and profilometry were used to study the failure modes, Al film quality, and the effect of morphology on adhesion characteristics, respectively. Surface roughness did not seem to be an important factor for adhesion improvement. XPS studies suggest that the Al is bonded in identical ways at the bombarded and virgin interfaces. Improved adhesion is likely due to surface sputter cleaning.
The Role of RPE Cell-Associated VEGF189 in Choroidal Endothelial Cell Transmigration across the RPE

Purpose. To determine the role of vascular endothelial growth factor 189 (VEGF189) in choroidal endothelial cell (CEC) migration across the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and to explore the molecular mechanisms involved.
Time course of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide diaphorase staining after renal radiofrequency ablation influences viability assessment.

Background and Purpose: Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) diaphorase staining has been used to confirm cell viability or death after radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of renal tissue. The time c...
Distinct Hypothalamic Neurons Mediate Estrogenic Effects on Energy Homeostasis and Reproduction

Estrogens regulate body weight and reproduction primarily through actions on estrogen receptor-α (ERα). However, ERα-expressing cells mediating these effects are not identified. We demonstrate that brain-specific deletion of ERα in female mice causes abdominal obesity stemming from both hyperphagia and hypometabolism. Hypometabolism and abdominal obesity, but not hyperphagia, are recapitulated in female mice lacking ERα in hypothalamic steroidogenic factor-1 (SF1) neurons. In contrast, deletion of ERα in hypothalamic pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) neurons leads to hyperphagia, without directly influencing energy expenditure or fat distribution. Further, simultaneous deletion of ERα from both SF1 and POMC neurons causes hypometabolism, hyperphagia, and increased visceral adiposity. Additionally, female mice lacking ERα in SF1 neurons develop anovulation and infertility, while POMC-specific deletion of ERα inhibits negative feedback regulation of estrogens and impairs fertility in females. These results indicate that estrogens act on distinct hypothalamic ERα neurons to regulate different aspects of energy homeostasis and reproduction.
Inhibition of platelet secretion by an antagonist of intracellular calcium

The role of calcium in platelet secretion has been studied using an intracellular calcium antagonist, 8-(N,N-diethylamino)-octyl 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoate-HCL (TMB-8). TMB-8 caused a dose-dependent inhibition of both thrombin- and calcium ionophore (A23187)-induced secretion. Addition of calcium (but not Mg 2+ ) with ionophore overcame the inhibition as did simultaneous addition of thrombin and ionophore, and we conclude that TMB-8 inhibits a calcium dependent step in both thrombin- and ionophore-induced secretion, possibly by blocking release of calcium from an internal “trigger” pool. These experiments provide the most direct evidence yet that calcium is required for platelet secretion.
Weld defect formation in rail thermite welds

A previously developed heat transfer model is used to study the influence of welding parameters on weld defect development in thermite welds. Weld defect formation maps are constructed from a series of heat transfer simulations. For the current normal rail thermite weld- ing conditions, it is found that shrinkage cavity formation can be avoided but cold-lap and centre-line defects are likely to occur. This study also shows that increasing the preheating time or the liquid temperature can suppress the development of cold-lap and centre-line defects but can lead to a slightly higher microporosity content in the railhead as well. Alternatively, it is found that instead of increasing the preheating time or the liquid temperature, the same effect can be achieved by increasing the 25 mm weld gap (standard) to a slightly larger value.
Supercooling of molecular hydrogen in zeolite.

Studies of the nuclear spin echoes and spin-spin relaxation times ${\mathit{T}}_{2}$ of hydrogen constrained to the interior of the molecular cages of zeolite have shown that liquid hydrogen can be supercooled well below the limits previously reported. The ${\mathit{T}}_{2}$ values peak sharply at the liquid-solid transition temperatures which have a strong, hitherto unobserved orthohydrogen-concentration and sample dependence. A similar behavior in ${\mathit{T}}_{2}$ has been observed for an HD sample which has no orientational degrees of freedom.
Non-linear extreme quantum limit resistivity in graphite

Abstract Contrary to previous experiments, we find that the magnetoresistance above 8 tesla (80 kG) in graphite is not linear in magnetic field. The Hall and magnetoconductivities to 15 tesla are also studied.
Craniosynostosis: Esthetic protocol in open technique.

Introduction: The past two decades have seen advances relative to the treatment of patients with craniosynostosis in the areas of resorbable fixation, imaging, and both intraoperative and perioperative management. The purpose of this study is to present open cranial vault reshaping techniques and anesthetic protocol used at Louisiana State University Health - Shreveport, USA. Materials and Methods: The surgical procedure of choice was single-stage open cranial vault reshaping with barrel-staving and orbital bandeau advancement as needed for supra-orbital rim deficiencies. Results: The outcomes of single-stage cranial vault reshaping with selective postoperative dynamic orthotics yielded symmetrical and consistent clinical results with only three children out of over 100 cases requiring later surgical correction. Discussion: Our review of techniques provides a safe protocol for management of craniosynostosis with symmetrical clinical head shape. The techniques presented here are aimed at improving the multidisciplinary management of these patients.
A microsample collection device for electrostatically sorted cells or particles and its preparative use for biochemical analysis.

Biochemical analysis of proteins extracted from mammalian cell nuclei which were sorted according to DNA content was greatly simplified using a special collection device to recover sorted nuclei. The device was developed for use with a sorting flow cytometer to provide sufficient numbers of particles to achieve adequate sensitivity and resolution while minimizing sample degradation and loss. The design, evaluation and application of the collection device were described with emphasis on sample preparation. Nuclear populations G0 + G1, S, and G2 + M, were sorted from regenerating rat liver tissue preparations and collected separately in the special chambers. Nuclear proteins were extracted and analyzed by polyacrylamide gel isoelectric focusing or capillary isotachophoresis.
Spatial proximity of translocation-prone gene loci in human lymphomas

Cancer cells frequently have disease-specific chromosome rearrangements. It is poorly understood why translocations between chromosomes recur at specific breakpoints in the genome. Here we provide evidence that higher-order spatial genome organization is a contributing factor in the formation of recurrent translocations. We show that MYC, BCL and immunoglobulin loci, which are recurrently translocated in various B-cell lymphomas, are preferentially positioned in close spatial proximity relative to each other in normal B cells. Loci in spatial proximity are non-randomly positioned towards the nuclear interior in normal B cells. This locus proximity is the consequence of higher-order genome structure rather than a property of individual genes. Our results suggest that the formation of specific translocations in human lymphomas, and perhaps other tissues, is determined in part by higher-order spatial organization of the genome.
The role and impact of student leadership on participants in a healthy eating and physical activity programme

Objective:In the USA there are rising rates of obesity among children, at least in part due to unhealthy eating and physical inactivity. Implementing school-based health interventions with elementary school children focused on youth empowerment could lead to improved health environments and behaviours. The purpose of the present study was to examine elementary students’ perceptions of participating in a student-led school health improvement team. Empowerment theory guided the research, specifically the concept of including participants in programming to identify possible individual-level outcomes.Design:Qualitative research.Setting:One US elementary school formed a student-led school health improvement team, focusing on healthy eating and physical activity, comprising nine students and two adult co-advisers.Methods:Data collection included 19 individual interviews with students and advisers and four non-participant observations of team meetings and reform initiatives. To ensure the perceptions of the rese...
The Relationship between Gender, Comprehension, Processing Strategies, and Cognitive and Affective Response in Foreign Language Listening.

and written text is becoming increasingly popular in the foreign language (FL) curriculum.' This shift reflects the acknowledgment that the ultimate goal of FL instruction is to enable learners to interact with native speakers of the target language. Two areas not fully understood involve first, how learners process different kinds of authentic input; and second, whether or not gender differences reported in previous second language (L2) research figure in the processing of, comprehension of, or affective response to authentic input. With authentic input, providing learners with appropriate advance organizers and comprehension strategies is probably insufficient. Rather, instruction must also reflect task differences and
Socialization of Sex Roles In The Counseling Setting: Differential Counselor Behavioral and Attitudinal Responses to Typical and Atypical Female Sex Roles.

Counseling and therapy have frequently been attacked by feminists for the role they play in socializing women to a limited and ultimately untenable sex role. Male counselors in particular have been singled out as special oppressors of women. This study attempted to determine whether, in fact, counselor behavior and attitudes operated as a means of sex-role socialization, and whether male counselors tended to be more biased than female counselors when interacting with female clients. Subjects were eight male and eight female graduate students in counseling psychology who conducted initial interview sessions with two client-confederates, volunteer graduate students trained in role-playing situations representing a typical and an atypical sex-role condition. Videotapes of the interviews were subsequently analyzed to assess counselor reinforcement patterns of specific client “cue” sentences. In addition to these behavioral data, paper-and-pencil inventories were used to determine counselors' perception of clients, counselors' degree of attitudinal sex-stereotyping, and client-confederates' subjective evaluation of counselors. Contrary to expectations, results indicated that counselors as a whole exhibited more behavioral bias with typical than with atypical clients. Further, counselors reacted more positively toward the atypical than toward the typical clients, and counselor response to a global sex-role inventory indicated that counselors described the healthy, well-adjusted female as significantly more instrumental than the healthy, well-adjusted male. Female counselors appeared to be both more reinforcing and less punishing than male counselors with female clients in both roles, as well as less behaviorally biased than the male counselors. Female counselors also evaluated the atypical clients more positively than did the male counselors, and were in turn evaluated more positively than were the male counselors by clients in both roles. The study concludes with a discussion of implications for counselor training.
Acyl Protection Strategy for Synthesis of a Protic NHC Complex via N-Acyl Methanolysis†

In a new strategy for the synthesis of protic NHC complexes, iridium and rhodium complexes of N-benzoyl-substituted NHCs are first generated by direct deprotonation of an acyl-protected imidazolium salt. Deprotection of the acyl group with methanol then gives methyl benzoate and the protic NHC. This sequence represents a new strategy for the synthesis of protic NHC complexes. We expect this strategy to have useful generality.
An Ergonomic Comparison of Robotic and Laparoscopic Technique: The Influence of Surgeon Experience and Task Complexity

Background This study compares the mental and physical workload of laparoscopic and robotic technique while performing simulated surgical tasks in a laboratory setting. Materials and methods Ten volunteer surgeons performed two tasks in a laparoscopic trainer using laparoscopic (LAP) and robotic (ROB) techniques. Outcome measures included: Task time, task-error, vertical/horizontal arm displacement, percent maximum electromyographic signal from the thenar, forearm flexor, and deltoid muscle compartments, skin conductance, and perceived difficulty and discomfort levels. A two-way repeated-measures ANOVA compared surgical technique and laparoscopic experience level (E = expert, N = novice). Results For the simple task, ROB technique was slower and had higher errors, and the surgeon’s arm was more elevated. For the complex task, ROB electromyographic signal was lower. Stress was lower in both tasks for ROB, but the decrease was not statistically significant. Conclusions Robotic technique appears slower and less precise than laparoscopic technique for simple tasks, but equally fast and possibly less stressful for complex tasks. Previous laparoscopic experience has a complex influence on the physical and mental adaptation to robotic surgery.
Nitric oxide mediates long-term hyperalgesic and antinociceptive effects of the N-terminus of substance P in the formalin assay in mice.

Conditions such as hyperalgesia can occur days or months after the noxious insult. Substance P (SP) is released in response to noxious stimuli. Given the long-term effects of the N-terminus of SP on putative nociceptive transmitters, we investigated changes in formalin-induced nociception following an accumulation of SP N-terminal metabolites in mice. Pre-treatment with the N-terminal metabolite of SP, SP(1-7), was without effect when injected intrathecally (i.t.) 5 or 30 min before formalin. However, at 24 h, SP(1-7) increased behaviors during Phase 1, indicating hyperalgesia, and attenuated Phase 2 responses, consistent with antinociception. The nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitor, N omega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester HCl (L-NAME), blocked both hyperalgesic and antinociceptive effects when co-injected with SP(1-7). Consistent with a NO-mediated pathway, L-arginine (L-arg), the N-terminal amino acid of SP and precursor to NO, mimicked the antinociceptive effect of SP(1-7) on Phase 2. The hyperalgesic effect of SP(1-7) in Phase 1, which was not mimicked by L-arg, was prevented by D-SP(1-7), a SP(1-7) antagonist. Thus, SP(1-7) modulates nociception via two distinct NO-mediated pathways. When injected for 7 days, tolerance developed to the antinociceptive effect of SP(1-7) on Phase 2, but not to the hyperalgesic effect on Phase 1. Intraperitoneally injected SP(1-7) also produced hyperalgesia during Phase 1, to which tolerance developed following seven daily injections. Together, these data support the hypothesis that an accumulation of SP N-terminal metabolites, either peripherally or within the spinal cord area, is sufficient for long-term modulation of multiple types of nociception with hyperalgesic responses being most persistent.
A Study of the Nonlinear Optical Transmittance in a Variety of TCNQ-Based Organometallic Colloidal Suspensions

Optical limiting in a series of novel aqueous colloidal suspensions is investigated. The suspensions consist of an organometallic charge-transfer complex based on the organic acceptor 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ). We report on the synthesis of the organometallic complexes and their effectiveness at limiting nanosecond pulses at 532 nm. It is shown that some of the charge-transfer systems can effectively attenuate pulses at rates up to 10 Hz while other systems require continuous agitation in order to most efficiently limit the laser radiation. Finally we discuss the reversible field-induced phase transition that produces the observed nonlinear absorption.
Speech database development at MIT: Timit and beyond

Abstract Automatic speech recognition by computers can provide the most natural and efficient method of communication between humans and computers. While in recent years high performance speech recognition systems are beginning to emerge from research institutions, scientists unequivocally agree that the deployment of speech recognition systems into realistic operating environments will require many hours of speech data to help us model the inherent variability in the speech signal. This paper describes the experiences of researchers at MIT in the collection of two large speech databases which have somewhat complementary objectives. The timit database was designed to be task and speaker-independent, and is suitable for general acoustic-phonetic research. The voyager database, on the other hand, was intended for development and evaluation of a system which incorporates both speech and natural language processing. This database is particularly valuable as a source of spontaneous utterances elicited in a realistic goal-oriented environment.
The Fate of the Postresection Space

s nature abhors a vacuum, so does the thoracic surgeon abhor a residual space after resecting pulmonary tissue. The basic prinA ciples of thoracic surgery dictate that rapid expansion of remaining lung be obtained to fill the space following partial lung resection. In the majority of instances this goal is achieved, but occasionally following removal of the postthoracotomy catheters, residual air will remain in the pleural space. With what concern should these residual spaces be viewed? What factors are operative in bringing them about, and what hazard, if any, are they to the patient? How vigorous should one be in attempting to obliterate the space? Should aspiration, institution of tube drainage, reoperation, or tailoring thoracoplasty be considered, or will the problem resolve itself? In short, what is the expected fate of these spaces? In the past some surgeons have advocated early and aggressive surgical treatment of postresection spaces [3, 4, 6, 101. Unwarranted assumptions were made that all such spaces represented persistent bronchopleural fistulas affording entrance to the space of pathogenic organisms and, inevitably, empyema [3, 4, 61. This belief evolved in the preantibiotic era and primarily concerned tuberculosis patients. Today resections for nontuberculous pulmonary disease far outnumber those for tuberculosis, and the use of antibiotic therapy in all types of pulmonary resection is common practice. Because old beliefs die slowly, this study was undertaken to dispel any clouds of doubt surrounding the fate of residual postresection pleural spaces in the modern era.
Electron impact excitation coefficients for laboratory and astrophysical plasmas

Electron impact excitation rate coefficients have been obtained for a number of transitions in highly ionized ions of interest to astrophysical and laboratory plasmas. The calculations were done using the method of distorted waves. Results are presented for various transitions in highly ionized Ne, Na, Al, Si, A, Ca, Ni and Fe.
Fatty acid synthesis in fetal lung

Abstract De novo fatty acid synthesis in lung is significant during fetal growth and development. Specific activity and relative rate of synthesis of fatty acid synthetase increase with the days of gestational age and drop significantly after birth. Fetal lungs contain thyroid hormone receptors and binding capacities of this hormone to the fetal lungs also increase with the days of gestational age. Our results suggest that de novo fatty acid synthesis in fetal lungs may make a significant contribution towards surfactant synthesis.
Developing systems for cost-effective auditing of clinical trials

Auditing a clinical trial is a complex process designed to ensure that the trial will provide a reliable answer to the question being posed. Traditional auditing methods are expensive, and escalate the cost of clinical trials. This paper describes approaches to cost-effective monitoring of clinical trials, such as integrating them with clinical practice and focusing the data being collected. Sampling methods for source documentation can be used to eliminate costs incurred by reviewing every record. These measures, coupled with prospective clinical judgment about areas of concern in the conduct of trials, can reduce complications and costs without sacrificing quality.
The “Special Topics” in the Rhetoric: A Reconsideration

This article attempts to demonstrate that the so-called Special Topics in Aristotle's Rhetoric are neither idia/eidē, endoxa, the traditional logos, nor pisteis as these terms are typically understood within the Aristotelian texts. After an analysis of these important technical terms, I conclude that the material in Rhetoric 1.4–15 is neither of these. Then, analyzing 1.4 as an example section, I argue that the bulk of the material in 1.4–15 is to be understood as previously independent texts, much of which was written for a non-rhetorical context, that were then inserted into a text that has become our Rhetoric by an editor who also added his own (awkward) transitions in order to try to seam these previously independent texts into a more coherent whole. This conclusion suggests that there may not have been a systematic or coherent conception of rhetoric within the Peripatetic school even as late as the first-century BCE when Andronicus edited Aristotle's texts—including the Rhetoric—into their form that ...
An award for cell biology.

This remark, made by Gunter Blobel on American television after winning the 1999 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine, was hardly uncharacteristic: the six-foot, snowy-haired Rockefeller University professor was typically, generously, extending his prize to all of us who toil 'midst the
Pietism and Pentecostalism: Spiritual Cousins or Competitors?

Abstract Scholars of Pentecostalism typically trace the movement’s roots to the Wesleyan-Holiness movement and the healing revivals of the nineteenth century. Often overlooked is the influence of Pietism on early Pentecostalism. Pietism began as a spiritual renewal movement among Lutherans in late sixteenth- and early seventeenth-century Germany, but its ethos of unmediated spiritual experience of God filtered into the stream of European and North American evangelical Christianity. Outbreaks of speaking in tongues and other ecstatic experiences happened among Scandinavian Pietist immigrants in Chicago and the upper Midwest of North America several years before the birth of Pentecostalism in Topeka and at Azusa Street in the first decade of the twentieth century. Pietists and Pentecostals are spiritual cousins who can learn from each other.
An Effective Thermal Model for FinFET Structure

This brief presents a physics-based thermal model for FinFET structure that is constructed mainly based on the concept of characteristic thermal lengths representing various heat loss paths for heat conduction along each segment of the fins, channel, and metal/poly wires. The model is calibrated by extracting the thermal resistances and thermal lengths describing the heat conduction and losses in each segment and extended to multifin structure to account for thermal coupling between fins. The accuracy of the model is demonstrated against 3-D numerical simulations.
Anesthetics block morphine‐induced increases in serotonin release in rat CNS

The effect of morphine on serotonin (5-HT) was examined by microdialysis in unanesthetized and anesthetized rats. In unanesthetized rats, morphine (10 mg/kg, s.c.) produced increases in extracellular 5-HT in nucleus accumbens (n. accumbens) and dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN), but not in the dorsal hippocampus. Similarly, extracellular 5-HT in the n. accumbens, but not the dorsal hippocampus, was increased after morphine (1 mM) was infused for 60 min by reverse dialysis into the DRN. Chloral hydrate, pentobarbital, and ketamine anesthesia had different effects on 5-HT in the n. accumbens. Chloral hydrate induced a transient increase and ketamine a sustained increase in extracellular 5-HT. Pentobarbital caused a sustained decrease. The effects of systemic and intraraphe administration of morphine were abolished by all three anesthetics. Infusion of muscimol, a GABAA receptor agonist, into the DRN also induced a decrease in 5-HT and abolished the effects of morphine on 5-HT in the DRN and n. accumbens. These results are consistent with other evidence suggesting that morphine-induced increases in monoamine neurotransmission are a disinhibitory effect resulting from opioid-mediated inhibition of GABA release. More conclusively, it is apparent that anesthetized animals are inappropriate for testing the effect of morphine on 5-HT neurotransmission.
Predictors of efficacy of amiodarone and characteristics of recurrence of arrhythmia in patients with sustained ventricular tachycardia and coronary artery disease.

The value of serial electropharmacologic testing during long-term oral amiodarone therapy for prediction of long-term drug efficacy as well as characteristics of arrhythmia recurrence is controversial. One-hundred four consecutive patients with coronary artery disease and sustained ventricular tachyarrhythmias (VT) underwent initial electrophysiologic (EP) evaluation in the drug-free state and again after an amiodarone loading period of 25 +/- 14 days (mean +/- SD). Twenty-six patients (25%) had no inducible ventricular tachyarrhythmia during therapy with amiodarone (VT control group), whereas arrhythmia inducibility persisted in the remaining 78 patients (VT noncontrol group). During 17.4 +/- 13.7 months of follow-up, two patients in the VT control group either had VT recurrence or died suddenly compared with 21 VT recurrences and eight sudden cardiac deaths in the VT noncontrol group (actuarial event rates at 36 months of 0.11 and 0.56, respectively, p = .0065). The cycle lengths of recurrent VT in thes...
Determination of Reductones, Furans and Organic Acids in Aqueous Model Matrices Using Solid-Phase Extraction and Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry

A method using solid-phase extraction (SPE) and GC-MS was developed for the determination of a series of polar and unstable flavor compounds: reductones, furans and volatile organic acids, in aqueous model matrices. The SPE procedures were optimized mainly on the pH-dependency of the analytes with regard to their adsorption characteristics. Good recovery of the reductones except DDMP was obtained at pH 2 and 4.5. Furan derivatives were generally recovered in high yields under the acidic to neutral pH conditions examined. All organic acids were recovered almost quantitatively at pH 2. An essentially comparable result was obtained in a model Maillard reaction mixture. In order to apply this method to alcoholic beverages, effect of the ethanol concentration on the SPE adsorption of the analytes was also investigated.
Just Say no to Binomial (and other Discrete Distributions) Tables

Abstract A proposal is made to take advantage of (a) exact relations between the tails of discrete distributions and those of continuous distributions, and (b) the computing environment today that easily enables the computation of the tail probabilities associated with common, continuous distributions. The proposal will enable one to compute probabilities for the Binomial distribution (and those of other common discrete distributions) without the use of tables or inadequate approximation methods.
Corrective gene transfer in the human skin disorder lamellar ichthyosis

Lamellar ichthyosis (LI) is a disfiguring skin disease characterized by abnormal epidermal differentiation and defective cutaneous barrier function. LI has been associated with loss of keratinocyte transglutaminase 1 (TGase1), an enzyme believed necessary for normal formation of the cornified epidermal barrier. Using LI as a prototype for therapeutic cutaneous gene delivery, we have used the human skin/immunodeficient mouse xenograft model to correct the molecular, histologic and functional abnormalities of LI patient skin in vivo. We have used TGase1-deficient primary keratinocytes from LI patients combined with high-efficiency transfer of functional TGase1 to regenerate engineered human LI epidermis on immunodeficient mice. Engineered LI epidermis displayed normal TGase1 expression in vivo, unlike unengineered LI epidermis where TGase1 was absent. Epidermal architecture was also normalized by TGase1 restoration, as was expression of the epidermal differentiation marker filaggrin. Engineered LI skin demonstrated restoration of cutaneous barrier function measures to levels seen in epidermis regenerated by keratinocytes from patients with normal skin, indicating functional correction in vivo of the proposed primary pathophysiologic defect in LI. These results confirm a major role for TGase1 in epidermal differentiation and demonstrate a potential future approach to therapeutic gene delivery in human skin.
Overexpression of synuclein‐γ in pancreatic adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND Currently, pancreatic adenocarcinoma is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States. Despite the advances in pancreatic carcinoma research, patients with this devastating disease have a very poor prognosis. To identify the gene expression profile of pancreatic carcinoma, an important step in the process of developing new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies, the authors investigated the alteration of gene expression in this disease. METHODS The authors analyzed a public serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE) database and examined in greater detail the expression of synuclein-γ mRNA in several pancreatic carcinoma cell lines and tumor tissue samples by reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis and Northern blot analysis. The expression of synuclein-γ protein was investigated further by immunohistochemical and Western blot analyses using tumor cell lines, tumor tissue, and serum samples. RESULTS Synuclein-γ mRNA was overexpressed in 11 of 12 pancreatic carcinoma cell lines, including AsPc-1, MDAPanc28, Capan-1, Capan-2, PANC-1, HS766T, MDAPanc3, MDAPanc48, Colo357FG, MiaPaCa2, CFPac1, and BxPc3. The expression of synuclein-γ protein was detectable in 8 of 12 pancreatic carcinoma cell lines (67%) and in 22 of 32 pancreatic tumor tissue samples (69%) by Western blot analysis. On immunohistochemical staining, synuclein-γ protein was present in 61% of the tumor tissue samples examined from patients with Stage I and II pancreatic carcinoma. The overexpression of synuclein-γ is correlated with perineural and lymph node invasion. Synuclein-γ protein also was detectable by Western blot in serum samples from 21 of 56 patients (38%) with pancreatic carcinoma. CONCLUSIONS Synuclein-γ, which initially was described as a breast carcinoma–specific gene involved in invasion, metastasis, and chemotherapy resistance, was frequently overexpressed in pancreatic carcinoma. Overexpression of synuclein-γ may play a role in pancreatic carcinoma invasion. Further studies will be necessary to determine the role of synuclein-γ in pancreatic carcinoma. Cancer 2004. © 2004 American Cancer Society.
Water trapped in silica microspheres

Over the last three decades water confined in mesoporous silica has been studied extensively. In the vast majority of these studies the water was loaded after the synthesis, which allows the water to be easily released again from the silica at any given time. While this is an advantage for various applications it is a serious disadvantage if considered as a material for neutron moderators. However, if the water is trapped inside the silica during the synthesis this release process is hindered. It is therefore the aim of this paper to investigate water trapped in silica mesospheres during synthesis and to investigate the properties and the structure of the confined water.