cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
RIG-I Enhanced Interferon Independent Apoptosis upon Junin Virus Infection

Junin virus (JUNV) is the etiological agent of Argentine hemorrhagic fever (AHF), a human disease with a high case-fatality rate. It is widely accepted that arenaviral infections, including JUNV infections, are generally non-cytopathic. In contrast, here we demonstrated apoptosis induction in human lung epithelial carcinoma (A549), human hepatocarcinoma and Vero cells upon infection with the attenuated Candid#1 strain of, JUNV as determined by phosphatidylserine (PS) translocation, Caspase 3 (CASP3) activation, Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) cleavage and/or chromosomal DNA fragmentation. Moreover, as determined by DNA fragmentation, we found that the pathogenic Romero strain of JUNV was less cytopathic than Candid#1 in human hepatocarcinoma and Vero, but more apoptotic in A549 and Vero E6 cells. Additionally, we found that JUNV-induced apoptosis was enhanced by RIG-I signaling. Consistent with the previously reported role of RIG-I like helicase (RLH) signaling in initiating programmed cell death, we showed that cell death or DNA fragmentation of Candid#1-infected A549 cells was decreased upon siRNA or shRNA silencing of components of RIG-I pathway in spite of increased virus production. Similarly, we observed decreased DNA fragmentation in JUNV-infected human hepatocarcinoma cells deficient for RIG-I when compared with that of RIG-I-competent cells. In addition, DNA fragmentation detected upon Candid#1 infection of type I interferon (IFN)-deficient Vero cells suggested a type I IFN-independent mechanism of apoptosis induction in response to JUNV. Our work demonstrated for the first time apoptosis induction in various cells of mammalian origin in response to JUNV infection and partial mechanism of this cell death.
An initial description of alternative male reproductive phenotypes in the bluebanded goby, Lythrypnus dalli (Teleostei, Gobiidae)

Contrary to the generally accepted life history theory regarding sequential hermaphroditism (‘size-advantage model’), we have recently identified ‘mini males’ in Lythrypnus dalli, the bluebanded goby. These are small (female-sized) fish that appear male based on their external genitalia. We investigated the reproductive anatomy and demography of these mini males. Based on their small size and the sexual plasticity of this species, we expected that mini males are not actually reproductively functioning males. However, when we examined their gonad anatomy, with particular attention to the male-typical accessory gonadal structure (AGS), we found that mini males have gonads that are comparable to those of nesting males in relative size and the percentage of tissue that is ‘male’ (testicular and AGS). Although this is contradictory to theories of sperm competition in alternative male phenotypes, reproductive strategies of these two types of males were clearly distinguishable based on their AGS content – as described in other examinations of differing ejaculate quality in alternative male phenotypes in the Gobiidae. Regular sampling of the L. dalli population showed that mini males make up a small fraction of the small size classes and that as the breeding season progressed, mini male frequency decreased and standard length increased significantly – thus allowing us to discuss their role within the social system. Based on these findings as well as comparisons with other species with multiple male phenotypes, we can begin to categorize L. dalli males as either bourgeois or parasitic, primarily based on their secondary sex characteristics and AGS contents.
Maxwell's demon and the entropy cost of information

We present an analysis of Szilard's one-molecule Maxwell's demon, including a detailed entropy accounting, that suggests a general theory of the entropy cost of information. It is shown that the entropy of the demon increases during the expansion step, due to the decoupling of the molecule from the measurement information. It is also shown that there is an entropy symmetry between the measurement and erasure steps, whereby the two steps additivelv share a constant entropy change, but the proportion that occurs during each of the two steps is arbitrary. Therefore the measurement step may be accompanied by an entropy increase, a decrease, or no change at all, and likewise for the erasure step. Generalizing beyond the demon, decorrelation between a physical system and information about that system always causes an entropy increase in the joint system comprised of both the original system and the information. Decorrelation causes a net entropy increase in the universe unless, as in the Szilard demon, the information is used to decrease entropy elsewhere before the correlation is lost. Thus, information is thermodynamically costly precisely to the extent that it is not used to obtain work from the measured system.
Electrochemical characterization of self-assembly process of nano-scaled polyoxomolybdate (NH4)42[MoVI72MoV60O372(CH3COO)30(H2O)72]·ca.300H2O

Abstract Cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical admittance were used to characterize the self-assembly process of nano-scaled spheres of polyoxomolybdate (NH4)42[MoVI72MoV60O372(CH3COO)30(H2O)72]·ca.300H2O·ca.10CH3COONH4) or {Mo132}. Cyclic voltammetry indicated that the self-assembly process could be detected after 8 h and completed after one day. Electrochemical admittance showed that the molybdenum species in the CH3COONH4-CH3COOH buffer (pH 4.46) were totally different from those in the pure (NH4)6Mo7O24 solution (pH 5.54) and the (NH4)6Mo7O24 solution (pH 4.21) acidified by hydrochloric acid. However, the molybdate species in the latter two solutions should be mixtures of non-protonated and/or protonated [Mo7O24]6− and [Mo8O26]4− anions. Detailed analysis of admittance results could support the existence of the molybdate species related to the {MoVI6} fragment which was one of the components of {Mo132} clusters. Admittance results on the self-assembly process were coincident with those from cyclic voltammetry.
Parathyroid hyperplasia and carcinoma within one gland

Abstract A 47-year-old Scottish woman vacationing in the United States presented with a serum calcium level greater than 20 mg/dl and a parathyroid hormone level 16 times greater than normal after a one-week history of severe vomiting and unrelenting abdominal pain. Surgical exploration of the thymus revealed the very rare association of a large (7 by 4 by 0.8 cm) parathyroid carcinoma adjacent to apparently normal parathyroid tissue, separated by a thin fibrous band. Two other hyperplastic and one normal parathyroid glands were also identified. Postoperatively, the patient became hypocalcemic and, for the past nine months, has received maintenance 1-α-hydroxycholecalciferol therapy (1 μg per day) with normal calcium and barely detectable parathyroid hormone levels.
A comparison of the Low Mode and Monte Carlo conformational search methods

Abstract The Low Mode (LM) and Monte Carlo (MC) conformational search methods were compared on three diverse molecular systems; (4R, 5S, 6S, 7R)-hexahydro-5,6-dihydroxy-1,3,4,7-tetrakis(phenylmethyl)-2H-1,3-diazapin-2-one (1), 2-methoxy-2-phenyl-2-triflouromethyl-N-α-methyl benzyl propanamide (2) and a trimeric 39-membered polyazamacrolide (3). We find that either method, or a combination of the methods, is equally efficient at searching the conformational space of the smaller molecular systems while a 50:50 hybrid of Low Mode and Monte Carlo is most efficient at searching the space of the larger molecular system.
Delay in meal termination follows blockade of N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors in the dorsal hindbrain

We have reported that rats increased their intake of food, but not water, following an intraperitoneal injection of MK-801, a non-competitive antagonist of N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA)-activated ion channels. The antagonist appears to specifically interfere with signals that participate in meal termination (satiety), thereby prolonging the meal and increasing its size. The anatomical site at which MK-801 acts to increase food intake is not known. However, vagal sensory neurons are known to participate in satiation for food. Furthermore, NMDA receptor immunoreactivity is present in the caudal nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) where vagal sensory fibers terminate. Therefore, we hypothesized that MK-801 might increase food intake by blocking NMDA receptors in the NTS. To test this hypothesis, we microinjected MK-801 directly into the hindbrain, immediately prior to a deprivation-induced meal of 15% sucrose. We found that sucrose intake was significantly increased following injection of MK-801 (2 μg/3 μl) into the fourth ventricle. When MK-801 was injected directly into the caudomedial NTS, intake was increased significantly by doses as small as 198 ng/30 nl, while equivalent injections into other hindbrain areas or the fourth ventricle did not increase food intake. These data are consistent with control of food intake by endogenous glutamate and NMDA-type glutamate receptors located in the caudomedial NTS.
Interconnection Limits on XXI Century Gigascale Integration (GSI)

Throughout the past four decades, both the productivity and performance of microelectronics technology have advanced at exponential rates. In reality, exponential advances do not continue endlessly. Consequently, the purpose of this discussion is a systematic assessment of early XXI century opportunities for multi-billion transistor chips or gigascale integration (GSI).
Evidence of the impact of mandatory changes in accounting principles on corporate loan agreements

Abstract The Theory in this paper predicts that mandatory changes in accounting princples can affect the measurement rules defined in restrictive covenants in firms' lending agreements. Consequently, those mandatory changes can have an impact on the value of a firm's equity, even if the changes appear to be merely ‘cosmetic’. This contracting cost theory is tested by examining of both event-related and cross-sectional abnormal performance of the equity of a sample of firms when the Accounting Princples Board changes accounting princples for business combinations. The theory provides, at best, in incomplete explanation of the observed abnormal performance.
Regulatory Revolution: Evolving the “Anti-LacI” Repressor

Much of adaptation is based upon changes in gene expression, but the emergence of new regulatory logic has not been observed directly. Now, Poelwijk et al. report evolving the lac repressor (LacI) to reverse its regulatory logic, resulting in an “anti-LacI” that represses transcription when bound to its “inducer.”
Combustion of carbon. Effect of sulfur dioxide

Although sulfur dioxide is generated in most combustion processes involving carbonaceous fuels, not much attention has been paid to its effect on combustion. However, it has been found that, below 500/sup 0/C, SO/sub 2/ retards the oxidation reaction of carbon by O/sub 2/; and a sulfoxy species was found on the carbon surface which was held responsible for the retardation. In this report, the observation of a prominent transient effect caused by SO/sub 2/ at higher temperatures is presented.
Relationship Between Body Condition Score and Composition of Ninth to Eleventh Rib Tissue in Holstein Dairy Cows

Abstract Fifty-six cull Holstein dairy cows with various body condition scores were followed to slaughter. prior to slaughter, cows were weighed on a digital scale, hook to hook and hook to pin dimensions were measured, and age was estimated by dentition. Twenty-four hours after slaughter, 9th to 11th rib sections were collected and weighed, and bone-free tissue was dissected and weighed. Deboned tissue was freeze-dried, ground, and analyzed for DM, ether extract, CP, and ash. One unit increase of body condition change was associated with a change of 56kg live weight and 12.65% ether extract and –12.20% CP. Tissue DM increased by 7.23% per unit of body condition increase, largely due to increase in the percentage of ether extract. Regression of composition on body condition score revealed r 2 of .69 for DM, .61 for CP, and .57 for ether extract. Body condition score is highly correlated with composition of the 9th to 11th rib tissue.
Multiplexed interferometer for ultrasonic imaging applications

A multiplexed laser interferometer is presented that allows for the simultaneous detection of acoustic waves from a number of points on the surface of a specimen. Phase gratings are used to create an array of laser beams that are directed to the specimen. The beams are collected using a lens system, combined with a single reference beam in a photorefractive crystal, and imaged on separate photodetector elements. Detection of surface acoustic waves scattered from a defect in an aluminum specimen is demonstrated using a nine-element receiver. Focusing of the array interferometer, by applying appropriate phase shifts between the detected signals, is also shown. The wide bandwidth and noncontact nature of this receiver make it well suited for phased array detection and ultrasonic imaging applications.
STUDIES ON BLOOD COAGULATION : IV. THE NATURE OF THE CLOTTING DEFICIENCY IN HEMOPHILIA.

Despite their reported stability, the platelets of hemophilic blood function normally. The prothrombin content of such plasma is also normal. Confirming the findings of Addis, the delayed coagulation observed in hemophilic blood is due to an unexplained retarded activation of prothrombin to thrombin. The addition of an excess of platelets, whether normal, hemophilic, or animal in origin, accelerates thrombin production and makes hemophilic blood clot normally; but cephalin, despite the fact that it accelerates thrombin production in normal plasma, is unexplainedly ineffective when added to hemophilic plasma.
Drug encapsulation and release from multilamellar and unilamellar liposomes

Abstract The concept of using liposomes as carriers for the delivery of drugs is well established, and the liposomal incorporation of various molecules, including peptides and proteins, has been described. In this study, propranolol (PPL) and atenolol (ATL) were used as model drugs to measure the encapsulation efficiency and release characteristics from multilamellar (MLV) and small unilamellar (SUV) liposomes. MLVs were prepared by hydration of thin lipid films and agitation using PPL and ATL solutions in phosphate-buffered saline (pH 7.4). Unilamellar liposomes were prepared by sonicating these MLVs. The non-encapsulated drug was separated either by centrifugation (MLV) or by size exclusion chromatography (SUV). The encapsulation of ATL and PPL was higher in small unilamellar liposomes. The encapsulation of PPL was higher than ATL in multi- as well as in unilamellar liposomes. The rate of drug efflux from liposomes was determined in vitro at 37°C and pH 7.4. The maximum release of both ATL and PPL was found with DSPC MLVs and DMPC: CHOL: DCP SUVs. The liposomal encapsulation and release of drug molecules are governed by the lipophilicity of drug molecules, type of liposomes and lipid composition.
On the Continuous Trajectories for a Potential Reduction Algorithm for Linear Programming

For a possibly degenerate linear program minx{cTx; Ax = b, x â¥ 0} A is an m × n real matrix, b ∈ Rm and c ∈ Rn, whose optimal value is 0, we study the limiting behavior of the trajectories of the family of vector fields I¦qx âi -XPAX [Xc-qâi1cTx1]. for all values of q â¥ n, where X is the diagonal matrix associated with x and PAX is the projection operator onto the null space of AX. A polynomial algorithm based on the directions I¦qx has been presented by Gonzaga [6] when q = n or q = n + ân. We show that all trajectories of I¦qx converge to the unique "center" of the optimal face of the given linear program. When this face consists of a unique vertex, it is shown that any trajectory of I¦qx approaches this vertex along the same direction. When the optimal face consists of more than one point, we show that there is a threshold value I > 0 such that: for q > I, "most" of the trajectories of I¦qx converge to the "center" tangentially to the optimal face and that the direction of approach of a trajectory of I¦qx depends on the initial condition: for q < I q = I, the trajectories of I¦qx converge to the "center" along a unique direction along several directions which depend on the initial condition forming a positive angle with the optimal face.
Ultrastructure of cultured hepatocytes from fat- and cholesterol-fed rats

Hepatocytes were enzymatically dissociated from the livers of rats maintained for eight weeks on diets of (1) standard rat chow, (2) chow plus 20% olive oil, and (3) chow plus 20% olive oil and 2% cholesterol. Cells were cultured for up to one week and characterized by phase contrast light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Cultured hepatocytes derived from the cholesterol-fed rats (3) were distinguishable by phase contrast light microscopy from those derived from chow-or chow plus olive oil-fed (1 and 2) cells, since they contained numerous refractile cytoplasmic structures. Transmission electron microscopy demonstrated that these structures were lipid droplets. Hepatocytes were observed to accumulate non-membrane bound cytoplasmic lipid droplets in the order control-fed <olive oil-fed <cholesterol-fed. In addition to varying quantitatively among the feeding groups, lipid droplets also varied in size and osmiophilia as a function of the feeding regimen. Other than the differential accumulation of lipid droplets, the ultrastructure of the cultured hepatocytes was similar among cells derived from the various feeding groups.
The Influence of Music on Memory

Resume On a fait quatre experiences differentes pour tester l'influence de la musique sur la memoire. Dans la premiere experience, la musique a servi comme condition prealable a l'apprentissage des paroles d'une connotation joyeuse ou triste. La musique a ete une marche rapide, “Marche des Lilas”, et une marche lente funebre, “La Mort d'Ase”. Dans les trois autres experiences, la musique a servi comme contexte pendant le processus de l'apprentissage. La musique employee dans la deuxieme experience a ete la měme que celle employee dans la premiere, et la matiere a apprendre s'est composee de mots monosyllabes. Dans la troisieme experience, on a employe quatre sortes de musique, et on a appris des mots monosyllabes, presentes en series au moyen d'un tambour de memoire opere manuellement, selon la methode de l'anticipation. Les sujets ont rappele et ont reappris apres une periode de quinze minutes, l'intervalle entre l'apprentissage et le rappel etant rempli d'une activite constante. On a appris de la poesie...
Pesticidal effect on soybean-rhizobia symbiosis

Relative compatibility of selected pesticides at two levels of application (recommended rate and 5× or 10 ×) with soybean-rhizobia symbiosis was tested in pot culture experiments using a prepared peat inoculant. PCNB, carboxin and carboxin+captan at recommended level were innocuous to growth, nodulation, N2-fixation and total N content of shoot. Carboxin and carboxin+captan but not PCNB at 10 times recommended level proved detrimental to nodulation and N2-fixation. Carbaryl and malathion at recommended level had no adverse effect but at 10 times recommended level severely reduced N2-fixation but not other parameters. Acephate, diazinon and toxaphene at both levels reduced N2-fixation and total N content but not growth and nodulation. All five herbicides used at recommended and 5 times recommended level adversely affected nodulation and N2-fixation. Glyphosate proved least toxic to all parameters. 2,4-DB at recommended level was less harmful to nodulation and N2-fixation than trifluralin, alachlor and metribuzin.
The essence of what we do

This article reports on Connexion, OCLC’s new integrated toolset developed as its next generation cataloging system. The author considers the ever‐changing nature of technical services in light of technological evolutions, budget constraints, and the expectations of academic library users. The article also looks at the importance of education for in‐training and practicing catalog librarians.
The adolescent varicocele: current issues.

Introduction The incidence of varicoceles in adult men is approximately the same as that for adolescent boys, whether they are from Belgium, Denmark, or are of African American decent (ie, approximately 15%) [1–3]. Thirty to 41% of men evaluated for infertility are diagnosed with a left varicocele [4–6]. Although two thirds of these men will demonstrate improved semen parameters postoperatively, only 40% will achieve paternity, which is a result that is less than ideal [6]. Therefore, it would be worthwhile to select out those who might benefit from earlier surgery, perhaps even in adolescence. After all, it has been documented that abnormal semen parameters can occur even before the age 20 years [6,7]. A number of issues have been brought to light regarding the adolescent varicocele. In this commentary we address the most important issues including 1) the progressive nature of the adolescent varicocele; 2) the degree of asymmetry that beckons surgery; 3) the wide variability in percentage of repairs performed bilaterally in published adolescent series; 4) the choice of surgical procedure to be performed; and 5) postvaricocelectomy hydroceles. Ipsilateral testicular hypotrophy is a frequent finding in boys, with a varicocele existing in 60% of those with a grade 2 or 3 left varicocele [8]. When boys with preoperative hypotrophy were operated on, Kass and Bellman [9] found that 80% will achieve postoperative catch-up growth. Although this observation made in 1987 served as a landmark report and changed the approach to the adolescent varicocele, Barwell [10] had already identified ipsilateral testicular volume loss in teenagers 100 years earlier. He also found that when following ligation of the testicular veins “the testicle became harder and regained some of its dimension.”
Establishment of an ascitic human melanoma cell line that metastasizes to lung and liver in nude mice

UCLA-SO-M14, a human melanoma cell line, was cultured for ten passages in vitro. The line was converted to an ascitic form, M14-A, by transplanting M14 into CD-1 nude mice and back into tissue culture. The minimum number of M14-A cells that formed ascites in all mice (within 10–21 days) was 5×105, and over 80% of such mice developed macroscopic liver metastases. M14-A inoculated subcutaneously formed tumor at the site of injection, but rarely led to the development of metastases. However, when M14-A was inoculated subcutaneously in young mice (1–14 days old), more than 50% developed lung (but not liver) metastases. The reproducibility of the formation of ascites and metastases was confirmed by testing M14-A at various passages. M14-A may be useful as a model for the metastatic process in human melanoma.
Cultured endothelial cells do not respond to a platelet-derived growth-factor-like protein in an autocrine manner

Abstract Cultured endothelial cells produce a growth factor similar or identical to platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF). Endothelial cells are able to proliferate in plasma-supplemented medium, while most nontransformed cells require serum-supplemented medium. Since PDGF is a major serum mitogen, we have tested the possibility that endothelial cells interact with and respond to the autologously produced PDGF-like (PDGF-c) protein. We have found that bovine aortic and rat heart endothelial cells express little or no cell surface PDGF receptors as determined by binding of pure 125I-PDGF. Treating these cells under acidic conditions, which release receptor-bound PDGF in control cells without affecting receptor function, did not reveal a population of cryptic receptors. In addition, when rat heart endothelial cells were grown in the presence of an antibody to PDGF, proliferation was unimpaired, though no detectable free PDGF was present in the medium. An equivalent amount of antibody completely blocked the mitogenic response of human fibroblasts that had been preincubated for 1 h at 37°C with an equivalent dose of PDGF. Thus, endothelial cells do not respond mitogenically in a manner that would be expected from the interaction of autologously produced PDGF with its cell surface receptor. Endothelial cells were detergent-solubilized and immobilized on nitrocellulose in an attempt to detect the presence of intracellular PDGF receptors. Specific binding of 125I-PDGF to adsorbed, solubilized bovine aortic or rat heart endothelial cells was undetectable, though significant binding to adsorbed, solubilized fibroblasts, used as a positive control, was observed. We conclude that endothelial cells do not have detectable intracellular PDGF receptors.
DNA extraction using a tetramethyl orthosilicate-grafted photopolymerized monolithic solid phase.

A novel high-capacity, high-efficiency DNA extraction method is described using a photopolymerized silica-based monolithic column in a fused-silica capillary. Development involved investigation of the composition of the sol−gel monomer, fabrication conditions, and surface modifications in order to optimize the binding capacity. Extraction capacity and efficiency with the 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate (TMSPM) monolith formulations fabricated in capillaries were investigated using a simple three-step procedure consisting of sample loading, washing of the solid phase, and elution of the DNA using a low ionic strength Tris buffer at pH 8. Once the TMSPM monomer concentration was optimized to yield a monolith with maximum test stability (robustness) and minimum back pressure, the monolith surface was modified by the grafting of tetramethyl orthosilicate (TMOS) for increased DNA binding capacity. After the examination of a variety of TMOS concentrations, 85% v/v TMOS was found to be optimal for DNA ext...
Adjunct Endarterectomy of the Left Anterior Descending Coronary Artery

Abstract During a three-year period, complete revascularization of diffusely diseased left anterior descending (LAD) coronary arteries was accomplished by extensive endarterectomy in conjunction with bypass grafting in 37 patients in whom conventional bypass was not feasible. This group constituted 7.0% of all patients undergoing nonemergency coronary revascularization during this period. The left internal mammary artery was used to bypass the endarterectomized LAD artery in 22 patients. There was 1 (2.7%) operative death and 1 perioperative myocardial infarction. At follow-up, which was 100% with a mean of 41.4 months, all endarterectomy patients were in New York Heart Association Functional Class I or II. Twenty-four endarterectomy patients underwent first-pass radionuclide angiographic stress testing 20 months after operation. Twenty patients (83%) had excellent postoperative exercise tolerance, achieving 5 to 7 mets on treadmill testing. Left ventricular functional reserve was preserved, as evidenced by an increase of global ejection fraction from 48 ± 15% at rest to 59 ± 18% ( p
Impurity states and the absence of quasiparticle localization in disordered d-wave superconductors.

The absence of localization of impurity-induced low-energy quasiparticle states in a 2D {ital d}-wave superconductor is shown for any amount of disorder in the limit of unitary scatterers. This result follows from the fact that a unitary impurity produces a marginally bound state at zero energy which decays as a power law along the nodes of the {ital d}-wave energy gap. Consequently, for finite density of impurities, the impurity-induced states are coupled by long-range overlaps yielding extended quasiparticle states below a characteristic energy scale {omega}{sub {ital c}}. Simple scaling arguments suggest that {omega}{sub {ital c}}{proportional_to}{ital e}{sup {minus}{ital c}/{ital n}{sub imp}}, with {ital n}{sub imp} the impurity density and {ital c} a positive constant. {copyright} {ital 1996 The American Physical Society.}
Characterization of adsorbed protein films using time-of-flight-secondary ion mass spectrometry and multivariate analysis

The complexity of the mass spectra obtained by static time-of-flight-secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) demands high-throughput data analysis techniques that rapidly process and interpret the resulting data. We have used ToF-SIMS to analyze adsorbed protein films. Positive ion mass spectra from different protein films are challenging to differentiate due to the absence of unique, identifying peaks between the different spectra. Therefore, the multivariate pattern recognition techniques principal component analysis (PCA) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) have been employed to differentiate the spectra of different proteins and understand the major sources of variation in these spectra. Because of its supervised nature, LDA enhanced discrimination between groups and classification of unknowns when compared with PCA. However, PCA was able to provide better information on the sources of variation in the data set. Both PCA and LDA are important in the analysis of static ToF-SIMS spectra from organic samples.
Regarding “Corticosteroid Injection With or Without Thumb Spica Cast for de Quervain Tenosynovitis”

To the Editor: I was interested in the January 2014 article by Mardani-Kivi et al concerning the efficacy of a thumb spica cast when used to supplement corticosteroid injection for de Quervain tendinopathy. Their findings differ markedly from those of Weiss et al, that immobilization did not add to the benefit of injection alone, and I applaud the authors for studying this in a prospective fashion. However, I am concerned that the authors used methylprednisolone acetate (Depo-Medrol 40 mg) for their injections. Depo-Medrol, a fat-soluble glucocorticoid preparation, is not specifically indicated for use in subdermal locations in the United States. The package insert contains abundant bold-font warnings concerning the risk of subcutaneous placement of the drug (shown below). A quick review of the literature demonstrates several serious complications from the injection of fat-soluble corticosteroids in patients with de Quervain disease, including but not limited to subcutaneous atrophy, skin depigmentation, capillary fragility, bleeding, scar revision, and tendon rupture. Mardani-Kivi et al reported no complications in their series, and I would like to know whether they identified any of the complications mentioned above, or others in longer-term follow-up. It is difficult to inject the first dorsal compartment without at least some leakage of the injected material into the surrounding subcutaneous tissue. Most authors document a 2to 3-month lag time before the appearance of skin depigmentation. I advise considerable caution with the use of methylprednisolone acetate injection for the treatment of de Quervain disease. From the package insert LAB-0160-3.0 Pfizer, Inc. (New York, NY), revised August 2008:
Solar activity and economic fundamentals: Evidence from 12 geographically disparate power grids

[1] This study uses local (ground-based) magnetometer data as a proxy for geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) to address whether there is a space weather/electricity market relationship in 12 geographically disparate power grids: Eirgrid, the power grid that serves the Republic of Ireland; Scottish and Southern Electricity, the power grid that served northern Scotland until April 2005; Scottish Power, the power grid that served southern Scotland until April 2005; the power grid that serves the Czech Republic; E.ON Netz, the transmission system operator in central Germany; the power grid in England and Wales; the power grid in New Zealand; the power grid that serves the vast proportion of the population in Australia; ISO New England, the power grid that serves New England; PJM, a power grid that over the sample period served all or parts of Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia; NYISO, the power grid that serves New York State; and the power grid in the Netherlands. This study tests the hypothesis that GIC levels (proxied by the time variation of local magnetic field measurements (dH/dt)) and electricity grid conditions are related using Pearson's chi-squared statistic. The metrics of power grid conditions include measures of electricity market imbalances, energy losses, congestion costs, and actions by system operators to restore grid stability. The results of the analysis indicate that real-time market conditions in these power grids are statistically related with the GIC proxy.
Introduction to sessions on 'Endocrine therapy: where have we come from, where are we at and where are we going to?'

Two of the clinical sessions focused on endocrine therapy of breast cancer. It is clear that whereas endocrine therapy represents a crucial modality in breast cancer management, with substantial success to date, there is still much to be learned and great potential for increasing its value to patients. This therapeutic gain will probably come from a better understanding of resistance to endocrine therapy, both de novo and acquired; better selection of the right endocrine agent for the right patient; and better management of adverse events and noncompliance. Importantly, endocrine therapy is an important backbone upon which targeted therapy combinations will be built. These sessions addressed many of these important issues.
Capsule Commentary on Anderson et al., Quality of Care and Racial Disparities in Medicare among Potential ACOs

In this issue of JGIM, Anderson and colleagues report on an evaluation of the impact of physician group size (as a reflection of eligibility for Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)-defined Accountable Care Organizations [ACOs]) on racial disparities for Medicare beneficiaries.1 The investigators model the contribution of practice size, racial composition and health care quality on black-white differences in the delivery of select HEDIS measures and preventable hospitalizations for patients with diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The authors find that large, ACO-eligible practices serve a high proportion of white and high socioeconomic status (SES) beneficiaries. Large practices were associated with smaller disparity gaps in evidence-based care. There was no advantage associated with large practice groups in preventable hospitalizations. There was no consistent correlation between process quality and disparities; and the authors found larger disparities within ACO eligible groups than between them. At best, the findings represent a cautionary tale for those who believe that ACOs could address healthcare inequities and disparities.2 At worst, the findings reinforce the fears of those who predict unintended consequences and worsening disparities with the diffusion of ACOs.3 But, overall, the results of the study are not surprising. High SES and non-minority patients have historically received care in health systems with adequate resources and high quality care delivery.4 Under the current CMS definition, developing ACOs may merely represent consolidation of smaller provider groups that retain old, highly variable and potentially discriminatory practice patterns. This may explain why within-group disparities were generally more pronounced than between-group disparities. In 2006, Samuel RG Finlayson suggested that in order to truly address disparities, we must end the racial discrimination and economic injustice of the society in which the US healthcare system functions.5 Until that time, policymakers must remain vigilant and consider the rational design of incentivized programs that reward ACO’s for promoting health equity and reducing disparities in care. Based on the work by Anderson, and colleagues, it is quite clear that increasing practice size without enforcing change in practice patterns is simply not enough.
CASTING THE NET: A MULTIMODAL NETWORK PERSPECTIVE ON KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT

Recent information systems research has challenged the tendency of researchers to focus upon single information system (Vertegaal 2003) or upon individuals simply as users of those systems (Lamb and Kling 2003). Responding to these critiques, this paper forwards a new paradigm through which to study knowledge management: the multimodal knowledge network. Drawing heavily upon the field of social network research, we argue that the way in which multiple individuals interact with one another and with multiple information management systems will have significant implications for organizational knowledge sharing outcomes. In this study, we conduct a comparative case study through which to begin building a theory of multimodal knowledge networks. We study five health care teams in a large health maintenance organization and find that, although these teams have identical portfolios of information management systems and a similar complement of employees, each team configures its knowledge resources differently to complete similar tasks. We find that the structures that result from these multiple interpersonal and human–systems interactions have implications on knowledge outcomes for the network. We develop propositions as a result of this analysis and outline directions for future research.
Bureaucracy and World View: Studies in the Logic of Official Interpretation

Bureaucracy and World View: Studies in the Logic of Official Interpretation. Don Handelman and Elliot Leyton. 1978. Institute of Social and Economic Research, Social and Economic Studies, No. 22. St. Johns, Nfld.: Memorial University of Newfoundland. viii. 143 pp.
Lysophosphatidylcholine: an enigmatic lysolipid

increased endothelial permeability of pulmonary microvessels is the major contributor of acute lung injury, sepsis, and acute respiratory distress syndrome ([2][1], [7][2]). Studies have established that change in cell shape resulting in concurrent formation of gaps between endothelial cells is a
Clozapine Therapy in Patients with Neurologic Illness

Objective:This review will analyze the use of clozapine in patients with neurologic illness.Methods:A review of the literature was performed. Attention is focused particularly on patients with seizure disorder, head injury, mental retardation, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, tardive dyskinesia, and selected other neurological disorders.Results:This review discusses clinical difficulties/issues associated with clozapine therapy in patients with a variety of neurological disorders.Conclusion:Although clozapine therapy should be reserved for those patients who are refractory to conventional psychotropic medications, when used appropriately it may offer a safe and effective way of improving quality of life for patients with behavioral symptoms and neurologic illness.
Alternative "vision": a haptic and auditory assistive device

We have used two cameras and a SensAble Technologies "Phantom" force-feedback haptic display to haptically render a three-dimensional surface that represents key aspects of a visual scene. In addition to rendering depth and contour information with the Phantom, we capture optic flow and present this to the user using sound cues. We propose that with further development, this system could be used as an assistive device that would allow visually impaired individuals to explore the "visual" world.
Improving the recognition of interleaved activities

We introduce Interleaved Hidden Markov Models for recognizing multitasked activities. The model captures both inter-activity and intra-activity dynamics. Although the state space is intractably large, we describe an approximation that is both effective and efficient. This method significantly reduces the error rate when compared with previously proposed methods. The algorithm is suitable for mobile platforms where computational resources may be limited.
An Exploration of African American Women's Perceptions of the Intersection of Domestic Violence and HIV/AIDS

The author explores the perceptions of the intersection of HIV and domestic violence from a cultural context among a sample of professional African American women, and how social workers can better respond to the intersection. While African American women compose 13% of the U.S. female population, they represent 64% of U.S. HIV cases among women. The aim of this study was to generate an understanding of how HIV and domestic violence intersect for African American women. Four focus groups were conducted with three cohorts of 22 African American/Caribbean American women for 12 focus groups. There were five major themes generated from the study: being from a low-income community is not always the major factor, relationships are complex and viewed as essential, HIV is serious but perceived risk is low, fear is a driving force of decision-making regarding relationships, and the strength of communalism is perceived as having diminished in the African American community. Implications for social work practice inc...
A simple, nearly perfectly matched layer for general electromagnetic media

A new implementation of the perfectly matched layer (PML) absorbing boundary condition is presented. This formulation is designed such that the partial differential equations in the PML are identical to those in the regular medium for any linear electromagnetic material. This makes this method particularly simple to implement, especially in dispersive and anisotropic materials. We call this method the nearly perfectly matched layer (NPML) because it employs variable changes that are not strictly exact when the PML conductivity is spatially variant. Comparisons with the convolutional PML in a Lorentz dielectric show that the NPML is as effective an absorber as exact PML formulations.
Key Determinants of Student Satisfaction.

Student life is seemingly a web of interrelated activities and experiences. This article examines which aspects of a student's educational experience are more important in influencing student satisfaction. The findings suggest that “student centeredness” and “instructional effectiveness” are key determinants of how satisfied a student is with his/her overall educational experience. Implications are included that should help universities enhance student satisfaction and student retention.
Dynamic Service Execution in Sensor Networks

Sensor networks face a number of challenges when deployed in unpredictable environments under dynamic, quickly changeable demands, and when shared by many partners, which is often the case in military and security applications. To partially address these challenges, we present a novel target tracking algorithm that can be deployed on various sensor nodes and invoked dynamically when needed by the presence of targets. We also demonstrate that an auction-based mechanism can be used to provide efficient and localized wireless sensor network congestion management for bursty traffic of abstract services based just on user-assigned priorities to different services and the quality of information provided by the services. We present results from using this auction mechanism to resolve congestion caused by packets from competing target tracking missions.
LANGUAGE CONTACT, VARIATION, AND CHANGE . Jussi Niemi, Terence Odlin, and Janne Heikkinen (Eds.) . Joensuu, Finland: University of Joensuu, 1998. Pp. 286.

The chapters of this book come from the 1997 Finnish Conference on Linguistics and the Scandinavian Summer School on Language Diversity. A number of the contributions focus on endangered languages, in particular, Ingrian Finnish. Hallamaa discusses developing appropriate methodologies to study endangered languages and evaluate individual language proficiency. Chapters by Koko and Riionheimo describe the loss of Ingrian through shift to Estonian. Ingrian is, again, the topic for Savijiirvi, who compares and provides a detailed sociohistory of four Balto-Finnic languages: Votian, Ingrian, Estonian, and Finnish. Duray writes about language death, focusing on the extralinguistic factors that have caused a community-wide shift to Russian by the Nganasan-speaking people.
Modelling of Environmentally Induced Discharges in Geosynchronous Satellites

The NASCAP computer code is used to compute the charging the discharging characteristics of a typical communications satellite in geosynchronous orbit. For the case of a severe substorm, satellite surface differential charging in sunlight is found to be substantially less than that required to produce discharges in ground simulation studies. A discharge process is postulated involving discharges triggered at edges (or imperfection) followed by discharges to space. The characteristics of such discharges are parametrically varied to evaluate the possible effects on the satellite. It has been found that discharge characteristics inferred from satellite monitors could be caused by predicted space discharges, that single cell discharges to space can reduce surface potential over entire satellite, and that low-density electron trajectory computations indicate that discharge generated electrons may not return to the satellite by long trajectories. Current transients predicted do not agree with the available ground simulation results indicating that additional work must be done both analytically and experimentally to understand and fully explain these discrepancies.
Beyond usability evaluation: analysis of human-robot interaction at a major robotics competition

Human-robot interaction (HRI) is a relatively new field of study. To date, most of the effort in robotics has been spent in developing hardware and software that expands the range of robot functionality and autonomy. In contrast, little effort has been spent so far to ensure that the robotic displays and interaction controls are intuitive for humans. This study applied robotics, human-computer interaction (HCI), and computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW) expertise to gain experience with HCI/CSCW evaluation techniques in the robotics domain. As a case study for this article, we analyzed four different robot systems that competed in the 2002 American Association for Artificial Intelligence Robot Rescue Competition. These systems completed urban search and rescue tasks in a controlled environment with predetermined scoring rules that provided objective measures of success. This study analyzed pre-evaluation questionnaires; videotapes of the robots, interfaces, and operators; maps of the robots' paths through the competition arena; post-evaluation debriefings; and critical incidents (e.g., when the robots damaged the test arena). As a result, this study developed guidelines for developing interfaces for HRI.
Hypersensitivity of Lymphocytes from Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Patients to Ultraviolet Light-C Radiation

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) results in the accumulation of mature immunologically defective lymphocytes in GO phase. Lymphocytes from CLL patients were exposed to UVC radiation to determine whether these cells are capable of undergoing apoptosis, as a response to DNA damage. Lymphocytes from CLL patients were found to be readily killed by ultraviolet light-C (UVC) radiation. Cells from healthy donors were minimally affected by doses of UVC ten times higher then those which caused dramatic drops in the metabolism of CLL cells. At four hours after irradiation, the reduction of 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) had dropped by 50% for CLL cells exposed to a dose of 10 J/m2. In contrast, there was no significant drop for healthy cells exposed to 100 J/m2. Cell death was measured by trypan blue staining, flow cytometry of Annexin V-PI stained cells, and Wright staining. By 24 hours after irradiation, significant amounts of cell death were observed in CLL cells at doses which had no significant effects on viability of healthy lymphocytes. The extreme sensitivity of CLL lymphocytes to UVC indicates that phototherapy should be explored as a potential treatment for this neoplasm.