cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Surface Chemistry of Sulfur Dioxide on Zr(OH)4 Powder: The Role of Water

Operando conditions, such as the presence of H2O, can dramatically alter the reaction pathways of molecular interactions on a surface. Here, we determine how water affects the decomposition chemistry of SO2(g) on dry and wet Zr(OH)4 powder, a material being transitioned for battlefield chemical sequestration and decomposition. Diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy reveal that SO2 decomposition products on dry and wet Zr(OH)4 differ significantly. Sulfites (sulfates) dominate on dry (wet) Zr(OH)4 surfaces. Kinetic analysis of the wet surface shows that H2O interacts with SO2 initially and then with surface OH sites, indicating that the mechanism to form sulfates requires water molecules. The combined IR spectra and density functional theory calculations confirm that sulfites and sulfates bind to both surface terminal and bridging OH sites.
Dementia with Lewy bodies and Parkinson disease dementia: More different than similar?

Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is a relatively new diagnostic entity compared with Parkinson disease (PD) and associated dementia, with DLB consensus criteria first published in 1996.1 In the initial and subsequent DLB consensus criteria, a key feature separating DLB from PD dementia (PDD) has been the order of motor vs cognitive symptoms. In PDD, individuals have a PD diagnosis first based on motor features and subsequently develop dementia. In DLB, dementia is present earlier on. To operationalize criteria for practical use, DLB diagnostic criteria suggested the 1-year rule, where DLB should be diagnosed if dementia emerges before or within 1 year of parkinsonian motor symptoms. This was consistent with commonly used PD criteria, in which early dementia was an exclusion criterion2 and PDD was diagnosed in the context of established PD.3 Diagnostic boundaries became more blurred and confusing in 2015, when the Movement Disorder Society published new PD criteria removing early dementia as an exclusion criterion, and subsuming individuals with DLB with parkinsonism into PD, with an optional DLB subtype designation.4 This led to debates regarding whether DLB and PDD represent the same disease, distinct entities, or conditions on the same spectrum.5,6 Discussions on this topic continue, and updated DLB criteria maintaining the 1-year rule were published in 2017,7 while acknowledging that the 1-year marker was a largely arbitrary placeholder for operational use.
Quality assurance in dermatopathology: A review of report amendments.

BACKGROUND Systematic review of amended reports in surgical pathology has been recommended as a valuable exercise in promoting quality assurance and improvement. Examination of report amendments can identify defects in the surgical pathology process and inspire new approaches to decreasing error rates and improving overall patient care. METHODS We performed a retrospective review of all amended dermatopathology reports over a 1.5-year period at a large academic institution. RESULTS During the study period, 86 amended reports out of a total 7950 skin-specific reports were issued (1.08%). Of these amended reports, about 59% (51/86) were because of non-interpretative errors (eg, wrong site, chin vs shin, etc.) while 41% (35/86) were diagnostic misinterpretations. Of these 35, 24 were considered major diagnostic changes while six were minor. Five amendments provided additional diagnostic information. Of those amended reports with diagnostic misinterpretations, 14/35 involved melanocytic lesions, 8/35 involved non-melanoma skin cancers or keratinocyte atypia, 10/35 were inflammatory lesions and 3/35 involved other tumors. CONCLUSION Our review points to several quality improvement areas that can be targeted to potentially avoid diagnostic errors in dermatopathology, including standardizing certain anatomic sites to prevent misidentification and seeking out clinicopathologic correlation in challenging melanocytic cases.
Hotspot Cooling Performance of a Submerged Water Jet via Infrared Thermometry

Liquid jet impingement is one of the most effective methods for dissipating local hotpot heat fluxes in microelectronics. Due to its normal incident flow-field, jet impingement cooling can achieve heat transfer coefficients (HTCs) approaching ≈1 MW/m2•K due to its ability to thin the local thermal boundary layer in the stagnation region. This experimental study presents HTC data for water jet impingement cooling of a laser heated Hafnium (Hf) thin-film on glass. A laser diode induces local hotspots for either a steady- or pulsed-laser operation mode. The hotspots have areas ranging within 0.04 mm2 to 0.2 mm2 and heat fluxes up to ≈3.5 MW/m2. A submerged jet impingement configuration is pursued with an inlet jet diameter of ∼1.2 mm, jet nozzle to hotspot/surface distance of ∼3.2 mm, and the jet Reynolds Number of ∼2004. The HTCs are measured using infrared (IR) thermometry using a 1.5-5 µm spectral resolution FLIR camera. Also investigated is the spatial dependence of the HTC relative to the offset between jet/wall stagnation point and the center of the local hotspot. For example, for impinging jets that are co-aligned with the hotspot center, HTCs of ∼650 kW/m2•K and ∼470 kW/m2•K are measured for steady and pulsed-modulated laser heating (respectively), whereas, for offsets beyond ∼6 mm (x/D >5), the measured HTCs are <100 kW/m2•K.
“The very path trodden by our ancestors”: The Elizabethan Moment, 1570–1588

This chapter charts the mental and physical map of mid-Elizabethan England, Scotland, and Ireland, continental Europe, and the burgeoning Atlantic world across the 1570s and 1580s, examining the bevy of experimental schemes launched in Newfoundland, Ireland, and Virginia in this period and connecting that burst to previous overseas adventure. Framed in this way, the chapter shows where these seemingly sudden projects came from, how and why contemporaries appreciated several of them as successes, despite yielding Martin Frobisher’s fool’s gold, Humphrey Gilbert’s death by drowning, Henry Sidney’s tumultuous tenures in Ireland, and Walter Ralegh’s lost Roanoke colonists, and turns these exploits into facets, rather than the whole, of Tudor-era imperial practice.
Stochastic Slope Stability Analysis of an Embankment Supported by Isolated Soil–Cement Columns Considering Spatial Variability

AbstractTwo-dimensional, nonlinear, finite-difference analyses were used to investigate the stability of an embankment supported by spatially variable soil–cement columns. This study evaluated the ...
Performing Ribosome Profiling to Assess Translation in Vegetative and Meiotic Yeast Cells

Ribosome profiling, first developed in 2009, is the gold standard for quantifying and qualifying changes to translation genome-wide (Ingolia et al., Science, 2009). Though first designed and optimized in vegetative budding yeast, it has since been modified and specialized for use in diverse cellular states in yeast, as well as in bacteria, plants, human cells, and many other organisms (Ingolia et al. Science, 2009, reviewed in (Ingolia et al., Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol, 2019; Brar and Weissman, Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol, 2015)). Here we report the current ribosome profiling protocol used in our lab to study genome-wide changes to translation in budding yeast undergoing the developmental process of meiosis (Brar et al., Science, 2012; Cheng et al., Cell, 2018). We describe this protocol in detail, including the following steps: collection and flash freezing samples, cell lysis and extract preparation, sucrose gradient centrifugation and monosome collection, RNA extraction, library preparation, and library quality control. Almost every step presented here should be directly applicable to performing ribosome profiling in other eukaryotic cell types or cell states.
Writing python programs to map alleles related to genetic disease

Biology is a data-driven discipline facilitated greatly by computer programming skills. This article describes an introductory experiential programming activity that can be integrated into distance learning environments. Students are asked to develop their own Python programs to identify the nature of alleles linked to disease. This activity effectively engages students in a problem solving exercise that provides an opportunity for application of basic programming skills as well as understanding eukaryotic gene structure. We provide sets of mapped alleles for two well-known genes, CFTR and HFE, as well as a suite of relevant Python programs to achieve these outcomes or allow subsequent exercise modifications.
Social Work in the Shadow of Death: Divesting From Anti-Blackness and Social Control

In its current form, the field of social work does not reflect the ongoing reality of Black death and the embeddedness of anti-Blackness in everyday life. This omission leads to catastrophic failures of the profession’s most essential tasks: the advancement of social justice and future social workers’ education. This paper will discuss why the police’s ongoing murder of Black people will not be resolved by simply replacing the police with social workers. We will argue that social workers serving Black people must anchor their work in theoretical perspectives articulated by Black people. Finally, we challenge social work to live up to its social justice mission by divesting from systems of social control and anchoring their work in theoretical perspectives articulated by Black people.
Predictive model for permeability reduction by small wetting phase saturations

[1] Laboratory experiments show that the rate of decrease in gas phase permeability as a function of water saturation can be large at small saturations. Drying out the water saturation during gas injection has been observed to reduce absolute permeability. This paper proposes a quantitative grain-scale explanation for these observations. We also show why the effect is magnified in rocks having lower porosity. To compute phase geometry and permeability, we use a physically representative network model. The network is extracted from a model rock, built from a dense random packing of spheres modified geometrically to simulate rock-forming processes. At small saturations the wetting phase exists largely in the form of pendular rings held at grain contacts. The rings decrease the void area available for flowing nonwetting phase. Because the hydraulic conductance of the throat varies with the square of the void area (other factors being equal), the effect on permeability is disproportionate to the volume occupied by the rings. The same approach quantifies the reduction in permeability by salt precipitation during drying.
3D GIS for Geo-coding Human Activity in Micro-scale Urban Environments

The study of human activity and movement in space and time has been an important research area in the social sciences. However, the difficulty in collecting and analyzing the space-time activity (STA) data using current 3D location positioning techniques has limits in applying the time-geographic and activity theory to transportation and urban research and analyses. This paper develops a “3D Indoor Geo-Coding” technique to identify 3D indoor locational data for analyzing human activities. For implementing 3D positioning methods, this paper presents (1) to model micro-scale urban environments to be a frame of reference (reference data) to identify distance and direction, in order to obtain locational data, and (2) to develop a 3D indoor geo-coding method to identify locational data on individual activities based on the reference data. Finally, this paper describes the output from implementing the 3D indoor geo-coding technique to demonstrate the potential benefits of the 3D indoor geo-coding technique for improving the speed of emergency response using GIS data of the study area at Minnesota State University-Mankato, MN (USA).
Open Data Policies and Practice: An International Comparison

New national Open Government Data (OGD) initiatives are being launched on an almost monthly basis. From Brazil to Burkina Faso, governments are establishing open data portals and committing to make machine-readable datasets available for re-use. Similar patterns are being replicated at the local level, with municipalities and sub-national states also establishing their own open data projects. At first glance, many of these local and national initiatives appear almost identikit copies of each other: using the same data portal software, and selecting similar datasets for their initial launch. Increasingly, the preparation and launch of open data initiatives follows a orthodox approach involving hackathons, training events and outreach activities, designed to build interest in, and demand for, newly available open data. Yet, the countries launching these OGD initiatives are vastly different: in their levels of development, their political structures, and their public policy priorities. This raises important questions about the nature of open data policy, and policy transfer.
Economic Comparison of Commodity and Conservation Program Benefits: An Example from the Mississippi Delta

Changes to commodity programs in the 2002 Farm Bill increased the value of crop base acreages on which decoupled payments are received. The bill also expanded the availability of key conservation programs. This paper compares the value of payments from commodity programs (along with continued crop production) to the easement payment (and recreational lease revenue) available under the Wetland Reserve Program. A net present value model using risk-adjusted returns is employed in the analysis for Mississippi delta cropland containing rice, cotton, and soybean base. Sensitivity analysis is conducted on some of the key variables affecting the decision.
Prediction of Oxygen Intake from Ventilation, and Oxygen Intake and Work Capacity from Heart Rate during Heavy Exercise

Abstract Minute-by-minute O2 intake, ventilation volume, and heart rate were correlated during 12 min. of heavy, fatiguing exercise on the bicycle ergometer (N = 50). The 12 min-by-min mean [Vdot]E values correlated r = .97 with the corresponding mean [Vdot]O2 scores during exercise and r = .98 during 10 min. of recovery. Correlations across individuals for [Vdot]O2 and [Vdot]E were also relatively high during the last 3 min. of exercise and during 10 min. of recovery. This means that [Vdot]E could be used to predict [Vdot]O2 very effectively. On the other hand, the min-by-min correlations between individual heart rates and O2 intakes were low (r = .06 to −.29) and nonsignificant. When the changes from resting to exercise in heart rate (Δ HR) and O2 intake (Δ [Vdot]O2) were grouped by 4-min. intervals, the correlations were somewhat higher (r = .10 for the period 0-3, .38 for 3–6, .72 for 6–9 and .47 to 9–12). However, these correlations were still too low to be of much predictive value. Oxygen pulse ([Vd...
Experimental Studies of Laser-Induced Breakdown in Transparent Dielectrics

The mechanisms by which transparent dielectrics damage when exposed to high power laser radiation has been of scientific and technological interest since the invention of the laser. In this work, a set of three experiments are presented which provide insight into the damage initiation mechanisms and the processes involved in laser-induced damage. Using an OPO (optical parametric oscillator) laser, we have measured the damage thresholds of deuterated potassium dihydrogen phosphate (DKDP) from the near ultraviolet into the visible. Distinct steps, whose width is of order K{sub b}T, are observed in the damage threshold at photon energies associated with the number of photons (3{yields}2 or 4{yields}3) needed to promote a ground state electron across the energy gap. The wavelength dependence of the damage threshold suggests that a primary mechanism for damage initiation in DKDP is a multi-photon process in which the order is reduced through excited defect state absorption. In-situ fluorescence microscopy, in conjunction with theoretical calculations by Liu et al., has been used to establish that hydrogen displacement defects are potentially responsible for the reduction in the multi-photon cross-section. During the damage process, the material absorbs energy from the laser pulse and produces an ionized region that gives rise tomore » broadband emission. By performing a time-resolved investigation of this emission, we demonstrate both that it is blackbody in nature, and we provide the first direct measurement of the localized temperature during and following laser damage initiation for various optical materials. For excitation using nanosecond laser pulses, the plasma, when confined in the bulk, is in thermal equilibrium with the lattice. These results allow for a detailed characterization of temperature, pressure, and electron densities occurring during laser-induced damage.« less
Pump dynamical effects in superfluorescent quantum initiation and pulse evolution

Recent work is reviewed where it,is shown that even in the regime where the temporal width of the pumping pulse, τP , and the characteristic superfluorescence (SF) time, τR , are such that τP/τR > 1, but τP/τD < 1, where τD is the time delay between the pump pulse peak and the SF peak intensities, initial characteristics of the injected coherent pumping pulse can have distinct deterministic effects on SF pulse longitudinal, transverse and temporal evolution.
Single‐incision robotic‐assisted living donor nephrectomy: case report and description of surgical technique

The introduction of laparoscopic surgery, and more recently of robotics, has increased the number of living donor kidney transplants. This approach has already improved living donor acceptance rates. Even newer developments in the field have now been introduced with the purpose of further reducing postoperative pain and length of hospital stay, while offering better cosmetic results. In particular, single-incision surgery has gained popularity by improving the well-known benefits of minimally invasive surgery. In this case report, we present the first single-incision robotic-assisted living donor nephrectomy.
Self‐reported data in institutional research: Review and recommendations

Higher education scholars and institutional researchers rely heavily on self-reported survey data in their work. This chapter explores problems associated with self-reports and provides questions and recommendations for their use.
Discrete-frequency infrared microspectroscopy using monolithically integrated photonic filters

We present a discrete-frequency infrared (DF-IR) approach to efficient mid-infrared microspectroscopy using a set of monolithically integrated guided mode resonance photonic filters, as an alternative to the continuously scanning Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) technique.
Construction of the largest sensitivity region for general linear programs

This paper develops an alternative approach to post optimality analysis for general linear program models which provides the largest sensitivity region of any single or simultaneous change of right hand side of constraints and the coefficients of decision variables in the objective function. The goal is a theoretical unification of various types of sensitivity analyses, as well as advancement in the practical implementation of post optimality analysis. We extend our proposed approach in the construction of sensitivity region to maintain the degenerate vertex for models with degenerate optimal solution as well as maintaining the multiple solutions for the models with non-unique optimal solutions. As a by product, the paper resolves the paradoxical situation known as the more-for-less/less-for-more situations. The proposed method is based on the given optimal solution(s), therefore it is easy to understand, easy to implement, and provides useful information to the decision makers. The methodology and their computational algorithms are presented and discussed in the context of some illustrative numerical examples.
Recent trends and challenges in wireless networks

This paper presents the keynote speech on the 7th International Symposium on Computer Networks held in Istanbul, Turkey. It addresses the current trends in research and development in wireless networks and communications. It also sheds some light on the future and challenges facing the progress in this fascinating technology. The speech also reviews fundamental techniques in the design, operation, and evaluation of wireless networks and systems. Some recent research results are presented including new protocols for wireless networks.
Lymphoid Neogenesis and Immune Infiltration in Aged Liver

Immune dysregulation and inflammation play a major role in the pathology of age-related disorders. In an earlier study, the microarray data from our laboratory indicated an increase in inflammation-related gene expression in the liver with age. We further investigated immune-related changes in the aged liver and found that the levels of inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and inflammatory genes were higher in aged animals. Immunohistochemical studies showed that immune cells formed clusters or foci in the livers of old mice, preferentially near the perivascular regions. Further analysis revealed an enrichment of macrophages, T cells, B cells, natural killer cells, and neutrophils in old liver. Characterization of the immune clusters showed the presence of shared markers of tertiary lymphoid neogenesis. Levels of lymph node homing cytokines were elevated. Expression of immunoglobulin and recombinase gene transcripts was also higher, indicating the presence of ectopic lymphoid structures in the aged liver. Conclusion: Aged liver exhibits a marked inflammatory status accompanied by increased immune cell infiltration. Inflammation and ectopic lymphoid structures have previously been shown to be associated with carcinogenesis, a condition that becomes more prevalent with age. Thus, further study of inflammation-related changes in the microenvironment of the aged liver could provide insights into these disorders. (HEPATOLOGY 2008.)
Electrophysiological Effects of Monophasic and Biphasic Stimuli in Normal and Infarcted Dogs

Though some biphasic waveforms significantly decrease the energy required for defibrillation, little is known about the effect of biphasic stimulation on the determination of other electrophysiological parameters in normal and infarcted hearts. To evaluate this, nine normal dogs and 12 dogs with myocardial infarction had activation threshold (AT), effective refractory period (ERP), strength-interval curves, and ventricular fibrillation threshold (VFT) determined with constant current stimulation to a pair of right ventricular plunge electrodes, and upper limit of vulnerability (ULV) and defibrillation threshold (DFT) determined with truncated exponential shocks delivered to a pair of wire electrodes coiled to contour the right and left ventricular epicardium. Each electrophysiological parameter was determined with a 5.5 msec monophasic and 5.5-msec biphasic (3.5 msec first phase) waveform. Though AT and VFT were not significantly different for the two waveforms, the ERP was significantly longer, the strength-interval curve shifted rightward, and the threshold for repetitive responses higher for biphasic stimuli. Compared to the monophasic waveform, the ULV and DFT were significantly decreased in a parallel fashion for the biphasic waveform. Neither the presence nor size of myocardial infarction significantly affected any of the measured electrophysiological parameters. In six additional dogs, sigmoid defibrillation probability curves were constructed from biphasic shocks of four energies including that of the DFT and ULV. The ULV energy predicted an effective dose that defibrillated 97% of the time (range 90%-100%). In conclusion, the increased defibrillation efficacy of the biphasic waveform is independent of its ability to activate fully repolarized myocardium and cannot be explained by a greater ability of biphasic waveforms to activate partially depolarized tissue. The parallel decrease in the ULV and DFT for biphasic stimulation and the finding that the ULV energy defibrillates with a high probability of success suggest similar underlying mechanisms for the ULV and defibrillation.
Graph based MRI brain scan classification and correlation discovery

The shape of the human brain is correlated with many life events and psychological conditions. In this paper, we use a graph-based approach to represent the shape of the brain, including the shape of the ventricular system and shape relative to the skull. This graph representation is applied to classification of individuals based on level of cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer's Disease, level of education, and gender. The portions of the graph which are important to each distinction are found and visualized as an overlay on structural magnetic resonance images (MRI). We find that whole-brain analysis in this manner allows automatic classification of images based on gender if the whole brain is included, but not strictly based on the ventricular system. Alzheimer's Disease is found to strongly affect ventricle shape. Education is found to correlate with the shape of the medial longitudinal fissure and the Sylvian fissure, which may be due to increases in overall brain mass due to education. Gender is predicted primarily by information in the MRI regarding facial structure and head shape. Finally, age is found to be easier to classify than any of the above distinctions. The classifier is found to have 90.9% accuracy differentiating scans of individuals 40 and younger from those of individuals 60 or older.
Steps Toward a Computational Metaphysics

In this paper, the authors describe their initial investigations in computational metaphysics. Our method is to implement axiomatic metaphysics in an automated reasoning system. In this paper, we describe what we have discovered when the theory of abstract objects is implemented in prover9 (a first-order automated reasoning system which is the successor to otter). After reviewing the second-order, axiomatic theory of abstract objects, we show (1) how to represent a fragment of that theory in prover9’s first-order syntax, and (2) how prover9 then finds proofs of interesting theorems of metaphysics, such as that every possible world is maximal. We conclude the paper by discussing some issues for further research.
The dynamic Laurent flexible form and the demand for money

I derive the dynamic full Laurent model to estimate economic models that assume a dynamic process. The application in this paper is to use the dynamic full Laurent to estimate a system of dynamic asset demand equations. The main results are that the dynamic full Laurent rejects its static version and the estimated elasticities are variable over time. Results from a Monte Carlo analysis, using a dynamic data-generating process, show that the prediction errors from the dynamic full Laurent are much smaller than those from the static version. Thus when the data are generated by a dynamic process, inferences from the static full Laurent model can be severely biased. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
7 Prevention and treatment of adverse effects of corticosteroids in systemic lupus erythematosus

Corticosteroid therapy has had a major impact on improvement in disease activity and long-term survival in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Unfortunately, the therapeutic advantages are accompanied by many manifestations of toxicity, some of which are short term and potentially reversible, while others cause chronic irreversible damage. Many of these features of toxicity have similar presentations to manifestations of SLE disease activity, and must be distinguished in the individual patient. The features of corticosteroid toxicity are reviewed in this chapter, and means of prevention and/or treatment are discussed.
Neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor expression and function on nonneuronal cells.

Of the thousands of proven carcinogens and toxic agents contained within a cigarette, nicotine, while being the addictive agent, is often viewed as the least harmful of these compounds. Nicotine is a lipophilic molecule whose effects on neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) have been primarily focused on its physiologic impact within the confines of the brain and peripheral nervous system. However, recently, many studies have found neuronal nAChRs to be expressed on many different nonneuronal cell types throughout the body, where increasing evidence suggests they have important roles in determining the consequences of nicotine use on multiple organs systems and diseases as diverse as ulcerative colitis, chronic pulmonary obstructive disease, and diabetes, as well as the neurologic disorders of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. This review highlights current evidence for the expression of peripheral nAChRs in cells other than neurons and how they participate in fundamental processes, such as inflammation. Understanding these processes may offer novel therapeutic strategies to approach inflammatory diseases, as well as precautions in the design of interventional drugs.
Prostaglandin response to intravenous nitroglycerin.

Abstract Recent studies suggest that nitroglycerin (TNG)-induced vascular and myocardial effects may be mediated by arachidonic acid metabolites. We examined the correlation between prostacyclin (PGI2) and thromboxane (TXA2) release in the coronary sinus (CS) and intravenous administration of TNG. Concentrations of PGI2 and TXA2 were derived indirectly by measuring their stable metabolites, 6-ketoprostaglandin F1α (6KF1α) and thromboxane B2 (TXB2), respectively. Fifteen dogs were studied in three equal groups. Group I received 2 μg/kg/min TNG followed by 10 μg/kg/min. Group II received the same concentrations in reverse order. Group III received 10 μg/kg/min after pretreatment with 10 mg/kg ibuprofen. After 90 min stabilization blood samples drawn from the pulmonary artery (PA), left atrium (LA), inferior vena cava (IVC), and CS before and during TNG infusion were analyzed for TXB2 and 6KF1α. No 6KF1α was generated in any groups. Groups I and II showed significant TXB2 production exclusively in the CS during the first TNG infusion but not during the second. This response was prevented by pretreating with ibuprofen. We were unable to correlate the hemodynamic effects of TNG with the presence of increased TXA2 in the coronary sinus blood. These data demonstrate that the action of TNG is not mediated by prostacyclin. TNG infusion does result in an initial significant thromboxane release in the myocardial circulation which can be blocked by ibuprofen.
Treatment of Port‐Wine Stains for the 1990s

background. A dramatic improvement in the treatment of patients with port-wine stains has occurred over the past 20 years owing to the availability of a variety of different laser systems. The argon laser was the first system to offer an advantage over the older surgical techniques that had previously been used to manage these patients. However, many new lasers have since been developed that further improved the treatment results while simultaneously reducing the risks, even when treating children. objective. To present the current status of laser surgery for port-wine stains and describe how the many newer systems are being used to more effectively manage these patients. methods. A thorough review of the medical literature was conducted on the use of new lasers, delivery systems, and treatment techniques for the management of port-wine stains. results. The biggest advance in laser treatment of port-wine stains resulted from the development of systems that are capable of delivering yellow light. The improved precision provided by these lasers serves to minimize epidermal injury, limit nonspecific thermal damage, and permit treatment of newborns and young children without a significant risk of scarring. conclusion. Major benefits in the treatment of portwine stains have resulted from the recent development of many new laser systems and laser accessories that provide a more precise response with less potential for complications than had been previously attainable with older technologies.
Role of nutritional zinc in the prevention of osteoporosis

Zinc is known as an essential nutritional factor in the growth of the human and animals. Bone growth retardation is a common finding in various conditions associated with dietary zinc deficiency. Bone zinc content has been shown to decrease in aging, skeletal unloading, and postmenopausal conditions, suggesting its role in bone disorder. Zinc has been demonstrated to have a stimulatory effect on osteoblastic bone formation and mineralization; the metal directly activates aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase, a rate-limiting enzyme at translational process of protein synthesis, in the cells, and it stimulates cellular protein synthesis. Zinc has been shown to stimulate gene expression of the transcription factors runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2) that is related to differentiation into osteoblastic cells. Moreover, zinc has been shown to inhibit osteoclastic bone resorption due to inhibiting osteoclast-like cell formation from bone marrow cells and stimulating apoptotic cell death of mature osteoclasts. Zinc has a suppressive effect on the receptor activator of nuclear factor (NF)-κB ligand (RANKL)-induced osteoclastogenesis. Zinc transporter has been shown to express in osteoblastic and osteoclastic cells. Zinc protein is involved in transcription. The intake of dietary zinc causes an increase in bone mass. β-Alanyl-l-histidinato zinc (AHZ) is a zinc compound, in which zinc is chelated to β-alanyl-l-histidine. The stimulatory effect of AHZ on bone formation is more intensive than that of zinc sulfate. Zinc acexamate has also been shown to have a potent-anabolic effect on bone. The oral administration of AHZ or zinc acexamate has the restorative effect on bone loss under various pathophysiologic conditions including aging, skeletal unloading, aluminum bone toxicity, calcium- and vitamin D-deficiency, adjuvant arthritis, estrogen deficiency, diabetes, and fracture healing. Zinc compounds may be designed as new supplementation factor in the prevention and therapy of osteoporosis.
Photoinactivation of L-glutamate dehydrogenase in a spectrophotofluorimeter

Abstract The inactivatin of enzymes by ultraviolet radiation has been studied (Setlow and Doyle 1957; Mee 1964), but knowledge of which amino acid residues are affected is still incomplete. We have recently noted that beef liver L-glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) lost enzyme activity as well as protein fluorescence under certain conditions of spectrophotofluorimetric assay. Since the fluorescence of proteins is due almost wholly to tryptophan residues (Teale 1960), these observations seem relevant to the mechanism of photoinactivation of enzymes. This communication documents these findings and also discusses the significance of photodecomposition in fluorimetric analysis.
Spectroscopy of weakly-bound magnesium ion complexes

Abstract Weakly bound complexes of the form Mg+-L (L = CO2 , H2O, N2, Ar, etc.) are prepared in a pulsed nozzle/laser vapourization cluster source and studied in the molecular beam environment. The ion complexes are jet cooled and mass selected in a specially designed reflectron time-of-flight mass spectrometer for their study. The mass-selected ions are excited with a tunable dye laser, and the products, if any, from photodissociation are mass analysed and detected as a function of the excitation laser wavelength. This photodissociation spectroscopy experiment reveals the decomposition channels of excited complexes and their absorption spectra. Photodissociation channels vary from simple metal ion-ligand bond breaking, to metal-to-ligand charge transfer, to metal insertion/elimination reactions in the excited state. In reactive systems, the spectra are broad and featureless. However, in systems with simple metal—ligand dissociation, vibrational and partial rotational resolution is obtained in the spectra...
Heat shock protein 27: Induction by gastroduodenal reflux in vivo and augmentation of human esophageal mucosal cell growth in vitro

Objective Acid exposure to esophageal epithelium leads to hyperplasia and mucosal thickening. This is associated with upregulation of antiapoptotic genes. Recently, heat shock proteins have been implicated in esophageal mucosal response to stress. We sought to determine the influence of gastroduodenal reflux on esophageal mucosal heat shock protein 27 gene (murine analog Hspb1, human HSPB1) expression in vivo and the effect of HSPB1 overexpression on proliferation of esophageal mucosal cells in vitro. Methods Balb/c mice underwent either anastomosis of gastroesophageal junction and first portion of duodenum to induce continuous gastroduodenal reflux (n = 14) or sham procedure (n = 12). Quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction was used to determine the influence of gastroduodenal reflux on Hspb1 expression. Immunofluorescent microscopy and immunoblotting were used to quantify changes in heat shock protein 27 protein expression. Lentiviral infection techniques were used to overexpress HSPB1 in human esophageal epithelial cells. Both 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazole-2-yl) 2,5,-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide and 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine incorporation assays were used to assess cell proliferation. Results Expressions of Hspb1 and its protein product were increased in esophageal tissue after 12 weeks' reflux relative to sham control group. Expression was located mainly in hyperplastic epithelial cells. Overexpression of HSPB1 in human esophageal epithelial cells resulted in increased proliferation. Conclusions Heat shock protein 27 is upregulated in response to gastroduodenal reflux and is a mediator of human esophageal epithelial cell proliferation and growth. This novel finding illustrates the importance of its expression in the development of inflammation and mucosal thickening associated with esophageal reflux.
A note on the ‘is-ought’ barrier

In an interesting criticism1 of my paper,2 Kenneth Hanly takes me to task for proposing to do away with ‘ought’ statements. He suggests that the difficulties associated with the is-ought barrier reappear in the use of ‘is’ statements.
Determinants of the internationalisation of European SMEs: inward outward linkages, the 'stage' theory of global expansion and the role of the European Union in the textiles and apparel industry

This paper examines the patterns of evolution associated with the internationalisation of SMEs within Western Europe vis-a-vis the transition economies of Eastern Europe. In doing so, it analyses the degree to which the 'stage' theory of internationalisation applies to SME internationalisation and why certain industries within certain countries get 'stuck' in the early ('primitive') stages of internationalisation and thus in a low-value creation mode of international activity. It looks at the linkages that exist between 'inward' and 'outward' trade flows and considers the role of the EU in both nurturing and also hindering the SME internationalisation process.
Responses to Gift-Giving in a Business Context: An Empirical Examination

This study compared ratings of discomfort on the receipt of gifts and intentions to repay gifts between male and female purchasing executives. Significant main effects of sex and years of purchasin...
STRATEGIC ITEM SELECTION TO REDUCE SURVEY LENGTH: REDUCTION IN VALIDITY?

The practical constraints of conducting rigorous research in applied settings often limit the ability to include well-validated, but lengthy, measures in survey designs. In the current study we tested the utility of using a strategic item selection process to alleviate this issue. We evaluated the measurement and structural model fit of items selected using a strategic item selection format and assessed the predictive validity of those abbreviated scales. We also compared fit and predictive validity to the full version item sets to assess the comparability of the abbreviated scales. Results indicated that measurement models and structural models for the a priori items produced similar fit when compared with full version items across both measures. When comparing the proportion of variance explained in the criterion, there were no differences between the strategically selected items and the full versions of the scales. We conclude that the a priori selection of items based on previous research may be a useful technique for developing short measures of psychological constructs that mitigate practical, analytical, and methodological issues associated with lengthy surveys.
Predictive Algorithms: Uses and Limitations

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has emerged as an area in urgent need of epidemiologic and outcomes research due to the continuing rise in incidence and mortality over time [1]. The overall 5-year survival from 2003 to 2007 was 14% in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program database of the National Cancer Institute [2]. Although this survival rate may be disheartening, subsets of patients with limited tumor burden at diagnosis are candidates for curative therapies including liver transplantation, resection, or tumor ablation. These patients have significantly improved survival; specifically, patients receiving liver transplantation for early-stage disease have 5-year survival of over 70% [3].
TLR1 and TLR6 Polymorphisms Are Associated with Susceptibility to Invasive Aspergillosis after Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) transmit signals in response to Aspergillus fumigatus conidia and hyphae. In this preliminary study, we examined the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in TLR1, TLR4, and TLR6 genes and development of invasive aspergillosis (IA) in 127 allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients consisting of 22 patients with IA and 105 unaffected control subjects. The following SNPs and their pairwise interactions were considered in the model: TLR1 (239G > C, 743A > G, 914A > T, 1805G > T), TLR4 (896A > G, 1196C > T), and TLR6 (359T > C, 745C > T, 764C > T). No association was found between donor SNP and the risk of IA. Analysis of recipient SNP data showed that the presence of TLR1 239G > C (Arg80 > Thr) or the presence of both TLR1 743A > G (Asn248 > Ser) and TLR6 745C > T (Ser249 > Pro) is associated with IA (odds ratio = 1.30, 95% confidence interval = 1.13 to 1.50; P < .001). Further analyses using a prospective cohort may enable us to identify TLR polymorphisms associated with the susceptibility to IA within a defined interval among immunocompromised patients.
Differences between Alcoholic Couples Accepting and Rejecting an Offer of Outpatient Marital Therapy

Following an extensive initial evaluation, 35 couples with alcoholic husbands decided to participate in couples therapy (acceptors) and 28 couples did not (rejectors). A significant discriminant function indicated that acceptors were characterized by husbands with more education, better marital adjustment, full-time employment, and larger number of alcohol-related arrests. Acceptors also had sought more outpatient help in the past year. Rejectors were characterized by wives with better marital
OCT for diagnosis of periodontal disease

We have developed a hand-held in vivo scanning device for use in the oral cavity. We produced, using this scanning device, in vivo OCT images of dental tissues in human volunteers. All the OCT images were analyzed for the presence of clinically relevant anatomical structures. The gingival margin, periodontal sulcus, and dento-enamel junction were visible in all the images. The cemento-enamel junction was discernible in 64% of the images and the alveolar bone presumptively identified for 71% of the images. These images represent, to our knowledge, the first in vivo OCT images of human dental tissue.
An Unsymmetric Oxo/Imido-Bridged Germanium-Centered Singlet Diradicaloid

Reaction of the digermyne Ar′GeGeAr′ (1) with ONC6H4-2-CH3 affords a unique example of an unsymmetric singlet diradicaloid, the oxo/imido-bridged species Ar′Ge(μ-O)(μ-NC6H4-2-CH3)GeAr′ (2), which w...
Congenital Mitral Insufficiency

The clinical and hemodynamic findings in 10 patients with mitral insufficiency on a congenital basis are described. Six of these patients have had repair of the defects with dramatic clinical improvement noted. The findings at the time of surgical repair have been summarized. The severity of the symptoms and the benefits to be derived from surgical repair should encourage vigorous attempts to establish the correct diagnosis. This is best accomplished by either recording the typical left atrial pressure pulse of mitral insufficiency during left heart catheterization or by left ventricular angiography to demonstrate the regurgitation of contrast material into the left atrium.
Elastic-plastic bending of the lithosphere incorporating rock deformation data, with application to the structure of the Hawaiian archipelago

An elastic-plastic lithosphere bending model incorporating rock deformation data has been developed for computation of flexure profiles at mid-ocean island chains and at the trenches near the plate boundaries. Flexure of the plate is computed by finite-element numerical solution of Von Karman's equation for large deflection of plates with a nonlinear material behavior. The elastic part of the constitutive relation is derived from seismology (moduli = 90% of the seismic values) while the strain rate-dependent plastic part is derived from dunite deformation data extrapolated to the appropriate geologic loading rates. As an illustration, the amplitude and the wavelength of the Hawaiian Arch, the vertical displacement of the Moho under the Hawaiian Archipelago, and the free-air gravity anomalies are fitted to within observation accuracy by the present lithosphere flexure model.
Generalizing Version Spaces

Although a landmark work, version spaces have proven fundamentally limited by being constrained to only consider candidate classifiers that are strictly consistent with data. This work generalizes version spaces to partially overcome this limitation. The main insight underlying this work is to base learning on version-space intersection, rather than the traditional candidate-elimination algorithm. The resulting learning algorithm, incremental version-space merging (IVSM), allows version spaces to contain arbitrary sets of classifiers, however generated, as long as they can be represented by boundary sets. This extends version spaces by increasing the range of information that can be used in learnings in particular, this paper describes how three examples of very different types of information—ambiguous data, inconsistent data, and background domain theories as traditionally used by explanation-based learning—can each be used by the new version-space approach.
Compact modular system design for teleoperated laparoendoscopic single site surgery

We report a preliminary design of a compact robotic system for teleoperated laparoscopic-endoscopic singlesite (LESS) surgery. The system will be sterilizeable by autoclave, immersible for cleaning, and portable. This system was developed from the previous University of Hawaii compact laparoscopic robot system and will be built upon the base of a ViKY XL endoscope robot from EndoControl SA. The system is composed of two instrument manipulators and one endocsope manipulator attached to a common rotating base ring and support frame, allowing the articulated instruments and endoscope to be inserted into the body through a single common incision and trocar. The support frame bars on either side of the base ring have gear teeth so that the insertion depth of each instrument or endoscope can be actuated by rack-and-pinion mechanisms. The endoscope is directly attached to the support frame by its rack-and-pinion drive, while each instrument is attached to its rack-and-pinion by articulated links and a universal joint, to allow independent motion while inserted through the common incision.