cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of moderate to vigorous physical activity on long-term clinical outcomes and pain severity in fibromyalgia.

A great deal of interest has been generated in recent years supporting the role of a physically active lifestyle as part of the overall treatment approach in fibromyalgia (FM) (1–6). Although the majority of studies have focused primarily on the effects of structured exercise programs in FM, recent evidence suggests that clinically significant improvements in physical function and pain also can be achieved with increases in lifestyle physical activity (e.g. household activities, cleaning, yard work, etc.) (7). Unfortunately, despite the reported clinical benefits of increased physical activity, many people with FM report that the pain associated with increased activity often prevents them from attempting to achieve, or follow through with recommendations to be more active (8–10). Of those that begin physical activity programs, long-term adherence is often suboptimal and frequently associated with a worsening of FM symptoms (11). The reasons behind poor adherence are likely multifactorial, including the potential for worsening symptoms. Although most exercise trials have reported clinical benefits in FM, the majority of these studies have not evaluated the sustainability of these benefits long-term (i.e. >12 weeks). Therefore, the main purpose of this paper was to determine whether increasing and maintaining higher levels of physical activity over a longer time period is associated with improvement or worsening of symptoms. The Research to Encourage Exercise for Fibromyalgia (REEF) study was a randomized attention-controlled clinical trial, of which the main objective was to evaluate the efficacy of Motivational Interviewing (MI), a client-centered counseling approach designed to elicit a specific behavioral change (12), to encourage a more physically active lifestyle in FM patients in order to improve important patient-oriented clinical outcomes (13, 14). In this trial, both intervention groups received a structured exercise prescription at the onset of the study, but only one group was given MI, which we hypothesized would increase adherence to the prescribed exercise program and increase overall voluntary physical activity levels after 36 weeks. The specific aim of this paper was to compare changes in self-reported physical function and symptom severity in FM subjects who: (1) increased and sustained participation in moderate-vigorous physical activity (MVPA); (2) increased, but did not sustain MVPA levels; or (3) did not increase MVPA levels. Our primary hypothesis was that patients with FM who increased and sustained physical activity participation of at least moderate intensity would report greater improvement in physical function compared to subjects who were unable to maintain or increase MVPA levels. Our secondary hypothesis was that pain severity would not worsen in FM subjects who are able to maintain increased levels of MVPA compared to those unable to maintain or increase MVPA levels.
Development and standardization of a new telephonic cognitive screening test: the Minnesota Cognitive Acuity Screen (MCAS).

Objective The aim of this study was to determine the validity and reliability of a telephonically administered cognitive screening battery, consisting of nine brief tests (orientation, attention, delayed word recall, comprehension, repetition, naming, computation, judgment, and verbal fluency), to distinguish between patients with dementia and healthy control subjects. Background Existing telephonic screening instruments do not take full advantage of strategies that might increase precision. Methods A total of 228 elderly individuals received a telephone assessment of cognitive function (99 mildly to moderately demented nursing home residents with an established diagnosis of dementia residing in 1 of 12 nursing facilities, and 129 community-dwelling elderly individuals who were independently screened to verify normal cognitive function). Results Nurses and psychologists experienced in telephonic test administration typically completed the screening with each subject in less than 20 minutes. At the 100% sensitivity level, the test battery had a specificity of 87%. The post hoc optimal cut-score of the discriminant analysis yielded a sensitivity of 97.5% and a specificity of 98.5%. The split-half reliability of the test battery was 0.91. The more powerfully predictive subtests were orientation, delayed word recall, verbal fluency, computation, and judgment. Conclusions This telephonic screening instrument appears to have promise to distinguish, with high precision, healthy elderly individuals from those individuals with cognitive impairment. The Minnesota Cognitive Acuity Screen (MCAS) should undergo further study in unselected elderly populations to better understand its value as a screening tool.
Refractory ascites due to POEMS syndrome

Abstract A 52-yr-old woman developed exudative ascites 2 yr after the onset of peripheral neuropathy. Extensive evaluation revealed that the patient had no underlying liver disease, malignancy, infection, or cardiac or renal disease. The ascites initially responded to high-dose corticosteroid therapy. The patient had many clinical features of the recently described POEMS syndrome, including a persistent IgA λ-paraprotein. Initially, her ascites responded to treatment with steroids. This is characteristic of the syndrome and should be considered in patients with POEMS syndrome and refractory ascites.
The rational homology of toric varieties is not a combinatorial invariant

We prove that the rational homology Betti numbers of a toric variety with singularities are not necessarily determined by the combinatorial type of the fan which defines it; that is, the homology is not determined by the partially ordered set formed by the cones in the fan. We apply this result to the study of convex polytopes, giving examples of two combinatorially equivalent polytopes for which the associated toric varieties have different Betti numbers. Our main result is that the rational homology Betti numbers of a toric variety with singularities are not necessarily determined by the combinatorial type of the fan which defines it; that is, the homology is not determined by the partially ordered set formed by the cones in the fan. This holds in all dimensions n > 3. The result is in contrast with the following facts: (1) The rational homology Betti numbers of a nonsingular toric variety are determined by the combinatorial type of the fan. The rational cohomology ring of nonsingular toric varieties played a central role in the proof of McMullen's conjecture concerning the number of faces of simplicial convex polytopes [S1, BL]. (2) The intersection homology Betti numbers of a singular toric variety are determined by the combinatorial type of the fan. This fact provides information about general rational convex polytopes [S2]. We give an algorithm (1.2-1.3) for computing the Betti numbers of a complete toric variety of dimension three. We then give examples (1.4) of two combinatorially equivalent polyhedra for which the associated toric varieties have different Betti numbers. In ?2 we prove the results in (1.2-1.3), and in ?3 we conclude with a few remarks. 1. STATEMENT OF RESULTS (1.1) Let a denote any closed convex rational polyhedral cone in Rn which does not contain a line. A (complete) fan I is a finite collection {la} which Received by the editors April 22, 1988. 1980 Mathematics Subject Classification (1985 Revision). Primary 52A25, 14L32.
Syntax of preschool fluent and disfluent speech: a transformational analysis.

Speech samples were obtained from 13 highly fluent and 13 highly disfluent four-year-old children who were comparable as to sex, intelligence, socioeconomic status, race, and educational history. T...
Two alternative procedures for isolating adipofibroblasts from sheep skeletal muscle

Methods to isolate cells used in the study of adipocyte differentiation are lengthy, potentially damaging to the cells collected, and usually result in a mixed group of cells which are difficult to define clearly. Additionally, much work done on the differentiation of fibroblasts to preadipocytes or preadipocytes to adipocytes has relied on the use of populations of cells which are either embryonic in origin or from genetically unique animals. We therefore report two simple and rapid protocols for obtaining relatively pure populations of preadipocytes from perimuscular fat and from intramuscular fat depots of normal sheep skeletal muscle. In the first procedure, a finely minced preparation of perimuscular adipose tissue is placed directly into flasks for ceiling culture. During the second procedure, free-floating adipocytes, resulting from the enzymatic preparation of satellite cells from skeletal muscle, are placed into ceiling culture. Cells from both isolation procedures attach, grow, and are later harvested for use. These cells demonstrate proliferation and differentiation abilities of normal preadipocytes. Cell populations may be expanded for use in cloning pure populations of adipocytes or used directly in studies to identify mechanisms of adipocyte development and intercellular communication with myogenic cells.
A Scalable Synthesis of the IP7 Isomer, 5-PP-Ins(1,2,3,4,6)P5

The phosphorylated inositol diphosphates, including the diphosphoinositol pentakisphosphate regioisomers, play critical roles in signal transduction and cellular regulation. In particular, the IP(7) isomer 5-PP-Ins(1,2,3,4,6)P(5) is implicated in a nonenzymatic phosphate transfer converting a protein serine phosphate residue to a serine diphosphate. A scalable, practical new synthesis of 5-PP-Ins(1,2,3,4,6)P(5) is described that also allows access to a variety of IP(7) and IP(8) regioisomers. The identity of the synthetic 5-PP-Ins(1,2,3,4,6)P(5) was validated using IP6K1 to catalyze the conversion of IP(7) + ADP to ATP + IP(6).
Evaluation of a Radiation Dose Reduction Strategy for Pediatric Chest CT

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of our study was to quantify the effect of changes made to the CT chest protocol on patient dose, image quality, and image noise when using a kilovoltage (kVp)-lowering strategy.MATERIALS AND METHODS. We retrospectively selected 120 children who underwent chest CT: 60 in 2006 and 60 in 2008. In each group there were 30 children weighing less than 15 kg and 30 between 15 and 60 kg. In 2006 the CT protocol was 120 kVp and the reference current (mAs) was 65. In 2008, the kVp was 80 for < 15 kg and 100 for 15–60 kg, with reference mAs of 55. For each examination, the volume CT dose index (CTDIvol) and dose–length product (DLP) were recorded. Effective dose (ED) was estimated using the DLP method. Image noise was measured. Overall image quality was subjectively evaluated.RESULTS. For a weight < 15.0 kg, the CTDIvol, DLP, and ED were reduced by 73%, 75%, and 73%, respectively (p < 0.05). For the weight range 15–60 kg, the CTDIvol, DLP, and ED were reduced by 45%, 44%, and 48%, respectivel...
An attribute grammar approach to compiler optimization of intra-module interprocess communication

Earlier work has shown the effectiveness of hand-applied program transformations optimizing high-level interprocess communication mechanisms. This paper describes the static analysis techniques necessary to ensure correct compiler application of the optimizing transformations. These techniques include both dataflow analysis and interprocess analysis. This paper focuses on the analysis of communication mechanisms within program modules; however, the analysis techniques can be generalized to handle inter-module optimization analysis as well. The major contributions of this paper include the application of dataflow analysis and the extension of interprocedural analysis—interprocess analysis—to real concurrent programming languages and, more specifically, to the optimization of interprocess communication and synchronization mechanisms that use both static and dynamic channels. In addition, the use of attribute grammars to perform interprocess analysis is significant. This paper also describes an implementation of both intra-process dataflow and interprocess analysis techniques using attribute grammars.
Parallel Optimization with Applications to Power Systems

A new pseudo-conjugate direction algorithm for the solution of the unconstrained optimization problem on a parallel computer is presented. At each iteration, n one-dimensional searches along n directions are performed simultaneously on n processors. These directions are so chosen that they progressively become more nearly conjugate as a minimum is approached. The algorithm does not require the evaluation or computation of any derivatives and it is suitable for execution on an existing multiprocessor computer (Siemens SMS 201). To assess the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm in solving optimization problems that occur in power systems analysis, (i.e. load flow, state estimation and optimal load flow type), its implemenation on the SMS-201 (128-processor system) is analyzed.
A Multimodal Non-invasive, in vivo Technique for Monitoring Vascular Status of Tumors

The brain tumor vascularization is studied by nearinfrared spectroscopy technique for measuring hemoglobin dynamics and the findings are correlated with magnetic resonance imaging and conventional histopathological procedures to capitalize on the strengths of each method.
Mixed Chloride/Amine Complexes of Dimolybdenum(II,II). 4. Rotational Isomers of Mo2Cl4(R-py)4 (R-py = 4-Picoline, 3,5-Lutidine, and 4-tert-Butylpyridine)

The quadruply bonded dimolybdenum complexes with alkyl-substituted pyridines of the formula Mo2Cl4(R-py)4 (R-py = 4-pic (4-methylpyridine) (1), 3,5-lut (3,5-dimethylpyridine) (2), and 4-But-py (4-tert-butylpyridine) (3)) have been prepared. Nine different compounds, in which there are 11 independent molecules, have been obtained in crystalline form, and their crystal structures have been investigated by X-ray diffraction. Three types of geometric isomers which differ by the angle of internal rotation about the Mo−Mo axis have been recognized in these structures. The eclipsed structures 1−3a display pyridine ligands opposite to each other across the metal−metal bond and have a virtual symmetry D2h. The noncentrosymmetric D2d structures 1−3b have each pyridine ligand opposite to a Cl atom. The molecules 3c−f have a partially staggered D2 geometry with N−Mo−Mo−N torsion angles ranging from 10.4° to 25.2°. As a result of this work it is now clear that Mo2Cl4(R-py)4 compounds do not show a preference for D2h c...
The Effects of Rural Electrification on Employment: New Evidence from South Africa

This paper estimates the impact of electrification on employment growth by analyzing South Africa 's mass roll-out of electricity to rural households. Using several new data sources and two different identification strategies (an instrumental variables strategy and a fixed effects approach ), I find that electrification significantly raises female employment within five years. This new infrastructure appears to increase hours of work for men and women, while reducing female wages and increasing male earnings. Several pieces of evidence suggest that household electrification raises employment by releasing women from home production and enabling microenterprises. Migration behavior may also be affected. (JEL H54, L94,
Engineering chemical reactivity on cell surfaces through oligosaccharide biosynthesis

Cell surface oligosaccharides can be engineered to display unusual functional groups for the selective chemical remodeling of cell surfaces. An unnatural derivative of N-acetyl-mannosamine, which has a ketone group, was converted to the corresponding sialic acid and incorporated into cell surface oligosaccharides metabolically, resulting in the cell surface display of ketone groups. The ketone group on the cell surface can then be covalently ligated under physiological conditions with molecules carrying a complementary reactive functional group such as the hydrazide. Cell surface reactions of this kind should prove useful in the introduction of new recognition epitopes, such as peptides, oligosaccharides, or small organic molecules, onto cell surfaces and in the subsequent modulation of cell-cell or cell-small molecule binding events. The versatility of this technology was demonstrated by an example of selective drug delivery. Cells were decorated with biotin through selective conjugation to ketone groups, and selectively killed in the presence of a ricin A chain-avidin conjugate.
Human breast cancer cells are redirected to mammary epithelial cells upon interaction with the regenerating mammary gland microenvironment in-vivo.

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. At present, the etiology of breast cancer is unknown; however the possibility of a distinct cell of origin, i.e. a cancer stem cell, is a heavily investigated area of research. Influencing signals from the tissue niche are known to affect stem cells. Literature has shown that cancer cells lose their tumorigenic potential and display ‘normal’ behavior when placed into ‘normal’ ontogenic environments. Therefore, it may be the case that the tissue microenvironment is able to generate signals to redirect cancer cell fate. Previously, we showed that pluripotent human embryonal carcinoma cells could be redirected by the regenerating mammary gland microenvironment to contribute epithelial progeny for ‘normal’ gland development in-vivo. Here, we show that that human metastatic, non-metastatic, and metastasis-suppressed breast cancer cells proliferate and contribute to normal mammary gland development in-vivo without tumor formation. Immunochemistry for human-specific mitochondria, keratin 8 and 14, as well as human-specific milk proteins (alpha-lactalbumin, impregnated transplant hosts) confirmed the presence of human cell progeny. Features consistent with normal mammary gland development as seen in intact hosts (duct, lumen formation, development of secretory acini) were recapitulated in both primary and secondary outgrowths from chimeric implants. These results suggest the dominance of the tissue microenvironment over cancer cell fate. This work demonstrates that cultured human breast cancer cells (metastatic and non-metastatic) respond developmentally to signals generated by the mouse mammary gland microenvironment during gland regeneration in-vivo.
Atmospheric pressure-ion drift chemical ionization mass spectrometry for detection of trace gas species.

This paper describes atmospheric pressure-ion drift chemical ionization mass spectrometry (AP-ID-CIMS) for monitoring of ambient trace species. Operation of the drift tube at atmospheric pressure allows a significantly longer ion−molecule reaction time and eliminates dilution of the ambient samples, while a well-defined electric field inside the drift tube provides the benefits to confine the flight path and velocity of reagent/product ions, to break down ion clusters, and to control the ion−molecule reaction time. The AP-ID-CIMS exhibits advantages over the conventional low pressure ID-CIMS and flow tube AP-CIMS, improving the detection sensitivity by 3 orders of magnitude and a factor of 3, respectively. We demonstrate that the AP-ID-CIMS allows quantification of sulfuric acid concentrations and is capable of detecting gaseous sulfuric acid with a detection limit of less than 105 molecules cm−3, on the basis of 3σ of the baseline noise and an integration time of 12 s. A field evaluation of the AP-ID-CIM...
Renaturation of DNA: a novel reaction of histones

Histones isolated from several sources, either singly or in combination promote the renaturation of complementary single strands of DNA, as measured by the acquisition of resistance to S1 nuclease. The reaction is rapid (T1/2 less than 1 min), and is stoichiometric rather than catalytic. Renaturation is stimulated by Mg2+, Mn2+, and Ca2+, but is strongly inhibited by Zn2+. Crude extracts of early embryos of Drosophila melanogaster possess renaturation activity which is protease sensitive, heat-stable, and acid-soluble, suggesting that most or all of it can be attributed to histones. This observation thus provides a functional assay for histones that should prove useful in studies of chromatin and histone-DNA interactions, as well as for the identification and isolation of histones and histone-like proteins in crude extracts.
FOLATE REQUIREMENTS AND METABOLISM IN ALCOHOLIC LIVER DISEASE

Abstract More than two-thirds of American adults use alcoholic beverages. Although the vast majority consume less than two drinks daily and can be considered moderate drinkers, more than 5% become addicted to excessive amounts of alcohol and meet the diagnostic criteria for alcoholism. Worldwide, alcohol consumption varies among nations, with roughly similar percentages of excessive consumption among North Americans and Europeans. Whereas recent data have shown potentially beneficial effects of moderate drinking on risk of cardiac disease, prolonged consumption of excessive amounts of alcohol increases medical risks for liver cirrhosis, several neuromuscular disorders, abnormal fetal development, and several cancers. Medical risks are influenced by genetics and gender. Antioxidants in wine may be protective, and interactions with folate deficiency may augment risk of cancer. This review describes the interactions of alcohol consumption and nutrition and then focuses on folate metabolism, its perturbations with alcohol and its metabolites, and potential interactions in the process of alcoholic liver disease.
Forced expiratory maneuvers in children aged 3 to 5 years

There is no consensus about reproducibility and reliability of spirometry in young children. We evaluated forced expiratory maneuvers from 98 children aged 3 to 5 years with a variety of respiratory disorders before and after bronchodilator treatment. Forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV1) were analyzed for reproducibility by the American Thoracic Society criteria and for reliability based on the coefficient of variation (CV%). Over 90% of the patients cooperated, however, while 95% could exhale for at least 1 second, very few generated an FEV1 on all 6 "best" efforts. This clearly improved with age. Of all patients nearly 60% performed reproducible pre- and postbronchodilator sets of FVC but only 32% performed reproducible sets of FEV1. Based on the CV%, those patients who could reproducibly perform an FVC and FEV1 did it quite reliably (mean CV%, 9.38 and 7.01 for FVC and FEV1, respectively). We conclude that while some very young children can perform spirometry, reliability of performance cannot be assumed in this age group.
Call to Action: Cardiovascular Disease in Women

ABSTRACT One third of women between the ages of 50 and 75 have cardiovascular disease, which accounts for more than 50% of all deaths among women annually. Cardiovascular disease not only is the leading cause of death among women; it is more lethal and less aggressively treated in women than in men. Twice as many women—505,440—die from heart disease as from all forms of cancer combined. Despite the compelling statistics, only 8% of women consider cardiovascular disease a personal health threat. The scenario is troubling because women appear to understand so little or to deny their cardiac risks and so not recognize their ability to control them. Clearly, there is an urgent and compelling need for physicians to take an active role in identifying health behaviors that may affect the risk of cardiovascular disease in their female patients. Dialogue between the physician and patient should begin early to foster preventive steps, and the communication and education must continue throughout the patient's life s...
Governing global information and communications policy

Abstract This paper combines a theoretical perspective on globalization and the information society with a critical usage of international regime theory in order to better understand the current historical period of transition from an international telecommunications regime (Cowhey Int. Organiz. 45 (1990) 169) to a new and complex regime aimed at providing governance for the Global Information Infrastructure and Global Information Society (GII/GIS). The paper employs a case-study approach to explore some of the specific national responses (i.e. South Africa) to this regime transition, with an analysis of potential best practices and lessons learned for other emerging economies.
Large scale preparation of bovine renal glomerular basement membrane in the presence of protease inhibitors.

Abstract A method is described for the isolation of large quantities of basement membrane from bovine renal glomeruli under conditions which minimize or prevent degradation by tissue-associated proteases. The method incorporates the use of moderately-high concentrations of the protease inhibitors: ethylene-diamine tetraacetic acid, e-amino caproic acid, N-ethylmaieimide, and diiso-propylfluorophosphate; and the maintenance of a temperature of 0-4°C throughout the procedure. Glomeruli preparations are isolated by a modified sieving technique and are routinely of purity greater than 97%. Under optimum conditions, three to four grams of basement membrane can be isolated under safe and rapid conditions in one week.
Histological changes in interstitial cystitis

Various aspects of the histological appearance of the bladder wall in interstitial cystitis have been emphasized over the 75 years since Hunner described the condition. The major focus of interest in this disease during the last decade has been the study of the relative significance of detrusor mastocytosis. Although this was for some years considered pivotal in establishing a diagnosis of interstitial cystitis, most recent studies have not shown mastocytosis to be a consistent feature of the disease. The histological picture of this condition is now considered to be that of a chronic inflammatory infiltrate of the lamina propria, possibly with fibrosis of the detrusor or lamina propria. The authors attempted to determine if there is a correlation between the severity of inflammation and fibrosis, and detrusor mastocytosis, on initial biopsy and the response of symptoms to conservative treatment. Of 39 patients, 10 required major surgical intervention. Although not reaching statistical significance, most cases with mild disease responded to conservative management. However, over 50% of cases showing severe histological disease also responded well to this type of treatment. Histological assessment of the interstitial cystitis bladder is more useful in ruling out other diseases than in allowing the demonstration of specifical diagnostic features of this condition. A severely abnormal microscopic picture does not necessarily indicate a poor prognosis.
Morphological and cell volume changes in the rat lens during the formation of radiation cataracts

Earlier studies in our laboratory showed that 24 hr after X-irradiation, epithelial cells of early postnatal rat lenses increased in volume. Three days after X-irradiation, the underlying lens fibers increased in volume. This finding suggested a correlation between damage to epithelial cell volume regulation and subsequent fiber cell swelling. To test this hypothesis 4-week-old rat lenses were three-dimensionally reconstructed to determine average cell volumes of specific lens regions and wet weights of whole lenses were measured during radiation cataract formation. In addition, the differentiation of epithelial cells into lens fibers was monitored by autoradiography. Four-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats were injected with [3H]-thymidine and, 24 hr later, their eyes were irradiated with either 400 or 1200 rad. Lenses were examined with a slit lamp and cataracts were graded on a scale of 1+ to 4+. Animals were killed 24 hr and 3, 5, 15 and 30 weeks after exposure. Lenses were serially sectioned at 0.75 micron and epithelial, equatorial and cortical fiber cell volumes were determined. Rats exposed to 400 or 1200 rad developed 0.5-1.5+ or 2.5-3.0+ cataracts, respectively, 10-16 weeks after X-irradiation. Epithelial and equatorial cells of both groups did not significantly increase in volume during this period. Three weeks after irradiation with 1200 rad cortical fibers were disorganized and had increased volume. By 5 and 15 weeks, cortical fibers had more normal cell volumes, although their morphology remained grossly altered. Cortical fiber volume of lenses irradiated with 400 rad were not significantly different from control lenses throughout the experimental period. By 15 weeks lenses irradiated with 400 rad showed subtle changes in morphology. Wet weight determinations indicated that the localized increase in cortical fiber volume did not result in an increase in the wet weight of the entire lens. Autoradiography showed that affected fibers had been epithelial cells at the time of X-irradiation. These results provide additional evidence that disturbances in fiber differentiation are involved with cataract formation, but do not support the initial hypothesis that a disturbance in epithelial cell volume regulation leads to fiber cell swelling. Earlier results suggesting defects in lens epithelial volume regulation in radiation cataract formation may have been complicated by ocular inflammation.
Truthfulness via smoothed complexity

Recently, Dobzinski and Dughmi (FOCS '09) defined a class of truthful-in-expectation VCG-based mechanisms they termed maximal-in-distributional-range (MIDR). Using MIDR mechanisms, they derived the first truthful-in-expectation FPTAS for multi-unit auctions, and showed the first separation between the power of truthful-in-expectation and truthful mechanisms. Since then, there has been much speculation on whether exploiting randomization allows general positive results that have eluded deterministic mechanism design. We answer this question in the affirmative for the class of essentially all packing problems that admit an FPTAS. Using techniques from smoothed algorithm analysis, we show a black box reduction that converts an FPTAS for such a problem to a truthful-in-expectation FPTAS of the MIDR variety. Our techniques and results may hold promise for unlocking the powers of truthful-in-expectation algorithms for strongly NP-hard problems.
Minicolumn chromatography: State of the art

It was recognized in the early 1960s that a rapid screening method for aflatoxin was needed. Holaday first proposed the minicolumn chromatography method as a rapid screening method in 1968. Since that time, many improvements have been made in this method. The latest minicolumn method has a limit of detection of 5μg/kg and can be completed in 5-7 min. The minicolumn technique has been expanded to include screening commodities other than peanuts for aflatoxin, as well as for other mycotoxins including ochratoxin, zearalenone and aflatoxin M 1.
Hypoxic cell specific chemotherapeutic agents

Abstract Cellular subpopulations of solid tumors can be divided into compartments based upon their degree of oxygenation and their rate of proliferation. Based upon these considerations, combinations of drugs and other therapeutic modalities can be devised with the potential to eradicate the physiologically heterogeneous populations of tumor stem cells present in solid neoplasms. Selection of combinations of drugs or other treatment modalities based upon these concepts makes the inclusion of an agent or agents with the capacity to eliminate hypoxic stem cells mandatory to achieve cure. The bioreductive alkylating agent, mitomycin C, would appear to be the most efficacious agent presently available for this purpose, and it is proposed that this antibiotic be considered as an addition to therapeutic regimens designed for the treatment of solid tumors. To employ this agent in a manner that minimizes its toxicity to normal cellular elements, it is necessary to consider that the mecanisms by which mitomycin C exerts its cytotoxicity to oxygenated cells is different from that by which it kills hypoxic cells. Mitomycin C can undergo 1-electron reduction in the presence of oxygen (46, 47). Subsequent reoxidation of the antibiotic by molecular oxygen can lead to the generation of superoxide radical and other toxic oxygen-containing species, such as hydrogen peroxide and hydroxyl radical. Such cyclic reduction and oxidation ofmitomycin C by oxygenated cells may result in the generation of levels of toxic oxygen species that surpass the detoxification capacity of cellular scavenging systems, and thereby may be responsible for the toxicity of this antibiotic to aerated cells in tumors and normal tissues, whereas the cytotoxicity of mitomycin C to hypoxic cells may involve the 2-electron reduction and generation of the reactive quinone methide species shown in Figure 3. These considerations dictate that to maximize the differential toxicity of an agent such as mitomycin C to hypoxic cells requires that it be given in relatively low doses, perhaps by constant infusion to maximize its potential for diffusion into neoplastic masses to reach hypoxic sterm cells.
A Quantitative Evaluation of Medication Histories and Reconciliation by Discipline

Background/ObjectiveMedication reconciliation at transitions of care decreases medication errors, hospitalizations, and adverse drug events. We compared inpatient medication histories and reconcili...
A comparison of thresholds for 1/3-octave filtered clicks and noise bursts in infants and adults

Behavioral thresholds of 6-month-old infants and adults were determined for 1/3-octave filtered clicks and 300-msec noise bursts with center frequencies ranging from .5 to 8 kHz. For noise bursts, differences between infant and adult thresholds were largest at low frequencies and smallest at 8 kHz. For clicks, infants’ thresholds were most like adults’ at 4 kHz, and age differences increased at both lower and higher frequencies. Differences between click and noise thresholds were significantly larger for infants than for adults at .5, 1, and 8 kHz, but not at 2 and 4 kHz. These results suggest that improvements in threshold for long-duration stimuli during infancy may not be accompanied by comparable changes in threshold at short durations. The delayed development of sensitivity to low- and high-frequency clicks appears consistent with maturational trends recently described for the auditory brainstem response.
The Role of the Librarian and Allied Health Professional in a Third-Year Pediatric Clerkship Journal Club

During the past decade, medical education has evolved from the traditional classroom and bedside clinical instruction to system-based instruction with emphasis on small-group interaction with a fac...
An Efficiency Criterion for Marketing Design

The author proposes that the parties in vertical trading relationships allocate their efforts toward manufacturing and information exchange such that no other arrangement makes them all better off....
Yttrium Aluminum Garnet (YAG) Films through a Precursor Plasma Spraying Technique

Coatings of yttrium aluminum garnet (Y3Al5O12, YAG), which is a promising high-temperature ceramic, were developed for the first time using a novel precursor plasma spraying (PPS) technique. The precursor sol was sprayed using a radiofrequency induction plasma technique. X-ray diffraction analysis of the as-sprayed coatings confirmed that a metastable hexagonal yttrium aluminate (H-YAlO3) was the major phase. The above-described specimen, on further treatment with plasma, was converted to cubic garnet (YAG) as the major phase, with a minor amount of orthorhombic YAlO3 (O-YAP) phase. 27 Al magic-angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance of the YAG coating corroborated the X-ray results and confirmed the presence of YAG and O-YAP phases. Formation of the garnet phase through the PPS technique is proof that the chemistry can be controlled in the plasma. This finding opens up new avenues for developing complex functional oxide deposits.
Dielectric constant and polarizability of saturated and compressed fluid methane

Abstract Accurate measurements of the dielectric constant of methane have been made on the saturated liquid from near the triple point to 188 K and on the compressed fluid along selected isotherms from 100 K to 300 K and at pressures to 345 bar. The data are combined with accurate densities to obtain the molar polarizability and its dependence on density and temperature. The density range examined extends to nearly three times the critical density. The molar polarizability is found to increase initially with density and then decrease in qualitative agreement with theoretical predictions and the behaviour of other fluids.
Oscillator strengths of the first forbidden lines of rubidium

Abstract The oscillator strengths of the 5 s -4 d first forbidden lines of rubidium at 5165 A were determined by performing CW tunable dye laser absorption measurements. Measured oscillator strengths of 8.06±0.48×10 -7 and 5.38±0.31×10 -7 for the 2 D 5 2 and 2 D 3 2 states, respectively, are compared with previously published values.
1965 Joint automatic control conference

Diversity in the technical program characterized the sixth annual Joint Automatic Control Conference, held in June of this year on the campus of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. This conference is jointly sponsored by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the Instrument Society of America, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and the IEEE. It was founded to bring together, once each year, reports on the latest developments in automatic control theory, applications, and components. This year's conference, conducted by ASME, attracted some 700 attendees from the five sponsoring societies.
Effect of cigarette smoke extract on neonatal porcine vascular smooth muscle cells.

Rationale: Cigarette smoke exposure in the perinatal period increases the risk of various prenatal and postnatal complications, including sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN). We investigated the cellular effects of cigarette smoke extract (CSE) in the developing vasculature. Methods: Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) were isolated from neonatal porcine carotid arteries, splenic arteries, and main and resistance pulmonary arteries. Effects of CSE on VSMC proliferation, viability, apoptosis, and media nitrates and nitrites were evaluated. The effects of known constituents of CSE (nicotine, benzopyrene, acrolein, acetaldehyde), aged CSE, CSE with added hemoglobin, devolatilized CSE, CSE with added dithiothreitol (DTT), and reduced glutathione (GSH) on cell proliferation and viability were assessed. Results: CSE caused a dose- and time-dependent decrease in neonatal VSMC numbers isolated from all four sites, mainly as a result of increased cell necrosis and not apoptosis. Nitrates and nitrites were below the threshold of detection. Nicotine and benzopyrene did not affect cell counts, while acrolein and acetaldehyde decreased cell counts in a dose-dependent manner. Addition of hemoglobin, devolatilization, and the addition of DTT or GSH slightly decreased CSE inhibition. Conclusions: CSE causes necrosis of neonatal VSMC, and this toxicity is mediated mainly by volatile components such as acrolein and acetaldehyde, possibly in association with nitric oxide and carbon monoxide.
Overlapping cutaneous disorders related to dermatitis herpetiformis

Abstract Certain skin diseases can mimic one another or even occur simultaneously. As a result it is occasionally difficult to separate one diagnosis from another. To minimize confusion the clinician needs to synthesize the clinical presentation, the histopathology, the immunofluorescence findings, and even the therapeutic response. The conditions that can merge with dermatitis herpetiformis include pemphigus, bullous pemphigoid, lupus erythematosus, and atopic dermatitis.
Optimal navigation in a planar time-varying point-symmetric flow-field

This paper is concerned with time-optimal navigation for flight vehicles in a planar, time-varying point-symmetric flow-field — such as inside vortices or regions of eddy-driven upwelling/downwelling—where the objective is to find the fastest trajectory between initial and final points. The primary contribution of the paper is the observation that for time-optimality the rate of the steering angle has to be equal to one-half of the instantaneous vertical vorticity. Consequently, if the vorticity is zero, then the steering angle has to be constant. The result can be applied to find the time-optimal trajectories in practical control problems, by reducing the infinite-dimensional continuous problem to numerical optimization involving at most two unknown scalar parameters.
Nuclear magnetic resonance-determined lipoprotein abnormalities in nonhuman primates with the metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes mellitus

The lipid profile in patients with the metabolic syndrome (MetS) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is commonly characterized by increased levels of triglycerides and decreased levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. However, within each lipoprotein class, the changes are more complex. The present study defined the characteristics of dyslipidemia among nonhuman primates, using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy as well as the classic β-quantification method, and examined the pattern of multiple lipoprotein fractions in relation to the main factors identified with the MetS. Seventy-three rhesus monkeys were classified into 3 groups: healthy monkeys, monkeys with MetS, and monkeys with T2DM. Characteristics of dyslipidemia in the MetS and T2DM groups included increased levels of triglyceride-rich very low-density lipoprotein, intermediate-density lipoprotein, and small, dense, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particles. Reduced concentrations of large LDL and large HDL particles together with reduction of LDL and HDL particle sizes were also observed. Correlation analysis revealed that poor glycemic and lipid profiles, glucose intolerance, and insulin resistance were associated with an atherogenic NMR profile. Compared with the conventional lipid panel, the NMR lipoprotein profile presented in greater detail distinctive differences between the dyslipidemia of the MetS and that of diabetes and demonstrated significant and divergent shifts in both particle size and number within lipoprotein classes between those 2 groups. Detailed lipoprotein profiling may provide additional indicators for more timely intervention. Rhesus monkeys are likely to provide an excellent model for novel drug testing designed to address the specific differences in lipoprotein fraction profile across these 3 groups that reflect the progression of pathophysiology from normal to overt diabetes.
An epidemiologic study of alcohol use as a predictor of psychiatric distress over time

— This longitudinal epidemiologic study examined how levels of psychiatric distress over one year may be influenced by both concurrent levels of alcohol use and by prior drinking levels. The study's data were gathered during the 1981–1982 Eastern Baltimore Mental Health Survey (EBMHS), as part of the 5-site National Institute of Mental Health Epidemiologic Catchment Area (NIMH-ECA) Program. The 2091 respondents (18–64 years of age) reinterviewed after one year were initially selected by means of multistage probability sampling of adult household residents in eastern Baltimore, Maryland. The findings for men and women indicated that both high psychiatric distress at baseline interview and concurrent heavy alcohol use were associated with higher levels of psychiatric distress at one-year follow-up. Differences across population subgroups were also noted. Among women, the results further suggested that prior heavy alcohol use was an additional predictor of psychiatric distress levels after one year; this was not found for men.
Heat storage in eutectic alloys

Classical thermodynamic equations based on the regular solution approximation yield enthalpic changes for eutectic transformation that agree roughly with values measured for several binary and ternary alloy systems by differential scanning calorimetry or differential thermal analysis. Restricting measurements to binary and ternary alloys of the relatively plentiful elements Al, Cu, Mg, Si and Zn, it has been verified that the best heat storage densities on a mass or volume basis are obtained with alloys rich in Si or Al, elements that have large heats of fusion. Several of these alloys have the highest heat-storage density reported for phase change materials that transform between 780 and 850 K. The Mg2Si-Si eutectic, which has outstanding storage density at 1219 K, illustrates the utility of ordered intermetallic phases with large heat of formation that dissolve in the eutectic liquid to contribute to the entropy change.
Cellular mechanisms of phase maintenance in the pyloric motif

Many biological motor patterns such as leech and lamprey swimming, ventilation in crabs and food particle filtration in crustaceans are maintained in a range of frequencies. This phenomenon is well-studied in the crustacean pyloric network, a central pattern generator (CPG) which produces a distinct bursting pattern with three-to-fivefold changes in period [1-4]. The flexibility of the network output requires neurons to adjust their temporal characteristics, such as burst duration, interburst interval and time to firing from synaptic input, in order to maintain their phase in the network pattern as the period changes. Recently, it has been shown that the coordinated neuromodulation of currents in pyloric neurons is a cellular mechanism sufficient to support phase maintenance [3,4]. In the model neuron reported here, coordinated variation of the voltages of half-activation for the potassium (θK2) and hyperpolarization-activated (θh) currents provides a family of dynamical mechanisms for fine control of burst duration, interburst interval and latency to spiking. The mechanisms are determined by a global codimension-2 bifurcation, the Cornerstone bifurcation with bifurcation parameters θK2 and θh.. In Mechanism 1, the burst duration of a bursting neuron grows arbitrarily large as θK2 approaches a blue sky catastrophe, and the interburst interval grows arbitrarily large as θh approaches a SNIC bifurcation. We found level sets of duty cycle using an analytical approximation imposed by the Cornerstone bifurcation. These level sets describe coordination of the parameters that could be realized through neuromodulation. In Mechanism 2, a silent neuron exhibits a single burst in response to synaptic inhibitory input; the duration of the burst is determined by θK2. In Mechanism 3, a spiking neuron exhibits a pause before firing in response to synaptic inhibitory input; the duration of the pause is determined by θh. When applied to neurons connected in a pyloric motif, the family of mechanisms allows the neurons to maintain phase with one another as period grows up to fivefold. We consider three models: all three neurons are endogenously bursting (Mechanism 1), a pacemaker neuron is bursting and the follower neurons are silent (Mechanisms 1 and 2, Figure ​Figure1),1), and a pacemaker neuron is bursting and the follower neurons are spiking (Mechanisms 1 and 3). In each model, the pacemaker neuron maintains duty cycle with increasing period and the follower neuron's parameters are coordinated to match. These mechanisms are generic, cellular in essence, and not sensitive to synaptic parameters. Figure 1 Phase maintenance in a pyloric motif with a bursting driver and two silent follower neurons at 10, 16 and 32 second periods. Mechanism 1 controls the burst duration and interburst interval of the pacemaker neuron. Mechanism 2 controls the burst duration ...