cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pancreatic polypeptide release by intraluminal fatty acids.

The question of whether the response of pancreatic polypeptide to intestinal fatty acids is influenced by the site of intestinal perfusion or the chain length of the fatty acid was investigated. Six dogs with chronic gastric, pancreatic, and intestinal fistulas were studied. Proximal perfusates were administered at the pylorus and diverted via a Foley catheter in the orad stoma of an intestinal fistula placed 45 cm beyond the pancreatic cannula. Distal perfusates were administered into the caudal stoma of the intestinal cannula. Three experimental protocols were used: proximal fatty acid perfusion (20, 40, or 80 mmol/L) combined with distal saline perfusion; distal fatty acid perfusion (20, 40, or 80 mmol/L) combined with proximal saline perfusion; or distal fatty acid perfusion combined with proximal fatty acid perfusion of 80 mmol/L. Each dose of fatty acid was given in random order and the two fatty acids (dodecanoate and oleate) were tested on different days. Blood samples were drawn for pancreatic polypeptide radioimmunoassay, and pancreatic secretion was collected for determination of bicarbonate and protein outputs. Pancreatic polypeptide responses to perfusion of both proximal and distal segments with oleate exceeded (P < 0.05) those evoked by dodecanoate. The responses of pancreatic polypeptide to dodecanoate administration into either the proximal segment or the distal intestine were not significantly different. In contrast, perfusion of the proximal intestinal segment with oleate released significantly (P < 0.05) less pancreatic polypeptide than did distal intestinal perfusion with oleate. It is concluded that oleate is a more potent stimulus of canine pancreatic polypeptide release than is dodecanoate and that maximal pancreatic polypeptide release in response to intestinal oleate can be achieved even if the proximal 45 cm segment of intestine is excluded.
A digital long pulse integrator

A prototype digital integrator with very long integration capabilities has been developed and field tested on an inductive magnetic sensor on the DIII-D tokamak. The integrator is being developed for use on ITER with a pulse length of 1000 s, and has direct applications for other long pulse tokamaks. Inductive magnetic sensors are routinely used on existing tokamaks, are well understood, and are extremely robust, however, they require integration of the signal to determine the magnetic field strength. The next generation of tokamaks, will have pulse lengths of 1000 s or longer, require integrators with drift and noise characteristics compatible with the very long pulse lengths. This paper will discuss the architecture, algorithms, and programming of the long pulse integrator (LPI). Of particular interest are the noise control and the built-in offset correction techniques used in this application.
Mechanical properties of the gastrocnemius aponeurosis in wild turkeys

Synopsis In many muscles, the tendinous structures include both an extramuscular free tendon as well as a sheet-like aponeurosis. In both free tendons and aponeuroses the collagen fascicles are oriented primarily longitudinally, along the muscle’s line of action. It is generally assumed that this axis represents the direction of loading for these structures. This assumption is well founded for free tendons, but aponeuroses undergo a more complex loading regime. Unlike free tendons, aponeuroses surround a substantial portion of the muscle belly and are therefore loaded both parallel (longitudinal) and perpendicular (transverse) to a muscle’s line of action when contracting muscles bulge to maintain a constant volume. Given this biaxial loading pattern, it is critical to understand the mechanical properties of aponeuroses in both the longitudinal and transverse directions. In this study, we use uniaxial testing of isolated tissue samples from the aponeurosis of the lateral gastrocnemius of wild turkeys to determine mechanical properties of samples loaded longitudinally (along the muscle’s line of action) and transversely (orthogonal to the line of action). We find that the aponeurosis has a significantly higher Young’s modulus in the longitudinal than in the transverse direction. Our results also show that aponeuroses can behave as efficient springs in both the longitudinal and transverse directions, losing little energy to hysteresis. We also test the failure properties of aponeuroses to quantify the likely safety factor with which these structures operate during muscular force production. These results provide an essential foundation for understanding the mechanical function of aponeuroses as biaxially loaded biological springs.
Diets and clinical coronary events: the truth is out there.

Perhaps no question is asked more often of physicians, and particularly of cardiologists, than, “What should I be eating to prevent heart disease?” Over recent years, vast amounts of literature have been produced on this topic, and fortunes have been made from books offering advice and programs offering supervision. Even one of the most respected nutritional epidemiologists has written a lay-press book, recognizing the critical need for improved dietary habits in the general population.1 Despite the glut of dietary advice, however, the direction that Americans are taking is discouragingly clear. Although lipid levels and the age-adjusted incidence of coronary artery disease (CAD) are declining gradually, rates of obesity and diabetes (two risk factors for CAD) are skyrocketing,2 threatening a reversal of the gains achieved to date. Information about the “best diet” is incomplete, unscientific, and often conflicting. On one hand, people wishing to avoid CAD or prevent its progression are told to eat less fat. Some undoubtedly interpret this as a recommendation to eat a high-carbohydrate diet instead, contributing to epidemics in diabetes and obesity, and placing them at risk for CAD. On the other hand, many overweight or obese Americans attempt to lose weight through one of the popular weight-reducing diets, many of which severely restrict carbohydrates. The resulting increase in proportional calories from protein (and fat) may pose a risk; a recent Science Advisory from the American Heart Association has expressed concern about weight-loss diets recommending a high proportion of calories from protein.3 According to the Advisory, the possible risks of such diets include metabolically induced liver and kidney damage and CAD. Unfortunately, very little in this public health warning can be substantiated by clinical outcome studies. Thus, people with and without CAD, and their doctors, still face a dilemma. Fats are considered “bad” because …
But the computer said

There has been a continued expansion of the uses of computer-based tools and techniques in public sector endeavors: from traditional notions of data collection and management (bean counting) to the processing of data into information that supports managerial activities. Advances in technology based on emerging work in decision theory, information science, and cognitive science will allow for use of these computational models in more expansive “advisory” roles to decision makers of all types. To what degree can public sector decision makers use computational models to support or advise decision making? As these new technologies become a routine part of the policy process, will a belief in computer omnipotence tempt public sector decision makers to abdicate personal responsibility for poor choices? The authors explore the choice-related implications associated with the increased use of computer-based models, define possible computer-based decision support models (CBDSMs), and present a typology of credible ...
Evaluation of Predictive Models for Estimating Dynamic Modulus of Hot-Mix Asphalt in Oklahoma:

Long-term performance of an asphalt pavement depends not only on the material properties but also on the stiffness achieved during compaction. Because the determination of stiffness during construction is not straightforward, a common approach uses predictive models to estimate the dynamic modulus of hot-mix asphalt (HMA) specimens. Four predictive models—the Witczak 1999, Witczak 2006, Hirsch, and Al-Khateeb models—were evaluated for their use in estimating the dynamic modulus of selected HMA mixtures that are commonly used in Oklahoma. Five mixes representing various aggregate sources, aggregate sizes, binder grades, and air void levels were tested in the laboratory, and the measured dynamic modulus of each mix was compared with the value predicted by each of the models. The performance of each predictive model was evaluated by three approaches: goodness-of-fit statistics, comparison of the measured and predicted values, and local bias statistics (slope, intercept, and average error). Analyses of the re...
A Comparative Study of Intracranial EEG Files Using Nonlinear Classification Methods

This study is a comparative evaluation of nonlinear classification methods with a focus on nonlinear decision functions and the standard method of support vector machines for seizure detection. These nonlinear classification methods are used on key features that were extracted on subdural EEG data after a thorough evaluation of all the frequency bands from 1 to 44 Hz. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of seizure detection reveal that the gamma frequencies (36-44 Hz) are most suitable for detecting seizure files using a unique 2D decisional plane. We evaluated 157 intracranial EEG files from 14 patients by calculating the spectral power using nonoverlapping 1-s windows on different frequency bands. A key finding is in establishing a 2D decision plane, where duration of the seizure is used as the first dimension (x coordinate) and the maximum of the gamma frequency components is used as the second dimension (y coordinate). Within this 2D plane, the best results were observed when the nonlinearity degree is three for the proposed nonlinear decision functions, with a sensitivity of 96.3%, a specificity of 96.8%, and accuracy of 96.7%.
Driver Response to Unexpected Automatic Braking/Haptic Warning While Backing

Two studies were conducted to examine driver behavior in response to an unexpected automatic braking/haptic event while backing. One study emulated a False Positive condition (no object present in reversing path at/after braking event onset). A second study involved a True Positive condition (obstacle present at/after braking event onset). Results of the False Positive study indicated that, at braking event onset, drivers either already had their foot on the brake, or quickly placed it there. Shortly thereafter many drivers began to exhibit exploratory behavior to test the state of their vehicle, e.g. release of brake pedal, squeezing the accelerator pedal, etc. Results of the True Positive study also indicated that drivers either already had their foot on the brake or quickly placed it there. However, a higher percentage of participants held the brake pressed. Their exploratory behavior to test the state of the vehicle involved brake pedal release only. No driver pushed the accelerator pedal when an obstacle was visible in the rear-camera display. Driver eye gaze and head movements were observed for both False Positive and True Positive scenarios. Results are presented and their implications are discussed. Language: en
Produce Isolates of the Escherichia coli Ont:H52 Serotype That Carry both Shiga Toxin 1 and Stable Toxin Genes

Produce isolates of the Escherichia coli Ont:H52 serotype carried Shiga toxin 1 and stable toxin genes but only expressed Stx1. These strains had pulsed-field gel electrophoresis profiles that were 90% homologous to clinical Ont:H52 strains that had identical phenotypes and genotypes. All Ont:H52 strains had identical single nucleotide polymorphism profiles that are suggestive of a unique clonal group.
Validation of the Immersed Boundary CFD Approach for Complex Aerodynamic Flows

Standard CFD methods require a mesh that fits the boundaries of the computational domain. For a complex geometry the generation of such a grid is time-consuming and often requires modifications to the model geometry. This paper evaluates the Immersed Boundary (IB) approach which does not require a boundary-conforming mesh and thus would speed up the process of the grid generation. In the IB approach the CAD surfaces (in Stereo Lithography –STL- format) are used directly and this eliminates the surface meshing phase and also mitigates the process of the CAD cleanup. A volume mesh, consisting of regular, locally refined, hexahedrals is generated in the computational domain, including inside the body. The cells are then classified as fluid, solid and interface cells using a simple ray-tracing scheme. Interface cells, correspond to regions that are partially fluid and are intersected by the boundary surfaces. In those cells, the Navier-Stokes equations are not solved, and the fluxes are computed using geometrical reconstructions. The solid cells are discarded, whereas in the fluid cells no modifications are necessary. The present IB method consists of two main components: 1) TOMMIE which is a fast and robust mesh generation tool which requires minimum user intervention and, 2) a library of User Defined Functions for the FLUENT CFD code to compute the fluxes in the interface cells. This study evaluates the IB approach, starting from simple geometries (flat plate at 90 degrees, backward facing step) to more complex external aerodynamics of full-scale fully-dressed production vehicles. The vehicles considered in this investigation are a sedan (1997 Grand-Prix) and an SUV (2006 Tahoe). IB results for the flat plate and the backward-step are in very good agreement with measurements. Results for the Grand-Prix and Tahoe are compared to experiments (performed at GM wind tunnel) and typical body-fitted calculations performed using Fluent in terms of surface pressures and drag coefficients. The IB simulations predicted the drag coefficient for the Grand-Prix and the Tahoe within 5% of the body-fitted calculations and are closer to the wind-tunnel measurements.
Pharmacoepidemiology in Safety Evaluations of Newly Approved Medications

In the recent extension of the Prescription Drug User Fee Act, the risk management programs that are to be funded by additional user fees combine ascertainment of risks in the initial postapproval phase with activities to confront these risks. Better recognition of risks, a prerequisite for success in managing risks, will require strategies to supplement the present system of spontaneous event reporting. This overview considers the merits of pharmacoepidemiology studies in examining gaps in drug safety resulting from the inherent limitations of clinical trials. After drugs become widely used following regulatory approval, many health outcomes potentially related to drug exposures can be studied in large health insurance claims databases using pharmacoepidemiology designs tailored to this venue. We clarify types of safety investigations particularly suited to examination in a large claims database, as well as the benefits and caveats of expanding postapproval follow-up through Prescription Drug User Fee Act funding.
Identifying functional impairment with scores from the repeatable battery for the assessment of neuropsychological status (RBANS).

Objective To examine the link between RBANS scores and functional impairment. Functional status was evaluated through informant report using the clinical dementia rating (CDR) scale. Methods Archival data were reviewed from records of 99 patients in a memory disorder clinic (MDC) research database. Consensus-based diagnoses were Alzheimer's disease (AD; n = 48), mild cognitive impairment (MCI; n = 48), AD with vascular components; (n = 2) and dementia due to psychiatric conditions (n = 1). Results The RBANS language index score was significantly related to CDR domain scores of community affairs (p < .01), home and hobbies (p < .01), personal care (p < .05), memory (p < 0.01), and judgment (p < 0.01). RBANS immediate memory index scores were significantly related to (p < 0.05) the CDR Memory and judgment and problem solving domains. Based on these findings, follow-up regressions were conducted. Semantic fluency was significantly related to CDR memory (p < 0.01), judgment (p < 0.05), community affairs (p < 0.05), home/hobbies (p < 0.05), and personal care (p < 0.05) functional domains. Picture naming was significantly related to the CDR personal care domain (p < 0.05). List learning was significantly related to CDR memory functional domain (p < 0.01) and judgment (p < 0.05). Lastly, story memory was significantly related to the CDR judgment domain (p < 0.05). Conclusions The RBANS may be an indicator of functional impairment as well as a neuropsychological testing tool. The use of the RBANS could reduce the amount of testing that is administered to the patient, or can provide a way to compare other measurements of functional impairment to assess accuracy of findings. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
OxfordGrid: a web interface for pairwise comparative map views

Summary: OxfordGrid is a web application and database schema for storing and interactively displaying genetic map data in a comparative, dot-plot, fashion. Its display is composed of a matrix of cells, each representing a pairwise comparison of mapped probe data for two linkage groups or chromosomes. These are arranged along the axes with one forming grid columns and the other grid rows with the degree and pattern of synteny/colinearity between the two linkage groups manifested in the cell's dot density and structure. A mouse click over the selected grid cell launches an image map-based display for the selected cell. Both individual and linear groups of mapped probes can be selected and displayed. Also, configurable links can be used to access other web resources for mapped probe information. Availability: OxfordGrid is implemented in C#/ASP.NET and the package, including MySQL schema creation scripts, is available at ftp://cggc.agtec.uga.edu/OxfordGrid/ Contact: agingle@uga.edu
Relationship Initiation and Formation on the Internet

Recent national studies indicate that about 3% to 6% of current marriages or long-term partnerships began over the Internet. Relationships that have their origin in cyberspace can begin in a variety of ways, including social network sites, interest groups or blogs, and matching services. This review summarizes the recent but growing literature on relationship formation over the Internet. Differences in relationship initiation online versus in traditional off-line settings are discussed, and it is highlighted that the differences depend on the specific Internet venue in which people meet.
The conditional Weyl transform and its generalization

The expectation value of the Weyl transform of a symbol with a state function equals the phase-space averaging of the symbol with the Wigner distribution. We define the conditional Weyl transform so that its expectation value equals the conditional average of the symbol taken with the Wigner distribution. Furthermore, we generalize to arbitrary operator correspondences and the generalized phase-space distributions.
A prospective study in search of an optimal B-natriuretic peptide level to screen patients for cardiac dysfunction

Abstract Background Although echocardiography is the gold standard test for suspected left ventricular dysfunction, its cost and availability limits its use as a routine screening tool. The high negative predictive value of B-natriuretic peptide (BNP) in dyspneic patients suggests its possible utility in screening patients prior to echocardiography. Determining an appropriate BNP level below which the need for echocardiography is precluded would be valuable. We hypothesized that a fixed plasma BNP level of 20 pg/mL and simple clinical parameters are an effective pre-echocardiographic screening tool for left ventricular dysfunction. Methods Two hundred and two patients at a Veterans Administration facility with symptoms suggestive of heart disease (male to female ratio 193:9, mean age 65 years) were screened prior to echocardiography. Patients with known cardiac dysfunction were excluded. Results BNP levels of ≥20 pg/mL were 79% sensitive and 44% specific in screening for any abnormality of ventricular function. The negative predictive value was 69%. When broken down into categories of dysfunction, the cutoff point of 20 pg/mL had a better negative predictive value for those with systolic dysfunction (96%) or systolic plus diastolic dysfunction (100%) if patients with diastolic dysfunction were excluded. The majority of patients with falsely low BNP levels ( Conclusions BNP may be a useful screening tool for left ventricular dysfunction in patients with history suggestive of heart disease and be used to assist in forming a pretest probability, which in turn could greatly assist in appropriateness of patient referral and in optimization of drug therapy.
Identification of the site of Epstein-Barr virus persistence in vivo as a resting B cell.

Epstein-Barr (EBV) is a powerful immortalizing virus for human B lymphocytes in vitro and is associated with several human neoplasias in vivo. Previously, we have shown that the majority of EBV-infected cells in the peripheral blood of healthy, persistently infected individuals do not express the activated phenotype, e.g., high levels of cell surface CD23 and CD80 (B7), characteristically expressed on in vitro-immortalized cells. Here, we show that > or = 90% of the CD23-, virus-infected cells in the peripheral blood are in G0 and therefore resting. The remaining cells may be G1 arrested, but we were unable to detect a significant number of cells traversing the S-G2-M stages of the cell cycle. The mRNA for LMP2A, but not EBNA1 originating from Qp, was readily detected in this population, and these cells appear competent in the processing and presentation of antigen by class I major histocompatibility complex. We propose that these resting B cells are the site of long-term latent persistence for EBV. We further propose that the persistence of the virus in a resting B7- B cell provides an important mechanism to escape immunosurveillance. The demonstration that EBV can persist latently in a resting B cell means that the immortalizing functions of EBV can be down regulated in a normal B cell. This conclusion has important implications for understanding and controlling EBV-associated neoplasia.
Functional interaction of CFTR and ENaC in sweat glands.

The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) plays a significant role in transepithelial salt absorption as well as secretion by a number of epithelial tissues including sweat glands, airways and intestine. Early studies suggested that in absorption significant cross talk occurs between CFTR Cl– channels and epithelial Na+ channels (ENaC). Studies based primarily on cultured cells of the airways and on ex vivo expression systems suggested that activating CFTR inhibits ENaC channels so that activation of CFTR and deactivation of ENaC seem reciprocal. Lack of CFTR Cl– conductance (g CFTR) in the plasma membranes was seen to enhance ENaC conductance (g ENaC) and Na+ absorption from the airway surface liquid causing airway pathology in cystic fibrosis (CF). To determine if these events hold true for a purely absorptive epithelium, we investigated the role of CFTR in regulating g ENaC in native human sweat gland ducts. After permeabilizing the basilateral membrane of the duct with α-toxin, the relative activities of ENaC and CFTR in the apical membrane were characterized by correlating the effect of activating CFTR with ENaC function. We found that in contrast to reciprocal activities, activating g CFTR by either cAMP, cGMP or the G-proteins plus 5 mM ATP was accompanied by a concomitant activation, not inhibition, of g ENaC. The activation of g ENaC appeared to be critically dependent on CFTR Cl– channel function because removal of Cl– from the medium, blockage of CFTR with inhibitor DIDS or the absence of CFTR in the ΔF508 CF ducts prevented activation of g ENaC by cAMP, GMP or G-proteins. Most significantly, g ENaC was dramatically reduced, not increased, in CF as compared to non-CF sweat ducts. These results showed that lack of CFTR in the plasma membranes is not characteristically coupled to elevated ENaC activity or to increased Na+ absorption in CF epithelial cells. Not only are CFTR and ENaC activated together in duct salt absorption, but ENaC activation depends on functioning CFTR. NaCl is poorly absorbed in the CF duct because CFTR activity appears to impose a loss of ENaC activity as well.
Influencing Initial Public Offering Investors with Prestige: Signaling with Board Structures

I describe how board structures influence the decision-making processes that investors use when purchasing shares of firms undertaking initial public offerings (IPOs). IPO firms are relatively unknown to investors and suffer from a liability of market newness. I rely on signaling theory, institutional theory, and sociological research on prestige to suggest that investor perceptions of board prestige signal organizational legitimacy, thereby reducing the liability of market newness and improving IPO firm stock performance. I also propose that the characteristics of investors, namely prestige, influence their perceptions of board prestige.
A Real-Time Human Stress Monitoring System Using Dynamic Bayesian Network

We present a real time non-invasive system that infers user stress level from evidences of different modalities. The evidences include physical appearance (facial expression, eye movements, and head movements) extracted from video via visual sensors, physiological conditions collected from an emotional mouse, behavioral data from user interaction activities with the computer, and performance measures. We provide a Dynamic Bayesian Network (DBN) framework to model the user stress and these evidences. We describe the computer vision techniques we used to extract the visual evidences, the DBN model for modeling stress and the associated factors, and the active sensing strategy to collect the most informative evidences for efficient stress inference. Our experiments show that the inferred user stress level by our system is consistent with that predicted by psychological theories.
Tissue- and Nuclear Receptor-Specific Function of the C-Terminal LXXLL Motif of Coactivator NCoA6/AIB3 in Mice

Although the LXXLL motif of nuclear receptor (NR) coactivators is essential for interaction with NRs, its role has not been assessed in unbiased animal models. The nuclear receptor coactivator 6 (NCoA6; also AIB3, PRIP, ASC-2, TRBP, RAP250, or NRC) is a coactivator containing an N-terminal LXXLL-1 (L1) and a C-terminal L2. L1 interacts with many NRs, while L2 interacts with the liver X receptor alpha (LXRalpha) and the estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha). We generated mice in which L2 was mutated into AXXAL (L2m) to disrupt its interaction with LXRalpha and ERalpha. NCoA6(L2m/L2m) mice exhibited normal reproduction, mammary gland morphogenesis, and ERalpha target gene expression. In contrast, when treated with an LXRalpha agonist, lipogenesis and the LXRalpha target gene expression were significantly reduced in NCoA6(L2m/L2m) mice. The induction of Cyp7A1 expression by a high-cholesterol diet was impaired in NCoA6(L2m/L2m) mice, which reduced bile acid synthesis in the liver and excretion in the feces and resulted in cholesterol accumulation in the liver and blood. These results demonstrate that L2 plays a tissue- and NR-specific role: it is required for NCoA6 to mediate LXRalpha-regulated lipogenesis and cholesterol/bile acid homeostasis in the liver but not required for ERalpha function in the mammary gland.
WinDSK8: The continuing saga of WinDSK

The recent introduction of the LogicPD Zoom™ OMAP-L138 eXperimenter Kit, featuring Texas Instruments' dual core SoC (ARM9 and a C6748 VLIW DSP) has brought a much more capable and affordable DSP development system to both university and industry engineers. While this new experimenter kit has several improvements over the TMS320C6713 DSK, the host computer-to-experimenter kit communication techniques have changed dramatically. This paper discusses the continuing evolution of the winDSK software program that was necessary to support this new system. Specifically, winDSK8 was developed to support the C6748 DSP core within the OMAP-L138 SoC using the ARM9 core as the system's communication interface.
On-chip leakage monitor circuit to scan optimal reverse bias voltage for adaptive body-bias circuit under gate induced drain leakage effect

This paper proposes on-chip leakage monitor circuit to scan optimal reversed body-biasing voltage (VBB) at which leakage current becomes minimal under gate induced drain leakage (GIDL) effect. The proposed circuit determines optimal VBB from the differential measurement of two replica circuit without absolute leakage current measurement. We fabricated this leakage monitor circuit in a 45 nm-CMOS process. Measurement results shows 0.1 V resolution of VBB optimization.
Particle embolization: factors affecting arterial distribution.

model: comparison with tris-acryl gelatin microspheres and polyvinyl alcohol. Radiat Med 2003; 22:384–390. 12. Reuter SR, Chuang VP, Bree RL. Selective arterial embolization for control of massive upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Am J Roentgenol Radium Ther Nucl Med 1975; 125:119–126. 13. Maleux G, Roeflaer F, Heye S, et al. Long-term outcome of transcatheter embolotherapy for acute lower gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Am J Gastroenterol 2009; 104:2042–2046. 14. Kusano S, Murata K, Ohuchi H, Motohashi O, Atari H. Low-dose particulate polyvinylalcohol embolization in massive small artery intestinal hemorrhage. Experimental and clinical results. Invest Radiol 1987; 22: 388–392. 15. Derdeyn CP, Graves VB, Salamat MS, Rappe A. Collagen-coated acrylic microspheres for embolotherapy: in vivo and in vitro characteristics. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 1997; 18:647–653. 16. Laurent A, Wassef M, Saint Maurice JP, et al. Arterial distribution of calibrated tris-acryl gelatin and polyvinyl alcohol microspheres in a sheep kidney model. Invest Radiol 2006; 41:8–14. 17. Jae HJ, Chung JW, Kim HC, et al. Experimental study on acute ischemic small bowel changes induced by superselective embolization
Plasma and white adipose tissue lipid composition in marmots

White adipose tissue biopsies and plasma samples were obtained from hibernating yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventris) maintained in the laboratory. In addition, biopsies and plasma samples were obtained from normothermic animals in the field and laboratory. Measurement of plasma free fatty acid (FA) levels indicated that winter laboratory animals exhibited increased lipolysis. Additionally, analysis of white adipose tissue triacylglycerol revealed that the FA composition of the storage fat in animals maintained on the standard laboratory diet is remarkably simple and uniform between different adipose depots in the same animal. Three FAs (palmitic, oleic, and linoleic acids) made up greater than 95% of the total. Triene (alpha-linolenate) was found in newly captured animals, but the percentage of this FA decreased rapidly when the animals were maintained on the standard laboratory diet. Throughout the hibernation season (October to April), white adipose tissue-saturated FA percentage decreased, monoene percentage remained constant, and diene percentage increased. Analysis of plasma FA composition suggested that these animals tended to metabolize saturated FAs from stored lipid during hibernation and that dienes were mobilized briefly after the last arousal from hibernation in spring. From these observations, we hypothesize that marmots preferentially metabolize saturated fats during the hibernation period and that essential FAs of the omega 6 series tend to be metabolized more slowly than other FAs. These characteristics suggest that marmots are a valuable animal model in which to study lipid metabolism.
Dynamic Visualization of the Female Pelvic Floor Function

The female pelvic floor (PF) is made up of a network of muscles and associated supporting structures organized to contain abdominal structures and their contents. This network is wired in such a way as to maintain the contents within it most of the time and expel only during voluntary commands. For many reasons, primarily age and parity, such a function is compromised, whereupon incontinence may occur. In this chapter, the mechanisms recruited to prevent incontinence are considered from a dynamic point of view in terms of their biomechanical actions by visualizing timing/displacement/force parameters. Ultrasound image analysis was used to parameterize the temporal sequence of displacement and a vaginal probe force distribution. Stimuli to simulate conditions of incontinence were the cough reflex, a common triggering mechanism generating incontinence. Voluntary activation of the PF by contraction was evaluated to estimate the strength of the contraction generated. Collectively, biomechanical metrics of the spatial/temporal distribution of these stimuli were generated to indicate the differences between the continent and incontinent subjects. Among the metrics used are the trajectory of the landmarks displaced by each stimulus by segmenting and tracking the outlines of the bladder, urethra, and bowel. From such measurements, the velocity and acceleration of the urethral opening were calculated as critical biomechanical parameters. From the segmented visualizations the strain generated by stress stimuli was computed and is considered. While parameterization of the dynamics of the various components of PF activity provide important values underlying the mechanisms of continence, it is not yet practical with current technology to apply to clinical practice.
Reproductive Inhibition in Female White-Footed Mice from Virginia

Recently reported studies have shown that ≤3% of young female Peromyscus leucopus noveboracensis born into a laboratory colony founded by mice captured near East Lansing, Michigan, gave birth by 150 days of age if, in addition to the male, an adult female was present. I examined this phenomenon utilizing an outbred laboratory colony founded by adults recently captured near Williamsburg, Virginia. The results demonstrate that 69% of young females reared from weaning in the presence of an adult bisexual pair (parents or not) reproduced by 150 days of age. Rearing young females from 21–90 days of age in the presence of individual adult females resulted in a significantly ( P < 0.01) higher rate of reproduction by these younger females subsequent to pairing with adult males than by those reared alone. Thus, the early experience of being with an adult female from 21 to 90 days of age stimulated reproduction in these younger females compared to being reared in isolation. The data suggest variations in a complex behavioral-physiological system between animals of the same subspecies from Michigan and from Virginia.
Recent clinical experience with multimodality therapy in thymic carcinoma

18003 Background: Thymic carcinomas typically carry a poor prognosis and are quite rare. As such, their management has not been standardized. We reviewed our recent experience with multimodality tr...
Analysis on the Current Status of Management of Communicable Diseases Reporting in Medical Institutions of Sichuan Province

Objective To study the current status of the management of communicable diseases reporting in the medical institutions of Sichuan Province to improve the reporting to be more standard,scientific,timely and accuracy.Method 86 medical institutions in 21 cities(prefectures)were selected by stratified sampling,and investigation forms and questionnaires were completed,the results were evaluated by non-parametric method.Result The underreport rate of notifiable communicable diseases in the province was 9.14%;the card's completeness,accuracy and timely rates and the consistence rate of with network direct report were 84.60%,78.86%,86.29% and 82.11% respectively.The underreporting rates of communicable diseases varied in the medical institutions at different level,which was less and more standard in the institutions with higher level.,but there were no significant difference on the reporting quality except timely rate among the institutions at all level.Conclusion The quality of the communicable diseases reporting card should be improved in the province,especially in accuracy and completeness,the awareness of communicable reporting should be increased,and the usage of diagnostic standard should be improved among the health workers in the province.
Eleven dimensional cosmology and dynamical scale symmetry breaking

The unjustified assumption that the universe possesses a fixed gravitational constant prior to compactification is remedied by assuming an 11 dimensional scale invariant Lagrangian with a possible scale breaking potential whose minimum generates the 4 dimensional gravitational constant. The cosmological evolution equations are followed and a model is studied wherein the scalar field evolves to the minimum of the potential with the subsequent generation ofG 4, while the 7 dimensional space compactifies and the 4 dimensional space inflates.
Long-Term Ventilator Support in Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a common cause of chronic lung disease in infants born prematurely (<37 weeks gestation) and is associated with high morbidity, particularly during the first 2 years of life. The diagnosis of BPD is given to preterm infants who require supplemental oxygen for at least the first 28 days of life. Infants who are diagnosed with severe BPD have an oxygen requirement of greater than 30 % and/or the need for positive pressure ventilation at 36 weeks post-conceptual age or at discharge. Infants with severe BPD are most likely to have persistent respiratory failure requiring home invasive ventilation. Risk of death in children on home mechanical ventilation is high despite current monitoring technology.
The Perils of Liberalisation

The Carter administration’s human rights policy had a number of successes to its credit, of which the administration and the American public can be justly proud. But there was another side to the policy, which no evaluation can neglect. On two occasions, the liberalisation programmes pressed on friendly authoritarian governments by the United States ran out of control, leading to their overthrow and replacement by regimes hostile to the US and even less solicitous about the human rights of their peoples.
Sparse coding of movement-related neural activity

Modern systems neuroscience benefits from the ability to record from and digitize a large amount of functional data from hundreds or even thousands of neurons. Understanding, transmitting, storing, and parsing information of such volume and complexity calls for methods of dimensionality reduction. One observation about neuronal activity in mammalian brains is that populations are sparsely active; that is, only a small subset of the whole ensemble is coactive at any moment. This property may be exploited to summarize information content succinctly. This paper tests the hypothesis that information contained in ensemble activity recorded from the primate motor cortex about limb movements is preserved when the activity is projected onto a sparse basis. Spiking rate data from neurons in the motor cortex of an awake behaving macaque monkey was compressed using a sparse autoencoder network, and classifications of movement directions were made in the compressed space. Classifier performance is shown to be similar when using either compressed (sparsened) or uncompressed neural activity, demonstrating the potential use of the sparse autoencoder as an unsupervised compression algorithm for low power/low bandwidth wireless transmission of neural ensemble data.
The case of a glomus tumour

A 46 year old man presented to the dermatology clinic with a seven year history of intermittent pain under the fingernail of his left …
The Syrian public health and humanitarian crisis: A ‘displacement’ in global governance?

Ongoing failure by the international community to resolve the Syrian conflict has led to destruction of critical infrastructure. This includes the collapse of the Syrian health system, leaving millions of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in urgent need of healthcare services. As the conflict intensifies, IDP populations are suffering from infectious and non-communicable disease risks, poor maternal and child health outcomes, trauma, and mental health issues, while healthcare workers continually exit the country. Healthcare workers who remain face significant challenges, including systematic attacks on healthcare facilities and conditions that severely inhibit healthcare delivery and assistance. Within this conflict-driven public health crisis, the most susceptible population is arguably the IDP. Though the fundamental 'right to health' is a recognised international legal principle, its application is inadequate due to limited recognition by the UN Security Council and stymied global governance by the broader international community. These factors have also negatively impacted other vulnerable groups other than IDPs, such as refugees and ethnic minorities, who may or may not be displaced. Hence, this article reviews the current Syrian conflict, assesses challenges with local and global governance for IDPs, and explores potential governance solutions needed to address this health and humanitarian crisis.
I Have Randomized by Clinic; Now What? Four Decades After Cornfield

An introduction is presented in which the author discusses articles in the issue which deal with topics such as the analysis of data from group (or cluster) randomized trials (GRTs), a research paper published by writer Jerome Cornfield in 1978, and the intraclass correlation coefficient.
Irradiated microstructure of U-10Mo monolithic fuel plate at very high fission density

Abstract Monolithic U-10Mo alloy fuel plates with Al-6061 cladding are being developed for use in research and test reactors as low enrichment fuel ( 1 μm) are distributed evenly in U-Mo and interlink of these bubbles is evident. The average size of subdivided grains at this fission density appears similar to that at 5.2E+21 fissions/cm3. The measured average Mo and Zr content in the fuel matrix is ∼30 at% and ∼7 at%, respectively, in general agreement with the calculated Mo and Zr from fission density.
In situ electron microscopy tensile testing of constrained carbon nanofibers

Abstract Electrospun carbon nanofibers, produced from polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofiber precursors, with their superior mechanical properties, are promising candidates for manufacturing advanced polymer composites. Here, we report a series of tensile tests performed in situ under scanning electron microscope (SEM)/transmission electron microscope (TEM) observation, which show that the modulus and strength of electrospun carbon nanofibers can be enhanced through a simple mechanical constraint during the carbonization step in the electrospinning process. The constrained carbon nanofibers of diameter less than 150 nm were nanomanipulated inside the SEM onto a specialized microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) based testing platform and subsequently tested in uniaxial tension until failure. It was identified that both the strength and modulus of the constrained carbon nanofibers with sub-150 nm diameters are on average higher compared to their unconstrained counterparts by ∼22% and ∼31% respectively. Also, by evaluating the internal graphitic order of the constrained carbon nanofibers using TEM-based diffraction methods, we identified that the mechanical constraint during carbonization results in a better degree of orientation in the graphitic crystallites along the fiber axis. Finally, we use Weibull statistics for the deconvolution of the effects of diameter and the mechanical constraint on the tensile properties of carbon nanofibers. The Weibull analysis also showed that the comparatively superior strength of CCNFs is primarily due to better alignment of crystallites with the fiber axis.
Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD): The underdiagnosed cardiac condition that plagues women

Coronary heart disease (CHD) continues to be understudied, underdiagnosed, and undertreated in women. Gender and age bias complicate the evaluation of women with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). As a result, conditions like spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) are often missed. SCAD is an infrequent yet important cause of myocardial infarction (MI) with a predilection for young to middle aged women. The condition is thought to be under-reported, likely a result of both low index of suspicion as well as an unfamiliarity with SCAD's angiographic variants. Recently, the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) detailed an assessment pathway for patients with myocardial infarction with non-obstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA), a subset of which includes patients with SCAD. The pathway highlights the role of cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) in addition to intracoronary imaging for increased diagnostic yield. Early and proper diagnosis is crucial in SCAD given the potential for sudden cardiac death, as well as the increased risk for future cardiac events including recurrent dissection. In addition, SCAD has frequently been associated with underlying connective tissue disease and/or arteriopathy, most commonly fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD), which requires careful screening. The lack of consensus on investigation or treatment highlights the need for increased awareness and further research to better understand this challenging entity.
Basal and reactivity levels of cortisol in one-month-old infants born to overweight or obese mothers from an ethnically and racially diverse, low-income community sample.

Abstract Establishing typical values of the steroid hormone cortisol at rest and after challenge is critical for understanding how environmental factors impact stress regulation and overall development, beginning at birth. Yet most extant samples are small or based upon low-risk populations, and few studies address the potential role of maternal weight during pregnancy in their study designs or sampling strategy. Here we report basal and reactivity levels of salivary cortisol within a racially and ethnically diverse sample of 132 infants approximately one month of age (Age in days: M = 37.61, SD = 7.27) born to lower income overweight or obese mothers. Reactivity was assessed in response to a multi-domain infant stressor paradigm, which included assessment via the Newborn Behavioral Observation (NBO) system and extensive anthropometric measurements. Sample means for basal, post stressors, and reactivity to the NBO were significantly lower than those reported in reviews of low-risk samples. Parity was associated with cortisol levels such that first-born infants had lower resting cortisol and higher reactivity than infants born to multiparous women. Latino infants had lower basal cortisol. No other demographic characteristics significantly predicted cortisol. The variability in cortisol levels present in this sample suggests that considerable psychophysiological diversity may exist in samples of low-SES or high-risk participants. Findings provide useful ranges for samples of racially and ethnically diverse newborns from low-income families.