cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Use of Infrared Thermography for Assessment of Burn Depth and Healing Potential: A Systematic Review.

INTRODUCTION Burn wound depth assessments are an important component of determining patient prognosis and making appropriate management decisions. Clinical appraisal of the burn wound by an experienced burn surgeon is standard of care but has limitations. IR thermography is a technology in burn care that can provide a non-invasive, quantitative method of evaluating burn wound depth. IR thermography utilizes a specialized camera that can capture the infrared emissivity of the skin, and the resulting images can be analyzed to determine burn depth and healing potential of a burn wound. Though IR thermography has great potential for burn wound assessment, its use for this has not been well documented. Thus, we have conducted a systematic review of the current use of IR thermography to assess burn depth and healing potential. METHODS A systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature was performed on PubMed and Google Scholar between June 2020-December 2020 using the following keywords: FLIR, FLIR ONE, thermography, forward looking infrared, thermal imaging + burn*, burn wound assessment, burn depth, burn wound depth, burn depth assessment, healing potential, burn healing potential. A meta-analysis was performed on the mean sensitivity and specificity of the ability of IR thermography for predicting healing potential. Inclusion criteria were articles investigating the use of IR thermography for burn wound assessments in adults and pediatric patients. Reviews and non-English articles were excluded. RESULTS A total of 19 articles were included in the final review. Statistically significant correlations were found between IR thermography and laser doppler imaging (LDI) in 4/4 clinical studies. A case report of a single patient found that IR thermography was more accurate than LDI for assessing burn depth. Five articles investigated the ability of IR thermography to predict healing time, with four reporting statistically significant results. Temperature differences between burnt and unburnt skin were found in 2/2 articles. IR thermography was compared to clinical assessment in five articles, with varying results regarding accuracy of clinical assessment compared to thermography. Mean sensitivity and specificity of the ability of IR thermography to determine healing potential <15 days was 44.5 and 98.8 respectively. Mean sensitivity and specificity of the ability of FLIR to determine healing potential <21 days was 51.2 and 77.9 respectively. CONCLUSION IR thermography is an accurate, simple, and cost-effective method of burn wound assessment. FLIR has been demonstrated to have significant correlations with other methods of assessing burns such as LDI and can be utilized to accurately assess burn depth and healing potential.
Engineering 3D Vascularized Adipose Tissue Construct using a Decellularized Lung Matrix

Abstract Critically sized defects in subcutaneous white adipose tissue result in extensive disfigurement and dysfunction and remain a reconstructive challenge for surgeons; as larger defect sizes are correlated with higher rates of complications and failure due to insufficient vascularization following implantation. Our study demonstrates for the first-time a method to engineer perfusable, pre-vascularized, high-density adipose grafts that combine patient-derived adipose cells with a decellularized lung matrix (DLM). The lung is one of the most vascularized organs with high flow, low resistance, and a large blood-alveolar interface separated by a thin basement membrane. For our work, the large volume capacity within the alveolar compartment was repurposed for high-density adipose cell filling, while the acellular vascular bed provided efficient graft perfusion throughout. Both adipocytes and hASCs were successfully delivered and remained in the alveolar space even after weeks of culture. While adipose derived cells maintained their morphology and functionality in both static and perfusion DLM cultures, perfusion culture offered enhanced outcomes over static culture. Furthermore, we demonstrate that endothelial cells seamlessly integrate into the acellular vascular tree of the DLM with adipocytes. These results support that the DLM is a unique platform for creating vascularized adipose tissue grafts for large defect filling.
Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors Used Concomitantly with Insulin Secretagogues and the Risk of Serious Hypoglycemia.

Serious hypoglycemia is a major adverse event associated with insulin secretagogues. Previous studies have suggested a potential relationship between angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) used with sulfonylureas and serious hypoglycemia, and widely used drug compendia warn of this potential drug-drug interaction. We investigated the association between serious hypoglycemia and concomitant use of ACEIs in patients receiving insulin secretagogues, using the self-controlled case series design and Medicaid claims data from 5 US states linked to Medicare claims from 1999-2011. The exposure of interest was active prescription for ACEIs during insulin secretagogue or metformin (negative control object drug) episodes. The outcome was hospital presentation for serious hypoglycemia, identified by discharge diagnosis codes in inpatient and emergency department claims (positive predictive value ~78-89%). We calculated confounder-adjusted rate ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence internals (CIs) of outcome occurrence during ACEI-exposed versus ACEI-unexposed time using conditional Poisson regression. The RRs for ACEIs were not statistically elevated during observation time of glipizide (RR, 1.06; CI, 0.98-1.15), glyburide (RR, 1.05; CI, 0.96-1.15), repaglinide (RR, 1.15; CI, 0.94-1.41), or metformin (RR, 1.02; CI, 0.97-1.06); but was modestly elevated with glimepiride (RR, 1.23; CI, 1.11-1.37) and modestly reduced with nateglinide (RR, 0.73; CI, 0.56-0.96). The overall pattern of results do not suggest that ACEIs used with insulin secretagogues were associated with increased rates of serious hypoglycemia, with the possible exception of glimepiride.
The impact of simulation on the perception of clinical self efficacy in first semester associate degree nursing students

Abstract Introduction The current climate in nursing education favors simulation-based learning experiences over traditional forms of pedagogy for their perceived benefits in improving students’ competencies and skills. This quality improvement project explored the impact of simulation-based learning experiences for first-semester nursing students on their self-efficacy and self-confidence to perform in bedside roles in their first clinical rotation. This project focuses on first-semester associate degree nursing students. Aim The purpose of this project was to determine if it is beneficial for ADN students to participate in simulation activities before the first clinical rotation, as opposed to experiencing simulation later in their studies, as is traditional in this university. Method The participants attended three simulation sessions and were evaluated on their satisfaction with the program, its usefulness for their practice, and self-efficacy before and after participating in their first clinical practice experience. Results The findings of this quasi-experimental project indicate improved satisfaction with each simulation session and overall acceptance and recommendations for retention in the curriculum. The students’ self-efficacy and self-confidence levels increased significantly after the clinical practice (t (20) = 2.63, p = 0.016). Conclusion Introducing simulation for first-semester associate degree nursing students has benefits and improves learner preparedness for bedside roles.
57 – Gender Differences in Hematologic Malignancies

There are consistent gender differences in the incidence of all hematologic malignancies in adults including acute and chronic leukemias, Hodgkin's disease (HD) and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), and multiple myeloma (MM). Such gender differences, although small, are consistent. A number of environmental and occupational exposures have been associated with the development of MM. These include a wide range of occupations that are not always consistent from study to study including painters, teachers (both male and female), metalworkers, farmers, and chemical workers. Gender differences in both the underlying illness and the types of treatment needed may play a role in the development of hematologic malignancies. Pregnancy, as a sex-specific condition, may affect both incidence and treatment of hematologic malignancies. Gender-related differences in response to therapy have long been a part of prognostic categorization in the hematologic malignancies. Gender differences appear to play a role in the incidence of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), and therefore the morbidity of allogeneic stem cell transplantation. In HD, female sex has been shown to be a positive prognostic factor generally attributed to a more favorable subtype, which is more frequent in women and diagnosis at an earlier stage of disease among females. Gender itself is not an independent prognostic factor, but it is associated with favorable differences in presentation.
Existence Results For Some Second-Order Stochastic Differential Equations

The impetus of the work done in this chapter comes from two main sources from the deterministic setting. The first one is the work of Mawhin [139], in which the dissipativeness and the existence of bounded solutions on the whole real number line to the second-order differential equations given by $$u^{\prime \prime}(t) + cu^{\prime} + Au + g(t, u) = 0, \ \ t \in \mathbb{R},$$ where \(A : D(A) \subset \mathbb{H} \to \mathbb{H}\) is a self-adjoint operator on a Hilbert space \(\mathbb{H}\), which is semipositive definite and has a compact resolvent,\(c>0, \ {\rm and} \ g : \mathbb{R} \times \mathbb{H} \to \mathbb{H}\) is bounded, sufficiently regular, and satisfies some semi-coercivity condition, was established. The abstract results in [139] were subsequently utilized to study the existence of bounded solutions to the so-called nonlinear telegraph equation subject to some Neumann boundary conditions. Unfortunately, the main result of this chapter does not apply to the telegraph equation as the linear operator presented in [139], which involves Neumann boundary boundary conditions, lacks exponential dichotomy.
Use of ultrasound to predict body composition changes in steers at 100 and 65 days before slaughter

Steers from research crossbreeding projects (n = 406) were serially scanned using real-time ultrasound at 35-d intervals from reimplant time until slaughter. Cattle were evaluated for rump fat depth, longissimus muscle area (ULMA), 12th-rib fat thickness (UFAT), and percentage of intramuscular fat (IMF) to determine the ability of ultrasound to predict carcass composition at extended periods before slaughter. Additional background information on the cattle, such as live weight, ADG, breed of sire, breed of dam, implant, and frame score was also used. Carcass data were collected by trained personnel at "chain speed," and samples of the 12th-rib LM were taken for ether extract analysis. Simple correlation coefficients showed positive relationships (P < 0.01) between ultrasound measures taken less than 7 d before slaughter and carcass measures: ULMA and carcass LM area (CLMA, r = 0.66); UFAT and carcass 12th-rib fat thickness (CFAT, r = 0.74); and IMF and carcass numeric marbling score (r = 0.61). The same correlation coefficients for ultrasound measures taken 96 to 105 d before slaughter and carcass values (P < 0.01) were 0.52, 0.58, and 0.63, respectively. Steers were divided into source-verified and nonsource-verified groups based on the level of background information for each individual. Regression equations were developed for the carcass measurements; 46% of the variation could be explained for CLMA and 44% of CFAT at reimplant time, 46% of the variation in quality grade and 42% of the variation in yield grade could be explained. Significant predictors of quality grade were IMF (P < 0.001), natural log of 12th-rib fat thickness (LUFAT, P < 0.001), and ADG (P < 0.01), whereas LUFAT (P < 0.001), ULMA (P < 0.01), live weight (P < 0.001), hip height (P < 0.001), and frame score (P < 0.001) were significant predictors of yield grade. Regressions using ultrasound data taken 61 to 69 d before slaughter showed increasing R2. Live ultrasound measures at reimplant time are a viable tool for making decisions regarding future carcass composition.
Molecular biology of extracellular enzymes.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the process of secretion of enzymatic and nonenzymatic proteins (for example, binding proteins) in both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. The chapter examines the increasing evidence that indicates that these secretory proteins are synthesized from membrane-bound polyribosomes in precursor form and are secreted directly through the membrane as they are being synthesized. The identification of cytoplasmic enzymes released by lysis versus true extracellular enzymes is performed by determination of the cytoplasmic versus medium level of the particular enzyme during growth of the bacteria, and demonstration of the lack of release of other cytoplasmic enzymes. It has been discovered that the membrane-bound form of penicillinase has phosphatidic acid covalently bound to the serine of its amino terminal end. Because the other amino acids of the peptide are hydrophilic, it is the acyl fatty acids of the phosphatidylserine-penicillinase, which enable the hydrophobic binding of the precursor form of penicillinase to the cytoplasmic membrane, and presumably assists its secretion through the cytoplasmic membrane.
Determination of the average number of electrons released during the oxidation of ethanol in a direct ethanol fuel cell

Abstract The energy efficiency of a direct ethanol fuel cell (DEFC) is directly proportional to the average number of electrons released per ethanol molecule (n-value) at the anode. An approach to measuring n-values in DEFC hardware is presented, validated for the oxidation of methanol, and shown to provide n-values for ethanol oxidation that are consistent with trends and estimates from full product analysis. The method is based on quantitative oxidation of fuel that crosses through the membrane to avoid the errors that would otherwise result from crossover. It will be useful for rapid screening of catalysts, and allows performances (polarization curves) and n-values to be determined simultaneously under well controlled transport conditions.
Effects of changes in body weight on carbohydrate metabolism, catecholamine excretion, and thyroid function

BACKGROUND Weight gain and loss increases and decreases energy expenditure, respectively, out of proportion to changes in metabolic mass. OBJECTIVE We hypothesized that changes in energy expenditure associated with weight gain or loss were due in part to changes in catecholamine release, thyroid hormones, carbohydrate utilization, or a combination thereof. METHODS Urinary catecholamine excretion, serum thyroid hormone concentrations, and results of 3-h oral-glucose-tolerance tests were examined in obese and never-obese subjects at their usual weights, during weight loss or gain, and at stable weights 10-20% below or 10% above usual. RESULTS Urinary norepinephrine excretion decreased significantly during and after weight loss and increased during and after weight gain. Serum concentrations of reverse triiodothyronine increased significantly during and after weight loss, whereas serum concentrations of triiodothyronine increased significantly (by approximately 0%) during and after weight gain. Serum insulin and glucose concentrations during the oral-glucose-tolerance test increased significantly after weight gain in obese subjects. The percentage change in urinary norepinephrine excretion and in serum concentrations of triiodothyronine were significantly correlated with percentage changes in energy expenditure and with each other. CONCLUSIONS Changes in body weight were associated with changes in catecholamine excretion and thyroid hormones, which might-by virtue of the effects on energy expenditure-have favored a return to usual body weight. Weight gain induced more apparent insulin resistance in the obese than the never-obese subjects, suggesting a threshold effect of total body fat on this phenomenon.
Thermally stimulated luminescence in powdered soy proteins.

Heating powder isolated soy proteins (ISPs) in a N2 environment produced thermally stimulated luminescence (TSL), in 2 major temperature regions, 50 to 250°C (region R1) and 250 to 350°C (region R2). In soy protein 7S fraction, strong TSL was detected in both regions with glow peak maximum (Tm) at 150 ± 15°C and at 300 ± 10°C. Two additional satellite or shoulder peaks were detected from the ISP and 7S protein fraction within region R1 at Tm = 90°C and Tm = 210°C. The soy protein 11S fraction produced a broad, poorly defined TSL peak in the low-temperature region. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy data from the control ISP sample, deuterium sulfide-treated ISP, ISP stored in either N2 or O2, and defatted soy flour, indicated that the trapped radicals present in ISP is associated with the production of the primary TSL peak at 150 ± 15°C. Activation energies required to release the trapped charges (for luminescence to occur) are approximately 0.70, 0.78, 1.50, and 1.8 eV for TSL at Tm = 100, 150, 200, and 300°C, respectively. The reaction mechanism that leads to the release of the trapped charges for TSL to occur followed a mixed order kinetic, between 1.5 and 1.8. The frequency factor varied between 107/s and 1017/s. Practical Application Free radicals are capable of catalyzing oxidative degradation of food components, and powdered soy proteins typically contain from 10 to 100 times more metastable radicals than other protein sources. The research described in this paper provides novel information about the nature of these radicals that can be used to develop processes that can minimize the content of free radicals in foods containing soy proteins.
Business Unit Strategy, Managerial Characteristics, and Business Unit Effectiveness at Strategy Implementation

Data from 58 strategic business units (SBUs) reveal that greater marketing/sales experience, greater willingness to take risk, and greater tolerance for ambiguity on the part of the SBU general manager contribute to effectiveness in the case of “build” SBUs but hamper it in the case of “harvest” SBUs.
Mammalian cell growth studied in situ by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy

Fourier transform infrared techniques were used to monitor mammalian cell growth plated on attenuated total reflection (ATR) crystals. Consistently, the growth kinetics plots generated from the obtained spectra demonstrated a sigmoidal curve representing a sequence of slow, rapid, then tapering cell growth which correlated well with non-spectral cell growth determinations. Significant advantages over traditional methods of measuring cell growth kinetics are demonstrated. The technique has promising potential to be used to study events in areas such as toxicology and cell biology.
The use of intra-articular hylan G-F 20 in the treatment of symptomatic osteoarthritis of the shoulder: a preliminary study.

BackgroundWhile hylan G-F 20 is an approved therapy for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis, there are few reports of its use in shoulder osteoarthritis.HypothesisHylan G-F 20 can reduce pain and improve function in patients with glenohumeral osteoarthritis.Study DesignCase series; Level of evidence, 4.MethodsThirty consecutive patients with idiopathic glenohumeral osteoarthritis who failed to respond to standard conservative measures were enrolled. Patients received 3 weekly intra-articular hylan G-F 20 injections in their affected shoulder and completed a visual analog scale for pain, the UCLA score, and the Simple Shoulder Test at baseline and at 1, 3, and 6 months after the third injection.ResultsOf the 30 patients, 3 withdrew during the washout period before treatment; the remaining patients (17 men and 10 women) had an average age of 62 years. The mean baseline visual analog scale score was 54, UCLA score was 15.7, and Simple Shoulder Test score was 5.7 (of 12 possible “yes” responses). At the 6-mo...
Role of gap junctions in early brain injury following subarachnoid hemorrhage

Gap junction inhibition has been demonstrated to reverse the vascular contraction that follows experimental subarachnoid hemorrhage. This study hypothesizes that the use of established gap junction inhibitors: octonal and carbenoxolone, to interrupt cell to cell communication will provide neuroprotection against early brain injury after SAH. The filament perforation model of SAH was performed in male Sprague–Dawley rats weighing between 300 and 380g. Octanol (260.46mg or 781.38 mg/kg), carbenoxolone (100 mg/kg), or vehicles were given via intraperitoneal injection 1 hour after SAH. Neurologic deficits and cerebral apoptosis were assessed 24 and 72 hours after SAH. In addition, Western blot analysis was performed to confirm the in vivo inhibition of CNS gap junctions. The administration of octanol and carbenoxolone both failed to attenuate the neurological deficits induced by SAH, and they did not reduce neuronal apoptosis. Additionally, carbenoloxone increased post SAH mortality and exacerbated SAH induced apoptosis. Despites previous studies that show gap junction inhibitors reverse vasospasm following experimental SAH, they failed to improve clinical outcomes or provide neuroprotection in this study.
Teaching, Learning, and Developing L2 French Sociolinguistic Competence: A Sociocultural Perspective

The study reported in this article investigates the development of sociolinguistic competence among second-year (US university-level) L2 learners of French who were given systematic instruction on sociolinguistic variation as part of their normal coursework. We focus on the variable use of the negative morpheme ne in verbal negation. Drawing from learners’ explanations of ne presence versus absence, their analyses of two texts representing different levels of discourse, and their own small-group inter-learner online chat discussions, we examine the link between conceptual understanding of variation in French and these learners’ development of conscious control over variation. We show that properly organized pedagogical activity can help learners to develop their understanding of variable features of discourse, which ultimately leads (to) the development of their performance abilities. We present both quantitative and qualitative analyses of learners’ performance to illustrate their developing control over variation in French, which begins to emerge as a sociolinguistic resource by the end of the academic term.
Hydrodesulfurization of thiophenic compounds: The reaction mechanism

Abstract It has often been assumed that catalytic hydrodesulfurization of thiophene and related compounds proceeds via a one-point “end-on” adsorption involving bonding of the sulfur atom with Mo ions at an anion vacancy on the catalyst surface. This interpretation is inadequate, failing to account for hydrogen-deuterium exchange results, the reactivities of benzothiophene and dibenzothiophene, and the small steric effects of methyl substituents on the adsorption and reaction of compounds in the thiophene, benzothiophene, and dibenzothiophene families of homologs. An alternative mechanism, presented here, involves a multipoint adsorption of the reactant, with a CC bond interacting with a Mo cation, and the S atom of the reactant interacting with a S ion on the surface. The new mechanism accounts for the observed deuterium exchange and hydrodesulfurization reactions and is consistent with the observed steric effects.
Dielectric constant and electrical conductivity of carbon black as an electrically conductive additive in a manganese-dioxide electrochemical electrode, and their dependence on electrolyte permeation

Abstract The relative dielectric constant and electrical conductivity of electrochemical electrodes with manganese-dioxide (MnO 2 ) particles mixed with carbon black (CB, the most common electrically conductive additive) are reported, with unprecedented determination of the decoupled CB properties and their dependence on the MnO 2 volume fraction. The electrolyte is 15 vol.% sulfuric acid. As the CB proportion increases, the CB electrical conduction connectivity increases, while the CB dielectric connectivity decreases (due to decreasing squishing by the MnO 2 ). The minimum MnO 2 content for squishing the CB to the extent of enhancing the CB polarizability is 65 vol.%. The electrolyte enhances the CB conduction/dielectric connectivity. Without electrolyte permeation, as the CB proportion increases from 14 to 30 vol.% (the MnO 2 proportion correspondingly decreasing from 69 to 59 vol.%), the CB resistivity decreases from 236 to 165 Ω cm and the CB relative dielectric constant decreases from 53 to 12 (leveling-off below 65 vol.% MnO 2 ), suggesting decreasing CB polarizability as CB is less squished. With complete electrolyte permeation, as the CB proportion increases from 18 to 25 vol.%, the CB resistivity decreases from 49 to 34 Ω cm and the CB relative dielectric constant decreases from 29 to 22. Without MnO 2 , the CB conduction connectivity is the highest.
Smart photodetector arrays for error control in page-oriented optical memory

Smart photodetector arrays (SPAs) have been suggested as a means to improve the performance of page-oriented optical memories (POMs). With a SPA interface, the optical data page is received by 2D arrays of 'smart' photodetector elements, replacing conventional CCDs. By integrating on-chip processing with the detector array, SPAs can be designed to perform fast parallel error control and data reduction, thereby providing a more efficient interface between the POM and the electronic host computer. In this paper, we discuss SPA requirements in terms of performance, power and scalability. We then present our design and analysis of a 0.35 micron CMOS smart photodetector array. Our implementation integrates a differential current receiver for optoelectronic signal conversion with a cluster error correction code. This approach provides for high optical sensitivity, low electrical power, and fast parallel error correction to achieve data rates of 10s to 100s of Gbits per second.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Penile prosthesis: Psycholocic factors

A thirty-one-year-old paraplegic male requested a penile prosthesis. Psychiatric evaluations were done of both the patient and his wife. Within seventy-two hours of his arriving home with the prosthesis installed, his wife left their house to seek a divorce. The implications of this event for selecting patients for such devices are explored. Reservations are expressed about a prosthesis being inserted for patients married after the onset of impotence.
Adaptation in Resource-Dependent Communities: A Call for Greater Methodological Clarity in Adaptation Field Research

This article highlights how fieldwork scholars of adaptation in resource-dependent communities may enhance our capacity to craft comparative lessons and contribute an empirical foundation to theories and policy initiatives for adaptation. We briefly synthesize how scholars conducting field research on adaptation in common pool resource communities have measured and assessed adaptation, discuss some of the points of contention in the adaptation literature and in the field, and indicate ways in which adaptation could be further clarified in the field. Specifically, we identify a need for greater clarity in how field researchers define adaptation, examine the relationship between disturbance and adaptive response, and evaluate the outcomes of adaptation processes. Our review of the literature reiterates the challenges in comparing case studies and suggests means by which greater conceptual and methodological clarity may provide a much-needed empirical foundation to our understanding of adaptation processes.
Wage Dispersion in the Search and Matching Model

The simplicity of the canonical search and matching model offers many advantages for the purpose of understanding the determinants and dynamics of unemployment. However, the spe cial assumption that a firm is composed of a sin gle worker and employer or that the production technology is linear is limiting. Lars A. Stole and Jeffrey Zwiebel (1996), Asher Wolinsky (2000), and Elhanan Helpman and Oleg Itskhoki (2008) generalize the original model to the case of many workers in a firm with a technology characterized by diminishing returns to labor. They find that all employers pay the same wage in steady state equi librium when only unemployed workers search. I extend their model by allowing for search on the job and show that a unique dispersed wage steady state equilibrium also exists with the prop erty that more productive employers pay more and are larger. Furthermore, inefficient "over employment" characterizes the single wage equi librium, but employment is lower in the dispersed wage equilibrium because employers face stiffer competition. As a consequence, the dispersed wage equilibria can be more efficient. There is a close relationship between the equi libria of the search and matching model studied in this paper and those of the dynamic monopsony models of Peter A. Diamond (1971), Kenneth Burdett and Kenneth L. Judd (1983), and Burdett and Dale T. Mortensen (1998). The single wage equilibrium is the analogue of the Diamond equi librium while a dispersed wage equilibrium exists when employed workers search for essentially the same reason as in the Burdett-Mortensen model. Namely, there exists a nondegenerate interval of wages and a continuous distribution of vacancies over the interval such that the common
The rate of deoxygenation of red blood cells: Effect of intracellular 2,3-diphosphoglycerate and pH.

The rate of deoxygenation of red blood cells has interested many investigators [2-151 since Roughton opened the field in 1932 [l] . It has been shown that the same factors which affect the dissociation of oxygen from hemoglobin in solutions, such as temperature, pH and carbon dioxide, exert similar effects in intact red blood cells [8,9]. The recent elucidation of the influence of organic phosphates on the equilibrium between oxygen and hemoglobin, both in solution [ 16, 171 and in red blood cells [ 181, as well as their effects on the kinetics of oxygen association and dissociation of hemoglobin solutions [ 19,201, led us to explore the effect of 2,3diphosphoglycerate (2,3-DPG) on the rate of deoxygenation of intact human red blood cells. As a highly charged anion at physiologic pH, 2,3-DPG affects the distribution of protons across the cell membrane as predicted by Gibbs-Donnan theory [21]. Therefore, alterations in the content of 2,3-DPG will significantly modify intracellular PH. In order to isolate the effects of
Concomitant aortic valve-sparing operation and closed biatrial radiofrequency ablation for annuloaortic ectasia and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation

A 53-year-old woman was admitted for annuloaortic ectasia with moderate aortic valve insufficiency (AI) and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. Concomitant aortic root replacement with a valve-sparing technique and closed biatrial procedure using bipolar radiofrequency ablation was performed successfully. Postoperative echocardiography showed trivial AI with regular sinus rhythm, which meant she could avoid anticoagulation therapy.
Tuning the Optical Properties of Fluorinated Indolylfulgimides

Photochromic fluorinated indolylfulgides have been identified as potential candidates for a wide range of applications including optical switches, photoregulators of biological processes, and optical memory media. In humid environments or biological systems, hydrolytic stability is essential. In an effort to improve hydrolytic stability, a series of indolylfulgimides has been synthesized from a parent trifluoromethyl-substituted indolylfulgide. The nitrogen of the succinimide moiety is linked to either a dimethyl amino or one of seven substituted phenyl groups. The phenyl groups feature substituents with increasing electron-withdrawing ability. The spectral characteristics of each compound have been examined, revealing that the wavelength absorption maxima of each form increases with increasing electron-withdrawing ability of the substituted N-phenyl ring. The quantum yields of the photoreactions have been determined with the N-(phenyl)fulgimide showing a ring closure value of nearly 0.30 in toluene. In addition, the hydrolytic, thermal, and photochemical stabilities of each compound have been measured. The fulgimides exhibit at least a 200-fold enhancement of hydrolytic stability for the Z-form and over a 1000-fold enhancement for the C-form in comparison to the same form of the parent fulgide. The N-(2,3,5,6-tetrafluoro-4-trifluoromethylphenyl)fulgimide can undergo up to 3000 photochemical cycles (coloration followed by bleaching) before losing 20% of its initial absorbance at photostationary state.
Domain bubbles of extra dimensions

``Dimension bubbles'' of the type previously studied by Blau and Guendelman [S.K. Blau and E.I. Guendelman, Phys. Rev. D $40,$ 1909 (1989)], which effectively enclose a region of 5D spacetime and are surrounded by a region of 4D spacetime, can arise in a 5D theory with a compact extra dimension that is dimensionally reduced to give an effective 4D theory. These bubbles with thin domain walls can be stabilized against total collapse in a rather natural way by a scalar field which, as in the case with ``ordinary'' nontopological solitons, traps light scalar particles inside the bubble.
Mineral recovery from inland reverse osmosis concentrate using isothermal evaporation

Mineral recovery from reverse osmosis (RO) concentrate after concentration by a secondary sea water-type RO system with lime-soda pretreatment was the focus of this study. Lime-soda pretreatment removed Ca, Mg and Si allowing for the application of sea water-type RO resulting in a concentrate composed of sodium, potassium, sulfate and chloride. The overall objective was reduction in concentrate volume that will require disposal by evaporation while producing by-products with potential resale value. Thermodynamic phase equilibrium calculations using Pitzer's correlations for 25 °C, accurately predicted the solubility and evaporation path of the sodium sulfate minerals as potential by-products. Bench-scale evaporation experiments verified the model predictions and indicated that 81-88% of the sodium sulfate by-products were Na(2)SO(4).
Differential Capture of Serum Proteins for Expression Profiling and Biomarker Discovery in Pre- and Posttreatment Head and Neck Cancer Samples†

Introduction: A long-term goal of our group is to develop proteomic-based approaches to the detection and use of protein biomarkers for improvement in diagnosis, prognosis, and tailoring of treatment for head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC). We have previously demonstrated that protein expression profiling of serum can identify multiple protein biomarker events that can serve as molecular fingerprints for the assessment of HNSCC disease state and prognosis. Methods: An automated Bruker Daltonics (Billerica, MA) ClinProt matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometer was used. Magnetic chemical affinity beads were used to differentially capture serum proteins prior to MALDI-TOF analysis. The resulting spectra were analyzed using postprocessing software and a pattern recognition genetic algorithm (ClinProt 2.0). An HNSCC cohort of 48 sera samples from 24 patients consisting of matched pretreatment and 6 to 12 month posttreatment samples was used for further analysis. Low-mass differentially expressed peptides were identified using MALDI-TOF/TOF. Results: In the working mass range of 1,000 to 10,000 m/z, approximately 200 peaks were resolved for ionic bead capture approaches. For spectra generated from weak cation bead capture, a k-nearest neighbor genetic algorithm was able to correctly classify 94% normal from pretreatment HNSCC samples, 80% of pretreatment from posttreatment samples, and 87% of normal from posttreatment samples. These peptides were then analyzed by MALDI-TOF/TOF mass spectometry for sequence identification directly from serum processed with the same magnetic bead chemistry or alternatively after gel electrophoresis separation of the captured proteins. We were able to compare this with similar studies using surface-enhanced laser desorption ionization (SELDI)-TOF to show this method as a valid tool for this process with some improvement in the identification of our groups. Conclusions: This initial study using new high-resolution MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry coupled with bead fractionation is suitable for automated protein profiling and has the capability to simultaneously identify potential biomarker proteins for HNSCC. In addition, we were able to show improvement with the MALDI-TOF in identifying groups with HNSCC when compared with our prior data using SELDI-TOF. Using this MALDI-TOF technology as a discovery platform, we anticipate generating biomarker panels for use in more accurate prediction of prognosis and treatment efficacies for HNSCC.
The hunt of love: The literalization of a methaphor inFuenteovejuna

Le theme de l'amour comme synthese des conflits politiques et sociaux. Etude du symbolisme et de l'imagerie, reflets des procedes creatifs de la tradition espagnole.
Warning: The Male Sex Role May Be Dangerous to Your Health

The growing differential in life expectancy between men and women in the United States in the twentieth century is noted. Two explanatory perspectives are identified, the biogenetic and the psychosocial. The contemporary emerging analysis of the male role is related to the psychosocial perspective. Methodological problems in evaluating alternative perspectives are identified. Evidence for both views is examined, and it is concluded that the best available evidence confirms the psychosocial perspective that sex-role socialization accounts for the larger part of men's shorter life expectancy.
Thermal diffusivity and thermal conductivity of single-crystal MgO and Al 2 O 3 and related compounds as a function of temperature

Thermal diffusivity (D) was measured up to ~1,800 K of refractory materials using laser-flash analysis, which lacks radiative transfer gains and contact losses. The focus is on single-crystal MgO and Al2O3. These data are needed to benchmark theoretical models and thereby improve understanding of deep mantle processes. Measurements of AlN, Mg(OH)2, and isostructural BeO show that the power law (D = AT −B ) where T is temperature holds for simple structures. Results for more structurally complicated corundum Al2O3 with and without impurity atoms are best fit by CT d + ET f where d ~ −1 and f ~ −4, whereas for isostructural Fe2O3, f is near +3 and multiphase ilmenite Fe1.12Ti0.88O3 is fit by the above power law. The positive temperature response for hematite is attributed to diffusive radiative transfer arising from electronic–vibronic coupling. We find good agreement of k and D data on single-crystal and non-porous ceramic Al2O3. For the corundum structure, D is nearly independent of T at high T. Although D at 298 K depends strongly on chemical composition, at high temperature, these differences are reduced. Thermal conductivity provided for MgO and Al2O3, using LFA data and literature values of density and heat capacity, differs from contact measurements which include systematic errors. The effect of pressure is discussed, along with implications for the deepest mantle.
A comprehensive catalog of human KRAB-associated zinc finger genes: Insights into the evolutionary history of a large family of transcriptional repressors

Kruppel-type zinc finger (ZNF) motifs are prevalent components of transcription factor proteins in all eukaryotes. KRAB-ZNF proteins, in which a potent repressor domain is attached to a tandem array of DNA-binding zinc-finger motifs, are specific to tetrapod vertebrates and represent the largest class of ZNF proteins in mammals. To define the full repertoire of human KRAB-ZNF proteins, we searched the genome sequence for key motifs and then constructed and manually curated gene models incorporating those sequences. The resulting gene catalog contains 423 KRAB-ZNF protein-coding loci, yielding alternative transcripts that altogether predict at least 742 structurally distinct proteins. Active rounds of segmental duplication, involving single genes or larger regions and including both tandem and distributed duplication events, have driven the expansion of this mammalian gene family. Comparisons between the human genes and ZNF loci mined from the draft mouse, dog, and chimpanzee genomes not only identified 103 KRAB-ZNF genes that are conserved in mammals but also highlighted a substantial level of lineage-specific change; at least 136 KRAB-ZNF coding genes are primate specific, including many recent duplicates. KRAB-ZNF genes are widely expressed and clustered genes are typically not coregulated, indicating that paralogs have evolved to fill roles in many different biological processes. To facilitate further study, we have developed a Web-based public resource with access to gene models, sequences, and other data, including visualization tools to provide genomic context and interaction with other public data sets.
Gender Differences in Masochistic Scripts

This research was based on the assumption that there are both male and female masochists and that the two groups may show slightly different patterns. Statistical analyses of anonymous letters to sex‐oriented magazines were used to explore these patterns; these scripts should be regarded as expressions of desire and imagination, not necessarily corresponding to actual behavior. Results suggest that male masochistic scripts exceed female ones in severity of pain, in aggregate humiliation, in status‐loss humiliation, in oral humiliation, in partner infidelity, in active participation by third persons, and in transvestism. Female masochistic scripts surpassed male ones in relative frequency of pain, in con‐textualizing pain as punishment for misdeeds in an ongoing relationship, in humiliation involving exhibitionistic display, in genital intercourse with partner, and in the presence of nonparticipating spectators. These differences can be interpreted in the context of cultural stereotypes of femininity and m...
Intracellular Calcium Attenuates Persistent Current Conducted by Mutant Human Cardiac Sodium Channels in Long-QT Syndrome

Mutation in the cardiac voltage-gated sodium channel NaV1.5 can cause congenital long-QT syndrome type 3 (LQT3). Most NaV1.5 mutations associated with LQT3 promote a mode of sodium channel gating in which some channels fail to inactivate, contributing to sustained or persistent sodium current (INa,P), which is directly responsible for delayed repolarization and prolongation of the QT interval. LQT3 patients have highest risk of arrhythmia during sleep or during periods of slow heart rate. During exercise (high heart rate), there is an increase in the steady-state intracellular free calcium (Ca) concentration. We hypothesized that higher levels of intracellular Ca may act in some way to lower arrhythmia risk in LQT3 subjects. We tested this idea by examining the effects of varying intracellular Ca concentrations on the level of INa,P in cells expressing a typical LQT3 mutation, delKPQ. We found that elevated intracellular Ca concentration significantly reduced INa,P conducted by delKPQ channels but not wild-type channels. INa,P measured 200-ms after the peak transient current (expressed as % of peak current) for mutant channels was 2.6±0.4% in low Ca and 0.6±0.1% in high Ca (p<0.001). This attenuation of INa,P in delKPQ expressing cells by Ca remained in the presence of KN-93 indicating it was not due to CaM kinase II activation (2.2±0.2% in low Ca and 0.9±0.3% in high Ca; p<0.001). We conclude that intracellular Ca contributes to the regulation of INa,P conducted by a LQT3 mutant and propose that, during excitation-contraction coupling, the increase of intracellular free Ca may contribute to suppression of mutant channel current and protect cells from delayed repolarization. These findings help explain the increased arrhythmia risk in LQT3 during slow heart rate.
Identification and characterization of nuclear retinoic acid-binding activity in human myeloblastic leukemia HL-60 cells.

Abstract Specific [3H]retinoic acid (RA)-binding sites in nuclear and cytosolic extracts prepared from human myeloblastic leukemia HL-60 cells have been detected by sucrose density gradient sedimentation and size-exclusion high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analyses. This RA-binding activity migrated as a single peak with an apparent molecular weight of 50,000 and greater than 95% of the total binding activity was associated with the nuclear extract. Nuclear extracts prepared from COS-1 cells transfected with an expression vector for the nuclear RA receptors RAR alpha or RAR beta were enriched (20- to 100-fold) with a RA-binding activity that coeluted by size-exclusion HPLC with the putative RAR from HL-60 cells. The HL-60 nuclear receptor exhibited high-affinity binding of RA and its benzoic acid analogs Ch55, Ch30, Ro 13-7410, and SRI 6409-40 and low-affinity binding of retinol, Ro 8-8717, and SRI 5442-60, correlating well with the biological activity of these compounds in HL-60 cells. Saturation binding and Scatchard plot analyses of the binding of RA to the nuclear HL-60 receptor yielded an apparent dissociation constant of approximately 0.46 nM and 1400 +/- 100 receptor sites per cell. Northern blot analyses of poly(A)+ RNA with cDNA probes specific for RAR alpha and RAR beta indicated that HL-60 cells contain predominantly transcripts encoded by the RAR alpha gene. Our results suggest that the observed nuclear RA-binding activity in HL-60 cells might mediate the action of RA in these cells.
Clustering and Activity Tuning of Kv1 Channels in Myelinated Hippocampal Axons

Precise localization of axonal ion channels is crucial for proper electrical and chemical functions of axons. In myelinated axons, Kv1 (Shaker) voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channels are clustered in the juxtaparanodal regions flanking the node of Ranvier. The clustering can be disrupted by deletion of various proteins in mice, including contactin-associated protein-like 2 (Caspr2) and transient axonal glycoprotein-1 (TAG-1), a glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored cell adhesion molecule. However, the mechanism and function of Kv1 juxtaparanodal clustering remain unclear. Here, using a new myelin coculture of hippocampal neurons and oligodendrocytes, we report that tyrosine phosphorylation plays a critical role in TAG-1-mediated clustering of axonal Kv1.2 channels. In the coculture, myelin specifically ensheathed axons but not dendrites of hippocampal neurons and clustered endogenous axonal Kv1.2 into internodes. The trans-homophilic interaction of TAG-1 was sufficient to position Kv1.2 clusters on axonal membranes in a neuron/HEK293 coculture. Mutating a tyrosine residue (Tyr458) in the Kv1.2 C terminus or blocking tyrosine phosphorylation disrupted myelin- and TAG-1-mediated clustering of axonal Kv1.2. Furthermore, Kv1.2 voltage dependence and activation threshold were reduced by TAG-1 coexpression. This effect was eliminated by the Tyr458 mutation or by cholesterol depletion. Taken together, our studies suggest that myelin regulates both trafficking and activity of Kv1 channels along hippocampal axons through TAG-1.
Infinite Susceptibility Phase in Random Uniaxial Anisotropy Magnets

The leading terms in the magnetic equation of state are calculated for models with random fields and random uniaxial anisotropies for dimensionalities $dl4$. In the random anisotropy case we find a new low-temperature phase, in which the magnetization vanishes but the zero-field susceptibility is infinite, because of algebraically decaying correlations. No phase transition is found for the random field case.