cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Genetic correlations between initial sensitivity to Ethanol and brain cAMP signaling in inbred and selectively bred mice.

Background: Several lines of evidence have suggested a role for cAMP (adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate) signaling in the acute and chronic effects of ethanol. This study investigated whether there is a genetic correlation between cAMP synthesis in the brain and the acute effects of ethanol [alcohol sensitivity or acute functional tolerance (AFT)]. Methods: By using nine inbred strains of mice, we measured initial sensitivity and AFT to ethanol with a test of balance on a dowel. Initial sensitivity was defined by the blood ethanol concentration (BEC 0 ) at the loss of balance on a dowel after an ethanol injection [1.75 g/kg intraperitoneally (ip)]. When mice were able to regain balance on the dowel, BEC 1 was determined, and a second ethanol injection was given (2 g/kg ip). Upon final regaining of balance, BEC 2 was determined. AFT was defined by the difference between BEC 1 and BEC 2 (AFT = ABEC = BEC 2 - BEC 1 ). Cyclic AMP synthesis was measured in whole-cell preparations in the cerebellum and other brain areas of mice of the nine inbred strains. Results: Significant differences in BEC 0 and AFT were seen among the mice of the nine inbred strains. Cerebellar basal and forskolin- and isoproterenol-stimulated cAMP production differed significantly between the strains, and BEC 0 was found to correlate significantly with forskolin- and isoproterenol-stimulated cAMP accumulation in the cerebellum (r = 0.70 and 0.94, respectively). When we measured cAMP production in mesencephalic and telencephalic tissue in three strains of mice that differed significantly in isoproterenol-stimulated cAMP accumulation in the cerebellum, significant differences between strains were found only in telencephalic tissue. The relative relationship between the rank order of the three strains for cAMP accumulation in the telencephalon and initial sensitivity to ethanol was identical to that seen with the cerebellum. However, AFT did not correlate with cAMP accumulation in the cerebellum or any other brain area tested. Conclusions: These results suggest that cAMP-generating systems of the cerebellum and possibly the brain areas contained in telencephalic tissues (e.g., basal ganglia) may have an important relationship to an animal's initial sensitivity to the incoordinating effects of ethanol.
Effect of cortisol on the ultrastructure of normal, leukemic, and cultured human lymphocytes

The effect of cortisol on the ultrastructure of normal, leukemic, and cultured human lymphocytes during a 2-hr incubation was investigated. The presence of 10−5 m cortisol in the incubation medium produced in normal lymphocytes a variety of alterations in cytoplasmic organelles. Mitochondria were most affected and showed evidence of irreversible deterioration (formation of myelin figures). Occasional cells demonstrated an overt rearrangement of their cytoplasmic membranes resulting in a bizarre array of parallel cisternae-like structures. More commonly, the usually under-developed Golgi of normal lymphocytes became very pronounced in structure. All of these alterations were produced within 2 hr of incubation, but only in normal human lymphocytes. Under identical conditions, no evidence of ultrastructural changes were produced by cortisol in either lymphocytes from chronic lymphocytic leukemic patients, or those from the RPMI 1788 cell line.
Rapid and Sensitive Detection of Malaria Antigen in Human Blood With Lab-on-a-Chip

A novel lab-on-a-chip detection device, based on the properties of immunoagglutination, was modified to detect malaria in the human blood through histidine-rich protein 2, an antigen expressed only by Plasmodium falciparum. Utilizing Mie scattering detection, which is angle- and size-dependent, the extent of immunoagglutination could be accurately measured while the optical disturbance from the human blood was minimized. The presence of human serum albumin in the blood is believed to further stabilize the antibody-conjugated submicron beads and/or break off the larger agglutinated beads. The lowest detection limit was 1 pg/mL in 10% of whole blood (equivalent to 10 pg/mL in undiluted whole blood), a few orders of magnitude lower than other assays. The final device is compact, with a fast assay time of approximately 8 min.
Effect of Laser Irradiation on the Dissolution Kinetics of Hydroxyapatite Preparations

This research investigated the effects of a laser irradiation treatment on the dissolution characteristics of hydroxyapatite (HAP), and the results provide an insight into the relationship between the effects of laser treatment and the two-site dissolution kinetics of HAP samples. The HAP samples prepared by aqueous precipitation and digestion at ~ 100 °C were irradiated with a CO2 laser (20–50 W) with a beam diameter of 14 mm for a total of 10–400 s. Dissolution rates of the laser-treated HAP samples were subsequently determined in acetate buffer (pH = 4.5, μ = 0.50) at various levels of partial saturation (0–24% with respect to the HAP thermodynamic solubility of pK sp = 116). The following were the important findings. The X-ray diffraction and the IR spectroscopy results suggested that the HAP crystalline structure was not changed by laser treatment. Laser treatment of HAP powder at 50 W for 400 s, however, caused an ~ 3.5-fold reduction in the specific surface area of HAP and reduced the initial dissolution rate of HAP in acetate buffer by a factor of ~ 22.9. Also, this laser treatment appeared to reduce the dissolution rate of HAP in 16 and 24% partially saturated acetate buffer from substantial levels to essentially zero. These results may be summarized as follows. Laser treatment of HAP results in a reduction in the dissolution rate and also a reduction in the specific surface area of this material. However, the dissolution rate reduction is significantly greater than the reduction in the specific surface area. Also, the percent reduction in the dissolution rate of laser-treated HAP in partially saturated buffers appears to be much greater than that for non-laser-treated HAP. In order to independently evaluate the effects of laser irradiation on the ion activity product (IAP) of HAP, a rotating disk dissolution study (based on Levich theory) of lased HAP pellets (50 W for 400 s, 13 kJ/cm2) was performed. The ion activity product (K HAP) governing the dissolution of the lased HAP pellet was found to be 1 × 10− 129.2 ± 0.7. This value for K HAP, together with the HAP powder results (above), strongly suggests that laser irradiation converts HAP possessing a two-site character to a HAP of a lower effective solubility (i.e., site #2 only).
Impact of Lotronex on time lost from work in female patients with diarrhea-predominant IBS

Purpose: IBS is characterized by recurrent abdominal pain, discomfort, and alterations in bowel function. Previous studies have shown that multiple and debilitating symptoms of IBS can impact daily life, functional status, direct medical costs, and productivity. The objective of the study was to assess the impact of Lotronex on the time lost from work in female patients with diarrhea-predominant IBS who were working full-time (|[ge]|30 hours a week).
Letter by Derakhshan Regarding Article, “Intraoperative Magnesium Administration Does Not Improve Neurocognitive Function Following Cardiac Surgery”

The human brain is a binomial organ, consisting of 2 hemispheres. A hallmark of binomial distribution of lesions affecting supratentorial components is that the highest rate of any sign or symptom attributable to lesions affecting either hemisphere is 50%. For example, the highest incidence of epilepsy or Wernicke aphasia in randomly distributed metastatic or ischemic lesions affecting the brain is 50%, as is the ultimate rate of postoperative cognitive decline (POCD) in those undergoing coronary artery bypass grafts. This is because all of the conditions enumerated (seizures, aphasia, and cognition) are related to injury involving the major hemisphere (left, in vast majority of right-handed people). This letter is dedicated to clarifying the reason behind the abovementioned statistical fact, confirmed in a recent article published in Stroke …
Small Business, Status Politics, and the Social Base of New Christian Right Activism:

This paper examines the social base of Christian Right activism, using data on approximately 3,000 members and financial supporters of a single state-level Christian Right organization: the Oregon Citizens' Alliance (OCA). The findings of the study are consistent with theories that identify “status anxiety” among marginal or threatened segments of the middle class as a motivation for right-wing activism. The class of small business owners was the most overrepresented group among OCA activists. Members of the salaried middle class were also overrepresented, although to a lesser degree. Contrary to expectations, OCA activism was not disproportionately high among elderly persons or in the most rural areas of the state. The paper also illustrates the prevalence of status concerns in the rhetoric of the OCA's anti-abortion and anti-gay campaigns.
Determinants of the Indian rupee/US dollar exchange rate and policy implications

Based on a simultaneous-equation model of demand and supply, this paper finds that the Indian rupee/US dollar (INR/USD) exchange rate is positively associated with the US real government bond yield, Indian real GDP, the US real stock price and the expected INR/USD exchange rate and is negatively affected by the Indian real interest rate, US real GDP and the Indian real stock price. The finding that a higher Indian real interest rate would cause the Indian rupee to appreciate against the US dollar is consistent with the traditional view.
The Unreliable M/M/1 Retrial Queue in a Random Environment

We examine an M=M=1 retrial queue with an unreliable server whose arrival, service, failure, repair, and retrial rates are all modulated by an exogenous random environment. Provided are conditions for stability, the (approximate) orbit size distribution, and mean queueing performance measures which are obtained via matrix-analytic methods. Additionally, we consider the problem of choosing arrival and service rates for each environment state with the objective of minimizing the steady state mean time spent in orbit by an arbitrary customer, subject to cost and revenue constraints. Two numerical examples illustrate the main results.
Reducing cache pollution of prefetching in a small data cache

The need for a low power, high performance embedded processor has grown at a very fast pace in recent years. Embedded processors require smaller cache size for low power system-on-a-chip consideration. Decreasing cache size leads to reduced power consumption because a smaller cache has less capacitance from the bit array size as well as smaller drivers in decoder or peripheral circuitry.. Unfortunately, performance also decreases due to a lower cache hit rate when the cache size becomes smaller. Recently, to improve the miss rate on a cache, many prefetching schemes have been introduced. However, on a small cache, prefetching schemes do not perform well because projected data replace the data that a processor will need in the future. This causes cache pollution, which degrades system performance. To overcome the cache pollution on a small cache, the paper introduces a new technique called "Fixed Prefetch Block" that integrates with the prefetching scheme. To evaluate the effectiveness of our scheme, extensive stimulations on SPEC95 integer benchmarks and Mediabench benchmarks suites were performed. Results from the simulations indicate that with our proposed technique, cache pollution can be reduced on a small set associative cache.
Content validity using a mixed methods approach: Its application and development through the use of a table of specifications methodology

There is paucity of detailed information in the literature on how to develop procedures for estimating content validity to increase trustworthiness of assessment instruments. The authors present three unique examples, interpretation, and application of Tables of Specifications (ToS) for generating these estimates. The development and logic of the ToS requires presenting evidence that has transparency and creates trustworthiness in the validity estimates by maintaining an audit trail and using of triangulation, expert debriefing, and peer review. The argument presented is that content validity requires a mixed methods approach since data are developed through qualitative and quantitative methods that inform each other. This process is iterative and provides feedback on the effectiveness of the ToS through a process of determining consensus.
Fine alignment of the James Webb Space Telescope with a genetic algorithm

The quality of the image recorded by the future James Webb Space Telescope or JWST will depend on the alignment of the multiple optical elements constituting the telescope. Several steps are necessary to align the optical system. In this paper, we describe a genetic algorithm (GA) that optimizes the last alignment stage or fine-phasing stage. We split the population of candidate solutions into several sub-populations in order to take into account the different parameter dependencies. Each optical element has several (seven) degrees of freedom. The worse ranked individuals undergo the GA variation operations on all their genes independently guarantying that solutions with independent genes will be searched. Conversely, since the symmetry of the problem imposes that most rotations, translations and curvatures must be related, we apply GA variation operations on only three (pseudo)-genes for better ranked solutions. Our method improves the current state of the art.
Nonempirical atom-atom potentials for main components of intermolecular interaction energy

Atom-atom potentials representing separate contributions to the nonempirical interaction energy have been derived in the SCF decomposition scheme corrected for basis set superposition error by the counterpoise method. The nontransferable long-range electrostatic multipole and classical induction terms have been evaluated directly from cumulative atomic multipole expansions, whereas the short-range exchange, charge-transfer, and electrostatic penetration contributions have been represented by simplified potentials of the form (β + δR−1) exp(−δR) fitted to the corresponding ab initio results for 336 dimer configurations formed by HF, H2O, NH3, CH4, CO, and CO2. The dominant anisotropic character of electrostatic multipole atom-atom potentials and much more isotropic nature of the potentials representing short-range terms is illustrated in the Appendix for head-on interactions in CO ‥ OC and HF ‥ FH dimers.
Cloud condensation nuclei and ship tracks

Abstract Enhancements of droplet concentrations in clouds affected by four ships were fairly accurately predicted from ship emission factors and plume and background cloud condensation nucleus (CCN) spectra. Ship exhausts thus accounted for the increased droplet concentrations in these “ship tracks.” Derived supersaturations were typical of marine stratus clouds, although there was evidence of some lowering of supersaturations in some ship tracks closer to the ships where CCN and droplet concentrations were very high. Systematic differences were measured in the emission rates of CCN for different engines and fuels. Diesel engines burning low-grade marine fuel oil produced order of magnitude higher CCN emissions than turbine engines burning higher-grade fuel. Consequently, diesel ships burning low-grade fuel were responsible for nearly all of the observed ship track clouds. There is some evidence that fuel type is a better predictor of ship track potential than engine type.
Spatially Resolved Mapping of Electrical Conductivity across Individual Domain (Grain) Boundaries in Graphene

All large-scale graphene films contain extended topological defects dividing graphene into domains or grains. Here, we spatially map electronic transport near specific domain and grain boundaries in both epitaxial graphene grown on SiC and CVD graphene on Cu subsequently transferred to a SiO2 substrate, with one-to-one correspondence to boundary structures. Boundaries coinciding with the substrate step on SiC exhibit a significant potential barrier for electron transport of epitaxial graphene due to the reduced charge transfer from the substrate near the step edge. Moreover, monolayer–bilayer boundaries exhibit a high resistance that can change depending on the height of substrate step coinciding at the boundary. In CVD graphene, the resistance of a grain boundary changes with the width of the disordered transition region between adjacent grains. A quantitative modeling of boundary resistance reveals the increased electron Fermi wave vector within the boundary region, possibly due to boundary induced char...
The role of butanol in the development of sustainable fuel technologies

OVERVIEW: The development of innovative methods to efficiently convert biomass to fuels and industrial chemicals is one of the grand challenges of the current age. n-Butanol is a versatile and sustainable platform chemical that can be produced from a variety of waste biomass sources. The emergence of new technologies for the production of fuels and chemicals from butanol will allow it to be a significant component of a necessarily dynamic and multifaceted solution to the current global energy crisis. IMPACT: The production of butanol from biomass and its utilization as a precursor to a diverse set of fuel products has the potential to reduce petroleum use worldwide. In concert with other emerging renewable technologies, significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions may be realized. The rapid incorporation of renewables into the world fuel supply may also help to offset predicted increases in transportation fuel prices as the supply of oil declines. APPLICATIONS: Recent work has shown that butanol is a potential gasoline replacement that can also be blended in significant quantities with conventional diesel fuel. These efforts have transitioned to research focused on the development of viable methods for the production of an array of oxygenated and fully saturated jet and diesel fuels from butanol. The technologies discussed in this paper will help drive the commercialization and utilization of a spectrum of butanol based sustainable fuels that can supplement and partially displace conventional petroleum derived fuels. Published 2010 by John Wiley and Sons, Ltd.
Rhizobium meliloti anthranilate synthase gene: cloning, sequence, and expression in Escherichia coli.

Abstract We determined the DNA sequence of the Rhizobium meliloti gene encoding anthranilate synthase, the first enzyme of the tryptophan pathway. Sequences similar to those seen for the two subunits of the enzyme as found in all other procaryotic species studied are present in a single open reading frame of 729 codons. This apparent gene fusion joins the C terminus of the large subunit (TrpE) to the N terminus of the small subunit (TrpG) through a short connecting segment. We designate the fused gene trpE(G). The gene is flanked by a typical rho-independent terminator at the 3' end and a complex regulatory region at the 5' end resembling those of operons under transcriptional attenuation control. The location of the promoter was determined by S1 nuclease protection, using Rhizobium mRNA. Although this promoter was inactive in Escherichia coli, mutations eliciting activity were easily obtained. One of these was a C----T change at position -9 in the -10 region. The +1 position of the mRNA is the first base of the initiation codon of the leader peptide, implying that unlike trpE(G), which has a normal Shine-Dalgarno sequence, the leader peptide gene lacks a ribosome-binding site.
Rheology of aqueous suspensions of polystyrene latex stabilized by grafted poly(ethylene oxide)

A water-soluble carbodiimide has been used to end-graft aminated poly (ethylene oxide)(PEO) chemically onto colloidal polystyrene particles. Two particle sizes (115 and 347 nm diameter) and two PEO molecular weights (112 000 and 615 000 g mol–1) were combined to give suspensions with four different ratios of polymer layer thickness to particle radius. Electrophoresis demonstrated that the PEO was grafted, not just adsorbed. Dynamic light scattering showed that the adsorbed and grafted layers had similar structures and that non-ionic surfactant perturbed the PEO configurations. Steady shear and oscillatory rheometry indicated that long-ranged polymeric forces between particles governed the variation of viscosity and storage modulus with applied stress and PS volume fraction. Hard-sphere and effective hard-sphere scaling helps rationalize the rheological behaviour in terms of the variation of the polymeric force among the different suspensions and hydrodynamic deformation of the polymer layers.
Nanoscale memory elements based on solid-state electrolytes

We report on the fabrication and characterization of nanoscale memory elements based on solid electrolytes. When combined with silver, chalcogenide glasses such as Se-rich Ge-Se are good solid electrolytes, exhibiting high Ag ion mobility and availability. By placing an anode that has oxidizable Ag and an inert cathode (e.g., Ni) in contact with a thin layer of such a material, a device is formed that has an intrinsically high resistance, but which can be switched to a low-resistance state at small voltage via reduction of the silver ions. An opposite bias will return the device to a high-resistance state, and this reversible switching effect is the basis of programmable metallization cell technology. In this paper, electron beam lithography was used to make sub-100-nm openings in polymethylmethacrylate layers used as the dielectric between the device electrodes. The solid electrolyte film was formed in these via-holes so that their small diameter defined the active switching area between the electrodes. The Ag-Ge-Se electrolyte was created by the photodiffusion, with or without thermal assistance, of an Ag layer into the Ge-Se base glass. Combined thermal and photodiffusion leads to a nanophase separated material with a dispersed Ag ion-rich material with an average crystallite size of 7.5 nm in a glassy insulating Ge-rich continuous phase. The nanoscale devices write at an applied bias as low as 0.2 V, erase by -0.5 V, and fall from over 10/sup 7/ /spl Omega/ to a low-resistance state (e.g., 10/sup 4/ /spl Omega/ for a 10-/spl mu/A programming current) in less than 100 ns. Cycling appears excellent with projected endurance well beyond 10/sup 11/ cycles.
DUALCAST: a scheme for reliable multicasting

With the rapid deployment of high speed networks and the increased use of applications that blend voice, data, and video traffic, protocols have to be looked at anew. The problem of trying to conserve bandwidth is being replaced by the problems of overcoming latency and processing bottlenecks. In this paper, we introduce the conflicting demands in implementing reliable multicast and then present a new heuristic that balances the tradeoffs by using redundancy while not loading the network excessively. >
Orchestration of glucose homeostasis: from a small acorn to the California oak.

Type 2 diabetes is increasing at alarming rates in the U.S., in Westernized countries, and in the third world. The increasing costs in terms of human suffering as well as economics are well recognized (1). Improved understanding of the pathogenesis of diabetes should lead to better approaches to predict, forestall, or even prevent diabetes and to treat extant cases. Yet, the precise causes of this disease remain to be totally explained. There is little question that obesity per se is a primary contributor, but the causes of the so-called “obesity epidemic” are in debate (2), as are the mechanisms by which obesity itself is linked to diabetes (3,4). For some years, our laboratory has been engaged in efforts to understand causation of type 2 diabetes in terms of insulin secretion and resistance and to attempt to account for the role of obesity. The Banting Lecture provided me with a rare opportunity to describe our research efforts done over a prolonged history in a single presentation. It was my goal to address the several areas of diabetes research we have done. At first glance these different areas may appear unrelated. But these lines of work are closely linked within an overall effort to understand diabetes. I am deeply grateful to the members of the American Diabetes Association for the great privilege of making this presentation. I hope I will be able to emphasize the wonderful opportunity that I and my colleagues have had to pursue original research in a highly deserving and important cause. One can scarcely ask for more in one's professional life. For several decades it has been popular to pursue a “reductionist” approach to studying disease (Fig. 1). The underlying concept is that understanding of disease will result from describing events at increasingly more microscopic …
TREATMENT OPTIONS FOR THIRD VENTRICULAR COLLOID CYSTS: COMPARISON OF OPEN MICROSURGICAL VERSUS ENDOSCOPIC RESECTION

OBJECTIVE: We retrospectively reviewed our experience treating third ventricular colloid cysts to compare the efficacy of endoscopic and transcallosal approaches. METHODS: Between September 1994 and March 2004, 55 patients underwent third ventricular colloid cyst resection. The transcallosal approach was used in 27 patients; the endoscopic approach was used in 28 patients. Age, sex, cyst diameter, and presence of hydrocephalus were similar between the two groups. RESULTS: The operating time and hospital stay were significantly longer in the transcallosal craniotomy group compared with the endoscopic group. Both approaches led to reoperations in three patients. The endoscopic group had two subsequent craniotomies for residual cysts and one repeat endoscopic procedure because of equipment malfunction. The transcallosal craniotomy group had two reoperations for fractured drainage catheters and one operation for epidural hematoma evacuation. The transcallosal craniotomy group had a higher rate of patients requiring a ventriculoperitoneal shunt (five versus two) and a higher infection rate (five versus none). Intermediate follow-up demonstrated more small residual cysts in the endoscopic group than in the transcallosal craniotomy group (seven versus one). Overall neurological outcomes, however, were similar in the two groups. CONCLUSION: Compared with transcallosal craniotomy, neuroendoscopy is a safe and effective approach for removal of colloid cysts in the third ventricle. The endoscope can be considered a first-line treatment for these lesions, with the understanding that a small number of these patients may need an open craniotomy to remove residual cysts.
Risk factors for morbidity in infants undergoing tetralogy of fallot repair.

Background: Primary repair of tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) has low surgical mortality, but some patients still experience significant postoperative morbidity. Aim: To review our institutional experience with primary TOF repair, and identify predictors of intensive care unit (ICU) morbidity. Settings and Design: Medium-sized pediatric cardiology program. Retrospective study. Subjects and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed all the patients with TOF and pulmonic stenosis who underwent primary repair in infancy at our institution from January 2001 to December 2012. Preoperative, operative, and postoperative demographic and morphologic data were analyzed. ICU morbidity was defined as prolonged ICU stay (≥7 days), and/or prolonged duration of mechanical ventilation (≥48 h). Statistical Analysis Used: Multiple logistic regression analysis. Results: Ninety-seven patients underwent primary surgical repair during the study period. The median age was 4.9 months (1-9 months) and the median weight was 5.3 kg (3.1-9.8 kg). There was no early surgical mortality. Incidence of junctional ectopic tachycardia (JET) and persistent complete heart block was 2 and 1%, respectively. The median length of ICU stay was 6 days (2-21 days) and median duration of mechanical ventilation was 19 h (0-136 h). By multiple regression analysis, age and weight were independent predictors of length of ICU stay, while surgical era was an independent predictor of duration of mechanical ventilation. Conclusion: Primary TOF repair is a safe procedure with low mortality and morbidity in a medium-sized program with outcomes comparable to national standards. Age and weight at the time of surgery remain significant predictors of morbidity.
Size Effect on the Fracture Properties of Nuclear Graphite

The objective of this study was to investigate the size effect on the fracture properties (fracture toughness, tensile and flexural strengths, and their statistical characteristics) of nuclear graphite through numerical modeling. The continuum damage mechanics (CDM) model was used to simulate the fracture of nuclear graphite under different loading conditions. The damage behavior of nuclear graphite was considered through a traction-separation relationship. Three fracture tests were simulated—bars under tension, un-notched beams under three-point bending, and single-edge-notched beams under three-point bending—with each test including specimens of different sizes. The microstructural heterogeneity of nuclear graphite was modeled by assigning the elements with properties randomly created with a Weibull distribution. Using the maximum loads obtained from the simulated load-displacement curves, the
Evidence of the involvement of p53 in gamma-radiation-induced DNA repair in human lymphoblasts.

Purpose: To determine the involvement of p53 in ionizing radiation-induced excision and recombination repair. Materials and methods: Shuttle vector pZ189 containing radiationinduced single strand breaks plus base damage (ocDNA), ultraviolet-radiation damage (uvDNA), or a restriction enzymeproduced double strand break (linDNA) were processed in unirradiated or irradiated p53 wt and p53mut lymphoblasts. Mutation frequencies in the sup F-tRNA target gene and survival of plasmids processed in p53 wt and p53mut hosts were compared. Results: Mutation frequencies of oc-, uv- or linDNA were similar after processing in unirradiated p53 wt and p53mut hosts. However, the mutation frequency of ocDNA and uvDNA decreased 50 % when processed in irradiated p53 wt hosts but was unaltered in irradiated p53 mut hosts. In contrast, linDNA mutation frequencies varied similarly whether processed in irradiated p53 wt or p53mut hosts: mutation frequency decreased twofold when linDNA was transfected immediately after host irradia...
Dissociation of hypothalamic noradrenergic activity and sympathoadrenal responses to recurrent hypoglycemia

This study evaluated whether attenuation of sympathoadrenal responses to recurrent hypoglycemia is mediated by diminished noradrenergic activity in the hypothalamus. Male Sprague-Dawley rats receiv...
Mining compressed frequent-pattern sets

A major challenge in frequent-pattern mining is the sheer size of its mining results. In many cases, a high min_sup threshold may discover only commonsense patterns but a low one may generate an explosive number of output patterns, which severely restricts its usage.In this paper, we study the problem of compressing frequent-pattern sets. Typically, frequent patterns can be clustered with a tightness measure δ (called δ-cluster), and a representative pattern can be selected for each cluster. Unfortunately, finding a minimum set of representative patterns is NP-Hard. We develop two greedy methods, RPglobal and RPlocal. The former has the guaranteed compression bound but higher computational complexity. The latter sacrifices the theoretical bounds but is far more efficient. Our performance study shows that the compression quality using RPlocal is very close to RPglobal, and both can reduce the number of closed frequent patterns by almost two orders of magnitude. Furthermore, RPlocal mines even faster than FPClose[11], a very fast closed frequent-pattern mining method. We also show that RPglobal and RPlocal can be combined together to balance the quality and efficiency.
Delirium prevention program in the surgical intensive care unit improved the outcomes of older adults.

Abstract Background Hospital-acquired delirium is a known risk factor for negative outcomes in patients admitted to the surgical intensive care unit (SICU). Outcomes worsen as the duration of delirium increases. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a delirium prevention program and determine whether it decreased the incidence and duration of hospital-acquired delirium in older adults (age >50 y) admitted to the SICU. Methods A prospective pre- or post-intervention cohort study was done at an academic level I trauma center. Older adults admitted to the SICU were enrolled in a delirium prevention program. Those with traumatic brain injury, dementia, or 0 d of obtainable delirium status were excluded from analysis. The intervention consisted of multidisciplinary education, a pharmacologic protocol to limit medications associated with delirium, and a nonpharmacologic sleep enhancement protocol. Primary outcomes were incidence of delirium and delirium-free days/30. Secondary outcomes were ventilator-free days/30, SICU length of stay (LOS), daily and cumulative doses of opioids (milligram, morphine equivalents) and benzodiazepines (milligram, lorazepam equivalents), and time spent in severe pain (greater than or equal to 6 on a scale of 1 - 10). Delirium was measured using the Confusion Assessment Method for the ICU. Data were analyzed using Chi-squared and Wilcoxon rank sum analysis. Results Of 624 patients admitted to the SICU, 123 met inclusion criteria: 57 preintervention (3/12–6/12) and 66 postintervention (7/12–3/13). Cohorts were similar in age, gender, ratio of trauma patients, and Injury Severity Score. Postintervention, older adults experienced delirium at the same incidence (pre 47% versus 58%, P = 0.26), but for a significantly decreased duration as indicated by an increase in delirium-free days/30 (pre 24 versus 27, P = 0.002). After intervention, older adults with delirium had more vent-free days (pre 21 versus 25, P = 0.03), shorter SICU LOS (pre 13 [median 12] versus 7 [median 6], P = 0.01) and were less likely to be treated with benzodiazepines (pre 85% versus 63%, P = 0.05) with a lower daily dose when prescribed (pre 5.7 versus 3.6 mg, P = 0.04). After intervention, all older adults spent less time in pain (pre 4.7 versus 3.1 h, P = 0.02), received less total opioids (pre 401 versus 260 mg, P = 0.01), and had shorter SICU LOS (pre 9 [median 5] versus 6 [median 4], P = 0.04). Conclusions Although delirium prevention continues to be a challenge, this study successfully decreased the duration of delirium for older adults admitted to the SICU. Our simple, cost-effective program led to improved pain and sedation outcomes. Older adults with delirium spent less time on the ventilator and all patients spent less time in the SICU.
The Undervaluation of Evaluation and Management Professional Services: The Lasting Impact of Current Procedural Terminology Code Deficiencies on Physician Payment

The Resource-Based Relative Value Scale (RBRVS) is fundamentally undermined by the following foundational errors: (1) The full range of office-based evaluation and management (E/M) activities are not captured by the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code choices, (2) it places relatively high values on procedural services, (3) there is no measure of intensity for complex outpatient E/M care, and (4) its maintenance and update have been delegated to select professional societies. Limitations imposed on the development of the RBRVS dating back to the early 1980s have not been corrected. The repertoire of codes for physician office-based E/M work must be expanded to create a new topology of choices with new outpatient code families with discrete service code levels, such as comprehensive outpatient consultation care, comprehensive outpatient primary care, and limited outpatient consultation care. Service code relative values must be based on representative samples and reliable survey data, draw from the broader literature on work intensity, and be developed with accountable and representative professional engagement.
Remote Sensing of Near Surface Humidity over North Pacific

Humidity soundings at 12 mid-ocean stations of small islands and weather ships in north Pacific from 7\deg N to 57\deg N during a 9 years period from 1972 to 1980 were used to study the variation of columnar water vapor W (as measured by spaceborne sensors) in relation to the variation of surface level specific humidity Q (as required in the determination of air-sea moisture and latent heat exchanges). It was found that a simple regression can be used to specify monthly mean Q from W to an accuracy of about 8 \times10^{-4} , corresponding to about 20 W/m2in latent heat flux. The regression aocounts for both temporal and spatial variations of Q and W. Better accuracy can be achieved by using regional regressions. The study affirms the potential of space-borne sensors in providing global monitoring of air-sea moisture and heat exchanges.
Variables, kinetics and mechanisms of heterogeneous reburning

The variables, kinetics, and mechanisms of heterogeneous reburning were studied in a flow reactor with a simulated flue gas. The efficiency of heterogeneous reburning depends on the origin of the char, char preparation history and the presence of oxidants, CO2 and O2, and the reducing agent CO, in reburning. Estimated intrinsic rate constants for surface NO reduction in various gaseous environments were compared with those published. In addition to its large surface area, the effectiveness of lignite char appears to be due to its ability to promote two consecutive reactions: (1) the gasification of char by CO2 and O2 for production of CO; (2) the removal of surface oxygen complexes, including those formed after adsorption of NO, by gaseous CO, for the regeneration of reactive sites. Moreover, lignite ash also catalyzes the decomposition of HCN, a major intermediate of NO conversion during gas reburning. These observations suggest that reburning by a mixed fuel containing natural gas and lignite char can be a potentially attractive route for the in–furnance control of nitrogen oxide.
Micropropagation of Anthurium

Within the family Araceae, Anthurium is the largest, most morphologically diverse and complex genus, consisting of approximately 1000 species. Native to Central and South America, members of Anthurium are found at elevations ranging from sea level to 3000 m, most commonly in cloud forests at 1500m (Croat 1986). Plants of this herbaceaous perennial monocot are terrestrial or epiphytic. Typical of the aroids is the spadix, consisting of a multitude of unobtrusive true flowers supported by a fleshy axil. The protogynous nature of the bisexual flowers in Anthurium favors cross-pollination. The commercial flower is a combination of the spadix and a colorful modified leaf, termed spathe. Attractive foliage of some species makes anthuriums also suitable for leaf harvest and cultivation as a potted plant.
Immunoglobulin for Concurrent Guillain-Barré and Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura

Guillain-Barre syndrome, or acute inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy, and immune thrombocytopenic purpura are both autoimmune disorders thought to result from molecular mimicry in response to an antecedent introduction of foreign antigen. Guillain-Barre syndrome is an ascending motor paralysis that can lead to respiratory compromise. Immune thrombocytopenic purpura is an isolated disorder of platelet destruction leading to mucocutaneous bleeding. Guillain-Barre does not typically occur with other autoimmune disorders, and concurrent Guillain-Barre and immune thrombocytopenic purpura has only rarely been reported. We present a patient with both conditions who experienced prompt resolution of neurologic and hematologic sequelae after intravenous immunoglobulin therapy was initiated within 12 hours of presentation. The case provides further evidence that Guillain-Barre syndrome and immune thrombocytopenic purpura can occur simultaneously, possibly caused by a similar pathogenic mechanism, as well as suggesting that the prompt initiation of intravenous immunoglobulin is an effective monotherapy leading to prompt resolution of both conditions and prevention of further sequelae.
Extreme ultraviolet interferometric lithography with a desk-top system

We demonstrate an amplitude division interferometer that using illumination from a high brightness desk top extreme ultraviolet (EUV) laser creates large area arrays of lines, holes and dots with sub-100 nm feature size.
A Quest for Student Engagement: A Linguistic Analysis of Writing Conference Discourse

Writing centers have a culture all their own. They have both individual cultures peculiar to their schools and histories and a common intellectual culture that has evolved over the past century. I entered this culture as a newly hired writing associate for Swarthmore College’s Writing Associates Program. In the culture of our program, as well in the larger culture, a major topic of conversation and debate is directive and nondirective tutoring styles. The lore of our program and of the wider community has tended to encourage, if not expect, a nondirective style. The focus on peer collaboration, embodied by nondirective tutoring, as opposed to classroom hierarchy, embodied by directive tutoring, has been a backbone of writing centers’ philosophy and existential justification (Boquet). But the expectation of nondirective tutoring is questioned both at Swarthmore and by recent empirical research (Thompson). The conversation about directive/nondirective tutoring gets to the heart of what we care about in writing tutoring: First, what characterizes successful tutoring? Second, how do we achieve successful tutoring once we know what it is? Research studies often look for answers to these questions by asking tutors and students to evaluate their own conferences and methods. As a linguistics major, however, I was interested in a different approach for this study. I sought to identify categorizable linguistic units that were associated with tutoring success, look at how they functioned in actual conferences, and evaluate how well they worked as indicators of success from a third-person perspective. Because I did not want to lock myself into the directive/nondirective framework, I defined tutoring success in the more general terms of student engagement. Defining student engagement can, however, be challenging. Although tutors generally have an intuitive understanding of what student engagement is and how to identify it (when the student pays attention, contributes agenda items, listens closely), there are many situations where it is unclear whether a student is engaged, or whether he/she could be more productively engaged. Even when a tutor does find that a student is engaged, he/she may not know how or why it happened, and therefore will not necessarily be able to repeat what he/she did right in the future. This study is based on the conviction that tutors will better be able to elicit student engagement if they have more linguistic information about how student engagement manifests and how tutors elicit it. My intent was to analyze how a linguistic conception of student engagement might complicate the dichotomy of directive/nondirective tutoring.
Microcystic/Reticular Schwannoma Arising in the Submandibular Gland: A Rare Benign Entity that Mimics More Common Salivary Gland Carcinomas

Microcystic/reticular schwannoma is a recently described variant of schwannoma with a predilection for the gastrointestinal tract, rarely involving the head/neck region. This is the first reported case involving the submandibular gland. We present a case in a 34 year old man with 4.5 cm submandibular mass. Fine needle aspiration suggested a spindle cell lesion. Frozen section evaluation raised the possibility of mucoepidermoid carcinoma. Resection showed a well circumscribed mass with a mucoid appearance. Histologic findings include a lobular architecture with fibrous septa, a lympho-plasmacytic infiltrate, and scattered lymphoid aggregates at the periphery. There are two distinct histologic patterns with solid areas of spindle cells and areas of spindle/ovoid cells with a microcystic pattern in a myxoid background. The tumor has a pushing border, with extension into adipose and adjacent parenchyma, without cytologic atypia or necrosis. Immunohistochemical stains are positive for S-100 and CD34, and negative for calponin, mammoglobin, ALK1, p63, ER, GFAP, SMA, desmin, cytokeratin 7, cytokeratin AE1/AE3, and C-Kit. Mucicarmine stain is negative. Recognition of this benign unusual variant of schwannoma is paramount for appropriate conservative treatment due to the morphologic and immunohistochemical overlap with primary salivary gland carcinomas.
Incidental Findings From Cone-Beam Computed Tomography During Implant Therapy.

Introduction: This report reviews relevant literature on foreign bodies identified with cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and documents a rare case of a foreign body that was serendipitously identified during routine implant treatment planning.Case Presentation: The literature shows a frequent occurrence of incidental findings with CBCT. This case documents incidental findings in the maxillary sinus and external auditory canal that were identified during routine CBCT used for implant treatment planning. The finding in the maxillary sinus was diagnosed as a mucous retention pseudocyst that did not require treatment. The finding in the external auditory canal was diagnosed as a foreign body (remnant of a cotton swab). Removal of the foreign body was prompted because of its presumed association with chronic headaches that were unresolved. Removal of the foreign body alleviated the chronic headaches, and implant placement proceeded uneventfully.Conclusions: This review and case underscore the importance of...
Elder Caregiving in Rural Communities

Projected demographic trends indicate a dramatic increase in this country’s elderly population in the twenty-first century (Rogers, 2002; U.S. Census Bureau, 2000). Thus, elder care looms as both a current and future public health concern for our nation. Nowhere is this issue more pressing than in rural communities, which have proportionately more older residents (Rogers, 2002); 29 states, mostly in the Midwest and South, report elder populations in excess of the national average (12.4%), with almost one in three Black elders in the South residing in a rural area (Coward & Krout, 1998; U.S. Census, 2000). At present about a quarter of all elders in the United States live with either their spouses or alone in a rural community. Because of employment-related migration of young and middle-aged adults to urban centers, fewer elders live with or have regular access to their children and grandchildren, which can be a chronically stressful situation (Johnson, 1998). Rural America is characterized by growing diversity and the rural aged are a heterogeneous lot, who present unique challenges to the health, service, and aging networks.
A multiple timing system for measuring the components of the sprint-velocity curve.

(1969). A Multiple Timing System for Measuring the Components of the Sprint-Velocity Curve. Research Quarterly. American Association for Health, Physical Education and Recreation: Vol. 40, No. 4, pp. 857-859.