cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Involvement of the conserved acidic amino acid domain of FGF receptor 1 in ligand-receptor interaction.

The fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (flg) contains eight acidic amino acids between the first and second immunoglobulin domain. This report examines the role of the acidic domain in the interaction of the flg receptor with its ligands. We observed a marked inhibition of binding of bFGF to the receptor when the acidic domain was completely deleted, but mutants with two and four amino acids deleted (flgΔ2 and flgΔ4, respectively) still bound the ligand. After addition of a bifunctional cross-linking reagent, cross-linked complexes (between bFGF and receptor) with the expected size were observed in cells expressing mutants lacking two or four acidic residues, but not in cells expressing mutants lacking six or eight acidic residues. Immunoprecipitation with anti-flg antibody followed by electrophoresis produced a band of 90 Kd in tunicamycin-treated cells expressing the mutant as well as the wild-type receptors, indicating that the inhibition of binding was not due to defective expression of the protein. The ability of flgΔ8 to mediate a mitogenic response to FGFs was also greatly reduced when this mutated receptor was expressed in receptor-negative cells. The effect of replacing the acidic amino acids with lysine residues was also studied. Binding of bFGF to cells transfected with a plasmid encoding a mutated protein with four amino acid substitutions was totally inhibited, but an eight amino acid substitution did not alter ligand binding to the receptor. In this case the mutation with four amino acids substitution caused a drastic impairment of protein expression. Thus the acidic domain of the FGFR-1 plays an essential role in receptor function, either because it is important for a stable protein configuration or for ligand-receptor interaction. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Application of the light-front coupled-cluster method to ϕ 4 theory in two dimensions

As a first numerical application of the light-front coupled-cluster (LFCC) method, we consider the odd-parity massive eigenstate of ${\ensuremath{\phi}}_{1+1}^{4}$ theory. The eigenstate is built as a Fock-state expansion in light-front quantization, where wave functions appear as coefficients of the Fock states. A standard Fock-space truncation would then yield a finite set of linear equations for a finite number of wave functions. The LFCC method replaces Fock-space truncation with a more sophisticated truncation, one which reduces the eigenvalue problem to a finite set of nonlinear equations without any restriction on Fock space. We compare our results with those obtained with a Fock-space truncation that yields the same number of equations.
Strange cluster formation in relativistic heavy ion collisions

The production rate of strange clusters in relativistic heavy ion collisions is estimated using a simplified coalescence model and the cascade code ARC, adjusting parameters to fit ordinary composite particle production. We predict that a hypothetical (ΛΛ)b would be produced at a rate dNdy of order 0.1 for central Au + Au collisions at Brookhaven AGS energies and midrapidity. The corresponding rate for the ΛΛ6He is 2 × 10−5. We also suggest some experimental possibilities for detecting such clusters.
HEAT STABILITY OF PEANUT/MILK PROTEIN BLENDS

Protein blends were prepared from peanut flour or peanut protein concentrate and whey protein concentrate, sodium caseinate, calcium caseinate or nonfat dry milk. One per cent protein dispersions of these blends containing 0.0, 25.0, 50.0, and 100.0% peanut protein were heated at 60, 80, and 90° C for 30 min. Soluble protein was lower in unheated peanut protein preparations than in unheated milk proteins preparations with lowest soluble protein observed in peanut flour dispersions. Solubility of milk proteins dispersed in distilled water was generally not affected by heat treatment, while heating of similarly prepared peanut protein dispersions above 80° C decreased soluble protein. Systems containing peanut protein with whey protein calcium caseinate or nonfat dry milk were intermediate, in soluble protein and heat stability to that of milk and peanut proteins alone. Soluble protein in peanut/sodium caseinate blends increased slightly with heat treatment. Calcium addition to 30mM decreased soluble protein in all protein systems. Peanut lipoprotein concentrate was not affected by added calcium. Heating whey protein, caseinate and blends of peanut with whey or caseinate in the presence of calcium induced aggregation and lowered soluble protein.
Neighborhood context and breastfeeding behaviors among urban mothers.

Background:Research consistently shows that breastfeeding behaviors vary according to individual-level sociodemographic characteristics, yet few studies examine contextual variations in breastfeeding.Objective:The purpose of this study is to examine the association between neighborhood context and breastfeeding among a sample of predominately unmarried urban mothers, a group with relatively low rates of breastfeeding.Methods:This study combines census tract information with data from 2 waves of the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (n = 4228) to predict the odds of initiating and sustaining breastfeeding.Results:Findings indicate that neighborhood socioeconomic composition, rather than racial or ethnic concentration, is associated with breastfeeding behaviors. More specifically, living in a highly educated neighborhood is associated with higher odds of initiating and sustaining breastfeeding.Conclusion:These results suggest that the breastfeeding behaviors of urban mothers vary according to neigh...
Racial and Ethnic Differences in Extended Family Households

Prevalence of extended family households and factors associated with them are examined for non-Hispanic whites, African Americans, Asians, and Hispanics using data from the 1990 U.S. Census. Nuclear family households and three distinct types of extended family households (upward, downward, and horizontal) are identified, and racial/ethnic differences in the distribution of these types are noted. I contend that household extensions occur as a result of a combination of economic, demographic, and cultural factors. To examine economic aspects of household extension, I first examine income distributions across various household types. Then, using multinomial logistic regression, I identify economic, demographic, and cultural factors related to the three different types of extended family households. Even after racial/ethnic differences in demographic and economic variables are accounted for, preferences for downward extension among African Americans, upward extension among Asians, and horizontal extension amo...
Mechanism of Nucleosome Remodeling by INO80 from S. Cerevisiae

Chromatin remodeling enzymes use the energy of ATP to alter chromatin structure by disrupting DNA-histone contacts. These enzymes play a major role in the regulation of all nuclear processes, including transcription, replication, and DNA repair. A major goal in chromatin biology is to understand how the basic biochemical mechanisms of these chromatin remodelers relate to, or even dictate their regulatory roles in vivo. INO80 is a 15-subunit chromatin remodeling complex from S. cerevisiae. INO80 is involved in the transcription of over 1000 yeast genes, and has additional roles in processes that promote genomic stability such as DNA repair. Unlike most remodeling enzymes INO80 contains several active ATPases. In addition to the canonical remodeling ATPase, Ino80p, the complex also contains two hexameric AAA+ ATPases, Rvb1 and Rvb2. Our work seeks to understand the mechanism of nucleosome remodeling by INO80 as well as the roles that Rvb1 and Rvb2 have in this process. We employ several types of remodeling and ATPase assays to gather information about the kinetics of the different steps in remodeling. We have discovered that nucleosome movement by INO80 involves a fast step that is detectable by FRET, followed by a slow step that is detectable by a change in migration of the nucleosome on a native gel. Both steps are greatly affected by the length of extra-nucleosomal DNA. Interestingly, this length sensing behavior by INO80 is not strongly coupled to ATPase activity of the complex.
PROSTATE CANCER IS HIGHLY PREDICTABLE: A PROGNOSTIC EQUATION BASED ON ALL MORPHOLOGICAL VARIABLES IN RADICAL PROSTATECTOMY SPECIMENS

Purpose:: We determine whether biochemical prostate specific antigen (PSA) failure can be accurately predicted from preoperative serum PSA combined with 6 morphological variables from radical retropubic prostatectomy specimens in men with peripheral zone cancers. The unexpected limitation imposed by preoperative serum PSA on biochemical failure led us to compare peripheral zone to transition zone cancers.Materials and Methods:: A total of 326 peripheral zone and 46 transition zone cancers treated only with radical retropubic prostatectomy were followed for a minimum of 3 years (mean and median greater than 5). All prostates were sectioned at 3 mm. intervals and morphological variables were quantitated using the Stanford technique. Biochemical failure was defined as serum PSA 0.07 ng./ml. or greater and increasing. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify variables with the most independent influence on biochemical failure and derive a clinical equation to predict failure in peripheral zone ca...
Mapping intellectual structure of a scientific subfield through author cocitations

This article provides a test of the utility of author cocitation analysis for empirically deriving groupings of intellectual leaders in a scientific subspecialty. Methodologically, it partially replicates the procedure employed by White and Griffith (1981). It provides a partial test of the underlying assumptions of the method, its veracity, and its interpretive and substantive application. Interpretive caveats are given, and additional methodological and statistical manipulations are proposed to enhance the future utility of author cocitation analysis to map prevailing intellectual structures within science
Human polymorphonuclear leukocyte phagocytosis of crystalline cholesterol, bilirubin, and calcium hydroxyapatite in vitro

We tested the hypothesis that human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) phagocytize crystalline cholesterol, bilirubin, or calcium hydroxyapatite in vitro and in the process release oxygen metabolites and enzymes involved in the inflammatory process. Chemiluminescence (CL), elicited by the respiratory burst (release and activation of oxygen metabolites and enzymes) of PMNs during phagocytosis of a target particle, was used to quantitate PMN phagocytosis of each crystal. Significant CL (P or = 0.95). With bilirubin, significant CL was observed with concentrations of 0.07-0.33 mg/ml. The response to calcium hydroxyapatite was variable. Human PMNs phagocytize cholesterol, bilirubin, and to a lesser extent, calcium hydroxyapatite. PMN chemiluminescence was associated with phagocytosis, indicating that inflammatory substances are being released in the process. These results support the concept that crystals that occur in the gallbladder may initiate gallbladder inflammation.
Estimation of the Contribution of Intrinsic Currents to Motoneuron Firing Based on Paired Motoneuron Discharge Records in the Decerebrate Cat

Motoneuron activation is strongly influenced by persistent inward currents (PICs) flowing through voltage-sensitive channels. PIC characteristics and their contribution to the control of motoneuron...
Excision and primary anastomosis for anterior urethral stricture

Excision with spatulated primary anastomosis (EPA) is an excellent reconstructive option for short bulbar urethral strictures with success rates between 90 and 95% in appropriately selected patients. Patient selection requires a careful history, physical examination, and radiographic staging. Failure with this reliable method is caused by inadequate excision of urethral stricture and incomplete mobilization of the urethra with excessive anastomotic tension. Complications that include wound and urinary tract infections, chordee, and erectile dysfunction, are uncommon. EPA warrants strong consideration as a first line treatment due to its excellent and durable long-term results.
Rice’s Internal Variables Formalism and Its Implications for the Elastic and Conductive Properties of Cracked Materials, and for the Attempts to Relate Strength to Stiffness

Rice’s internal variables formalism [1975, “Continuum Mechanics and Thermodynamics of Plasticity in Relation to Microscale Deformation Mechanisms,” in Constitutive Equations in Plasticity, edited by A. Argon, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, pp. 23–75] is one of the basic tools in the micromechanics of materials. One of its implications is the possibility to relate the compliance/resistivity contributions of cracks—the key quantities in the problem of effective elastic/conductive properties—to the stress intensity factors (SIFs) and thus to utilize a large library of available solutions for SIFs. Examples include configurations that are common in materials science applications: branched and intersecting cracks, cracks with partial contact between crack faces, and cracks emanating from pores. The formalism also yields valuable physical insights of a qualitative character, such as the impossibility to correlate, in a quantitative way, the strength of microcracking materials and their stiffness reduction.
"Fresh" Thoughts on Studying Sexual Assault

In the 1960s and 1970s, feminists used to talk about having a “click” moment when they realized that some personal experience had political implications—thus the slogan, “The personal is political.” When I started graduate school in the late 1970s, I was drawn to studying sexual assault. I had been a declared feminist since high school as the Women’s Movement even reached the coal region of eastern Pennsylvania! Attending college in New York City, with its myriad opportunities for more exposure to what feminists were up to, made me increasingly aware that violence against women was a greater problem than had been acknowledged up to that point. In light of all the studies that have been conducted since, it is amazing to think how little systematic research existed back then. Under my advisor’s guidance, I started to read everything I could find, a lot of which consisted of Freudian treatises on women’s desire to be raped. But what had the greatest impact on me (besides Susan Brownmiller’s, 1976, classic, Against Our Will) were books containing personal testimonials of women’s rape experiences. In the middle of reading one of these, I had my own “click” moment. Quite suddenly and startlingly, I found myself reliving an encounter from my early teenage years. A boy whom I knew quite well, having attended elementary school with him, offered to walk me home from a dance one summer night. Being well socialized into fearing strangers jumping out of bushes, I gladly went along, especially since said boy was a football player who could undoubtedly protect me from any nasty bush-hiding monsters. Said boy had also been drinking with friends before the dance. At this point I hardly need to finish the story, except for one detail. My mother had briefly mentioned at one point that I should always carry a hat pin with me in case some boy ever got “fresh.” Frankly, I was not really sure what that meant, but I learned pretty quickly that night that “fresh” could mean “attempted rape,” and said boy learned what kind of damage a hat pin could do. Having that “aha” experience in graduate school set the stage for a lot of the research I have undertaken since then, particularly related to alcohol and sexual assault and women’s sexual assault resistance. In this article, I will discuss how my own work in these areas developed with reference to two highly cited papers published in Psychology of Women Quarterly (Norris & Cubbins, 1992; Norris, Nurius, & Dimeff, 1996) as well as my other research, how my work fits into the general body of current research on these topics, and where we might go from here. Please find the original articles at http://pwq.sagepub.com/content/16/2/179 and http://pwq.sagepub.com/content/20/1/123. In particular, I would like to address three dilemmas that feminist researchers face in addressing these topics. These dilemmas focus on three areas: (a) what my colleagues and I termed the “cognitive tightrope” (Norris et al., 1996), (b) contradictory messages that women receive about drinking, and (c) how to avoid victim blaming but still empower women to assertively resist sexual assault.
Spatially restricted Hedgehog signalling regulates HGF-induced branching of the adult prostate

Branching morphogenesis is thought to be governed by epithelial-stromal interactions, but the mechanisms underlying specification of branch location remain largely unknown. Prompted by the striking absence of Hedgehog (Hh) response at the sites of nascent buds in regenerating tubules of the adult prostate, we investigated the role of Hh signalling in adult prostate branching morphogenesis. We find that pathway activity is localized to stromal cells, and that its attenuation by genetic or pharmacologic manipulation leads to increased branching. Decreased pathway activity correlates with increased stromal production of hepatocyte growth factor (Hgf), and we show that Hgf induces epithelial tubule branching. Regulation of Hgf expression by Hh signalling is indirect, mediated by Hh-induced expression of the microRNAs miR-26a and miR-26b, which in turn downregulate expression of Hgf. Prostate tubule branching thus may be initiated from regions of low Hh pathway activity, with implications for the prostatic hyperplasia commonly observed in late adulthood.
Training in perioperative echocardiography.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Echocardiography has been used perioperatively as an important diagnostic tool since the 1980s. Introduction of this new technique has been beneficial to our practice, but has also introduced questions and issues related to methods of teaching, requirements for demonstration of competence and testing and certification processes as evidence of satisfactory completion of necessary learning parameters. This article will review the issues presented to date, how they have been addressed, and what options could be arriving in the future. RECENT FINDINGS: The introduction of Adult Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology fellowship accreditation by the American College of Graduate Medical Education provides a venue for completion of the guidelines for advanced echocardiographer status. The option of obtaining certification without formal training will remain for anyone who completes core residency training by 30 June, 2008. The written testing process is advancing to development of a recertification examination. There continue to be difficulties with learning and certification outside a training program. Recent evidence in the literature shows that formal cardiology training programs do not have the same correlation between experience and test success as past anesthesia data show. Like many other specialties, perioperative echocardiography provides time-limited certifications for 10 years from the time the examination is taken, meaning the original test group will recertify next year. SUMMARY: Perioperative echocardiography has rapidly become an integral part of anesthetic practice. The training and certification process has been formalized. There are still issues related to difficulty of training individuals outside core residency programs.
Characterization and simulation of proton exchanged integrated optical modulators with various dielectric buffer layers

Fast and accurate numerical techniques are developed for calculating the optical depth of modulation of integrated optical devices with various dielectric buffer layers. The matrix effective refractive-index method is used in calculating the LiNbO/sub 3/ proton exchange single-channel optical mode parameters. An approximate technique for calculating electrode electric-field distributions as a function of various buffer layers is presented. Comparisons of computer simulations to experimental measurements performed on Mach-Zehnder modulators containing various buffer layers demonstrate that the numerical techniques are sufficiently accurate for computer-aided design use. >
Economic and angiographic factors in determining optimal catheter size in performing outpatient left-sided heart and coronary angiography

A prospective randomized trial was performed in 300 patients to establish the optimal catheter size (5.2, 6, or 7Fr) in performing outpatient left heart and coronary arteriography. A secondary randomization was performed between an attending physician and cardiovascular fellow to determine if the experience level of the operator was an important factor when using smaller French-sized catheters. The primary end point of the trial was total resource utilization of the patient's hospitalization. Hospital cost was calculated with cost accounting methodology using a "bottom-up" approach, and physician "cost" was determined with the Resource-Based Relative Value Scale. Angiographic quality was graded with qualitative and quantitative methods. Procedures were faster and time to hemostasis shorter with smaller catheters. The more experienced operators performed faster procedures and used less fluoroscopy. In the cardiac catheterization laboratory, health-care personnel cost was higher with the 6Fr catheters and when the attending physician was the primary operator. Postprocedure care was slightly less expensive with the smaller catheters. Overall, there was no difference in total cost between the catheter sizes and primary operators. Angiographic quality was similar between the catheter sizes. Smaller catheters used in performing outpatient left-sided heart and coronary arteriography are not associated with cost savings but do not compromise angiographic quality.
Audit partner specialization and audit fees

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine partner specialization effects on audit fees in the US audit market. Design/methodology/approach – This study exploits the unique environment created from the demise of Andersen to examine the effect of partner specialization on audit fees in the US audit market. An ordinary least squares regression was estimated from a sample of ex-Andersen clients that assumingly followed their ex-Andersen audit partner to the new audit firm. Findings – The results show significant positive relations for both audit partner- and office-level specialization and audit fees and suggest that auditor specialization at both the partner- and local office-level demand a fee premium in the US audit markets. Furthermore, the results do not show a significant difference between partner- and office-level specialization effects on audit fees. Originality/value – This study contributes to the audit quality literature by examining the effects of auditor specialization at both the office...
COMPUTER SIMULATION OF VITAMIN DEGRADATION IN A DRY MODEL FOOD SYSTEM DURING STORAGE1

During storage of dry foods, oxidative mechanisms can result in nutrient degradation. Accurate prediction of the vitamin content for dry foods during storage is essential to provide the processor with the assurance of meeting label claims. Since appropriate shelf-life tests for measurement of vitamin degradation represents an alternative worth considering. A mathematical model of the relationship between the rate constant of ascorbic acid oxidation and water activity was established. Computer simulation to predict product moisture content and ascorbic acid degradation in a dry model food product was developed by considering the simultaneous influence of water activity and temperature on rate constants which change with storage time due to varying storage environments. The computer simulation predicts product moisture content and vitamin degradation in good agreement with the experimental data. The simulation will account for the influence of storage temperature and relative humidity as well as characteristics of the food product and package material.
MedlineR: an open source library in R for Medline literature data mining

Summary: We describe an open source library written in the R programming language for Medline literature data mining. This MedlineR library includes programs to query Medline through the NCBI PubMed database; to construct the co-occurrence matrix; and to visualize the network topology of query terms. The open source nature of this library allows users to extend it freely in the statistical programming language of R. To demonstrate its utility, we have built an application to analyze term-association by using only 10 lines of code. We provide MedlineR as a library foundation for bioinformaticians and statisticians to build more sophisticated literature data mining applications. Availability: The library is available from http://dbsr.duke.edu/pub/MedlineR.
Mechanisms of suppression of alveolar epithelial cell GM-CSF expression in the setting of hyperoxic stress.

Pulmonary expression of granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) is critically important for normal functional maturation of alveolar macrophages. We found previously that lung GM-...
Software engineering education 2010: a challenge to educators

This panel discusses what industry needs from software engineering education programs to prepare for the next decade.
Cardiac events in patients undergoing noncardiac surgery: shifting the paradigm from noninvasive risk stratification to therapy.

The paradigm is shifting from predicting which patient is at high risk for a perioperative cardiac event to minimizing the likelihood of such an event with specific perioperative pharmacologic therapy.
The Atmospheric Circulation over the North Atlantic as Induced by the SST Field

Spectral analyses of the sea surface temperature (SST) in the Simple Ocean Data Analysis (SODA) reanalysis for the past half-century identify prominent and statistically significant interannual oscillations in two regions along the Gulf Stream front over the North Atlantic. A model of the atmospheric marine boundary layer coupled to a baroclinic quasigeostrophic model of the free atmosphere is then forced with theSSThistoryfromtheSODAreanalysis.Twoextremestatesarefoundintheatmosphericsimulations:1)an eastward extensionofthe westerly jetassociatedwith thefront, which occurs mainly during boreal winter, and 2) a quiescent state of very weak flow found predominantly in the summer. This vacillation of the oceanicfront-induced jet in the model is found to exhibit periodicities similar to those identified in the observed Gulf Stream SSTfront itself. In addition, a close correspondence is found between interannualspectralpeaksin the observed North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index and the SODA-induced oscillations in the atmospheric model. In particular, significant oscillatory modes with periods of 8.5, 4.2, and 2.8 yr are found in both observedandsimulatedindicesandareshowntobehighlysynchronizedandofsimilarenergyinbothtimeseries. Theseoscillatorymodesinthesimulationsareshowntobesuppressedwheneither(i)theGulfStream frontor (ii) its interannual oscillations are omitted from the SST field. Moreover, these modes also disappear when (iii) the SST front is spatially smoothed, thus confirming that they are indeed induced by the oceanic front.
Young Adults' Relations with Grandparents following Recent Parental Divorce

This study employed a large survey of young adults to consider the association between recent parental divorce and intergenerational solidarity between adult grandchildren and their grandparents. The results indicate no significant association between parental divorce and young adults' reports of affective, associational, or functional solidarity in relation to either maternal or paternal grandparents. Adult grandchildren from divorced families, however, were more likely than those from intact families to initiate contacts with their grandparents on their own, and to see their paternal grandparents without their father accompanying them. We conclude that parental divorce does not influence adult grandchild-grandparent relations because, at least in part, adult grandchildren are less dependent than young children on the middle-generation parent to facilitate this relationship.
Porosity of Whey Protein-Based Microcapsules Containing Anhydrous Milkfat Measured by Gas Displacement Pycnometry

Porosity characteristics of spray-dried microcapsules consisting of whey proteins and anhydrous milkfat were investigated by gas displacement technique, using helium and nitrogen as displacing gases. Microcapsules exhibited molecular-sieve type porosity. True and apparent densities as well as porosity characteristics were affected by wall solids concentration and by core load. Results indicated that about 10% of capsule volume was not accessible to helium. Pore volume inaccessible to nitrogen penetration was affected by core load and solid concentration. Results suggested that porosity, and hence gas-permeation into microcapsules, could be tailored by adjusting microcapsules composition.
Chloro(thexyl)borane–Dimethyl Sulfide

[75067-06-0] C8H20BClS (MW 194.57) InChI = 1S/C6H14BCl.C2H6S/c1-5(2)6(3,4)7-8;1-3-2/h5,7H,1-4H3;1-2H3 InChIKey = LANJRYQNHQMXPG-UHFFFAOYSA-N (highly regioselective, monohydroborating agent for alkenes and alkynes, producing thexylalkylchloroboranes or thexylalkenylchloroboranes, respectively, which are synthetically useful intermediates;1 reduces carboxylic acids to aldehydes;2 reduces aldehydes and ketones to alcohols2b) Solubility: sol CH2Cl2, ether, and THF, but CH2Cl2 is the solvent of choice;3 reacts rapidly with protic solvents.2b Form Supplied in: prepared in situ. Preparative Method: most conveniently prepared from commercially available monochloroborane–dimethyl sulfide complex and 2,3-dimethyl-2-butene in CH2Cl2 (eq 1).1a,3 (1) Analysis of Reagent Purity: analyzed by 11B NMR and IR spectroscopy and by hydrogen evolution upon reaction with methanol.3 Handling, Storage, and Precautions: very reactive with oxygen and moisture and must be handled using standard techniques for handling air-sensitive materials.4 Reported to be stable for at least two months when stored at 0 °C in CH2Cl2 solution under N2.2b
Response to Comment on “Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy in Blast-Exposed Military Veterans and a Blast Neurotrauma Mouse Model”

Goldstein and McKee respond to points raised in two letters about their study of tau neuropathology in postmortem brain tissue samples from blast-exposed military veterans with traumatic brain injury.
Nanopore transducers: prospects for single molecule electrophoresis

In this paper, the prospects for single molecule electrophoresis was investigated. During the electrophoresis of a polymer through a nanopore, the ionic current that can flow through the open pore was blocked.
Relative bioavailability of trimeprazine tablets investigated in man using HPLC with electrochemical detection.

The stability, partition coefficient, plasma protein binding, red blood cell distribution, and whole blood concentrations of trimeprazine were investigated. Trimeprazine solution was stable for 6 months at -20 degrees C and 3.5 months at 40 degrees C. In whole blood trimeprazine was stable for 5 weeks at -20 degrees C, 24 h at 4 degrees C, 4 h at 25 degrees C and 1 h at 37 degrees C. The apparent hexane-water partition coefficient varied from 1.50 (at pH 4.83) to over 100 (at pH 10.54). The fraction bound to plasma protein exceeded 0.9 as estimated by equilibrium dialysis with correction for volume shift. The mean plasma/red blood cell concentration ratio was 1.17 and the mean red blood cell/plasma distribution coefficient was 8.65. Six healthy adult males received single 5 mg doses of trimeprazine in a syrup (5 mg in 10 ml) and tablets with at least two weeks between doses. Blood was collected for 48 h. The mean (+/- s.e.m.) times for peak blood concentrations were 3.5 +/- 0.22 h for the syrup and 4.5 +/- 0.43 h for the tablets. There were no significant differences in Cmax values. The overall mean (+/- s.e.m.) terminal phase half-life was 4.78 +/- 0.59 h. Mean (+/- s.e.m.) areas under the concentration time curves from 0 to infinity (AUC infinity) were 11.0 +/- 1.99 ng h-1 ml-1 and 7.67 +/- 1.05 ng h-1 ml-1 for syrup and tablets, respectively. The mean relative bioavailability for the tablets was approximately 70% with respect to the syrup.
NEW PROCEDURES FOR PARALYTIC DYSPHONIA: Adduction Arytenopexy, Goretex* Medialization Laryngoplasty, and Cricothyroid Subluxation

Laryngoplastic phonosurgery has emerged as the dominant surgical intervention for paralytic dysphonia. Although medialization of the musculomembranous vocal fold by rearranging the laryngeal cartilage framework was described by Payr 12 in 1915, 12 Isshiki 2,5,6 championed the systemic analysis and laryngoplastic treatment of paralytic dysphonia in the 1970s. He designed his medialization procedure of the musculomembranous vocal fold using a synthetic implant in 1974 5 and shortly thereafter he reported the arytenoid adduction procedure 6 to treat patients with large glottal gaps caused by a malpositioned arytenoid. Patients who require repositioning of the arytenoid typically have minimal or unfavorable synkinetic reinnervation of the intrinsic laryngeal musculature. Therefore, the arytenoid is antero-infero-laterally displaced, resulting in a flaccid, foreshortened vocal fold. Isshiki's classical arytenoid adduction procedure mimics contraction of the lateral cricoarytenoid muscle and achieves rotation of the arytenoid by means of a suture placed through its muscular process and directed anteriorly through the thyroid lamina. The agonist-antagonistic adductor function of the other intrinsic muscles (lateral thyroarytenoid, interarytenoid, and posterior cricoarytenoid) is not simulated, however. Therefore, the adduction arytenopexy procedure was designed to model the synchronous function of the aforementioned musculature. 18 In this technique, the arytenoid is positioned on the medial aspect of the cricoid facet, simulating normal adduction of the arytenoid during phonation. Goretex is used as an implant and is placed lateral to the paraglottic muscles (the inner thyroid perichondrium) to avoid wide excursion of the glottal tissues during entrained oscillation. The denervated musculature of the paraglottic space is highly susceptible to the potential closing forces caused by Bernoulli's effect. This fact is used to counterbalance the loss in normal elastic-recoil closing forces resulting from the denervation. Placing the arytenoid in appropriate position posteriorly, before the placement of an implant, achieves most of the medialization necessary for the edge of the musculomembranous vocal fold. 14,18 Outcome data from patients who have undergone adduction arytenopexy and medialization laryngoplasty reveal that fairly normal conversational-level phonation was achieved. 18 There are, however, remarkable limitations of maximal-range capabilities, especially in frequency variation and maximal phonation time. These limitations are thought to result from suboptimal viscoelastic tension in the denervated vocal fold soft tissues despite the improvements in three-dimensional repositioning of the vocal edge. The need to increase viscoelastic tension in the denervated vocal fold, and thereby improve aerodynamically efficient entrained oscillation, has catalyzed the development of the cricothyroid (CT) subluxation procedure. 16
Asynchronous appearance and topographic segregation of neuropeptide- containing cells in the developing rat adrenal medulla

The developmental expression of neuropeptide Y (NPY) and leucine- enkephalin (L-Enk) was examined in embryonic, early postnatal, and adult chromaffin cells with double- and triple-label immunocytochemical techniques and compared to the expression of immunoreactivity for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PNMT). In addition, the establishment of preganglionic innervation was assessed by labeling for choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and L-Enk. NPY-IR was detectable on embryonic (E) day 15 in a clustered subpopulation of TH-IR cells. L-Enk and PNMT-IR cells were initially present on E16 in a separate nonclustered population of TH-IR cells. By late embryonic development, twice as many TH-IR cells expressed NPY and 4 times as many expressed L-Enk as in the adult. In contrast to early embryonic development, NPY-IR was evident in both the clustered and nonclustered subpopulation of TH-IR cells at this time. The proportion of NPY-IR chromaffin cells decreased to adult values during the first postnatal week at the time when obviously clustered TH-IR cells were no longer observed. The embryonic rise in the proportion of L-Enk-IR cells correlates with the developmental increase in glucocorticoid production, while the postnatal decrease corresponds to the appearance of ChAT-IR in the preganglionic innervation of the adrenal medulla. These results indicate that NPY and L-Enk are expressed at different times and in different subpopulations of cells in the embryonic adrenal. Further, the observation that peptide expression by chromaffin cells undergoes marked changes during development raises the possibility that a number of factors including developmental history, environmental signals and impulse activity play a role in the regulation of neuropeptide expression in sympathoadrenal derivatives of the neural crest.
The Association between Noise, Cortisol and Heart Rate in a Small-Scale Gold Mining Community—A Pilot Study

We performed a cross-sectional pilot study on salivary cortisol, heart rate, and personal noise exposures in a small-scale gold mining village in northeastern Ghana in 2013. Cortisol level changes between morning and evening among participants showed a relatively low decline in cortisol through the day (−1.44 ± 4.27 nmol/L, n = 18), a pattern consistent with chronic stress. A multiple linear regression, adjusting for age, sex, smoking status, and time between samples indicated a significant increase of 0.25 nmol/L cortisol from afternoon to evening per 1 dBA increase in equivalent continuous noise exposure (Leq) over that period (95% CI: 0.08–0.42, Adj R2 = 0.502, n = 17). A mixed effect linear regression model adjusting for age and sex indicated a significant increase of 0.29 heart beats per minute (BPM) for every 1 dB increase in Leq. Using standard deviations (SDs) as measures of variation, and adjusting for age and sex over the sampling period, we found that a 1 dBA increase in noise variation over time (Leq SD) was associated with a 0.5 BPM increase in heart rate SD (95% CI: 0.04–−0.9, Adj. R2 = 0.229, n = 16). Noise levels were consistently high, with 24-hour average Leq exposures ranging from 56.9 to 92.0 dBA, with a mean daily Leq of 82.2 ± 7.3 dBA (mean monitoring duration 22.1 ± 1.9 hours, n = 22). Ninety-five percent of participants had 24-hour average Leq noise levels over the 70 dBA World health Organization (WHO) guideline level for prevention of hearing loss. These findings suggest that small-scale mining communities may face multiple, potentially additive health risks that are not yet well documented, including hearing loss and cardiovascular effects of stress and noise.
Assessing the Generalization of Relapse-Prevention Behaviors of Sexual Offenders Diagnosed With an Intellectual Disability

The generalization of relapse-prevention skills of 10 males residing at a state facility for sexual offenders diagnosed with an intellectual disability was assessed in the community using three different experimental probes: (a) treatment staff (TS), (b) nontreatment staff (NTS), and (c) community adults (CAs). Results indicated a decrease in compliance from the TS to NTS and CAs, with the lowest levels of generalization displayed by offenders who were older and displayed a wider range of paraphilias. The degree of generalization also varied as a function of the contingencies for prevention-plan noncompliance, with higher rates of generalization occurring for violations that were more severely consequated. The implications of the findings for future research in promoting the generalization of relapse-prevention skills of sexual offenders, in general, and those who also exhibit intellectual disabilities, in particular, are discussed.
A low cost ground truth detection system for RoboCup using the Kinect

Ground truth detection systems can be a crucial step in evaluating and improving algorithms for self-localization on mobile robots. Selecting a ground truth system depends on its cost, as well as on the detail and accuracy of the information it provides. In this paper, we present a low cost, portable and real-time solution constructed using the Microsoft Kinect RGB-D Sensor. We use this system to find the location of robots and the orange ball in the Standard Platform League (SPL) environment in the RoboCup competition. This system is fairly easy to calibrate, and does not require any special identifiers on the robots. We also provide a detailed experimental analysis to measure the accuracy of the data provided by this system. Although presented for the SPL, this system can be adapted for use with any indoor structured environment where ground truth information is required.
Gemcitabine-induced rectus abdominus radiation recall.

Context Radiation recall has been described in the context of gemcitabine chemotherapy. However, this phenomenon has been largely limited to skin. Case report We hereby report a case of radiation recall dermatitis and myositis occurring on gemcitabine monotherapy, five months after completing chemoradiation for locally advanced pancreatic cancer. Radiation recall resolved spontaneously with withdrawal of gemcitabine. Conclusions This is the second case report that describes gemcitabine-induced radiation recall in rectus abdominus muscles after gemcitabine-based radiation therapy. Given the wide use of gemcitabine following chemoradiation for pancreatic cancer, providers should be aware of this potential complication.
Abstract CN08-01: Air pollution and cancer: Implications of IARC's causal classification

This presentation will identify the main lessons learned from the extensive analysis and discussion of the carcinogenicity of outdoor air and describe potential areas for future research. The IARC classification of “outdoor air pollution” and “particulate matter air pollution” as carcinogenic to humans are based on a broad research foundation, but nonetheless there are important gaps to be addressed. For example, research is needed to understand more specifically the components of the air pollution mixture that drive cancer risk, in part to develop useful indicators for control and tracking. Further information is needed on potential determinants of susceptibility to lung cancer caused by air pollution and on the combined effect of smoking and air pollution. Most importantly, this presentation will also cover the implications of the IARC evaluation for public health, including regulatory, societal, and personal actions that, collectively, could improve global public health. Outdoor air pollution now constitutes a cause of cancer to which most people are exposed, and understanding of underlying mechanisms implies that there is no threshold below which there is no risk. Risk assessment will likely play a critical role in considering air quality standards to protect the public from the cancer risk posed by outdoor air pollution. Citation Format: Jonathan M. Samet. Air pollution and cancer: Implications of IARC9s causal classification. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirteenth Annual AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research; 2014 Sep 27-Oct 1; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Can Prev Res 2015;8(10 Suppl): Abstract nr CN08-01.
Maximizing deflections produced by induced strain beam-like actuators for transonic drag reduction

This paper examines the use of adaptive materials for transonic drag reduction. Induced strain actuators are used to modify the shape of a transonic airfoil in an attempt to reduce transonic wave drag over a range of transonic flight conditions. The airfoil skin is treated as a beam-like structure spnning between two stringers. A general and analytic structural model based on classical laminated plate theory is developed. The effects of actuator configuration, geometry, and material choices for both the actuatore 1 host combination and end conditions are investigated. End support conditions are shown to have a significant effect on the amount of deflection that can be produced, but little effect on how the actuator should be sized. Also, large differences are found in desired material properties between symmetric and asymmetric beamlactuator laminates. These results are applied to the problem of reducing transonic airfoil drag via airfoil adaptation. An adaptive airfoil is formed using a supercritical airfoil with an adaptive beam as part of its upper surface. This section's shape is altered by the actuator. Aerodynamic analyses of the modified airfoil shapes are performed to study the effects on transonic drag. These studies show that the induced strain actuator are able to significantly reduce transonic drag for some flight conditions. Nomenclature extensional stiffness extensionhending coupling stiffness beam width bending stiffness Young's modulus bending rigidity beam length bending moment per unit width number of layers in plane force per unit width material thickness vertical deflection horizontal coordinate vertical coordinate thickness ratio, t$tb stiffness ratio, EJEb beam extensional strain length ratio, L,/L curvature actuator induced strain deflection function Copyright O 1993 American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc. All rights reserved. * Research Assistant, School of Aeronautics and Astronautics Subscripts and su~erscriuts a = actuator b = beam k = layer w = wall A = actuator induced ** Professor, Fellow AIAA, School of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Intensive Glycemic Control in Cardiac Surgery

Hyperglycemia has been found to be associated with increased morbidity and mortality in surgical patients, yet, the optimal glucose management strategy during the perioperative setting remains undetermined. While much has been published about hyperglycemia and cardiac surgery, most studies have used widely varying definitions of hyperglycemia, methods of insulin administration, and the timing of therapy. This has only allowed investigators to make general conclusions in this challenging clinical scenario. This review will introduce the basic pathophysiology of hyperglycemia in the cardiac surgery setting, describe the main clinical consequences of operative hyperglycemia, and take the reader through the published material of intensive and conservative glucose management. Overall, it seems that intensive control has modest benefits with adverse effects often outweighing these advantages. However, some studies have indicated differing results for certain patient subgroups, such as non-diabetics with acute operative hyperglycemia. Future studies should focus on distinguishing which patient populations, if any, would optimally benefit from intensive insulin therapy.
Nuclear-Spin-Lattice Relaxation of V 51 and Tc 99 in V-Tc Alloys

The spin-lattice relaxation time, ${T}_{1}$, associated with the ${\mathrm{V}}^{51}$ and ${\mathrm{Tc}}^{99}$ nuclei in the V-Tc binary alloy system has been measured over a range of compositions at room, liquid-nitrogen, and liquid-helium temperatures. The quantity ${T}_{1}T$ ($T=\mathrm{absolute}\mathrm{temperature}$) is strongly composition-dependent, but only slightly temperature-dependent, indicating that the predominant relaxation path is via conduction electrons. Of the possible terms contributing to conduction-electron relaxation, that due to the orbital motion of the $d$-band electrons is believed predominant.