cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Differential diagnostic dilemmas in malignant fine-needle aspirates of liver: a practical approach to final diagnosis.

We retrospectively reviewed two hundred malignant fine-needle aspirates of liver. of these 49.5% were metastatic neoplasms, 32% were hepatocellular carcinomas, and 18.5% presented with diagnostic dilemmas. in less than half of these diagnostic challenges, differential diagnosis was between hepatocellular carcinoma and metastatic adenocarcinoma. the remainder of cases involved a variety of metastatic neoplasms. Cytomorphology in association with immunocytochemistry resolved the diagnostic problems in about half of the problematic cases. Three cases were undifferentiated and remained unclassifiable. We conclude that approximately 80% of malignant lesions of liver can be correctly diagnosed by thorough cytomorphologic analysis and good clinical correlation, and 20% pose differential diagnostic dilemmas. © 1995 Willey- Liss, Inc.
Follicular lymphoma: today's treatments and tomorrow's targets.

Over the past two decades, the incidence of follicular lymphoma has increased. Contemporary treatments include combinations of chemotherapy and monoclonal antibodies, radioimmunotherapy, new targeted agents and stem-cell transplantation. Prognostic tools are becoming more important in helping clinicians and patients decide on the most appropriate therapeutic regimens. Gene expression profiling and biomarkers are promising additions to this armamentarium. When patients do require therapy, the addition of rituximab to chemotherapy seems to improve remission duration and may improve overall survival. Radioimmunotherapy capitalises on the capacity to target radiation directly to malignant cells, and is currently approved for the treatment of relapsed/refractory follicular lymphoma. Further investigation is needed to clarify the role of stem-cell transplantation in follicular lymphoma. Only well-designed clinical trials can provide answers to the many questions that remain regarding the optimal treatment and s...
Reactivity of brain parenchymal arterioles after ischemia and reperfusion.

Objective: We investigated the effect of ischemia and reperfusion on the vasoactive function of penetrating brain parenchymal arterioles under pressurized conditions.Methods: Parenchymal arterioles ( 0.05. Contraction to the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor nitro-L-arginine (10–4M) was significantly diminished in ischemi...
A class of wireless network coding schemes

In this paper, we consider the content distribution problem over wireless mesh networks, which are characterized by the broadcast nature of the medium and significant data redundancy. One potential solution is network coding [6, 7], which has been recently been receiving interest [1–5] within the wireless community. This paper describes an efficient algebraic wireless network coding scheme, which utilizes special matrices to ensure linear independence of code vector. Unlike random coefficient network coding [1], our scheme is able to provide fast coding without involving the use of costly Gaussian elimination.
Preparation and in Vitro evaluation of mefenamic Acid Sustained Release Beads

AbstractSustained release beads of mefenamic acid were prepared by a capillary method using cellulose acetate phthalate, surfactants (Tween 80 and Span 80), and polymers (K 100 M Methocel and K 100 LV Methocel). These beads were then formulated into capsule dosage form. The beads did not disintegrate in simulated gastric fluid; however, they disintegrated in simulated intestinal fluid. The dissolution profiles of mefenamic acid beads and capsule dosage form were conducted in phosphate buffer (pH 7.2) at 37° C. The beads containing Span 80 and a mixture of K 100 M and A 4 M Methocel resulted in prolonged drug release. The formulations prepared with Tween 80 and K 100 LV Methocel released over 90% of the drug in 2 hours indicating no sustained release properties. The beads in capsule dosage form yielded slower dissolution profiles compared to the beads alone. Aging for six months had no effect on dissolution of mefenamic acid beads. The release of mefenamic acid seems to be combination of diffusion and leac...
Ziprasidone does not exacerbate mania or worsen depression during treatment of bipolar mania: An analysis of pooled clinical trial data

In case reports of patients with bipolar disorder, atypical antipsychotic drugs are often associated with an exacerbation of manic symptoms. To determine whether the atypical antipsychotic drug ziprasidone is associated with an exacerbation of manic symptoms or a worsening of depressive symptoms when used to treat bipolar mania, we analyzed data pooled from 2 similarly designed randomized, placebo-controlled trials of ziprasidone monotherapy in the treatment of bipolar mania (ziprasidone: n=268, placebo: n=131). Exacerbation of mania was defined as CGI-S ≥ 5 and HAM-D increase from baseline to endpoint ≤ 25%, and worsening of depression was defined as HAM-D at endpoint ≥ 15 and HAM-D change from baseline to endpoint ≥ 20%. A significantly smaller proportion of subjects experienced an exacerbation of mania in the ziprasidone group than in the placebo group (6.7% vs 17.6%, P < 0.001). An analysis of dysphoric/nondysphoric and psychotic/nonpsychotic subpopulations showed significantly smaller proportions of ziprasidone subjects with an exacerbation of mania than placebo subjects in all 4 subsets (P < 0.05). The proportion of subjects experiencing a worsening of depression was smaller in the ziprasidone group than in the placebo group (1.9% vs 4.6%, n.s.). These results strongly suggest that ziprasidone causes neither exacerbation of mania nor worsening of depression in patients with acute bipolar mania. Future research will address this issue in patients with bipolar depression.
Emergent Embolization of Arterial Bleeding after Vacuum-Assisted Breast Biopsy

Vacuum-assisted core breast biopsy has become important in evaluating patients with suspicious breast lesions. It has proven to be a relatively safe procedure that in rare cases can result in vascular complications. These are the first reported cases of transcatheter embolization of uncontrolled breast hemorrhage after vacuum-assisted breast biopsy. With increased use of biopsy and larger-gauge devices, breast imaging groups may consider embolotherapy as a safe alternative for treatment of hemorrhage in a select group of patients.
Hairy polyp of the tonsil

Hairy polyps or dermoids of the oro- and naso-pharynx are benign lesions containing elements of both ectodermal and mesodermal origin. We report a case of a hairy polyp arising from the tonsil in a three-week-old infant. This presented as an intermittent swelling in the mouth, which was successfully removed under general anaesthesia. To our knowledge this is only the third case of a hairy polyp arising at this site to be reported. We discuss the terminology applied to these lesions and review the literature.
On determining the spectrum of primordial inhomogeneity from the COBE DMR sky maps: Method

The natural approach to a spectral analysis of data distributed on the sky employs spherical harmonic decomposition. A common problem encountered in practical astronomy is the lack of full sky coverage in the available data. For example, the removal of the Galactic plane data from the Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) Differential Microwave Radiometer (DMR) sky maps compromises Fourier analysis of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) temperature distribution due to the loss of orthogonality of the spherical harmonics. An explicit method for constructing orthonormal functions on an incomplete (e.g., Galaxy-cut) sphere is presented. These functions should be used in the proper Fourier analysis of the COBE DMR sky maps to provide the correct input for the determination of the spectrum of primordial inhomogeneity. The results of such an analysis are presented in an accompanying Letter. A similar algebraic construction of appropriate functions can be devised for other astronomical applications.
The reduction of carbon dioxide at illuminated p-type semiconductor electrodes in nonaqueous media

Abstract The photo-electrochemical reduction of CO 2 has been examined on a number of p-type semiconductors. The (100) plane of CdTe gave the best results: CO was the main product. The most used solution was DMF with 5% water. The onset potential was ca. −1.00 V vs sce. Reaction order with respect to CO 2 was one. The faradaic efficiency for CO formation was > 80% in DMF solutions containing water up to 25% and currents were stble for 24 h. Tetraalkylammonium salts were suitable electrolytes. DMSO and PC were also useful solvents. Increase of temperature shifted the onset potential to more negative potentials. In and Pb coatings reduced and Pt, Ru and Ni increased co-reduction of H 2 O to H 2 . Limiting photocurrents were proportional to light intensity. Taking into account the CO dissolved in the solution increases the current efficiency to 90%. CO 2 + e → CO − 2 , followed by CO − 2 + CO 2 + e → CO + CO 2− 3 and CO − 2 + 2H + + e → CO + H 2 O, is a likely mechanism. The Tafel slope is consistent with a rate-determining discharge. The effect of the tetraalkyl-ammonium salts as electrolyte may be connected with specific adsorption of the cation and its surmised positive influence on CO 2 reduction. The photo-aided electrolysis saves electrical energy corresponding to a potential shift of ca. 0.7 V (than at In) and ca. 1.0 V (than at Pb or Hg) to less negative potentials.
Study of a renewable biomass fueled SOFC: The effect of catalysts

Abstract This study demonstrated the feasibility of a tubular solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) operating on fuels gasified from a carbon-bed containing a renewable biomass. Coconut shell carbon was used as the renewable biomass for the gasification to power the SOFC at 800 °C. The study was particularly focused on the effect of catalysts on the efficiency of the gasification process, thus the performance of tubular SOFC powered by these gasified fuels. SOFCs with catalysts such as Fe2O3 and K2CO3 added coconut shell carbon showed higher power density compared to that without catalyst. The improved cell performance can be ascribed to a promoted carbon conversion rate by the catalysts, and consequently higher concentration of gaseous fuels.
Improving performance in very small firms through effective assessment and feedback

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to improve assessment and feedback processes in the training practices of very small firms, thereby improving the firms' human capital.Design/methodology/approach – The paper reviews research and practice on effective assessment and feedback.Findings – Based on this paper, human resources are increasingly seen as a potential source of sustained competitive advantage, and well‐trained workers can boost the performance of even very small firms. Hence, a method is provided which very small firms can use to create and implement a structured assessment tool that builds on observation of critical incidents to illustrate the differences between poor, average, and good performance.Practical implications – The paper shows that readers can use the provided tools to assess and improve employee performance, thereby enhancing their firm's competitive position.Originality/value – This paper can be used by very small firms to evaluate employee performance and provide employees with...
Structure of the dominant negative S17N mutant of Ras

The use of the dominant negative mutant of Ras has been crucial in elucidating the cellular signaling of Ras in response to the activation of various membrane-bound receptors. Although several point mutants of Ras exhibit a dominant negative effect, the asparagine to serine mutation at position 17 (S17N) remains the most popular and the most effective at inhibiting the activation of endogenous Ras. It is now widely accepted that the dominant negative effect is due to the ability of the mutant to sequester upstream activators and its inability to activate downstream effectors. Here, we present the crystal structure of RasS17N in the GDP-bound form. In the three molecules that populate the asymmetric unit, the Mg2+ ion that normally coordinates the β-phosphate is absent because of steric hindrance from the Asn17 side chain. Instead, a Ca2+ ion is coordinating the α-phosphate. Also absent from one molecule is electron density for Phe28, a conserved residue that normally stabilizes the nucleotide’s guanine ba...
Probing reactive center loop insertion in serpins: a simple method for ovalbumin.

Abstract Insertion of the reactive center loop in β-sheet A in serpins has been typically inferred from the increased stability of the cleaved form to thermal- and urea-induced denaturation. We describe a convenient and rapid fluorescence-based method that differentiates the loop-inserted form from the loop-exposed form in ovalbumin, a prototypic noninhibitory serpin. Recombinant wild-type and R345A ovalbumins in the intact form bind ANS with equilibrium dissociation constants of 116 and 125 μM and a maximal fluorescence increase of 200 and 264%, respectively, in pH 6.8 buffer. Cleavage of the two proteins with porcine pancreatic elastase results in a 1.6- and 2.6-fold increase in the ANS-binding affinity. While cleavage of the reactive center loop in rR345A ovalbumin results in a ∼200% increase in the ANS fluorescence, the rWT protein exhibits a ∼50% decrease. Similar experiments with α1-proteinase inhibitor and antithrombin, two inhibitory serpins that exhibit reactive center loop insertion, show a decrease in ANS fluorescence on cleavage with porcine pancreatic elastase and thrombin, respectively. Denaturation studies in guanidinium hydrochloride indicate that the reactive center loop is inserted in the main body of the serpin in the cleaved form of rR345A mutant, while it is exposed in the cleaved form of rWT ovalbumin. These results demonstrate that ANS fluorescence change is an indicator of the loop-inserted or loop-exposed form in these recombinant ovalbumins, and thus could be advantageously used for probing reactive center loop insertion in ovalbumins. The major increase in fluorescence for the rR345A mutant on cleavage primarily arises from achange in ANS binding rather than from the generation of an additional ANS-binding site.
An update on modifiable factors to reduce the risk of surgical site infections

Abstract Background context Despite an increase in physician and public awareness and advances in infection control practices, surgical site infection (SSI) remains to be one of the most common complications after an operation. Surgical site infections have been shown to decrease health-related quality of life, double the risk of readmission, prolong the length of hospital stay, and increase hospital costs. Purpose To critically evaluate the literature and identify modifiable factors to reduce the risk of SSI. Study design/setting Systematic review of the literature. Methods A critical review of the literature was performed using OVID, Pubmed, and the Cochrane database and focused on eight identifiable factors: preoperative screening and decolonization of methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistant S. aureus protocols, antiseptic showers, antiseptic cloths, perioperative skin preparation, surgeon hand hygiene, antibiotic irrigation and/or use of vancomycin powder, closed suction drains, and antibiotic suture. Results Screening protocols have shown that 18% to 25% of patients undergoing elective orthopedic surgery are nasal carriers of S. aureus and that carriers are more likely to have a nosocomial infection and SSI. The evidence suggests that an institutionalized prescreening program, followed by an appropriate eradication using mupirocin ointment and chlorhexidine soap/shower, will lower the rate of nosocomial S. aureus infections. Based on the current literature, definitive conclusions cannot be made on whether preoperative antiseptic showers effectively reduce the incidence of postoperative infection. The use of a chlorhexidine bathing cloth before surgery may decrease the risk of SSI. There is no definitive clinical evidence that one skin preparation solution effectively lowers the rate of postoperative infection compared with another. The use of dilute betadine irrigation or vancomycin powder in the wound before closure likely decreases the incidence of SSI. Conclusions There is strong evidence in the literature that optimizing specific preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative variables can significantly lower the risk of developing an SSI.
Cryopreservation effects on recombinant myoblasts encapsulated in adhesive alginate hydrogels.

Abstract Cell encapsulation in hydrogels is widely used in tissue engineering applications, including encapsulation of islets or other insulin-secreting cells in pancreatic substitutes. Use of adhesive, biofunctionalized hydrogels is receiving increasing attention as cell–matrix interactions in three-dimensional (3-D) environments can be important for various cell processes. With pancreatic substitutes, studies have indicated benefits of 3-D adhesion on the viability and/or function of insulin-secreting cells. As long-term storage of microencapsulated cells is critical for their clinical translation, cryopreservation of cells in hydrogels is being actively investigated. Previous studies have examined the cryopreservation response of cells encapsulated in non-adhesive hydrogels using conventional freezing and/or vitrification (ice-free cryopreservation); however, none have systematically compared the two cryopreservation methods with cells encapsulated within an adhesive 3-D environment. The latter would be significant, as evidence suggests adhesion influences the cellular response to cryopreservation. Thus, the objective of this study was to determine the response to conventional freezing and vitrification of insulin-secreting cells encapsulated in an adhesive biomimetic hydrogel. Recombinant insulin-secreting C2C12 myoblasts were encapsulated in oxidized RGD–alginate and cultured for 1 or 4 days post-encapsulation, cryopreserved, and assessed up to 3 days post-warming for metabolic activity and insulin secretion, and 1 day post-warming for cell morphology. Besides certain transient differences in the vitrified group relative to the fresh control, both conventional freezing and vitrification maintained the metabolism, secretory activity, and morphology of the recombinant C2C12 cells. Thus, due to a simpler procedure and slightly superior results, conventional freezing is recommended over vitrification for the cryopreservation of C2C12 cells encapsulated in oxidized, RGD-modified alginate.
A note on analyzing nonlinear and nonstationary ocean wave data

Abstract The Huang–Hilbert transformation (HHT, composed of empirical mode decomposition and Hilbert transformation) can be applied to calculate the spectrum of nonlinear and nonstationary signals. The superior temporal and frequency resolutions of the HHT spectrum are illustrated by several examples in this article. The HHT analysis interprets wave nonlinearity in terms of frequency modulation instead of harmonic generation. The resulting spectrum contains much higher spectral energy at low frequency and sharper drop off at high frequency in comparison with the spectra derived from Fourier-based analysis methods (e.g. FFT and wavelet techniques). For wind generated waves, the spectral level of the Fourier spectrum is about two orders of magnitude smaller than that of the HHT spectrum at the first subharmonic of the peak frequency. The resulting average frequency as defined by the normalized first momentum of the spectrum is about 1.2 times higher in the Fourier-based spectra than that of the HHT spectrum.
Communication Competence Problematics in Ethnic Friendships.

This study examines the relationship between ethnic background and emergent cultural competencies in friendships in the United States. A discursive, interpretive perspective served to delineate normative dimensions in competent intra‐and intercultural friendships involving Latinos, Asian Americans, African Americans, and Anglo Americans. Competence was approached as a problematic set of predicaments in which interlocutors co‐construct identities and coordinate action. Similarities and differences in competencies were pinpointed through identification of norms—appropriate conduct for ethnic identity, gender, and relationship—as well as outcomes‐the resulting feelings about self, other, the topic, and the friendship. The competencies identified in this study are consistent with core symbols identified in the discourse of friends in previous studies, in that Latinos emphasized relational support, Asian Americans emphasized a caring, positive exchange of ideas, African Americans emphasized respect and accepta...
Intelligent Transportation Systems-Enabled Optimal Emission Pricing Models for Reducing Carbon Footprints in a Bimodal Network

Scientists and policymakers intend worldwide emissions reduction of up to 80% of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the next four decades to stabilize atmospheric concentrations. Henceforth, an immediate response from the transportation sector, one of the largest producers of GHGs (up to 30% in the United States), is critical for GHGs reduction. Recent advancement in intelligent transportation systems (ITS) offers a technical solution to implement emission pricing effectively in a reasonable period of time. Further, this strategy can foster demand for efficient vehicles and high transit ridership while reducing GHGs emission and generating revenue. Therefore, in this study, we propose models for understanding the reduction of GHGs emission and shifts of private vehicle trips to transit by implementing ITS-based optimal emission pricing to reduce GHGs emission by a certain percentage in a composite transportation network (transit and highway network). The bilevel models presented in ...
Introduction to Social Pressure and Voting: New Experimental Evidence

For decades, political scientists have puzzled over problems of collective action that arise when large numbers of people are asked to contribute to a public good. When any one person's contribution to the collective cause is negligible and the outcome can be enjoyed even by people who do not contribute, collective action fizzles because no individual has an incentive to sacrifice for a collective cause. This grim analytic framework is often applied to voting, where individuals are asked to expend time and effort, yet have little chance of casting a pivotal vote (Downs 1957). The fact that large numbers of people do in fact vote has led scholars to theorize about the "selective incentives" (Olson 1965) that induce people to participate in elections. One hypothesis is that people derive intrinsic satisfaction from casting their ballots. They either enjoy the act of voting per se or feel good about themselves for advancing a partisan cause or honoring a civic obligation. A second hypothesis, and the focus of this symposium, posits that people receive sidepayments when they contribute to a collective cause. In electoral systems where bribes and other material inducements are rare, incentives are thought to be social in nature: voters are rewarded by the approbation of others, while nonvoters are criticized or shunned. In other words, people are rewarded or punished according to whether they comply with social norms (Cialdini and Trost 1985), such as the expectation that citizens ought to participate in elections. When authors in this volume use the term "social pressure," they have in mind communications that play upon a basic human drive to win praise and avoid chastisement. Social pressure may be exerted by praising those who uphold norms or scorning those who violate them. Social pressure increases with the amount of praise or scorn, which is why social pressure is thought to be amplified when a person's compliance with social norms is disclosed to others. For this reason, social pressure communications typically involve three ingredients: they admonish the
Definitive vs. Exploratory Periodontal Trials: A Survey of Published Studies

Definitive and exploratory randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have different goals as well as different design and analysis characteristics. The goal of definitive studies is to provide unequivocal evidence of a treatment's tangible benefit to the patient; a pre-trial-specified hypothesis is tested by use of a pre-trial-specified method.The goal of exploratory studies is to elucidate biological treatment mechanisms, to identify promising treatments, and to generate hypotheses for definitive studies; multiple hypotheses are evaluated to extract as much information from the data as possible. The purposes of this study were: (1) to survey selected design and analysis characteristics of randomized controlled periodontal trials published between 1988 and 1992 (n = 86), and (2) to classify trials as exploratory or definitive studies. The periodontal RCTs surveyed were typical of exploratory studies whose primary goal was to elucidate biological treatment mechanisms. Trial reports indicated the testing of multi...
Cradle of Evil: Osteogenic Niche for Early Bone Metastasis

Bone metastasis often emerges long after the initial dissemination of cancer cells. In this issue of Cancer Cell, Wang and colleagues demonstrate that disseminated breast cancer cells engage osteogenic niches in the bone through heterotypic adherins junctions. This interaction activates mTOR signaling in cancer cells and supports their expansion to micrometastases.
Fluorescence depolarization studies of red cell membrane fluidity. The effect of exposure to 1.0-GHz microwave radiation.

The internal viscosity of human red blood cell membranes was investigated during exposure to continuous wave 1.0-GHz microwave radiation using fluorescence measurements of a lipid seeking molecular probe, diphenyl-hexatriene. Samples were exposed in a Crawford cell arranged so that fluorescence was measured during microwave exposure; specific absorption rates calculated from electrical measurements were approximately 0.6, 2 and 15 W/kg. Measurements were obtained at selected temperatures between 15 degrees C and 40 degrees C and as a function of the duration of exposure at 23 degrees C. Arrhenius-type plots of the temperature profile data were linear and showed no difference between exposed and control samples. The exposure duration data also showed no difference between exposed and control samples except for a small effect of elevated temperature at the highest exposure. The activation energy for motion of the fluorescent probe in its environment within the membrane lipid was not affected by the application of the microwave energy and no evidence for a lipid phase transition was found. These results indicate that the increased cation efflux from red cells, observed by others at certain transition temperatures during microwave exposure, was more likely to have been caused by alteration of the membrane bound proteinmore » than by changes in the lipid constituents of the red cell membrane.« less
Characterization of vaccinia virus deletion mutants isolated from persistently infected Friend erythroleukemia cells.

Abstract Persistent viral infections in vitro are useful to study the evolution of virus populations in the absence of immunological pressure. Several deletion mutants have been isolated in this laboratory from Friend erythroleukemia cells persistently infected with vaccinia virus strain IHD-W, designated SQA vac . Two of the mutants, which remain stable after serial passage in L cells, have been characterized. The deletion which range between 20 to 22 kb, has been localized at the left terminus comprising Hin dIII fragments C and N. In addition, H in dIII B fragment lost the sequences that hybridize to pAG5, a plasmid containing the 3.5 kb terminal sequences and acquired different restriction sites. Phenotypic characterization of these mutants revealed that they were not replication defective since they grew in all cell lines tested and produced plaques of the same size as the wild-type. However, they were less effective in suppressing host protein synthesis. The LD 50 for the mutants titered in NIH Swiss female mice was greater than 10 9 PFU as compared to 10 6 PFU for the wild-type, indicating reduced virulence in vivo. These mutants, which display different properties to previously described mutants with deletions at the left terminus, provide another valuable system to study the molecular basis of virulence of vaccinia.
Trajectory analysis of a 1970 mission to Mercury via a close encounter with Venus.

Unmanned spacecraft trajectory and guidance considerations for close flyby of planet Mercury
Utility of immunofluorescence and electron microscopy in endomyocardial biopsies from patients with unexplained heart failure.

Abstract Background With our increasing understanding of inflammatory heart disease, the relevance of Dallas criteria has come into question. Immunofluorescence (IF) and electron microscopy (EM) can potentially identify immune reactants and ultrastructural changes not visible by light microscopy (LM), particularly in cases not meeting Dallas criteria. Methods This was a retrospective, descriptive study of native endomyocardial biopsies (MBx) performed 1981 to 2006, undertaken to assess the utility of these methods. All patients had decreased cardiac function but normal coronary angiographic studies. LM identified cases as myocarditis (Dallas+), borderline myocarditis (Dallas+/−), or cardiomyopathy (Dallas−). IF studies (human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DR, IgG, IgM, IgA, C3d, C1q, and fibrinogen) reported interstitial, capillary, or heart-reactive, antibody-like staining patterns. EM findings were also reviewed. Results Of 472 records from 429 patients (6 months–78 years old), 44 were Dallas+, 47 Dallas+/−, and 381 Dallas−. Significant IF and/or EM findings were identified in 421 cases (89%). By IF, 142 (37%) Dallas− cases had significant capillary HLA-DR expression. Thirty-four of 37 cases with vascular immune complex deposition were Dallas−. LM commonly failed to detect myofilament loss (138 cases) and endothelial cell changes (126 cases) that were observed by EM. Conclusions IF is a useful strategy for defining inflammatory phenomenon as it revealed significant immune-related heart disease not demonstrable by LM. EM better defined myofilament loss, a finding previously found to be associated with adverse clinical outcome. We strongly recommend that a portion of tissue obtained from all MBx be routinely frozen for IF and fixed appropriately for EM studies. Future studies characterizing the inflammatory molecular profile of myocardial tissues may better define myocarditis.
Anti-IgE therapy results in decreased myeloid dendritic cells in asthmatic airways.

Anti-IgE treatment of intermittent to mild-persistent asthma in a cohort of seven volunteers resulted in improved allergen-induced airway hyperreactivity and a significant reduction in the number of airway myeloid dendritic cells.
Clinical pearls in palliative medicine 2012.

At the 2001 Annual Conference of the American College of Physicians, a new teaching format to aid physician learning, Clinical Pearls, was introduced. Clinical Pearls is designed with the 3 qualities of physician-learners in mind. First, we physicians enjoy learning from cases. Second, we like concise, practical points that we can use in our practice. Finally, we take pleasure in problem solving. In the Clinical Pearls format, speakers present a number of short cases in their specialty to a general internal medicine audience. Each case is followed by a multiple-choice question answered live by attendees using an audience response system. The answer distribution is shown to attendees. The correct answer is then displayed and the speaker discusses teaching points, clarifying why one answer is most appropriate. Each case presentation ends with a Clinical Pearl, defined as a practical teaching point that is supported by the literature but generally not well known to most internists. Clinical Pearls is currently one of the most popular sessions at the American College of Physicians meeting. As a service to its readers, Mayo Clinic Proceedings has invited a selected number of these Clinical Pearl presentations to be published in our Concise Reviews for Clinicians section. “Clinical Pearls in Palliative Medicine 2012” is one of them.
Hypercholesterolemia increases mitochondrial oxidative stress and enhances the MPT response in the porcine myocardium: beneficial effects of chronic exercise

Hypercholesterolemia has been suggested to have direct negative effects on myocardial function due to increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and increased myocyte death. Mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT) is a significant mediator of cell death, which is enhanced by ROS generation and attenuated by exercise training. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of hypercholesterolemia on the MPT response of cardiac mitochondria. We tested the hypothesis that familial hypercholesterolemic (FH) pigs would have an enhanced MPT response and that exercise training could reverse this phenotype. MPT was assessed by mitochondrial swelling in response to 10–100 μM Ca2+. FH pigs did show an increased MPT response to Ca2+ that was associated with decreases in the expression of the putative MPT pore components mitochondrial phosphate carrier (PiC) and cyclophilin-D (CypD). FH also caused increased oxidative stress, depicted by increased protein nitrotyrosylation, as well as decreased levels of reduced GSH in cardiac mitochondria. Expression of the mitochondrial antioxidant enzymes manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), thioredoxin-2 (Trx2), and peroxiredoxin-3 (Prx3) was greatly reduced in the FH pigs. In contrast, cytosolic catalase expression and activity were increased. However, chronic exercise training was able to normalize the MPT response in FH pigs, reduce mitochondrial oxidative stress, and return MnSOD, Trx2, Prx3, and catalase expression/activities to normal. We conclude that FH reduces mitochondrial antioxidants, increases mitochondrial oxidative stress, and enhances the MPT response in the porcine myocardium, and that exercise training can reverse these detrimental alterations.
Multi-stage nonparametric estimation of density function using orthonormal systems

Abstract In this note, the authors propose a new nonparametric method of estimation of density using orthonormal systems iteratively. The asymptotic mean integrated square error of the estimate at each stage is less than or equal to that of the preceding stage. The new estimate is better, in some cases, than the traditional estimate based upon orthonormal functions from the point of view of the mean integrated square error in the limit.
The ontogeny of the peck response in Gallus gallus: constraints on a model system of memory.

This study examined the availability of the spontaneous peck response in white leghorn cockerels and observed that this response is limited to the first few days following hatching. These data suggest serious constraints for the utility of this paradigm in the creation of a general model of memory. Rather, the appeal of this paradigm pertains to the special features and limits inherent in the spontaneous peck response that have been described in this paper.
The temperature dependence of human erythrocyte transport of phosphate, phosphite and hypophosphite

Abstract The temperature dependence of the erythrocyte anion transport protein (Band 3 or AE1) mediated influx of three nonspherical substrates, the divalent anions phosphate and phosphite, and the monovalent hypophosphite, were determined. Phase transitions were found in the temperature dependence of the influxes of all three anions. The 95% confidence limits for the transition temperatures were: 34.6–38.1°C, 7.4–9.1°C and 6.7–9.7°C for phosphate, phosphite and hypophosphite, respectively, while the critical influx rates at the transitions were 29–50, 64–102 and 26–58 ions/s per carrier, respectively. That the critical rates rather than the transition temperatures are of similar magnitude indicates that the transitions are related to transport mechanisms rather than to thermal protein conformational changes. These critical rates are two orders of magnitude lower than those reported for the self-exchange of Cl− and Br− (Brahm, J. (1977) J. Gen. Physiol. 70, 283–306). The critical rate of monovalent hypophosphite is similar to that of divalent phosphate and phosphite, but not to that of Cl− indicating that this effect is mediated by the structure of the substrate rather than by its charge. The disparity in the rates r c at which phase transitions occur in AE1-mediated transport of spherical and nonspherical anions indicates a difference in the interaction between the two classes of anions and the protein.
Variation in Lifetime Male Fitness in Ipomopsis aggregata: Tests of Sex Allocation Theory

ABSTRACT Sex allocation theory assumes that a shift in allocation of resources to male function both increases male fitness and decreases female fitness. Moreover, the shapes of these fitness gain functions determine whether hermaphroditism or another breeding system is evolutionarily stable. In this article, I first outline information needed to measure these functions in flowering plants. I then use paternity analysis to describe the shapes of the fitness gain functions in natural populations of the hermaphroditic herb Ipomopsis aggregata. I also explore the relationships of male fitness (number of seeds sired) and female fitness (number of seeds produced) to the number of flowers produced by a plant. Plants with greater investment of biomass in the androecium, compared to the gynoecium and seeds, showed increased success at siring seeds, assumed by the models. That sex allocation trait, however, explained only 9% of the variance in estimates of male fitness. The shapes of the fitness gain functions wer...
Laminar flow in the entrance region of a pipe

The laminar flow of an incompressible fluid in the inlet of a pipe is analyzed numerically. The numerical technique allows a closer approximation to the basic equations of fluid motion than has been possible in previous investigations. Significant differences are shown between the results of the numerical solution and previous work for both velocity profiles and development lengths.
Chaotic non-planar vibrations of the thin elastica: Part I: Experimental observation of planar instability

Abstract In this two-part paper, the results of an investigation into the non-linear dynamics of a flexible cantilevered rod (the elastica) with a thin rectangular cross-section are presented. An experimental examination of the dynamics of the elastica over a broad parameter range forms the core of Part I. In Part II, the experimental work is related to a theoretical study of the mechanics of the elastica, and the study of a two-degree-of-freedom model obtained by modal projection. The experimental system used in this investigation is a rod with clamped-free boundary conditions, forced by sinusoidally displacing the clamped end. Planar periodic motions of the driven elastica are shown to lose stability at distinct resonant wedges, and the resulting motions are shown in general to be non-planar, chaotic, bending-torsion oscillations. Non-planar motions in all resonances exhibit energy cascading and dynamic two-well phenomena, and a family of asymmetric, bending-torsion non-linear modes is discovered. Correlation dimension calculations are used to estimate the number of active degrees of freedom in the system.
Nutrition Implications and Challenges of the Transplant Patient Undergoing Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Therapy

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is used to treat patients with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome or severe cardiac and/or respiratory failure that is unresponsive to conventional ventilator therapy. Provision of adequate nutrition support can be challenging due to hemodynamic alterations encountered in these critically ill patients. Although ECMO is an established therapy for many aspects of organ transplant in the pre- and posttransplant phases, there is a paucity of published data for this patient population. Clinical guidelines are available for the nutrition support of neonates supported with ECMO, but no guidelines have been established for the adult population receiving ECMO support. Review of published reports and personal experience indicates that early enteral nutrition support can be well tolerated by transplant patients receiving either venovenous or venoarterial ECMO, if care is taken to adequately assess potential barriers to optimal nutrition support. Until specific guidelines are developed for patients receiving ECMO, it appears that the guidelines for the provision and assessment of nutrition support therapy in the adult critically ill patient provide the best guidance for the nutrition support clinician who is caring for the patient receiving ECMO support.
A temperamental understanding of humor communication and exhilaratability

This study examined humor creation from a communibiological perspective. Employing Eysenck's temperamental framework (based on the super traits of extroversion, neuroticism, and psychoticism ‐ ENP), the study found positive relationships between humor orientation, humor assessment, and sense of humor with the super‐trait extroversion. Additionally, an examination of the super‐trait of exhilaratability (cheerfulness, seriousness, and bad mood) determined that humor assessment, humor orientation, and sense of humor related to exhilaratability. The STCI (State‐Trait Cheerfulness Index) and the ENP index were shown to be related instruments. Overall, it was found that while an individual's sense of humor may be culturally influenced, her or his propensity to use humorous communicative messages (jokes and stories) is largely temperamentally based.
Secret-key-assisted private classical communication capacity over quantum channels

We prove a regularized formula for the secret-key-assisted capacity region of a quantum channel for transmitting private classical information. This result parallels the work of Devetak et al. (e-print arXiv:quant-ph/0512015) on entanglement-assisted quantum communication capacity . This formula provides a family protocol, the private father protocol, under the resource inequality framework that includes private classical communication without secret-key assistance as a child protocol.
Control with minimum communication cost per symbol

We address the problem of stabilizing a continuous-time linear time-invariant process under communication constraints. We assume that the sensor that measures the state is connected to the actuator through a finite capacity communication channel over which an encoder at the sensor sends symbols from a finite alphabet to a decoder at the actuator. We consider a situation where one symbol from the alphabet consumes no communication resources, whereas each of the others consumes one unit of communication resources to transmit. This paper explores how the imposition of limits on an encoder's bit-rate and average resource consumption affect the encoder/decoder/controller's ability to keep the process bounded. The main result is a necessary and sufficient condition for a bounding encoder/decoder/controller which depends on the encoder's bit-rate, its average resource consumption, and the unstable eigenvalues of the process.
A novel approach to mobility management

In this paper, we propose a novel approach to computer mobility. Our approach allows mobility to be rapidly deployed, as the networking infrastructure required for deployment is available off the shelf. Furthermore, a mobile node does not require modifications in order to use these mobile services. While our approach provides rapid deployment and supports both IP and non-IP protocols, only a subset of mobile usage scenarios are offered. In other words, our approach does not solve all the problems of mobility. We discuss the characteristics of mobility usage, and we list the scenarios our approach supports. We believe that the mobile usage scenarios supported by this method are some of the more common usage scenarios. We also believe that investigations into this method will provide more insights into network and mobility research.
Influence of Joule heating during electromigration evaluation of silver lines

Abstract In the present study, the kinetics and failure mechanism of silver (Ag) thin film metallization have been determined under various temperature conditions. Failure was due to evaporation of metal assisted by agglomeration. The effect of Joule heating on the activation energy ( E a ) for failure is determined. The Ag metallization appears to experience bimodal failure (0.46 and 0.89 eV) when Joule heating effect is not considered. However, upon incorporation of the temperature rise due to Joule heating, the E a is determined to be 0.51 eV indicating a single failure mechanism.
Measurement-derived Heat-budget Approaches for Simulating Coastal Wetland Temperature with a Hydrodynamic Model

Numerical modeling is needed to predict environmental temperatures, which affect a number of biota in southern Florida, U.S.A., such as the West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus), which uses thermal basins for refuge from lethal winter cold fronts. To numerically simulate heat-transport through a dynamic coastal wetland region, an algorithm was developed for the FTLOADDS coupled hydrodynamic surface-water/ground-water model that uses formulations and coefficients suited to the coastal wetland thermal environment. In this study, two field sites provided atmospheric data to develop coefficients for the heat flux terms representing this particular study area. Several methods were examined to represent the heat-flux components used to compute temperature. A Dalton equation was compared with a Penman formulation for latent heat computations, producing similar daily-average temperatures. Simulation of heat-transport in the southern Everglades indicates that the model represents the daily fluctuation in coastal temperatures better than at inland locations; possibly due to the lack of information on the spatial variations in heat-transport parameters such as soil heat capacity and surface albedo. These simulation results indicate that the new formulation is suitable for defining the existing thermohydrologic system and evaluating the ecological effect of proposed restoration efforts in the southern Everglades of Florida.
The Study, Testing, and Synthesis of Certain Organic Compounds for Rodenticidal Activity

Thirty‐two known compounds were tested as rodenticides. Of all the known compounds tested DDT was the most toxic to rats. A series of eleven compounds similar in structure to DDT was prepared and tested for rodenticidal activity. Four of the eleven compounds synthesized are new and six were prepared by a new method. As a rodenticide only trichloromethyl‐(triazyl‐amino (2)‐)‐methanol appears to merit further investigation.
Trajectory Tracking and Stair Climbing Capability Assessment for a Skid-Steered Mobile Robot

This paper presents derivation of a trajectory tracking and stair climbing stabilization controller for a 4-wheel driven skid-steered wheeled mobile robot (SSWR). The robot vehicle is modeled with six degrees of freedom (6DOF) rigid body equations which are later simplified for planar and pitched movement. An efficient control algorithm, called trajectory linearization control (TLC), is used to tackle the challenges posed by nonlinearities of the model. In TLC, state dynamics are linearized along the trajectory being tracked. Kinematics and dynamics of the vehicle are controlled individually by feedback loops, where the former constitutes the outermost loop. Simulation results promise trajectory tracking with desired accuracy. For the test prototype with current physical configuration, an upper limit is found on steepness of staircase it can safely climb. 3-sigma Monte Carlo analysis is used to show robustness of the controller to parametric perturbations.