cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reaction of vaginal tissue of rabbit and of cheek pouch of hamster to inserted collagen sponges treated with either zinc or copper.

Abstract Resilient collagen sponges either untreated (CS) or treated with zinc (Zn-CS) or copper (Cu-CS) were inserted intravaginally into 41 adult New Zealand white rabbits. Ultimately, a distal vaginal ligature proved the most effective method of keeping the CS in place. A group of sham-operated control animals had ligated vaginas without sponges. After 10 days, the animals with ligated vaginas were killed. Vaginal secretions and vaginal and uterine tissues were analyzed for zinc and copper content. The morphology of vaginal tissue and of the various CS was examined grossly and microscopically. The CS caused minimal but definite irritation to the vagina, seen mostly in localized lysis of epithelial cells, the presence of a few leukocytes in the submucosal layer, and cellular infiltration of the CS. The morphology of vaginas with Zn-CS inserted did not differ from those of sham-operated animals. No signs of inflammation in vaginal tissue and no infiltration of leukocytes appeared. Conversely, Cu-CS produced striking inflammatory changes with diffuse necrosis of epithelial lining, leukocytic infiltration of the lamina propria, and extensive cellular infiltration of the sponge. The semiquantitative rating of the morphology of the Cu-CS was 14, hence unacceptable, while that of CS was six and that of Zn-CS was only two. A similar set of sponges was inserted for three days in the cheek pouches of golden hamsters. Mucosal cell linings were not affected by CS or Zn-CS. However, Cu-CS produced marked inflammation, ulceration of epithelial cells, and leukocytic infiltration of subepithelial connective tissue and of inserted sponges. We conclude that Zn-CS did not produce a topical toxic effect in either rabbit vaginas or hamster cheek pouches. Cu-CS proved unacceptable because of the toxic effects that these caused in both models.
The Metric Projection

In this chapter we shall study the various properties of the metric projection onto a convex Chebyshev set K. It is always true that Pk is nonexpansive and, if K is a subspace, even linear. There are a substantial number of useful properties that Pk possesses when K is a subspace or a convex cone. For example, every inner product space is the direct sum of any Chebyshev subspace and its orthogonal complement. More generally, a useful duality relation holds between the metric projections onto a Chebyshev convex cone and onto its dual cone. The practical advantage of such a relationship is that determining best approximations from a convex cone is equivalent to determining them from the dual cone. The latter problem is often more tractable than the former. Finally, we record a reduction principle that allows us to replace one approximation problem by another one that is often simpler.
Commitment to terminal differentiation and the cell cycle.

Publisher Summary Murine erythroleukemia cells are virus-transformed erythroid precursor cells that have a low probability of expressing terminal erythroid differentiation. A variety of substances, for example, dimethyl sulfoxide, hexamethylene bisacetamide, butyrate, and actinomycin D (3), markedly increase the probability of commitment toward terminal cell division and expression of erythroid characteristics, for example, accumulation of α- and β-globin mRNA. This chapter discusses factors required to express terminal erythroid differentiation. There is a requirement for DNA synthesis. Specifically, an effect of inducer early in the S phase is necessary for subsequent increased expression of globin genes. Further, in these cells, α- and β-globin structural genes are enriched in the portion of DNA replicating early in the S phase. Inducer-mediated commitment to terminal erythroid differentiation involves several steps. One or more of these steps is responsible for the acquired memory for exposure to inducer; this memory decays with a measurable half-life and is insensitive to dexamethasone and to 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate as well.
Associations between knee extensor power and functional performance in patients after total knee arthroplasty and normal controls without knee pain.

Purpose/Background: Deficits in functional abilities persist after total knee arthroplasty (TKA), while static measures of knee extensor strength (e.g. isometric contractions) are related to functional performance, little is known about the associations between functional ability and dynamic knee extensor strength (e.g. power). With the growing rate of these procedures, in a progressively younger and more active cohort, a better understanding of the functional importance of dynamic strength (muscle power) is needed. The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between functional performance and peak knee extensor power (isokinetic and isotonic measures) from patients after unilateral TKA. Design: Cross-sectional, controlled laboratory study, with correlation and regression analyses. Setting: Institutional clinic and research laboratory. Participants: Patients 6 months after TKA (N=24, 12 men and women), most of whom were mildly to very active. A normal control group without knee pain (CON; N=22, 10 men and 12 women) was also assessed for comparison. Main Outcome Measures: Static and dynamic strength measures were assessed during normalized voluntary isometric contractions (NMVIC), isokinetic contractions at three velocities (60, 90, and 120 deg/s), and isotonic contractions against three body weight normalized resistances (20, 30 and 40% BW). Functional performance was assessed using the timed up-and-go (TUG), stair climbing test (SCT), and 6- minute walk (6MW). Analyses of the relationships between functional performance measures and peak knee extensor NMVIC and power were performed. Regression analyses predicting functional performance from power were also performed after controlling for NMVIC. Results: Peak power across isokinetic velocities, isotonic resistances, and NMVICs were correlated with the functional performance measures for the TKA group. Unlike the TKA group, functional performance was not significantly associated with peak power across all isokinetic velocities and isotonic resistances (e.g no significant associations between peak isotonic power and 6MW distance). In the TKA group, inclusion of the isotonic power against 30% BW, after controlling for NMVIC, improved the predictability of all three functional performance tests; TUG (p= 0.022), SCT (p=0.006), and 6MW (p=0.001). Conclusions: Measurements of knee extensor power may be a useful tool for clinicians when assessing and setting milestones during rehabilitation. Level of Evidence: Prospective cohort study, level II.
Efficient operating room planning using an ensemble learning approach to predict surgery cancellations

Cancelled surgeries cause insufficient use of operating rooms, surgeons, nurses, equipment and other hospital resources. Operating rooms are one of the most expensive resources in any healthcare sy...
Development of a Training Game to Coordinate Torques Produced Between Arms

The ability of individuals to accurately judge the forces that they generate is integral to seamlessly controlling their movements during everyday life. Individuals with chronic hemiparetic stroke have been shown to be impaired when matching forces between arms; this impairment may make activities as simple as carrying a tray challenging. Our goal was to develop a training protocol that individuals with stroke could use to improve their accuracy in judging the torques that they generate between arms. We designed a torque coordination game for this goal and tested its feasibility in six individuals without neurological impairments. Participants interacted with an instrumented isometric device at each arm and received automated audiovisual cues in response to the torques that they generated about each elbow joint. During the game, the participant’s task was to keep a launched ball on its planned course. The participant achieved this task by sequentially applying required elbow torques at the correct times to close a left flap using the left arm and a right flap using the right arm. Participants performed this task 20 times when initiating with their left arm and 20 times when initiating with their right arm. Results indicate that all participants had a success rate in the range of 60% to 80% regardless of the arm dominance of the leading arm. Additionally, all participants anecdotally reported the game to be intuitive, and they provided an average difficulty rating that indicated the task was relatively easy to learn (i.e., 3 out of 10). Based on these findings, we conclude that this game may be suitable, enjoyable, and motivational for training coordination of torques between arms in individuals with stroke.
Endothelial microvesicles carrying Src-rich cargo impair adherens junction integrity and cytoskeleton homeostasis.

Aims Microvesicles (MVs) conduct intercellular communication and impact diverse biological processes by transferring bioactive cargos to other cells. We investigated whether and how endothelial production of MVs contribute to vascular dysfunction during inflammation. Methods and results We measured the levels and molecular properties of endothelial-derived MVs (EC-MVs) from mouse plasma following a septic injury elicited by cecal ligation and puncture, as well as those from supernatants of cultured endothelial cells stimulated by inflammatory agents including cytokines, thrombin, and complement 5a. The mouse studies showed that sepsis caused a significant increase in total plasma vesicles and VE-cadherin+ EC-MVs compared to sham control. In cultured ECs, different inflammatory agents caused diverse patterns of EC-MV production and cargo contents. When topically applied to endothelial cells, EC-MVs induced a cytoskeleton-junction response characterized by myosin light chain phosphorylation, contractile fibre reorganization, VE-cadherin phosphorylation, and adherens junction dissociation, functionally measured as increased albumin transendothelial flux and decreased barrier resistance. The endothelial response was coupled with protein tyrosine phosphorylation promoted by MV cargo containing c-Src kinase, whereas MVs produced from c-Src deficient cells did not exert barrier-disrupting effects. Additionally, EC-MVs contribute to endothelial inflammatory injury by promoting neutrophil-endothelium adhesion and release of neutrophil extracellular traps containing citrullinated histones and myeloperoxidase, a response unaltered by c-Src knockdown. Conclusion Endothelial-derived microparticles cause endothelial barrier dysfunction by impairing adherens junctions and activating neutrophils. The signalling mechanisms underlying the endothelial cytoskeleton-junction response to EC-MVs involve protein phosphorylation promoted by MV cargo carrying c-Src. However, EC-MV-induced neutrophil activation was not dependent on c-Src.
Development of a surface-modified paper-based colorimetric sensor using synthesized Ag NPs-alginate composite.

There has been an increase in the discovery and usage of sensors for the detection of chemical compounds in the field of analytical chemistry since the last several years. This has led to progressi...
NMR studies of the vanadium spin dynamics and spin structure in LiV2O4, CaV2O4, and (LixV1-x)3BO5 (x ≈ 0.33, 0.40)

Strong electron correlation is believed to be an essential and unifying factor in diverse properties of condensed matter systems. Ground states that can arise due to electron correlation effects include Mott insulators, heavy fermion, ferromagnetism and antiferromagnetism, spin glasses, and high-temperature superconductivity. The electronic systems in transition metal oxide compounds are often highly correlated. In this thesis, the author presents experimental studies on three strongly correlated vanadium oxide compounds: LiV{sub 2}O{sub 4}, (Li{sub x}V{sub 1-x}){sub 3}BO{sub 5}, and CaV{sub 2}O{sub 4}, which have completely different ground states.
CHAPTER 3 – Hydrolysis and Condensation II: Silicates

Publisher Summary Silicon is the most abundant metal in the earth's crust and evidence of silicate hydrolysis and condensation to form polysilicate gels and particles is seen in many natural systems. This chapter discusses the hydrolysis and condensation of silicates in both aqueous and organic systems used in sol-gel processing of silica glass. It focuses on more recent results derived from in situ methods of analysis—such as Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, vibrational spectroscopy, and Small-Angle Scattering of X-rays (SAXS), neutrons (SANS), or light. Hydrolysis addresses the effects of processing parameters, such as catalysts, H2O: Si ratio, and solvent, as well as steric and inductive factors on the mechanism of hydrolysis of silicon alkoxides and the reverse reaction, esterification. Whereas condensation discusses the effects of catalyst and solvent and the influence of steric and inductive factors on the mechanisms of the condensation reaction and the reverse reactions, siloxane bond hydrolysis or alcoholysis.
T Cell Receptor Engineered Lymphocytes for Cancer Therapy

T lymphocytes are capable of specific recognition and elimination of target cells. Physiological antigen recognition is mediated by the T cell receptor (TCR), which is an alpha beta heterodimer comprising the products of randomly rearranged V, D, and J genes. The exquisite specificity and functionality of T cells can be leveraged for cancer therapy: specifically, the adoptive transfer of T cells that express tumor-reactive TCRs can induce regression of solid tumors in patients with advanced cancer. However, the isolation and expression of a tumor antigen-specific TCRs is a highly involved process that requires identifying an immunogenic epitope, ensuring human cells are of the correct haplotype, performing a laborious T cell expansion process, and carrying out downstream TCR sequencing and cloning. Recent advances in single-cell sequencing have begun to streamline this process. This protocol synthesizes and expands upon methodologies to generate, isolate, and engineer human T cells with tumor-reactive TCRs for adoptive cell therapy. Though this process is perhaps more arduous than the alternative strategy of using chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) for engineering, the ability to target intracellular proteins using TCRs substantially increases the types of antigens that can be safely targeted. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol 1: Generation of human autologous dendritic cells from monocytes Basic Protocol 2: In vitro priming and expansion of human antigen-specific T cells Basic Protocol 3: Cloning of antigen-specific T cell receptors based on single-cell VDJ sequencing data Basic Protocol 4: Validation of T cell receptor expression and functionality in vitro Basic Protocol 5: Rapid expansion of T cell receptor-transduced T cells and human T cell clones.
Brief Case ReportsHereditary colon cancers can be tiny: a cautionary case report of the results of colonoscopic surveillance

This case report describes a 45-yr-old woman with a strong family history of colorectal cancer who was found to have a 4-mm poorly differentiated cancer in her transverse colon on surveillance colonoscopy. The case is reported to advise practitioners of the need for meticulous colonoscopy in such patients.
Technical Note: Scintillation markers for real-time visual source tracking during skin high dose rate brachytherapy.

BACKGROUND Treatment misadministration during high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy is mainly caused due to gross errors in incorrect manual entry of catheter length and manual connection of hardware. The probability of these errors increases with increasing complexity of a surface applicator. A simple, real-time visual verification method was developed using a scintillator to enhance quality assurance (QA) measures for HDR surface brachytherapy and thus reduce manual errors and improve patient safety. MATERIALS AND METHODS Scintillation markers were fabricated from cerium-doped lutetium yttrium orthosilicate (LYSO) embedded in a polymer compound to form 5-mm diameter markers. To verify catheter-transfer tube connections, markers were attached to each channel of a Freiburg flap and irradiated with an 192 Ir source. To determine if the source reached the edge of a target, markers were placed along the periphery. The HDR source was visually tracked by following the illumination from the markers. The response of the markers was also verified in the presence of thermoplastic material overlaid on the Freiburg applicator. RESULTS Scintillation markers emitted intense blue visible light upon irradiation when the HDR source was beneath the marker, verifying the source's presence in the correct catheter. The signal was clearly visible even when the marker was placed on top of the thermoplastic material covering the Freiburg Flap. Crosstalk from adjacent catheters was <50% of the maximum light intensity. CONCLUSION Scintillation markers and paint were developed to successfully meet the challenge of visually tracking of HDR source during brachytherapy by surface applicators. This direct visualization of source allows real-time catheter verification during treatment, and correct superficial target coverage, thus preventing a medical event. It can easily be integrated into pre-existing QA program.
How Time Brings Together “I” and “We”: A Theory of Identification Through Memory

Drawing on social identity theory, we suggest a cognitive model of organizational identification grounded in memory. We argue that organizational identification takes place in working memory and that this process may be subject to influences such as frequency of interaction with other members of the organization; frequency of information received about the information; the primacy effect; and the recency effect. We encourage scholars to investigate organizational identification over time.
Energy- vs Spectral-Efficiency for Energy-Harvesting Hybrid RF/VLC Networks

We consider a hybrid radio frequency (RF) / visible light communications (VLC) scenario where the RF link is empowered by the energy harvested during the VLC transmission. We take into account the power consumption of the access point (AP), which is composed of light emitting diodes (LEDs), while it is communicating with a far user over a two-hop hybrid RF/VLC link. In particular, we consider the energy efficiency of the end-to-end network in enhancing the energy-harvesting performance by choosing the optimal direct current (DC) bias, which is overlooked in the existing literature. To this end, we model the energy consumption of the commercially available LEDs, and formulate a joint energy- and spectral-efficiency optimization problem. The extreme cases of optimizing energy and spectral efficiency individually underscores the importance of optimizing the DC bias for a given joint (multi-objective) optimization problem.
Dense Robotic Packing of Irregular and Novel 3-D Objects

Recent progress in the field of robotic manipulation has generated interest in fully automatic object packing in warehouses. This article presents a formulation of the robotic packing problem that ensures stability of the object pile during packing and the feasibility of the robot motion while maximizing packing density. A constructive packing algorithm is proposed to address this problem by searching over the space of item positions and orientations. Moreover, a new heightmap minimization heuristic is shown to outperform existing heuristics in the literature in the presence of nonconvex objects. Two strategies for improving the robustness of executed packing plans are also proposed: 1) conservative planning ensures plan feasibility under uncertainty in model parameters; and 2) closed-loop packing uses vision sensors to measure placement errors and replans to correct for them. The proposed planner and error mitigation strategies are evaluated in simulation and on a state-of-the-art physical packing testbed. Experiments demonstrate that the proposed planner generates high-quality packing plans, and the error mitigation strategies improve success rates beyond an open-loop baseline from 83% to 100% on five-item orders.
Relationship Between Time-in-Range, HbA1c, and the Glucose Management Indicator in Pregnancies Complicated by Type 1 Diabetes

Objective: We aimed to evaluate relationships between time-in-range (TIR 63–140 mg/dL), glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level, and the glucose management indicator (GMI) in pregnant women with type...
Xenon ion sources for space applications

The technology of xenon ion thrusters under development for space-propulsion and plasma-contactor applications is described with particular consideration given to the 1.4-kW Xenon Ion Propulsion Subsystem (XIPS) designed for the upcoming Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science Shuttle-based missions. The 25-cm-diam ion thruster of the XIPS is able to convert input power into thrust-beam power with an efficiency of over 82 percent. The XIPS will be used for satellite stationkeeping and orbit raising and maneuvering and as a plasma contactor. A 1991 flight application is described in which the 25-cm XIPS plasma contactor will be used to stabilize the electrical potential of the Shuttle Orbiter during firings of a 1.5-A electron beam from its payload bay.
Identification of lysis-relevant molecules on the surface of CTL: primary screening of monoclonal antibodies for the capacity to block cytolysis by cloned CTL lines.

Cytolytic T lymphocytes (CTL) couple antigen recognition with cytolysis of the target cell. The recognition (conjugate formation) and lethal hit components can be distinguished operationally. Both the antigen recognition structure and the lethal hit activity are unidentified. It is possible that the antigen recognition structure on CTL is modified so as to possess this lethal hit activity (1). Implicit in the work described here is the not unreasonable assumption that the molecule(s) responsible for recognition and for the lethal hit exist on the surface of the cytolytic T lymphocyte.
Treatment and survival of osseous renal cell carcinoma metastases

Background Renal cell carcinoma is the seventh leading cause of cancer deaths. Studies have shown patients with solitary osseous metastases have a better prognosis; however, methods of resection are not well defined. The purpose of this study was to review factors associated with survival and assess the impact of wide versus intralesional management on function and disease-specific outcomes in patients with renal cell carcinoma metastases. Methods Sixty-nine patients with 86 osseous renal cell metastases were reviewed. Potential factors associated with survival were evaluated with Kaplan–Meier curves. ANOVA was performed to compare means between groups. Results One year survival for the group was 77% and 32.5% at 5 years. The absence of metastatic disease at presentation, nephrectomy, and pre-operative status were associated with improved survival. There was a lower rate of local recurrence with wide resection (5%) versus intralesional procedures (27%). Conclusions Improved pre-operative status, nephrectomy, and metachronous lesions had better overall survival. Wide resection results in decreased local recurrence and revision surgeries. However, it did not reliably predict improved survival. Our recommendation is for individual evaluation of each patient with osseous renal cell carcinoma metastases. Wide excision may be used for resectable lesions to prevent local progression and subsequent surgeries. J. Surg. Oncol. 2012; 106:850–855. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Fictive affinities in Final Fantasy XI: complicit and critical play in fantastic nations.

Like many massively-multiplayer role-playing games, Final Fantasy XI is a persistent world with a heroic fantasy setting. This paper discusses fictive player identities, and describes specific visual and ludological tropes of race and nationality, and the techniques by which the game engineers the complicity of the player in the problematics it represents. Some of these are coherent with themes and structures developed in earlier (single-player) iterations of the Final Fantasy franchise; others are original to the multiplayer title. This treatment of the game-as-text is offered as an exercise in critical close-play, and as an example of a necessarily hybrid approach to the study of game genres.
Abstract 4457: Regulation of GRM1 by estrogen receptor in breast cancer

Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA Metabotropic glutamate receptor 1 (GRM1), first recognized as an important factor in the central nervous system, has more recently been implicated in melanomagenesis and breast cancer pathogenesis. Oncogenic mediators of GRM1-associated effects include both MAPK and AKT signaling cascades. Modulation of GRM1 activity in melanoma and estrogen receptor negative (ER-) breast cancer cells inhibits anchorage independent growth, migration, proliferation, and/or downstream activation of Akt and ERK. Data from our laboratory show that a significantly higher fraction of breast tumors express GRM1 compared to normal breast tissue, and GRM1 expression is more highly correlated with ER positivity. Moreover, higher GRM1 expression in human ER+ breast cancers treated with the anti-estrogen tamoxifen associates with a shorter distant metastasis free survival as compared to low expressors further supporting a critical role in ER+ breast cancer. We hypothesize that ER has both genomic and non-genomic effects on GRM1. We evaluated the effect of hormonal treatment on GRM1 protein expression in ER+ MCF7 and ER- MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. Estradiol increases GRM1 expression, and this effect is abrogated by the anti-estrogen tamoxifen in MCF7 but not in MDA-MB-231 cells. These genomic effects may be exerted through three putative ER binding sites within the GRM1 promoter. We have confirmed that ER binds to one of these sites by chromatin immunoprecipitation, further supported by ChiPSeq data. GRM1 promoter activity is increased by estradiol treatment using a luciferase reporter assay validating transcriptional activation by ER. To support a non-genomic role for ER with GRM1, we have shown that ER physically interacts with GRM1 in breast cancer cells by in vitro proximity ligation assay and by co-immunoprecipitation in immortalized mouse mammary epithelial cells (iMMECs) stably expressing GRM1. Stable introduction of GRM1 into iMMECs, which lack endogenous GRM1, reduces sensitivity to tamoxifen as compared to control iMMECs. In MCF7 cells, the combination of tamoxifen with GRM1 modulators riluzole or BAY 36-7620 produces synergistic effects. As estradiol activates MAPK signaling in breast cancer cells, we hypothesize that this may be mediated by both the physical interaction of GRM1 and ER and the indirect effects on GRM1 transcription. Results of these studies suggest that GRM1 may be a valuable therapeutic target in ER+ breast tumors. Citation Format: Sonia C. Dolfi, Madhura S. Mehta, David Kornblum, Andrew Boughton, Hussein Rahim, Daniel Medina, Kim M. Hirshfield. Regulation of GRM1 by estrogen receptor in breast cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 4457. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-4457
Cytokines in exertion-induced skeletal muscle injury

Cytokines are a diverse family of intercellular signaling proteins that influence the movement, proliferation, differentiation, metabolism and membrane processes of target cells. Synthesis and release of cytokines from leukocytes in response to microbial stimuli are well known. This review, however, will present evidence that non-infectious stimuli can induce cytokine secretion from leukocytes and other cells (including muscle cells) following myocellular injury. The biological actions and potential adaptive values of these cytokines through the course of muscle necrosis and regeneration will be described.
Workshop on critical materials needs of the aerospace industry: Washington, D.C., February 1981

Abstract A public workshop was held at the National Bureau of Standards (NBS) to assess the critical materials needs of the U.S. aerospace industry. In attendance were more than 180 representatives from aerospace manufacturing companies and suppliers, as well as from a large number of government agencies. Following a full day of prepared remarks by industry and government materials experts, participants met in separate workshops to discuss: Supplies of Critical Raw Materials, Supplies of Critical Engineering Materials, and Substitution, Conservation, Specialized Recycling and Higher Performance. A summary of industry opinions and recommendations was prepared by the chairman of each workshop discussion group.
Left renal vein ligation: a technique to mitigate low portal flow from splenic vein siphon during liver transplantation.

Low portal vein flows in liver transplant have been associated with poor allograft survival. Identifying and ameliorating causes of inadequate portal flow is paramount. We describe successful reversal of significant splenic vein siphon from a spontaneous splenorenal shunt during liver transplant. The patient is a 43-year-old male with cirrhosis from hepatitis C and Budd–Chiari syndrome, who had a variceal hemorrhage necessitating an emergent splenorenal shunt with 8 mm PTFE graft. Imaging in 2006 revealed thrombosis of the splenorenal shunt and evidence of a new spontaneous splenorenal shunt. The patient developed hepatocellular carcinoma and underwent transplant in 2009. After reperfusion, portal flows were low (150–200 mL/min). A mesenteric varix was ligated without improvement. Due to adhesions, direct collateral ligation was not attempted. In order to redirect the splenic siphon, the left renal vein was stapled at its confluence with the inferior vena cava. Portal flows subsequently increased to 1.28 L/min. Postoperatively, the patient had stable renal and liver function. We conclude that spontaneous splenorenal shunts can cause low portal flows. A diligent search for shunts with understanding of flow patterns is critical; ligation or rerouting of splanchnic flow may be necessary to improve portal flows and allograft outcomes.
Using a speech perception neural network simulation to explore normal neurodevelopment and hallucinated 'voices' in schizophrenia.

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the computer models of neurocognitive processes that may help to elucidate the neurobiological basis of one facet of this complex disorder. Computer models are central to scientific disciplines ranging from meteorology to physical chemistry. Their usefulness lies in simulating complex, interactive systems. Brain systems are composed of vast numbers of neural elements whose individual behaviors have been partially characterized and but whose interactive dynamics remain largely unknown. The dynamic interactions of neuronal ensembles, like the physical dynamics of Jupiter, can be explored through computer models. These models exhibit analogues of perceptual and cognitive processing. The chapter describes a neural network computer simulation of certain aspects of speech perception. Although this simulation represents a vast simplification of actual cortical networks, a number of interesting properties are exhibited by the network, including an adaptive advantage arising from reductions of synapses and connections ordinarily observed during normal neurodevelopment, a demonstration of psychosis that could emerge as an extension of this developmental trend, and a plausible model for the mechanism of action of antipsychotic drugs.
What makes a destination beautiful? Dimensions of tourist aesthetic judgment

Abstract Drawing on the literature in environmental psychology, the current study attempted to reveal dimensions of tourist aesthetic judgment in the context of both nature-based and urban tourist destinations. Two-stage analysis of semi-structured interview data from a theoretical sample of 57 individuals yielded 21 aesthetic dimensions that were categorized into nine themes: Scale, Time, Condition, Sound, Balance, Diversity, Novelty, Shape, and Uniqueness. The identified themes were further conceptualized into a two-dimensional plane along Concrete-Abstract and Subjective-Objective continuums. This research posits that tourism allows a unique “appreciator-object” dyad where individuals are fully immersed in a destination in pursuit of a non-routine and oftentimes novel experience. The beauty of tourism destination is uniquely judged, admired, and appreciated, and the assessment of the beauty goes beyond the visual aspects and engages all senses. The findings make a theoretical contribution to the existing aesthetics literature and bear practical implications for destination planning, branding, and management.
Diagnosis and treatment of temporomandibular joint disorders

Summary The individual presenting with craniofacial pain and TMJ disorders may present a difficult symptom complex. Treatment can be complicated and requires other specialists and a team approach to patient care. A transitional period of six months to one year may be necessary to incorporate various physiotherapies, splint modalities, and a range of other treatments; this will depend upon the established diagnosis and severity of the case. After a transitional period, the patient should be more comfortable, have improved jaw function, and experience a reduction in head pain. Long-term stabilization may be necessary by orthodontics, prosthodontics, or a combination of dental approaches.
Evaluation of 2-way Iraqi Arabic---English speech translation systems using automated metrics

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Spoken Language Communication and Translation System for Tactical Use (TRANSTAC) program ( http://1.usa.gov/transtac ) faced many challenges in applying automated measures of translation quality to Iraqi Arabic---English speech translation dialogues. Features of speech data in general and of Iraqi Arabic data in particular undermine basic assumptions of automated measures that depend on matching system outputs to reference translations. These features are described along with the challenges they present for evaluating machine translation quality using automated metrics. We show that scores for translation into Iraqi Arabic exhibit higher correlations with human judgments when they are computed from normalized system outputs and reference translations. Orthographic normalization, lexical normalization, and operations involving light stemming resulted in higher correlations with human judgments.
Finishing of silicon film for silicon-on-glass

Surface smoothing and removal of the damaged portion of as-transferred single crystalline silicon films is described. The process includes sacrificial plasma oxidation and wet stripping of the oxide. Typically, the topmost 20 nm of silicon film is removed in one cycle. Rougness of the film surface significantly improves upon the plasma/strip cycle. The process can be used for either SOI or silicon-on-glass (SiOG) finishing. As conventional CMP is not feasible for SiOG finishing, the described process has a unique advantage for finishing SiOG.
Oxygen consumption and motility of mouse sperm as affected by oxidizable substrates and oxygen tension

The rates of oxygen consumption and motility of washed sperm from the cauda epididymidis of the mouse declines steadily during the course of three or more hours. The decrease can be prevented by including an oxidizable substrate in the medium. Of the substrates usually included in media in which sperm are incubated, pyruvate and lactate were equally effective in maintaining respiratory rate and motility at maximal levels; glucose or fructose increased respiration only slightly, although motility was maintained by the hexose sugars as well as when pyruvate or lactate were present. Presumably then, the production of ATP by aerobic glycolysis provides the energy necessary for motility.
Glucose utilization and hepatic enzyme activities in young gnotobiotic ruminants.

Abstract A comparative study of various metabolic processes between conventional goats, gnotobiotic goats, and rats was conducted. Glucose tolerance half-lives were determined in nine gnotobiotic and three conventional goats. In addition, the hepatic activity of glucose-6-phosphatase, pyruvate kinase, and succinic dehydrogenase was determined in four gnotobiotic and two conventional goats and compared with hepatic enzyme activities in rats maintained on an identical diet. Differences between the gnotobiotic and conventional goats in any of these parameters were not demonstrated. A correlation coefficient of 0.949 (P
Explaining British voluntarism

This article deals with one of the most distinctive features of the British system of industrial relations – its voluntarist nature – and focuses on internal divisions within the labor union movement as an explanation for its persistence. It is widely recognized that the British labor union movement was throughout the twentieth century far more reluctant to accept government interference with wage bargaining than its counterparts in most other countries. Yet much of the literature has ignored the crucial importance for this of labor union attitudes towards the redistributive consequences of such intervention. This article shows that much of the resistance of British unions to government interference with wage bargaining can be explained by their opposition to its redistributive consequences. Based on an analysis of several decades of wage bargaining, the article advances another way of looking at the failure of British policy-makers to create durable incomes policies aimed at achieving wage restraint in t...
Effects of age on the glial cells in the rhesus monkey optic nerve.

The optic nerve is a circumscribed white matter tract consisting of myelinated nerve fibers and neuroglial cells. Previous work has shown that during normal aging in the rhesus monkey, many optic nerves lose some of their nerve fibers, and in all old optic nerves there are both myelin abnormalities and degenerating nerve fibers. The present study assesses how the neuroglial cell population of the optic nerve is affected by age. To address this question, optic nerves from young (4-10 years) and old (27-33 years) rhesus monkeys were examined by using both light and electron microscopy. It was found that with age the astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and microglia all develop characteristic cytoplasmic inclusions. The astrocytes hypertrophy and fill space vacated by degenerated nerve fibers, and they often develop abundant glial filaments in their processes. Oligodendrocytes and microglial cells both become more numerous with age, and microglial cells often become engorged with phagocytosed debris. Some of the debris can be recognized as degenerating myelin, and in general, the greater the loss of nerve fibers, the more active the microglial cells become.
Bifunctional bisphosphonates for delivering PTH (1-34) to bone mineral with enhanced bioactivity.

Abstract The objective of this work was to demonstrate the bioactivity of parathyroid hormone (1-34) (PTH) delivered through a single molecule of bisphosphonate to improve tissue/cell interactions. Bifunctional hydrazine-bisphosphonates (HBPs) with varying length and lipophilicity were used as a drug delivery vehicle. PTH was oxidized with periodate treatment to obtain an N-terminal aldehyde that was then conjugated to HBPs. The toxicity and apoptotic properties of HBPs and HBP–PTH conjugates were studied with macrophages (RAW 264.7). It was found that one of the HBPs had significant apoptotic characteristics similar to alendronate, which is a widely prescribed drug in the treatment of osteoporosis. The improved binding affinity of PTH following conjugation to HBP was determined using a hydroxyapatite binding assay. The amount of PTH delivered to bone through HBPs was not affected by the length or lipophilicity of the HBPs. Furthermore, the improved bioactivity of PTH delivered to bone through HBPs, in comparison to adsorbed PTH, was demonstrated by quantifying the cAMP produced by pre-osteoblastic (MC3T3-E1) cells in response to PTH. The delivery of bioactive PTH to bone tissue by HBP conjugation demonstrates the potential use of HBPs in delivering therapeutic macromolecules to bone for the treatment of several skeletal diseases.
Multiple and nonuniform time grids in discrete-time MIP models for chemical production scheduling

Abstract The modeling of time plays a key role in the formulation of mixed-integer programming (MIP) models for scheduling, production planning, and operational supply chain planning problems. It affects the size of the model, the computational requirements, and the quality of the solution. While the development of smaller continuous-time scheduling models, based on multiple time grids, has received considerable attention, no truly different modeling methods are available for discrete-time models. In this paper, we challenge the long-standing belief that employing a discrete modeling of time requires a common uniform grid. First, we show that multiple grids can actually be employed in discrete-time models. Second, we show that not only unit-specific but also task-specific and material-specific grids can be generated. Third, we present methods to systematically formulate discrete-time multi-grid models that allow different tasks, units, or materials to have their own time grid. We present two different algorithms to find the grid. The first algorithm determines the largest grid spacing that will not eliminate the optimal solution. The second algorithm allows the user to adjust the level of approximation; more approximate grids may have worse solutions, but many fewer binary variables. Importantly, we show that the proposed models have exactly the same types of constraints as models relying on a single uniform grid, which means that the proposed models are tight and that known solution methods can be employed. The proposed methods lead to substantial reductions in the size of the formulations and thus the computational requirements. In addition, they can yield better solutions than formulations that use approximations. We show how to select the different time grids, state the formulation, and present computational results.
High Order Diffusion Tensor Imaging in Human Glioblastoma

Rationale and Objectives Diffusion tensor imaging has been used to characterize tumor heterogeneity and invasion in human glioblastoma. Recently, higher order diffusion tensors have been proposed as solutions to errors associated with diffusion tensor imaging estimates of complex microstructures. The purpose of the current study was to examine higher order diffusion characteristics in human glioblastoma prior to surgical resection using the fourth-order diffusion tensor model. Materials and Methods Twenty-five patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma participated in the study. Diffusion-weighted images were collected in 21 directions. The second-order (traditional) and fourth-order diffusion tensors were calculated and compared in regions of contrast enhancement, T2 signal abnormality, and normal-appearing white matter. Results Orientation distribution functions were strikingly different between the two tensor models, particularly in regions with tumor heterogeneity and/or regions of suspected tumor invasion. Image contrast was significantly higher in fourth-order scalar measures compared to second-order scalars. Results of particular eigenvalues and scalars using the fourth-order tensor showed differences between T2 abnormal regions and contrast enhancement, whereas second-order eigenvalues and scalars did not show differences. This suggests that higher order diffusion images could potentially be more sensitive to tumor invasion. Conclusions These results suggest that the fourth-order diffusion tensor has the ability to add value to second-order (traditional) diffusion tensor imaging in the evaluation of glioblastoma.
Successful immunization against the sexual stages of Plasmodium gallinaceum

Gametocyte infectivity and oocyst development of the avian malaria parasite, Plasmodium gallinaceum, can be reduced or eliminated in mosquitoes by immunizing the chickens on which the mosquitoes feed with infected red blood cells that have been treated with formalin or x-rays. Protection of the mosquito appears to be related to the immobilization of the microgametes in its gut and is associated with the immunoglobulin G fraction of serum.
Analysis of a finite PML approximation to the three dimensional elastic wave scattering problem

We consider the application of a perfectly matched layer (PML) technique to approximate solutions to the elastic wave scattering problem in the frequency domain. The PML is viewed as a complex coordinate shift in spherical coordinates which leads to a variable complex coefficient equation for the displacement vector posed on an infinite domain (the complement of the scatterer). The rapid decay of the PML solution suggests truncation to a bounded domain with a convenient outer boundary condition and subsequent finite element approximation (for the truncated problem). We prove existence and uniqueness of the solutions to the infinite domain and truncated domain PML equations (provided that the truncated domain is sufficiently large). We also show exponential convergence of the solution of the truncated PML problem to the solution of the original scattering problem in the region of interest. We then analyze a Galerkin numerical approximation to the truncated PML problem and prove that it is well posed provided that the PML damping parameter and mesh size are small enough. Finally, computational results illustrating the efficiency of the finite element PML approximation are presented.
Effect of nonlinearity of the middle term of nonlinear dispersive equations on physical structures

In this work we study the effect of nonlinearity of the middle term of a class of nonlinear dispersive equations on the physical solutions. We show that the change of the exponent of the middle term plays a major role in exhibiting compactons, solitons and periodic solutions. Three model equations are adopted to carry out this study. The analysis reveals a change of the physical solutions as a result of the change of exponents.
A Digital Method for DC Motor Speed Control

A motor speed controller is presented using digital techniques to measure, compare, and correct motor speed. In the prototype model, the range of speed control is approximately 200 rpm to 3000 rpm. The digital approach eliminates measurement nonlinearity and makes the speed setting exactly reproducible. The prototype's steady-state error is less that 0.2% of maximum speed, and it is shown how a direct extension of this design concept can easily bring steady-state error to well below 0.1% of maximum speed.
Erdheim-Chester Disease: Characteristics and Management

Erdheim-Chester disease is a rare CD68(+), CD1a(-) non-Langerhans cell histiocytosis with multiorgan involvement. The etiology of Erdheim-Chester disease is unclear; there are no known associated infectious or hereditary genetic abnormalities. However, somatic BRAF mutations have recently been identified in these patients. Historically, the literature regarding the management of Erdheim-Chester disease consisted of case reports and small case series with anecdotal therapeutic responses to agents including, but not limited to, cytotoxic chemotherapy, bone marrow transplantation, cladribine, corticosteroids, IFN-α, the BCR-ABL/KIT inhibitor imatinib mesylate, the IL-1 receptor antagonist anakinra, the TNF-inhibitor infliximab, and recently the BRAF inhibitor vemurafenib. We performed a search of the literature using PubMed with the terms Erdheim Chester disease, without date limitations, including case reports, case series, original articles, and previous review articles. In the absence of large-scale studies, experience-based management prevails. The present review details our approach to the management of patients with Erdheim-Chester disease.