cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bioavailability of Zinc from Defattd Soy Flour, Soy Hulls and Whole Eggs As Determined by Intrinsic and Extrinsic Labeling Techniques

Bioavailability of zinc from diets prepared from intrinsically and ex- trinsically labeled autoclaved, defatted soy flour and scrambled, freeze-dried egg was investigated in male rats marginally depleted in zinc. In one study, retention of zinc from intrinsically labeled soybean flour (73%) was significantly less than from ^nClz extrinsically added to a soy flour-based diet (80%). Zinc from intrinsically labeled soy bean hulls and from soy flour diets containing 10% soybean hulls extrinsically labeled with ^ZnC^ was as available as the zinc from the extrinsically labeled soy flour diet. In a second study, extrinsic and intrinsic labeling techniques gave a similar assessment of bioavailability of zinc from egg- and soy flour-based diets when extrinsic labeling was accomplished by thoroughly mixing ^ZnClj with the protein source prior to in corporation into the diet. Absorption of ^Zn was greater from egg diets than from soy flour diets and of intermediate value from mixed soy flour and egg (50:50, wt/wt) diets regardless of which protein source was labeled, indicating that the zinc entered a com mon pool. J. Nutr. m- 1255-1264, 1983.
Reduction of minority carrier recombination at silicon surfaces and contacts using organic heterojunctions

We present an approach for silicon (100) surface passivation using the organic small molecule, 1–10 phenanthrenequinone. Lifetime measurements show that on passivated silicon surfaces, recombination velocities of less than 100 cm/s can be achieved. Such electrically inactive surfaces are used to demonstrate a wide-bandgap organic/silicon heterojunction which reduces the effective minority carrier surface recombination at the metal/silicon contact compared to a similar structure without the organic layer.
Genetic Evaluation by Best Linear Unbiased Prediction Using Marker and Trait Information in a Multibreed Population

Genetic evaluation by best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP) requires modeling genetic means, variances, and covariances. This paper presents theory to model means, variances, and covariances in a multibreed population, given marker and breed information, in the presence of gametic disequilibrium between the marker locus (ML) and linked quantitative trait locus (MQTL). Theory and algorithms are presented to construct the matrix of conditional covariances between relatives (Gv) for the MQTL effects in a multibreed population and to obtain the inverse of Gv efficiently. Theory presented here accounts for heterogeneity of variances among pure breeds and for segregation variances between pure breeds. A numerical example was used to illustrate how the theory and algorithms can be used for genetic evaluation by BLUP using marker and trait information in a multibreed population.
Wave scattering by many small bodies: transmission boundary conditions

Wave scattering by many (M = M(a)) small bodies, at the boundary of which transmission boundary conditions are imposed, is studied. Smallness of the bodies means that ka << 1, where a is the characteristic dimension of the body and k = 2 is the wave number in the medium in which small bodies are embedded. Explicit asymptotic formulas are derived for the eld scattered by a single small scatterer of an arbitrary shape. Equation for the eective eld is derived in the limit as a! 0 while M(a)!1 at a suitable rate.
Diel vertical migration by zooplankton: Constant and fluctuating temperature effects on life history parameters of Daphnia1

Abstruct The thermal demographic advantage of vertical migration was tested using life-table studies of Daphnia parvula cohorts fed on Chlamydomonas reinhurdi. At a high food level, lifespan and body size at death were relatively insensitive to temperature differences. Fecundity parameters (brood size, brood number, total number of young per reproductive female, and net reproduction rate) were highest at an optimal midrange temperature (15°C). However, age at onset of reproduction, instar at first reproduction and brood duration decreased with increasing temperature, resulting in an overall increase in the realized rate of increase (r) with increasing temperature. Realized rates of increase were higher in fluctuating temperatures than at comparable average constant temperatures but were always lower than those at the highest constant temperature in each range. A low food level reduced the effect of temperature on some growth and fitness parameters from those at a high food level, but T was still greater at the higher temperatures. Therefore, there is no apparent thermal demographic advantage to vertical migration at either a high or low food level within the natural range experienced by D. purvulu. Maximum fitness is achieved by remaining in the warmest surface waters at all times.
Digital all-sky polarization imaging of partly cloudy skies

Clouds reduce the degree of linear polarization (DOLP) of skylight relative to that of a clear sky. Even thin subvisual clouds in the "twilight zone" between clouds and aerosols produce a drop in skylight DOLP long before clouds become visible in the sky. In contrast, the angle of polarization (AOP) of light scattered by a cloud in a partly cloudy sky remains the same as in the clear sky for most cases. In unique instances, though, select clouds display AOP signatures that are oriented 90 degrees from the clear-sky AOP. For these clouds, scattered light oriented parallel to the scattering plane dominates the perpendicularly polarized Rayleigh-scattered light between the instrument and the cloud. For liquid clouds, this effect may assist cloud particle size identification because it occurs only over a relatively limited range of particle radii that will scatter parallel polarized light. Images are shown from a digital all-sky-polarization imager to illustrate these effects. Images are also shown that provide validation of previously published theories for weak (approximately 2%) polarization parallel to the scattering plane for a 22 degrees halo.
Energy-Based Economic Development

In recent years, energy has become much more of a driver of new paths to economic development than an enabler of growth. Accordingly, governments and the private sector are investing billions of dollars annually in low-emissions energy development and energy efficiency planning. From 2004 to 2010, global renewable energy development increased 540 %. This chapter introduces the domain of energy-based economic development (EBED) and explains how it seizes joint opportunities inherent in energy development and economic development. This chapter also reviews the complex and overlapping issues that EBED most commonly addresses, including greenhouse gas and other emissions, energy security and efficiency, energy poverty, economic growth and recovery, job creation, and poverty.
Targeted cytotoxic bombesin analog AN-215 effectively inhibits experimental human breast cancers with a low induction of multi-drug resistance proteins

The cytotoxic analog of bombesin (BN)/gastrin releasing peptide (GRP) AN-215 consisting of 2-pyrrolinodoxorubicin (AN-201), a superactive derivative of doxorubicin linked to a bombesin analog carrier, displays a high affinity to BN/GRP receptors and can be targeted to tumors that express these receptors. We evaluated the antitumor effect and the toxicity of AN-215 in 5 human breast cancer cell lines xenografted into nude mice. In addition, we measured the mRNA expression of multi drug resistance protein 1 (MDR-1), multi drug resistance related protein 1 (MRP-1) and breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) by real-time PCR analysis after treatment with AN-215. All five cell lines expressed BN/GRP receptors, and AN-215 significantly (P < 0.05) inhibited tumor growth in all models, while its cytotoxic radical AN-201 had no significant effect in four models. In MX-1 tumors, AN-201 had a significantly weaker antitumor effect than AN-215. The effect of AN-215 was nullified by a blockade of BN/GRP receptors with a bombesin antagonist. Low or no induction of MDR-1, MRP-1 and BCRP occurred after treatment with AN-215. In conclusion, targeted chemotherapy with the cytotoxic BN/GRP analog AN-215 strongly inhibits breast cancers that express BN/GRP receptors and might provide a new treatment modality for mammary carcinoma.
Acute Renal Failure Following Percutaneous Transhepatic Cholangiography: A Retrospective Study

• We analyzed retrospectively the Incidence of potential nephrotoxic effects of radiographic contrast material associated with percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography and percutaneous biliary drainage. Of 72 consecutive patients who underwent these procedures, three developed acute renal insufficiency (defined as a rise in the serum creatinine concentration of >2 mg/dL [>180 μmol/L]) following administration of contrast medium. In two patients, abdominal roentgenograms taken after the procedure showed persistently opaque kidneys, indicating that contrast material had gained access to the circulation. Percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography and percutaneous biliary drainage may be associated with nephrotoxic effects of radiographic contrast material, and patients with recognized risk factors may benefit from prophylactic hydration regimens as recommended for other procedures. (Arch Intern Med1986;146:1405-1407)
Genetic Analysis of High-Risk E6 in Episomal Maintenance of Human Papillomavirus Genomes in Primary Human Keratinocytes

Papillomaviruses possess small DNA genomes that encode five early (E) proteins. Transient DNA replication requires activities of the E1 and E2 proteins and a DNA segment containing their binding sites. The E6 and E7 proteins of cancer-associated human papillomavirus (HPV) transform cells in culture. Recent reports have shown that E6 and E7 are necessary for episomal maintenance of HPV in primary keratinocytes. The functions of E6 necessary for viral replication have not been determined, and to address this question we used a recently developed transfection system based on HPV31. To utilize a series of HPV16 E6 mutations, HPV31 E6 was replaced by its HPV16 counterpart. This chimeric genome was competent for both transient and stable replication in keratinocytes. Four HPV16 E6 mutations that do not stimulate p53 degradation were unable to support stable viral replication, suggesting this activity may be necessary for episomal maintenance. E7 has also been shown to be essential for episomal maintenance of the HPV31 genome. A point mutation in the Rb binding motif of HPV E7 has been reported to render HPV31 unable to stably replicate. Interestingly, HPV31 genomes harboring two of the three p53 degradation-defective E6 mutations combined with this E7 mutation were maintained as replicating episomes. These findings imply that the balance between E6 and E7 functions in infected cells is critical for episomal maintenance of high-risk HPV genomes. This model will be useful to dissect the activities of E6 and E7 necessary for viral DNA replication.
Prey selection among Los Angeles car thieves

More than 63,000 cars were reported stolen in Los Angeles in 2003–04. However, the distribution of thefts across car types is very uneven. Some cars types such as the Honda Civic were stolen at much higher frequencies than the majority of car types. Charnov’s classic prey selection model suggests that such uneven targeting should be related to variations in the environmental abundance, expected payoffs, and handling costs associated with different car types. Street-based surveys in Los Angeles suggest that differences in abundance explain the majority of thefts. Cars stolen despite being rare may reflect offender preference based on differential payoffs, probably in some non-monetary currency such as prestige or excitement. Differential handling costs play a more ambiguous role in target selection, but may underlie thieves’ decisions to ignore some cars common in the environment. The unspecialized nature of car theft in Los Angeles suggests that the behavioral and cognitive capacities needed to be a successful car thief are generic. The evolved capacity to solve foraging problems in boundedly-rational ways, mixed with small amounts of trial-and-error and/or social learning, are sufficient to produce experts from inexperienced thieves.
Nest Site Selection by Greater Sage-Grouse in Mono County, California

Abstract Loss of nesting habitat is believed to be a factor in the decline of greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) throughout its range. Few data are available for sage-grouse in Mono County, California, USA, in the most southwestern portion of the species' range. We studied habitat selection of nesting sage-grouse in Mono County, California, from 2003 to 2005 by capturing and radiotracking females to identify nesting locations. We sampled vegetation at nest sites and randomly selected sites within 200 m of nests and within each of 5 subareas within Mono County. Nest sites were characterized by 42.4 ± 1.3% (x ¯ ± SE) shrub canopy cover, 10.5 ± 1.0 cm residual grass height, and 2.7 ± 1.0% residual grass cover. Shrub cover was the only variable found to differentiate nest sites from randomly selected sites. Unlike some other studies, we did not find understory vegetation to be important for selecting nest sites. Mean shrub cover was 38.7 ± 1.5% at random sites within 200 m of nests and 33.6 ± 1.6...
Donor factors are associated with bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome after lung transplantation.

Background Bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS) is the major hurdle preventing long-term success in lung transplantation, and is the primary reason for the 50% 5-year survival. Recipient and perioperative risk factors have been investigated in BOS, but less is known about donor factors. Therefore, we investigated what donor factors are important in the development of BOS. Methods We performed a retrospective review of the United Network for Organ Sharing lung transplant database from 1987 to 2008. Lung transplant recipients had yearly follow-up. Donor factors were evaluated for their influence on BOS development. Kaplan-Meier plots of BOS-free survival were compared for each donor factor and a multivariate Cox proportional hazard model for BOS was created with donor factors. Results A total of 17,222 lung transplant recipients were identified; 6,991 recipients had sufficient follow-up BOS data. Of these recipients 57% (n = 3,984) developed BOS within 5 years. Recipients who received lungs from donors who were younger, without an active pulmonary infection, or those without current tobacco use had longer BOS-free survival. Recipients who received lungs with higher partial pressures of oxygen in arterial blood (Pao 2 ) developed more BOS ( p 2 , older age, and current tobacco use were independent predictors of BOS in lung transplant recipients. Conclusions Donor factors and donor management strategies are important contributors to development of recipient BOS. Identification of these factors may help limit BOS and may identify recipients at high risk. Surprisingly, high Pao 2 in the donor is an independent predictor of BOS development.
Exercise-induced hyperphagia in the hamster is associated with elevated plasma somatostatin-like immunoreactivity.

Summary Syrian golden hamsters when allowed free access to food and an exercise wheel will run long distances and develop hyperphagia and accelerated linear body growth with high circulating levels of growth hormone and insulin. Somatostatin, a widely distributed brain-gut neurohormonal peptide, modulates nutrient absorption and may regulate food intake. To examine the role of circulating plasma somatostatinlike immunoreactivity (SRIF-LI; pg/ml) in exercise induced hyperphagia 4 groups of animals were studied; an unrestricted exercise group (279.0 + 107.7, n = 10); a sedentary group (121.1 + 40.8, n = 8); a restricted exercise group (107.7 + 12.4, n = 6); and a restricted no exercise group (115.5 + 45.9, n = 9). Thus, the unrestricted exercise group has a significantly elevated SRIF-LI concentration (P < 0.01) while there was no difference between the other 3 groups. The elevation of plasma SRIFLI in the unrestricted exercise group may represent a response to modulate increased nutrient entry in this group or may represent an incompletely effective satiety signal.
Laser-Induced Shape Changes of Colloidal Gold Nanorods Using Femtosecond and Nanosecond Laser Pulses

Gold nanorods have been found to change their shape after excitation with intense pulsed laser irradiation. The final irradiation products strongly depend on the energy of the laser pulse as well as on its width. We performed a series of measurements in which the excitation power was varied over the range of the output power of an amplified femtosecond laser system producing pulses of 100 fs duration and a nanosecond optical parametric oscillator (OPO) laser system having a pulse width of 7 ns. The shape transformations of the gold nanorods are followed by two techniques: (1) visible absorption spectroscopy by monitoring the changes in the plasmon absorption bands characteristic for gold nanoparticles; (2) transmission electron microscopy (TEM) in order to analyze the final shape and size distribution. While at high laser fluences (∼1 J cm-2) the gold nanoparticles fragment, a melting of the nanorods into spherical nanoparticles (nanodots) is observed when the laser energy is lowered. Upon decreasing the...
Exploiting fine-grained parallelism through a combination of hardware and software techniques

It has been suggested that non-scientific code has very little parallelism not already exploited by existing vrocesso~s. In this ABSTRACT It has been suggested that non-scientific code has very little parallelism not already exploited by existing vrocesso~s. In this paper we show that &nt& to this notiOK (here is actually a significant amount of unexploited parallelism in typical general purpose code. In order to exploit this parallelism, a combination of hardware and software techniques must be applied. We analyze three techniques: dynamic scheduling, speculative execution and basic block enlargement. We will show that indeed for narrow instruction words little is tobegainedby applying these techniques. However, as the number of simultaneous operations increases, it becomes possible to achieve speedups of three to six on realistic processors.
Jaundice and hepatitis; a laboratory review.

In an attempt to determine which of the numerous tests offer the most aid in evaluating function in diffuse liver disease (hepatitis), several recent papers have been reviewed. There is general, but not always specific agreement concerning the value of each of the score of methods employed. It is agreed, however, that, in general, some tests are of greater value in one phase of the disease than in another. Thus, the careful and painstaking compilation and integration of the clinical findings must precede recourse to laboratory aids. Thereafter, the intimate correlation of laboratory and clinic becomes increasingly important.
Inheritance of female flight in Lymantria dispar (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae)

Abstract A clinal female flight polymorphism exists in the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar L., where female flight diminishes from east to west across Eurasia. A Russian population where females are capable of sustained ascending flight and a North American population with females incapable of flight were crossed: parentals, reciprocal F1 hybrids, double reciprocal F2 hybrids, and all possible backcrosses to both the parental lines were compared. Heritabilities were estimated using a threshold model, female offspring on female parent regressions, and joint-scaling analyses. Heritability of female flight capability measured using a free flight test was at least 0.60, and variation in wing size, muscle strength, and flight behaviors contributed to the flight polymorphism. Relative wing size varied continuously and had a heritability of 0.70. Environmental variation accounted for >90% of the variation in female preflight weight and relative flight muscle strength, as estimated by an inverted female’s ability to...
In Vivo application and localization of transcranial focused ultrasound using dual-mode ultrasound arrays

Focused ultrasound (FUS) has been proposed for a variety of transcranial applications, including neuromodulation, tumor ablation, and blood–brain barrier opening. A flurry of activity in recent years has generated encouraging results demonstrating its feasibility in these and other applications. To date, monitoring of FUS beams has been primarily accomplished using MR guidance, where both MR thermography and elastography have been used. The recent introduction of real-time dual-mode ultrasound array (DMUA) systems offers a new paradigm in transcranial focusing. In this paper, we present first experimental results of ultrasound-guided transcranial FUS (tFUS) application in a rodent brain, both ex vivo and in vivo. DMUA imaging is used for visualization of the treatment region for placement of the focal spot within the brain. This includes the detection and localization of pulsating blood vessels at or near the target point(s). In addition, DMUA imaging is used to monitor and localize the FUS-tissue interactions in real time. In particular, a concave (40 mm radius of curvature), 32-element, 3.5-MHz DMUA prototype was used for imaging and tFUS application in ex vivo and in vivo rat models. The ex vivo experiments were used to evaluate the point spread function of the transcranial DMUA imaging at various points within the brain. In addition, DMUA-based transcranial ultrasound thermography measurements were compared with thermocouple measurements of subtherapeutic tFUS heating in rat brain ex vivo. The ex vivo setting was also used to demonstrate the capability of DMUA to produce localized thermal lesions. The in vivo experiments were designed to demonstrate the ability of the DMUA to apply, monitor, and localize subtherapeutic tFUS patterns that could be beneficial in transient blood–brain barrier opening. The results show that although the DMUA focus is degraded due to the propagation through the skull, it still produces localized heating effects within a sub-millimeter volume. In addition, DMUA transcranial echo data from brain tissue allow for reliable estimation of temperature change.
HIV/AIDS epidemic: The whole truth

The news feature “What does a disease deserve?” (J. Kaiser, 20 November 2015, p. [900][1]) asserts that “AIDS death rates began dropping dramatically” about 2 decades ago. This is only part of the truth. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ([ 1 ][2]), the number
Gender Demise or Gender Expansion

would think there would be some cross-pollination of ideas. But these disciplines do not speak to each other. They barely cross-reference. Theirjargons are mutu ally impenetrable. It is as if they are speaking in tongues. I wrote The End of Gender: A Psychological Autopsy as an antidote to this Tower of Babel, to provide a cross-disciplinary debriefing in service of greater understand ing and the building of better theories about sex and gender. I draw on evidence from an encyclopedic array of sources-my own psychoanalytic psychotherapy patients, biology, data-based social science and psychology, history, anthropology, philosophy, cultural theory, postmodern gender theory (queer theory), literature, art, and pop culture-to argue against the validity of rigid sex and gender catego ries. By using queer theory in selective ways, feminist psychologists may be able to make their insights relevant to the 21st century. The End of Gender does not dispute traditional feminist thinking but expands on it in a manner that is fully compatible with what was known before. You could call my book postfeminist. This is not meant to be condescending. I am reminded of a remark made by Samuel Johnson on his deathbed. When a friend offered to plump up his pillows, Johnson said, "No, it is all that a pillow can do." Such is 1980s-brand feminism. The world is messy, and things do not always turn out as planned. Feminists need to embrace equal rights and empowering images for everyone along the sex-gender continuum. Shari L. Thurer 129 Pinckney Street Boston, MA 02114 E-mail: sthurer@bu.edu
Applications of Crystal Plasticity in Contact Mechanics

The microstructures of structural metals and alloys are highly heterogeneous due to their crystalline structure often coupled with multiple phases and inclusions, yet most contact mechanics models assume the material is homogeneous and usually isotropic. This is a severe limitation if one desires to quantify the influence of different microstructure attributes on the mechanical behavior. This limitation is overcome through the finite element method using crystal plasticity models. Examples of normal, sliding, and fretting contacts are presented.© 2008 ASME
The Effect of Numeracy on the Relationship Between State Reactance and Message Evaluations

ABSTRACTThis study explored the relationship between message reactance potential and individual levels of numeracy in the context of persuasive antiviolence messaging. It was specifically suggested that high levels of numeracy would exacerbate the negative effects of state reactance. The results indicated that high and moderate levels of numeracy strengthened the negative relationship between state reactance and message evaluation. Taken as a whole, the results of this study suggest that for persuasive messages that possess reactance potential and contain statistical/numerical information, individual levels of numeracy exert a nonignorable influence on how the message is evaluated.
Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles Confer Protection against Severe Sepsis Induced Hepatic Inflammation and Injury in Sprague Dawley Rats

Severe sepsis is a medical emergency that is characterized by high mortality. The acute nature of this disease is characterized by high levels of inflammatory mediators that cause multiple organ da...
Surgeon preferences regarding antibiotic prophylaxis for ballistic fractures.

Scant evidence exists to support antibiotic use for low velocity ballistic fractures (LVBF). We therefore sought to define current practice patterns. We hypothesized that most surgeons prescribe antibiotics for LVBF, prescribing is not driven by institutional protocols, and that decisions are based on protocols utilized for blunt trauma. A web-based questionnaire was emailed to the membership of the Orthopaedic Trauma Association (OTA). The questionnaire included demographic information and questions about LVBF treatment practices. Two hundred and twenty surgeons responded. One hundred and fifty-four (70 %) respondents worked at a Level-1 trauma center, 176 (80 %) had received fellowship education in orthopaedic trauma and 104 (47 %) treated at least 10 ballistic fractures annually. Responses were analyzed with SAS 9.3 for Windows (SAS Institute Inc, Cary, NC). One hundred eighty-six respondents (86 %) routinely provide antibiotics for LVBF. Those who did not were more apt to do so for intra-articular fractures (8/16, 50 %) and pelvic fractures with visceral injury (10/16, 63 %). Most surgeons (167, 76 %) do not believe the Gustilo–Anderson classification applies to ballistic fractures, and (20/29, 70 %) do not base their antibiotic choice on the classification system. Few institutions (58, 26 %) have protocols guiding antibiotic use for LVBF. Routine antibiotic use for LVBF is common; however, practice is not dictated by institutional protocol. Although antibiotic use generally follows current blunt trauma guidelines, surgeons do not base their treatment decisions the Gustilo–Anderson classification. Given the high rate of antibiotic use for LVBF, further study should focus on providing evidence-based treatment guidelines.
Improving Transformation Efficiency of Pyricularia oryzae

The transformation system of rice blast fungus(Pyricularia oryzae)with hygromycin B as selective marker had been established in our laboratory.In order to improve transformation efficiency the effective conditions were studied.The transformation efficiency of using 40% PEG4000(or 40% PEG8000)were greater than that of 20% PEG4000(or 20% PEG8000).The best suitable CaCl2 concentration was 50～100 mmol/L in transformation.Adding 5～30 μg herring sperm DNA can improve transformation efficiency obviously and the herring sperm DNA may be one of indispendable condition of the transformation.Our result indicated that receipt strain DNA had negative influence on transformation,and 42℃ heat shock for 2 or 8 minutes had not active effect.Transformation with linear DNA was better than circular DNA,which conformed to the results of literature.
Asbestos directly increases lung epithelial permeability

Asbestos causes the fibrotic lung disease asbestosis, but the biologic basis for this is unknown. Lung epithelial dysfunction including increased permeability is hypothesized to contribute to lung scarring in other forms of pulmonary fibrosis. Lung epithelial permeability is increased in both animals and humans exposed to asbestos. It is not known whether the increased epithelial permeability results from direct effects of asbestos or occurs as a result of the inflammatory reaction to asbestos fibers. To address this question we used a cultured human lung epithelial model, and we measured the direct effect of asbestos on lung epithelial barrier integrity as measured by mannitol permeability. We exposed the monolayer to chryogenically ground, respirable-sized chrysotile asbestos particles. This chrysotile asbestos caused a dose- and time-dependent increase in mannitol permeability across the epithelial monolayer. Increased mannitol permeability occurred both in the presence and in the absence of serum, was not due to cytotoxicity as measured by lactate dehydrogenase release, and was not associated with altered actin cytoskeleton at the light microscopic level. Permeability to 70 kDa neutral dextran also increased after asbestos exposure; however, the absolute permeability to dextran was less than mannitol permeability. Neither latex beads nor tantalum caused any change in permeability, suggesting that our findings are not explained by nonspecific effects of particles. Increased permeability did not reverse in the continued presence of asbestos and persisted even after removing the asbestos. Finally, surface-bound iron did not appear to be necessary for this effect because neither chelating iron with deferoxamine nor iron-loading the asbestos altered the effect on mannitol permeability. These results show that asbestos has direct effects on lung epithelial permeability. Together with the recent observation that asbestos directly increases epithelial fibrinolytic activity, our results suggest a novel mechanism for asbestos-induced lung injury.
Hamster egg penetration: comparison of preincubation periods *

Seven-hour and 20-hour incubation periods were tested with donor specimens to be used in the hamster egg sperm penetration assay (SPA). Aliquots of the washed sperm were incubated in air and in 5% CO 2 and 95% air at 37° C for comparison of sperm survival rates. The mean penetration for the donors ranged from 0% to 64%, with group means of 21% and 36% for the 7- and 20-hour incubations, respectively. All donors had penetration rates in the fertile range after 20hours of incubation, but 33% (3 of 9) had penetration rates The results suggest that the 20-hour incubation in 5% CO 2 is better because it reduces the possibility of false-negative results in the SPA. We conclude that penetration in the questionable range of 10% may require further SPA testing with different incubation periods and technique modifications, such as a sperm rise step to increase sperm motility and reduce the number of leukocytes.
CONTRAST DOSAGE IN THE NEUROIMAGING OF BRAIN TUMORS: Principles and Indications

No single dose of MR contrast agent is optimal or adequate for the evaluation of all types of CNS lesions. This article discusses the fundamental principles and various background suppression techniques for lesion detection and delineation. An understanding of all factors influencing lesion conspicuity is important in deciding the optimal dose, if any, of contrast agent and the technique necessary for the procedure.
Immunoassays for the detection of IgA antibodies to tissue transglutaminase: significance of multiples of the upper limit of normal and inter-assay correlations.

BACKGROUND The presence of IgA antibodies to tissue transglutaminase (anti-tTg) is associated with variable risk for celiac disease. The use of common multiples of the upper limit of normal (ULN) has been suggested to optimize diagnostic pathways as well as improve harmonization between assays. METHODS The characteristics of four anti-tTG IgA assays relative to endomysial IgA (EMA) by indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) as reference test were assessed. Commutability between anti-tTG immunoassays and/or EMA based on manufacturer's recommended cut-off values and three common multiples of ULN (3×, 5× and 10×) was also investigated. Sera from 200 patients and 100 healthy individuals were analyzed. RESULTS At manufacturer's cut-off; the sensitivities for the tTG assays ranged from 72.5% to 98.6% and specificities from 60.3% to 99.2%. The percent positive agreements between any anti-tTG and EMA or any two anti-tTG immunoassays varied from 56.7% to 98.0% and 46.7% to 100.0%, respectively. At 3×, 5× or 10× ULNs, the inter-rater reliability as measured by Cohen κ between any two anti-tTG assays were quite variable and ranged from 0.28 to 0.96, 0.26 to 0.89 or 0.13 to 0.78, respectively. Furthermore, the percent positive agreements between any two anti-tTg IgA immunoassays ranged from 83.1% to 98.2%, 92.0% to 100%, or 100%, at 3×, 5× or 10×, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Commutability between tTG IgA immunoassays or tTG IgA and EMA is kit-dependent and common multiples of the ULN are not sufficient to correct for inter-assay variations. Many factors influence the performance of anti-tTG IgA assays which limit their commutability.
Ultrasound Findings of Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness

The purpose of this series was to retrospectively characterize the ultrasound findings of delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS). The Institutional Review Board approved our study, and informed consent was waived. A retrospective search of radiology reports using the key phrase "delayed-onset muscle soreness" and key word "DOMS" from 2001 to 2015 and teaching files was completed to identify cases. The sonograms were reviewed by 3 fellowship-trained musculoskeletal radiologists by consensus. Sonograms were retrospectively characterized with respect to echogenicity (hypoechoic, isoechoic, or hyperechoic), distribution of muscle involvement, and intramuscular pattern (focal versus diffuse and well defined versus poorly defined). Images were also reviewed for muscle enlargement, fluid collection, muscle fiber disruption, and increased flow on color or power Doppler imaging. There were a total of 6 patients identified (5 male and 1 female). The average age was 22 years (range, 7-44 years). Of the 6 patients, there were a total of 11 affected muscles in 7 extremities (1 bilateral case). The involved muscles were in the upper extremity: triceps brachii in 27% (3 of 11), biceps brachii in 18% (2 of 11), brachialis in 18% (2 of 11), brachioradialis in 18% (2 of 11), infraspinatus in 9% (1 of 11), and deltoid in 9% (1 of 11). On ultrasound imaging, the abnormal muscle was hyperechoic in 100% (11 of 11), well defined in 73% (8 of 11), poorly defined in 27% (3 of 11), diffuse in 73% (8 of 11), and focal in 27% (3 of 11). Increased muscle size was found in 82% (9 of 11) and minimal hyperemia in 87.5% (7 of 8). The ultrasound findings of DOMS include hyperechoic involvement of an upper extremity muscle, most commonly appearing well defined and diffuse with increased muscle size and minimal hyperemia.
Euglycemic ketoacidosis following a single dose of empagliflozin

ABSTRACTSodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors have recently joined the therapeutic armamentarium for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. SGLT-2 inhibitors, as monotherapy or in combination with other medications, have a favorable effect on hemoglobin A1C concentrations. However, a growing number of reports have described ketoacidosis as a complication following prolonged SGLT-2 inhibitor therapy. We report a case of SGLT-2 inhibitor associated ketoacidosis in a patient following a single first dose of empagliflozin.
Comparison of Orthodontic Medicaid Funding in the United States 2006 to 2015

Introduction: Orthodontic treatment is reimbursed by Medicaid based upon orthodontic and financial need with qualifiers determined by individual states. Changes in Medicaid-funded orthodontic treatment following the “Great Recession” in 2007 and the enactment of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010 were compared for the 50 United States and the District of Columbia to better understand disparities in access to care. The results from this 2015 survey were compared to data gathered in 2006 (El-Gheriani et al., 2007). Materials and Methods: Medicaid officials were contacted by email, telephone, or postal mail regarding the age limit for treatment, practitioner type who can determine eligibility and provide treatment, records required for case review, and rate and frequency of reimbursement. When not attained by direct contact, the information was gleaned from online websites, provider manuals, and state orthodontists. Results: Information gathered from 50 states and the District of Columbia documents that Medicaid program characteristics and expenditures continue to vary by state. Expenditures and reimbursement rates have decreased since 2006 and vary widely by geographic region. Some states have tightened restrictions on qualifiers and increased submission requirements by providers. Conclusions: The variation and lack of uniformity that still exists among Medicaid orthodontic programs in different states creates disparities in orthodontic care for US citizens. Barriers to care for Medicaid-funded orthodontic treatment have increased since 2006.
Statistical classifiers for diagnosing disease from immune repertoires: a case study using multiple sclerosis.

Deep sequencing of lymphocyte receptor repertoires has made it possible to comprehensively profile the clonal composition of lymphocyte populations. This opens the door for novel approaches to diagnose and prognosticate diseases with a driving immune component by identifying repertoire sequence patterns associated with clinical phenotypes. Indeed, recent studies support the feasibility of this, demonstrating an association between repertoire-level summary statistics (e.g., diversity) and patient outcomes for several diseases. In our own prior work, we have shown that six codons in VH4-containing genes in B cells from the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) have higher replacement mutation frequencies than observed in healthy controls or patients with other neurological diseases. However, prior methods to date have been limited to focusing on repertoire-level summary statistics, ignoring the vast amounts of information in the millions of individual immune receptors comprising a repertoire. We have developed a novel method that addresses this limitation by using innovative approaches for accommodating the extraordinary sequence diversity of immune receptors and widely used machine learning approaches. We applied our method to RRMS, an autoimmune disease that is notoriously difficult to diagnose. We use the biochemical features encoded by the complementarity determining region 3 of each B cell receptor heavy chain in every patient repertoire as input to a detector function, which is fit to give the correct diagnosis for each patient using maximum likelihood optimization methods. The resulting statistical classifier assigns patients to one of two diagnosis categories, RRMS or other neurological disease, with 87% accuracy by leave-one-out cross-validation on training data (N = 23) and 72% accuracy on unused data from a separate study (N = 102). Our method is the first to apply statistical learning to immune repertoires to aid disease diagnosis, learning repertoire-level labels from the set of individual immune repertoire sequences. This method produced a repertoire-based statistical classifier for diagnosing RRMS that provides a high degree of diagnostic capability, rivaling the accuracy of diagnosis by a clinical expert. Additionally, this method points to a diagnostic biochemical motif in the antibodies of RRMS patients, which may offer insight into the disease process.
Space-time clusters and co-occurrence of chikungunya and dengue fever in Colombia from 2015 to 2016

Vector-borne diseases (VBDs) infect over one billion people and are responsible for over one million deaths each year, globally. Chikungunya (CHIK) and Dengue Fever (DENF) are emerging VBDs due to overpopulation, increases in urbanization, climate change, and other factors. Colombia has recently experienced severe outbreaks of CHIK AND DENF. Both viruses are transmitted by the Aedes mosquitoes and are preventable with a variety of surveillance and vector control measures (e.g. insecticides, reduction of open containers, etc.). Spatiotemporal statistics can facilitate the surveillance of VBD outbreaks by informing public health officials where to allocate resources to mitigate future outbreaks. We utilize the univariate Kulldorff space-time scan statistic (STSS) to identify and compare statistically significant space-time clusters of CHIK and DENF in Colombia during the outbreaks of 2015 and 2016. We also utilize the multivariate STSS to examine co-occurrences (simultaneous excess incidences) of DENF and CHIK, which is critical to identify regions that may have experienced the greatest burden of VBDs. The relative risk of CHIK and DENF for each Colombian municipality belonging to a univariate and multivariate cluster is reported to facilitate targeted interventions. Finally, we visualize the results in a three-dimensional environment to examine the size and duration of the clusters. Our approach is the first of its kind to examine multiple VBDs in Colombia simultaneously, while the 3D visualizations are a novel way of illustrating the dynamics of space-time clusters of disease.
Prosthetic Support in Face Transplantation

After face transplantation, the patient may still present with defects which were not corrected or correctable through surgery. This may include loss of teeth and bone, malocclusion and arch size discrepancies, communication between the oral and nasal cavities and sinuses, difficulties with speech and swallowing, palatopharyngeal incompetence, palatopharyngeal insufficiency, functional or anatomic deficits of the tongue, narrowing of the nostrils, and loss of anatomical structures such as eyes, ears, or nose. To correct these defects and improve function and esthetics, a variety of prostheses and appliances are available. These are fabricated by dentists who specialize in Prosthodontics and sub-specialize in Maxillofacial Prosthetics. Although the face transplant patient will present clinicians with new challenges, established techniques and sound prosthodontic and prosthetic principles will provide the foundation for the delivery of prosthetic support and treatment of this patient population. For optimal results, the Maxillofacial Prosthodontist should be a member of the transplant team and consulted during the pre-surgical, surgical, and post-surgical phases of face transplantation.
The Institute of Medicine White Paper on Testosterone: Current Perspective

Good health and normal sexual function in males require functioning testicles, a fact known since antiquity. It is only more recently that the source of that effect was attributed to testosterone. Several centuries ago, Arnould Berthold castrated a rooster as part of an experiment, which resulted in loss of the physical signs of masculinization. Berthold realized that something manufactured by the testes was responsible for maintenance of virilization; returning the testicles to the intra-abdominal cavity of the rooster led to a restoration of its phenotype. Because Berthold had severed the neurovascular connection of the testis to the body, he correctly surmised that the testicles produced a secretion that must act through the circulatory system. It was Charles Brown-Sequard who confirmed the testes as the source of the secretion of this “hormone.” After he extracted fluid from the testis of dogs and injected himself with this fluid, he experienced improvements in strength, appetite, and mentation and published the results. The exact chemical messenger remained unidentified until 1935, when David et al. published the structure of the steroidal chemical and named the compound “testosterone.” Shortly thereafter, Butenandt and Ruzicka published near simultaneous manuscripts describing the methods for testosterone synthesis, which resulted in them subsequently sharing the Nobel Prize.
Semiconductors for high selectivity thermal emitters

Selective emitters limit thermal radiation to a narrow spectral band enabling applications including energy conversion and sensing. While applications demand high spectral selectivity, the materials used for selective emitters limit the ultimate selectivity. At high temperatures (>600 K), the optical properties of materials degrade, resulting in poor spectral selectivity, and thus leaving an open question—what material platform makes a good selective thermal emitter? Here, we show that doped semiconductors make a good choice by predicting their temperature dependent optical constants in a wide doping range. We build semi-empirical models to predict the temperature dependences of microscopic processes in GaAs and Si, a polar and a non-polar semiconductor respectively, and demonstrate that semiconductors with small and tunable optical losses enable very high spectral selectivity in thermal emitters. Our predictions agree reasonably well with more complex and accurate methods such as variational and second order perturbation theories, and serve as a guide in the discovery and development of materials for high temperature nanophotonics.
Polymer-Controlled Drug Delivery Systems: Science and Engineering

Biocompatible polymers have been increasingly utilized to control the delivery of Pharmaceuticals, veterinary drugs and agrichemicals. For controlled medication, several polymers, natural or synthetic and nonbiodegradable or bioerodible, have been successfully applied to the development of rate-controlled drug delivery systems, as exemplified by the commercialization of Acutrim tablets for one-a-day oral appetite control, Nitrodisc system for daily transdermal medication of anginal pectoris, Compudose implants for 200 to 400 day subcutaneous growth promotion, Progestasert IUD for yearly in-trauterine contraception, and Ocusert system for weekly ocular glaucoma treatment. The science and engineering involved in the development of these marketed long-acting drug delivery systems and others, which are currently under active development, are analyzed and discussed.