cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Anomalous behavior of tellurium abundances

Abstract The cosmic abundance of Te is larger than for any element with atomic number greater than 40, but it is one of the least abundant elements in the earth's lithosphere and it is one of the five elements never reported in sea water. On the other hand, it is the fourth most abundant trace element in the human body (after Fe, Zn, and Rb), and is unusually abundant in human food. It is shown that the high abundance in human food combined with the low abundance in soil requires that it be picked up by plant roots very much more efficiently than any other trace element.
Regulation of human interleukin 14 transcription in vitro and in vivo after renal transplantation.

Background. Alloantibodies and B lymphocytes are felt to contribute in increasingly important ways to the pathogenesis of both acute and chronic allograft injury. The mechanisms that lead to the formation of posttransplant alloantibodies despite immunosuppressive therapy have not been fully elucidated. Interleukin 14 (IL-14) or high molecular weight B cell growth factor secreted by activated T and B cells and follicular dendritic cells promotes B cell growth, survival and memory, and antibody production. The potential role of IL-14 in human transplantation has not been examined. Methods. Using quantitative polymerase chain reaction techniques, we examined IL-14 mRNA transcript levels in human cells and compared them to IL-2. Interleukin-14 mRNA levels were measured in isolated human T cells stimulated in vitro with mitogen and alloantigen in the presence or absence of immunosuppressive drugs. In vivo, IL-14 transcript levels were measured in peripheral blood leukocytes isolated from patients after renal transplantation. Results. In vitro, both IL-14 and IL-2 transcript levels increase after alloantigen and mitogen stimulation and are suppressed by currently used immunosuppressive agents. In vivo, IL-14 and IL-2 behave differently as IL-14 transcript levels are not reduced by immunosuppressive therapy. Interleukin-14 transcripts also increase after both immune and nonimmune injury to renal allografts. Conclusions. This is the first demonstration of human IL-14 mRNA regulation in vitro and in vivo. Given the important effects of IL-14 on B cell proliferation and antibody production, increases in IL-14 transcript levels may play a role in alloantibody formation after renal transplantation.
Hypothermia in the sepsis syndrome and clinical outcome

ObjectiveTo evaluate the consequences of clinical hypothermia associated with sepsis syndrome and septic shock.DesignAnalysis of data from a multi-institutional, randomized, placebo-controlled, prospective study with predetermined end-point analysis of development of shock, recovery from shock, hosp
In situ neutron-diffraction studies on the creep behavior of a ferritic superalloy

Precipitate strengthening effects toward the improved creep behavior have been investigated in a ferritic superalloy with B2-type (Ni,Fe)Al precipitates. In situ neutron diffraction has been employed to study the evolution of the average phase strains, (hkl) plane-specific lattice strains, interphase lattice misfit, and grain-orientation texture during creep deformation of the ferritic superalloy at 973 K (700 °C). The creep mechanisms and particle-dislocation interactions have been studied from the macroscopic creep behavior. At a low stress level of 107 MPa, the dislocation-climb-controlled power-law creep is dominant in the matrix phase, and the load partition between the matrix and the precipitate phases remains constant. However, intergranular stresses develop progressively during the primary creep regime with the load transferred to 200 and 310 oriented grains along the axial loading direction. At a high stress level of 150 MPa, deformation is governed by the thermally activated dislocation glide (power-law breakdown) accompanied by the accelerated texture evolution. Furthermore, an increase in stress level also leads to load transfer from the plastically deformed matrix to the elastically deformed precipitates in the axial direction, along with an increase in the lattice misfit between the matrix and the precipitate phases.
Vibrational frequencies and structural determination of arsenous tricyanide

Abstract The normal mode frequencies and corresponding vibrational assignments of arsenous tricyanide are examined theoretically using the gaussian 98 set of quantum chemistry codes. Each of the vibrational modes was assigned to one of four types of motion predicted by a group theoretical analysis (As–C stretch, CN stretch, As–CC bend, and C–As–C bend) utilizing the C 3 v symmetry of the molecule. A set of uniform scaling factors was derived for each type of motion. Predicted infrared and Raman intensities are reported.
Research-IQ: Development and evaluation of an ontology-anchored integrative query tool

Investigators in the translational research and systems medicine domains require highly usable, efficient and integrative tools and methods that allow for the navigation of and reasoning over emerging large-scale data sets. Such resources must cover a spectrum of granularity from bio-molecules to population phenotypes. Given such information needs, we report upon the initial design and evaluation of an ontology-anchored integrative query tool, Research-IQ, which employs a combination of conceptual knowledge engineering and information retrieval techniques to enable the intuitive and rapid construction of queries, in terms of semi-structured textual propositions, that can subsequently be applied to integrative data sets. Our initial results, based upon both quantitative and qualitative evaluations of the efficacy and usability of Research-IQ, demonstrate its potential to increase clinical and translational research throughput.
ON THE PRESENTATION OF THE RESULTS OF SAMPLE SURVEYS AS LEGAL EVIDENCE

Abstract * Presented at a meeting of the American Statistical Association in Chicago, 29 December 1952.
Results on the Robust Observer-based Position Controller for Parallel Kinematic Machines

The problem of state observation and position control by output feedback for a nonlinear three degrees-of-freedom (3-DOF) parallel kinematic machine (PKM) system is considered, based on the limited signal availability (only the moving platform displacement measurements are assumed available). Unknown velocity signals are estimated via a nonlinear robust observer that is designed for the nonlinear system with observable linear dynamics part and bounded nonlinearities and disturbances, and that guarantees global exponential stability of the observation error. A proportional-derivative (PD) controller is designed to solve the position control problem, utilizing the estimated velocity, as well as the gravitation compensation, dynamic friction and external disturbance compensation for the PKM. The closed-loop system is proven to have global asymptotical stability according to the Lyapunov analysis method and LaSalle's invariance principle. Performance of the resulting observer and controller is illustrated in a simulation study of a 3-DOF PKM. Modifications to the nonlinear observer and control law are discussed, that assure convergence of the position error and state observation error to zero when the upper bounds on the model uncertainties/disturbances are not known a priori.
Averaged and depth-dependent anisotropy of articular cartilage by microscopic imaging.

Objectives To identify the common connections among the averaged and depth-dependent anisotropic properties of articular cartilage by performing a meta-analysis of several published multidisciplinary imaging results. The imaging techniques involved include microscopic magnetic resonance imaging (μMRI), polarized light microscopy (PLM), Fourier-transform infrared imaging (FTIRI), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Methods Several physical properties of cartilage are incorporated in this meta-analysis. These tissue properties include T 2 anisotropy from μMRI, angle and retardance from PLM, infrared anisotropy from FTIRI, and image morphology from TEM. Because the specimens in these studies all came from the same type of canine humeral joints, it is possible to correlate these multidisciplinary tissue properties using a common platform. Results An ellipse model was used to identify the connections among these tissue properties in terms of the anisotropy of articular cartilage, in each histological zone as well as for the entire noncalcified tissue. It was found that many aspects of these tissue properties can be interpreted beyond their usual meanings as measured, based on 3 features of an ellipse: the concentration, the orientation, and the anisotropy. Conclusions The ellipse model is a useful graphical concept in cartilage imaging since it helps to bring together the measured physical/morphological/chemical quantities in these imaging tools and the anisotropic structure of articular cartilage. Two possible mechanisms for the angular transition of collagen fibrils in cartilage are discussed.
Structure of a unique binuclear manganese cluster in arginase

Each individual excretes roughly 10 kg of urea per year, as a result of the hydrolysis of arginine in the final cytosolic step of the urea cycle. This reaction allows the disposal of nitrogenous waste from protein catabolism, and is catalysed by the liver arginase enzyme. In other tissues that lack a complete urea cycle, arginase regulates cellular arginine and ornithine concentrations for biosynthetic reactions, including nitric oxide synthesis: in the macrophage, arginase activity is reciprocally coordinated with that of NO synthase to modulate NO-dependent cytotoxicity. The bioinorganic chemistry of arginase is particularly rich because this enzyme is one of very few that specifically requires a spin-coupled Mn2+-Mn2+ cluster for catalytic activity in vitro and in vivo. The 2.1 angstrom-resolution crystal structure of trimeric rat liver arginase reveals that this unique metal cluster resides at the bottom of an active-site cleft that is 15 angstroms deep. Analysis of the structure indicates that arginine hydrolysis is achieved by a metal-activated solvent molecule which symmetrically bridges the two Mn2+ ions.
Critical comparison of soft-X-ray fluorescence detectors for XAFS studies in the 2 to 4 keV region

Abstract We report a performance comparison of fluorescence detectors for XAFS in the soft-X-ray region. In particular, this comparison was made under the practical constraints of an existing hard-X-ray beamline (X-19A NSLS) double-crystal Si(111) monochromator with a 10-mil beryllium exit window. A critical comparison of an energy-dispersive proportional counter and an ionization chamber was performed above the sulfur K edge for a very dilute sample and a mixed-element system. Third-harmonic contributions and signal-to-background ratios are discussed, with the conclusion that an energy-dispersive proportional counter provides superior results under our beamline constraints.
Texture classification using ART-based neural networks and fractals

In this paper texture classification is studied based on the fractal dimension (FD) of filtered versions of the image and the Fuzzy ART Map neural network (FAMNN). FD is used because it has shown good tolerance to some image transformations. We implemented a variation of the testing phase of Fuzzy ARTMAP that exhibited superior performance than the standard Fuzzy ARTMAP and the 1-nearest neighbor (1-NN) in the presence of noise. The performance of the above techniques is tested with respect to segmentation of images that include more than one texture.
Health-related quality of life in children and adolescents with cystic fibrosis: convergent validity with parent-reports and objective measures of pulmonary health.

Abstract:Objective:This study examined the convergent validity of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) reported by patients with cystic fibrosis compared with their parents' reports and objective pulmonary measures across 3 time points.Methods:Ninety-two children (8–13 years) and adolescents (14–1
Characterization of glutamate receptor interacting protein-immunopositive neurons in cerebellum and cerebral cortex of the albino rat.

Glutamate receptor interacting protein (GRIP) binds to the C-terminus of the glutamate receptor 2 (GluR2) subunit of alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionate (AMPA) receptors in vitro and may play an important role in the synaptic organization of these receptors. To determine the distribution of GRIP in vivo, GRIP was localized immunocytochemically in cerebellum and cerebral cortex of adult Sprague-Dawley rats. In the cerebellar cortex, GRIP staining was prominent in perikarya and proximal dendrites of Purkinje cells, whereas Golgi cells were stained more weakly. Double labeling revealed that GRIP and GluR2 were colocalized in Purkinje cells but not in Golgi cells. In the cerebral cortex, GRIP-stained dendrites and somata of nonpyramidal neurons were scattered throughout cortical layers, whereas pyramidal cells were only weakly immunopositive. GRIP was especially prominent in a subset of GluR2-containing cells that also expressed a high level of GluR1. The large majority of strongly GRIP-positive cells in neocortex were immunopositive for gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), including the overwhelming majority of calbindin-positive cells in superficial cortical layers, most of the parvalbumin-positive cells, and half of the calretinin-positive interneurons. Staining in the neuropil became more punctate after antigen was unmasked with proteinase K. Electron microscopic localization in the cerebral cortex by postembedding immunogold showed that somatic GRIP was associated with rough endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus. GRIP was seen over the postsynaptic density of axospinous and axodendritic asymmetric synapses and at high levels in dendrites of GABA-positive neurons. The present data support a role for GRIP in anchoring AMPA receptors and suggest that GRIP trafficking may be especially active in GABAergic neurons.
Direct regulation of egl-1 and of programmed cell death by the Hox protein MAB-5 and by CEH-20, a C. elegans homolog of Pbx1

Hox genes are crucial determinants of cell fates and of body morphology of animals; mutations affecting these genes result in abnormal patterns of programmed cell death. How Hox genes regulate programmed cell death is an important and poorly understood aspect of normal development. In the nematode C. elegans, the Hox gene mab-5 is required for the programmed cell deaths of two lineally related cells generated in the P11 and P12 lineages. We show here that in the P11 lineage, a complex between MAB-5 and the Pbx homolog CEH-20 directly regulates transcription of the BH3 domain gene egl-1 to initiate programmed cell death; in the P12 lineage, mab-5 and ceh-20 apparently act indirectly to initiate programmed cell death. Direct regulation of programmed cell death may be an evolutionarily ancient and conserved function of Hox genes.
Neutrinos from particle decay in the Sun and Earth.

Weakly interacting massive particles (WIMP's) may be indirectly detected by observation of upward muons induced by energetic neutrinos from annihilation of WIMP's that have accumulated in the Sun and/or Earth. Energetic muon neutrinos come from the decays of \ensuremath{\tau} leptons, c, b, and t quarks, gauge bosons, and Higgs bosons produced by WIMP annihilation. We provide analytic expressions, suitable for computing the flux of upward muons, for the neutrino energy spectra from decays of all these particles in the center of the Sun and Earth. These analytic expressions should obviate the need for Monte Carlo calculations of the upward-muon flux. We investigate the effects of polarization of the gauge bosons on the neutrino spectra, and find that they are small. We also present simple expressions for the second moments of the neutrino distributions which can be used to estimate the rates for observation of neutrino-induced muons from WIMP annihilation.
Color correction of texture images for true photorealistic visualization

Abstract Photorealistic visualization combines 3-D geometric models with their texture images to render the virtual world. This paper points out that the texture images should be radiometrically corrected to achieve a true realistic appearance. Such a correction should include not only the color adjustment among images of the same object, but also the shade variation caused by the illumination change. The objective of this study is to correct the input texture images such that their shade varies when being rendered under different illumination directions. To achieve this goal we first apply the specular-to-diffuse mechanism based on the dichromatic reflection model to remove the specular component from the texture image. The resultant diffusion-only image then undergoes a shade correction to produce a normalized shade-free texture image. In the final step, shades under any illumination are produced to achieve a true photorealistic effect. Presented in the paper are the principles and methods for such corrections, along with a performance evaluation based on the graphic and numerical results for roof texture images.
Nicotine Transport in a Human Choriocarcinoma Cell Line (JAR)

Smoking is a major health problem in pregnancy resulting in intrauterine growth retardation and birth complications. Nicotine, a toxic component of cigarette smoke, interferes with amino acid transport in the placenta and stimulates catecholamine release resulting in uteroplacental vasoconstriction. Transplacental transport of nicotine may be an important determinant of placental and fetal exposure. Our aim was to determine the mechanism of nicotine transport in the human choriocarcinoma cell line, JAR, as a model for the placenta. JAR cells were subcultured in 12-well plates following trypsinization at a seeding density of 0.5 x 106 cells/well (1.3 x 105 cells/cm2). Uptake studies of [3H]nicotine were carried out in JAR cell monolayers on day 2 after plating. [3H]Nicotine uptake was saturable (Km 156 μM), sensitive to temperature, and inhibited by unlabeled nicotine and various organic cations including mecamylamine and quinidine, but not by guanidine, tetraethylammonium (TEA), or neurotransmitters. Counterflux of [3H]nicotine uptake was produced by unlabeled nicotine and mecamylamine but not by cotinine or acetylcholine, consistent with a carrier-mediated transport process. The uptake could be driven by an inside-negative membrane potential or by an outwardly directed pH gradient. This is the first demonstration of a carrier-mediated transport mechanism for nicotine in a human cell line. This transport mechanism may have implications to the disposition of nicotine in the human placenta.
Multiple step social structure analysis with Cytoscape

Cytoscape is a popular open source tool for biologists to visualize interaction networks. We find that it offers most of the desired functionality for visual analytics on graph data to guide us in the identification of the underlying social structure. We demonstrate its utility in the identification of the social structure in the VAST 2009 Flitter Mini Challenge.
The Economic Value of Improving the Health of Disadvantaged Americans

This report describes the method used to estimate the foregone monetary benefits associated with health disparities that were reported in Overcoming Obstacles to Health: Report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to the Commission to Build a Healthier America. We estimate the annual dollar value of the benefits that would accrue to disadvantaged American adults if they experienced the lower mortality rates and better health of more advantaged Americans. The measure of advantaged/disadvantage is based on education, which is strongly related to economic status, closely associated with health and mortality, and has been widely studied. Our estimates suggest a quite large potential benefit of improving the health of disadvantaged Americans: raising the health of all Americans to that of college educated Americans would result in annual gains of just over 1 trillion dollars worth of increased health as of 2006. These estimates are not designed to be a full accounting of the social costs and benefits of particular policies and programs that could reduce health disparities. Rather, they provide a metric for comparing the order of magnitude of health disparities in relation to other social issues vying for attention. Our results suggest large potential aggregate payoffs to identifying cost-effective ways of improving the health of low SES groups. * Authors acknowledge financial support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Contact information:
Speaker-independent voiced-stop-consonant recognition using a block-windowed neural network architecture

The authors study several of the more well-known connectionist models, and how they address the time and frequency variability of the multispeaker, voiced-stop-consonant recognition task. Among the network architectures reviewed or tested for were the self-organizing feature maps (SOFM) architecture, various derivatives of this architecture, the time-delay neural network (TDNN) architecture, various derivatives of this architecture, and two frequency-and-time-shift-invariant architectures, frequency-shift-invariant TDNN, and the block-windowed neural network (FTDNN and BWNN). Voiced-stop speech was extracted from up to four dialect regions of the TIMIT continuous speech corpus for subsequent preprocessing and training and testing of network instances. Various feature representations were tested for their robustness in representing the voiced-stop consonants.
An investigation of the cost and benefit of mechanical thrombectomy for endovascular treatment of acute ischemic stroke

Introduction The use of mechanical thrombectomy for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke has significantly advanced over the past 5 years, with few available data. The aim of this study was to analyze the cost and benefit of mechanical thrombectomy devices utilized during endovascular therapy of ischemic stroke patients. Methods A retrospective chart review of patients that underwent intra-arterial stroke interventions was conducted. Clinical, angiographic, all devices used, procedural and postprocedural event and outcome data were collected. Thrombectomy devices were categorized as Penumbra aspiration system thrombectomy (group P) or stent retriever (group S). Statistical analysis of outcomes and costs for each group was performed. Results 171 patients underwent mechanical thrombectomy. The Penumbra aspiration system was able to primarily achieve recanalization in 41.7% and the stent retriever in 70.4% of the time (p=0.006). The average cost was $11 159 and $16 022 (p=0.0002) in groups P and S, respectively. Average time to recanalization for group P was 85.1 min and for group S, 51.6 min (p Conclusions For the treatment of acute stroke patients, the use of aspiration appears to be the most cost effective method to achieve acceptable recanalization rates and low complication rates. Stent retriever with local aspiration, despite higher costs and complication rates, yielded better overall outcome.
Of Cain and Abel: African-American Literature and the Problem of Inheritance after 9/11

In November 2011, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution traced the career of Republican presidential hopeful Herman Cain back to his college years in the 1960s at Atlanta’s prestigious historically black institution, Morehouse College. Assimilating Cain into the image of the race man most often conjured in relation to other Morehouse luminaries—Martin Luther King, Jr., Maynard Jackson, Howard Thurman, Benjamin E. Mays—the article presents Cain as evidence of the widening variance in social and political perspectives in post-civil rights black American culture, even as it firmly anchors him in a kind of modern black political masculinity. United Negro College Fund president Michael Lomax tells the reporter, for example, “The elements of what you see in Herman Cain today were seeds planted, developed and nurtured at Morehouse[. . . . ] He is vintage Morehouse, as far as I am concerned. Strong personality. Forceful. Engaging. A supercharged ego. . . . Those are all elements of Morehouse.” A current Morehouse student and black Republican tells readers, “So often we’re given this media stereotype of a black Republican as someone who is outside mainstream black America, but Cain’s run does away with all these stereotypes. . . . He was born in the South,
Spirits, Power and the Political Imagination in Late-Colonial Gabon

Through narratives of an anti-‘fetish’ movement that swept through north-eastern Gabon in the mid-1950s, the present article traces the contours of converging political and religious imaginations in that country in the years preceding independence. Fang speakers in the region make explicit connections between the arrival of post-Second World War electoral politics, the anti-fetish movements, and perceptions of political weakening and marginalization of their region on the eve of independence. Rival politicians and the colonial administration played key roles in the movement, which brought in a Congolese ritual expert, Emane Boncoeur, and his two powerful spirits, Mademoiselle and Mimbare. These spirits, later recuperated in a wide range of healing practices, continue to operate today throughout northern Gabon and Rio Muni. In local imaginaries, these spirits played central roles in the birth of both regional and national politics, paradoxically strengthening the colonial administration and Gabonese auxiliaries in an era of pre-independence liberalization. Thus, regional political events in the 1950s rehearsed later configurations of power, including presidential politics, on the national stage. A travers les recits d’un mouvement anti-« fetiche » qui s’est propage rapidement dans le Nord-Est du Gabon dans le milieu des annees 1950, cet article trace les contours d’imaginations politiques et religieuses convergentes dans ce pays dans les annees qui ont precede l’independance. Les locuteurs fang de la region voient des liens explicites entre l’arrivee de la politique electorale d’apres Seconde Guerre mondiale, les mouvements anti-fetiche et les perceptions d’affaiblissement politique et de marginalisation de leur region a la veille de l’independance. Les politiciens rivaux et l’administration coloniale ont joue des roles cles dans ce mouvement qui a fait appel a un specialiste congolais des rites, Emane Boncoeur, et ses deux puissants esprits, Mademoiselle et Mimbare. Ces esprits, recuperes plus tard dans un large eventail de pratiques de guerison, sont toujours presents aujourd’hui dans tout le Nord du Gabon et dans le Rio Muni. Dans les imaginaires locaux, ces esprits ont joue des roles centraux dans la naissance des politiques regionales et nationales, en renforcant paradoxiquement l’administration coloniale et les auxiliaires gabonais dans une ere de liberalisation preindependance. Ainsi, les evenements politiques regionaux des annees 1950 ont servi de repetition aux configurations du pouvoir (y compris la politique presidentielle) apparues plus tard sur la scene nationale.
Novel and Efficient IR-Drop Models for Designing Power Distribution Network for Sub-100nm Integrated Circuits

Designing robust power distribution network with decreasing power supply voltage and increasing power density in given N-metal layer resources is very critical for chip performance and reliability. In this paper, we present novel and efficient IR-Drop models for designing correct by construct power distribution network of N-metal layer system for wire-bond and flip-chip designs based on the given design constraints such as chip power dissipation, total IR drop budget and power supply voltage along EM and manufacturability constraints as per the technology. Using these models, designer can also perform trade-off for effective metal resources utilization in desired metal layers system for power distribution network and signal routing resource needs. Results have been verified with industry standard EMIR analysis tool and are within 1-5% for both wire-bond and flip-chip designs. These models have been validated on 90nm, 65nm production designs
On Using Carbon and Oxygen Isotope Data from Glendonites as Paleoenvironmental Proxies: A Case Study from the Permian System of Eastern Australia

Abstract Glendonites, calcite pseudomorphs after ikaite (CaCO3 • 6H2O), feature prominently in fine-grained, glacially influenced Permian marine strata of eastern Australia, which accumulated in a series of extensional basins that occupied polar to temperate latitudes along the southeastern margin of Gondwana. Because ikaite formation in the marine environment requires near-freezing temperatures, high alkalinity, and elevated concentrations of orthophosphate, the presence of glendonites in ancient strata implies a particular array of paleoenvironmental conditions. A petrographic and geochemical study was carried out to assess the veracity of isotopic data from glendonites as proxy indicators of ancient ocean chemistry, sea-floor temperature, and diagenesis. In thin section, glendonites consist of inclusion-zoned, equant to bladed calcite crystals, interpreted as the ikaite replacement phase, enclosed in a matrix of calcite and minor chalcedony and pyrite cements. Carbon and oxygen isotope data show a negative covariance, with δ18O values ranging from −22.5 to +0.3‰ and δ13C values from −27.7 to −4.5‰ V-PDB. Of the calcite phases examined, the ikaite replacement phase is the most enriched in 18O and most depleted in 13C; enclosing cements possess lower δ18O and higher δ13C values and are interpreted to have formed during later stages of burial diagenesis. The δ18O values of the ikaite replacement phase do not correspond to formation with Permian seawater at near-freezing temperatures unless isotopic disequilibrium is assumed. The δ13C values are similar to the carbon isotope composition of bulk organic matter in the host sediment, and suggest that the alkalinity and orthophosphate necessary for ikaite stability were generated in the zone of suboxic to anoxic diagenesis. Results indicate that although δ18O and δ13C values from glendonites are useful for understanding early to late diagenetic processes, they are not ideal proxies for seawater chemistry and temperature.
Antiprimer quenching-based real-time PCR and its application to the analysis of clinical cancer samples.

Background: Nucleic acid amplification plays an increasingly important role in genetic analysis of clinical samples, medical diagnostics, and drug discovery. We present a novel quantitative PCR technology that combines the advantages of existing methods and allows versatile and flexible nucleic acid target quantification in clinical samples of widely different origin and quality. Methods: We modified one of the 2 PCR primers by use of an oligonucleotide “tail” fluorescently labeled at the 5′ end. An oligonucleotide complementary to this tail, carrying a 3′ quenching molecule (antiprimer), was included in the reaction along with 2 primers. After primer extension, the reaction temperature was lowered such that the antiprimer hybridizes and quenches the fluorescence of the free primer but not the fluorescence of the double-stranded PCR product. The latter provides real-time fluorescent product quantification. This antiprimer-based quantitative real-time PCR method (aQRT-PCR) was used to amplify and quantify minute amounts of input DNA for genes important to cancer. Results: Simplex and multiplex aQRT-PCR demonstrated linear correlation ( r 2 >0.995) down to a DNA input equivalent to 20 cells. Multiplex aQRT-PCR reliably identified the HER-2 gene in microdissected breast cancer samples; in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded specimens; and in plasma circulating DNA from cancer patients. Adaptation to multiplex single-nucleotide polymorphism detection via allele-specific aQRT-PCR allowed correct identification of apolipoprotein B polymorphisms in 51 of 51 human specimens. Conclusion: The simplicity, versatility, reliability, and low cost of aQRT-PCR make it suitable for genetic analysis of clinical specimens.
Inpatient disposition classification for the creation of hospital surge capacity: a multiphase study.

Summary Background The ability to provide medical care during sudden increases in patient volume during a disaster or other high-consequence event is a serious concern for health-care systems. Identification of inpatients for safe early discharge (ie, reverse triage) could create additional hospital surge capacity. We sought to develop a disposition classification system that categorises inpatients according to suitability for immediate discharge on the basis of risk tolerance for a subsequent consequential medical event. Methods We did a warfare analysis laboratory exercise using evidence-based techniques, combined with a consensus process of 39 expert panellists. These panellists were asked to define the categories of a disposition classification system, assign risk tolerance of a consequential medical event to each category, identify critical interventions, and rank each (using a scale of 1–10) according to the likelihood of a resultant consequential medical event if a critical intervention is withdrawn or withheld because of discharge. Findings The panellists unanimously agreed on a five-category disposition classification system. The upper limit of risk tolerance for a consequential medical event in the lowest risk group if discharged early was less than 4%. The next categories had upper limits of risk tolerance of about 12% (IQR 8–15%), 33% (25–50%), 60% (45–80%) and 100% (95–100%), respectively. The expert panellists identified 28 critical interventions with a likelihood of association with a consequential medical event if withdrawn, ranging from 3 to 10 on the 10-point scale. Interpretation The disposition classification system allows conceptual classification of patients for suitable disposition, including those deemed safe for early discharge home during surges in demand. Clinical criteria allowing real-time categorisation of patients are awaited.
Microcirculation as a Dynamic Entity

A substantial array of data on the molecular level, together with the application of new immunological probes, have reinforced the concept that the microcirculatory segment of the vascular system contributes in a significant way to the pathophysiologic manifestations of a number of major systemic disorders such as hypertension, diabetes, sepsis and shock. The design features and functional attributes which enable this segment of the vascular system to operate as an independent organic entity have intrigued investigators for many years.
Sugar Profile, Mineral Content, and Rheological and Thermal Properties of an Isomerized Sweet Potato Starch Syrup

Currently, corn is used to produce more than 85% of the world's high fructose syrup (HFS). There is a search for alternative HFS substrates because of increased food demand and shrinking economies, especially in the developing world. The sweet potato is a feasible, alternative raw material. This study isomerized a high glucose sweet potato starch syrup (SPSS) and determined its sugar profile, mineral content, and rheological and thermal properties. Rheological and thermal properties were measured using a rheometer and DSC, respectively. Sweet potato starch was hydrolyzed to syrup with a mean fructose content of 7.6 ± 0.4%. The SPSS had significantly higher (P < 0.05) mineral content when compared to commercial ginger and pancake syrups. During 70 days of storage, the SPSS acted as a non-Newtonian, shear-thinning liquid in which the viscosity decreased as shear stress increased. Water loss temperature of the SPSS continually decreased during storage, while pancake and ginger syrups' peak water loss temperature decreased initially and then increased. Further and more detailed studies should be designed to further enhance the fructose content of the syrup and observe its stability beyond 70 days. The SPSS has the potential to be used in human food systems in space and on Earth.
Coronary Artery Disease and Aortic Stenosis in the Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Era: Old Questions, New Paradigms: The Evolving Role of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in the Treatment of Patients With Aortic Stenosis

Significant coronary artery disease (CAD) is present in up to 50% of patients with symptomatic aortic stenosis (AS). Although numerous databases have shown that the addition of bypass grafting to an aortic valve replacement (AVR) nearly doubles the mortality, surgical series have shown that leaving significant coronary stenosis untreated increases AVR mortality.1–4 Thus, the standard of care for this population has been concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting along with surgical aortic valve replacement. Article see p 1005 Historically, the role of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in the setting of severe AS has been limited and mainly directed to patients with acute coronary syndrome. However, PCI has been occasionally used in treating those patients in whom the risk of surgical AVR is prohibitive in attempts to palliate symptoms or to differentiate coronary from valvular syndromes. Recently, several new indications for PCI in the setting of AS have been proposed: in the context of hybrid procedures using PCI with AVR and in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Several groups have been investigating the role of hybrid procedures for the treatment of concomitant CAD and AS. Percutaneous coronary intervention either immediately preceding or simultaneously with surgery has been shown in limited series to be safe.5 Admittedly, there may be a strong publication bias favoring studies with superior outcomes, and larger studies are underway. The goal of hybrid procedures is to reduce a higher-risk coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG)/AVR to 2 potentially lower-risk and less morbid procedures. There are at least 2 important considerations raised by this concept. First, can PCI be performed safely in the setting of AS, and if so what is the best timing for it? Second, what is the impact of the necessary dual antiplatelet therapy on bleeding with surgery? There are …
An in vivo comparison of cis- and trans-[18F]mefway in the nonhuman primate.

Abstract Introduction [ 18 F]Mefway is a serotonin 5-HT 1A PET radiotracer with high specificity and favorable in vivo imaging properties. The chemical structure of [ 18 F]mefway permits 18 F labeling in either the cis or trans positions at the 4-cyclohexyl site. We have previously reported on the in vivo kinetics of trans -[ 18 F]mefway in the nonhuman primate. In this work, we compare the in vivo binding of cis -[ 18 F]mefway and trans -[ 18 F]mefway to evaluate the properties of cis -[ 18 F]mefway for 5-HT 1A PET imaging. Methods The cis - and trans -[ 18 F]mefway tracers were synthesized via nucleophilic substitution with their respective tosyl precursors. Two monkeys (one male, one female) were given bolus injections of both cis - and trans -labeled [ 18 F]mefway in separate experiments. Dynamic scans were acquired for 90 min with a microPET P4 scanner. Time–activity curves were extracted in the areas of the mesial temporal cortex (MTC), anterior cingulate gyrus (aCG), insular cortex (IC), raphe nuclei (RN) and cerebellum (CB). The in vivo behavior of the radiotracers was compared based upon the nondisplaceable binding potential (BP ND ) using the CB as a reference region. Results Averaged over the two subjects, BP ND values were as follows: MTC: 7.7, 0.58; aCG: 4.95, 0.32; IC: 3.27, 0.2; and RN: 3.05, 0.13, for trans -[ 18 F]mefway and cis -[ 18 F]mefway, respectively. Conclusion The cis -labeled [ 18 F]mefway tracer has low specific binding throughout the 5-HT 1A regions of the brain compared to trans -[ 18 F]mefway, suggesting that the target-to-background binding of cis -[ 18 F]mefway may limit its use for in vivo assessment of 5-HT 1A binding.
Platelet-Derived Growth Factor Causes Sustained Depletion of Both Inositol Trisphosphate-Sensitive and Caffeine-Sensitive Intracellular Calcium Stores in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells

Abstract Since the platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)–induced increase in cellular inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP3) has been found to decay to basal levels soon after the onset of PDGF exposure, it has been argued that activation of Ca2+ release from intracellular stores must be similarly transient. The possibility remains, however, that PDGF-induced release of stored Ca2+ is initiated and sustained by other second-messenger systems. To test the hypothesis that PDGF-BB initiates sustained Ca2+ release from cellular stores, we performed 4-hour 45Ca effluxes on monolayers of A7r5 vascular smooth muscle cells in small, continuously perfused chambers. Isoform PDGF-BB (5 ng/mL for 30 minutes or 30 ng/mL for 15 minutes) was added to the perfusate beginning at 30 minutes of efflux. A dose-related increase in 45Ca release was sustained as long as PDGF-BB was present. Detailed kinetic analysis and nonlinear least-squares fitting of the experimental data revealed that (1) PDGF-BB induced sustained increases of 2.86-fold (5 ng/mL) and 6.50-fold (30 ng/mL) in the rate constant governing Ca2+ release from intracellular stores, (2) the apparent K m for this effect was 13.4±1.31 ng PDGF-BB/mL, and (3) the entire agonist-releasable Ca2+ store (presumably sarcoplasmic reticulum) is sensitive to PDGF-BB. These data indicate that PDGF-BB causes a sustained depletion of intracellular Ca2+ stores by means of sustained activation of Ca2+ release and suggest that intraorganellar Ca2+ may be one of the signals that mediates long-term smooth muscle responses to PDGF.
A hybrid approach to pre-conjunct identification

An algorithm that identifies pre-conjuncts in natural language sentences is described. Syntactic and semantic information is combined to ascertain the size of the syntactic relation that precedes a coordinate conjunction. The approach is not domain specific and relies only on part-of-speech information. Performance results on several corpora are given.
Pleuropericarditis complicated by a pericardial cyst

Abstract We report the case of a 36-year-old woman with a recent upper respiratory illness who presented with chest pressure, lasting for five days, which improved with leaning forward. Physical examination and laboratory studies were unremarkable. Chest computed tomography scan revealed a 6.9cm×4cm×2.5cm pericardial cyst. The patient was diagnosed with pleuropericarditis complicated by a pericardial cyst. Pericardial cysts are rare mediastinal lesions that are often congenital, but may be inflammatory. If symptomatic, surgical resection or percutaneous aspiration may be considered. In our patient, treatment with ibuprofen and colchicine resulted in a decrease in cyst size, suggesting an inflammatory component. We describe an uncommon case of reduction of a pericardial cyst shortly after treatment of pericarditis due to a probable viral infection. Non-operative management of pericardial cysts may be appropriate in these select cases. Learning objective: Pericardial cysts are rare, congenital, mediastinal lesions. Patients are often asymptomatic or may present with atypical chest pain, cough, or compressive symptoms. In previously reported cases, patients with pericardial cysts had undergone surgical intervention. Pericardial cysts may have an inflammatory component, and can be complicated by infections. Thus, non-operative management may be more appropriate in certain situations.>
The WFIRST/AFTA coronagraph instrument optical design

The most recent concept for the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) Design Reference Mission (DRM) features an instrument that will perform exoplanet detection via coronagraphy of the host star. This observatory is based on the existing Astrophysics Focused Telescope Asset’s (AFTA) 2.4-meter telescope. The WFIRST/AFTA Coronagraph Instrument combines the Hybrid Lyot and Shaped Pupil Coronagraphs to meet the science requirements. The cycle 5 optical design fits the required enclosure and accommodates both coronagraphic architectures. We present the optical performance including throughput of both the imaging and the IFS channels, the wavefront error at the first pupil, and polarization effects from optical coatings.
Endoscopic Distal Biceps Repair: Endoscopic Anatomy and Dual-Anchor Repair Using a Proximal Anterolateral “Parabiceps Portal”

Distal biceps rupture is associated with significant functional disability, and surgical treatment involves open or endoscopic-assisted repair of the ruptured tendon through an anterior incision. This report describes an endoscopic approach that is performed with 2 portals for visualization and instrumentation. Preoperative sonography is used to identify bony and soft-tissue landmarks. The viewing portal is a proximal anterolateral “parabiceps portal” developed by the author, and the landmarks and relevant anatomic relations have been derived from a preliminary anatomic study. The working portal is a distal anterior portal and permits access to the radial tuberosity through the internervous muscular plane. The parabiceps portal permits visualization of the anterior and medial region of the radial tuberosity. A detailed description of the endoscopic pathoanatomy of the distal biceps tendon region is presented. The distal anterior portal is used for retrieval of the ruptured tendon, and thereafter the tuberosity is debrided and anchors are placed under vision. The ruptured tendon is whipstitched and docked onto the tuberosity, and nonsliding knots are used to securely reattach the tendon to bone. Overall, the 2-portal technique provides a method for tendon repair under direct visualization and is safe and reproducible.
Mortality risk of Fidelis management.

The Fidelis lead recall is the latest in a series of device recalls that have challenged clinicians with regard to appropriate patient management strategies. Medtronic (Minneapolis, Minnesota) recalled the Sprint Fidelis 6949 implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) lead in 2007 after 665 lead
Metagenomic Applications and the Potential for Understanding Chronic Liver Disease

Liver fibrosis is characterized by an excessive deposition of extracellular matrix proteins that occurs in chronic liver disease of any origin. Cirrhosis occurs with the development of regenerating nodules of hepatocytes. Patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis have a poor prognosis, and liver transplantation is often necessary. There are no effective antifibrotic treatments for patients with chronic liver diseases. Intestinal dysbiosis and bacterial translocation are common in patients with liver disease, and there is strong evidence that the translocation of bacteria and their products across the epithelial barrier contributes to the progression of liver fibrosis. Supporting evidence comes from animal studies demonstrating that intestinal decontamination is associated with decreased liver fibrogenesis. Despite this strong association, the exact molecular mechanism of how intestinal bacterial overgrowth and translocation contribute to liver disease progression remains unknown. In this chapter we describe microbial changes in response to liver injury and chronic liver disease and the consequences of intestinal dysbiosis on host biology. We will initially focus on fatty liver disease associated with obesity and liver injury induced by alcohol. We then highlight how therapeutic interventions may modify the gastrointestinal microflora and prevent or reduce disease progression.