cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
DNA demethylation by 5-aza-2-deoxycytidine treatment abrogates 17 beta-estradiol-induced cell growth and restores expression of DNA repair genes in human breast cancer cells

Prolonged exposure to elevated levels of estrogen is a risk factor for breast cancer. Though increased cell growth and loss of DNA repair capacity is one of the proposed mechanisms for estrogen-induced cancers, the mechanism through which estrogen induces cell growth and decreases DNA repair capacity is not clear. DNA hypermethylation is known to inactivate DNA repair genes and apoptotic response in cancer cells. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the role of DNA hypermethylation in estrogen-induced cell growth and regulation of DNA repair genes expression in breast cancer cells. To achieve this objective, the estrogen-responsive MCF-7 cells either pretreated with 5-aza-2-deoxycytidine (5-aza-dC) or untreated (as control) were exposed to 17 beta-estradiol (E2), and its effect on cell growth and expression of DNA repair genes were measured. The result revealed that 5-aza-dC abrogates the E2-induced growth in MCF-7 cells. An increased expression of OGG1, MSH4, and MLH1 by 5-aza-dC treatment alone, suggest the DNA hypermethylation as a potential cause for decreased expression of these genes in MCF-7 cells. The decreased expression of ERCC1, XPC, OGG1, and MLH1 by E2 alone and its restoration by co-treatment with 5-aza-dC further suggest that E2 reduces the expression of these DNA repair genes potentially through promoter hypermethylation. Reactivation of mismatch repair (MMR) gene MLH1 and abrogation of E2-induced cell growth by 5-aza-dC treatment suggest that estrogen causes increased growth in breast cancer cells potentially through the inhibition of MMR-mediated apoptotic response. In summary, this study suggests that estrogen increases cell growth and decreases the DNA repair capacity in breast cancer cells, at least in part, through epigenetic mechanism.
Relation between ascending aortic pressures and outcomes in patients with angiographically demonstrated coronary artery disease.

We prospectively followed 324 men, who underwent coronary angiography, for 1,161 ± 418 days. We analyzed the association between ascending aortic pressures measured during cardiac catheterization and the risk of all-cause mortality and a combined end point of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs), including unstable angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, coronary revascularization, stroke, or death. Pulse pressure significantly predicted MACEs (hazard ratio [HR] per 10 mm Hg increase 1.09, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.002 to 1.17, p = 0.04). Diastolic blood pressure (BP) inversely correlated with the risk of MACEs (HR per 10 mm Hg increase 0.85, 95% CI 0.74 to 0.98, p = 0.02). These correlations remained significant after adjusting for other predictors and potential confounders. The association between lower diastolic BP with the risk of MACEs was more pronounced in patients with triple-vessel coronary artery disease (p for interaction = 0.03). Peripheral diastolic BP (but not pulse pressure) correlated inversely with the risk of MACEs (HR 0.87 per 10 mm Hg increase, 95% CI 0.75 to 0.998, p = 0.047). Aortic pulse pressure significantly predicted death (HR per 10 mm Hg increase 1.18, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.33, p = 0.004), and aortic diastolic BP correlated inversely with the risk of death (HR 0.76, 95% CI 0.62 to 0.94, p = 0.01).
Application of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy to biological systems

This review summarizes the literature relating to the application of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering (SERRS) techniques to the study of biological molecules. The emphasis is on publications that have appeared during the period from 1985 to 1991. The review is divided into six major parts. First, a brief overview of the current understanding of the mechanistic aspects of SERS/SERRS is given, with an emphasis on the relationship between theoretical predictions and experimental results. The most common experimental systems (colloids, metal island films, and electrodes) are described. Studies of biological systems are described in the second (small molecules), third (DNA and proteins) and fourth (membranes proteins and membrane preparations) sections. In the fifth or conclusion section, the potential use of SERS or SERRS as a method for obtaining spectra of native biological molecules is evaluated. Finally, the sixth section describes advances in Raman instrumentation in terms of their possible impact on future applications of SERS/SERRS techniques to biological molecules.
Drosophila Heparan Sulfate 6-O-Endosulfatase Sulf1 Facilitates Wingless (Wg) Protein Degradation

Heparan sulfate proteoglycans regulate various physiological and developmental processes through interactions with a number of protein ligands. Heparan sulfate (HS)-ligand binding depends on the amount and patterns of sulfate groups on HS, which are controlled by various HS sulfotransferases in the Golgi apparatus as well as extracellular 6-O-endosulfatases called "Sulfs." Sulfs are a family of secreted molecules that specifically remove 6-O-sulfate groups within the highly sulfated regions on HS. Vertebrate Sulfs promote Wnt signaling, whereas the only Drosophila homologue of Sulfs, Sulf1, negatively regulates Wingless (Wg) signaling. To understand the molecular mechanism for the negative regulation of Wg signaling by Sulf1, we studied the effects of Sulf1 on HS-Wg interaction and Wg stability. Sulf1 overexpression strongly inhibited the binding of Wg to Dally, a potential target heparan sulfate proteoglycan of Sulf1. This effect of Drosophila Sulf1 on the HS-Wg interaction is similar to that of vertebrate Sulfs. Using in vitro, in vivo, and ex vivo systems, we show that Sulf1 reduces extracellular Wg protein levels, at least partly by facilitating Wg degradation. In addition, expression of human Sulf1 in the Drosophila wing disc lowers the levels of extracellular Wg protein, as observed for Drosophila Sulf1. Our study demonstrates that vertebrate and Drosophila Sulfs have an intrinsically similar activity and that the function of Sulfs in the fate of Wnt/Wg ligands is context-dependent.
Goal‐setting theory: Unexplored areas and future research needs

Goal-setting research and applications of goal setting to organizations are critically examined along a unidmensional/multidimensional continuum. Four relatively unexplored areas in the goal-setting paradigm are considered in detail: (a) the distinction between quantity and quality goals and performance measures, (b) conflicts inherent in goal-setting processes, (c) individual versus group levels of analysis, and (d) laboratory versus field research support for the goal-setting paradigm. The resultant research needs suggest limits to the application of goal setting as well as some needs regarding theory building and research design.
MEMORY SPAN AND THE SKEWNESS OF THE SERIAL-POSITION CURVE.

Three experiments were performed to test the hypothesis that the skewness of the serial-position curve is determined, at least in part, by memory span. Expt. I showed that the degree of skewness of the serial-position curve is positively related to the length of the subject's immediate memory span. Memory span for sequences of colour-forms was determined for 47 subjects (university students). Eleven subjects with the highest span (HS) and 11 subjects with the lowest span (LS) were compared in the serial learning of a 9-item list of colour forms. The HS group produced significantly more skewed serial position curves both for overt errors and for failures to respond than did the LS group. Expt. II investigated the effects of prolonged practice on serial learning. Three subjects each learned a different 9-item list of colour-forms every day for 4 weeks (20 days). Practice increased the ease of serial learning to the point that the entire list could be comprehended within the subjects' memory span. There was a corresponding increase in the skewness of the serial-position curve as a function of amount of practice. Expt. III tested the hypothesis that a list of items for which subjects have a relatively long memory span would produce a more skewed serial-position curve than would a list composed of items for which subjects have a relatively short memory span. Forty subjects each learned a 12-item list of single letters (in a random order) and a 12-item list of 3-letter nonsense syllables. As predicted, the list composed of single letters produced a significantly more skewed serial-position curve than did the list of nonsense syllables.
A model of the effects of stack and inversion heights on the transport and diffusion of pollutants in the planetary boundary layer

Abstract The effects of the stack height and thermal stratification on the transport and diffusion of pollutants are analyzed in a planetary boundary layer in which the fields of mean motion and temperature are horizontally homogeneous, and the Reynolds terms are assumed to be proportional to the vertical gradient of the mean quantities. Time dependent equations of diffusion, motion and thermodynamics are analyzed with appropriate initial and boundary conditions at the surface and the inversion height. Transport and diffusion of pollutants-from a fixed continuous point source located at two different heights in a planetary boundary layer with various thermal stabilities are considered. It is shown that the maximum concentration shifts clockwise (in the northern hemisphere) with increasing height as a consequence of the Coriolis effect, and the pollutants tend to diffuse downward from the source due to the effect of the strong velocity shear near the surface. It is also shown that the surface maximum concentration increases with decreasing thermal stability (increasing eddy diffusivity and inversion height). It is found that as the effective stack height increases by a factor of three, from 100 to 300 m, the surface concentration decreases by a factor of six, and the distance between the surface maximum concentration and the source increases by a factor of three.
Three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics model of a tubular-shaped ambient air-breathing proton exchange membrane fuel cell

AbstractThe development of physically representative models that allow reliable simulation of the processes under realistic conditions is essential for the development and optimization of fuel cells, the introduction of cheaper materials and fabrication techniques, and the design and development of novel architectures. A three-dimensional, multi-phase, non-isothermal computational fluid dynamics model of a novel, simple to construct, tubular, proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell which works in still or slowly moving air has been developed. The novel tubular geometry enables optimum air access to the cathode without the need for pumps, fans, or similar devices. This comprehensive model accounts for the major transport phenomena such as convective and diffusive heat and mass transfer, electrode kinetics, transport and phase-change mechanism of water, and potential fields in a tubular-shaped air-breathing PEM fuel cell. The model explains many interacting, complex electrochemical, and transport phenomena...
How To Measure the Benefits of BIM - A Case Study Approach

Abstract As a term and method that is rapidly gaining popularity, Building Information Modeling (BIM) is under the scrutiny of many building professionals questioning its potential benefits on their projects. A relevant and accepted calculation methodology and baseline to properly evaluate BIM's benefits have not been established, thus there are mixed perspectives and opinions of the benefits of BIM, creating a general misunderstanding of the expected outcomes. The purpose of this paper was to develop a more complete methodology to analyze the benefits of BIM, apply recent projects to this methodology to quantify outcomes, resulting in a more a holistic framework of BIM and its impacts on project efficiency. From the literature, a framework calculation model to determine the value of BIM is developed and presented. The developed model is applied via case studies within a large industrial setting where similar projects are evaluated, some implementing BIM and some with traditional, non-BIM approaches. Cost or investment metrics were considered along with benefit or return metrics. The return metrics were: requests for information, change orders, and duration improvements. The investment metrics were: design and construction costs. The methodology was tested against three separate cases and results on the returns and investments are presented. The findings indicate that in the tool installation department of semiconductor manufacturing, there is a high potential for BIM benefits to be realized. Actual returns and investments will vary with each project.
Role of Src in Signal Transduction Pathways

Src was the first oncogene to be discovered, and the first protein tyrosine kinase. The study of how Src transforms cells has been a rich field that has lead to insights into the control of the cell cycle, the organization of the cytoskeleton, and growth factor-independent growth. Yet we still do not fully understand exactly what Src does. In normal cells, Src has been implicated in the control of cell division, the production of autocrine growth factors, the cell9s survival response, as well as in cell motility. My laboratory has focused on the involvement of Src and related kinases in the response of cells to mitogenic growth factors. We have shown that the activity of Src kinases is necessary for cells to enter the cell cycle when treated with mitogens such as platelet-derived growth factor. Src activity initiates a signal transduction cascade, involving the adaptor protein She, which culminates in the transcriptional activation of the transcription factor Myc. Furthermore, we have also shown that this requirement for Src is abrogated in cells lacking the tumour suppressor p53, suggesting that another of Src9s functions in normal cells is to suppress the actions of p53.
"Irrationability" and The End of Modernity by Gianni Vattimo

Irrationability" and The End of Modernity by Gianni Vattimo This review essay is available in Studies in 20th Century Literature: http://newprairiepress.org/sttcl/vol16/iss2/8
The Witches' Sabbath: The First International Solvay Congress in Physics

This paper is about the context of Albert Einstein's concerns at the time of a most intense intellectual effort — his own and that of a small group of scientists concerned with classical quantum theory. I describe contemporaneous interactions and differing views about the prospects for and the significance of the First Solvay Congress of 1911 as voiced by major participants. There are two axes around which the paper evolves: the Einstein-Nernst-Lorentz dialogue and the public institutional creation of the “Solvay” stage. In certain ways, this paper is about personal and institutional patronage: the working out of a difficult theoretical impasse requires individual and collective moral support. It is about the forging of the identity of a scientific problem and the personal and institutional setting, the public space, in which this problem was collectively addressed. But I also uncover heuristic playfulness and flexibility which accompanies theoretical change.
Surgical Correction of Colonic Duplication in a Cat

A 2-year-old, castrated male Manx cat was presented for anorexia, obstipation, and straining to defecate. Imaging tests revealed a cystic mass associated with the descending colon. Three surgical explorations over several years were performed before complete resection of the cystic mass was achieved. Histopathology of the mass revealed normal colonic structures consistent with colonic duplication. Complete resection of a noncommunicating duplicate colon may allow successful treatment of this condition and resolution of associated clinical signs.
Research on bodies of the executed in German anatomy: An accepted method that changed during the Third Reich. Study of anatomical journals from 1924 to 1951

While it is known that bodies of the executed were used for anatomical research in Germany during the Third Reich, it is unclear whether this type of work was unique to the time period or more common in Germany than elsewhere. The dissected persons and the anatomists involved have not been fully investigated. This study of anatomical journals from 1924 to 1951 shows that 166 out of 7,438 [2.2%] German language articles mentioned the use of "material" from the bodies of executed persons. In comparison, only 2 out of 4,702 English language articles explicitly mentioned bodies of the executed. From 1924 to1932, 33 of a total of 3,734 [1%] German articles listed the use of the executed. From 1933 to 1938 the number rose to 46 out of 2,265 [2%], and increased again from 1939 to 1945 to 73 out of 984 [7%]. After the war 15 out of 455 [3%] still dealt with "material" from the executed. German anatomists' familiarity with the use of the executed as a standard for healthy tissues even before 1933 may have contributed to the ease with which they accepted the "opportunities" (large-scale studies and research on women) presented to them by unlimited access to bodies of the executed provided by the abusive National Socialist (NS) legislation and continued using them for some years after the war. German postwar anatomy was built in part on the bodies of NS victims. Information given in some publications will help with further identification of these victims.
Branching, Capping, and Severing in Dynamic Actin Structures

Branched actin networks at the leading edge of a crawling cell evolve via protein-regulated processes such as polymerization, depolymerization, capping, branching, and severing. A formulation of these processes is presented and analyzed to study steady-state network morphology. In bulk, we identify several scaling regimes in severing and branching protein concentrations and find that the coupling between severing and branching is optimally exploited for conditions in vivo. Near the leading edge, we find qualitative agreement with the in vivo morphology.
Preparation of photoreactive derivatives of α-melanotropin by selective modification of the lysine or tryptophan residue

Photoreactive derivatives of α-melanotropin were prepared by selective modification of the single tryptophan residue in position 9 or the amino group of the lysine residue in position 11 by reaction with 2-nitro-4-azidophenylsulfenyl chloride. [2-Nitro-4-azidophenylsulfenyl-Trp9]-α-melanotropin was found to be five times as potent as α-melanotropin in stimulating lipolysis in isolated rabbit adipocytes. [Ne-2-nitro-4-azidophenylsulfenyl-Lys11]-α-melanotropin had only 11% of the lipolytic potency of α-melanotropin.
The localization of guanylyl cyclase-activating proteins in the mammalian retina.

PURPOSE. To explore the distribution of guanylyl cylase-activating proteins 1 and 2 (GCAPI and GCAP2) in the mammalian retina. METHODS. Cryostat and vibratome vertical sections and wholemount retinas from mouse, rat, cat, bovine, monkey, and human eyes were prepared for immunocytochemistry and viewing by light and confocal microscopy. REsul.w. In all mammalian retinas investigated, intense GCAPI immunoreactivity (GCAP1-IR) was seen in cone photoreceptor inner and outer segments, cell bodies, and synaptic regions. Intensity of the GCAP1-IR was strong in inner segments of rods in all species but weaker in outer segments-particularly so in primates and cats. GCAP2 immunoreactivity (GCAP2-lR) was weak in bovine, mouse, and rat cones but was intense in human and monkey cones. In all species except primates, GCAP2 staining was intense in rod inner and outer segments. In primates GCAP2-IR was intense in the rod inner segment but faint in the rod outer segment. A striking difference from the GCAPI pattern of immunoreactivity was seen with GCAP2 antibodies as far as the inner retina was concerned. GCAP2-IR was evident in certain populations of bipolar, amacrine, and ganglion cells in all species. CONCLUSIONS. GCAP1 and GCAP2, which are involved in Ca 2+ -dependent stimulation and inhibition of photoreceptor guanylyl cyclase, can be detected in mammalian photoreceptor inner and outer segments, consistent with their physiological function. The occurrence of both GCAPs in the synaptic region of the photoreceptors indicates participation of these proteins in pathways other than regulation of phototransduction. The occurrence of GCAP2 in inner retinal neurons is indicative of second-messenger chemical transduction, possibly in metabotropic glutamate, γ-ami-nobutyric acid (GABA) receptor, and nitric oxide-activated neural circuits.
Vowel errors in noise and in reverberation by hearing‐impaired listeners

The effects of noise and reverberation on the identification of monophthongs and diphthongs were evaluated for ten subjects with moderate sensorineural hearing losses. Stimuli were 15 English vowels spoken in a /b–t/ context, in a carrier sentence. The original tape was recorded without reverberation, in a quiet condition. This test tape was degraded either by recording in a room with reverberation time of 1.2 s, or by adding a babble of 12 voices at a speech‐to‐noise ratio of 0 dB. Both types of degradation caused statistically significant reductions of mean identification scores as compared to the quiet condition. Although the mean identification scores for the noise and reverberant conditions were not significantly different, the patterns of errors for these two conditions were different. Errors for monophthongs in reverberation but not in noise seemed to be related to an overestimation of vowel duration, and there was a tendency to weight the formant frequencies differently in the reverberation and quiet conditions. Errors for monophthongs in noise seemed to be related to spectral proximity of formant frequencies for confused pairs. For the diphthongs in both noise and reverberation, there was a tendency to judge a diphthong as the beginning monophthong. This may have been due to temporal smearing in the reverberation condition, and to a higher masked threshold for changing compared to stationary formant frequencies in the noise condition.
The characteristic histopathologic features of nevi on and around the ear

Background: Nevi on certain areas of the body such as the acral, genital, and flexural regions may exhibit uncommon but characteristic histopathologic features. The purpose of this study was to characterize the distinctive features of nevi with a junctional component located on and around the ear. Materials and methods: A total of 101 compound and junctional nevi of the ear received at the Yale Dermatopathology Laboratory during a 10-year period were examined in this study. The most characteristic feature of the majority of these nevi was irregularity of nesting pattern, with nests, which varied in size and shape and which were sometimes located between rete ridges. Results: Forty-two (42%) of nevi on and around the ear showed poor circumscription, lateral extension of the junctional component beyond the dermal component, and elongation of rete ridges with bridging between them. A subset of these nevi (26 cases) showed uniformly large melanocytes with large vesicular nuclei without prominent nucleoli, and abundant pale, finely granular cytoplasm. These lesions did not show a tendency to recur. Conclusions: This study supports the existence of a subset of nevi on or near the ear that, like certain nevi located on other special sites, exhibit unusual but characteristic features, which may be misinterpreted as atypical or malignant.
A Bifunctional Photoaffinity Probe for Ligand/ Receptor Interaction Studies

Kan Fang, Masaru Hashimoto, Steffen Jockusch,Nicholas J. Turro, and Koji Nakanishi*Department of Chemistry, Columbia UniVersityNew York, New York 10027ReceiVed May 18, 1998Photoaffinity labeling has become a powerful tool for inves-tigating ligand/receptor interactions since its introduction byWestheimer.
Application of the TraPPE Force Field for Predicting the Hildebrand Solubility Parameters of Organic Solvents and Monomer Units.

Configurational-bias Monte Carlo simulations in the isothermal−isobaric and Gibbs ensembles using the transferable potentials for phase equilibria (TraPPE) force field were carried out to compute the liquid densities, the Hildebrand solubility parameters, and the heats of vaporization for a set of 32 organic molecules with different functional groups at a temperature of 298.15 K. In addition, the heats of vaporization were determined at the normal boiling points of these compounds. Comparison to experimental data demonstrates that the TraPPE force field is significantly more accurate than predictions obtained from molecular dynamics simulations with the Dreiding force field [Belmares et al. J. Comput. Chem. 2004, 25, 1814] and an equation of state approach [Stefanis et al. Fluid Phase Equil. 2006, 240, 144]. For the TraPPE force field, the mean unsigned percent errors for liquid density, the Hildebrand solubility parameter, and the heat of vaporization at 298.15 K are 1.3, 3.3, and 4.5%, respectively.
Fast diagnosis of integrated circuit faults using feedforward neural networks

Presents experimental results which show that feedforward neural networks are suitable for analog IC fault diagnosis. The results suggest that feedforward networks provide a cost-efficient method for IC fault diagnosis in large-scale production. The authors compare the diagnostic accuracy and the computational requirements of a simple feedforward network against that of Gaussian maximum likelihood and K-nearest neighbors classifiers. The feedforward network was found to provide an order-of-magnitude improvement in diagnostic speed while consistently performing as well as or better than any of the other classifiers in terms of accuracy. >
Resisting recently acted‐on cues: Compatibility of Go/NoGo responses to response history modulates (frontal P3) event‐related potentials

Using event-related potentials to investigate compatibility between past and present cue–response interactions, an experiment combined elements of selective-attention and Go/NoGo tasks. In the selective-attention part of each trial, participants responded to one of two visible numerical digits. Immediately afterward, in the Go/NoGo part of each trial, one of the same two digits appeared, with participants required to press the corresponding key on Go trials and to withhold responding on NoGo trials. Higher-amplitude anterior P3 responses on NoGo than on Go trials emerged when participants withheld responding to a recently selected cue but were greatly diminished when participants withheld responding to a recently ignored cue. The findings suggest that episodic traces of past Go/NoGo responses guide future action decisions, such that increased response control is needed to overcome bias to respond to recently acted-on NoGo cues. Descriptors: Go/NoGo, P3, Episodic retrieval, Categorization, Event-related potentials, Action control, Cognitive control
The Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale revisited: More perfect with four (instead of six) dimensions

The Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (FMPS; Frost, Marten, Lahart & Rosenblate, 1990) provides six subscales for a multidimensional assessment of perfectionism: Concern over Mistakes (CM), Personal Standards (PS), Parental Expectations (PE), Parental Criticism (PC), Doubts about actions (D), and Organization (O). Despite its increasing popularity in personality and clinical research, the FMPS has also drawn some criticism for its factorial instability across samples. The present article argues that this instability may be due to an overextraction of components. Whereas all previous analyses presented six-factor solutions for the FMPS items, a reanalysis with Horn's parallel analysis suggested only four or five underlying factors. To investigate the nature of these factors, item responses from N = 243 participants were subjected to principal component analysis. Again, parallel analysis retained only four components. Varimax rotation replicated PS and O as separate factors, whereas combining CM with D as well as PE with PC. Consequently, the present article suggests a reduction to four (instead of six) FMPS subscales. Differential correlations with anxiety, depression, parental representations and action tendencies underscore the advantage of this solution.
A wireless integrated microsystem for environmental monitoring

A wireless sensing platform employing digital compensation, self-test, and distributed power management is reported. Using this platform, key portions of a gas chromatograph are integrated in less than 10cc, analyzing multi-component mixtures with detection limits below 1 ppb.
A linear programming approach to shipboard electrical system modeling

Operability and dependability metrics can be a valuable tool in early ship design by providing a quantitative analysis of the robustness of the ship's integrated engineering plant (IEP). However, the use of these metrics involves large numbers of time domain simulations of the IEP. The simulation of such a complex system, which includes electrical and thermal subsystems, can be problematic in terms of computational efficiency. In this paper, a simplified modeling approach based on the fundamental power limitations is set forth. The power flow problem is posed as a linear programming problem which is solved using a simplex method.
Mild Traumatic Brain Injury and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Returning Iraq and Afghanistan War Veterans: Implications for Assessment and Diagnosis

Mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are considered the “signature injuries” of combat soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Both disorders can greatly affect the functioning of soldiers, yet the disorders often go undetected or are misdiagnosed by both military and civilian health care providers. This article provides information about MTBI and PTSD in returning combat soldiers along with implications for assessment and diagnosis.
Pharmacoeconomic analysis of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors in type 2 diabetes: a Markov model.

Background:Prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) events by initiating an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor on diagnosis of type 2 diabetes may increase survival and decrease costs.Objective:To determine the incremental cost-effectiveness ratios of ACE inhibitor initiation in normoaIbuminuric, microalbuminuruc, and macroaIbuminuric patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes.Methods:A cohort of patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes was followed for 8 years in a Markov model. Clinical outcomes included CVD events, dialysis, all-cause mortality, and the composite endpoints of the 3 events. Probabilities and costs were obtained from the literature. One-way and two-way sensitivity analyses were conducted to test the robustness of the model.Results:Implementation of ACE inhibitor therapy on diagnosis of type 2 diabetes in normoalbuminuric and microalbuminuric patients is a dominant strategy (ie, more effective and less costly) across all outcomes. In macro-albuminuric patients, an add...
Blowup and Dissipation in a Critical-Case Unstable Thin Film Equation

We study the dynamics of dissipation and blow-up in a critical-case unstable thin film equation. The governing equation is a nonlinear fourth-order degenerate parabolic PDE derived from a generalized model for lubrication flows of thin viscous fluid layers on solid surfaces. There is a critical mass for blow-up and a rich set of dynamics including families of similarity solutions for finite-time blow-up and infinite-time spreading. The structure and stability of the steady-states and the compactly-supported similarity solutions is studied.
A “Hands-On” Approach to Teaching Undergraduate Heat Transfer

Over the last eight years we have converted our undergraduate heat transfer course from a traditional lecture-based format to a “hands-on” environment taught in a room equipped with a computer for each pair of students. For nearly each major topic covered in this third-year survey course we have developed either a “canned” module or a student-implemented project illustrating that topic. The modules are written in Visual Basic and are graphically rich and highly interactive, while modern, research-based algorithms run behind the scenes. Many of these nine modules grew out of demonstrations and student projects developed for use in graduate level courses taught through our outreach program, which for many years has provided a highly supportive environment for instructional innovation. In addition, the student clientele, working engineers who already know and use computation and visualization extensively in their own careers, provides ample incentive for curriculum modernization.
Laminar Flame Speeds of Synthetic Gas Fuel Mixtures

Laminar flame speeds of H2 /CO/CO2 mixtures have been measured over a range of fuel compositions, lean equivalence ratios, and reactant preheat temperature (up to 700 K). The measurements are compared to numerical flame speed predictions based on two reaction mechanisms: GRI Mech 3.0 and a H2 /CO mechanism. For undiluted and nonpreheated mixtures, the current results agree with previous data and the numerical calculations over most of the range tested. The measured flame speeds increase as the H2 content of the fuel rises and for higher equivalence ratios. The most significant difference between the measurements and models is for high CO content fuel with the H2 /CO mechanism, and the high H2 content fuel at the leanest conditions with the GRI mechanism. For CO2 diluted fuels, measured flame speeds decrease as predicted. However, agreement between the measurements and predictions worsens with increasing CO2 dilution. Deviations as large as 40% are observed at lean equivalence ratios and 20% CO2 levels. For reactant preheat temperatures below ∼400K, the measured flame speeds generally match the calculated flame speeds within 10%. At higher preheat temperatures, however, the discrepancy between the measurements and the calculations increases, reaching levels of ∼30% at 700 K. The measured temperature dependence is closer to the predictions from GRI Mech 3.0 than from the H2 /CO mechanism.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Born to Live: Challenging Killer Myths

This chapter is an anomaly in this volume. It is about cooperation among primates, but cooperation for deadly violence against others of the same species. It is about warfare by chimpanzees and by humans. Whether chimpanzees make war depends on your definition. Mine has always been elementary: organized, potentially lethal violence against members of another group. Using this definition, there is no question that chimpanzees have the capability to make war and have done so on occasion. The patrols that often precede attacks, and the attacks themselves, display a high degree of intelligent cooperation. Male coalitional aggression is the label that has been aptly applied to chimpanzees and humans too.
Risk in emerging markets revisited

Recent research shows that emerging markets (EMs) are distinguished by high returns and low covariances with global market factors. These are striking results, because of their immediate implications for international investors. Such findings have been reported in a stream of papers, including those of Errunza and Losq (1985) and Harvey (1995). In parallel, practitioners have generally advocated EMs on the basis of their performance. For instance, Divecha et al. (1992) report that, over the 5-year period ending in March 1991, an EM Index returned 7.1% more than the World Index. With a correlation of 0.35 between the two indices, a mean-variance analysis reveals that investing 40% in EMs apparently would have increased returns by 4% annually relative to the World Index, with no greater risk. This apparent ‘free lunch’ may help explain the stampede into the stock markets of developing countries, where net portfolio inflows reached $22 billion in 1995, up from only $138 million in 1985.1
Energy Minimization During Epitaxial Grain Growth: Strain VS. Interfacial Energy

We have investigated Epitaxial Grain Growth (EGG) in polycrystalline Ag films on Ni (001) substrates. EGG is driven by minimization of crystallographically anisotropic free energies such as the film/substrate interfacial energy and the film strain. Under some conditions EGG results in the preferred growth of the (111) epitaxial orientations that are predicted to minimize the interfacial energy. However, when Ag films are deposited on Ni (001) at low temperature, EGG experiments consistently find that (111) oriented grains are consumed by grains with (001) orientations predicted to have much higher interface and surface energy. The large elastic anisotropy of Ag can account for this discrepancy. The film thickness and the deposition temperature (relative to the grain growth temperature) determine whether strain energy or interface energy minimization dominates orientation evolution during grain growth.
Systemic Absorption of Cyclopentolate and Adverse Events After Retinopathy of Prematurity Exams.

ABSTRACTPurpose: Preterm infants undergoing Retinopathy of Prematurity Eye Exams (ROPEE) may experience adverse events, possibly from systemic absorption of cyclopentolate. The purpose of this study was to analyze the association between adverse events and drug levels found in neonates undergoing ROPEE.Materials and Methods: 25 infants were randomized into two groups during routine ROP screening: 5 infants for blood collection before mydriatic drops and 20 for blood collection 1 h after eye drops. Blood was collected onto dried blood spot cards, extracted, and analyzed for cyclopentolate and phenylephrine using liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. Relationships between drug levels and adverse events were assessed.Results: Cyclopentolate (range 6–53 ng/ml) was observed in 15 of 18 infants, while phenylephrine was not detected. Levels of cyclopentolate were significantly higher in infants who were on oxygen (p = 0.01). There was a significant association between cyclopentolate levels and gastric res...
Atypical Presentation of a Complex Eyelid Choristoma Mimicking a Chalazion with Pyogenic Granuloma.

Data collection: Fisher, Klein, Wong, Rotter, Shrager, Burke, Klein, Cotch Analysis and interpretation: Fisher, Klein, Wong, Rotter, Li, Shrager, Klein, Cotch Obtained funding: Wong, Rotter, Burke, Klein, Cotch Overall responsibility: Fisher, Klein, Wong, Shrager, Klein, Cotch Abbreviations and Acronyms: AMD 1⁄4 age-related macular degeneration; ARMS2 1⁄4 Age Related Maculopathy Susceptibility 2; CFH 1⁄4 Complement Factor H; CI 1⁄4 confidence
Klinefelter's syndrome and extragenital seminoma.

Abstract An extragenital metastatic seminoma in a patient with Klinefelter’s syndrome is described. The increased incidence of many types of malignancies in patients with this chromosomal abnormality and the increased susceptibility of XXY cells to transformation by oncogenic SV-40 virus are discussed. A relationship is suggested circumstantially by these observations.
Past and present ECM-based vascular biomaterials

Perfusion of organs and limbs requires defined levels of pressure in the distributive vessels, affected by pathologic changes in the vasculature, cardiac function, neuroendocrine factors, and various physiologic determinants. In the absence of normal vessels, physicians have for decades employed various conduits with outcomes ranging from poor to excellent. Autologous tissue grafts still serve as the mainstay for open medium and small vessel repair while prosthetics are excellent for the large vessels. Alternative extracellular matrix (ECM) based biomaterials include umbilical vein and artery, ovine-grafts, and a variety of new materials employed as scaffolds for layering of specific cellular components for the creation of vascular conduits, patches, and valves. The development of endovascular approaches to repair pathology within the cardiovascular system has completely and forever changed the paradigms of treatment. Nonetheless, the need for ECM-based biomaterials is a prerequisite for open revascularization and may be useful as well for endovascular procedures.
Gross hematuria associated with sickle cell trait and von Willebrand's disease.

AbstractA case of recurrent gross hematuria, sickle cell trait and von Willebrand’s disease is reported. The gross hematuria abated promptly after the institution of cryoprecipitate therapy. The importance of considering von Willebrand’s disease in the differential diagnosis in patients with sickle cell trait and hematuria is discussed.
Other Boundary Conditions, Nonlinear Diffusion, Asymptotics

In this Chapter, we consider various extensions of the theories in the last chapter in order to include more realistic and general problems. In section 3.2, we study the situation where the boundary condition is coupled, mixed and nonlinear. In prey-predator interaction for example, the predator may be under control at the boundary of the medium, while the prey cannot move across the boundary. Diffusion of predators at the boundary may be adjusted nonlinearly according to populations present, and there might also be some physical limitations to the process. In section 3.3, we analyze the problem when the diffusion rate is density dependent, and thus the Laplacian operator will be modified to become nonlinear and u-dependent. Moreover, the nonlinear nonhomogeneous terms become highly spatially dependent. In section 3.4, we consider the case when diffusion rate of some component is small. More thorough results concerning large-time behavior can be obtained by asympptotic methods. Estimates can be obtained by using an appropriate “reduced”problem.
3D segmentation of curved needles using doppler ultrasound and vibration

A method for segmenting the 3D shape of curved needles in solid tissue is described. An actuator attached to the needle outside the tissue vibrates at frequencies between 600 Hz and 6500 Hz, while 3D power Doppler ultrasound imaging is applied to detect the resulting motion of the needle shaft and surrounding tissue. The cross section of the vibrating needle is detected across the series of 2D images produced by a mechanical 3D ultrasound transducer, and the needle shape is reconstructed by fitting a 3D curve to the resulting points. The sensitivity of segmentation accuracy to tissue composition, vibration frequency, and Doppler pulse repetition frequency (PRF) was examined. Comparison with manual segmentation demonstrates that this method results in an average error of 1.09 mm in ex vivo tissue. This segmentation method may be useful in the future for providing feedback on curved needle shape for control of robotic needle steering systems.
SPE-IMS-MS: An Automated Platform for Sub-Sixty Second Surveillance of Endogenous Metabolites and Xenobiotics in Biofluids

Abstract Characterization of endogenous metabolites and xenobiotics is essential to deconvoluting the genetic and environmental causes of disease. However, surveillance of chemical exposure and disease-related changes in large cohorts requires an analytical platform that offers rapid measurement, high sensitivity, efficient separation, broad dynamic range, and application to an expansive chemical space. Here, we present a novel platform for small molecule analyses that addresses these requirements by combining solid-phase extraction with ion mobility spectrometry and mass spectrometry (SPE-IMS-MS). This platform is capable of performing both targeted and global measurements of endogenous metabolites and xenobiotics in human biofluids with high reproducibility (CV ⩽ 3%), sensitivity (LODs in the pM range in biofluids) and throughput (10-s sample-to-sample duty cycle). We report application of this platform to the analysis of human urine from patients with and without type 1 diabetes, where we observed statistically significant variations in the concentration of disaccharides and previously unreported chemical isomers. This SPE-IMS-MS platform overcomes many of the current challenges of large-scale metabolomic and exposomic analyses and offers a viable option for population and patient cohort screening in an effort to gain insights into disease processes and human environmental chemical exposure.
Specular reflective boundary conditions for Discrete Ordinate Methods in Periodic or Symmetric Geometries

In simulations of periodic or symmetric geometries, computational domains are reduced by imaginary boundaries that present the symmetry conditions. In Photon Monte Carlo methods, this is achieved by imposing specular reflective boundary conditions for the radiative intensity. In this work, a similar specular reflective boundary condition is developed for Discrete Ordinate Methods. The effectiveness of the new boundary condition is demonstrated by multiple numerical examples including plane symmetry and axisymmetry.
An Investigation of the Yield Shift Theory of Satisfaction Using Field Data from the United States and the Netherlands

Yield shift theory (YST) is a relatively new theory that offers logic to predict and explain satisfaction effects for which prior theories could not fully account. We investigate the degree to which the propositions of YST are consistent with observed outcomes in a study of satisfaction with technology-supported collaboration among 322 knowledge workers from the Netherlands and 300 from the USA. Participants worked in natural groups on real tasks assigned in the course of their professional duties. All organizations used professional facilitators to guide the groups through complex collaborative tasks. Facilitators distributed a brief survey to measure the dependent variables satisfaction-with-outcome and satisfaction-with-process and the independent variables changes-in-utility and changes-in-likelihood. We validated the instrument in Dutch and English. Findings were consistent with the YST proposition that satisfaction responses are a function in shifts-in-yield for an individual’s set of active goals. We also observed that satisfaction responses also varied by national culture—on average, Netherlanders reported satisfaction responses of lower magnitude than did US participants. We discuss implications of YST for researchers and practitioners, and use its logic to reason why, in context of workplace collaboration, there may be differences in satisfaction responses by national culture.