cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Regulation of Synthesis of the Bacillus subtilis Transition-Phase, Spore-Associated Antibacterial Protein TasA

Previously, we identified a novel component of Bacillus subtilis spores, called TasA, which possesses antibacterial activity. TasA is made early in spore formation, as cells enter stationary phase, and is secreted into the medium as well as deposited into the spore. Here, we show that tasA expression can occur as cells enter stationary phase even under sporulation-repressing conditions, indicating that TasA is a transition-phase protein. tasA and two upstream genes, yqxM and sipW, likely form an operon, transcription of which is under positive control by the transition-phase regulatory genes spo0A and spo0H and negative control by the transition phase regulatory gene abrB. These results are consistent with the suggestion that yqxM, sipW, and tasA constitute a transition phase operon that could play a protective role in a variety of cellular responses to stress during late-exponential-phase and early-stationary-phase growth in B. subtilis.
Betting the Rancheria: Environmental Protections as Bargaining Chips Under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act

In 2005, the State of California and the Big Lagoon Rancheria American Indian Tribe reached an agreement whereby the tribe agreed to forego development plans for a casino on environmentally sensitive lands in exchange for the right to build a casino in Barstow, California. In January 2008, the Department of the Interior denied the Rancheria’s land-into-trust application for land in Barstow based on the Department’s newly issued “commutable distance” memorandum. This denial represents a missed opportunity to allow California and the tribe to cooperate in fashioning a workable tribal-state compact. The Department should abandon the guidance memorandum and allow tribes to pursue offreservation gaming in appropriate instances where the proposed development enjoys political support at the local level. In exchange, states should be afforded greater deference under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act to achieve some level of regulatory control to address the offreservation impacts of casino development.
Bariatric surgery and associated adverse pregnancy outcomes among obese women.

AbstractObjective: To evaluate whether bariatric surgery is associated with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR).Methods: We performed a population-based retrospective cohort study to estimate the relationship between prior bariatric surgery and adverse pregnancy outcomes. The data were collected from the 2012 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Nationwide Inpatient Sample (HCUP-NIS). Pregnancies in obese women with a prior bariatric surgery were compared to those of obese women without. Outcomes of interest were pre-eclampsia, IUGR, intrauterine fetal demise, large for gestational age, postpartum hemorrhage, failed induction of labor, cesarean delivery and operative vaginal delivery. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to adjust for potential confounders.Results: 186 605 obese women with singleton gestations were identified. Among these, 1585 (0.8%) women had a prior bariatric surgery. Prior bariatric surgery was associated with an increased risk of IUGR (5.7% versus 2.2%, adjusted ...
Cystic lung disease with pulmonary amyloidosis: Analysis of 21 patients

Background : Cases of amyloidosis -cystic lung lesions have been described but the association is not well understood. Most common amyloid found in the lung is AL type with deposition of protein derived from immunoglobulin light chains Methods: We identified patients seen at Mayo Clinic, Rochester MN, USA from 1997-2011 who had biopsy proven amyloidosis and cystic lung disease by chest CT. Demographic, clinical, laboratory, pulmonary function (PFT) and pathology results were extracted Results: Twenty-one patients (13F/8M) were identified. Median age was 61 y/o, 11 had underlying connective tissue diseases (8 Sjogren9s syndrome, 1 rheumatoid arthritis, 1 overlap syndrome, 1 inclusion body myositis). PFT were available in 19 patients and revealed normal results in 8, obstructive pattern in 6, isolated reduction in diffusing capacity in 2, restrictive pattern in 1,mixed in 1, and a nonspecific pattern in 1. Thirteen of 14 patients for whom the type of amyloid could be identified had AL amyloid. Pulmonary mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma was diagnosed in 5 patients; 3 of these patients had Sjogren9s syndrome. In chest CT, the number of cystic lesions in the lung ranged from 1 to g10; 14 patients had g10 cysts with scattered distribution. Seventeen patients also had pulmonary nodules (g10 nodules in 10 patients); in 14 patients at least one of the pulmonary nodules were calcified Conclusion: Amyloid–associated cystic lung disease is usually associated with AL amyloidosis and can occur in patients with or without underlying connective tissue disease (especially Sjogren9s syndrome). Cystic lesion in the lung commonly g10 and are frequently associated with nodular lesions which are often calcified.
Skin cancer of the head and neck with incidental microscopic perineural invasion

Abstract Purpose: To address outcomes in clinically asymptomatic patients in whom the unexpected finding of microscopic perineural invasion is noted at the time of surgery. Methods and Materials: The 35 patients included in this study had skin cancers of the head and neck treated with curative intent between January 1965 and April 1995 at the University of Florida. All patients were without clinical or radiographic evidence of perineural invasion but, at the time of biopsy or surgical excision, had the incidental finding of microscopic perineural invasion. Definitive therapy consisted of radiotherapy alone after lesion biopsy (3 patients) or surgical excision preceded (2 patients) or followed (30 patients) by radiotherapy. All patients had follow-up for at least 1 year, 13 patients (37%) had follow-up for at least 5 years. Results: The 5-year local control rate was 78%. The 5-year local control rate for the few patients treated with radiotherapy alone was statistically similar to that for patients treated with surgery and radiotherapy (100% vs. 77%, p = 0.4). Multivariate analysis for factors affecting local control included sex, histology, age, treatment group, clinical T stage, initial histologic differentiation, and previously untreated vs. recurrent tumors, none of which was found to be significant. Conclusions: Both surgery plus radiotherapy and radiotherapy alone provide a relatively high rate of local control for patients with incidentally discovered perineural invasion secondary to skin cancer.
A spatially explicit method to examine the impact of urbanisation on natural ecosystem service values

We developed a spatially explicit method to examine the effects of urbanisation on ecosystem service values. Especially, a spatially explicit urban growth model was developed through incorporating a macro-scale model (system dynamics) and a micro-scale model (CLUE-S). In addition, spatially explicit ecosystem service values were simulated under three socio-economic scenarios: (1) current economic growth, (2) rapid economic growth, and (3) sustainable economic growth. Analysis of results suggests that the degradation of ecosystem functions is associated with the conversion from water body and farmland to built-up and barren lands. Moreover, obvious spatial variations were found associated with ecosystem service values.
Interpretation of Diagnostic Tests

Clinicians can now base clinical decisions on the results of rigorous studies of the performance of diagnostic tests. In selecting the tests, clinicians should take into account their sensitivity (the proportion of patients with the disease who have a positive test result) and specificity (the proportion of patients without disease who have a negative test result). Sensitivity and specificity are affected by the “spectrum” of patients studied i.e. the severity of disease in those with disease and the clinical characteristics of those without disease. Test results are interpreted by predictive values—the proportion of patients with a positive (negative) test result who have (do not have) the disease. Predictive values depend on both test sensitivity and specificity and clisease prevalence. The information content of a test is further increased by taking into account where the cut-off point between normal and abnormal is placed, the degree of abnormality of the result, and the results of the preceding tests (done either in parallel or in series). Describing test performance in terms of likelihood ratios facilitates this process. Readers should be able to crlffque published studies of diagnostic tests which are still far from perfect.
Extraversion and happiness

Abstract The relationship between extraversion and happiness or subjective well-being (SWB) is one of the most consistently replicated and robust findings in the SWB literature. The present study was conducted in order to examine three key aspects of the relationship: (1) Whether it is primarily substantive in nature, or a product of self-report response artifacts, such as social desirability; (2) What the underlying systems or mechanisms involved in the relationship are; and (3) Whether Eysenck's two dimensions of extraversion and neuroticism combine additively or interactively in their influence upon an individual's level of SWB. The results are supportive of the substantive nature of the relationship, and suggest that both situational and personality factors combine to produce the positive correlation between extraversion and SWB. In terms of the interaction of extraversion and neuroticism, the results are mixed in supporting both an additive and interactive relationship.
The Effect of Hand-Held Menus on The Body Weight and Food Consumption Percentages of Alzheimer’S Residents Residing in Long-Term Nursing Facilities

Abstract The purpose of the study was to determine the influence of hand-held menus on body weight of Alzheimer's residents in long-term care nursing facilities. The study utilized a pre-experimental design. Subjects in the study were individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease who had resided in selected long-term care nursing facilities for at least six months and did not require a complete pureed diet and/or require full assistance at meals. Data were collected from patient files for the six months prior to the initiation of the treatment and monthly for the six months during which the treatment was applied to the experimental subjects. The treatment in the study involved the initiation of an alternative food service technique termed hand-held menus. Subjects in the control group received the conventional food service techniques traditionally used by the institution. Primary outcome measurements included weight loss of subjects and food consumption percentages in addition to selected demographic characteristics. The experimental and control groups were compared on primary outcome measures using the t-test procedure. Groups were compared on demographic characteristics using the t-test or chi-square procedure, depending on the level of measurement of the variable. Results of the study indicated that residents who received the hand-held menus had a average weight gain of 0.24 pounds per month while the control group experienced an average weight loss of 1.45 pounds per month. Demographically, the groups were different on only two measurements. The researchers concluded that the hand-held menus are a more effective nutritional delivery system for Alzheimer's residents of long-term care nursing facilities than conventional food service programs.
Indentation Behavior of Silicon Wafer Etched by KOH

Using microindentation technique, the indentation behavior of silicon wafers etched by a KOH water system was investigated. Surface-degradation in the etched Si wafers was observed, which was due to the formation of etch-pits. Indentation-induced radial crack was used to evaluate the indentation-fracture toughness. The indentation-fracture toughness for the etched Si wafers was found to be less than the polished silicon wafers, in agreement with the etching-induced surface degradation. Such surface degradation in the etched Si wafers makes it possible to remove surface defects and smooth the surface of Si wafers by using KOH water system.
Measurements of flow-induced anisotropic thermal conduction in a polyisobutylene melt following step shear flow

Flow-induced anisotropic thermal conduction in a polyisobutylene melt subjected to shear deformations is studied experimentally. Time-dependent measurements of the full (four components) thermal di...
A pectic polysaccharide from cell walls of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) mesophyll

Abstract A pectic polysaccharide has been purified from the pectin fraction of the cell-wall material of tobacco mesophyll by ion-exchange chromatography and gel filtration, and shown to contain d -galacturonic acid, l -rhamnose, l -arabinose, and d -galactose in the molar ratios 88.2:2.8:3.1:5.9. The polysaccharide contains at least three regions, namely, galacturonan, rhamnogalacturonan, and galactan.
Risk factors for endometrial cancer

Abstract Three categories of risk factors for endometrial cancer are reviewed. The first consists of what may be considered as variations in normal anatomy or physiology. Risk factors of this type for endometrial cancer include overweight, nulliparity, and late menopause. Second, certain frank disease states are associated with increased risk of endometrial cancer. These include diabetes mellitus, hypertension, Stein-Leventhal syndrome, and cancers of other sites, particularly of the breast and ovary. Last, exposure to known external causes of a disease may be considered as risk factors. In the context of endometrial cancer, pelvic irradiation and prolonged exogenous estrogen administration are likely risk factors. While the above characteristics serve to focus attention on certain categories of high-risk women they provide no basis for limiting screening to any subgroup of the population.
Prevalence and predictors of later feeding disorders in children who underwent neonatal cardiac surgery for congenital heart disease

AimWe thought of assessing the prevalence and predictors of feeding disorders in patients with congenital heart defects after neonatal cardiac surgery.MethodsRetrospective study of 82 consecutive neonates (48 males, 34 females) who underwent surgery for congenital heart defects from 1999 to 2002. Information was taken from patient charts and nursing notes. The presence of a feeding disorder was assessed by a questionnaire sent to the paediatricians when the child was 2 years of age. A feeding disorder was defined as a need for tube feeding, inadequate food intake for age, or failure to thrive. Data were analysed with descriptive statistics and logistic regression.ResultsFeeding disorders occurred in 22% of the study population. Reoperation and early feeding disorders were identified as independent risk factors for later feeding disorders (odds ratio 5.8, p 0.01; odds ratio 20.7, p 0.02). There was a trend towards more feeding disorders in patients with neurological abnormalities during the first hospital stay.ConclusionFeeding disorder is a frequent, long-term sequela after neonatal cardiac surgery. Patients with congenital heart defects who undergo multiple cardiac surgeries and those with early feeding disorders are at risk of developing later feeding disorders. Patients with these risk factors need to be selected for preventive strategies.
Role of notochord in specification of cardiac left-right orientation in zebrafish and Xenopus.

Abstract The left–right body axis is coordinately aligned with the orthogonal dorsoventral and anterioposterior body axes. The developmental mechanisms that regulate axis coordination are unknown. Here it is shown that the cardiac left–right orientation in zebrafish (Danio rerio) is randomized in notochord-defectiveno tailandfloating headmutants.no tail(Brachyury) andfloating head(Xnot) encode putative transcription factors that are expressed in the organizer and notochord, structures which regulate dorsoventral and anterioposterior development in vertebrate embryos. Results from dorsal tissue extirpation and cardiac primordia explantation indicate that cardiac left–right orientation is dependent on dorsoanterior structures including the notochord and is specified during neural fold stages inXenopus laevis.Thus, the notochord coordinates the development of all three body axes in the vertebrate body plan.
Assisted Reproductive Techniques in the Horse

Embryo transfer is commonly performed in equine practice, both to increase production from a given mare and to obtain offspring from mares that suffer early embryo loss. Oocyte transfer is a more specialized technique that is used clinically to obtain offspring from mares that cannot provide an embryo for embryo transfer. Gamete intrafallopian transfer (transfer of both sperm and oocyte to the oviduct) is currently only efficient when fresh semen is used, and so has limited application at this time. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection offers a method for in vitro fertilization of isolated oocytes, as standard in vitro fertilization is not repeatably successful in the horse. Oocytes fertilized by sperm injection can be cultured in vitro to the blastocyst stage, and then transferred transcervically to recipient mares for normal pregnancies. Foals have been produced by nuclear transfer (cloning); this offers a method for preserving the genetics of valuable individual horses.
Tissue Factor Expression, Angiogenesis, and Thrombosis in Pancreatic Cancer

Purpose: Hemostatic activation is common in pancreatic cancer and may be linked to angiogenesis and venous thromboembolism. We investigated expression of tissue factor (TF), the prime initiator of coagulation, in noninvasive and invasive pancreatic neoplasia. We correlated TF expression with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression, microvessel density, and venous thromboembolism in resected pancreatic cancer. Experimental Design: Tissue cores from a tri-institutional retrospective series of patients were used to build tissue microarrays. TF expression was graded semiquantitatively using immunohistochemistry in normal pancreas ( n = 10), intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms ( n = 70), pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia ( n = 40), and resected or metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinomas ( n = 130). Results: TF expression was observed in a majority of noninvasive and invasive pancreatic neoplasia, including 77% of pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasias, 91% of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms, and 89% of pancreatic cancers, but not in normal pancreas. Sixty-six of 122 resected pancreatic cancers (54%) were found to have high TF expression (defined as grade ≥2, the median score). Carcinomas with high TF expression were more likely to also express VEGF (80% versus 27% with low TF expression, P P = 0.01). Pancreatic cancer patients with high TF expression had a venous thromboembolism rate of 26.3% compared with 4.5% in patients with low TF expression ( P = 0.04). Conclusions: TF expression occurs early in pancreatic neoplastic transformation and is associated with VEGF expression, increased microvessel density, and possibly clinical venous thromboembolism in pancreatic cancer. Prospective studies evaluating the role of TF in pancreatic cancer outcomes are warranted.
Dynamics of Wind Generators on Electric Utility Networks

Dynamic interaction of wind-turbine-driven generators on electric utility networks was studied by computer simulation. Nonlinear representations of wind-turbine and various drive train elements and Park equation representations of synchronous and induction generators were implemented. An infinite capacity network was assumed. Time history responses for various system configurations were computed using as the input function severe wind gust data added to cyclical torque variations occurring at turbine blade frequency. Results indicated that severe transient mechanical and electrical stresses can be induced for certain system configurations. Best results were obtained by interposing rate or damped compliant couplings between the wind turbine and a synchronous generator. The induction generator did not appear to require such means. Blade pitch control (or equivalent) was required to limit output above rated wind velocities for wind turbines configured to produce maximum mum specific power. The blade pitch control loop must exhibit high performance to limit transient overshoots. An aerodynamically limited turbine driving an induction generator exhibited good response without the need for blade pitch control, but at the cost of increased turbine rotor diameter. Further work is indicated, taking into account wind-turbine aeroelastic effects, finite capacity networks, and other factors.
Influence of SQ 29,548 on vasoconstrictor responses in the mesenteric vascular bed of the cat.

Abstract The effects of SQ 29,548 on vasoconstrictor responses were investigated in the feline mesentric vascular bed. Injections of the thromboxane (TX) A2 mimics, U46619 and U44069, caused dose-related increases in mesentric arterial perfusion pressure. After administration of SQ 29,548, 0.5 mg/kg i.v, vasoconstrictor responses to U46619 and U44069 were reduced markedly whereas responses to prostaglandin (PG) F2α, angiostensin II, vasopressin and BAY K 8644, an agent which enhances calcium entry, were not altered. The duration of the TXA2 receptor blockade was greater than 2 h and SQ 29,548 had no significant effect on mesenteric vasodilator responses to PGE2, isopreterenol, nitroglycerin, acetylcholine or bradykinin. SQ 29,548, at a dose of 0.5 mg/kg i.v., significantly reduced the response to TXB2, which had modest vasoconstrictor activity in the mesenteric vascular bed. However, when the dose of SQ 29,548 was reduced to 0.05 mg/kg i.v., responses to TXB2 were not altered, whereas responses to U46619 were significantly decreased. SQ 29,548 had no significant effect on vasoconstrictor responses to norepinephrine or to sympathetic nerve stimulation. The TXA2 receptor antagonist blocked the vasoconstrictor component of the biphasic response to the PG precursor, arachidonic acid, and the endoperoxide, PGH2. The results of these studies suggest that SQ 29,548 is a specific TX receptor antagonist in the mesenteric vascular bed, that the vasoconstrictor component of the biphasic response to arachidonic acid and PGH2 is due to formation of TXA2, and that endogenously formed TXA2 does not modulate adrenergic responses in the mesenteric circulation of the cat.
Interplay between immune responses to HLA and non-HLA self-antigens in allograft rejection

Recent studies strongly suggest an increasing role for immune responses against self-antigens (Ags) which are not encoded by the major histocompatibility complex in the immunopathogenesis of allograft rejection. Although, improved surgical techniques coupled with improved methods to detect and avoid sensitization against donor human leukocyte antigen (HLA) have improved the immediate and short term function of transplanted organs. However, acute and chronic rejection still remains a vexing problem for the long term function of the transplanted organ. Immediately following organ transplantation, several factors both immune and non immune mechanisms lead to the development of local inflammatory milieu which sets the stage for allograft rejection. Traditionally, development of antibodies (Abs) against mismatched donor HLA have been implicated in the development of Ab mediated rejection. However, recent studies from our laboratory and others have demonstrated that development of humoral and cellular immune responses against non-HLA self-Ags may contribute in the pathogenesis of allograft rejection. There are reports demonstrating that immune responses to self-Ags especially Abs to the self-Ags as well as cellular immune responses especially through IL17 has significant pro-fibrotic properties leading to chronic allograft failure. This review summarizes recent studies demonstrating the role for immune responses to self-Ags in allograft immunity leading to rejection as well as present recent evidence suggesting there is interplay between allo- and autoimmunity leading to allograft dysfunction.
Determination of aliphatic amides by controlled-potential coulometry

Abstract The determination of a number of aliphatic amides in acetonitrile—LiClo 4 solution by controlled-potential oxidation at a platinum anode has been studied. The method gives an average precision of about 1% over a range of sample size from 0.2–2.0 mmoles. Mixtures of different types of amides can by analyzed for the amount of each type. Alcohols, aldehydes, ketones and nitriles do not interfere; amines interfere but may be removed by pre-electrolysis at lower potential.
Contact performance with an attenuated phase shift reticle and variable partial coherence

The application of optical enhancement techniques on high numerical aperture i-line steppers along with attenuated phase shift reticles have enabled contact processing to 0.35 micrometers and below. Previous work has shown that a high numerical aperture and low partial coherence improve contact printing capabilities. This paper focuses on a detailed evaluation of the effect of partial coherence on subhalf micron contact performance using both attenuated phase shift and binary reticles. The initial characterization of contact performance for contact sizes ranging from 0.3 micrometers to 0.45 micrometers confirms previous results that a 10% attenuated phase-shift provides the largest focus latitude when compared with a 6% attenuated reticle and a binary reticle. In extending previous work to 0.3 micrometers , it was confirmed that a larger focus latitude is achieved for a reduced partial coherence and high numerical aperture. Cross section micrographs presented confirm the improvement in profile and focus latitude by reducing the partial coherence. Cross section micrographs also demonstrate the capability with attenuated phase-shift to print 0.3 micrometers contacts at a pitch of 2.5 times the contact width. The pitch does not effect the contact focus latitude until it falls below 2.5 times the contact width. Uniformity (3(sigma) ) across the exposure field is reduced from 0.035 micrometers to 0.021 micrometers as the partial coherence is reduced from 0.6 to 0.3. The uniformity (3(sigma) ) across the wafer is reduced from 0.056 micrometers to 0.023 micrometers for the same reduction in partial coherence. Application of the best case process conditions also produced a focus latitude of 0.75 micrometers for 0.25 micrometers contacts. The results of this study show that i-line processing can be extended to 0.3 micrometers contact processing on random logic devices.
Frequency of development of idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy among relatives of patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy.

CM, Bergin ML, Kiess MC, Marcotte F, et al. Prospective multicenter study of pregnancy outcomes in women with heart disease. Circulation 2001;104:515– 521. 3. Skjaerpe T, Hegrenaes L, Hatle L. Noninvasive estimation of valve area in patients with aortic stenosis by Doppler ultrasound and two-dimensional echocardiography. Circulation 1985;72:810–818. 4. Hatle L, Angelsen B. Pulsed and continuous wave Doppler in diagnosis and assessment of various heart lesions. In: Hatle L, Angelsen B, eds. Doppler Ultrasound in Cardiology: Physical Principles and Clinical Applications. Philadelphia: Lea & Febiger, 1982:97–292. 5. Bonow RO, Carabello B, de Leon AC Jr, Edmunds LH Jr, Fedderly BJ, Freed MD, Gaasch WH, McKay CR, Nishimura RA, O’Gara PT, et al. ACC/AHA guidelines for the management of patients with valvular heart disease: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines (Committee on Management of Patients with Valvular Heart Disease). J Am Coll Cardiol 1998;32:1486–1588. 6. Perry GJ, Helmcke F, Nanda NC, Byard C, Soto B. Evaluation of aortic insufficiency by Doppler color flow mapping. J Am Coll Cardiol 1987;9:952– 959. 7. Stamm RB, Carabello BA, Mayers DL, Martin RP. Two-dimensional echocardiographic measurement of left ventricular ejection fraction: prospective analysis of what constitutes an adequate determination. Am Heart J 1982;104:136– 144. 8. Arias F, Pineda J. Aortic stenosis and pregnancy. J Reprod Med 1978;20:229– 232. 9. Lao TT, Sermer M, MaGee L, Farine D, Colman JM. Congenital aortic stenosis and pregnancy—a reappraisal. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1993;169:540–545. 10. Hameed A, Karaalp IS, Tummala PP, Wani OR, Canetti M, Akhter MW, Goodwin M, Zapadinsky N, Elkayam U. The effect of valvular heart disease on maternal and fetal outcome of pregnancy. J Am Coll Cardiol 2001;37:893–899.
Use of the video laryngoscopy for Combitube exchange in a difficult airway

Following failed intubation attempts via conventional direct laryngoscopy, an Esophageal Tracheal Combitube was successfully placed in the esophagus of a 51-year-old man with a subdural hematoma and uncleared cervical spine. The decision was made to change the Combitube for an endotracheal tube (ETT). After deflation of the large oropharyngeal cuff of the Combitube, video laryngoscopy was performed with the Direct Coupled Interface (DCI) video intubation system, and the Combitube was exchanged for an ETT with the assistance of a gum elastic bougie.
Immunolocalization of cytokines and their receptors in adhesive capsulitis of the shoulder

The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that specific cytokines are involved in the initiation and evolution of the fibrotic process in adhesive capsulitis of the shoulder. After approval from the Institutional Review Board, biopsies of shoulder capsule and synovium were collected during shoulder arthroscopy from 19 patients with adhesive capsulitis, 14 patients with nonspecific synovitis and no fibrosis or clinical evidence of adhesive capsulitis, and seven patients undergoing surgery for another pathology who had a normal capsule and synovium. Immunohistochemical localization with monoclonal antibodies to transforming growth factor-beta and its receptor, platelet-derived growth factor and its receptor, basic fibroblast growth factor, interleukin-1 beta, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and hepatocyte growth factor was performed using standard immunoperoxidase techniques. The frequency of cytokine staining was correlated with the clinical diagnosis. Synovial cells, fibroblasts, T-cells, and B-cells were identified with specific antibodies, and newly synthesized matrix was examined for type-I and type-III collagen by immunohistochemical staining. The predominant cell types present were synovial cells and fibroblasts. Staining for type-III collagen in adhesive capsulitis tissues indicated new deposition of collagen in the capsule. There was staining for transforming growth factor-beta and its receptor, platelet-derived growth factor and its receptor, interleukin-1 beta, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in adhesive capsulitis and nonspecific synovitis tissues, compared with minimal staining in normal capsule. Staining was more frequent in synovial cells than in capsular cells. The frequency of cell and matrix staining for transforming growth factor-beta, platelet-derived growth factor, and hepatocyte growth factor was greater in adhesive capsulitis tissues than in those from patients with nonspecific synovitis. No difference in the frequency of staining between primary (idiopathic) and secondary adhesive capsulitis was found. The results of this study indicate that adhesive capsulitis involves both synovial hyperplasia and capsular fibrosis. Cytokines such as transforming growth factor-beta and platelet-derived growth factor may be involved in the inflammatory and fibrotic processes in adhesive capsulitis. Matrix-bound transforming growth factor-beta may act as a persistent stimulus, resulting in capsular fibrosis. Understanding the basic pathophysiology of adhesive capsulitis is an important step in the development of clinically useful antifibrotic agents that may serve as novel treatments for patients with this conditions.
The Riemann hypothesis for modular forms

An attempt is made to prove the Riemann hypothesis for zeta functions associated with modular forms of integer order which are eigenfunctions of Hecke operators and which have finite Petersson norm. The argument depends on an estimate of the coefficients of modular forms conjectured by Ramanujan [l]. It fails because of insufficient information about norms of products of modular forms. Let F be the set of matrices with integer entries and positive determinant. The modular group r( 1) is the set of elements of I’ of determinant one. An element of I’ is said to be positive if its entries are nonnegative. Every positive element of the modular group other than the identity matrix is uniquely of the form (i i)(“, $) or of the form (: “,)(“, z) for a positive element (“, $) of the group. It follows that every positive element of the group other than the identity matrix can be uniquely written as a product formed from the matrices (: :) and (: T), If (“, “,) belongs to r, a necessary and sufficient condition that the transformation z (Ax + B)/(Cz + D) take the right half-plane into itself is that either ($ z) or (1°C 1:) be positive. If a matrix belongs to the modular group, at least one of the eight products obtained on multiplying it on left and right by powers of (y -3 is positive. The signature of an element of r whose determinant is relatively prime to twelve is a twelfth root of unity associated with the matrix in such a way that the identity
Correlation of cerebral Near-infrared spectroscopy (cNIRS) and neurological markers in critically ill children.

To correlate regional brain saturations (RSO2) measured by cerebral Near-infrared spectroscopy (cNIRS) with serological markers indicative of neurological injury (neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and S100β). Children with at least one organ failure who were undergoing cNIRS monitoring were eligible for enrollment, while children with hyperbilirubinemia and cyanotic heart disease were excluded. Children were further analyzed based on the presence of an acute neurological injury (defined as hypoxic/ischemic injury after cardiac arrest, status epilepticus, meningitis, encephalopathy) as well as survival. RSO2 was measured continuously (every 30 s) and averages were obtained at 6 h and 24 h epochs prior to serum collection (E6 and E24, respectively). Serum was collected for NSE and S100β, which were both determined by ELISA. Serum from children undergoing evaluation for fever in the Emergency department served as serological controls. Correlations were determined using the Pearson Product Moment Correlations. A total of 26 children underwent cNIRS monitoring for a total of 47 days. Overall NSE was greater in critically ill children compared to controls, as well as in all subsets of children analyzed (acute CNS injuries, no acute CNS injuries, survivors and non-survivors). S100β tended to be greater in critically ill children, but this did not reach statistical significance. Average RSO2 in E6 and E24 was 68.0% ± 1.5 and 68.6% ± 1.6, respectively, in a total of 131,036 measurements and E6 RSO2 was strongly, negatively correlated with S100β in children with acute neurological injuries. This is the first study to correlate averaged RSO2 measured by cNIRS with neurological injury markers in critically ill children. We believe that this data can be used to establish thresholds for RSO2 that can be tested in future trials to determine if this technology is predictive of long-term neurological outcome.
Design of a low-power CMOS baseband circuit for wideband CDMA testbed (poster session)

In this paper, the design and performance of a CMOS baseband circuit for WCDMA direct conversion receiver are presented. Consisting of one 5th-order anti-aliasing filter, one 4th-order tunable channel filter, and three variable gain amplifier (VGA) stages, the baseband chain provides 72dB gain range with 2dB gain step and is tunable to select three differentbandwidths (from 5MHz to 20MHz radio-frequency spacing). It dissipates only18mW from a single 3V supply. The input IP3 is 10dBm, and the input-referred noise in the passband is 41nV/$\sqrt{Hz}$.
Characterization and Combustion Performance of Corn Oil-Based Biofuel Blends

A study has been undertaken to understand the effects of blending high-viscosity fresh and used corn oils with diesel and jet fuel mixed with butanol and ethanol on combustion emissions such as NOX and CO. Several corn oil-based blends were formulated, characterized, and compared to understand the effect of composition on viscosity, fuel stability and energy content. The formulated corn oil blends were combusted in a 30 kW modified combustion chamber to determine the corresponding NOx and CO emission levels. Used corn oil was made and characterized by quantifying its total polar material (TPM), iodine value, free fatty acid content, and peroxide value. The combustion experiments were conducted at a constant heat output of 19 kW to observe and study the effects of equivalence ratio, swirl number, and fuel composition on emissions. Used corn oil blends exhibited better combustion performance than fresh corn oil blends, due in part to the higher unsaturation levels in fresh corn oil. NOx emissions for used corn oil increased with swirl number. The combustion experiments also revealed that higher amount of diesel (lower amount of corn oil) results in higher NOx emissions. All corn oil-based blends showed a generally decreasing carbon monoxide (CO) trend at both swirl numbers at very lean conditions. The results also indicate that used corn oil can be combusted efficiently when mixed with diesel or jet fuel resulting in low NOx levels.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Acid phosphatase activity during growth and synchronous division of Tetrahymena pyriformis W.

Abstract The acid phosphatases of Tetrahymena pyriformis W were localized by cytochemical methods, studied quantitatively (in normal, synchronously-dividing and chemically-altered cultures) and separated by starch-gel electrophoresis procedures. In organisms from 1- to 3-day cultures phosphatase activity was confined to small cytoplasmic entities. Organisms from cultures 12 or more days subsequent to seeding exhibited enzyme-active areas which were poorly delimited and occupied a relatively greater area of the cytoplasm. Enzyme activity was found to be relatively low in cells from cultures in which cellular proliferation and glucose uptake were at maximum rates. Organisms from cultures in which conditions were unfavorable for growth exhibited elevated levels of phosphatase activity. Enzyme activity was resolved into at least five electrophoretically-distinct components. All components are inhibited by fluoride, semi-carbazide, and molybdate, whereas only one is inhibited by arsenate. The results presented suggest that acid phosphatases are involved in catabolic processes and that there is an increased synthesis of enzyme in cells grown under adverse physiological conditions.
Organized Iterative Learning Control for Trajectory Tracking

In trajectory tracking applications where a single trajectory is followed many times, Iterative Learning Control (ILC) is used to improve tracking performance by compensating for controller lag and disturbances that are repetitive across iterations. These tracking errors are not necessarily found throughout the iteration and may even be sufficiently learned after only a few iterations. Influenced by segmented and multirate control, this paper presents a new ILC algorithm which reduces how often the ILC input signal is updated as learning progresses. Portions of the signal where sufficient learning has occurred are divided and approximated as constant based on where the magnitude of the input is small and is slowly changing. Organized ILC is compared to the p-type ILC formulation and is shown to perform just as well as the full cycle learning. During sections of constant velocity, the organized ILC quickly compensates for the error as does the p-type ILC. In portions where tolerances are satisfied, the organized ILC begins partitioning and approximating the input signal and is shown to significantly reduce the number of times the input signal is updated. Measurement noise is also introduced and the RMS of the error signal for each iteration is compared. The organized ILC is shown to handle measurement noise significantly better than p-type ILC.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
THE USE OF MUSIC TO REDUCE HYPERACTIVITY IN CHILDREN

Hyperactivity may diminish when environmental stimulation is minimized, as it is in low-stimulus study booths. Surprisingly, a similar effect may be obtained simply by introducing background music. The parent or teacher attempting to reduce hyperactivity might well experiment with conditions other than simple stimulus reduction.
A Feminist Exploration of Military Conscription: The Gendering of the Connections Between Nationalism, Militarism and Citizenship in South Korea

Despite its political, cultural and personal saliences, military conscription in South Korea has attracted surprisingly little social research. Mainly, such research has been left to military institutions. Also,few South Korean feminist analysts, until recently, have tried to fill this notable gap in political analysis. I have become convinced that we need a deeper, more sustained and explicitly feminist exploration of the multi-layered workings of male compulsory military service. Without understanding the subtle gendering of conscription, we will not be able to make adequate sense of the persistence of a culture of militarism today, even after the end of the cold war, even after a pro-democracy movement pushed the military out of power. Therefore, I seek to demonstrate how male military conscription lies at the core of what most members of society believe it means to be an 'authentic' South Korean in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. I show that compulsory male military service has pl...
Response To Novel Objects in Three Lower Primates : Greater Galago, Slow Loris, and Owl Monkey

Exploratory behavior, defined as response to novel objects, was measured in representatives of three lower primate species -greater galago, slow loris, and owl monkey. Test apparatus was a two-compartment cage; animals could choose between remaining on the familiar, home cage side or entering the novel side which contained six manipulable objects. Galagos spent the most time in contact with objects and the least time in retreat to the home cage. Owl monkeys and lorises were less responsive to the test objects but, while lorises actively explored spatial features of the new environment, owl monkeys remained inactive. For all species: i) the greatest degree of responsiveness to novel objects occurred during the first 5 min. of the 15-min. session. 2) initial object contacts were made with the nose; these were brief and were followed by lengthier contacts with mouth and hands. 3) occurrence of the various behavioral categories (object contacts, active responses, inactive responses, and retreat) followed a consistent pattern.
Selecting and Composing Web Services through Iterative Reformulation of Functional Specifications

We propose a specification-driven approach to Web service composition. The proposed framework allows users to start with a high-level, possibly incomplete specification of a desired (goal) service that is to be realized using a subset of the available component services. These services are represented by the system using transition systems augmented with guards over variables with infinite domains and are used to determine a strategy for their composition that would realize the goal service. In the event that the goal service cannot be realized using the available services, the system identifies the cause(s) for such failure which can then be used by the developer to reformulate the goal specification. Thus, the system supports Web service composition through iterative refinement of the functional specifications. We present a prototype implementation in tabled-logic programming environment that illustrates the key features of the proposed approach
Colorectal Cancer Outcomes, Recurrence, and Complications in Persons With and Without Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background Diabetes mellitus increases the risk of incident colorectal cancer, but it is less clear if pre-existing diabetes mellitus influences mortality outcomes, recurrence risk, and/or treatment-related complications in persons with colorectal cancer.
3D imaging of sea quarks and gluons at an electron-ion collider

We outline key objectives and capabilities of an Electron-Ion Collider (EIC) — a high-energy and high-luminosity electron-proton/nucleus collider with polarized electron and proton beams. One of goals of a future EIC is to map the 3D (in configuration and momentum spaces) structure of sea quarks and gluons in the nucleon and nuclei. We briefly present and discuss key observables and measurements pertaining to the program of 3D imaging at an EIC.
Changes in distribution of platelet membrane glycoproteins in patients with myeloproliferative disorders.

Glycoproteins have been discovered to be important to platelet function both in normal and pathological states. We have studied membrane glycoprotein patterns in 16 patients with various myeloproliferative disorders. There was an abnormal ratio of glycoprotein I glycoprotein IV in patients with myeloproliferative disease compared with controls. There was no discernible correlation between glycoprotein pattern and aggregation response or platelet count, but patients with megathrombocytes had higher values for glycoprotein IV than those without megathrombocytes. These experiments suggest that patients with myeloproliferative disorders may have alterations in membrane glycoproteins that could alter platelet function.
Expression and Trans-synaptic Regulation of P2x4 and P2z Receptors for Extracellular ATP in Parotid Acinar Cells EFFECTS OF PARASYMPATHETIC DENERVATION

Abstract Trans-synaptic regulation of muscarinic, peptidergic, and purinergic responses after denervation has been reported previously in rat parotid acinar cells (McMillian, M. K., Soltoff, S. P., Cantley, L. C., Rudel, R., and Talamo, B. R. (1993) Br. J. Pharmacol. 108, 453–461). Characteristics of the ATP-mediated responses and the effects of parasympathetic denervation were further analyzed through assay of Ca2+ influx, using fluorescence ratio imaging methods, and by analysis of P2x receptor expression. ATP activates both a high affinity and a low affinity response with properties corresponding to the recently described P2x4 and the P2z (P2x7)-type purinoceptors, respectively. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis reveals mRNA for P2x4 as well as P2x7 subtypes but not P2x1, P2x2, P2x3, P2x5, or P2x6. P2x4 protein also is detected by Western blotting. Distribution of the two types of ATP receptor responses on individual cells was stochastic, with both high and low affinity responses on some cells, and only a single type of response on others. Sensitivity to P2x4-type activation also varied even among cells responsive to low concentrations of ATP. Parasympathetic denervation greatly enhanced responses, tripling the proportion of acinar cells with a P2x4-type response and increasing the fraction of highly sensitive cells by 7-fold. Moreover, P2x4 mRNA is significantly increased following parasympathetic denervation. These data indicate that sensitivity to ATP is modulated by neurotransmission at parasympathetic synapses, at least in part through increased expression of P2x4mRNA, and suggest that similar regulation may occur at other sites in the nervous system where P2x4 receptors are widely expressed.