cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The case for minimally invasive surgery in colorectal cancer and the development of a program for such surgery.

Several large, randomized trials have shown that laparoscopic colon and rectal resections are safe, acceptable alternatives to open resections, with additional short-term benefits that include decreased pulmonary and gastrointestinal morbidity, improved pain control, fewer wound complications, and shorter hospital stays.1-4 Despite the accumulating evidence, more than 90% of all colorectal resections for cancer in the United States are still performed through a traditional open approach.5 In the most comprehensive review to date of the utilization patterns of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) in our country, Kemp and Finlayson5 reported that only 6.5% of all colorectal resections are performed by MIS. The proportion of MIS surgeries was only 4.3% for cancer and 8.2% for benign conditions. The utilization rate of MIS in patients with rectal cancer is even worse, with less than 2% of rectal resections performed laparoscopically. These same investigators found that patients treated laparoscopically tended to be younger (median age, 61 vs 66 yr; P <0.001) and tended to have fewer comorbid conditions (Charlson score of zero for 58.1% vs 37%; P <0.001), which runs contrary to logic: the patient group that could benefit the most from MIS (elderly and debilitated patients) was not the group receiving the procedure. Laparoscopic colon resections were more widely adopted in teaching than in nonteaching hospitals (5.1% vs 3.7%; P <0.001) and in urban than in rural hospitals (4.7% vs 2.2%; P <0.001). The barriers to more widespread adoption of MIS for patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) are not yet fully understood, but they probably include lack of proper training, steep learning curves, and lack of a supportive environment in many hospitals. In order to circumvent these perceived obstacles, we created a minimally invasive CRC program at our institution with the intent of improving the quality of care by increasing the use of MIS in patients with CRC, while maintaining patient safety and oncologic standards.6 A programmatic approach to this problem, we thought, would enable us to rapidly increase the use of MIS and improve clinical outcomes.
Toward Nanometer-Scale Sensing Systems: Natural and Artificial Noses as Models for Ultra-Small, Ultra-Dense Sensing Systems

Abstract The development of highly sensitive, selective, reliable, and compact sensing systems to detect toxic chemical and biological agents is of great importance to national security. This chapter examines the best such naturally occurring sensing system, the sense of smell or “olfaction,” as well as artificial sensing systems built to emulate the nose. The goal is to combine lessons learned from natural and artificial olfaction with opportunities presented by advances in nanotechnology, in order to further the development of nose-like sensing systems integrated on the nanometer scale. The olfactory processes are reviewed here in some detail. Dense arrays of olfactory neurons, acting as ultra-small, non-specific sensors, use molecular recognition to perform highly parallel molecular sensing. The sensory signals so generated are identified by the brain using a spatio-temporal coding scheme. In this way the olfactory system recognizes, with great accuracy and sensitivity, a broad range of chemical stimuli. The principles of olfaction have been applied to developing artificial noses that are composed of arrays of cross-reactive gas sensors of various types. Artificial noses based upon conductivity-change devices, mass-change devices, and fluorescent optical fibers are reviewed here. The smallest artificial noses at this time are devices that incorporate micron-scale sensing elements and are comparable in size to a credit card. To more closely approximate the capabilities and compact size of the natural nose, it will be necessary to shrink the individual sensor size even farther, integrating nanometer-scale sensors into systems. Individual nanometer-scale devices, such as carbon nanotubes and nanowires, already have been demonstrated to function as gas sensors, and their applicability to nose-like sensing is discussed. At this point in time, however, no complete, nose-like nanometer-scale sensing system has been developed. This chapter concludes by presenting for consideration two proposals for electronic noses based upon nanowires.
Critical thermal minima and maxima of three freshwater game-fish species acclimated to constant temperatures

A total of 120 critical thermal maxima (CT maxima) and 120 critical thermal minima (CT minima) were determined for channel catfish, largemouth bass and rainbow trout acclimated to three constant temperatures: 20, 25 and 30 °C in catfish and bass, and 10, 15 and 20 °C in trout. Highest mean CT maximum and lowest mean CT minimum measured over these acclimation temperatures were 40.3 and 2.7 °C (catfish), 38.5 and 3.2 °C (bass) and 29.8 and ∼ 0.0 °C (trout). Temperature tolerance data were precise with standard deviations generally less than 0.5 °C. Channel catfish had the largest thermal tolerance scope of the three species while rainbow trout had the lowest tolerance of high temperatures and the highest tolerance of low temperatures. In all species CT minima and CT maxima were highly significantly linearly related to acclimation temperature. Within each species, slopes relating CT maxima to acclimation temperature were approximately half as large as those relating CT minima to acclimation temperature, suggesting that acclimation temperature has a greater influence on tolerance to low rather than high temperatures. Slopes relating both CT minima and CT maxima to acclimation temperature for the two warm-water species were similar and approximately twice those for the rainbow trout.
Implementation of Multilayer Neural Networks on Parallel Programmable Digital Computers

Neural networks are an attractive new technology for signal processing applications, due to their adaptive, self-organizing, fault tolerant, and non-linear capabilities. An example of such an application, which is used to illustrate the results of the paper, involves a use of a multilayer perception network with error back-propagation learning for underwater target detection by means of a sound spectrogram analysis. The paper presents a method of implementing neural networks on parallel, programmable computers, which can effectively address the computational requirements of such signal processing applications. The method is applicable to multilayer connectionist networks and two-dimensional, SIMD (single-instruction multiple data stream) processor arrays. A detailed description along with comparisons to previously proposed methods is provided for a mapping of a multilayer perceptron network with back-propagation learning algorithm. The mapping includes partitioning of inputs larger than the processor array. The performance of the method is evaluated using the Nettalk neural network and is compared to that of other methods. In particular, it is shown that the implementation of the method on the Systolic/Cellular machine of Hughes results in the processing rate equal to 100 MCPS.
Comparison of military and civilian burn patients admitted to a single center during 12 years of war.

Abstract Objective The current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan resulted in an increased incidence of burn injury in the military population. We sought to compare the characteristics and outcomes of this population to a civilian cohort cared for at the same burn center over the same time-period. Methods A retrospective review was performed to examine differences in the demographics, etiology, mortality, and functional status over a 12-year period. Descriptive analyses were performed. Logistic regression was used to calculate the likelihood of mortality. Results A total of 3814 patients were included in this analysis; 1069 were military casualties. When compared to civilians, military patients were younger, had a higher incidence of flame-induced burn injury, mean total body surface area burned (% TBSA), rate of inhalation injury, and lower mortality. Civilian patients presented with a higher Baux score. Although most military patients had a full functional recovery, they had a greater incidence of severe disability. In a univariate model, likelihood of mortality was higher in civilians. No difference in mortality between the two cohorts was found after adjusting for age, inhalation injury, gender, % TBSA and percent full-thickness burn. Conclusions Military patients exhibited improved survival and functional recovery over their civilian counterparts. However, mortality did not differ between civilian and military patients after controlling for known covariates. Further studies are needed to improve functional outcomes in civilian patients, who may not have the inherent advantages of younger age and healthier physical status found in military patients.
Structure and Agency in Novice Music Teaching.

Using multiple interviews and observations, I chronicled the experiences of three novice music teachers in the United States over a 2-year period, including their student teaching internships and f...
Occupational Therapy Intervention for Survivors of Human Trafficking

Successful life participation after leaving a sex trafficking situation is complex and challenging for a person who has been trafficked. The purpose of this report is to outline the occupational th...
Daily parent-adolescent cortisol associations: Unpacking the direction of effects

Prior studies suggest bidirectional relationships between parent and adolescent behavior. This study examined how parents and their adolescent child's cortisol patterns are associated across days and if there are bidirectional associations between parent and child cortisol. Participants included two samples of employees and their children who participated in a daily diary study where diurnal salivary cortisol was collected on four study days (N = 318 dyads, Myouth age = 13.18 years, 52 % female). Autoregressive cross-lagged models were used to estimate parent-driven effects (parent cortisol effects on adolescent cortisol) and adolescent-driven effects (adolescent cortisol effects on parent cortisol). Adolescents' steeper cortisol awakening response (CAR) was significantly associated with parents' steeper CAR the following day. Adolescents' higher bedtime cortisol levels were also significantly associated with parents' higher bedtime cortisol levels the following day. Parents' cortisol did not predict their children's next-day cortisol. Results support a primarily adolescent-driven process of stress transmission in families. These results suggest that interventions to reduce adolescent stress, as well as to reduce parents' reactivity to adolescents, may be warranted.
Towards a Universal Classifier for Crystallographic Space Groups: A Trickle-Down Approach to Handle Data Imbalance

Convergent Beam Electron Diffraction (CBED) images are 2D diffraction patterns created through the interaction between the fired electron and the atoms of a crystalline structure. Due to the absence of geometric mapping between three-dimensional structures and two-dimensional projections in this process, traditional image processing methods cannot classify CBED images into crystallographic space groups with high accuracy. The problem gets exacerbated by the class imbalance in the dataset. To effectively bridge the gaps in our understanding of solid-state crystalline structures, we must build a classifier capable of classifying diffraction patterns such as CBED images into crystallographic space groups while addressing the class imbalance. In this project, we explore the sources and nature of classification difficulties to gather insight into building a robust classifier. We first built some naive classifiers on the subset of classes by augmenting ResNet50 in various schemes. We developed a novel multi-level classification technique, called Trickle Down Classifier (TDC) to address the class imbalance in scientific datasets. TDC consists of multiple levels of subset classifiers. At each level, TDC trains a classifier to allocate the samples into a subset of classes. TDC forwards samples missed by a component classifier at a particular level to the next level classifier. For the top 20 classes, the TDC performs at an estimated \(34\%\) accuracy compared to a naive classifier’s \(14\%\) accuracy.
Investigation of band selection techniques to enable classification of hyperspectral imagery at the edge

Processing hyperspectral image data can be computationally expensive and difficult to employ for real-time applications due to its extensive spatial and spectral information. Further, applications in which computational resources may be limited, such as those requiring artificial intelligence at the edge, can be hindered by the volume of data that is common with airborne hyperspectral image data. This paper proposes utilizing band selection to down-select the number of spectral bands considering a given classification task so that classification can be done at the edge with lower computational complexity. Specifically, we consider popular techniques for band selection and investigate their feasibility to identify discriminative bands such that classification performance is not drastically hindered. This would greatly benefit applications where time-sensitive solutions are needed to ensure optimal outcomes (this could be related to defense, natural disaster relief/response, agriculture, etc.). Performance of the proposed approach is measured in terms of classification accuracy and run time.
Words of Power: A Feminist Reading of the History of Logic

Is logic masculine? Is women's lack of interest in the "hard core" philosophical disciplines of formal logic and semantics symptomatic of an inadequacy linked to sex? Is the failure of women to excel in pure mathematics and mathematical science a function of their inability to think rationally? This study undermines the assumptions that inform these questions. In studies of Parmenides, Plato, Aristotle, Zeno, Abelard, Ockham and Frege, the author traces the changing interrelationships between logical innovation and oppressive speech strategies, showing that logic is not transcendent truth but abstract forms of language spoken by men - whether Greek ruling citizens, imperial administrators, church officials or scientists. She relates logical techniques, such as logical division, syllogisms and truth functions, to ways in which those with power speak to and about those subject to them. She shows, in the settings of Ancient and Hellenistic Greece, medieval Europe, and Germany between the World Wars, how logicians reworked language so that dialogue and reciprocity are impossible and one speaker is forced to accept the words of another. The question then is not whether women can do logic, but whether they are willing to use "words of power" to silence others, and whether such a refusal condemns them to powerlessness. Nye points the ways to another power in the words of women that might break into and challenge the rational discourses that have structured Western thought.
Granulysin Delivered by Cytotoxic Cells Damages Endoplasmic Reticulum and Activates Caspase-7 in Target Cells

Granulysin is a human cytolytic molecule present in cytotoxic granules with perforin and granzymes. Recombinant 9-kDa granulysin kills a variety of microbes, including bacteria, yeast, fungi, and parasites, and induces apoptosis in tumor cells by causing intracellular calcium overload, mitochondrial damage, and activation of downstream caspases. Reasoning that granulysin delivered by cytotoxic cells may work in concert with other molecules, we crossed granulysin transgenic (GNLY(+/-)) mice onto perforin (perf)- or granzyme B (gzmb)-deficient mice to examine granulysin-mediated killing in a more physiologic whole-cell system. Splenocytes from these animals were activated in vitro with IL-15 to generate cytolytic T cells and NK cells. Cytotoxic cells expressing granulysin require perforin, but not granzyme B, to cause apoptosis of targets. Whereas granzyme B induces mitochondrial damage and activates caspases-3 and -9 in targets, cytotoxic cell-delivered granulysin induces endoplasmic reticulum stress and activates caspase-7 with no effect on mitochondria or caspases-3 and -9. In addition, recombinant granulysin and cell-delivered granulysin activate distinct apoptotic pathways in target cells. These findings suggest that cytotoxic cells have evolved multiple nonredundant cell death pathways, enabling host defense to counteract escape mechanisms employed by pathogens or tumor cells.
Toward integrating past and present in China’s economic history

This essay introduces a symposium on China’s economic history during the Ming-Qing (1368–1911) and Republican (1912–1949) eras. The papers move toward the objective of bridging the gap between historical studies focusing on China’s failure to achieve modern economic growth and contemporary accounts highlighting China’s recent economic boom.
Efficient use of Nadaraya-Watson models and low-discrepancy sequences for approximate dynamic programming

In this paper, techniques for reducing the computational burden to find approximate solutions to multistage finite-horizon optimal control problems are investigated. More specifically, we focus on the approximate dynamic programming (ADP) algorithm. This technique is based on the approximation of the cost-to-go functions of dynamic programming by means of suitable learning models, relying on observations coming from a sampling of the state space. As is known, ADP is a computationally intensive procedure. Here we propose a method to mitigate the overall burden, based on Nadaraya-Watson (NW) models for the cost-to-go approximation and low-discrepancy sequences to sample the state space. The saving in the required computational effort is obtained in two ways. First, a method for automatic selection of the bandwidth of NW models is presented as an alternative to optimization (e.g., through cross validation). The proposed technique directly exploits the regular structure of the low-discrepancy sampling. Then, a method for fast evaluation of the output of the NW structure is presented that is based on suitable subsets of the available data chosen according to different criteria. Simulation results for an inventory forecasting problem show the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
What Makes One Tic

A Cursing Brain? The Histories of Tourette Syndrome. Howard I. Kushner. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, 1999. 319 pp. $29.95. ISBN 0-674-18022-4. Kushner blends a detailed description of Tourette's syndrome with an insightful account of how changes in medical (and cultural) views have altered the characterization and treatment of the illness.
Influence of Respiration on Recordings of Lower Esophageal Sphincter Pressure in Humans

Respiratory-related fluctuations in lower esophageal sphincter pressure recording were examined by evaluating both axial respiratory motion and inspiratory compression of the high pressure zone in 20 volunteers. High-pressure zone length measurements were made by motorized slow and rapid pullthrough techniques. Further studies were done using the hand withdrawn station pull-through technique with simultaneous quantitation of inspiratory depth. During quiet respiration, there was 0.6 ± 0.2 cm axial motion in the abdominal portion and 0.4 ± 0.1 cm movement in the thoracic portion of the highpressure zone. A hypothetical wave form was constructed based upon this calculated axial motion. There was good agreement between hypothetical and actual pressure profiles except for the distal segment of the high-pressure zone where deep inspiration increased peak pressures to levels 2–3 times those of quiet respiration. It is concluded, therefore, that both axial motion and inspiratory compression contribute to the high-pressure zone wave form.
Regulation of muscle phosphorylase b kinase activity by inorganic phosphate and calcium ions.

The regulation of the activity of blowfly flight-muscle phosphorylase b kinase by Pi and Ca2+ was studied, and the actions of these effectors on the kinases from insect flight and rabbit leg muscles were compared. Preincubation of blowfly kinase with Pi increased activity severalfold. The effect was concentration-dependent, with an apparent Km of about 20mm, and time-dependent, requiring at least 10min for maximal activation. Neither ATP nor cyclic AMP was needed, suggesting that a protein kinase may not be involved. Maximal activation of the insect kinase required Mg2+ in addition to Pi. The apparent Km for Mg2+ was 3mm. Rabbit leg-muscle phosphorylase b kinase was slightly inhibited, rather than stimulated, by Pi, and was strongly inhibited by K+, Na+ and Li+. At physiological concentrations, Ca2+ activated the phosphorylase b kinases from both blowfly flight and rabbit leg muscles. However, the responses to Ca2+ of the enzymes from the two tissues were different. The mammalian kinase had virtually no activity in the absence of Ca2+, and showed a large increase in activity over a narrow range of Ca2+ concentrations. Flight-muscle kinase had appreciable activity in the absence of Ca2+, and had a smaller increase over a wide range of Ca2+ concentration. The concentrations of Ca2+ required for half-activation were 0.1 and 1μm for the blowfly and rabbit enzymes respectively. The pH–activity profiles of the non-activated, phosphate- and Ca2+-activated kinase revealed considerable enhancement of activity with little, if any, increase in the ratio of activities at pH6.8 to those at 8.2. These results are discussed in relation to the mechanism coupling contraction to glycogenolysis and to the biochemical distinction between asynchronous and synchronous types of muscle.
Sleep related respiratory disorders in end-stage renal disease patients on peritoneal dialysis.

STUDY OBJECTIVE To assess the possible effects of peritoneal dialysis (PD) on sleep-related respiration, which might result from dialysate bulk load in the abdomen and/or alterations in metabolic control of respiration during sleep. DESIGN Subjective and objective measures of sleep were prospectively compared on randomly assigned nights with PD fluid (2.0 L) and without PD fluid in the peritoneal cavity in 11 end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients on PD. SETTING Tertiary-referral university hospital. PATIENTS AND METHODS Fifteen consecutive patients on peritoneal dialysis who complained of chronic sleep disturbance and requested sedative were selected. Four patients declined polysomnographic studies. Consequently, 11 ESRD patients (8 males and 3 females) with a mean age of 63 +/- 4 (SEM) years were studied. RESULTS Eight of the 11 patients reported multiple types of sleep difficulties. Polysomnographic recordings revealed significant primarily obstructive sleep apnea in 6 of 11 patients on at least 1 of 2 nights. Arterial blood pH, paO2, and paCO2 did not differ between nights with and without PD fluid in the peritoneal cavity in the group as a whole. In the 6 patients with sleep apnea, PaO2 was significantly lower (p less than 0.05) during the night with (PaO2 = 78 +/- 7 mmHg) than during the night without PD fluid (PaO2 = 92 +/- 4 mmHg). In the apneic patients, the amount of dialysate drained in the morning was negatively correlated with the minimum arterial oxygen saturation during the night (r = -0.94; p less than 0.005). CONCLUSIONS This study indicates a significant relationship between PD patients with chronic sleep disturbance and sleep apnea syndrome. These data suggest that apneic patients may be susceptible to complications of dialysate bulk effect on oxygen desaturation.
Cognitive and behavioral sequelae of combat: Conceptualization and implication for treatment

This paper focuses upon problematic patterns of thought and behavior among Vietnam combat veterans identified with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder which are associated with difficulties in emotional, interpersonal, and vocational functioning. The following patterns have been identified: intolerance of mistakes, denial of personal difficulties, anger as a problem-solving strategy, hypervigilance, and absolutistic thinking. The realistic and adaptive origins of these patterns in the combat environment are identified, and their maladaptiveness outside the combat environment is described. Consideration is also given to why such patterns persist years after the last combat experience. Finally, the implications for psychotherapy of the verteran with PTSD are discussed.
INFRARED SPECTRA OF TWO ISOTOPOMERS OF ISOPROPYLPHOSPHINE: A THEORETICAL STUDY

Abstract The normal mode frequencies and the corresponding vibrational assignments of the s-trans and gauche conformers of isopropylphosphine-d0 and isopropylphosphine-P,P-d2 are examined theoretically using the Gaussian 94 set of quantum chemistry codes at the MP2/6-311G∗∗ and DFT/B3LYP/6-311G∗∗ levels of theory. By comparison to experimental normal mode frequencies deduced by Durig and Cox [J. R. Durig and A. W. Cox, Jr., J. Chem. Phys. 80, 2493 (1976)l correction factors for predominant vibrational motions are reported and compared. Energetic differences as well as thermodynamic function differences between the s-trans- and gauche-conformers are considered. It is found at the MP2 and DFT levels of theory that the gauche conformer is more stable by 0.54 kJ/mol and 0.28 kl/mol, respectively.
It's Almost Over— More Letters on Debbie

To the Editor.— With the publication of a COMMENTARY1and a letter,2some readers ofJAMAhave effectively turned the debate over the now-infamous essay "It's Over, Debbie"3into a debate about the nature and limits of medical ethics. Their dogmatic assertion of the moral truth, "doctors must never kill," combined with the criticism ofJAMAfor publishing the essay in the first place, demands some scrutiny. Perhaps most worrisome is the disclaimer, "Before the sophisticated obscure our vision with clouds of arguments and subtle qualifications, we must fix our gaze on the brute facts."1I agree that there are circumstances in which the expression of outrage and condemnation is the only ethical response and that not to do so is in an important way to misperceive the moral facts of the case. However, as a rule, one would hope that this conclusion would be reached as a
Crystal structure and spectroscopic measurements of room temperature intra-5f fluorescence of Cs2Np(VI)O2Cl4

Abstract Intra-5f fluorescence from crystalline needles of Cs 2 Np(VI)O 2 Cl 4 has been observed in the near-infrared at room temperature following continuous wave excitation at 633 nm. Characterization of the molecular structure of Cs 2 Np(VI)O 2 Cl 4 by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis is reported. The observed emission originates from an excited state approximately 6889 cm −1 above the ground state. The vibronic structure in the emission spectrum is assigned based on comparison with the analyses of liquid helium absorption spectra of Cs 2 U(Np)O 2 Cl 4 published by Denning et al. and room temperature fluorescence data of Cs 2 U(Np)O 2 Cl 4 reported by Wilkerson et al. The room temperature fluorescence lifetime of the observed origin of Cs 2 NpO 2 Cl 4 is compared with lifetime data from the doped system, Cs 2 U(Np)O 2 Cl 4 .
Laser Desorption and Ionization of Solid Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Air With Analysis by Ion Mobility Spectrometry

Solid polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with 4-7 rings on metal, glass, ceramic, and plastic substrates were desorbed and ionized in air with a quadrupled Nd-YAG laser. Gaseous product ions were analyzed at ambient conditions in air directly using ion mobility spectrometry. Ablation rates for perylene on borosilicate glass were estimated as 0.01 ng/mm/sup 2/ per pulse and standard deviation for peak heights with roughly 1 ..mu..g/mm/sup 2/ was 34%. Substrate interference was avoided by using an unfocused laser beam at 0.5-1 mJ/pulse although gaseous ions also could be generated from substrates with a focused beam at 1 mJ/pulse.
Synthesis and HDAC inhibitory activity of isosteric thiazoline-oxazole largazole analogs

The synthesis of an isosteric analog of the natural product and HDAC inhibitor largazole is described. The sulfur atom in the thizaole ring of the natural product has been replaced with an oxygen atom, constituting an oxazole ring. The biochemical activity and cytotoxicity of this species is described.
Role of bacteria in larval settlement and metamorphosis of the polychaete Hydroides elegans

The serpulid polychaete Hydroides elegans Haswell, 1883 is an early colonist of new substrata in Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Hawaii. When metamorphically competent, larvae of H. elegans will settle rapidly upon an acceptably biofilmed surface, but not on a clean surface. In this study we found the ability of larvae to respond selectively to inductive surfaces to be retained for at least 3 wk. Of a series of bacterial strains isolated from Hawaiian marine biofilms, 13 induced larval settlement, 11 gave moderate or mixed results, and 10 others did not stimulate the settlement of H. elegans. The amount of settlement induced by monospecific strains was rarely as great as with natural, multispecies films. Most of the isolated bacteria were motile Gram-negative rods, but Gram-positive strains were also present, and diverse metabolic types were represented in the study. Biofilms killed by treatment with heat, ultraviolet radiation or chemical fixatives were no longer inductive. Soluble, dialyzable, heat-stable bacterial products induced settlement and metamorphosis more slowly. The range of bacteria producing an inductive signal suggests either that there are multiple cues, or that the cue is common to many bacteria. Chemical signals characteristic of early microbial biofilms may indicate freshly available substrata with optimal potential for the growth and survival of H. elegans.
The Impact of Substrate Topography on Cell Filopodia Extension and Cell Spreading

Recent research has found that cell spreading on materials affects cell functions, including proliferation and differentiation. Also, cell spreading is related to filopodia extension which has been shown to be dependent on substrate topography. To better understand this correlation, live-cell imaging was used here to investigate osteoblast (bone forming cell) filopodia extension and cell spreading on two different kinds of diamond. Nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) and submicron crystalline diamond (SMCD) were fabricated to possess similar surface chemistry but different topographies, consisting of nanoscale spherical grains in NCD and submicron polyhedral grains in SMCD. The filopodia extension and cell expansion results showed that cells on nanoscale topographies had faster filopodia extension and greater expansion area than on submicron topographies. Results indicated that substrate topography has an impact on cell filopodia extension and cell spreading, and NCD promoted filopodia extension and cell expansion better than SMCD.
A fast online learning algorithm for distributed mining of BigData

BigData analytics require that distributed mining of numerous data streams is performed in real-time. Unique challenges associated with designing such distributed mining systems are: online adaptation to incoming data characteristics, online processing of large amounts of heterogeneous data, limited data access and communication capabilities between distributed learners, etc. We propose a general framework for distributed data mining and develop an efficient online learning algorithm based on this. Our framework consists of an ensemble learner and multiple local learners, which can only access different parts of the incoming data. By exploiting the correlations of the learning models among local learners, our proposed learning algorithms can optimize the prediction accuracy while requiring significantly less information exchange and computational complexity than existing state-of-the-art learning solutions.
Preparation and Purification of Microbial Proteases With Special Reference to The Bacilli

Methods for the examination of bacteria for protease production on semisolid media are described. The selection of media for production of small quantities of crude bacterial proteases from pure cu...
Determination of the flavor attributes of cooked beef from cross-bred Angus steers fed corn- or barley-based diets.

Abstract Eighteen commercial Angus cross-bred feedlot steers of similar hip height and live weight were randomly assigned to one of three dietary treatment groups: corn-, corn/barley, or barleybased diets ( n = 6 per treatment). Steers were fed for 102–103 days on their respective diets prior to slaughter. Live animal performance traits, carcass characteristics, total lipid and descriptive flavor and descriptive palatability attributes of beef strip loin steaks were determined. End live weight ( P = 0.88) did not differ between dietary treatments. Beef carcasses from steers fed corn-, barley-, and corn/barley-based diets did not differ in hot carcass weight ( P = 0.18), ribeye area ( P = 0.21), kidney, pelvic and heart fat (KPH) ( P = 0.35), and yield grade ( P = 0.14). However, adjusted preliminary yield grade was higher ( P = 0.03) for carcasses from steers fed corn/barley-based diets than carcasses from steers fed barley as the dietary energy source. These data suggest that carcasses from steers fed barley-based diets were lower in external fat. Quality grade characteristics were not different in beef carcasses from steers fed either corn-, barley-, or a corn/barley-based diet. Cook time ( P = 0.37), cooking loss ( P = 0.83), descriptive meat palatability attributes ( P > 0.27), Warner-Bratzler shear force ( P = 0.25), and descriptive sensory flavor attributes ( P ≥ 0.17) did not differ for steaks from steers fed the three diets prior to slaughter. The Japanese have claimed that feeding cattle barley-based high energy diets result in beef with different flavor than when cattle are fed high-energy corn-based diets. These results indicated that the eating quality, tenderness and flavor attributes of beef steaks were not influenced by the dietary grain source fed to young steers in this study prior to slaughter.
Ankle Fractures Involving the Fibula Proximal to the Distal Tibiofibular Syndesmosis

Thirty-two cases of ankle fractures associated with fibular fractures above the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis were studied. All were treated with open reduction and internal fixation. The average follow-up was 25 months. The results of the postoperative evaluation were rated, based on subjective clinical criteria, as good, fair, and poor. According to the Lauge-Hansen classification, there were 17 (53%) cases of supination-external rotation injury (2 stage 2 and 15 stage 4), 9 (28%) cases of stage 3 pronation-abduction injury, and 6 (19%) cases of pronation-external rotation injury (3 stage 3 and 3 stage 4). All cases could be classified as Weber type C or as suprasyndesmotic, fibular diaphyseal fracture (44-C) according to the Orthopaedic Trauma Association classification. In 18 (56%) cases, the fracture was associated with ankle dislocation. There were seven (22%) open fractures, (two grade I, four grade II, and one grade IIIA). Syndesmotic screws were used in 23 (72%) cases (12 supination-external rotation injury, 6 pronation-external rotation injury, and 5 pronation-abduction injury). The syndesmotic screw was removed after an average of 9 weeks. Four (13%) nonunions and two (6%) delayed unions of the fibula were treated with bone grafting and/or hardware revision and eventually healed. Three of the nonunions had poor clinical results because of degenerative ankle joint arthritis in two (one of them ended in arthrodesis) and deep infection, which was eventually cured, in the third. The fourth nonunion had a fair result. One of the delayed unions had a fair result (an obese patient) and the other had a good result. Two patients developed deep infections; one ended in gangrene and amputation in a diabetic patient, and the other was a patient with fibular nonunion that eventually healed. Three patients had superficial infections that were treated successfully. Of the 32 cases, 23 (72%) showed good results, 4 (13%) showed fair results, and 5 (16%) showed poor results. The cases with poor results included three fibular nonunions, one deep infection, and one recurrent superficial infection and wound dehiscence after hardware removal. A syndesmotic screw is usually needed in cases of fracture-dislocations. Two patients with occult fibular nonunions developed diastasis of the syndesmosis after removal of the syndesmotic screw. It was found that reduction and temporary pinning of the distal tibiofibular joint helps achieve fibular length, which is crucial to restoring the biomechanics of the ankle joint. It seems advisable not to remove the syndesmotic screw until there are signs of healing of fibular fracture to avoid diastasis of the distal tibiofibular joint. Bone grafting should be considered in high energy fractures with comminution. These complex injuries are associated with higher rates of complications. Poor results can be attributed to fracture factors, e.g., open fractures, infections; patient factors, e.g., obesity, lowered immunity as in diabetes, and noncompliance; and iatrogenic factors, e.g., early removal of syndesmotic screws.
The Re-contextualization of the Patient: What Home Health Care Can Teach Us About Medical Decision-Making

This article examines the role of context in the development and deployment of standards of medical decision-making. First, it demonstrates that bioethics, and our dominant standards of medical decision-making, developed out of a specific historical and philosophical environment that prioritized technology over the person, standardization over particularity, individuality over relationship and rationality over other forms of knowing. These forces de-contextualize the patient and encourage decision-making that conforms to the unnatural and contrived environment of the hospital. The article then explores several important differences between the home health care and acute care settings. Finally, it argues that the personalized, embedded, relational and idiosyncratic nature of the home is actually a much more accurate reflection of the context in which real people make real decisions. Thus, we should work to “re-contextualize” patients, in order that they might be better equipped to make decisions that harmonize with their real lives.
Nicotine shifts the temporal activation of hippocampal protein kinase A and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 to enhance long-term, but not short-term, hippocampus-dependent memory

Acute nicotine enhances hippocampus-dependent learning through nicotine binding to β2-containing nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), but it is unclear if nicotine is targeting processes involved in short-term memory (STM) leading to a strong long-term memory (LTM) or directly targeting LTM. In addition, the molecular mechanisms involved in the effects of nicotine on learning are unknown. Previous research indicates that protein kinase A (PKA), extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2), and protein synthesis are crucial for LTM. Therefore, the present study examined the effects of nicotine on STM and LTM and the involvement of PKA, ERK1/2, and protein synthesis in the nicotine-induced enhancement of hippocampus-dependent contextual learning in C57BL/6J mice. The protein synthesis inhibitor anisomycin impaired contextual conditioning assessed at 4 h but not 2 h post-training, delineating time points for STM (2 h) and LTM (4 h and beyond). Nicotine enhanced contextual conditioning at 4, 8, and 24 h but not 2 h post-training, indicating nicotine specifically enhances LTM but not STM. Furthermore, nicotine did not rescue deficits in contextual conditioning produced by anisomycin, suggesting that the nicotine enhancement of contextual conditioning occurs through a protein synthesis-dependent mechanism. In addition, inhibition of dorsal hippocampal PKA activity blocked the effect of acute nicotine on learning, and nicotine shifted the timing of learning-related PKA and ERK1/2 activity in the dorsal and ventral hippocampus. Thus, the present results suggest that nicotine specifically enhances LTM through altering the timing of PKA and ERK1/2 signaling in the hippocampus, and suggests that the timing of PKA and ERK1/2 activity could contribute to the strength of memories.
TOXICITY OF SULFUR-35, SELENIUM, AND TELLURIUM TO AVIAN EMBRYOS.

SummaryContinuous internal irradiation of chick embryos with sulfur-35 administered on the 4th or 8th day of incubation produced abnormalities similar to those observed in selenium toxicosis of avian embryos. The highest level of sulfur-35 (1600 μc) injected into eggs containing 4-day embryos produced morphological abnormalities more severe than those produced by the same level of radiosulfur administered to 8-day embryos, or by any level of stable selenium tolerated. Selenium at levels greater than 30 μg killed all the embryos within 24 hours after injection. Nearly 20 times more tellurium than selenium was required to kill all the embryos within 24 hours; no abnormalities were observed in the tellurium-injected embryos.
The Orientalized “Other” and Corrosive Femininity: Threats to White Masculinity in 300:

The film 300 tells a fictionalized account of 300 Spartans’ courageous stand against Xerxes’s Persian army that provided Greece a beacon of masculine strength, independence, and freedom. This study...
An aspirin a day

Abstract The title of this article is also its punch line. The thesis that I will prove is that every adult, with a few exceptions, should take one 325 mg aspirin tablet each day. The drug is extraordinary and is beneficial in myriad ways. In this dosage the toxicity of the treatment is minimal. Since the drug is sold “over the counter”, not requiring prescription, it is cheap and its benefits are easily underestimated. I do not use extensive reference citations; but just tell the story of aspirin.
Color by Number: Imaging Large Data

Advances in acquisition hardware, storage capacity, and personal computer processing speed have made it possible to readily acquire and process enormous sets of data. Large datasets, particularly those with multiple dimensions, can be difficult to analyze and present with standard numerical techniques. Combined with tools to exploit color and brightness to highlight statistically important features, images provide an effective means of displaying this information. The article discusses technical and practical aspects of using images for conveying information.
Reliability of Central Venous Pressure as an Indicator of Left Atrial Pressure: A Study in Patients with Mitral Valve Disease

Central venous pressure (CVP) measurements have been used extensively in the management of critically ill patients. The value of CVP determinations was studied by determining the relationship of left atrial and right atrial pressures in 200 patients undergoing transseptal heart catheterization. All patients had mitral valve disease. The correlation coefficient of left atrial and right atrial pressure was 0.48. Low right atrial pressure (below 3 mm Hg) was seen in 18 of 91 patients with left atrial pressure 20 mm Hg or greater. In 25 patients, acute pressure changes were induced by volume expansion, pacing, or drug infusion (isoproterenol or phenylephrine). Increases in left atrial pressure frequently failed to be reflected in right atrial pressure changes. Central venous pressure may be misleading as a guide to left atrial pressure.
Sex differences in cerebral ischemia: Possible molecular mechanisms

Sex is emerging as an important factor in the etiology and expression of many different pathological conditions, including stroke. Initially, the levels of sex hormones were thought to be the major contributor to these sex differences, especially after puberty, when gonadal steroid levels sharply diverge between the sexes. More recently, it is recognized that sex differences also result from the organizational effects of sex hormone exposure early in development, even in the absence of hormone exposure later in life, as well as effects mediated by the sex chromosomes themselves. Epigenetic modifications of developmental genes important in sexual differentiation and the response to sex steroid hormones are also emerging as another important contributor to sex differences in disease expression. This review describes recent research on the relationship between hormones, organizational-activational effects of gonadal steroids, and epigenetic modifications in brain pathology, focusing specifically on cerebral ischemia.
Regional and urbanization differentials in coronary heart disease mortality in the United States, 1968–1985

Abstract Regional and urbanization differentials in coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality among white males aged 35–74 years have been examined during 1968–1978 and 1979–1985. Many of the differentials in CHD mortality found during 1968–1978 persisted during 1979–1985, e.g. the west had the lowest death rates. Fringe metropolitan (suburban) areas had low rates, and CHD death rates continued to decline, albeit at a faster rate. The urbanization pattern observed for the south differed from that for other regions; the core metropolitan area had the lowest CHD death rates in the south, but the highest in the other regions. The removal of arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease deaths from the CHD rates under ICD-9 resulted in decreases in CHD mortality between 1978 and 1979 with large decreases in the South and in core metropolitan areas. Indeed, decreases in the core metropolitan areas of the midwest and west were so large that the urbanization pattern changed.
The Place of Contemplation in Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics

Aristotle has often been charged with indecision, and sometimes with holding contradictory views about the relative merits of a comprehensive practical life and one devoted primarily to contemplation.1 Sometimes he intimates that practical affairs might well be ordered so as to give the greatest opportunity for such theorizing (II77aI2-I8; II45a6-II).2 But he thinks we are endowed with a range of practical and productive capacities as well as powers of growth, motion, perception and scientific understanding, all as essential to us as contemplation. A full and happy life involves the proper development and exercise of these potentialities, actualizing them for their own sakes, because engaging in these activities is living the life of a human being, and not merely because they also promote and assure the sort of life that gives contemplation its widest play. I want to suggest a way of reading Aristotle that shows how the contemplative and the comprehensive practical lives need not be competitors for the prizes of a life well-lived. Properly understood, they not only perfect and enhance each other, but provide the conditions for one another's fullest development. If there is a criticism of Aristotle in this area, it is political, not conceptual. The reading I present is not the one that Aristotle himself advances as a resolution of the tensions in the Ethics; it is not even clear that Aristotle was aware of the strains in his account. But the reading I propose is woven out of threads and materials provided by Aristotle: even though it is not the solution Aristotle himself explicitly formulates, it is an Aristotelian solution to the problems