cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A New Horizon: Oxytocin as a Novel Therapeutic Option for Obesity and Diabetes

The story of oxytocin (OXT) began long ago in evolutionary terms with its recognition as a classical neurohypophyseal hormone important for lactation and uterine contraction. With the recent discovery of its local actions in the brain, its previously unappreciated diverse functions in regulating social behaviors and metabolic physiology are emerging. In light of metabolic control, OXT has been shown to induce feeding restriction and body weight lowering through acting on brain regulatory regions, in particular the hypothalamus. Studies from pharmacologic interventions and genetic manipulations demonstrated that OXT can play significant roles in affecting glucose metabolism as well as insulin secretion and lipolysis, many of those functions being regulated both centrally and peripherally. Also excitingly, recent therapeutic success was obtained in clinical endeavor showing that OXT nasal spray effectively induced weight loss and metabolic improvement in human patients with obesity, thus further indicating OXT as a tangible drug target for treating obesity and metabolic complications. In addition to the native form, OXT-derived analogues have been found effective in inducing body weight control and glucose balance. Altogether, all recent advances in the understanding of OXT and metabolic regulation has laid a promising foundation for the therapeutic strategy of developing innovative OXT peptidyl drugs for the treatment of obesity and related metabolic diseases
Thermal-Electric Finite Element Analysis of Electrosurgical Cautery Process

Cautery is a process to coagulate tissues and seal blood vessels using the heat. In this study, finite element modeling (FEM) was performed to analyze temperature distribution in biological tissue subject to cautery electrosurgical technique. FEM can provide detailed insight into the heat transfer in biological tissue to reduce the collateral thermal damage and improve the safety of cautery surgical procedure. A coupled thermal-electric FEM module was applied with temperature-dependent electrical and thermal properties for the tissue. Tissue temperature was measured at different locations during the electrosurgical experiments and compared to FEM results with good agreement. The temperature-dependent electrical conductivity has demonstrated to be critical. In comparison, the temperature-dependent thermal conductivity does not impact heat transfer as much as the electrical conductivity. FEM results show that the thermal effects can be varied with the electrode geometry that focuses the current density at the midline of the instrument profile.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Relation of carotid artery wall thickness to diabetes mellitus, fasting glucose and insulin, body size, and physical activity. Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study Investigators.

We tested the hypothesis that body mass, waist-to-hip circumference ratio, physical inactivity, diabetes, hyperglycemia, and fasting insulin are each positively associated with asymptomatic carotid artery wall thickness.Average intimal-medial carotid wall thickness (an indicator of atherosclerosis) was measured noninvasively by B-mode ultrasonography in cross-sectional samples of 45- to 64-year-old adults, both blacks and whites, free of symptomatic cardiovascular disease, in four US communities.Sample mean carotid wall thickness was approximately 0.7 mm in women (n = 7956) and 0.8 mm in men (n = 6474). Body mass, waist-to-hip ratio, work physical activity, diabetes, and fasting insulin were associated (P < .05) with carotid wall thickness in the hypothesized direction. Adjusted for age, race, smoking, body mass index, artery depth, and Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities field center, mean wall thickness was greater by 0.02 mm in women and 0.03 mm in men for a 0.07-unit (one SD) larger waist-to-hip ratio...
Science salaries reviewed

Salaries of experienced geoscientists have risen 215% since 1973, while the consumer price index rose 92.5%, according to a report by the Scientific Manpower Commission (SMC). ‘Salaries of Scientists, Engineers, and Technicians: A Summary of Salary Surveys, Tenth Edition,’ prepared by SMC Associate Director Eleanor L. Babco, is a compilation of salary information from numerous organizations, including federal agencies and departments, educational associations, magazine publishers, and other professional and trade groups. While there is little in the report that cannot be found elsewhere, SMC has collected the data in one place to provide a snapshot of scientists' salaries. Degreed geologists, geophysicists, production engineers, and ‘landmen,’ as a group, earn the highest salaries of almost any professional occupation in the United States, according to several salary studies by Vine Associates over the past 4 years.
Sample Caching Concept for Planetary Missions

A Sample Caching Subsystem (SCS) concept that provides transfer and storage of core and soil samples for planetary missions has been developed. The SCS could be carried on a rover and a rover arm-mounted coring tool could acquire samples and deposit the samples in the SCS. The SCS would transfer the samples into a sample container, with each sample in a separate sleeve. Important to the SCS design is the ability to seal each sleeve, and the sample with it, to isolate it from other samples and from the external environment. Sealing of the samples will allow for maintaining the integrity of organic materials over many years thereby allowing the samples to be analyzed in later missions or after a return trip to Earth.
Diffusion smoothing on brain surface via finite element method

Surface data such as the segmented cortical surface of the human brain plays an important role in medical imaging. To increase the signal-to-noise ratio for data residing on the brain surface, the data is usually diffused. Most of diffusion equation approach for triangulated mesh data is based on the finite element method and a system of linear equations are iteratively solved without the explicit representation of the Laplace-Beltrami operator. Such implicit formulation requires inverting large sparse matrix that is required in most finite element methods. The novelty of our paper is in the explicit representation of the Laplace-Beltrami operator derived from the finite element method itself. The Laplace-Beltrami operator is expressed as a weighted averaging operator where the weights are expressed in terms of the interior angles and the area of triangles. The weights are computed by actually solving the system of linear equations in the finite element method and inverting a matrix in a computational algebra system MAPLE. Afterwards the diffusion equation is solved via a simple finite difference scheme that speed up computation.
On some recent evolutions in personal supercomputing and workstation graphics

SUMMARY Recent hardware advances for both enhanced computing and interactive graphics are used to improve the effectiveness of three-dimensional engineering simulations. The two examples presented, drawn from structural engineering, deal with the fully nonlinear transient dynamic analysis of frames and boundary element stress analysis.
Erk regulation of actin capping and bundling by Eps8 promotes cortex tension and leader bleb-based migration

Cells within an animal have to be able to move both during development and later stages of life. For example, white blood cells have to move around the body and into tissues to fight off infections. Normally, cell movement is heavily controlled and will only happen when it is necessary to keep an animal healthy. However, cancer cells can bypass these controls and ‘metastasize’, or spread to new sites in the body. Cells can move in several different ways: on the one hand, cells can use ‘mesenchymal’ movement, in which the skeleton-like scaffolding of molecules within a cell rearranges to push the cell forward. On the other hand, cells can employ ‘amoeboid’ movement, in which they squeeze their way forward by building up pressure in the cell. Although these different types of movement are only used by some healthy cells and not others, cancer cells can switch between the two. How they do this is still unclear, but now Logue et al. have studied this question using several microscopy techniques. Logue et al. watched skin cancer (or melanoma) cells migrating between a glass plate and a slab of agar, which mimics the confined spaces that cancer cells have to move through within the body. The images showed that the cancer cells formed so-called ‘leader blebs’, finger-like projections that put cells on the right track. The experiments revealed that a protein called Eps8 was responsible for making the skin cancer cells move in this amoeboid fashion. The ‘blebbing’ caused by Eps8 is turned on by another protein called Erk that is often overactive in melanoma cells. Furthermore, Erk can accumulate near and within the cell blebs and this leads to the increased movement of the skin cancer cells. Studying cell movement in melanoma is particularly important because it is the metastatic tumors that kill patients. Therefore, increasing our basic understanding of how cells migrate could eventually lead to better treatment options that stop cancer cells from spreading.
Transport and Fate of Methyl Iodide and Its Pest Control in Soils

For fumigants, information on transport and fate as well as pest control is needed to develop management practices with the fewest negative environmental effects while offering sufficient pest control efficacy. For this purpose, a 2-D soil chamber with a surface-mounted flux chamber was designed to determine volatilization, real-time soil gas-phase concentration, degradation, and organism survivability after methyl iodide (MeI) fumigation. Three types of pests were used to give a broad spectrum of pest control information. An infected sandy loam soil with a volumetric water content of 10.6% was packed carefully into the 2-D chamber to a bulk density of 1.34 g cm(-3). After MeI fumigation at a rate of 56.4 kg ha(-1) for 24 h, about 28.9% of MeI was emitted into air, 6.8% remained in the soil, and 43.6% degraded in the soil (based on the residual iodide concentration). The uncertainty in the measured MeI degradation using iodide concentration was thought to mainly contribute to the unrecovered MeI (about 20%). The citrus nematodes [Tylenchulus semipenetrans] were effectively eliminated even at low concentration-time (CT) values (<30 microg h mL(-1)), but all Fusarium oxysporum survived. The response of barnyardgrass seeds [Echinochloa crus-galli] spatially varied with the CT values in the chamber. To fully control barnyardgrass seeds, CT of greater than 300 microg h mL(-1) was required. Using this experimental approach, different fumigant emission reduction strategies can be tested, and mathematical models can be verified to determine which strategies produce the least emission to the atmosphere while maintaining sufficient pest control efficacy.
Role of erythrocyte phosphatidylserine in sickle red cell-endothelial adhesion.

Phosphatidlyserine (PS) exposure on the erythrocyte surface endows the cell with the propensity of adhering to vascular endothelium. Because individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD) manifest loss of erythrocyte membrane asymmetry with PS exposure, we have assessed the contribution of this marker to the process of sickle erythrocyte-microendothelial adhesion. Assays for plasma-induced adhesion were conducted on unactivated endothelium, in the absence of immobilized ligands, such that PS was compared to the erythrocyte adhesion receptor CD36. Blocking studies with erythrocytes pretreated with annexin V (to cloak PS) or anti-CD36 or both revealed an inhibitory effect on adhesion of 36% +/- 10% and 23% +/- 8% with blocking of both sites suggestive of an additive effect. We next evaluated 87 blood samples from patients with SCD and grouped them into 4 categories based on adhesion marker (CD36 and PS) levels. Results revealed a striking correlation between erythrocyte PS positivity and adhesion. Analyses of the individual patient data demonstrated a positive correlation between PS and adhesion (R = 0.52, P .07). The effect of PS on adhesion appears to be related to the quantitative differences in erythrocyte markers in SCD, with PS the predominant marker when compared to CD36 both in the total erythrocyte population, and when the adherence-prone erythrocyte, the CD71(+) stress reticulocyte, was evaluated. Our study signals the entrance of an important new contributor to the field of sickle erythrocyte-endothelial adhesion. The implications of erythrocyte PS exposure in relation to the vascular pathology of SCD need to be assessed.
A High‐performance Modular Data System for Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry

The three major components of a Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) mass spectrometer include the vacuum system (including ion source), the magnet and a data system capable of performing the necessary instrument control for desired experiments. Most previous FTICR systems have used commercial data systems based on custom-built electronics controlled by proprietary mini-computers developed in the early 1980's. Here we present a high-performance data system based on a personal computer running user-friendly Windows software and readily available commercial components contained in a VXI chassis and a minimal complement of simple custom electronics. The system uses a VXI pattern generator to control all aspects of the experiment. The flexibility of the pattern generator allows for performance of all current FTICR experimental sequences.
Adenoviral Gene Transfer of FGF-5 to Hibernating Myocardium Improves Function and Stimulates Myocytes to Hypertrophy and Reenter the Cell Cycle

Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) have diverse actions on the myocardium but the importance of stimulating angiogenesis versus direct effects of FGFs on cardiac myocytes is unclear. We used intracoronary injection of a replication-deficient adenoviral construct overexpressing FGF-5 (AdvFGF-5) to improve flow and function in swine with hibernating myocardium. Two-weeks after AdvFGF-5 (n=8), wall-thickening increased from 2.4+/-0.04 to 4.7+/-0.7 mm in hibernating LAD regions (P<0.05) whereas remote wall-thickening was unchanged (6.7+/-0.4 to 5.8+/-0.5 mm). This was associated with small increases in resting flow to dysfunctional myocardium, but flow during adenosine was unchanged (LAD 1.45+/-0.27 versus 1.46+/-0.23 mL/min per g and remote 4.84+/-0.23 versus 4.71+/-0.47 mL/min per g, P=NS). Unexpectedly, animals receiving AdvFGF-5 demonstrated a 29% increase in LV mass over the 2-week period (P<0.05 versus untreated animals with hibernating myocardium and normal shams). Histological analysis confirmed profound myocyte cellular hypertrophy in AdvFGF-5 treated myocardium (19.9+/-0.32 versus 15.2+/-0.92 microm in untreated, P<0.001). Myocytes in the proliferative phase of the cell cycle (Ki-67 staining) increased 7-fold after AdvFGF-5 (2,904+/-405 versus 409+/-233 per 10(6) myocyte nuclei in untreated, P<0.05). Myocyte nuclei in the mitotic phase (phosphorylated histone H3 staining) also increased after AdvFGF-5 (127+/-24 versus 35+/-13 per 10(6) myocyte nuclei in untreated, P<0.05). Thus, rather than angiogenesis, stimulation of hypertrophy and reentry of a small number of myocytes into the mitotic phase of the cell cycle are responsible for the effects of AdvFGF-5 on function. Although additional mechanisms may contribute to the improvement in wall-thickening, overexpression of AdvFGF-5 may afford a way to restore function in hibernating myocardium and ameliorate heart failure in chronic ischemic cardiomyopathy.
Automated hyperspectral imagery analysis via support vector machines based multi-classifier system with non-uniform random feature selection

Ground cover classification using remotely sensed hyperspectral data is a challenging pattern recognition problem. The small (and expensive to collect) training sample sizes exacerbate the curse-of-dimensionality problem that already exists with such high dimensional feature spaces. However, Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifiers have been demonstrated to be better at handling such situations compared to other statistical classifiers. Recently, multi-classifier systems and a uniform random feature selection have proved to be very effective for hyperspectral image classification. In this paper, a support vector machines based multi-classifier system with non-uniform (spectrally-constrained) random feature selection is presented. We propose two approaches to perform such a non-uniform random-feature selection. Experimental results with the AVIRIS Indian Pines hyperspectral data demonstrate that the proposed approach outperforms regular random feature selection based on a uniform distribution.
Spin-Label Studies on Synaptic Membrane Lipids: Effect of Cholinergic Agonists, Antagonists, and Cholinesterase Inhibitors

The effects on membrane fluidity of inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) as well as those of certain nicotinic agonists have been examined in synaptosomes prepared from the electroplax of Torpedo californica. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrometry was used to monitor changes in the order parameters ofthree spin-labeled fatty acid probes, doxyl stearic acid derivatives, intercalated in the lipid bilayer ofsynaptosomal membranes. Neither inhibition of AChE nor the application of nicotinic ligands significantly influenced the viscosity of the membrane bilayer as judged by changes in the order parameters of the probes. A small, narrow line component of the EPR spectra disappeared when high concentrations of acetylcholine (ACh) were added to the synaptosomes. This effect was not seen with other cholinergic agonists, e.g., carbachol. The results of this investigation suggest that if anti-AChEs produce damaging effects on the lipid components of nerve membranes, the effects are indirect, resulting from accumulation of high ACh levels and not from a direct action of the agent on the membrane lipid.
Reclaimed Hydrated Fly Ash as a Geomaterial

To effectively use recycled geomaterials in earthwork and pavement base/subgrade construction, engineering properties, design values, proper construction practices, and long-term behavior must be known. Recent experience in Iowa reveals that reclaimed hydrated fly ash (HFA) can be designed and constructed to meet performance objectives as demonstrated by three field test projects where HFA materials were used in construction of structural pavement base layers. In addition to construction operations and field performance monitoring, this paper summarizes HFA engineering properties determined from laboratory tests including: compaction characteristics, shear strength parameter values, hydraulic conductivity, freeze–thaw durability, and microstructural features. Results are also presented for HFA materials activated with high calcium stabilizers including hydrated lime, cement kiln dust, Class C fly ash, and atmospheric fluidized bed combustion residue. Successful use of these materials follows 10 years of research and field performance monitoring in Iowa.
The Effect of Spatial Aggregation on the Skill of Seasonal Precipitation Forecasts

Abstract Skillful forecasts of 3-month total precipitation would be useful for decision making in hydrology, agriculture, public health, and other sectors of society. However, with some exceptions, the skill of seasonal precipitation outlooks is modest, leaving uncertainty in how to best make use of them. Seasonal precipitation forecast skill is generally lower than the skill of forecasts for temperature or atmospheric circulation patterns for the same location and time. This is attributable to the smaller-scale, more complex physics of precipitation, resulting in its “noisier” and hence less predictable character. By contrast, associated temperature and circulation patterns are larger scale, in keeping with the anomalous boundary conditions (e.g., sea surface temperature) that often give rise to them. Using two atmospheric general circulation models forced by observed sea surface temperature anomalies, the skill of simulations of total seasonal precipitation is examined as a function of the size of the s...
Development of a murine colonoscopic polypectomy model (with videos)

Background and Aims Colonoscopy provides a means for screening and removal of colon adenomas, preventing such lesions from progressing to late-stage carcinoma. No preclinical model currently exists that closely parallels the clinical scenario with respect to polyp resection and recovery after endoscopy. Methods When we used the polyposis in rat colon (Pirc) model, a new polypectomy methodology was developed. A novel PLC classification system (polyp number/location/clockwise orientation) also was devised in order to accurately and reproducibly specify the location of each lesion within the colon. Results One week after surgery, injuries to the polypectomy site were confined to the submucosa, indicating that little or no damage occurred to the inner muscle layer of the colon. Polypectomy sites occasionally continued to show ulcer formation, whereas others exhibited tissue regeneration. A pilot study (n = 6 animals), involving a total of 37 polypectomies, confirmed that the new methodology could be applied by using either air insufflation or water-assisted techniques, with either hot or cold snare. As a general observation, polyps tended to be more fully distended and less flattened against the colon mucosa by using the water-assisted protocol, increasing the technical ease of ensnaring and resecting lesions. The PLC system proved to be straightforward and facilitated longitudinal studies by allowing the investigator to track each polypectomy site on repeated examination. Conclusions The Pirc model was ideally suited to colonoscopy with polypectomy. Because the main cause of morbidity in the Pirc model is blockage of the colon, polypectomy can be used as a preventive strategy and will likely facilitate long-term investigations of single agent and combination therapies with potential direct clinical relevance.
An Evaluation of Thrombophilia Screening in an Urban Tertiary Care Medical Center

To evaluate the utilization of thrombophilia screening at a large urban academic tertiary care center, we retrospectively examined the indications, appropriateness, and results of 200 consecutive thrombophilia panels. Of the panels, 103 (51.5%) were ordered for venous thromboembolism; 124 (62.0%) were ordered during acute thrombotic episodes, and at least 40 (20.0%) had abnormal protein C and S results, of which 25 (63%) were attributable to anticoagulation and the remainder to pregnancy. Of the 200 panels, 46 (23.0%) had a significant abnormality; the most common abnormal result was a lupus anticoagulant, occurring in 23 cases (11.3%). Thrombophilia screening seems to be overutilized in our population, especially considering that the majority of tests are ordered during suboptimal conditions, eg, acute thrombosis, pregnancy, or anticoagulation. At present, outside the research setting, thrombophilia panels should be reserved for special circumstances, targeted to factors for which there would be a specific clinical impact, and performed in the absence of confounding clinical variables.
Cutaneous Adverse Events in Chronic Hepatitis C Patients Treated With New Direct-Acting Antivirals: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background:Direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) are known to present with additional dermatological events over pegylated-interferon/ribavirin (Peg-IFN/RBV).Objective:A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to assess the incidence/risk of cutaneous adverse events (AEs) for simeprevir, sofosbuvir, ABT450/r-ombitasvir, dasabuvir, ledipasvir, daclatasvir, and asunaprevir.Methods:The databases searched included PubMed, Clinicaltrials.gov, and Clinicaloptions.com. Data on telaprevir and boceprevir were obtained from a previous study.Results:The incidences of cutaneous AEs were 34.3% (95% CI 18.4%-54.8%) for the old DAAs + Peg-IFN/RBV, 22.0% (95% CI 17.9%-26.8%) for the new DAAs + Peg-IFN/RBV, 9.8% (95% CI 8.6%-11.2%) for the DAAs + RBV, and 3.8% (95% CI 2.4%-6.1%) for DAAs only. Simeprevir + Peg-IFN/RBV was associated with an increased relative risk over Peg-IFN/RBV; RR = 1.319 (95% CI 1.026-1.697).Conclusion:Dermatological events are still an important issue for many of the new DAAs. Appropriate monito...
Classification of Turkeys as Low or High Volume Semen Producers Using Discriminant Analysis

Abstract Medium White turkeys in Generation 10 of divergent selection for semen ejaculate volume (SEV) were classified into lines that produce either low or high volumes of semen using a multivariate statistical technique, discriminant analysis. The discriminant function was based on records of hen fertility, embryonic mortality in the early and late incubation periods, and the incidence of pipped eggs. A hit ratio, the proportion of birds correctly categorized as low or high, of .60 was obtained. The discriminant function was subsequently used to classify birds in Generation 12. A misclassification rate of .28 and .48 was obtained for birds in the low and high lines, respectively. It was concluded that the relatively low rates of misclassification indicate a potential method for identifying male and female turkeys as belonging to low or high SEV lines, based on fertility and incubation records.
Self-esteem and internal-external control: a validation study.

A recent conceptualization of self-esteem defines it within a self-other context in an attempt to take social factors into account (Ziller, Hagey, Smith, & Long, 1969). One of the assumptions that Ziller, et al. make about their self-esteem measure is that Ss who have high self-esteem will have a higher potential for self-reinforcement. From this, one can infer that high scorers on the Ziller, ei al. self-esteem measure should score low on Roaer's (1966) Internal-External Control Scale, since low scores on the I-E scale indicate an internal orientation with respect ro the perceived locus of reinforcements. In contrast, the external person believes that reinforcements are due to luck, fate, chance, etc. A substantial negative correlation between the Ziller, et al. self-other measure of self-esteem and Rotter's I-E scale would add to the construct validity of this new self-esteem measure. Ss were 24 males at Pennsylvania Military College, 36 males at the Universiry of Akron, and 31 females at the University of Akron. They were administered the Rotter I-E scale and the Ziller, ei al. self-esteem measure during their class periods. The fullscale forms of the tesn were used with one exception: the Pennsylvania Military College Ss were given a shorr form of the I-E scale, viz., the 10 items which correlated most highly with the total score. The results clearly did not support the construct validity of the Ziller, el al. (1969) self-esteem measure as far as relationship to perceived locus of reinforcement is concerned. For Pennsylvania Military College males the r was d . 1 7 , for the Universiry of Akron males . l7, and for University of Akron females -.20. Each r is insignificantly different from zero. Although the Ziller, et al. self-esteem measure may receive construct validation via other instances of high self-esteem being associated with some kind of higher potential for self-reinforcements, rhe test did not correlate with the Rocter I-E scale. Future research may show whether the claim is unjustified or whether other measures will indicate that high self-esteem on the self-other measure is related to a higher potential for self-reinforcement.
STUDY ON METHOD FOR EVALUATING SAFETY LOAD CAPACITY OF DRILLING MAST

Drilling is an important part during oil and gas exploration and development. As the key part of drilling equipment, the load capacity of the drilling mast is closely related to the safety of the whole drilling rig system. To accurately evaluate the safety load capacity of drilling mast already with damage and defects, a new quantitative evaluation method introduced herein is developed which is based on testing stress. First, the stress-corrected mathematics model is established based on testing stress; second, the function is deduced after corrected by the major damage or defect factors, including surface rusting, member bar bending deflection and eccentric loads, etc.; finally, the numerical correction model embodying the dynamic behaviors of the damaged or defective drilling mast is built to predict the safety load capacity of the drilling mast, which can really reflect the mechanical behavior of the drilling mast with damage and defects. A test of this method was carried out on one drilling mast in the field by applying loads in steps, getting a stress-load curve. After combining with the numerical correction model regarding the actual damage or defects on the drilling mast, a numerical simulation load test was conducted. The error between the simulation results and the actual measurements was within 5%, which proved the accuracy of this numerical model. Finally the safety load capacity of the drilling mast was evaluated according to the simulation results. It would provide reference data for safe operation of the drilling rig system during oil and gas exploration and development.
Breaking the Donor Age Barrier to Face the Organ Shortage in Liver Transplantion

As of March 31, 1994, there were 34,493 patients in the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) waiting list (1), up from 13,115 in December 31, 1987, an increase of 263%. Of these, 3,264 awaited liver transplantation (OLTx), up from 449 in 1987 (727% increase). The supply of organ donors, on the other hand, underwent a marginal increase between 1988 and 1990 (from 4,085 to 4,514), and has remained relatively stable (4,531 in 1991, 4,521 in 1992 and 4,849 in 1993). Consequently, while the need has increased dramatically, we observe with mounting concern the persistent wastage of available organs, and the death of potential recipients. Many routes have been explored in an attempt to remedy this situation, including the development of artificial organs (2), utilization of living donors, even for extra-renal organs (3), xenotransplantation (4,5), and non-heartbeating donors (6,7). However, a more immediate impact on organ shortage could be effected by changing the current donor selection criteria to include the so-called marginal donors (i.e. cardiac arrest, prolonged CPR, older age).
Probing Lectin–Mucin Interactions by Isothermal Titration Microcalorimetry

Isothermal titration microcalorimetry (ITC) can directly determine the thermodynamic binding parameters of biological molecules including affinity constant, binding stoichiometry, and heat of binding (enthalpy) and indirectly the entropy and free energy of binding. ITC has been extensively used to study the binding of lectins to mono- and oligosaccharides, but limited applications to lectin-glycoprotein interactions. Inherent experimental challenges to ITC include sample precipitation during the experiment and relative high amount of sample required, but careful design of experiments can minimize these problems and allow valuable information to be obtained. For example, the thermodynamics of binding of lectins to multivalent globular and linear glycoproteins (mucins) have been described. The results are consistent with a dynamic binding mechanism in which lectins bind and jump from carbohydrate to carbohydrate epitope in these molecules leading to increased affinity. Importantly, the mechanism of binding of lectins to mucins appears similar to that for a variety of protein ligands binding to DNA. Recent results also show that high affinity lectin-mucin cross-linking interactions are driven by favorable entropy of binding that is associated with the bind and jump mechanism. The results suggest that the binding of ligands to biopolymers, in general, may involve a common mechanism that involves enhanced entropic effects that facilitate binding interactions.
The Multicystic Dysplastic Kidney and Contralateral Vesicoureteral Reflux: Protection of the Solitary Kidney

AbstractThe diagnosis of multicystic renal dysplasia is confirmed by a combination of sonography and radionuclide scan. If the contralateral kidney is normal by these criteria, further radiological examination is often omitted. We prospectively studied 29 patients with a diagnosis of multicystic renal dysplasia by voiding cystourethrography to determine the condition of the solitary contralateral kidney. Eight patients (28%) were found to have contralateral vesicoureteral reflux, of whom 6 had normal ultrasound examinations and would not have undergone further radiographic study based on ultrasound criteria alone. Contralateral vesicoureteral reflux in association with multicystic renal dysplasia puts solitary kidneys at risk for pyelonephritic scarring. Therefore, voiding cystourethrography should be performed as part of the initial evaluation of all infants with multicystic renal dysplasia.
Geographic disparities in mortality among the end stage renal disease patients: an analysis of the United States Renal Data System, 2007-08.

The study was conducted to determine the association between mortality, rurality, and distance from the treatment facility of the patients with ESRD. The United States Renal Data System (USRDS) for the year 2007–08 was utilized to conduct analysis of 181,349 subjects. After adjusting for all other covariates, the odds of mortality were higher among patients in urban and isolated areas (18.1 miles or more from the dialysis facility), compared with those who were living closer (≤3.3 miles, OR 1.08, 95 % CI 1.05–1.12). Conversely, patients living in isolated rural (0–≤3.3 miles, OR 0.95, 95 % CI 0.81–0.96), small adjacent rural (8.1–≤18.1 miles, OR 0.90, 95 % CI 0.77–0.96) and Micropolitan rural quartiles (>18.1 miles, OR 0.96, 95 % CI 0.92–0.97) had lower odds of mortality than their urban counterparts. The Accountable Care Organizations must devise strategies to cater ESRD patients living in remote areas.
Water Insecurity in Himalayan Asia

Scientists and policy makers are fast approaching unanimity that a fresh-water crisis is in progress the world over. Both the severity of this crisis and its content vary widely among the world’s regions, sub-regions, and countries, and there is intense debate over its causes and reversibility. No longer much debated, however, is whether the crisis exists. On the contrary, its huge scale, potentially calamitous consequences, and imminent dangers to the political stability and security of the planet’s many water-crisis-afflicted nations are now commonplace topics both in scholarly literature and in global public discourse.1
Function and Fusion of the Mandibular Symphysis in Mammals: A Comparative and Experimental Perspective

Understanding the functional underpinnings of interspecific and ontogenetic variation in a given character, as well as in a character complex, is vital for unraveling the adaptive significance of major morphological transformations during the evolution of a higher-level clade. One feature long recognized as distinguishing basal anthropoids from their “prosimian” ancestors is the evolution of a fully fused or ossified mandibular Symphysis (e.g., Fleagle, 1999; Martin, 1990; Szalay and Delson, 1979). Due to major fossil discoveries over the past 15 years (Beard et al., 1994, 1996; Jaeger et al., 1999; Simons, 1989, 1992, 1995; Simons et al., 2001) as well as recent experimental and comparative analyses of important functional relationships (e.g., Hylander et al., 1987, 1998, 2000, 2003a; Ravosa, 1991a, 1999; Ravosa et al., 2000a), our understanding of evolutionary changes in masticatory form among living and fossil anthropoids is greatly improved.
Incidence of Secondary Neoplasms In Patients with Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia Treated with All-Trans-Retinoic Acid (ATRA) with Chemotherapy or with Arsenic Trioxide (ATO).

Abstract 1085 Background: Progress in the treatment of patients (pts) with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) with the use of modern all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA)-containing regimens has resulted in the majority of pts achieving long-term disease-free survival. There is little data on the incidence and patterns of secondary neoplasms in pts treated with these regimens. Objective: To compare the incidence of secondary neoplasms in pts with APL treated with two different ATRA-containing regimens. Methods: We retrospectively examined the charts of 160 pts with APL treated with ATRA plus chemotherapy (n=54) or ATRA plus arsenic trioxide (ATO)(n=106) as their initial induction regimen at the University of Texas – M. D. Anderson Cancer Center from 1991 to 2009. Twenty seven (17%) pts had a remote history of a prior unrelated cancer. Pt characteristics and the incidence of secondary cancers per unit time of follow-up were compared. Results: The median age at diagnosis of the entire population was 44 years (range, 13 – 81) and the median age for the chemotherapy plus ATRA group was 38 years (range, 13–67) vs. 46 years (range, 14 – 81) for the pts treated with ATO plus ATRA (p= 0.001). Thirty (55%) and 54 (50.9%) in each cohort were women (p=0.52) and 2 (3.7%) and 26 (24.5%) were older than 60 years of age, respectively (p= 0.001). Twenty (37%) and 30 (28.3%) had high risk disease (WBC > 10 × 109/l)(p= 0.3), and 34 (62.9%) and 76 (71.6%) had low risk disease (WBC ≤ 10 × 109/l), respectively. Fifty one (94.4%) and 105 (99%) pts treated using the two regimens achieved a CR. The median follow-up time for the two cohorts was 136 and 29 months [ranges, (5 to 193) and (1 to 93), respectively]. Nine and 2 pts in the two groups developed secondary cancers including 2 breast cancers, 3 MDS/AML, 1 vulvar cancer, 1 prostate cancer, 1 colon cancer and 1 soft tissue sarcoma in the chemotherapy group vs. 1 melanoma and 1 pancreatic cancer in ATO group. The cumulative incidence of secondary cancers in the two cohorts is shown in [figure 1][1]. Conclusion: Treatment of pts with APL using the non-chemotherapy regimen of ATRA plus ATO is not associated with a higher incidence of secondary cancers (p=0.29) adjusted for unit time exposure. ![Figure][2] Disclosures: Off Label Use: Use of arsenic trioxide in frontline therapy of APL. Ravandi: Cephalon: Honoraria, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau. [1]: #F1 [2]: pending:yes
Diagnostic Methods for Group A Streptococcal Infections

Group A streptococcus, also known as Streptococcus pyogenes, is an important bacterial pathogen that is the most frequent bacterial cause of acute pharyngitis. It also causes a multitude of other cutaneous and systemic infections, including impetigo, scarlet fever, necrotizing fasciitis, and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome. The pathogen has a unique tendency to initiate autoimmunity after acute infection, resulting in the nonsuppurative sequelae acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and poststreptococcal acute glomerulonephritis (AGN). The heart disease resulting from ARF has been responsible for substantial morbidity and mortality in all parts of the world.
Airflow obstruction, cognitive function and mortality in a US national cohort: NHANES-III.

Objective: To test the hypothesis that cognitive impairment increases mortality independent of airflow obstruction. Materials and Methods: In 1988-1994 the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) measured forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) and the forced vital capacity (FVC) and selected items on cognitive function with mortality follow-up. For this survival analysis 4,365 persons aged 60 and over with complete data formed the analytic sample. Results: The FEV1/FVC less than the lower limit of predicted ratio (LLP) defined airflow obstruction and Composite Cognitive Function Score (CCF) <=4, cognitive impairment. The percentage who died during follow up was 67% among those with neither FEV1/FVC < LLP nor CCF <=4, 82% with FEV1/FVC < LLP only, 85% with CCF score <=4 only and 93% with both FEV1/FVC LLP and CCF score <=4 (p<0.001). Weighted Cox proportional hazards regression revealed an increased hazard ratio (HR) in persons with FEV1/FVC <LLP only and in persons with CCF <=4 only, respectively compared with persons with neither. FEV1/FVC ratio < LLP remained a significant predictor of mortality with an interaction between FEV1/FVC ratio < LLP and CCF <=4 (p=0.051). Conclusion: Elderly persons with either airflow obstruction or cognitive impairment or both had increased all-cause mortality when compared to those with neither after adjusting for confounders. However, cognitive impairment was not a predictor of increased mortality independent of airflow obstruction. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
The Conflict in Côte d'Ivoire (2002–2011)

INTRODUCTION So far the empirical evidence adduced in favor of my theory of wartime violence has been drawn from a single case, namely, the Spanish Civil War. For the purposes of lending external validity to the results taken from the Spanish case, in this chapter and the following I will compare it to other cases, showing that they are broadly consistent. In this chapter, I present a study of the Ivorian Civil War(s) (2002–2007; 2010–2011), with a focus on the subnational dynamics of violence in this African conflict. My interest in Cote d'Ivoire stems from the fact that this civil war was fought along clear frontlines and characterized by uncontested control over large territories on the part of each of the armed groups. As with other cases of conventional civil wars, current theoretical approaches cannot fully explain violence against civilians in the Ivorian case. Thus, despite the fact that Cote d'Ivoire and Spain differ extremely in many respects, their civil wars exhibit commonalities that are relevant for the purposes of this book. The main “master cleavage” during the Ivorian Civil War concerned ethnic identities: the underlying cause of the war was the political disempowerment of those considered “non-Ivorians,” and recruitment into armed groups took place along ethnic lines. Thus, following standard classifications (e.g., Sambanis 2001), this case can be considered an ethnic civil war, which is not the case with the Spanish Civil War. As explained in Chapter 3, while ethnic issues did in fact surface during the Spanish conflict, and quite significantly during the postwar period – national minorities such as Catalans, Basques, or Galicians suffered particularly severe repression at the hands of Franco's regime – the Spanish Civil War was fought along a Left–Right cleavage. Chapter 7 reports other results in the conflict studies literature that are consistent with the theory in this book. I draw from existing works that have dealt with dynamics of violence during internal conflict, not necessarily civil war. I also refer to results from research I have conducted on low-intensity sectarian violence in Northern Ireland that are consistent with the theoretical framework in this book.
The IRF4 Gene Regulatory Module Functions as a Read-Write Integrator to Dynamically Coordinate T Helper Cell Fate

Transcriptional regulation during CD4+ T cell fate decisions enables their differentiation into distinct states, guiding immune responses toward antibody production via Tfh cells or inflammation by Teff cells. Tfh-Teff cell fate commitment is regulated by mutual antagonism between the transcription factors Bcl6 and Blimp-1. Here we examined how T cell receptor (TCR) signals establish and arbitrate Bcl6-Blimp-1 counter-antagonism. We found that the TCR-signal-induced transcription factor Irf4 is essential for the differentiation of Bcl6-expressing Tfh and Blimp-1-expressing Teff cells. Increased TCR signaling raised Irf4 amounts and promoted Teff cell fates at the expense of Tfh ones. Importantly, orthogonal induction of Irf4 expression redirected Tfh cell fate trajectories toward those of Teff. Mechanistically, we linked greater Irf4 abundance with its recruitment toward low-affinity binding sites within Teff cell cis-regulatory elements, including those of Prdm1. We propose that the Irf4 locus functions as the "reader" of TCR signal strength, and in turn, concentration-dependent activity of Irf4 "writes" T helper fate choice.
"What Blindness Helps Women See: Implications of Gender-Blindness for Confidence, Power and Action"

The ways in which we discuss gender issues (embracing vs. downplaying difference) has implications for women’s confidence and behavior. In four studies, across a variety of samples, we find that ge...
Evaluation of cross-sectional and longitudinal changes in volumetric bone mineral density in postmenopausal women using single- versus dual-energy quantitative computed tomography

Central quantitative computed tomography (QCT) is increasingly used in clinical trials and practice to assess bone mass or strength and to evaluate longitudinal changes in response to drug treatment. Current studies utilize single-energy (SE) QCT scans, which may be confounded both by the amount of bone marrow fat at baseline and changes in marrow fat over time. However, the extent to which marrow fat changes either underestimate volumetric BMD (vBMD) measurements at baseline or under-/overestimate longitudinal changes in vivo in humans remains unclear. To address this issue, 197 early postmenopausal women [median age (IQR) 56.7 (54.4-58.7) years] underwent spine and hip QCT scans at baseline and 3 years using a 128-slice dual-source dual-energy (DE) scanner. The scans were analyzed as either SE scans (100 kVp) or DE scans (100 kVp and 140 kVp), with the latter accounting for bone marrow fat. At baseline, vertebral trabecular vBMD was (median) 17.6% lower (P < 0.001) while femur neck (FN) cortical vBMD was only 3.2% lower (P < 0.001) when assessed by SE vs DE scanning. SE scanning overestimated the 3 year rate of bone loss for trabecular bone at the spine by 24.2% (P < 0.001 vs DE rates of loss) but only by 8.8% for changes in FN cortical vBMD (P < 0.001 vs DE rates of loss). The deviation between SE and DE rates of bone loss in trabecular vBMD became progressively greater as the rate of bone loss increased. These findings demonstrate that SE QCT scans underestimate trabecular vBMD and substantially overestimate rates of age-related bone loss due to ongoing conversion of red to yellow marrow. Further, the greater the rate of bone loss, the greater the overestimation of bone loss by SE scans. Although our findings are based on normal aging, recent evidence from animal studies demonstrates that the skeletal anabolic drugs teriparatide and romosozumab may markedly reduce marrow fat, perhaps accounting for the disproportionate increases in trabecular vBMD by SE QCT as compared to dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry with these agents. As such, future studies using recently available DE scanning technology that has satisfactory precision and radiation exposure are needed to evaluate changes in trabecular vBMD independent of changes in marrow fat with aging and drugs that may alter marrow fat composition.