cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
When is biopsy necessary in pelvic lipomatosis

Pelvic lipomatosis has a classic roentgen triad which includes (1) pelvic radiolucency, (2) elevation of an intact rectosigmoid, and (3) elevation of the urinary bladder. This triad, in the absence of other abnormal clinical and roentgen findings, is pathognomonic of pelvic lipomatosis, and surgical biopsy is not necessary to confirm the diagnosis.
Concurrence of multiple sclerosis and Hodgkin's disease

Although multiple sclerosis and Hodgkin's disease are reported to have similar epidemiologic features, this is only the first case report in which there was concurrence of these diseases. Fourteen years after successful treatment of Hodgkin's disease, this 31-year-old white male developed multiple sclerosis. The diagnosis of multiple sclerosis was made on the basis of clinical and paraclinical findings that were characteristic of multiple sclerosis. In addition, specific tests were performed to rule out a variety of infectious, metabolic, and neoplastic diseases that simulate multiple sclerosis.
Effects of selenium supplementation on four agricultural crops.

Agricultural crops can be used either to remediate selenium-contaminated soils or to increase the daily selenium intake of consumers after soil supplementation using inorganic or organic selenium sources. In this study, four agricultural crops were examined for potential selenium enhancement. Soils containing tomato, strawberry, radish, and lettuce plants were supplemented with either an inorganic or an organic form of selenium. Two different soils, i.e., low Se and high Se containing, were also used. Statistically significant differences in appearance, fruit production, and fresh weights of the fruit produced were studied. Next, the amount of selenium retained in the edible fruits, nonedible plant, and soil for each was analyzed by acid digestion followed by hydride generation atomic absorption analysis. Finally, inhibition effects on the seeds of the agricultural plants were studied. The results show that supplementation with an inorganic form of selenium led to higher retention in the plants, with a maximum of 97.5% retained in the edible portion of lettuce plants.
Rigorous experimental confirmation of a theoretical model for diffusion-limited oxidation

Abstract A rigorous test of theoretical treatments for diffusion-limited oxidation was completed by conducting an extensive series of radiation-initiated oxidation experiments on a commercial EPDM material. Oxidation profiles were monitored from density changes; profiles were obtained versus sample thickness, radiation dose rate and surrounding oxygen partial pressure. The resulting profile shapes and magnitudes could be quantitatively fit with a two-parameter theoretical treatment based on oxidation kinetics containing unimolecular termination reactions. The theoretical parameters derived from fitting allowed quantitative confirmation of a governing theoretical expression relating these parameters to independently measured values for the oxygen consumption and permeation rates.
MP70-12 IS CONCOMITANT HEPATIC RESECTION FOR LOCALLY ADVANCED OR METASTATIC RENAL CELL CARCINOMA AT THE TIME OF NEPHRECTOMY SAFE? A MATCHED COHORT STUDY

performed using techniques of enucleation and renorraphy previously described. Renal function outcomes were stratified based on CKD stages I, II and III. Statistical analysis was performed using pairedsamples T-Test. RESULTS: The distribution of CKD stages is presented in Table 1. Patients with CKD I and II pre-operatively showed no statistically significant increase in creatinine (Cr) or decrease in estimated glomerular filtration (eGFR) was observed post-operatively or at 3 month follow-up (p1⁄40.42 and p1⁄40.36 respectively). For patients with a pre-operative eGFR <60mL/min, there was a statistically significant increase in Cr from pre-operatively (Mean1⁄41.46, SD1⁄4.26) to discharge (Mean1⁄4 1.66, SD1⁄4.33), p<0.014 and decrease in eGFR from preoperatively (Mean1⁄450.43, SD1⁄45.93) to post-operatively (Mean1⁄4 39.1, SD1⁄48.42 ), p<0.016. By 3-month follow-up, these changes in Cr and eGFR showed no significant differences (p1⁄40.09 and p1⁄40.12 respectively). Although not statistically significant, percent change in Cr for CKD III patients was 13.7% at 3-month follow-up and 12.8% decline in eGFR. CONCLUSIONS: Robotic multiplex partial nephrectomy results in minimal decrease in renal function for patients with preoperative CKD stages I-III. These renal function outcomes for RMxPNx mirror the excellent renal function preservation previously reported with Open complex partial nephrectomy. RMxPNx is a reasonable surgical approach for multifocal renal tumors even in patients with impaired renal function preoperatively.
Effects of the narrow band gap on the properties of InN

Infrared reflection experiments were performed on wurtzite InN films with a range of free-electron concentrations grown by molecular-beam epitaxy. Measurements of the plasma edge frequencies were used to determine electron effective masses. The results show a pronounced increase in the electron effective mass with increasing electron concentration, indicating a nonparabolic conduction band in InN. We have also found a large Burstein-Moss shift of the fundamental band gap. The observed effects are quantitatively described by the kip interaction within the two-band Kane model of narrow-gap semiconductors.
Toxicity of monochloramine in rat: An alternative drinking water disinfectant

Monochloramine (NH2Cl) is under consideration as an alternative to chlorine as a disinfectant in public water supplies, to avoid trihalomethanes formation. This study was conducted to investigate the toxicity of NH2Cl (0, 1, 10, 100 mg/l) in drinking water. Glutathione (GSH) content in rat blood was decreased significantly after 4 mo treatment, and the decreases were consistent throughout the treatment period. Treatment groups showed a slight increase in blood osmotic fragility. After acute administration (3 ml) of 20 and 40 mg NH2Cl/l, blood GSH levels were increased as early as 15 min and the increases were consistent up to 1 h. After 2 h exposure, however, the GSH content returned to the control value. At 3 mo, red-blood-cell count and hematocrit were decreased significantly, while after 10 mo treatment significant decreases in hemoglobin concentration and mean corpuscular hemoglobin were observed. Monochloramine administered in drinking water for 3 mo increased the incorporation of [3H]thymidine into nuclei of rat kidney and spleen in the 1- and 10-mg/l groups, while the incorporation in testes was increased only in the 100-mg/l group. The body weight of rats was decreased significantly in the highest treatment group after 3 mo treatment, and the decrease persisted throughout the period studied. An examination of blood chloroform content in all the groups after 4, 6, 9, and 12 mo showed no significant changes compared to the control.
Analysis of nonequilibrium desorption of volatile organics during field test of aquifer decontamination

Abstract A two-well injection-withdrawal experiment was conducted at a hazardous waste disposal site near Ottawa, Canada to assess the feasibility of aquifer restoration by means of a purge well network. The six-day test involved injecting tracer-labeled clean water into one well while withdrawing contaminated water from a well located 5m away. Samples taken from multilevel sampling points located along flow lines between the two wells were analyzed to determine the concentrations of tracers and volatile organic contaminants. Tracer breakthrough data were fitted to an approximate analytic solution to determine average linear velocities and dispersivites. The concentration histories obtained for three volatile organic contaminants deviate significantly from that predicted using local equilibrium-based transport models. Comparison with results of a one-dimensional, kinetics-based transport model indicates qualitative agreement between observed transport behavior and that expected for solutes affected by a first-order reversible sorption process for which the rate constants are small relative to the groundwater velocity in the induced flow field.
Molecular analysis by ionization of laser-desorbed neutral species

A powerful molecular surface analysis technique for the analysis of complex materials, such as polymer/additive systems, consists of laser desorption of surface molecules and subsequent ionization of these gas-phase molecules with resonant or nonresonant laser ionization. These molecular ions are subsequently detected by Fourier-transform mass spectrometry or time-of-flight mass spectrometry. We show that different wavelengths for the postionization step permit selectivity that provides important additional information on the chemical makeup of these complex materials. Near-UV wavelengths selectively ionize aromatic polymer additives, far-UV wavelengths photoionize other nonaromatic species; and vacuum-UV wavelengths provide access to all the desorbed species. In addition to these applied results, we study many fundamental issues of laser desorption, such as desorption thresholds, velocity distributions, postionization wavelength selectivity, etc. The Fourier-transform mass spectrometer and time-of-flight mass spectrometer are discussed in detail.
An Examination of Changes in Hearing-Aid Performance and Benefit in the Elderly Over a 3-Year Period of Hearing-Aid Use

This brief report describes the changes in hearing-aid performance and benefit in 9 elderly hearing-aid wearers over a 3-year period following the hearing-aid fitting. Objective measures of hearing-aid performance included three measures of speech recognition: (a) the Nonsense Syllable Test (NST) presented at 65 dB SPL and a +8 dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), (b) the Connected Speech Test (CST) presented at 50 dB SPL in quiet, and (c) the CST presented at 65 dB SPL and a +8 dB SNR. Subjective, self-report measures of hearing-aid benefit included the Hearing Aid Performance Inventory (HAPI; B. E. Walden, M. E. Demorest, & E. L. Helper, 1984) and the Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly (HHIE; I. Ventry & B. Weinstein, 1982). Performance and benefit measures were obtained at postfit intervals of 1 month, 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, and 3 years using a standardized measurement protocol. Individual data were evaluated using 95% critical differences established previously for each benefit measure and applied around the scores observed at the 1-month postfit interval. Little evidence was seen for systematic improvement in aided performance or benefit, consistent with that expected from acclimatization, in any participant or for any measure of benefit.
Recognizing the ecosystem phase-change: a guide to four types

Purpose – This article introduces the concept of a industry phase change. Phase-changes are historical transitions, ones that create a new industry and consumer ecosystem. They are not merely disruptive technologies. Design/methodology/approach – A phase-change is marked by a complex transformation in human behavior produced by a new way to satisfy consumption needs. The Kodak case is described. Findings – A current phase-change sweeping many business sectors is driven by the growing search for competitive advantage through connected ecosystems of stakeholders that co-create value – customers, innovators, partners and communities. Practical implications – Co-creative ecosystems are a phase-change that requires a new set of executive and management skills, a different culture, a new approach to information, as well as new forms of leadership. Originality/value – Explains the success factors of the four major types of modern ecosystems: scale ecosystems; creative commons/open source ecosystems; customer eco...
Teaching science from cultural points of intersection

This study focuses on a professional development program for science teachers near or on American Indian reservations in Montana. This program was framed by culturally relevant pedagogy premises and was characterized by instructional strategies and content foci resulting from the intersection between three cultures: tribal, science teaching, and science. The study employs a quasi-experimental design and quantitative methods to examine the impact of the program on teachers' practice and beliefs, and to determine the relationship between student-centered equity-focused instruction and students' science test score gains. Results of the analyses indicate that after 2 years in the program teachers changed their teaching practices and beliefs about their ability to teach science and to implement equitable instruction in a way that positively impacted students' performance. Using a multiple regression analysis it was found that gains in teacher beliefs about their ability to implement equitable strategies and the increase of teaching strategies that prompt students to make connections between science and their real-life issues significantly explained the 36.7% of the variance of student science test scores gains in treatment classrooms. No significant changes in beliefs or teaching strategies were found for comparison teachers. The results obtained from this study contribute to the identification of characteristics of a professional development program that positively impacted the science teaching of American Indian students. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 50:12–32, 2013
Densification kinetics of binary borosilicate glass composite

Densification kinetics and mechanism of a binary borosilicate glass composite, containing low-softening borosilicate (BSG) and high-softening high silica (HSG) glasses, have been studied. Apparent activation energy of densification varies from 200 to 400 kJ/mol, and decreases with increasing BSG content at a given densification factor. At a given BSG content, the activation energy of densification initially remains relatively unchanged with increasing densification factor (DF), but increases with densification when DF reaches a critical value (DF∗). Moreover, the value of DF∗ increases with increasing BSG content. From the activation energy estimates of densification, it is concluded that the predominant densification mechanism for BSG ≥ 30 vol. % with DF < DF∗ is viscous flow of low-softening BSG. For BSG ≥ 30 vol. % with DF < DF∗ and BSG ⋚ 20 vol. % with all DF investigated, the activation energies are within the range governed by viscous flow of both BSG and HSG, indicating that the densification is controlled by viscous flow of a new glass with a composition between BSG and HSG. The latter evidence stems from the microstructural observation that as sintering proceeds, the HSG particle undergoes an extensive dissolution process.
Active, capable, and potentially active faults — a paleoseismic perspective

Abstract Maps of faults (geologically defined source zones) may portray seismic hazards in a wide range of completeness depending on which types of faults are shown. Three fault terms — active, capable, and potential — are used in a variety of ways for different reasons or applications. Nevertheless, to be useful for seismic-hazards analysis, fault maps should encompass a time interval that includes several earthquake cycles. For example, if the common recurrence in an area is 20,000–50,000 years, then maps should include faults that are 50,000–100,000 years old (two to five typical earthquake cycles), thus allowing for temporal variability in slip rate and recurrence intervals. Conversely, in more active areas such as plate boundaries, maps showing faults that are
ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS (EFA) IN CORD BLOOD OF THIRD TRIMESTER INFANTS AND MATERNAL PLASMA

EFA are incorporated into brain lipids and serve as prostaglandin (PG) precursors. Increased CNS morbidity in low birthweight infants is well recognized. Plasma levels and EFA were measured in phospholipids (PL), cholesterol esters (CE), triglycerides (TG) and free fatty acids (FFA) by TLC and GLC in 16 postpartum mothers (28-44 weeks) and in the umbilical vein and artery of 32 newborns. Groups of eight 24-33, 34-37, 38-42 and 43-44-week-old infants were studied. Increased PL, CE and TG (p<0.001) were noted in maternal plasma compared with cord blood; linoleic acid was lower (p<0.001) in cord blood PL, CE and FFA. EFA derivatives-Δ-8,11,14-eicosatrienoic, arachidonic and docosahexaenoic acids were higher in cord blood (p<0.001). Total polyenoic EFA increased with advanced gestation, and at term, was close to maternal levels. Δ-5,8,11-eicosatrienoic acid (elevated in EFA deficiency) was elevated in cord blood as compared with maternal values (p<0.001); other criteria of EFA deficiency were absent. The study demonstrated that during the third trimester, fetal EFAs are elongated and desaturated. These higher polyenoic acids are incorporated into lipids in the developing CNS and also serve as substrate for PCS biosynthesis. The lower linoleic acid level in the fetus may play an important role in transplacental transport of EFA.
Muon Capture in Neon

By exploiting the transfer process $({\ensuremath{\mu}}^{\ensuremath{-}}p)+\mathrm{Ne}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}p+({\ensuremath{\mu}}^{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{Ne})$, we have measured the disappearance rate of negative muons bound to neon nuclei. We find $\ensuremath{\lambda}=(0.658\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.010)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{6}$ ${\mathrm{sec}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$.
Evaluation of Dietary Tryptophan Levels as a Restriction Method for Broiler Breeder Pullets

Abstract A total of 2,000 pullets and 300 cockerels from a broiler strain were started on experiment at two weeks of age. The following treatments were used: (1) 0.150 percent tryptophan and 28 mg. added niacin per kg. of diet; (2) 0.150 percent tryptophan and no added niacin in the diet; (3) 0.150 percent tryptophan with 28 mg. added niacin per kg. of diet; (4) 0.125 percent tryptophan with 28 mg. added niacin per kg. of diet; and (5) 0.100 percent tryptophan with 28 mg. added niacin per kg. of diet. Treatment 1 was limited daily, the others were ad libitum. Birds were maintained on these treatments until 22 weeks of age, at which time they were moved to a breeder house. During the breeder phase, the birds were subjected to either of two treatments; a constant protein level program or a two protein level phase feeding program. Body weights at 22 weeks of age were reduced by decreasing tryptophan levels. However, percent body fat increased with lower levels of tryptophan. Birds on low tryptophan levels consumed less feed per bird per day but feed efficiency was increased. Body weight increased greatly in Treatment 5 birds during the breeder phase. Hen day production and hen housed production were reduced in those previously fed the low levels of tryptophan. Hatch of total eggs set was also reduced by the lowest level of tryptophan; however, hatch of fertile eggs was not affected. Limited fed birds performed better overall in the breeder house than ad libitum fed birds.
SIRT3 Reverses Aging-Associated Degeneration

Despite recent controversy about their function in some organisms, sirtuins are thought to play evolutionarily conserved roles in lifespan extension. Whether sirtuins can reverse aging-associated degeneration is unknown. Tissue-specific stem cells persist throughout the entire lifespan to repair and maintain tissues, but their self-renewal and differentiation potential become dysregulated with aging. We show that SIRT3, a mammalian sirtuin that regulates the global acetylation landscape of mitochondrial proteins and reduces oxidative stress, is highly enriched in hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) where it regulates a stress response. SIRT3 is dispensable for HSC maintenance and tissue homeostasis at a young age under homeostatic conditions but is essential under stress or at an old age. Importantly, SIRT3 is suppressed with aging, and SIRT3 upregulation in aged HSCs improves their regenerative capacity. Our study illuminates the plasticity of mitochondrial homeostasis controlling stem cell and tissue maintenance during the aging process and shows that aging-associated degeneration can be reversed by a sirtuin.
Some observations of sorting of river-sediments

Various observations have shown quite definitely that sorting takes place during transportation of sediment by flowing water. This phenomenon is often overlooked in experimental studies, and accounts, at least in part, for inconsistent data obtained in bed-load transportation experiments. The writer observed the results of this sorting process on the Missouri River on various occasions when the sedimentary characteristics of the River were being investigated, and also in the course of sediment-transportation studies in the hydraulics laboratory at the University of Minnesota. The laboratory experimental work was carried on using materials of various mechanical compositions. In one case, the material, a fine gravel, was as uniform in size as one might expect to obtain commercially. No sorting was to be expected. It was the material retained on a No. 8 sieve and passing a No. 4, resulting in an average size of grain (according to mechanical analysis) of 4 mm (Fig. 1). The material was fed into the headwater end of a flume at such a rate as to maintain the slope constant; it was collected at the downstream end of the flume and weighed periodically. A progressive change in the rate of sediment-discharge, at least for a time, was observed, although all conditions were maintained as nearly constant as practicable. That this change was, at least in part, due to sorting was evident from subsequent studies. A typical example is shown by Figure 1.
Evaluation of posterior cruciate Ligament tensioning device

The Ligament Tensiometer is a device to be used during PCL reconstruction surgeries so as to increase success rates. It precisely measures the tension placed on the ligament during tightening to reduce improve reproducibility of proper tensioning. To achieve this, the force recorded by the device is correlated to the voltage output of a custom designed load recording device. Preliminary tests demonstrate that the load vs. voltage relationship is linear.
Detection of single ion channel activity with carbon nanotubes

Many processes in life are based on ion currents and membrane voltages controlled by a sophisticated and diverse family of membrane proteins (ion channels), which are comparable in size to the most advanced nanoelectronic components currently under development. Here we demonstrate an electrical assay of individual ion channel activity by measuring the dynamic opening and closing of the ion channel nanopores using single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). Two canonical dynamic ion channels (gramicidin A (gA) and alamethicin) and one static biological nanopore (α-hemolysin (α-HL)) were successfully incorporated into supported lipid bilayers (SLBs, an artificial cell membrane), which in turn were interfaced to the carbon nanotubes through a variety of polymer-cushion surface functionalization schemes. The ion channel current directly charges the quantum capacitance of a single nanotube in a network of purified semiconducting nanotubes. This work forms the foundation for a scalable, massively parallel architecture of 1d nanoelectronic devices interrogating electrophysiology at the single ion channel level.
Does Thyroid Supplementation Accelerate Tricyclic Antidepressant Response? A Review and Meta-Analysis of the Literature

OBJECTIVE: The delayed onset of therapeutic response to antidepressants remains a major problem in the treatment of depression. Among the strategies to accelerate response to treatment, the early addition of thyroid hormone to antidepressants has been suggested as a viable method. The authors performed a meta-analysis of the literature on the use of thyroid hormone supplementation to accelerate the treatment of depression to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to support the clinical efficacy of this strategy. METHOD: Both a computer-aided search of the National Library of Medicine MEDLINE and an intensive search by hand were conducted to identify all double-blind, placebo-controlled studies assessing the concomitant administration of thyroid hormone and antidepressant to accelerate clinical response in patients with nonrefractory depression. RESULTS: Six studies were identified. All were conducted with triiodothyronine (T3) and a tricyclic antidepressant. Five of the six studies found T3 to be...
THE PERMEABILITY OF CELLS FOR OXYGEN AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE FOR THE THEORY OF STIMULATION

It can be demonstrated by an indicator method that living cells are as freely permeable to oxygen as dead cells, and that sudden admission of oxygen to the cell cannot account for increased oxidation as a result of stimulation. Oxygen penetrates as readily as carbon dioxide among the acids and ammonia among the alkalies. Exposure of living plant cells to high oxygen pressures does not initiate certain oxidations (except after some hours), which proceed readily in dead plant cells in the air. In the light of the preceding statement, about the permeability of cells for oxygen, this is interpreted to mean that more oxygen enters the cell at high pressure, but that the reacting substances (chromogen and oxidase) are kept apart by some phase boundary as long as the cell is alive. Increased oxygen concentration eventually produces injury to the cell.
A Dynamical Systems Approach to Nonlinear Stellar Pulsations

Over the last decade we have seen the application of novel techniques to the old problem of nonlinear stellar pulsations. Together with numerical hydrodynamics this approach provides a more fundamental understanding of the systematics of the pulsational behavior. For weakly nonadiabatic pulsations, whether regular or multi-periodic, dimensional reduction techniques lead to amplitude equations and to a description in terms of modal interactions and resonances. In particular they shed new light on the bump progression in the classical Cepheids. In more dissipative stars numerical hydrodynamical modelling has uncovered the existence of irregular variability, both in radiative and in con-vective models. An application of modern dynamical systems techniques has shown that this behavior occurs according to well understood routes from regular to chaotic behavior. The mechanism is very robust and represents the first non ad hoc theoretical explanation of irregular stellar variability. Finally, we discuss how a comparison with observations of irregular variability shows the need for more suitable observations, on the one hand, and of better techniques of signal processing, on the other.
Pose-independent automatic target detection and recognition using 3D LADAR data

We present a pose-independent Automatic Target Detection and Recognition (ATD/R) System using data from an airborne 3D imaging ladar sensor. The ATD/R system uses geometric shape and size signatures from target models to detect and recognize targets under heavy canopy and camouflage cover in extended terrain scenes. A method for data integration was developed to register multiple scene views to obtain a more complete 3-D surface signature of a target. Automatic target detection was performed using the general approach of “3-D cueing,” which determines and ranks regions of interest within a large-scale scene based on the likelihood that they contain the respective target. Each region of interest is further analyzed to accurately identify the target from among a library of 10 candidate target objects. The system performance was demonstrated on five extended terrain scenes with targets both out in the open and under heavy canopy cover, where the target occupied 1 to 5% of the scene by volume. Automatic target recognition was successfully demonstrated for 20 measured data scenes including ground vehicle targets both out in the open and under heavy canopy and/or camouflage cover, where the target occupied between 5 to 10% of the scene by volume. Correct target identification was also demonstrated for targets with multiple movable parts that are in arbitrary orientations. We achieved a high recognition rate (over 99%) along with a low false alarm rate (less than 0.01%)
Perceptions of control in adults with epilepsy

That psychosocial problems are extant in epilepsy is evidenced by a suicide rate among epileptic persons five times that of the general population and an unemployment rate estimated to be more than twice that of the population as a whole. External perceptions of control secondary to repeated episodes of seizure activity that generalize to the social sphere have been implicated as causes of these problems. The hypothesis that individuals who continue to have seizures become more and more external in perceptions of control was tested by a survey mailed to a sample of individuals with epilepsy in a metropolitan area of the Midwest. Dependent variables were, scores on instruments measuring locus of control and attributional style. The independent variable was a measure of seizure control based on present age, age at onset, and length of time since last seizure. Gender, socioeconomic status, and certain parenting characteristics were included as control variables, as they are also known to affect perceptions of control. Analysis by multiple regression techniques supported the study's hypothesis when perceptions of control was conceptualized as learned helplessness for bad, but not for good, events. The hypothesis was not confirmed when perceptions of control was conceptualized as either general or health locus of control. Language: en
Role of growth hormone in the regulation of aldosterone biosynthesis.

Experimental evidence indicates that a non-ACTH pituitary hormone (s) is essential for a normal aldosterone response to ACTH and sodium deprivation in man and animals. The present study was designed to evaluate the role of somatotropin in the regulation of aldosterone biosynthesis in human beings. The aldosterone response to ACTH was determined in 8 intact human beings before and after dietary sodium restriction and compared with the aldosterone response observed in 3 patients with panhypopituitarism and 3 patients with isolated GH deficiency. Plasma aldosterone concentration, plasma cortisol concentration, and plasma renin activity were determined by radioimmunoassay. A normal aldosterone,cortisol, and renin response to dietary sodium restriction and ACTH was observed in the subjects with isolated GH deficiency. Plasma aldosterone concentration was normal under resting conditions in the patients with panhypopituitarism, but failed to increase in response to ACTH or sodium deprivation. A normal response o...
Expedited quantification of mutant ribosomal RNA by binary deoxyribozyme (BiDz) sensors

Mutations in ribosomal RNA (rRNA) have traditionally been detected by the primer extension assay, which is a tedious and multistage procedure. Here, we describe a simple and straightforward fluorescence assay based on binary deoxyribozyme (BiDz) sensors. The assay uses two short DNA oligonucleotides that hybridize specifically to adjacent fragments of rRNA, one of which contains a mutation site. This hybridization results in the formation of a deoxyribozyme catalytic core that produces the fluorescent signal and amplifies it due to multiple rounds of catalytic action. This assay enables us to expedite semi-quantification of mutant rRNA content in cell cultures starting from whole cells, which provides information useful for optimization of culture preparation prior to ribosome isolation. The method requires less than a microliter of a standard Escherichia coli cell culture and decreases analysis time from several days (for primer extension assay) to 1.5 h with hands-on time of ∼10 min. It is sensitive to single-nucleotide mutations. The new assay simplifies the preliminary analysis of RNA samples and cells in molecular biology and cloning experiments and is promising in other applications where fast detection/quantification of specific RNA is required.
Antiserum against Escherichia coli J5 Contains Antibodies Reactive with Outer Membrane Proteins of Heterologous Gram-Negative Bacteria

The binding of IgG in antiserum to Escherichia coli J5 to the surface of Enterobacteriaceae and to cell wall fragments released from serum-exposed bacteria was studied in a search for potentially protective epitopes other than lipopolysaccharide (LPS). IgG titers to multiple heterologous gram-negative smooth bacteria increased following incubation of the bacteria in serum and decreased following absorption with serum-exposed heterologous bacteria. IgG eluted from absorbing bacteria bound to at least three conserved bacterial outer membrane proteins (OMPs), but not LPS, as assessed by immunoblotting. The same OMPs were present in LPS-containing macromolecular cell wall fragments released by incubation of heterologous gram-negative bacteria in human serum. Part of the protection offered by J5 antiserum could be from binding of IgG to conserved OMPs at the bacterial surface or to OMPs in cell-wall fragments released from dying bacteria.
Single nucleotide polymorphism discovery in rainbow trout by deep sequencing of a reduced representation library

To enhance capabilities for genomic analyses in rainbow trout, such as genomic selection, a large suite of polymorphic markers that are amenable to high-throughput genotyping protocols must be identified. Expressed Sequence Tags (ESTs) have been used for single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) discovery in salmonids. In those strategies, the salmonid semi-tetraploid genomes often led to assemblies of paralogous sequences and therefore resulted in a high rate of false positive SNP identification. Sequencing genomic DNA using primers identified from ESTs proved to be an effective but time consuming methodology of SNP identification in rainbow trout, therefore not suitable for high throughput SNP discovery. In this study, we employed a high-throughput strategy that used pyrosequencing technology to generate data from a reduced representation library constructed with genomic DNA pooled from 96 unrelated rainbow trout that represent the National Center for Cool and Cold Water Aquaculture (NCCCWA) broodstock population. The reduced representation library consisted of 440 bp fragments resulting from complete digestion with the restriction enzyme Hae III; sequencing produced 2,000,000 reads providing an average 6 fold coverage of the estimated 150,000 unique genomic restriction fragments (300,000 fragment ends). Three independent data analyses identified 22,022 to 47,128 putative SNPs on 13,140 to 24,627 independent contigs. A set of 384 putative SNPs, randomly selected from the sets produced by the three analyses were genotyped on individual fish to determine the validation rate of putative SNPs among analyses, distinguish apparent SNPs that actually represent paralogous loci in the tetraploid genome, examine Mendelian segregation, and place the validated SNPs on the rainbow trout linkage map. Approximately 48% (183) of the putative SNPs were validated; 167 markers were successfully incorporated into the rainbow trout linkage map. In addition, 2% of the sequences from the validated markers were associated with rainbow trout transcripts. The use of reduced representation libraries and pyrosequencing technology proved to be an effective strategy for the discovery of a high number of putative SNPs in rainbow trout; however, modifications to the technique to decrease the false discovery rate resulting from the evolutionary recent genome duplication would be desirable.
Fast Simulation of Interconnect Structures Using Adaptive Integral Method (AIM)

A full-wave technique is developed for fast analysis of high-frequency planar interconnects and microwave circuits. The proposed methodology is an extension of the adaptive integral method to the objects enclosed in a rectangular box with perfect electrically conducting walls. It can be used for simulation of both shielded and open structures. The only limiting condition for the open circuit analysis is that the substrate is to be electrically thin in the frequency range of interest. The advantage of the proposed method compared to the FFT based techniques adopted in the commercial tools such as Sonnet EM simulator is in the adaptive scheme allowing efficient FFT use for the circuits not fitting onto the FFT grids. The computational time per iteration and memory usage for the solver scale as (l og ) ON N and () ON respectively, where N is the number of unknowns in the discrete model. The accuracy and efficiency of the solver is demonstrated through its application to the modeling of a microwave filter. I. Introduction The growth of operating frequencies and on-board dense packaging make full electromagnetic simulation an essential part of modern high-frequency design. Under these conditions, traditional design schemes, based on the decomposition of the system into smaller components with independent analysis of each component, provides inadequate accuracy due to the strong near field coupling. Attempts to simulate systems without such a decomposition, however, often times result in the prohibitively large size of the discrete problem requiring CPU and memory resources unavailable to most designers. This situation motivates the development of new fast algorithms capable of accurate simulation of large scale problems using moderate computational resources. In this paper we discuss one such algorithm built specifically for the analysis of dense open integrated circuits. The presented technique is a modification of the adaptive integral method [1] for the case when the circuit is situated within a rectangular waveguide with proper termination loads. The presence of the perfectly conducting walls forming the guide is brought into the analysis by modeling of the circuit port excitation using a delta-gap voltage generator [2]. Such implementation of AIM for the shielded circuits exhibits specific features because of the modal structure of the electromagnetic field excited in the waveguide and is discussed in this paper. The new AIM algorithm has proven to be in the same order of complexity as its open media counterpart where computational time per iteration scales as (l og ) ON N instead of 2
Test results and design considerations for a 500 MHz, 500 kWatt vacuum window for CESR-B

A previous paper described the design of a vacuum window proposed for use in the WR-1800 waveguide. This work details the results of a high power test of the completed prototype window. The window passed all design goals when operated in a short-circuited load. For the case of a matched load, the travelling wave power reached a maximum of 260 kW CW with vacuum bursts as a limiting factor. In addition to the results from the high power tests, some results from low power tests using a network analyzer are given. Some general conclusions are drawn concerning the design of vacuum windows in a rectangular waveguide. >
A unified optimization framework for simultaneous gate sizing and placement under density constraints

A unified optimization framework is presented for simultaneous gate sizing and placement. These processes are unified using Lagrangian multipliers, which synchronize the efforts of the gate sizing and placement subproblems. As far as we know, this is the first work that formulates and solves the simultaneous gate sizing and placement under area density constraints, which are handled by the quadratic penalty method. We show that this rigorous framework results in an algorithm that is faster than separate iterations of gate sizing and placement steps, and leads to more robust results for a set of benchmarks.
Agent based models to investigate cooperation between cancer cells

We present a type of agent-based model that uses off-lattice spheres to represent individual cells in a solid tumor. The model calculates chemical gradients and determines the dynamics of the tumor as emergent properties of the interactions between the cells. As an example, we present an investigation of cooperation among cancer cells where cooperators secrete a growth factor that is costly to synthesize. Simulations reveal that cooperation is favored when cancer cells from the same lineage stay in close proximity. The result supports the hypothesis that kin selection, a theory that explains the evolution of cooperation in animals, also applies to cancers.
A phase I trial using the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib and concurrent temazolomide and radiotherapy for high grade gliomas

2061 Background: Improving the response of patients with high-grade astrocytomas continues to remain a challenge despite advances in chemoradiation. Preclinical studies have demonstrated the import...
A fast distributed algorithm for decomposable semidefinite programs

This paper aims to develop a fast, parallelizable algorithm for an arbitrary decomposable semidefinite program (SDP). To formulate a decomposable SDP, we consider a multi-agent canonical form represented by a graph, where each agent (node) is in charge of computing its corresponding positive semidefinite matrix subject to local equality and inequality constraints as well as overlapping (consistency) constraints with regards to the agent's neighbors. Based on the alternating direction method of multipliers, we design a numerical algorithm, which has a guaranteed convergence under very mild assumptions. Each iteration of this algorithm has a simple closed-form solution, consisting of matrix multiplications and eigenvalue decompositions performed by individual agents as well as information exchanges between neighboring agents. The cheap iterations of the proposed algorithm enable solving real-world large-scale conic optimization problems.
Corrigendum to "Endoscopic closure of persistent gastric leak and fistula following laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy" [Int. J. Surg. Case Rep. 6 (2015) 186-187].

The authors would like to inform you that in the original version of their article their names were inverted in error. The authors names are now correctly presented above. The authors would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused.
Use of Membrane Filters as a Substrate in Insect Feeding Bioassays

Chewing insects representing four orders and 10 families fed on phagostimulant-treated membrane filter disks. Application of feeding deterrents to such disks could inhibit feeding. For several reasons, membrane filters are a very convenient inert substrate for evaluation of materials that influence insect feeding.
Performance Analysis and Validation of a Recoverable Flight Control System in a Simulated Neutron Environment

This paper introduces a class of stochastic hybrid models for the analysis of closedloop control systems implemented with NASA’s Recoverable Computer System. Such Recoverable Computer Systems have been proposed to insure reliable control performance in harsh environments. The stochastic hybrid models consist of either a stochastic finitestate automaton or a finite-state machine driven by a Markov input, which in turn drives a switched linear discrete-time dynamical system. Their stability and output tracking performance are analyzed using an extension of the existing theory for Markov jump-linear systems. For illustration, a stochastic hybrid model is used to calculate the tracking error performance of a Boeing 737 at cruising altitude and in closed-loop with a Recoverable Computer System subject to neutron-induced single-event upsets. The upsets are modeled with a Markov process. The results are validated using experimental data obtained from a simulated neutron environment in NASA’s SAFETI Laboratory.
Value of antibiotic sensitivity testing of anaerobes

We have studied the clinical usefulness of performing routine antibiotic sensitivity testing of freshly isolated anaerobic bacteria from clinical specimens. Sensitivities were performed weekly on a total of 370 isolates over a 5-mth period using an agar dilution method. Subsequently we reviewed the medical records of 66 patients. The sensitivity report had been noted and/or used in only 5 instances (7.6%); it was used to confirm treatment already begun in 3 of these and to direct therapy only twice (3%). The clinical outcome was good in 94% of patients whose sensitivities were not used (SNU), compared to 60% for patients where sensitivities were used (SU). The overall prognosis was judged to be poor in 20% of SNU and 80% of SU patients. Analysis of SNU patients showed that anaerobes were resistant to antibiotics being given in 15 of 38 empirically treated patients. However, their clinical results were just as good as those patients whose anaerobes were sensitive and as good as those whose treatment was directed by culture results. Twelve of these 15 patients, as well as a total of 38 of the SNU patients, were also surgically treated. Therapeutic response seems related more to a combination of factors including surgery, antibiotics, and underlying prognosis rather than to the specific in vitro antibiotic sensitivity of infecting anaerobes. These results indicate that routine sensitivity testing of anaerobes is not clinically useful and that such tests should be reserved for selected problem cases and periodic surveys to detect changing sensitivity patterns.
Age-associated differences in beta adrenergic-stimulated lipolysis in adipocytes from Sprague-Dawley and Fischer 344 rats.

We compared the ability of adipocytes isolated from the epididymal fat pads of Sprague-Dawley and Fischer 344 rats of different ages and weights to release glycerol in response to beta-adrenergic stimulation. Twelve-month-old Sprague-Dawley rats weighed approximately three times more than did 2-month-old rats of the same strain (761 +/- 61 g vs 223 +/- 8 g, p less than .001). Basal glycerol release was increased in the adipocytes of the 12-month-old rats (128 +/- 8 nmol/10(5) cells/L compared to the 2-month-old rats 51 +/- 3 nmol/10(5) cells/L). However, the ability of isoproterenol to stimulate glycerol release above basal was markedly decreased in the older and fatter Sprague-Dawley rats (178 +/- 15 nmol/10(5) cells/L vs 482 +/- 20 nmol/10(5) cells/L, p less than .001), and significant correlation coefficients between isoproterenol-stimulated glycerol release and both total body (r = .76, p less than .001) and fat pad (r = .83, p less than .001) weight were seen in Sprague-Dawley rats. Total body weights of 2-month (188 +/- 16 g), 12-month (393 +/- 15 g), and 27-month-old (402 +/- 36 g) Fischer 344 rats were less disparate. Isoproterenol-stimulated glycerol release was similar in the three groups of Fischer 344 rats, and there was no correlation between either total body or fat pad weight and lipolysis in these rats.
Photo-assisted Anodic Etching of Gallium Nitride Grown by MOCVD

In this paper, the first study of photo-assisted anodic etching of unintentionally doped n-GaN at room temperature is reported. The electrolyte used is a mixture of buffered aqueous solution of tartaric acid and ethylene glycol. The etching rate varies from ∼20 A/min to as high as 1600 A/min. A systematic study shows that i) the etch rate, as well as the surface roughness, increases with the current density; ii) the etching rate is the highest when the pH of the electrolyte is around 7; iii) the etching is faster when there is more ethylene glycol in the electrolyte solution.