cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Milk exosomes are bioavailable and distinct microRNA cargos have unique tissue distribution patterns

Exosomes participate in cell-to-cell communication, facilitated by the transfer of RNAs, proteins and lipids from donor to recipient cells. Exosomes and their RNA cargos do not exclusively originate from endogenous synthesis but may also be obtained from dietary sources such as the inter-species transfer of exosomes and RNAs in bovine milk to humans. Here, we assessed the bioavailability and distribution of exosomes and their microRNA cargos from bovine, porcine and murine milk within and across species boundaries. Milk exosomes labeled with fluorophores or fluorescent fusion proteins accumulated in liver, spleen and brain following suckling, oral gavage and intravenous administration in mice and pigs. When synthetic, fluorophore-labeled microRNAs were transfected into bovine milk exosomes and administered to mice, distinct species of microRNAs demonstrated unique distribution profiles and accumulated in intestinal mucosa, spleen, liver, heart or brain. Administration of bovine milk exosomes failed to rescue Drosha homozygous knockout mice, presumably due to low bioavailability or lack of essential microRNAs.
Recent volcanism at Schonchin and Cinder Buttes, northern California

Recent volcanism on the northern flank of the Medicine Lake Highland consists of a series of basalt to andesite spatter and cinder cones and their associated flows. Two particular structures, Cinder Butte and Schonchin Butte, have erupted materials that are very similar in terms of age, volume, modal mineralogy, and many major and trace elements. Significant differences with respect to TiO2, K2O, P2O5, Sr, Ba, Zr, and LREE can be related to possible changes in the mineralogy within the source region of these volcanic rocks. Apatite and priderite are the two minor constituents that best satisfy the constraints set by the mineral and chemical data. An inhomogeneous upper mantle or lower crust beneath the Medicine Lake Highland is indicated.
High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry: An Emerging Analytical Method for Drug Testing

Abstract High-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) has emerged as an extremely powerful technique and has been applied for the analysis of seized materials, doping agents/steroids, veterinary drugs, poisons, medicinal drugs, and drugs of abuse. However it is with toxicological screening in particular, where liquid chromatography combined with HRMS (LC-HRMS) is currently demonstrating significant benefits. In this chapter, basic principles of HRMS as well as currently available high-resolution mass analyzers have been discussed. A number of different types of HRMS instruments (that is to say, instruments capable of delivering resolving power of ≥10,000 m/Δm) are available these days. Of these, those based on time-of-flight and Orbitrap analyzers have emerged as the most useful and commonly used in toxicology. Application of HRMS in drug testing as well as limitations of HRMS are also addressed in this chapter
Comovement in the commodity futures markets: An analysis of the energy, grains, and livestock sectors

Abstract We examine the excess comovement of commodity futures returns. We contend that commodities categorized in the same sector possess fundamental price linkages; thus, measures of excess comovement "within-sectors" are much higher relative to "across-sector" measures. Consistent with this premise we find that all copula model dependence measures used in the study capture this feature of the commodity markets. Further, we test the relevance of two new "cross-market" factors related to changes in inventory and open interest as determinants of commodity futures returns. We find a strong positive relationship between changes in cross-market open interest and futures returns to the energy and livestock markets. In contrast, the impact of changes in cross-market inventory on futures returns to the energy and grains sectors is very minor.
Basic Notation and Definitions

Within a given chapter, equations and numbered paragraphs will be numbered (1), (2), (3), etc. In the text, ‘(n)’ refers to equation n of the current chapter and ‘(m.n)’ to equation number n of Chapter m.
Energy autarky of small scale wastewater treatment plants by enhanced carbon capture and codigestion – A quantitative analysis

Abstract Municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) can achieve energy self-sufficiency (autarky) while complying with increasing discharge standards. We evaluated three energy-positive wastewater treatment scenarios classified as “Basic”, “Moderate”, and “Advanced” configurations. A quantitative mass and energy balance model was developed to analyze the energy recovery potentials of these configurations. Enhanced COD capture, codigestion with locally available biodegradable wastes, and aeration energy optimization were considered as the main approaches to achieve an energy autarky or energy-positive status. Data from existing operating plants were used to validate the model performance. This paper presents a detailed quantitative analysis of two (basic and moderate) energy-neutral or energy-positive wastewater treatment configurations. In addition, a novel and practically feasible energy-positive wastewater treatment scheme incorporating advanced solids separation is presented with energy analysis and a case study. This model can be useful to quickly assess the energy recovery potential of small scale wastewater treatment systems.
Dynamic Waveguiding in Silicon-Integrated Barium Titanate Thin Films

The Pockels effect is a nonlinear optical effect describing the change of a material's refractive index due to an applied electric field. The complex oxide barium titanate (BTO) has become the focus of intense research for electro-optical applications due to its extremely large Pockels coefficients. In this paper, we explore the possibility of creating a dynamic waveguide by utilizing the Pockels effect in BTO thin films to create refractive index contrast and guide light without the need for patterned strip waveguides. We present finite-element simulations of the electro-optical performance of an experimentally realizable BTO dynamic waveguide and use these simulations to provide optimal device design parameters to maximize the performance and efficiency of such a device.
The intersection of intimate partner violence and substance use among women with opioid use disorder.

Background: Women with opioid use disorder (OUD) report high rates of intimate partner violence (IPV) and there is limited understanding of how IPV influences substance use behaviors among women wi...
Avoiding another Cold War

This article briefly summarizes the major findings of my scholarship on the origins of the Cold War. It then suggests why Cold War analogies should not frame contemporary Chinese–American relations. It concludes by emphasizing that the key to successful competition in the international arena has more to do with successful domestic policies than with geopolitics and military competition.
Application of an Improved Crack Growth Prediction Methodology on Structure Preliminary Design

An improved crack growth methodology which accounts for load interaction effects was implemented into a computer module, PREGRO, and was subsequently incorporated into an existing preliminary design analysis computer program, APAS. The procedure utilizes the equivalent damage concept, which converts the random spectrum into equivalent constant-amplitude load cycles. By using this improved crack growth prediction module, unnecessary weight penalties can be avoided in the preliminary design of primary structures. Examples are given for the application of this predictive method to wing structures for typical fighter and transport aircraft.
Collect Ethically: Reduce Bias in Twitter Datasets

The Twitter platform is appealing to researchers due to the ease of obtaining data and the ability to analyze and produce results rapidly. However, sampling Twitter data for research purposes needs to be regulated to produce unbiased results. In this paper, factors that lead to sampling bias are addressed, case studies that have been encountered are presented, and an approach is proposed to reduce sampling bias and flaws in datasets collected from Twitter. Then, experiments are conducted on two case studies, and a larger dataset is achieved by following the proposed guideline. The results indicate that using multiple Twitter application programming interfaces (APIs) for data collection is the best way to obtain a randomly sampled dataset.
Development of a rapid and efficient protoplast isolation and transfection method for chickpea (Cicer arietinum)

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is the second most important grain legume worldwide. Recent advances in the sequencing of the chickpea genome has provided a new and valuable resource to aid efforts in gene discovery and crop trait improvement. Technical difficulties in stable chickpea transgenics and the lack of a transient expression system for rapid analysis of gene expression and function; however, has limited the usefulness of this genomic resource. As a step toward alleviating this limitation, we report here the development of a simple and efficient transient gene expression protocol. Using leaves from chickpea seedlings, we have established a procedure that enables the generation of large quantities of vital chickpea protoplasts within only a few hours. In addition, we have optimized a PEG-calcium-mediated transfection method to efficiently deliver exogenous DNA into the chickpea protoplast. The current study is the first to present a detailed step-by-step procedures for protoplast isolation, evaluation, transfection, and application in chickpea. In addition, we optimize the transfection efficiency which has not been previously reported. Our protoplast transfection approach provides a platform that will allow rapid high-throughput screening and systematic characterization of gene expression and function. Knowledge gained through such studies will benefit current efforts to improve chickpea production and quality.•Modified enzymatic digestion solution for higher yield and viability.•Optimize transfection of chickpea protoplasts.
Individual connectomes are unique and stable in the developing brain from adolescence to young adulthood.

Using fMRI and functional connectivity analyses, it is possible to establish a functional connectome for an individual. The extent to which functional connectomes from adolescents and young adults remain identifiable across many years has not been investigated. Here we show in three publically available longitudinal resting-state fMRI datasets that connectome-based identification of adolescents and young adults scanned 1-3 years apart is possible at levels well above chance using whole-brain functional connectivity data. When we restrict the identification process to specific edges, we find that edges in the frontal, parietal, and temporal cortices tend to lead to the highest identification rates. We also demonstrate that highly unique edges contributing the most to a successful ID tend to connect nodes in these same cortical regions, while edges contributing the least tend to connect cross-hemispheric homologs. These results suggest that despite developmental changes, adolescent and young adult subjects have unique and stable functional connectomes and that the frontal, parietal, and temporal cortices are important in defining individual uniqueness in younger subjects.
Primary cardiac angiosarcoma masquerading as intracardiac thrombus

A 49-year-old man with a recent history of atrial tachycardia and intracardiac thrombus presented to the emergency department with melena and cardiac tamponade. Physical examination was notable for a vascular mass at the right lower gingival sulcus and a right chest wall nodule. Enteroscopy revealed a target lesion with friable ulcer in the gastric body. Cardiac MRI revealed a large right atrial mass, previously thought to represent thrombus. The patient was ultimately diagnosed with primary cardiac angiosarcoma (PCAS) by histopathology of gingival, gastric and subcutaneous lesions. This case illustrates the significant morbidity and mortality resulting from aggressive local invasion and growth of PCAS, as well as the challenge of differentiating between primary thrombosis and vascular malignancy. Misdiagnosis of this elusive clinical entity may be costly, potentially resulting in delay of intervention and adverse effects of alternate therapies such as anticoagulation.
Feasibility and validation of a web-based platform for the self-administered patient collection of demographics, health status, anxiety, depression, and cognition in community dwelling elderly

The coronavirus disease pandemic has brought a new urgency for the development and deployment of web-based applications which complement, and offer alternatives to, traditional one-on-one consultations and pencil-and-paper (PaP) based assessments that currently dominate clinical research. We have recently developed a web-based application that can be used for the self-administered collection of patient demographics, self-rated health, depression and anxiety, and cognition as part of a single platform. In this study we report the findings from a study with 155 cognitively healthy older adults who received established PaP versions, as well as our novel computerized measures of self-rated health, depression and anxiety, and cognition. Moderate to high correlations were observed between PaP and web- based measures of self-rated health (r = 0.77), depression and anxiety (r = 0.72), and preclinical Alzheimer's disease cognitive composite (PACC) (r = .61). Test-retest correlations were variable with high correlations for a measure of processing speed and a measure of delayed episodic memory. Taken together, these data support the feasibility and validity of utilization of this novel web-based platform as a new alternative for collecting patient demographics and the assessment of self-rated health, depression and anxiety, and cognition in the elderly.
Boilerplate Collusion: Clause Aggregation, Antitrust Law & Contract Governance

Contract clauses should be assessed in relation to each other when examining their meaning, validity, and enforcement. In contemporary markets, drafters create impenetrable bundles of clauses and sets of interrelated contracts operating together. This article exposes the ways that a contract is larger than the sum of its separate clauses and a set of interrelated contracts is more harmful than the aggregation of each contract on its own. The article further shows that contract adjudication embeds these insights intuitively, but both contract law and antitrust law are yet to develop a principled and consistent analysis of how contract clauses collude in action. These understandings have implications for nearly every contract doctrine and in every policy field. Recognizing how contractual clauses produce a different effect than a simple summation of each clause enriches regulatory fields ranging from employment to consumer law, insurance law to intellectual property law, speech law and arbitration law. This article analyzes several key contexts to demonstrate the significance of aggregation: contract clauses that substantively restrict rights such as speech and mobility and clauses that procedurally restrict rights and access to litigation, including pre-dispute arbitration clauses and class action waivers. I argue that courts have instinctively employed notions of aggregation in their decisions, albeit without consistent analysis and without the wealth of contemporary behavioral research on the psychological effects of aggregation. The article is the first to analyze how behavioral studies on the human tendency to judge probabilities and risks differently when events are compiled versus unpacked are critical to understanding the effects generated by boilerplate collusion. The article concludes with policy implications for both contract interpretation and regulation. I argue that recognizing aggregation supports reforms in adjudicative defaults, including the rejection of reformation and blue- penciling and the treatment of redundancy as a feature, not a bug, in contract adjudication. Second, a better understanding of the phenomenon of boilerplate collusion points to the need for a more proactive approach to contract policy. As contract thickets abound, antitrust must reject its sharp divides between vertical and horizontal constraints and agencies, including the FTC, the EEOC and the Labor Department should use their regulatory powers to address the harms of boilerplate collusion.
Shared Leadership and Team Performance: The Joint Effect of Team Dispositional Composition and Collective Identification:

This study explores how team core self-evaluations (CSE) influence the emergence and effectiveness of shared leadership. Drawing on adaptive leadership theory, we propose that decisions to share le...
The Predicament of Europe’s ‘Last Dictator’:

Belarusian citizens elected their first president in 1994. More than 20 years later, in October 2015, the same person triumphantly won the fifth consecutive presidential election. In August 2020, P...
Operating room planning with multiple downstream units

Because of the importance of operating room management in hospitals, many researchers have attempted to develop mathematical programming models to use the available time in operating rooms as efficiently as possible. However, almost all researchers have considered only a single downstream unit in operating room planning. In this paper, we have developed a mixed-integer programming model for an operating room planning problem, which addresses multiple downstream units including wards, and ICUs. The proposed model allocates the patients to different operating rooms over a planning horizon while minimizing the sum of the opening cost of operating rooms, overtimes, and the cost of refusing patients, and the waiting cost of patients. The proposed model also addresses some other side features such as time windows for surgeries. We carried out some computational results and have performed an extensive sensitivity analysis on various cost parameters and also the capacity of each downstream. The computational results demonstrated that the proposed model is reliable and optimally solves instances with 315 patients in two minutes.
Effects of daily almond consumption for six months on cognitive measures in healthy middle-aged to older adults: a randomized control trial.

Age-related cognitive decline is a major public health issue. Almonds are rich in nutrients that benefit cognitive function. To investigate the impact of almonds on cognition in elderly adults. In ...
Introduction to the Sanctuary Syllabus

The Sanctuary Syllabus has been on the Public Books website since late 2017. This introduction to the syllabus by Molly Nolan has not been published previously. The introduction includes a link to the syllabus, which was developed and taught by faculty at New York University.
Suicide by industry and occupation: a structural-change approach.

: Data on suicide rates for males age 20 to 64 by occupation and industry for 1950 are examined. Two hypotheses are tested: The first, a static hypothesis relating variations in suicide with the size of the group from which choice of significant others is made, was not supported. The second, in which variations in suicide are related to changes in the size of the group from which significant others are selected, is supported. The authors conclude that their structural change approach to suicide is compatible with both sociological and psychological approaches to suicide.
Coded modulation schemes for communication in a noisy channel with noncoherent demodulation

We describe a technique for getting improved coded-modulation performance by using a combination of convolutional codes and a subcode of the nonlinear Nordstrom-Robinson codes on a wireless communications channel. This combination allows for noncoherent demodulation with nonorthogonal signals and obtains large distance between coded waveforms. Since it is nearly as easy to demodulate the Nordstrom-Robinson code as a standard orthogonal modulation the gain is achieved without significant complexity increase.
Minimax redundancy through accumulated estimation error

Minimax expected redundancies over memoryless source classes of smooth densities are studied, through their connections with accumulated prediction errors and using available techniques from nonparametric statistics. To derive lower bounds on the minimax expected redundancy rates, two methods are used and compared. One is the Assouad's technique from statistical density estimation and the other is the information-theoretic (generalized) Fano's inequality. Both methods are applied to hypercube sub-classes and a connection between Assouad's and Fano's is established using a packing number result from error-correcting coding theory. Finally, optimal (rate) codes, which achieve the minimax rate lower bounds on expected redundancy, are formed based on optimal density estimators.
Non-pharmacological and Pharmacological Treatment of the Cognitive and Behavioral Symptoms of Alzheimer Disease

This paper discusses the various pharmacological and behavioral treatments for the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral symptoms of Alzheimer disease (AD). The medications that are currently FDA-approved for the treatment of the cognitive/functional deficits of AD will first be discussed. Next, neuropsychiatric behavioral disturbances, including hallucinations and delusions, agitation and aggression, activity disturbances, depression, and anxiety will be described along with treatment interventions. Sleep disturbance and its treatment in AD and the issue of fitness to drive a motor vehicle are also reviewed. Principles of behavioral management, tips for communication, and recommendations for caregivers are discussed. Lastly, risk and protective factors and their relevance to delaying the expression of dementia are also examined.
Mechanisms of Competitive Exclusion Between Two Species of Chipmunks

Two species of chipmunks, Eutamias dorsalis and E. umbrinus exclude each other from certain elevations on isolated mountain ranges in the central Great Basin. Competitive success is determined by habitat; dorsalis excludes umbrinus from the sparse pinon—juniper forests at lower elevations and umbrinus excludes dorsalis from the denser forests at higher altitudes. The two species occur together only in a very narrow strip of intermediate habitat. Observation of the behavior and interactions of the two species within this overlap zone resulted in the following explanation for the mutual exclusion. E. dorsalis, the more aggressive and more terrestrial species, chases umbrinus from those areas where the trees are so widely spaced that umbrinus must flee on the ground. The competitive advantage immediately shifts to the more social and arboreal umbrinus when the trees are sufficiently large and dense that their branches interlock. In these habitats umbrinus readily escapes dorsalis by fleeing through the trees over routes that the more aggressive species cannot follow. In such situations the aggressive nature of dorsalis actually becomes competitively disadvantageous because the more social umbrinus is so numerous that dorsalis wastes a great deal of time and energy on fruitless chases. The differences between the two species in aggressive behavior apparently represent adaptations to the density of cover and food resources in their habitats. The main mechanisms of the competitive interaction between these two chipmunks (interspecific aggression, the ability of the subordinate species to utilize some feature of the habitat to escape from the dominant species, and aggressive neglect on the part of the dominant species) may frequently be important in cases of competitive exclusion between highly mobile animals.
Privatized Medicaid managed care in Massachusetts: disposition in child and adolescent mental health emergencies

Data from child and adolescent emergency mental health screening episodes prior and subsequent to privatized Medicaid managed care in Massachusetts are used to investigate the relationship between payer source and disposition and to compare the match between clinical need and disposition level of care. Having Medicaid as the payer in the post-Medicaid managed care period decreased the odds of hospitalization by nearly 60%. None of the clinical need variables that contributed to hospitalization for Medicaid episodes in the pre-Medicaid managed care period were significant in the post-Medicaid managed care period. Multiple forces shaping professional standards, decision making, and quality of care are described. Public sector agencies must lay the groundwork for comprehensive evaluation prior to the implementation of privatized Medicaid managed care initiatives.
An Onassis Retrospective: What Products Are Auctioned, and Why?

The 1996 auction of items from the estate of Jackie Onassis generated considerable student interest and amazement. I argue that, quite apart from any temporary fascination with the Onassis event, a discussion about auctions provides a way of heightening the engagement of students with economics, and I suggest classroom activities for generating this result. The following line of argument provokes the activities suggested in this article: 1. Most items sold are not auctioned. Posted prices, for example, are a more frequent pricing and selling technique. 2. There should be a set of economic characteristics determining and distinguishing the minority of items that are sold at auction. 3. As if to flout this simple expectation, items sometimes sold at auction do not fall into any immediately obvious distinctive economic category.' The assignment and associated class discussion suggested here are meant to provoke the students to confront this seeming heterogeneity and to think about what the underlying and less immediately obvious explanations might be for what products are auctioned. This method has the potential to raise the students' consciousness about the functions and mechanics of pricing in different economic settings.
The Condorcet criterion and committee selection

Abstract Recent studies have evaluated election procedures on their propensity to select committees that meet a Condorcet criterion. The Condorcet criterion has been defined to use majority agreement from voters' preferences to compare the selected committee to all other committees. This study uses a different definition of the Condorcet criterion as defined on committees. The focus of the new definition is on candidates. That is, we consider majority agreement on each candidate in the selected committee as compared to each candidate not in the selected committee. This new definition of the Condorcet criterion allows for the existence of majority cycles on candidates within the selected committee. However, no candidate in the non-selected group is able to defeat any candidate in the selected committee by majority rule. Of particular interest is the likelihood that a committee meeting this Condorcet criterion exists. Attention is also given to the likelihood that various simple voting procedures will select a committee meeting this Condorcet criterion when one does exist.
Composición, distribución y abundancia estacional del macroplancton de la bahía de Valparaíso

Se describe la composicion especifica y distribucion espacio-temporal durante un ciclo anual del macroplancton recolectado al interior de la bahia de Valparaiso, entre junio de 1990 y agosto de 1991. Se identificaron 45 especies zooplanctonicas: 17 hidromedusas, 12 sifonoforos, 4 ctenoforos, 10 quetognatos y 2 salpas. El plancton de la bahia estuvo caracterizado por seis especies dominantes que alcanzaron el 92% de la densidad total: Sagitta enflata, S. bierii, Muggiaea atlantica, Phialidium spp., Obelia spp., y Thalia democratica. La especie mas frecuente y abundante a traves de todo el ano fue S. enflata, que represento el 46% del total del macroplancton. Las fluctuaciones estacionales del macroplancton estuvieron int1uenciadas por los cambios de temperatura superficial, especialmente en primavera y verano, cuando se registraron agregaciones masivas de algunas especies planctonicas. En agosto de 1991 se detectaron cambios importantes en la densidad y estabilidad de la columna de agua, asociados al incremento en la abundancia de S. enflata
Giant enhancement of hydrogen transport in rutile TiO2 at low temperatures

Measurements of the O-H and O-D vibrational lifetimes show that the room-temperature hydrogen diffusion rate in rutile TiO2 can be enhanced by 9 orders of magnitude when stimulated by resonant infrared light. We find that the local oscillatory motion of the proton quickly couples to a wag-mode-assisted classical transfer process along the c channel with a jump rate of greater than 1 THz and a barrier height of 0.2 eV. This increase in proton transport rate at moderate temperatures provides new insight into hydrogen transport in solids, which could play a role in applications ranging from fuel cells to hydrogen production.
Postmenopausal hormone therapy

Symptoms should be treated with lowest effective dose of hormone therapy for the shortest time possible
T-cell Acute Leukemia 1 (TAL1) regulation of erythropoietin receptor and association with excessive erythrocytosis

During erythropoiesis, erythropoietin stimulates induction of erythroid transcription factors that activate expression of erythroid genes including the erythropoietin receptor (EPO-R) that results in increased sensitivity to erythropoietin. DNA binding of the basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor, TAL1/SCL, is required for normal erythropoiesis. A link between elevated TAL1 and excessive erythrocytosis is suggested by erythroid progenitor cells from a patient that exhibits unusually high sensitivity to erythropoietin with concomitantly elevated TAL1 and EPO-R expression. We found that TAL1 regulates EPO-R expression mediated via three conserved E-box binding motifs (CAGCTG) in the EPO-R 5′ untranslated transcribed region. TAL1 increases association of the GATA-1·TAL1·LMO2·LDB1 transcription activation complex to the region that includes the transcription start site and the 5′ GATA and 3′ E-box motifs flanking the EPO-R transcription start site suggesting that TAL1 promotes accessibility of this region. Nucleosome shifting has been demonstrated to facilitate TAL1 but not GATA-1 binding to regulate target gene expression. Accordingly, we observed that with induced expression of EPO-R in hemotopoietic progenitor cells, nucleosome phasing shifts to increase the linker region containing the EPO-R transcription start site and TAL1 binds to the flanking 5′ GATA and 3′ E-box regions of the promoter. These data suggest that TAL1 binds to the EPO-R promoter to activate EPO-R expression and provides a potential link to elevated EPO-R expression leading to hypersensitivity to erythropoietin and the resultant excessive erythrocytosis.
Quantitation of regional cerebral blood flow increases during motor activation: A multislice, steady-state, arterial spin tagging study.

Steady-state arterial spin tagging MRI approaches were used to quantitate regional cerebral blood flow increases during finger tapping tasks in seven normal subjects. Statistically significant increases in cerebral blood flow were observed in the contralateral primary sensorimotor cortex in all seven subjects and in the supplementary motor area in five subjects. The intrinsic spatial resolution of the cerebral blood flow images was D4 mm. If no spatial filtering was applied, the average increase in cerebral blood flow in the activated primary sensorimotor cortex was 60 6 10 cc/100 g/min (91 6 32%). If the images werefiltered to a spatial resolution of 15 mm, the average increase in cerebral blood flow in the activated primary sensorimotor cortex was 23 6 7 cc/100 g/min (42 6 15%), in agreement with previously reported 133 Xe and PET results. r 1997 Academic Press
7040 A developmental endoscopy unit: paving the way for the future of endoscopy.

Endoscopy volumes continue to grow despite steady cut-backs in reimbursement. Significant physician and paramedical personnel time is needed to meet this growth providing less time for endoscopic research and development. AIM: To create an environment that facilitates endoscopic research and development. METHODS: A physician and paramedical personnel core group was assembled to include a director, lead gastrointestinal assistant, study coordinator, and research fellow. Dedicated space and equipment were provided. Contacts were established with industry to seek mutual areas of equipment, accessories, and technique development with an emphasis on confidentiality. A system of record keeping using the latest information technologies was established with a monthly and yearly reporting schedule for all activities. The working unit created was entitled the Developmental Endoscopy Unit (DEU). RESULTS: The DEU began operation on 8/1/98. The activities which evolved include: clinical research, prototype endoscope and accessory testing, animal research of new endoscopic techniques, the performance of complex clinical cases using cutting edge technology, and the invention of new equipment. The DEU physician endoscopist staff has grown from one to six. Planned personnel growth includes the addition of a gastrointestinal assistant and research coordinator. A total of 14 new research protocols were initiated the first year by the original core group. Projects include the study of high resolution and high magnification endoscopy, endoscopic anti-reflux methods, and tissue resection techniques. CONCLUSIONS: 1. Given the demanding pace of clinical endoscopy, it is possible to successfully assemble a working unit dedicated to promote the advancement of endoscopic care. 2. The DEU core group was able to efficiently establish a large number of both clinical and animal research projects. 3. The DEU structure enhanced communication and a developmental liaison with industry.
The metabolic demand of golf in patients with heart disease and in healthy adults.

Purpose To evaluate the metabolic cost of golf, while pulling a cart, in a group of patients with heart disease (HD) and healthy adults with a wide range of functional capacities. Methods Twenty male golfers aged 49 to 78 years participated in this study. All participants underwent a graded exercise test (GXT) with expired gas analysis to determine functional capacity. Each patient with HD (n = 10) was matched with a healthy adult of similar age. Each pair completed 9 holes of golf while pulling a cart, during which oxygen consumption was monitored continuously via the Cosmed K4b2 portable unit. Results The average metabolic equivalent (MET) value (1 MET = 3.5 mL x kg(-1) x min(-1)) (mean +/- SEM) for 9 holes of golf in this group of men with HD (4.1 +/- 0.1 METs) was similar to that previously reported value of 4.3 METs. Whereas the average MET responses were similar between the groups, when expressed relative to peak oxygen consumption, on average, patients with HD worked at a significantly higher percentage of their functional capacity (57 +/- 2.7%) compared to the healthy adults (46 +/- 2.6%). Some patients with HD exceeded 100% of GXT MET level during golf. In contrast, some healthy adults failed to reach 60% of GXT MET level during golf. Conclusions Based on these data, walking the golf course while pulling a cart appears to provide an adequate training stimulus for most patients with HD. However, some lower fit patients with HD ( or = 8 METs), golf does not appear to provide the stimulus generally associated with improvement in functional capacity.
Nutrition and benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Purpose of reviewNutrition seems to modify the pathogenesis of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) effect symptomology in men suffering from lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). Although there are numerous pharmaceuticals and procedures for these conditions, nutrition may improve outcomes as a primar
Formation of monodisperse and shape-controlled MnO nanocrystals in non-injection synthesis: self-focusing via ripening.

Formation of nearly monodiperse MnO nanocrystals by simple heating of Mn stearate in octadecene was studied systematically and quantitatively as a model for non-injection synthesis of nanocrystals. For controlling the shape of the nanocrystals, that is, rice, rods, peanuts, needles, and dots, either an activation reagent (ocadecanol) or an inhibitor (stearic acid) might be added prior to heating. The quantitative results of this typical non-injection system reveal that the formation of nearly monodisperse nanocrystals did not follow the well-known “focusing of size distribution” mechanism. A new growth mechanism, self-focusing enabled by inter-particle diffusion, is proposed. Different from the traditional “focusing of size distribution”, self-focusing not only affects the growth process of the nanocrystals, but may also play a role in controlling nucleation. Because of the simplicity of the reaction system, it was possible to also identify the chemical reactions associated with the growth and ripening of...
Hemodynamic Response to Discoid Mitral Valve Replacement

Hemodynamic studies were performed before and daily for 7 to 10 days after mitral valve replacement with a discoid prosthesis in 15 patients. Left atrial mean pressure fell from a mean of 27.5 mm Hg before surgery to normal levels (mean 11 mm Hg) within 24 hours of surgery. Cardiac index reached normal levels (mean 2.97 L/min/m 2 ) within 48 hours of valve replacement, and remained in the normal range throughout the early postoperative period in 12 of the 15 patients. The association of normal left atrial pressure and cardiac output in response to the increased metabolic demands of the postoperative period has not been reported with caged-ball mitral valve replacement. Pulmonary artery mean pressure and pulmonary vascular resistance showed a sharp decrease toward normal in the early postoperative period. In seven patients with systemic pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary artery mean pressure decreased from 72 mm Hg before surgery to 38 mm Hg at 7 to 10 days. The observed hemodynamic findings in these patients are consistent with experimental evidence that discoid mitral prostheses offer less resistance to blood flow than caged-ball mitral prostheses.
The Impact of Vitamin D on Dendritic Cell Function in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Background Excessive activity of dendritic cells (DCs) is postulated as a central disease mechanism in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). Vitamin D is known to reduce responsiveness of healthy donor DCs to the stimulatory effects of Type I IFN. As vitamin D deficiency is reportedly common in SLE, we hypothesized that vitamin D might play a regulatory role in the IFNα amplification loop in SLE. Our goals were to investigate the relationship between vitamin D levels and disease activity in SLE patients and to investigate the effects of vitamin D on DC activation and expression of IFNα-regulated genes in vitro. Methodology/Principal Findings In this study, 25-OH vitamin D (25-D) levels were measured in 198 consecutively recruited SLE patients. Respectively, 29.3% and 11.8% of African American and Hispanic SLE patient had 25-D levels <10 ng/ml. The degree of vitamin D deficiency correlated inversely with disease activity; R = −.234, p = .002. In 19 SLE patients stratified by 25-D levels, there were no differences between circulating DC number and phenotype. Monocyte-derived DCs (MDDCs) of SLE patients were normally responsive to the regulatory effects of vitamin D in vitro as evidenced by decreased activation in response to LPS stimulation in the presence of 1,25-D. Additionally, vitamin D conditioning reduced expression of IFNα-regulated genes by healthy donor and SLE MDDCs in response to factors in activating SLE plasma. Conclusions/Significance We report on severe 25-D deficiency in a substantial percentage of SLE patients tested and demonstrate an inverse correlation with disease activity. Our results suggest that vitamin D supplementation will contribute to restoring immune homeostasis in SLE patients through its inhibitory effects on DC maturation and activation. We are encouraged to support the importance of adequate vitamin D supplementation and the need for a clinical trial to assess whether vitamin D supplementation affects IFNα activity in vivo and, most importantly, improves clinical outcome.
The role of capnography during upper endoscopy in morbidly obese patients: a prospective study

Abstract Background Pulmonary depression remains a major concern when performing upper endoscopy in the morbidly obese patient. The aim of this prospective study is to determine the effects of sedation and role of capnography during preoperative upper endoscopy in obese patients. Methods Eighty-two consecutive diagnostic upper gastrointestinal endoscopies were performed in morbidly obese patients in an outpatient setting. Data on amount of drug administration and cardiorespiratory change were recorded. Results Mean body mass index and duration of procedure was 46.4±8.2 kg/m 2 and 9.4 ± 2.5 minutes, respectively. The mean dose of propofol was 139.5±45.1 mg. No clinically significant cardiorespiratory complications occurred. Respiratory depression (RD) was seen in 33/82 (40.2%) patients and included a mean absolute change in end-tidal carbon dioxide (EtCO 2 ) of 7.1±8.5 mm Hg from baseline ( P = .001). 54/82 (65.9%) patients had subclinical RD with 27/54 (50%) having RD. Abnormal EtCO 2 detected all episodes of RD. The sensitivity and negative predictive value in determining RD by a change in EtCO 2 >10 mm Hg or an absent EtCO 2 waveform during any point of the procedure was 81% and 78%, respectively. The relative risk was 2.3. Conclusion Capnography provided a real time assessment of changes in ventilation and can detect early phases of respiratory depression. Utilization of propofol as a means for sedation, with extended advanced monitoring technique, can allow for reduced adverse outcomes in morbidly obese patients undergoing upper endoscopy.
The effects of 17β estradiol and tamoxifen on the ZR-75-1 human breast cancer cell line in defined medium

Abstract The effects of 17β estradiol and tamoxifen on the ZR-75-1 human breast cancer cell line in serum free hormone supplemented medium are described. Addition of 17β estradiol leads to a marked stimulation of the breast cancer cells manifested by increases in cell number, precursor incorporation into macromolecules, liquid synthesis, and thymidine kinase activity. Concentrations of 17β estradiol as low as 10−11 M stimulate growth; 10−10 M 17β estradiol is maximally effective. Addition of the antiestrogen tamoxifen in cells devoid of estradiol leads to a period of estrogen reversible inhibition followed by cell death. 10−8 M tamoxifen has little effect on growth whereas 10−6 M tamoxifen is maximally effective. Hundred-fold lower concentrations of 17β estradiol when added simultaneously blocks antiestrogenic inhibition almost completely. These data obtained in a totally defined serum free system provide strong evidence for the absolute and direct growth dependence of some human breast cancer cells on estrogens.
Rock Physics Model for Deep-Sea Shallow Calcareous Sediment with Porous Grains

We offer an effective-medium model for estimating the elastic properties of high-porosity marine calcareous sediment. This model treats this sediment as a pack of porous elastic grains. The effective elastic moduli of the porous grains are calculated using the differential effective medium model (DEM) where the ellipsoidal inclusions have a fixed aspect ratio and are filled with sea water. Then the elastic moduli of a pack of these spherical grains are calculated using a modified (scaled to the critical porosity) upper Hashin-Shtrikman bound above critical porosity ( φc ) and a modified lower Hashin-Shtrikman bound below critical porosity. We find that the best match between the model-predicted compressional and shearwave velocity and ODP data from three wells is achieved for the grain-aspect-ratio 0.5. This model assigns finite non-zero values to the shear modulus of high-porosity marine sediment unlike the suspension model commonly used in such depositional setting. Unlike other existing models, this new model accurately predicts the S-wave velocity.
Characterization and performance of UNS S63019 (21-4N) as bipolar plate material in a simulated polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell environment

The austenitic stainless steel UNS S63019 was evaluated regarding its potential as bipolar plate material in a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) environment. Segregated grains of niobium carbide (NbCx) were identified in polished cross-sections of the alloy, offering a possible pathway for enhanced electrical conductivity through the passive surface oxide. Additionally, the alloy was tested for corrosion resistance in a simulated PEMFC environment. It was considered that perhaps the elevated nitrogen concentration in the alloy would provide some benefit for corrosion resistance. Results for interfacial contact resistance (ICR) testing of the air-formed surface film on UNS S63019 showed decreased electrical conductivity as compared to UNS S30400. Niobium carbide particles did not improve film conductivity due to a non-conductive niobium oxide layer that formed on the surface. Corrosion resistance of the alloy was also poor as compared with UNS S30400, demonstrating that elevated nitrogen concentration in the alloy was not adequate in itself to enhance corrosion resistance. Poor corrosion resistance was attributed primarily to high carbon content in the alloy which combined with a significant amount of chromium to form carbides.
Continuance of studies on Population S benzimidazole-resistant small strongyles in a Shetland pony herd in Kentucky: effect of pyrantel pamoate (1992-1999).

Abstract Research on benzimidazole-resistant Population S small strongyles began in a Shetland pony herd in 1974 at the University of Kentucky and has continued for over 25 years. The present update, for the period 1992–1999, evaluated activity of pyrantel pamoate (PRT) in field tests in the pony herd. Additional critical tests with PRT and oxibendazole (OBZ) were done in foals born in the herd. Activity of PRT was initially excellent in field tests, based on epg/lpg count data, but declined rapidly during the second full year of pyrantel treatments. Critical test data for small strongyles indicated efficacies of PRT were about 60% at the beginning of the present observations and this intermediate level of removal continued throughout the seven-year period except for 1994 (75%). Unusual was the finding that field test epg/lpg data on small strongyles indicated much lower activity of PRT than found in worm count data in critical tests. The previously reported ineffective activity of OBZ on this population of small strongyles continued. Data are presented on prevalence and drug activity on several species of internal parasites besides small strongyles.