cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Membrane transport parameters in frog corneal epithelium measured using impedance analysis techniques.

Active Cl− transport in bullfrog corneal epithelium was studied using transepithelial impendance analysis methods, and direct-current (DC) measurements of membrane voltages and resistance ratios. The technique allows the estimation of the apical and basolateral membrane conductances, and the paracellular conductance, and does not rely on the use of membrane conductance-altering agents to obtain these measurements as was requisite in earlier DC equivalent-circuit analysis studies. In addition, the analysis results in estimates of the apical and basolateral membrane capacitances, and allows resolution of the paracellular conductance into properties of the tight junctions and lateral spaces. Membrane capacitances (proportional to areas) were used to estimate the specific conductances of the apical and basolateral membranes, as well as to evaluate coupling between the cell layers. We confirm results obtained from earlier studies: (1) apical membrane conductance is proportional to the rate of active Cl− transport and is, highly Cl− selective; (2) intracellular Cl− activity is above electrochemical equilibrium, thereby providing a net driving force for apical membrane Cl− exit; (3) the paracellular conductance is comparable to the transcellular conductance. We also found that: (1) the paracellular conductance is composed of the series combination of the junctional conductance and a nonnegligible lateral space resistance; (2) a small K+ conductance reported in the apical membrane may result from Cl− channels possessing a finite permeability to K+; (3) the basolateral membrane areas is 36 times greater than the apical membrane area which is consistent with the notion of electrical coupling between the five to six cell layers of the epithelium; (4) the specific conductance of the basolateral membrane is many times lower than that of the apical membrane; (5) the net transport of Cl− is modulated primarily by changes in the conductance of the apical membrane and not by changes in the net electrochemical gradient resulting from opposite changes in the electrical and chemical gradients; (6) the conductance of the basolateral membrane does not change with transport which implies that the net driving force for K+ exit increases with transport, possibly due to an increase in the intracellular K+ activity.
Clinicopathologic Factors Associated With Involved Margins After Breast-Conserving Surgery for Invasive Lobular Carcinoma

Abstract Introduction Obtaining negative margins for patients undergoing breast-conserving surgery (BCS) for invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) can be difficult because of the unique histologic pattern of ILC. Our goal was to determine whether any specific patient- or disease-related factors influenced margin status. Patients and Methods We retrospectively reviewed 211 patients with ILC treated from 1994 through 2004 to determine if specific clinical and pathologic factors influenced the ability to obtain negative margins. Results We identified 110 patients (52%) who underwent total mastectomy and 101 (48%) who underwent BCS. Among patients who underwent BCS, 50 (50%) had close or positive margins. Patients with close or positive margins were more likely to have architectural distortion on ultrasonography (vs. mass or calcifications; P = .049), to have undergone excisional biopsy (vs. core or fine-needle aspiration; P = .008), and to have associated ductal carcinoma in situ ( P = .021). On multivariate analysis, only biopsy method retained significance ( P = .006). Conclusion Core needle biopsy is the preferred method of diagnostic biopsy before surgical intervention. With appropriate patient selection, most patients with early-stage ILC can undergo successful BCS.
A prospective, within-patient, crossover study of continuous intravenous and subcutaneous morphine for chronic cancer pain

The dose, efficacy, and side effects of continuous intravenous infusion (CIVI) of morphine were compared with continuous subcutaneous infusion (CSCI) of morphine in patients with chronic cancer pain. Eligible patients were referred to the Palliative Care Program and were receiving a stable dose of CIVI of morphine. The design was a within-patient, one-way crossover; in which each patient provided data before and after a switch from CIVI to CSCI of morphine. "Rescue" doses were 50% of the hourly dose given every 2 hours as needed. Morphine was infused intravenously (i.v.) and subcutaneously (s.c.) via a McGaw/AccuPro Volumetric Infusion Pump. After baseline data, including side effects and pain assessment, were obtained, patients were evaluated twice daily for toxicity and analgesic efficacy. Those who had a stable CIVI dose for 48 consecutive hr were crossed over to the CSCI at the same dose as the intravenous (i.v.) phase. A stable dose was defined as no dose change, four or less rescue doses in the previous 24 hr, and a pain rating of none or mild. CIVI was considered equal to CSCI if these criteria were maintained for 96 consecutive hr. Fifty-seven patients were entered, and 40 were evaluable (15 women and 25 men). The median age was 67 (range 30-83 years). All 40 participants, after maintaining a stable dose throughout the i.v. phase, crossed to the s.c. phase and remained on s.c. for at least 48 hr. Thirty-two patients maintained a stable dose throughout the i.v. and s.c. phases. The mean stable i.v. dose (day 2) was 5.05 mg/hr, and the mean stable s.c. dose (day 4) was 5.7 mg/hr (P = 0.01). The mean number of rescue doses on day 2 was 0.83 per 24 hr versus 0.80 per 24 hours on day 4 (P = 0.6). The mean categorical pain score on day 2 was 0.83, and on day 4, 0.85 (P = 0.7). The mean visual analogue scale (VAS) on day 2 was 22.9 mm versus 17.6 mm on day 4 (P = 0.1). The mean incidence of side effects on day 2 was 1.7, and on day 4, 2.0 (P = 0.2). No patient was withdrawn or had a dose reduction due to unacceptable toxicity. There were two reports of local toxicity (mild erythema) at the SC needle insertion point, which required a site change. All of our 40 patients had adequate pain control with CIVI and CSCI morphine. Of the eight participants who were not maintained on the same i.v. and s.c. dose, all had adequate pain control and a similar side-effect profile on a higher s.c. morphine dose. These data suggest that the i.v. and s.c. routes are equianalgesic for most patients when administered as a continuous infusion. Pain control and side-effect profiles are quite similar and acceptable. s.c. morphine is an excellent alternative to i.v. morphine in both inpatients and outpatients requiring parenteral morphine for pain.
Latin American Theology and Religious Pluralism: A Latin American Voice

Abstract This article summarizes recent efforts by Latin-American theologians concerned with developing a pluralist theology of liberation. The author highlights some of the most significant issues and themes of this emerging theological reflection among liberation theologians. Finally, he identifies some of the challenges a pluralist theology of liberation raises for our task as religious educators in North America.
Simulating with SIMSCRIPT

The SIMSCRIPT programming system is especially designed to facilitate the writing of simulation programs. Digital simulations generally consist of a numerical description of “status,” which is modified at various points in simulated time called “events.” SIMSCRIPT simulations consist primarily of a collection of “event routines” written by the user describing how different kinds of events in a particular simulated world affect current status and cause future events. Status is described in terms of various “entities,” “attributes,” and “sets” as specified by the user.
Oncogene homologue Sch9 promotes age-dependent mutations by a superoxide and Rev1/Polζ-dependent mechanism

Oncogenes contribute to tumorigenesis by promoting growth and inhibiting apoptosis. Here we examine the function of Sch9, the Saccharomyces cerevisiae homologue of the mammalian Akt and S6 kinase, in DNA damage and genomic instability during aging in nondividing cells. Attenuation of age-dependent increases in base substitutions, small DNA insertions/deletions, and gross chromosomal rearrangements (GCRs) in sch9Delta mutants is associated with increased mitochondrial superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) expression, decreased DNA oxidation, reduced REV1 expression and translesion synthesis, and elevated resistance to oxidative stress-induced mutagenesis. Deletion of REV1, the lack of components of the error-prone Polzeta, or the overexpression of SOD1 or SOD2 is sufficient to reduce age-dependent point mutations in SCH9 overexpressors, but REV1 deficiency causes a major increase in GCRs. These results suggest that the proto-oncogene homologue Sch9 promotes the accumulation of superoxide-dependent DNA damage in nondividing cells, which induces error-prone DNA repair that generates point mutations to avoid GCRs and cell death during the first round of replication.
Time series analyses of global change data

The hypothesis that statistical analyses of historical time series data can be used to separate the influences of natural variations from anthropogenic sources on global climate change is tested. Point, regional, national, and global temperature data are analyzed. Trend analyses for the period 1901-1987 suggest mean annual temperatures increased (in degrees C per century) globally at the rate of about 0.5, in the USA at about 0.3, in the south-western USA desert region at about 1.2, and at the Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed in south-eastern Arizona at about 0.8. However, the rates of temperature change are not constant but vary within the 87-year period. Serial correlation and spectral density analysis of the temperature time series showed weak periodicities at various frequencies. The only common periodicity among the temperature series is an apparent cycle of about 43 years. The temperature time series were correlated with the Wolf sunspot index, atmospheric CO(2) concentrations interpolated from the Siple ice core data, and atmospheric CO(2) concentration data from Mauna Loa measurements. Correlation analysis of temperature data with concurrent data on atmospheric CO(2) concentrations and the Wolf sunspot index support previously reported significant correlation over the 1901-1987 period. Correlation analysis between temperature, atmospheric CO(2) concentration, and the Wolf sunspot index for the shorter period, 1958-1987, when continuous Mauna Loa CO(2) data are available, suggest significant correlation between global warming and atmospheric CO(2) concentrations but no significant correlation between global warming and the Wolf sunspot index. This may be because the Wolf sunspot index apparently increased from 1901 until about 1960 and then decreased thereafter, while global warming apparently continued to increase through 1987. Correlation of sunspot activity with global warming may be spurious but additional analyses are required to test this hypothesis. Given the inconclusive correlation between temperature and solar activity, the significant intercorrelation between time, temperature, and atmospheric CO(2) concentrations, and the suggestion of weak periodicity in the temperature data, additional research is needed to separate the anthropogenic component from the natural variability in temperature when assessing local, regional, and global warming trends.
A method for the interpolation of nonnegative functions with an application to contaminant load estimation

The objective of this work is to extend kriging, a geostatistical interpolation method, to honor parameter nonnegativity. The new method uses a prior probability distribution based on reflected Brownian motion that enforces this constraint. The work presented in this paper focuses on interpolation problems where the unknown is a function of a single variable (e.g. time), and is developed both for the case with and without measurement error in the available data. The algorithms presented for conditional simulations are computationally efficient, particularly in the case with no measurement error. We present an application to the interpolation of dissolved arsenic concentration data from the North Fork of the Humboldt River, Nevada.
Outpatient minilaparotomy ovarian cystectomy for benign teratomas in teenagers

Abstract Benign cystic teratomas are the most common ovarian neoplasms in adolescents. An ovary-conserving method was developed for outpatient surgical removal of benign cystic teratomas by minilaparotomy in teenagers. The technique requires no specialized training, laser devices, or expensive disposable instrumentation. As a precaution, the first teen-ager in whom the technique was used was observed as an inpatient for 3 days. Following this, the method was used as an outpatient procedure in three further cases. No complications occurred in any of the four patients, and the mean operating time of 85 minutes (range, 60 to 95 minutes) was similar to the reported time for removal of benign cystic teratomas by laparotomy. Although a randomized controlled study with many more patients would be necessary for a definitive conclusion, considerable cost savings and reduction in morbidity over traditional laparotomy are suggested by this experience.
Quality-of-service-based protection in MPLS control WDM mesh networks

Intelligent methods for automatic protection and restoration are critical in optical transport mesh networks. This paper discusses the problem of quality-of-service (QoS)-based protection in terms of the protection-switching time and availability for end-to-end lightpaths in a WDM mesh network. We analyze the backup lightpath-sharing problem in such networks and study the correlation of the working lightpaths and the impact of the correlation on the sharing of the backup lightpaths. We present a multi-protocol-label-switching (MPLS) control-based fully distributed algorithm to solve the protection problem. The proposed algorithm includes intelligent and automatic procedures to set up, take down, activate, restore, and manage backup lightpaths. It greatly reduces the required resources for protection by allowing the sharing of network resources by multiple backup lightpaths. At the same time, it guarantees, if possible, to satisfy the availability requirement even with resource sharing by taking the correlation of working lightpaths into consideration. A simple analysis of the proposed algorithm in terms of computation time and message complexity indicates that the implementation of the algorithm is practical. The illustrative studies that compare the performance of 1:1, unlimited sharing, and QoS-based backup sharing algorithms indicate that QoS-based sharing achieves comparable performance as unlimited sharing, which is much better than the 1:1 backup scheme in terms of connection blocking probability, average number of connections in the network for a given offered load, and network resource utilization.
The development and implementation of strategies to prevent resistance to B.t.- expressing crops: an industry perspective

Genes for the production of various Bacillus thuringiensis (B.t.) proteins have been incorporated into plants through the techniques of biotechnology. Since 1995, corn, cotton, and potato seed products containing B.t. genes have been introduced to the market. Simultaneous to the development and introduction of B.t. plants, tremendous research efforts were made by industry, academic, and government scientists to devise product-specific insect resistance management (IRM) programs. IRM has become an essential part of the development and regulatory review process for B.t.-expressing plants, as distinct from other conventional chemistries. Despite this unprecedented effort, the long-term success of insect-protected crops or other pest control tools ultimately depends on the transfer of information to, and adoption by, individual growers, The effective implementation of proactive IRM plans will require integration and interaction between regulators, manufacturers of the technology, seed companies, agri-chemical...
Reproducibility of graph metrics of human brain structural networks

Recent interest in human brain connectivity has led to the application of graph theoretical analysis to human brain structural networks, in particular white matter connectivity inferred from diffusion imaging and fiber tractography. While these methods have been used to study a variety of patient populations, there has been less examination of the reproducibility of these methods. A number of tractography algorithms exist and many of these are known to be sensitive to user-selected parameters. The methods used to derive a connectivity matrix from fiber tractography output may also influence the resulting graph metrics. Here we examine how these algorithm and parameter choices influence the reproducibility of proposed graph metrics on a publicly available test-retest dataset consisting of 21 healthy adults. The dice coefficient is used to examine topological similarity of constant density subgraphs both within and between subjects. Seven graph metrics are examined here: mean clustering coefficient, characteristic path length, largest connected component size, assortativity, global efficiency, local efficiency, and rich club coefficient. These reproducibility of these network summary measures is examined using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Graph curves are created by treating the graph metrics as functions of a parameter such as graph density. Functional data analysis techniques are usedto examine differences in graph measures that result from the choice of fiber tracking algorithm. The graph metrics consistently showed good levels of reproducibility as measured with ICC, with the exception of some instability at low graph density levels. The global and local efficiency measures were the most robust to the choice of fiber tracking algorithm.
The determination of folylpolyglutamate synthetase.

Abstract A relatively rapid radiochemical procedure for the determination of folylpolyglutamate synthetase activity is presented in this communication. The procedure is based on measurement of the incorporation of radioactive l -glutamate into tetrahydropteroylpolyglutamate on incubation with a tetrahydrofolate. After deproteinating the incubation mixtures with trichloroacetic acid, folate is separated from radioactive glutamate by an adaptation of a procedure generally employed in the isolation of folate from natural materials, i.e., adsorption on columns of charcoal from which it is subsequently eluted with aqueous-alcoholic ammonia containing mercaptoethanol and counted. The procedure is applicable to monitoring purification of the enzymes and to the study of their properties. The technique for separating a radioactive product of enzyme action from a radioactive precursor with a column of charcoal, that has been developed for this procedure is applicable also to other radiochemical enzyme determinations requiring the separation of an aromatic from an aliphatic metabolite.
Stromal-cell-derived factor (SDF) 1-alpha in combination with BMP-2 and TGF-β1 induces site-directed cell homing and osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiation for tissue engineering without the requirement for cell seeding

The clinical translation of tissue engineering approaches is limited by the requirement of a cell source. Cell guidance is a new concept that provides an alternative approach, obviating a requirement for an external cell source. This relies on site-specific homing and differentiation of the patient’s own cells to an implanted scaffold through controlled delivery of cytokines. In this study, we used stromal-cell-derived factor 1-alpha (SDF-1α) in combination with bone morphogenic protein (BMP)-2 or transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 to induce cell migration and osteogenic or chondrogenic differentiation, respectively, in implanted scaffolds in a rat model. A customized cytokine microdelivery apparatus was used to ensure the constant rate and concentration of cytokine delivery around the scaffold. The formation of osteoid or early cartilage was observed after 4 weeks in specimens treated with SDF-1α and either BMP-2 or TGF-β1. The density of cellular infiltrate and formation of differentiated tissue were lower in scaffolds treated only with BMP-2 or TGF-β1. Thus, controlled SDF-1α delivery induces cell migration into scaffolds and can result in enhanced osteogenesis and chondrogenesis when used in combination with differentiation cytokines for purposes of tissue engineering.
2-n-propylaminopyridine n-oxide complexes formed from Cu(II) salts

Abstract Copper(II) complexes have been prepared with 2-isopropylaminopyridine N-oxide (IP) employing the perchlorate, tetrafluoroborate, nitrate, chloride and bromide salts. Preparative molar ratios of 4:1 and 2:1 ligand to copper(II) salt yielded the following unique salts: Cu(IP) 4 X 2 (X=ClO 4 − , BF 4 − ), Cu(IP) 3 (NO 3 ) 2 and Cu(IP) 2 X 2 (X=NO 3 − , Cl − and Br − ). Characterization and has been accomplished by infrared, electronic and electron spin resonance measurements primarily of the solid state. IP bonds as a monodentate ligand via its N-oxide oxygen in the first three complexes, but apparently as a bidentate ligand in the latter three. Cu(IP) 2 (NO 3 ) 2 is binuclear and anion coordination occurs in both of the nitrate complexes as well as both halogen solids.
Multiple domains in the Crumbs Homolog 2a (Crb2a) protein are required for regulating rod photoreceptor size

Vertebrate retinal photoreceptors are morphologically complex cells that have two apical regions, the inner segment and the outer segment. The outer segment is a modified cilium and is continuously regenerated throughout life. The molecular and cellular mechanisms that underlie vertebrate photoreceptor morphogenesis and the maintenance of the outer segment are largely unknown. The Crumbs (Crb) complex is a key regulator of apical membrane identity and size in epithelia and in Drosophila photoreceptors. Mutations in the human gene CRUMBS HOMOLOG 1 (CRB1) are associated with early and severe vision loss. Drosophila Crumbs and vertebrate Crb1 and Crumbs homolog 2 (Crb2) proteins are structurally similar, all are single pass transmembrane proteins with a large extracellular domain containing multiple laminin- and EGF-like repeats and a small intracellular domain containing a FERM-binding domain and a PDZ-binding domain. In order to begin to understand the role of the Crb family of proteins in vertebrate photoreceptors we generated stable transgenic zebrafish in which rod photoreceptors overexpress full-length Crb2a protein and several other Crb2a constructs engineered to lack specific domains. We examined the localization of Crb2a constructs and their effects on rod morphology. We found that only the full-length Crb2a protein approximated the normal localization of Crb2a protein apical to adherens junctions in the photoreceptor inner segment. Several Crb2a construct proteins localized abnormally to the outer segment and one construct localized abnormally to the cell body. Overexpression of full-length Crb2a greatly increased inner segment size while expression of several other constructs increased outer segment size. Our observations suggest that particular domains in Crb2a regulate its localization and thus may regulate its regionalized function. Our results also suggest that the PDZ-binding domain in Crb2a might bring a protein(s) into the Crb complex that alters the function of the FERM-binding domain.
The guiding center approximation to charged particle motion

Abstract The equations governing the guiding center motion of a charged particle in an electromagnetic field are obtained simultaneously and deductively, without considering individually the special geometric situations in which one effect or another occurs alone. The general expression is derived for the guiding center velocity at right angles to the magnetic field BbdB. This expression contains five terms arising in the presence of an electric field. They are in addition to the usual “E × B” drift. Because these terms are unfamiliar objects in the literature on plasmas, they are illustrated by simple examples. Three of the five drifts occur in rotating plasma machines of the Ixion type. One of these three is also shown to be responsible for the Helmholtz instability of a plasma. A fourth one gives the (low frequency) dielectric constant, while the fifth arises if the direction of B is time dependent. A detailed geometric picture of the fifth drift is given. The equation governing the guiding center motion parallel to B is also derived for the general time-dependent field. The conditions are discussed under which it can be integrated into the form of an energy integral. Finally the component of current density perpendicular to B in a collisionless plasma is shown to be the current due to the guiding center drift plus the perpendicular component of the curl of the magnetic moment per unit volume. Proofs of this have been given in the past for special cases, such as static fields, ∇ × B = 0, etc. This proof holds in general, provided conditions for adiabaticity are met. It is also true, but not proven in this paper, that the component of the current density parallel to B is the current due to the guiding center velocity parallel to B plus the parallel component of the curl of the magnetic moment per unit volume. A proper proof of the parallel component is quite lengthy.
We Cannot Go On: Disruptive Innovation and the First World War Royal Navy

Insights from Disruptive Innovation theory (DI) are often used in the formulation, implementation, and evaluation of national security policy. DI explains why successful companies are sometimes defeated by new competitors with relatively unsophisticated products. Although DI is highly influential in the business literature, its applicability to military doctrine has not been persuasively shown. Proposed here is a more abstract and general version of DI, which improves its foundations, adapts it to militaries, and suggests a framework for the reliable identification of disruptive innovations. This new theory is tested by examining the Royal Navy before and during World War I and evaluating how well it explains the Royal Navy's success at developing Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) to protect the battlefleet from submarine attacks and the near failure at implementing convoy tactics to protect merchant shipping. This generalized version of DI successfully explains several key features of the case.
Use of a fluorescent stain for visualization of nuclear material in living oocytes and early embryos.

Hoechst dyes 33342 and 33258 were used to visualize pronuclei and nuclei of early preimplantation embryos. Murine one-cell zygotes exposed to dye stained rapidly over a range of concentrations (0, 0.02, 0.04, 0.1 or 0.2 μg/50 μl of media). Development to morula and blastocyst in vitro was reduced (39/70, 56%; p < 0.05) compared to controls (44/57, 77%) but not completely blocked. Porcine and bovine zygotes and embryos could also be stained but required incubation times up to 4 hr. Porcine embryos exposed to Hoechst 33342 had limited (p < 0.01) in vitro development (29/74, 39%) compared to unstained controls (49164, 76%). Hoechst dyes stain embryos from different species but suitably adjusted incubation times are required. Limited preimplantation development in vitro may be expected following staining and exposure to ultraviolet light.
Logic of gene regulatory networks

Regulatory networks of transcription factors and signaling molecules lie at the heart of development. Their architecture implements logic functions whose execution propels cells from one regulatory state to the next, thus driving development forward. As an example of a subcircuit that translates transcriptional input into developmental output, we consider a particularly simple case, the regulatory processes underlying pigment cell formation in sea urchin embryos. The regulatory events in this process can be represented as elementary logic functions.
Standing Diagnostic and Therapeutic Equine Abdominal Surgery

The widespread use of laparoscopy in equine surgery has increased interest in the standing approach to a wide range of procedures typically regarded as feasible only through a ventral midline incision. Although a commonly cited benefit of standing surgery relates to avoiding costs of general anesthesia and risks associated with it, some procedures and horses are not suitable candidates for standing abdominal procedures. Some procedures, such as nephrectomy, colostomy, and closure of the nephrosplenic space, are not only suitable for standing surgery but are performed more easily and more safely through this approach than with general anesthesia.
WE‐D‐332‐05: Propagation of Correlated Noise in CT Reconstruction

Purpose: The ability to estimate noise in complex CTimages has great utility, but filtered backprojection reconstruction results in nonlocal, nonstationary random noise in an image. The variance propagation method proposed by Chesler has been used recently, but it was derived for the continuum and does not account for effects of noise correlations when used in discrete systems. Several alternative approaches have been developed for making accurate noise maps for a CTimage.Method and Materials: Numerical data were prepared with MATLAB software, using both parallel and fan beam CT geometries. Variances were calculated by repeated simulations, as well as two implementations of Chesler's method for propagating uncorrelated noise. The propagation of correlated noise was implemented by operating on subsets of widely separated projection rays, combining efficiency and accuracy. The dependence of variance distribution on kernel bandwidth and scanner geometry was measured. Results: The correlated‐noise algorithm was in excellent agreement with repeated simulation calculations. For parallel geometries, noise distribution had a common shape for all reconstruction kernels, with differing scale factors. The two uncorrelated noise algorithms provided the correct spatial form of the noise, but required empirical scaling factors. In fan beam geometry, the distribution of the noise was kernel dependent, and uncorrelated noise algorithms had discrepancies on the order of 10–20%. Conclusion: Several methods for noise estimation were examined. The approximate Chesler method is fast (same time as one reconstruction) and can be scaled for parallel beam geometries, but is subject to errors for fan beam geometries. Variance calculations from multiple simulations are unbiased but have errors whose standard deviations decrease as the inverse square root of the number of reconstructions. The correlated‐noise algorithm achieves exact results in a time of 30–40 reconstructions.
Acquisition and expression of humoral reactivity to antigens of infective stages of filarial larvae

Measurement of anti-larval responses in filaria-exposed populations may shed light on the natural history of exposure to Wuchereria bancrofti. Using serum samples obtained by a cross-sectional survey of 172 individuals from two neighbourhoods in Leogane, Haiti, antibody responses directed against infective stage filarial larvae (L3) were assayed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), immunofluorescence (IFA), and immunoblot for the presence of anti-larval antibodies. ELISA results indicated that virtually all members of both neighbourhoods mounted an anti-larval antibody response within the first five years of life, suggesting that exposure to infection is universal. In a multiple linear regression analysis that modelled antibody levels as a function of age, gender, microfilaria status, and neighbourhood (as a proxy for transmission intensity), isotype-specific antibody levels were found to be significantly influenced by both age and neighbourhood. Antibodies directed against the surface of L3 also were age-dependent; the prevalence of IgG antibodies detected by IFA was significantly higher in children than in adults. The prevalence of antibody recognition of 16.7 and 72.3 kDa L3 antigens on immunoblots was significantly greater for serum samples from microfilaraemic than amicrofilaraemic persons. These results suggest that antibody responses to larval antigens are influenced to varying degrees by age, transmission intensity, and microfilaraemia status.
Perceptions of communicative competence after traumatic brain injury: implications for ecologically-driven intervention targets.

The present study investigated the relationship between non-verbal behaviours and perceptions of the communication abilities of an individual with anomia secondary to traumatic brain injury (TBI). Thirty-four university students studying Communication Sciences and Disorders were randomly assigned to watch or listen to six short clips of an individual with TBI engaged in conversation. Participants rated the individual on communication parameters from a modified version of the Pragmatic Protocol and four other dependent measures of communicative competence. A significant positive correlation was identified between perceptions of gestures and ratings of overall communicative competence, and between perceptions of hand and arm movements and ratings of overall communicative competence. Participant raters who viewed the individual's movements as inappropriate also rated her overall communication abilities less favourably. This finding highlights individuality in perception of communication competence and the im...
Evaluation of Sampling-Based Methods for Sensitivity Analysis: Case Study for the E. coli Food Safety Process Risk Model

ABSTRACT This article evaluates selected sensitivity analysis methods applicable to risk assessment models with two-dimensional probabilistic frameworks, using a microbial food safety process risk model as a test-bed. Six sampling-based sensitivity analysis methods were evaluated including Pearson and Spearman correlation, sample and rank linear regression, and sample and rank stepwise regression. In a two-dimensional risk model, the identification of key controllable inputs that can be priorities for risk management can be confounded by uncertainty. However, despite uncertainty, results show that key inputs can be distinguished from those that are unimportant, and inputs can be grouped into categories of similar levels of importance. All selected methods are capable of identifying unimportant inputs, which is helpful in that efforts to collect data to improve the assessment or to focus risk management strategies can be prioritized elsewhere. Rank-based methods provided more robust insights with respect t...
High voltage electrophoresis of amino acids in urine containing ampicillin

Abstract Analyis of amino acids is complicated by treatment with ampicillin. High voltage electrophoresis, which is convenient for the qualitative assessment of metabolic diseases, yields smears of ampicillin that mask the bands of citrulline, homocitrulline, phenylallanine, cystine, and homocystine. The addition of penicillinase prior to high voltage electrophoresis eliminates ampicillin and other penicillins and reveals these key amino acids.
Effects of naloxone on acquisition and extinction of jump-up avoidance behavior in rats

Abstract Two experiments were carried out to assess the effects of the opioid antagonist, naloxone, on the acquisition and extinction of shock avoidance by rats in the jump-up apparatus. In Experiment 1 naloxone pretreatment facilitated acquisition but had no effect on extinction of avoidance behavior. In the second experiment the effect of naloxone on acquisition was replicated and in addition, it was shown that naloxone enhanced freezing when a response prevention or flooding procedure was introduced. Again naloxone failed to alter the course of extinction, nor did it interact with the effects of flooding which, by itself, facilitated extinction. The results suggest that naloxone's effects are limited to increasing the functional intensity of the US, and provide further support for the dissociation between extinction of avoidance behavior and other indices of fear.
Population-based care of depression: team care approaches to improving outcomes.

Objective:To describe evidence-based quality improvement interventions in the primary care system that have been shown in randomized trials to the improve quality of care and outcomes of patients with depression.Methods:Medical literature review, focused on the concept of population-based care and r
X-ray area backlighter development at the National Ignition Facility (invited).

1D spectral imaging was used to characterize the K-shell emission of Z ≈ 30–35 and Z ≈ 40–42 laser-irradiated foils at the National Ignition Facility. Foils were driven with up to 60 kJ of 3ω light, reaching laser irradiances on target between 0.5 and 20 × 1015 W/cm2. Laser-to-X-ray conversion efficiency (CE) into the Heα line (plus satellite emission) of 1.0%–1.5% and 0.15%–0.2% was measured for Z ≈ 30–32 and Z ≈ 40–42, respectively. Measured CE into Heα (plus satellite emission) of Br (Z = 35) compound foils (either KBr or RbBr) ranged between 0.16% and 0.29%. Measured spectra are compared with 1D non-local thermodynamic equilibrium atomic kinetic and radiation transport simulations, providing a fast and accurate predictive capability.
Enhanced activity of strobilurin and fludioxonil by using berberine and phenolic compounds to target fungal antioxidative stress response

Aims: Identify natural products that effectively target antioxidative signal transduction/stress response systems [i.e., mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, mitochondrial superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD)] of fungi. Enhance activity of strobilurin or fludioxonil with discovered compounds. Methods and Results: Enhancement of antifungal activity of strobilurins, inhibitors of complex III of the mitochondrial respiratory chain, was tested using berberine hemisulfate and different phenolic compounds. The Saccharomyces cerevisiae sod2Δ, a deletion mutant lacking Mn-SOD gene, was highly sensitive to berberine and veratraldehyde. Functional complementation analysis verified these compounds target Mn-SOD. Activity of strobilurin (25–50 μmol l-1) was elevated on most aspergilli and Penicillium expansum by co-application with berberine or veratraldehyde (2–4 mmol l-1). These compounds also prevented Aspergillus fumigatus MAPK mutants (sakAΔ and mpkCΔ) from escaping toxicity of fludioxonil (a phenylpyrrole fungicide potentiated by the MAPK pathway), a typical phenotype of fungal MAPK mutants. Conclusions: Strobilurin activity or prevention of fungal escape from fludioxonil toxicity can be enhanced by co-application of certain alkaloids or phenolics. Significance and Impact of the Study: Natural products can be used to target cellular stress response systems in fungal pathogens and serve as alternatives/additives to commercial antifungal agents.
Electrochemical Investigations on Capacity Fading of Advanced Lithium-Ion Batteries after Storing at Elevated Temperature

Capacity fading of advanced lithium-ion batteries after elevated temperature storage was investigated by three-electrode measurements. Capacity fading of a battery increases by increasing the state-of-charge (SOC) during storage, especially at elevated temperatures. The reversible capacity of a battery (SOC = 100%) at 60°C decreases from 820 to 650 mAh (79.3% capacity retention) after 60 days. At room temperature, a battery SOC influences the capacity fading only slightly; after 65 days of storage, the reversible capacity decreases from 820 to 805 mAh (98.2% capacity retention). Individual effects by the anode, cathode, and electrolyte on capacity fading are analyzed with three-electrode electrochemical ac impedance. The major contribution, from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and energy-dispersive spectroscopy results, comes from cathode degradation as a result of cobalt dissolution at the LiCoO 2 surface layer. A minor contribution comes from the continuous reactions between lithiated mesocarbon microbead (MCMB) electrode and electrolyte components, which in turn thicken the SEI film and consume available lithium ions. From X-ray diffraction and XPS results, high-temperature storage influences only the surface properties of MCMB and LiCoO 2 electrodes; bulk properties remain unchanged.
A Model-based Simulation Procedure for the Evolution of Tertiary Creep with Combined Damage Diffusion and Viscoplasticity:

It appears from macro- and micro-experiments that the essential feature of the tertiary creep of certain materials is characterized by the evolution of localized damage that results in the formation and evolution of macrocracks. Higher-order continuum models, such as nonlocal integral or strain gradient models, have been developed by the research community over the last twenty years to predict the evolution of localized failure. However, the use of higher-order models yields higher-order governing differential equations with the ambiguity in the physics behind additional boundary conditions, and with the difficulty in large-scale model-based simulations. To simulate the evolution of localized failure in tertiary creep with the least computational cost, therefore, the relationship among the existing regularizing approaches of localization is investigated first. Based on the analysis, it is then proposed that a coupled viscoplasticity-damage model be combined with a damage diffusion law to simulate a comple...
Orbital Complications Associated with the Treatment of Chronic Rhinosinusitis.

Abstract Orbital injuries from endoscopic sinus surgery are rare but potentially catastrophic. The most feared complications from sinus surgery include blindness and diplopia. Recent publications note that the rate of orbital complications has decreased when compared with the past, reflecting the use of endoscopes, better technology, and improved training. The sinus surgeon must have mastery over the procedure she or he plans to undertake and be aware of the specific potential for orbital injury given the patient's anatomy and disease. The sinus surgeon must also have expert knowledge of the appropriate and immediate medical and surgical management of orbital complications.
A new synthetic approach to perfluorochemicals: liquid phase photo-fluorination with elemental fluorine. Part I

Abstract This paper describes a novel, safe, effective technique, with a new reactor design, for the synthesis of perfluorochemicals. This method, the liquid-phase photofluorination with undiluted fluorine, is applicable to the preparative-scale synthesis of isomerically-pure branched F-alkanes, F-ethers and F-tert-amines which are difficult to prepare by the classical fluorination methods ( i.e. electrochemical or CoF 3 ). The technique is based on the controlled inverse addition of the materials to be fluorinated to a well-stirred F 2 -saturated inert solvent, with simultaneous UV irradiation. The application of this method to the synthesis of F-ethers is described: the following were made by this method, F-2-propoxy-2-methyl-pentane, F-2-isobutoxy-2-methylpentane, F-n-heptylpropylether, F-2-pentoxy-2-methoxypropane, F-3-propoxy-2-methylpentane, F-2-ethyl-2-isopropyltetra-hydrofuran, F-3-isobutoxy-2-methylpentane, F-2-methoxy-4-ethyl-4-methyl-hexane, and F-2-methyl-(1-ethyl-1-methylpropyl)oxetane.
New perspectives for staging and prognosis in soft tissue sarcoma.

Data suggest that the current American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) soft tissue sarcoma (STS) staging criteria merit further evaluation. We sought to identify and validate factors as enhanced descriptors of STS clinical behavior. Prospectively accrued data were analyzed for 1,091 AJCC stage I to III primary STS patients who had complete macroscopic resection at our institution from 1996 to 2007. Study factors were examined by univariable and multivariable analyses to identify independent prognostic factors for disease related mortality and overall survival (OS). In contrast to the current AJCC STS staging system, which stratifies size into T1 (≤5 cm) and T2 (>5 cm) groups, we demonstrated three distinct cohorts (P 15 cm; OS 52%). A two-category system of histologic grade was demonstrably as informative as the current four histologic grade AJCC system. A multivariable Cox proportional hazard model identified tumor size (5 to 15 cm vs. ≤5 cm, P = 0.03; or >15 cm vs. ≤5 cm; P < 0.0001), nonextremity primary site (P = 0.0016), disease of high histologic grade (P = 0.001), specific histology (P = 0.001), and margin positivity (P < 0.0001) as statistically significant adverse independent prognostic factors. Recurrence during follow-up was the most significant risk factor for STS-specific mortality (P < 0.0001). Tumor size and grade in the AJCC STS staging system need revision; moreover, primary site, histologic subtype, margin status, and recurrence offer additional relevant prognostic insight. Incorporation of these factors may enhance the AJCC staging system, thereby further facilitating individualized therapeutic strategies for STS patients.
PIECEWISE LINEAR WARPING THEORY FOR MULTILAYERED ELASTIC BEAMS

Warping due to transverse shear in multilayered elastic beams is studied in this paper. The Ber­ noulli-Kirchhoff hypothesis that plane sections remain plane after deformations, with independent rotations, is assumed for each lamina to account for the out-of-plane deformation of the composite cross section. The effects of shear are included by taking the rotations independent of the transverse deflection, as in Timoshenko beam theory. The result is a simple piecewise linear warping theory for layered composite beams. The solution to the governing equations is presented in terms of the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of a generalized matrix eigenvalue problem associated with the coefficient matrices that appear in the governing equations. The problem of a two­ layered cantilever beam subjected to a uniformly distributed loading is solved in detail to show the effects of different elastic moduli on the interfacial shear stress. Compared with a finite-element solution, the current theory yields significant improvement over elementary beam theory (excluding warping) in predicting the in­ terface shear stress.
Influence of sediment supply, lithology, and wood debris on the distribution of bedrock and alluvial channels

Field surveys in the Willapa River basin, Washington State, indicate that the drainage area‐channel slope threshold describing the distribution of bedrock and alluvial channels is influenced by the underlying lithology and that local variations in sediment supply can overwhelm basinwide trends. Field data from 90 short-reach surveys indicate that about one-eighth of the surveyed reaches do not conform to a threshold defined by data from free-formed alluvial and bedrock reaches due to the effects of logjams or local sediment sources or sinks. Mapping of channel type distributions in 18 extended reconnaissance surveys of >100 channel widths in channel length show that ~75% of the channel network was alluvial, but that the proportion of forced alluvial channels varies from 0% to 84%. Using the drainage area‐slope thresholds defined by bedrock and alluvial data from the short-reach surveys, only 40% of the total channel length mapped in the longer reconnaissance surveys was correctly classified from a 10 m grid digital elevation model. Of the misclassified reaches, 80% of the alluvial channels predicted to be bedrock had forced alluvial morphologies, while almost half of the bedrock channels predicted to be alluvial were forced by low sediment supply, typically due to their location immediately downstream of large channel-spanning logjams. Poor representation of reach-scale slope in the digital topography and/or a stochastic influence of sediment wave propagation likely account for the remaining misclassified channels, which together compose 7% of the total surveyed channel length. Although variations in sediment supply can locally overwhelm the channel type predicted by the threshold model, the effect of logjams masks any influence of propagating sediment waves on the distribution of bedrock and alluvial channels in the Willapa River basin.