S. M. Gersten Abstract. Homological Dehn functions over R and over Z are introduced to measure minimal fillings of integral 1-cycles by (real or integral) 2-chains in the Cayley 2complex of a finitely presented group. If the group G is the fundamental group of a finite graph of finitely presented vertex-groups Hv and finitely generated edge-groups, then there is a formula for an isoperimetric f...

As a behavioural addiction, gambling disorder (GD) provides an opportunity to characterize addictive processes without the potentially confounding effects of chronic excessive drug and alcohol exposure. Impulsivity is an established precursor to such addictive behaviours, and GD is associated with greater impulsivity. There is also evidence of GABAergic dysregulation in substance addiction and ...

BACKGROUND The pathophysiology of ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI) involves multiple mechanisms including inflammation and inflammatory cells infiltration. The anti-CD11c monoclonal antibody, Efalizumab has been demonstrated to inhibit the T cell activation, migration and adhesion to keratinocytes. MATERIALS AND METHODS In this study, we induced lung injury with mechanical ventilation in...

We study the observables of 158 relatively normal Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) by dividing them into two groups in terms of the expansion velocity inferred from the absorption minimum of the Si II λ6355 line in their spectra near B-band maximum brightness. One group (“Normal”) consists of normal SNe Ia populating a narrow strip in the Si II velocity distribution, with an average expansion veloci...

Hypoxic vasoconstriction (HV) is an intrinsic response of mammalian pulmonary and cyclostome aortic vascular smooth muscle. The present study examined the utilization of calcium during HV in dorsal aortas (DA) from sea lamprey and New Zealand hagfish. HV was temporally correlated with increased free cytosolic calcium (Ca2+c) in lamprey DA. Extracellular calcium (Ca2+o) did not contribute signif...

BACKGROUND Volume expansion and hypertension are widely used for the hemodynamic management of patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage. OBJECTIVE To investigate the feasibility, adherence, and retention in a trial of volume expansion and blood pressure manipulation to prevent delayed cerebral ischemia. METHODS A randomized pilot trial using a 2-way factorial design allocating patients within ...

BACKGROUND Hallux valgus (HV) has been linked to functional disability and increased falls risk in older adults. However, specific gait alterations in individuals with HV are unclear. This systematic review investigated gait parameters associated with HV in otherwise healthy adults. METHODS Electronic databases (Medline, Embase, CINAHL) were searched to October 2011, including cross-sectional...

In order to improve the use efficiency of a cover crop, hairy vetch (Vicia villosa R., HV), and supplemental chemical N fertilizer, N release and uptake patterns from HV, fast-release N fertilizer (Fast), and slow-release N fertilizer (Slow) in fresh market tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) production were investigated using the 15N-labeling method. In the incubation of soil-added N at two mix r...

BACKGROUND Interleukin-33 (IL-33) has recently been implicated in tumor immunity. The aim of this study was to explore the clinical role of serum IL-33 in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS Sera collected from 250 healthy volunteers (HV), 256 patients with benign lung diseases (BLD) and 262 NSCLC cases were subjected to IL-33 ELISA and relationships between serum IL-33 ...

The notion of intuitionistic fuzzy sets was introduced by Atanassov as a generalization of the notion of fuzzy sets. In this paper, we apply the concept of intuitionistic fuzzy sets to Hv-rings. We introduce the notion of an intuitionistic fuzzy Hv-ideal of an Hvring and then some related properties are investigated. We state some characterizations of intuitionistic fuzzy Hv-ideals. Also we inv...