Extracellular polysaccharide aggregates, operationally defined as transparent exopolymeric particles (TEP), are recognized as an important conduit for carbon recycling and export in aquatic systems. Yet, the factors controlling the build-up of the TEP pool are not well characterized. Here we show that increased TEP production by Trichodesmium, an oceanic bloom-forming nitrogen-fixing (diazotrop...

INTRODUCTION Nowadays the vast majority of inguinal hernia repairs are laparoscopically assisted. Single incision laparoscopy aims to accelerate recovery and provide a better cosmetic outcome after the operation. AIM To present our own modification of the totally extraperitoneal (TEP) procedure with a single incision and without a multiport, and compare the results with those obtained in the ...

Laparoscopic hernia operations have been criticized in regard to their high hospital costs. This study was designed to compare the costs and some outcome features of totally extraperitoneal endoscopic hernia operation (TEP) and Lichtenstein mesh repair (OPN) among 45 randomized employed patients. The medians of operative time in the TEP and OPN groups were 67.5 and 53 min, respectively. Return ...

We report measurements of the thermoelectric power ~TEP! S and electrical resistance R of thin films of tangled ropes of single-walled carbon nanotubes. Experiments at 300 K under applied force normal to the plane of the film revealed a ;10–20 % decrease in the four-probe resistance, indicating that the contact resistance between ropes had improved. The TEP, however, was not affected by the app...

We have measured the temperature-dependent thermoelectric power (TEP) of crystalline ropes of single-walled carbon nanotubes. The TEP is large and holelike at high temperatures and approaches zero as T ! 0. The results argue against the opening of a gap at low temperature in these materials. When derived from a simple band structure picture, the TEP of a single metallic nanotube is significantl...

BACKGROUND Previous phase I-II studies have shown that the combination of paclitaxel-cisplatin-etoposide (TEP) is very active and well tolerated in patients with small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). In order to compare the TEP combination to cisplatin etoposide (EP) regimen as front-line treatment in patients with SCLC, we conducted a randomised multicenter study. PATIENTS AND METHODS One hundred t...

Coral reefs in the Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) are among the most isolated in the world. This isolation has resulted in relatively low species diversity but comparatively high endemism. The dominant reef-building corals of the TEP are the Pocillopora corals, a ubiquitous Indo-Pacific genus commonly regarded as inferior reef-builder. In addition to being the dominant reef-builders in the TEP,...

The osmorespiratory compromise, the trade-off between the requirements for respiratory and ionoregulatory homeostasis at the gills, becomes more intense during environmental hypoxia. One aspect that has been previously overlooked is possible change in transepithelial potential (TEP) caused by hypoxia, whichwill influence branchial ionic fluxes. Using the euryhaline killifish, we show that acute...

BACKGROUND We examined speech and swallowing outcomes and complications in patients with anterolateral thigh (ALT) flap reconstruction of cervical esophageal defects. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed 29 patients treated with laryngopharyngectomy and ALT flap reconstruction at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center from March 2002 to July 2004. We compared complication rates, ...

BACKGROUND There is debate about the optimal voice restoration method and technique for patients who have undergone total laryngopharyngectomy, esophagectomy, and gastric pull-up. The purpose of this study was to report a series of patients who underwent awake, secondary tracheoesophageal puncture (TEP) after this procedure. METHODS A retrospective chart review was performed at a tertiary ref...