cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Expression of the sarco/endoplasmic Ca2+-ATPase, SERCA1a, in fibroblasts induces the formation of organelle membrane arrays

Members of the sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase (SERCA) family are transmembrane proteins that are essential for the function of intracellular Ca(2+) storage organelles. We found that overexpression of avian muscle SERCA1a in transfected mouse fibroblasts led to the appearance of tubular membrane bundles that we termed plaques. These structures were generated in transfected cells when SERCA1a protein expression approached the endogenous level measured in chicken skeletal muscle. Plaque membranes had associated ribosomes and contained endoplasmic reticulum (ER) proteins. Endogenous ER protein levels were not elevated in SERCA1a-expressing cells, indicating that plaques were not generalized proliferations of ER but rather a reorganization of existing organelle membrane. Plaque formation also was observed in cells expressing a green fluorescent protein-SERCA1a fusion protein (GFP-SERCA1a). GFP-SERCA1a molecules displayed extensive lateral mobility between plaques, suggesting the presence of membrane continuities between these structures. Plaques were induced in cells expressing cDNA encoding a catalytically silent SERCA1a mutant indicating that ER redistribution was driven by a structural feature of the enzyme. SERCA1a-induced plaque formation shares some characteristics of sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) biogenesis during muscle differentiation, and high-level SERCA1a expression in vivo may contribute to the formation of SR from ER during embryonic myogenesis.
Laser and novel light source treatments for psoriasis.

Background and Objectives There are many treatment modalities for psoriasis including topical therapy, ultraviolet light therapy, systemic agents, and more recently the advent of the biologic agents. Study Design/Materials and Methods In addition, selective treatment using lasers and light sources that target the individual psoriatic plaques have also been employed. Results/Conclusion This article will highlight and review the employment of laser-assisted devices in the treatment of plaque psoriasis. Lasers Surg. Med. 35:165–173, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Ice banding as a response of the coupled ice-ocean system to temporally varying winds

This study models formation of ice bands in the marginal ice zones. A one-dimensional coupled ice-ocean model is used in which the ice model is coupled to a reduced gravity ocean model through interfacial stresses. The internal ice stresses are important only at high ice concentrations (90-100 percent); otherwise, the main balance for the ice motion is between the air-ice stress and the ice-water stress, i.e., free drift. The drag coefficients were chosen so that the air-ice momentum flux is 3 times greater than the air-ocean momentum flux. Thus the Ekman transport is larger under the ice than in the open water, so that winds parallel to the ice edge, with the ice on the right, produce upwelling. The upwelling simulation was extended to include temporally varying forcing, which was chosen to vary sinusoidally with a 4-day period. This forcing resembles successive cyclone passings perpendicular to the ice edge. When the oceanic upper layer was thin, which means that the dynamics are strongly nonlinear, the ice bands were formed. The up/downwelling signals do not disappear in wind reversals because of nonlinear advection. This leads to convergences and divergences in oceanic and ice velocities that manifest themselves as ice banding. At least one wind reversal is needed to produce one ice band.
The transverse momentum spectrum in ultrarelativistic heavy ion collisions is not statistical

Abstract We examine the role of decays of excited hadrons in shaping the transverse momentum spectrum of pions in ultrarelativistic heavy ion collisions. No reasonable statistical model can reproduce the experimentally observed peak in the spectrum at low transverse momentum.
An Introduction to the Papers Presented at the NICHD Conference on Prevention of Bilirubin-Induced Brain Injury and Kernicterus

In this and in future issues of the Journal of Perinatology, articles will appear based on the presentations made at the conference, From Bench to Bedside: Preventing Bilirubin-Induced Brain Injury (BIBI) in the Newborn and Kernicterus in the 21st Century. The Conference, sponsored by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD, part of the National Institutes of Health, and the Department of Health and Human Services), was held in Bethesda, Maryland, in June 2003. An Executive Summary of the proceedings is also being published.1
Female and Minority Employment Patterns in Banks: A Research Note

The representation of women and minorities in the internal labor markets of banks is examined using a comparative organizational design. Organizational and community characteristics are used to account for differences among 24 large U.S. banks in the proportion of managerial and of professional positions held by women and by minorities. Controlling for prior employment composition, community characteristics (labor force composition, unemployment rate, and percentage Democratic) are generally found to be more influential than organizational characteristics (bank size, bank rate of growth of managerial and professional positions, and involvement in litigation). The characteristics examined were substantially more effective in accounting for variations in minority employment patterns than in female employment patterns.
Assessing the long-term impact of a metacognitive approach to creative skill development

The goal of this research was to determine the long-term impact that selected instructional interventions, based on research in metacognition and learning theory, have on students’ creativity. The study builds off research that has been conducted documenting the impact of creative thinking based instructional interventions. The study tracked design students beginning their freshman year to determine if observed improvements have been maintained throughout 4 years of undergraduate study. Preliminary research statistically tested the introduction of structured metacognitive skills on the development of creative thinking ability for a diverse population of undergraduate design students. This research indicated that an approach to education influenced by research in learning theory and metacognition does, in the short-term, result in students who are more creative. By continuing testing throughout students’ education an equally important question was answered. To what degree do students maintain or improve this level of enhanced creative thinking ability over an extended period of time? The findings showed that students who participated in one or both interventions finished with significantly higher levels of creative thinking. The knowledge gained also demonstrated how newly structured educational interventions utilizing online blogs and other Internet based technologies were successful in enhancing and maintaining students’ creative thinking abilities. The goal was to provide educators with insight and guidance in the application of a metacognitive approach and to introduce available technologies to aid in this process. This study provides educators with a plan of action consisting of a toolbox of creative strategies and a framework for a reflective approach.
Effect of estrogen on vascular endothelial growth/permeability factor expression by glandular epithelial and stromal cells in the baboon endometrium.

Abstract The ovarian steroid hormones, estrogen and progesterone, have important roles in establishing the new vascular bed within the endometrium during each menstrual cycle; however, little is known about the mechanisms underlying this process. We recently showed that mRNA and protein levels for the angiogenic factor vascular endothelial growth/permeability factor (VEG/PF) in endometrial glandular epithelial and stromal cells of baboons were decreased to very low levels by ovariectomy, and we proposed that the levels of estrogen and progesterone exhibited during the menstrual cycle regulate endometrial VEG/PF expression in the primate. To test this hypothesis, VEG/PF mRNA levels were determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction in glandular epithelial and stromal cells isolated by laser-capture microdissection from, and VEG/PF protein was determined by immunocytochemistry in the endometrium of baboons after ovariectomy and chronic administration of estradiol and progesterone in levels d...
Fully quantum rovibrational calculation of the He(H2) bound and resonance states.

In a recent paper [J. Chem. Phys. 2005, 122, 124318], a full-dimensional quantum method, designed to efficiently compute the rovibrational states of triatomic systems with long-range interactions, was applied to the benchmark Li - (H 2 ) ion-molecule system. The method incorporates several key features in order to accurately represent the rovibrational Hamiltonian using only modestly sized basis sets: (1) exact analytical treatment of Coriolis coupling; (2) a single bend-angle basis for all rotational states; (3) phase space optimization of the vibrational basis; (4) G 4 symmetry adaptation of the rovibrational basis. In this paper, the same methodology is applied for the first time to a van der Waals complex system, He(H 2 ). As in the Li - (H 2 ) study, all of the rovibrational bound states, and a number of resonance states, are computed to very high accuracy (1/10 000 of a wavenumber or better). Three different isotopologues are considered, all of which are found to have a single bound state with a very low binding energy. Several extremely long-lived Feshbach resonances are also reported.
Non-invasive Ventilation: A Gimmick or Does It Really Affect Outcomes?

Heart failure affects 5.1 million Americans every year and leads to over 900,000 annual emergency department (ED) visits. Of those patients, over 80 % will be admitted to the hospital. In the ED, treatment focuses on preload and afterload reduction through the use of diuretics and vasodilators. For those patients requiring oxygen, particularly those in respiratory distress, non-invasive ventilation improves symptoms by increasing ventilation, decreasing preload and afterload, decreasing work of breathing, and increasing gas exchange. Non-invasive ventilation is an effective intervention and is considered an important component of therapy in ED patients with acute heart failure.
M-theory and automorphic scattering

The strongly coupled limit of string scattering and the automorphic construction of the graviton S-matrix is compared with the eleven dimensional formulation of Mtheory. In a particular scaling limit at strong string coupling, M-theory is described by eleven-dimensional supergravity which does not possess a dilaton, but rather a perturbative expansion in the gravitational coupling and derivatives. The latter theory provides an off-shell description of the string, upon dimensional reduction.
Mediastinal adenopathy and endobronchial involvement in metastatic renal cell carcinoma

Mediastinal adenopathy and endobronchial metastases are sometimes the only radiological manifestation of metastatic disease from extrathoracic neoplasms. We report on four patients in whom hilar and paratracheal adenopathy (n = 3) and endobrochial involvement (n = 1) were the only intrathoracic manifestations of metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Three of the patients had nephrectomies 9 months to 4 years before the appearance of intrathoracic disease; another patient presented with medastinal disease as the initial manifestation of renal cell carcinoma. If a patient with a history of renal cell carcinoma develops pulmonary hilar adenopathy, metastatic disease should be suspected and appropriate diagnostic measures should be taken.
Excretion, Metabolism and Enterohepatic Circulation Pathways and Their Role in Overall Thyroid Hormone Regulation in the Rat

Regulation of thyroid, adrenocortical and other hormones secreted by the major endocrine glands in mammals is widely attributed primarily to feedback control relationships with the pituitary, hypothalamus or both, with hepatobiliary and intestinal mechanisms having no more than a passive or excretory role. I present another view of enterohepatic components in thyroid endocrine function, suggesting a functional and more pervasive role for the intestine, in a more complex hierarchical system controlling thyroid hormone levels, effects and economy in the rat, and possibly in other mammals. A central factor is the existence of enterohepatic cycling of these hormones, or their reabsorption from intestnal pools to portal and then systemic blood. This process affects their dynamic behavior throughout the organism, not only hormone economy, because bidirectional transport of hormone between blood and intestine (including large pools in luminal contents) renders all or part of the gut internal to the system regulating thyroid hormones. We review the evidence for and possible significance of this hypothesis, covering specific aspects of hormone level control in the rat, including the deiodination, conjugation and other metabolic pathways, particularly in liver and intestine, and the fecal and urinary excretory (sink) and hormone production (source) pathways. The modulators of enterohepatic subsystem regulation of thyroid hormones are postulated to involve the combined effects of hormone conjugation and degradation processes in liver and their subsequent secretion in bile, coupled with the bacterial deconjugation, the reabsorption and certain hormone storage mechanisms of the intestine.
Robotic cell culture system for stem cell assays

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to focus on the advantages of a robotic time‐lapsed microscopic imaging system for tracking stem cells in in vitro biological assays which measure stem cell activities.Design/methodology/approach – The unique aspects of the system include robotic movement of stem cell culture flasks which enables selection of a large number of regions of interest for data collection. Numerous locations of a cell culture flask can be explored and selected for time‐lapsed analysis. The system includes an environmentally controlled chamber to maintain experimental conditions including temperature, gas levels, and humidity, such that stem cells can be tracked by visible and epifluorescence imaging over extended periods of time.Findings – This is an extremely unique system for both individual cell tracking and cell population tracking in real‐time with high‐throughput experimental capability. In comparison to a conventional manual cell culture and assay approach, this system provides stem...
Great Ormond Street in 1941 and 1942

This is an account of my time as a resident student at the Hospital for Sick Children, Great Ormond Street, from the summer of 1941 until I qualified in June 1942. The Hospital for Sick Children, founded by Dr Charles West in 1852, was the first children's hospital in the UK. During the second half of the 19th century children's hospitals were set up in other parts of London and in the major cities of England and Scotland, but Great Ormond Street has continued to be the largest, wealthiest, and most influential children's hospital in the country. Until recently, a post at Great Ormond Street was regarded as an essential part of the curriculum vitae of every aspiring paediatrician. I entered University College Hospital (UCH) in September 1939, but my year was soon evacuated to the Welsh National School of Medicine in Cardiff, to escape the expected bombing of London. At it turned out, this was the time of the “phoney war” and London was not bombed. We returned in August 1940, in time for the “blitz”. Anticipating a continuation of air raids, the medical school was moved to Leavesden Hospital in Abbots Langley for clinical teaching, and to Stanboroughs Hydro, in Garston, near Watford, for lectures and to accommodate the students. The Hydro continued to be run by the owners, the Seventh Day Adventists, who favoured a strictly vegetarian diet, which was only slightly modified during the UCH occupation. For some curious reason, my intestinal tract failed to adapt to the high carbohydrate intake and produced an amount of gas that was physically uncomfortable and socially embarrassing. I was therefore delighted to be asked, in the summer of 1941, to join the team of UCH students resident at Great Ormond Street. In exchange for helping with air raid casualties …
Richardson extrapolation applied to boundary element method results in a Dirichlet problem for the Laplace equation

Richardson extrapolation is used to improve the accuracy of the numerical solutions for the normal boundary flux and for the interior potential resulting from the boundary element method. The boundary integral equations arise from a direct boundary integral formulation for solving a Dirichlet problem for the Laplace equation. The Richardson extrapolation is used in two different applications: (i) to improve the accuracy of the collocation solution for the normal boundary flux and, separately, (ii) to improve the solution for the potential in the domain interior. The main innovative aspects of this work are that the orders of dominant error terms are estimated numerically, and that these estimates are then used to develop an a posteriori technique that predicts if the Richardson extrapolation results for applications (i) and (ii) are reliable. Numerical results from test problems are presented to demonstrate the technique.
The ecology of oligocene African anthropoidea

African anthropoids are first recorded in Early Oligocene deposits of the Fayum Province, Egypt. Six genera and nine species are recognized. Estimated body weights for these taxa are based on the regression equation log10(B) = 2.86log10(L) + 1.37, whereB is the bodyweight in grams, and Lis the M2length in millimeters. The equation is derived from 106 species of living primates. Fayum species range in body weight from about 600 g (Apidium moustafai)to about 6000 g (Aegyptopithecus zeuxis).A similar range of body weight is found among extant Cebidae. The Fayum primates are larger than any extant insectivorous primates;this fact probably rules out a predominantly insectivorous diet. Extant frugivorous hominoids can be separated from folivorous hominoids on the basis of molar morphology. Folivorous apes (gorilla and siamang) have proportionately more shearing on their molars than do frugivorous species. Based on the hominoid analogy, the molar morphology of the Fayum species is consistent with a frugivorous diet. Parapithecus grangeristands apart from other Fayum species in having better developed molar shearing, possibly indicating that it had more fiber in its diet. Terrestrial species of Old World monkeys tend to have significantly higher molar crowns than do more arboreal species. This difference may relate to an increased amount of grit in the diet of the more terrestrial species, selecting for greater resistance to wear. Oligocene primates have molar crown heights consistent with a primarily arboreal mode of existence. However, the particularly high molar crowns of Parapithecus grangerisuggest that this species may have foraged on the ground to a considerable degree. Other evidence is advanced suggesting that Apidiummay have had a diurnal activity pattern.
Construct validity of the Miner Sentence Completion Scale

The construct validity of the Miner Sentence Completion Scale (MSCS) - a widely used predictor of managerial effectiveness - is investigated. The results indicate that the MSCS has the predicted pattern of correlations with other measures of personality, that the MSCS is positively related to various measures of managerial effectiveness, and that the MSCS is predictive of those who will opt for a career in management
Family factors associated with schizophrenia and anorexia nervosa

This paper reports results of a longitudinal prospective study of 65 families first assessed when they presented at a psychological clinic with a disturbed adolescent offspring. Fifty-two of the index offspring were followed up five years later and assessed using Research Diagnostic Criteria (RDC). Parental attributes of communication deviance and negative affective style were associated with offspring who later manifested disorders of the extended schizophrenia spectrum. Comparison of this sample with anorectic and non-anorectic inpatient groups revealed unique patterns in the families of anorectics, which were different from those identified in the preschizophrenic cases.
Quality of life after stroke: a prospective longitudinal study

Purpose To measure the impact of stroke on quality of life (QOL), and analyze whether race, gender, age, income, or living alone moderated those changes, using prospective longitudinal methods.
Indonesian Primitive Art

An introduction to the tribal art of the numerous groups of the Indonesian archipelago, as it evolved from the Dong-son culture of northern Vietnam and developed as a result of common beliefs in animism, ancestor worship, and customary law (adat). This work should be of interest to Indonesian art collectors in the Far East, United States and Europe and primitive art collectors generally, as well as tourists to Indonesia.
Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 non-structural proteins: Requirements for latent infection.

It has been more than 30 years since the discovery of human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1), the first human retrovirus identified. Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 infects 15–20 million people worldwide causing two major diseases: adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma and HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis. Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 establishes several decades of latent infection, during which viral–host interaction determines disease segregation. This review highlights non-structural proteins that are encoded on the viral genome and manage latent infection. Latent infection is a key in HTLV pathology, so that effective inhibition of these proteins might lead to successful disease management.
Asymmetric price responses, market integration and market power: A study of the U.S. natural gas market

We studied the market performance at selected, representative natural gas trading hubs in the U.S. and documented different price behaviors among various hubs. With NYMEX prices as the competitive benchmark, we found empirically that the spot price responses at some trading hubs were systematically asymmetric, thus demonstrating a market advantage by either buyers or sellers. We further found that the presence of market power was a very plausible explanation for this price behavior at some hubs.
Über die Deformierung des Wahrnehmungsraumes durch Medien mit wegfremdem Brechungsindex

Bei monokularem und binokularem Vorschalten pl. Pl. oder gleichmasig gebogener Flachen mit gleichen Krummungsradien tritt eine gesetzmasige Deformierung des Wahrnehmungsraumes ein. Diese last sich sowohl experimentell als auch rechnerischausschlieslich auf geometrisch-optische Bedingungen zuruckfuhren. Durch Flachen ohne Linsenwirkung wird der stereoskopische Eindruck korperlicher Sehdinge vertieft, die Schwelle des Tiefenunterscheidungsvermogens gesenkt. Das vonSchafer entdeckte Phanomen verbesserten Raumsehens durch einaugige Abdunklung mittels Neophanglasern wird auf die Tatsache der seitlichen Verschiebung schief einfallender Strahlen zuruckgefuhrt. In 6 Grundversuchen werden die geometrisch-optischen Gesetzmasigkeiten abgleitet und die wichtigsten Funktionen in Formeln gefast. Die experimentellen Ergebnisse lassen sich in Tabellen und Kurven zu den physiologischen Gegebenheiten in Beziehung setzen. Sie stimmen mit den geometrisch abgeleiteten Funktionen weitgehend uberein. Geeignete Versuchsanordnungen fur die Messungen von Gesichtsobjekt-und Sehdingentfernungen, raumlicher Tiefeneffekte, der Tiefenunterschiedsempfindlichkeit, seitlicher Verschiebungen von Gegenstanden, der Konvergenzwinkel, Einfallswinkel, der Parallaxe, des Grenzwinkels der Parallaxe und weiterer weniger wichtiger Funktionen ergeben sich aus den Versuchsanordnungen der Grundversuche. Ausfuhrlichere Darstellungen sind spateren Veroffentlichungen vorbehalten. Es wird ferner gezeigt, das nicht nur die Querdisparation, sondern auch die Langsdisparation von Einflus auf das Raumsehen sein kann. Die Wirkung von Prismen auf das Raumsehen wird nur experimentell behandelt.
Design and Implementation of Actively Cooled Panels for Scramjets

The operating conditions of scramjet engines demand designs that include active cooling by the fuel and the use of lightweight materials that withstand extreme heat fluxes and structural loads. An optimization tool has previously been introduced to direct the development of advanced materials that outperform existing high temperature alloys and compete with ceramic matrix composites. This analysis presents verification and accretion of the analytical design tool through a combination of numerical and experimental techniques. Selected computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analyses have been performed to verify critical thermal assumptions. A high-power CO2 laser provides heat fluxes representative of hypersonic flight conditions.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Methods for Measuring the Temporal Characteristics and Filter Response of Electroacoustic Impedance Instruments

Methods for determining the temporal response of electroacoustic impedance instruments are presented along with sample measurements from one instrument. The conditions under which reflex artifacts ...
Mechanical Characterization of Polymer Nanowires Using MEMS

We present results on the mechanical properties of single freestanding poly-furfuryl alcohol (PFA) nanowires (aspect ratio > 50, diameters 100–300 nm) from experiments conducted using a MEMS-based uniaxial tensile testing device in-situ inside the SEM. The specimens tested were pyrolyzed PFA nanowires (pyrolyzed at 800° C).Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Teenage Prostitution and the Future of the Female Adolescent in Nigeria

Nigeria has a large number of adolescents living and making a living on the streets. This has been attributed to economic factors and exposure to all forms of risks. The result is the proliferation of prostitution among the adolescents with its attendant problems. This article considers the different forms of adolescent prostitutes: those in brothels, street walkers, call girls, and casual, part-time, or floating prostitutes, as well as the trafficking of adolescent girls across international borders. The causes of adolescent prostitution in Nigeria are largely economic, sociological, and socioeconomic factors. A two-dimensional approach was adopted in considering the attitude to prostitution. Coping mechanisms include endurance, self-medication, seeking medical attention, and adaptation. The effects of prostitution are psychological reactions, psychosocial damage, and the political implication, which damages the image of the nation. Approaches to combat adolescent prostitution in Nigeria include legislat...
Rituximab for the treatment of juvenile dermatomyositis: a report of four pediatric patients.

Objective Juvenile dermatomyositis (DM) is a chronic inflammatory myopathy of childhood primarily affecting the muscles and skin. Treatment for juvenile DM is often difficult, and conventional therapies include corticosteroids and other immune suppressants. We reviewed the records of 4 patients with juvenile DM who received the B cell–depleting anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody rituximab to determine whether this therapy resulted in improved control of their juvenile DM. Methods This is a retrospective review of 4 pediatric patients ages 10–17 years with juvenile DM who were treated with rituximab. All patients were tested for myositis autoantibodies and received weekly rituximab infusions for a total of 4 doses. Two patients received repeat courses of rituximab 1 year after their first dose. Patients were followed up between 12 and 24 months after their first course of rituximab, and their strength, muscle enzymes, and rash were reviewed. Results One patient was positive for a myositis-specific antibody, anti–Mi-2, and demonstrated striking reductions in her muscle enzyme levels for 1 year after rituximab therapy. Following a second course of rituximab, this patient remained disease free for 14 months before requiring a third course of rituximab. Two myositis antibody–negative patients showed clinical improvement and tolerated lower doses of corticosteroids following treatment with rituximab. Finally, 1 patient had worsening of her disease following rituximab. Conclusion These cases highlight the potential for anti–B cell therapies in the treatment of juvenile DM in both myositis-specific autoantibody–positive and –negative patients.
SEX HORMONES IN THE BLOOD SERUM OF MARES

The blood serum of the pregnant mare has been found to contain large amounts of an ovary-stimulating substance (Cole and Hart, 1). We have some evidence that the urine of pregnant mares is relatively free of this factor.* It has been demonstrated that in the human the ovary-stimulating substance is more concentrated in the urine than in the blood serum. These facts suggested the possibility that the substances from the two sources, producing an apparently similar biological reaction in the rat, might be different in chemical or physical composition. Evidence has been obtained by Collip (2) which indicates that the ovary-stimulating material prepared from placenta may not be identical with the hormone in the urine of pregnant women. In the present investigation, an attempt has been made to determine some of the chemical properties of the ovary-stimulating factor present in mare serum during pregnancy. In this paper we have designated as the ovary-stimulating principle, from whatever its source, that factor...
Changing Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behavior of Hispanics Through a Nutrition Education Program Taught By Bilingual Paraprofessionals

Abstract Hispanic groups continue to have excess morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular diseases. Unfortunately, national campaigns have not had significant impact on ethnic minority groups. The objective of this project was to determine the impact of the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) taught by three bilingual paraprofessionals in two Illinois cities according to a standard curriculum. The pre- and post-tests included a 13-question knowledge, a 16-question behavior, an 8-question attitude, and an 8-question subjective norms survey which had been previously pilot-tested with this target group in Illinois. Demographic, acculturation, and Spanish literacy data were also collected. Acculturation for both sites was quite low, indicating little assimilation into Anglo culture. Spanish literacy was low, with scores ranging from 15-91%. Participants from the two sites (site A, n=20; site B, n=15) were similar in demographics and pre-tests except Spanish literacy, educational level, and gender. Baseline knowledge significantly increased (48.1%±2.8 vs 59.7%+3.1, p=0.007), although remained below the target score of 80% correct. Behavior questions, answered on Likert scales and transformed into percentages, differed significantly pre vs post-test (52.1%±2.6 vs 73.2% +2.1, p=0.000). Predominant attitudes which changed from pre- to post-test included the healthiness of low-fat, low-cholesterol eating, the perception of bad taste of low-fat food, the cost of low-fat foods, and the perception that maintaining a healthy weight was beneficial. Although this program resulted in significant improvements in knowledge, behavior, and attitudes, the outcomes were not as positive as desired. This may be due to the low literacy level, low acculturation levels, or use of a non-specific, broadly used curriculum with this culturally distinct target group.
The Rationality of Early Exercise Decisions: Evidence from the S&P 100 Index Options Market

This study provides a comprehensive empirical analysis of the early exercise bistoty of SP but we show that a substantal number of these decisions are clearly irratonal since it would bave been possible to realize a larger riskless net cash jlow by seUling. Unlike p us studies of early exercise, our tests of efflciency and the rationat decions tbatpresumably lead to eficient markets are model independet. We also provide evidence concerning the relatve significance of dividends and the wild card to index optonpricing models, and introduce and document the importance of the opton to exercise and avoid the indirect costs oftbe spread. We alsofind evidence of a significant day-of-tbe-week exercise effect, and present some likely explanations for that effect.
Prevalence of fragrance allergy.

With the exception of the UK, where fragrance allergy remained fairly constant from the early 1980s until the mid-late 1990s, other centers worldwide (Denmark, Singapore, Slovenia and the USA) reported an increase in fragrance allergy during this period. The ubiquitous nature of fragrance in modern society, coupled with new and growing markets of fragrance products for children and men, likely contribute to this increase. Strict adherence to voluntary guidelines on concentration limits of known fragrance sensitizers in consumer products is necessary. Also, special attention by manufacturers to safety assessments for fragranced products to be used on 'high-risk' areas such as traumatized/dermatitic skin, occluded sites and areas of high absorption is needed.
Combination Cisplatin and Dichloromethotrexate in Patients with Advanced or Recurrent Cervical Cancer: A Preliminary Report'

The chemotherapy combination of cisplatin and dichloromethotrexate was administered to 14 patients with measurable cervical cancer. Six (46%) have had a complete response for 6+, 7, 11, 14, 15, and 21 months. Four (30%) have had a partial response for 1, 6, 10, and 11 months. Two patients (15%) have had stable disease for 6 and 11 months. Only one patient failed to respond to this combination. In six of these patients, the measurable mass was located in a previously radiated area. This combination was well tolerated with only three instances of severe toxicity. No irreversible renal dysfunction was seen in any patient.
The effects of cholecystokinin and cholecystokinin antagonists on synaptic function in the CA1 region of the rat hippocampal slice.

Abstract The effects of two CCK antagonists, benzotript and proglumide, and of sulfated and non-sulfated cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK-8-S and CCK-8-NS), were studied in the CA1 region of the rat hippocampal slice. Both benzotript and proglumide shifted presynaptic synaptic volley (prevolley) vs population spike input/output (I/O) curves for Schaffer collateral-commissural synaptic transmission to the right. This result indicates that the antagonists had a net depressant effect on synaptic transmission. CCK-8-S shifted prevolley vs population spike I/O curves to the left, indicating a net excitatory effect. Analysis of component I/O curves indicated that CCK-8-S and the CCK antagonists were acting postsynaptically by changing CA1 pyramidal cell threshold. CCK-8-NS had no significant effect on overall or component I/O functions. These findings suggest that endogenous CCK is released, directly or indirectly, upon stimulation of the Schaffer collateral-commissural fibers and increases the excitability of CA1 pyramidal cells.
Cardioprotective Effect of Prior β-Blocker Therapy in Reducing Creatine Kinase-MB Elevation After Coronary Intervention: Benefit Is Extended to Improvement in Intermediate-Term Survival

Background —Both retrospective studies and prospective randomized trials have shown that β-blockers improve survival and reduce the risk of reinfarction in patients with myocardial infarction. To evaluate whether β-blockers exert similar protective benefits during and after coronary intervention, we studied the incidence of postprocedure creatine kinase (CK)-MB elevation in patients with or without prior β-blocker therapy and its effect on intermediate-term (≈1 year) survival. Methods and Results —We prospectively analyzed 1675 consecutive patients undergoing coronary intervention; of these patients, 643 (38.4%) were on β-blocker therapy before the intervention. The incidence of CK-MB elevation after coronary intervention was 13.2% in patients on β-blocker therapy before intervention and 22.1% in patients who were not on β-blockers ( P P P =0.04), although the benefit was independent of the reduction in CK-MB release. Conclusions —Our nonrandomized, prospective analysis suggests that prior β-blocker therapy has a cardioprotective effect in limiting CK-MB release after coronary intervention and that it is associated with a lower mortality at intermediate-term follow-up.
Crystallization and reaction on graphite-like fiber surfaces

Abstract The epitaxial crystallization and topotactic solid state reaction of two monomers on Thornel 40 carbon-fibers have been investigated. The epitaxial crystallization suggests interesting features about the carbon fiber surface which are in agreement with recent studies on graphitic materials. The topotactic reaction on the carbon fibers yields cyclic materials rather than the polymers which are obtained in the absence of a substrate. The interaction between the substrate, reactant, and product is found to be strong and specific. The carbon fiber surface controls the crystallization and solid state reaction and determines the type of product obtained as well as its conformation.
Force model considerations for glued-sphere discrete element method simulations

Abstract Despite knowing that particle shape plays a significant role in the dynamics of powder flow, most discrete element method (DEM) simulations utilize spherical particles. The reasons for using spheres are that (a) the contact detection scheme for spherical particles is simple, and (b) the contact force models for contacting spheres are well known (e.g. a Hertzian contact). Several schemes for modeling non-spherical particles have been proposed including those that involve polyhedra, ellipsoids, sphero-cylinders, and superquadrics. Perhaps the most common approach for modeling non-spherical particles, however, is using “glued spheres,” in which irregular particle shapes are produced by rigidly connecting individual, and possibly overlapping, spheres. The advantage of the glued-spheres approach is that even for complex particle shapes the simple spherical contact detection algorithm may be retained. Recent publications have focused on how approximating a given particle shape using a glued-sphere geometry affects the rebound of colliding particles [e.g. Price, M., Murariu, V., Morrison, G., 2007. Sphere clump generation and trajectory comparison for real particles. In: Fourth International Conference on Discrete Element Methods (DEM), Brisbane, Australia; Kruggel-Emden, H., Rickelt, S., Wirtz, S., Scherer, V., 2008. A study on the validity of the multi-sphere discrete element method, Powder Technology 188 (2), 153–165]. These investigations have focused on the errors introduced by approximating the geometry of the true particle shape. What has not been investigated, however, is how the spherical particle derived force models used in glued-sphere particle geometries influence the response of particle collisions. This paper demonstrates that in instances where more than a single component sphere in a glued-sphere model is involved in a contact, a modified force model must be used to produce an accurate force–deflection response.
Dissociation Between Exertional Symptoms and Circulatory Function in Patients With Heart Failure

Background Patients with heart failure frequently report exertional dyspnea and fatigue. These symptoms are usually attributed to circulatory dysfunction and therefore are typically treated with cardiovascular medications. Serial assessment of exertional symptoms has also become the principal method used to assess drug efficacy in heart failure. Nevertheless, the relation between exertional symptoms in heart failure and circulatory dysfunction remains uncertain. Methods and Results This study was undertaken to investigate the relation between exertional symptoms, ventilatory and skeletal muscle dysfunction, and circulatory function in patients with heart failure. To this end, 52 ambulatory patients with heart failure underwent hemodynamic monitoring during maximal treadmill exercise testing. During exercise, the severity of dyspnea and fatigue was evaluated on a scale of 6 to 20 (Borg scale). The level of perceived exercise intolerance during daily activities was evaluated with the Minnesota Living With Heart Failure Questionnaire and the Yale Dyspnea-Fatigue Index. Maximal treadmill exercise increased the Vo2 to 13.4±2.8 mL · min−1 · kg−1, the dyspnea score to 15.7±2.3, the fatigue score to 14.8±3.4, the pulmonary wedge pressure to 28±11 mm Hg, and the pulmonary artery lactate concentration to 34.5±16.3 mg/dL and decreased the pulmonary artery hemoglobin oxygen saturation to 30±9%. The level of perceived dyspnea had no relation to the pulmonary wedge pressure and correlated only minimally with the level of excessive ventilation ( r =.39). The level of perceived fatigue correlated only weakly with blood lactate concentration ( r =.55). Eleven patients (21%) exhibited a normal cardiac output and wedge pressure 20 mm Hg during exercise, and 19 (37%) exhibited reduced cardiac output and wedge pressure >20 mm Hg during exercise. Despite these markedly different hemodynamic responses, all three groups exhibited similar levels of fatigue and dyspnea at comparable workloads and had comparable total scores for the Minnesota Living With Heart Failure Questionnaire and the Yale Dyspnea-Fatigue Index. There was no relation between the Living With Heart Failure Questionnaire and peak exercise Vo2 and only a weak correlation between the Dyspnea-Fatigue Index and peak Vo2 ( r =.48). Conclusions The level of exercise intolerance perceived by patients with heart failure has little or no relation to objective measures of circulatory, ventilatory, or metabolic dysfunction during exercise. In patients who report severe exertional symptoms, it may be desirable to directly measure hemodynamic response to exercise to ensure that these symptoms are due to circulatory dysfunction.
Treatment of naturally occuring hemangiopericytoma and oral squamous cell carcinoma in dogs using surgery and photodynamic therapy with HPPH as a photosensitizer

Pyropheophorbide-a-hexyl ether (HPPH) is a new photosensitizer for use with photodynamic therapy (PDT) that has shown promise in laboratory animals. PDT, using this drug, is being used to treat canine patients afflicted with hemangiopericytoma and oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) at the University of Missouri-Columbia College of Veterinary Medicine. To date, 11 dogs with hemangiopericytoma and 5 dogs with oral SCC have been treated using a combination of surgery and PDT. Thus far, there have been no serious complications attributable to the treatment. Two dogs have had recurrences of the hemangiopericytoma and there have been no recurrences of SCC with a median follow time of 5 months. Both recurrent hemangiopericytomas were in patients with large tumors that had previous surgery. This study is ongoing and no conclusions have been reached; however several observations are noted. It appears that PDT using HPPH is safe is dogs, and may decrease the recurrence rate of Hemangiopericytomas. In dogs with oral SCC, the treatment is effective is causing necrosis and sloughing of the tumor tissue, and recurrences have not been noted on follow-ups up to 6 months.
CNR1 Variation Modulates Risk for Drug and Alcohol Dependence

Background Human cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1), which is encoded by the CNR1 gene, may play a role in the development of substance dependence (SD). Following initial reports of association of CNR1 with SD, we studied multiple markers at this locus in a large case–control sample. Methods Ten CNR1 markers and 38 ancestry-informative markers were genotyped in 451 healthy control subjects and 550 SD (AD and/or DD) patients (including European Americans [EAs] and African Americans [AAs]). Common confounding effects on association analysis of population stratification and admixture, age, and sex were controlled for using regression analysis. Disease risk and protective alleles were fine-mapped using a linkage disequilibrium measure (δ). Results In EAs, risk for each SD subtype significantly increased with the number of "G" alleles at rs6454674 (single nucleotide polymorphisms [SNP]3). SNP3^G + (the genotypes containing a G allele) and SNP8^T/T genotypes had significant interaction effects (p = .0003 for comorbid DD and AD, .0002 for DD, and .007 for AD). SNP3 and SNP8 together exerted stronger genetic effects on SD than either did individually. The peak δ values among all the markers were seen for SNP3 and SNP8 (rs806368). Conclusions We demonstrate that CNR1 variation and interactive effects play important roles in risk for both DD and AD.
Histogram-based gravitational optimization algorithm on single MR modality for automatic brain lesion detection and segmentation

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a very effective medical imaging technique for the clinical diagnosis and monitoring of neurological disorders. Because of intensity similarities between brain lesions and normal tissues, multispectral MRI modalities are usually applied for brain lesion detection. However, the time and cost restrictions for collecting multi-spectral MRI, and the issue of possible errors from registering multiple MR images necessitate developing an automatic lesion detection approach that can detect lesions using a single anatomical MRI modality. In this paper, an automatic algorithm for brain stroke and tumor lesion detection and segmentation using single-spectral MRI is presented. The proposed algorithm, called histogram-based gravitational optimization algorithm (HGOA), is a novel intensity-based segmentation technique, which applies enhanced gravitational optimization algorithm on histogram analysis results. The mathematical descriptions as well as the convergence criteria of the developed optimization algorithm are presented in detail. Using this algorithm, brain is segmented into different number of regions, which will be labeled as lesion or healthy. Here, the ischemic stroke lesions and tumor lesions are segmented with 91.5% and 88.1% accuracy, respectively.
Imaging and manipulation of cytosolic ions and messengers during cell activation.

Summary Optical methods have recently become available for continuously imaging the free concentrations of important ions and second messengers such as calcium, sodium and hydrogen inside living cells. These ion levels are found to undergo remarkable changes upon stimulation of quiescent cells with growth factors known to stimulate phosphoinositide breakdown. In serum-starved REF-52 fibroblasts, growth factors such as serum, vasopressin, or PDGF (platelet-derived growth factor) cause intracellular [Na+] to increase from about 4 mm to 8 mm. If mitogen treatment is combined with pharmacological depolarization of the membrane potential, repetitive [Ca2+]j spikes result in these rat fibroblasts. The mechanism of this oscillation has been investigated by light-flash release of intracellular messengers such as inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (Ins(1,4,5)P3), Ca2+, and diacylglycerol, as well as more traditional biochemical techniques. The key feedback pathway appears to be Ca2+-stimulation of phospholipase C production of Ins(1,4,5)P3.
Rhabdomyosarcoma in adult prostate

Abstract A case of rhabdomyosarcoma of the adult prostate is reported. Metastatic disease in both lung fields was treated by triple-drug therapy. This regimen has been maintained to date with resolution of pulmonary nodules.