cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stimulatory role of the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus in gastrointestinal motility through myoelectromechanical coordination in cats.

Abstract This study was undertaken to investigate the effect of stimulation of the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV) on myoelectric activity and motility of the gastric antrum and duodenum in normal and in vagotomized cats. 37 cats were starved for 24 h and then anesthetized with a-chloralose (70–80 mg/kg, iv). Electrical stimulation (0.1 mA, 0.2 ms, 50 Hz) of the left DMV was performed through a stereotaxically inserted electrode in 19 of the cats. The remaining 18 cats were injected in the left DMV with a glutamate solution (1 M, 200 nl) through an inserted 3-barreled micropipette. The myoelectric activity (slow wave) and the motility of the gastric antrum (2 cm proximal to the pylorus) and duodenum (3 cm distal to the pylorus) were measured using serosal bipolar electrodes and intraluminal balloons. Both the electrical and the glutamate stimulations of the DMV markedly increased the occurrence of spike potentials on the antral and duodenal myoelectric activity; however, the stimulations significantly decreased the frequency of the antral slow wave. The stimulations also produced increases in the motility of the antrum and duodenum which corresponded to the changes in the myoelectric activity. All the changes in the myoelectric activity and the motility were not observed after the ipsilateral vagotomy. Thus, these results strongly suggest that the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus has a stimulatory influence on antral and duodenal motility through myoelectromechanical coordination via the vagus nerve in cats.
Treatment of recurrent paroxysmal ventricular tachycardia

Abstract This case report demonstrates the therapeutic effect of the combination of propranolol and procainamide upon recurrent paroxysmal ventricular tachycardia in a 10-year-old boy. When used as a single agent, procainamide, diphenylhydantoin, and propranolol proved ineffective in suppressing the arrhythmia. The child has been in normal sinus rhythm for 20 months without side effects, while receiving a combination of propranolol and procainamide. The etiology and therapy of this condition was discussed.
Therapy of chronic type B hepatitis with adenine arabinoside and adenine arabinoside monophosphate

Summary Adenine arabinoside (ARA-A) and its monophosphate (ARA-AMP) are potent inhibitors of hepatitis B virus, but they have not been shown to beneficially alter the natural history of chronic type B hepatitis. Analysis of responders to ARA-AMP therapy has shown that responses can be temporary and that truly long-term beneficial responses are rare. Most long-term responses occur in patients with marked elevations in serum aminotransferase activities and severe chronic active hepatitis. This group of patients, however, may also be the most likely to have a spontaneous improvement in chronic hepatitis. Analyses from England suggest that male homosexual patients have a lower response rate to ARA-AMP than heterosexual patients. This difference has not been shown in studies from the United States. The effect of HTLV-III infection on the course and outcome of hepatitis B virus infection and on clinical responses to antiviral therapy needs further evaluation. In view of the side-effects of ARA-AMP and its marginal efficacy, it is unlikely to play a role as a single agent in the therapy of this important chronic liver disease. However, the use of ARA-AMP after a short course of immunosuppressive therapy is an approach to therapy that deserves future investigation in prospective controlled trials.
An improved system for controlled rate cooling of biological material.

Abstract The unit in present operation at the Baltimore Cancer Research Center has afforded far greater accuracy than freezing control units now commercially available. Its versatility in allowing direct dialing of the cooling rate and feedback control from the sample phantom allows for a completely automated cooling system which will take the specimen smoothly through the heat of fusion while maintaining a constant predetermined slope. An example of a typical freezing curve depicting lymphocytes frozen in 1640 media containing 10% DMSO as previously described (1–3) is shown in Fig. 2. The present unit is wired to function with the Linde BF4-1 and BF4-2 freezing chambers; however, any similar chamber could be used by providing the proper electrical connections and sample sensor. The cost of the controllers component parts will vary according to the number of features desired but for the unit described here it is approximately $350.00.
Cellular uptake of intracerebroventricularly administered biotin- or digoxigenin-labeled antisense oligodeoxynucleotides in the rat.

1. Antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) internally labeled with biotin or digoxigenin were injected into the lateral ventricle of rats and the distribution of the labeled ODNs was examined at several timepoints following the intracerebroventricular (icv) injections. The stability of these injected antisense ODNs, which had no backbone modifications, was also studied by performing recovery experiments.
Synthesis of multimethyl-branched fatty acids by avian and mammalian fatty acid synthetase and its regulation by malonyl-CoA decarboxylase in the uropygial gland☆

Abstract Fatty acid synthetase, partially purified by gel filtration with Sepharose 4B from goose liver, showed the same relative rate of incorporation of methylmalonyl-CoA (compared to malonyl-CoA) as that observed with the purified fatty acid synthetase from the uropygial gland. In the presence of acetyl-CoA, methylmalonyl-CoA was incorporated mainly into 2,4,6,8-tetramethyldecanoic acid and 2,4,6,8,10-pentamethyl-dodecanoic acid by the enzyme from both sources. Methylmalonyl-CoA was a competitive inhibitor with respect to malonyl-CoA for the enzyme from the gland just as previously observed for fatty acid synthetase from other animals. Furthermore, rabbit antiserum prepared against the gland enzyme cross-reacted with the liver enzyme, and Ouchterlony double-diffusion analyses showed complete fusion of the immunoprecipitant lines. The antiserum inhibited both the synthesis of n -fatty acids and branched fatty acids catalyzed by the synthetase from both liver and the uropygial gland. These results suggest that the synthetases from the two tissues are identical and that branched and n -fatty acids are synthesized by the same enzyme. Immunological examination of the 105,000 g supernatant prepared from a variety of organs from the goose showed that only the uropygial gland contained a protein which cross-reacted with the antiserum prepared against malonyl-CoA decarboxylase purified from the gland. Thus, it is concluded that the reason for the synthesis of multimethyl-branched fatty acids by the fatty acid synthetase in the gland is that in this organ the tissue-specific and substrate-specific decarboxylase makes only methylmalonyl-CoA available to the synthetase. Fatty acid synthetase, partially purified from the mammary gland and the liver of rats, also catalyzed incorporation of [ methyl - 14 C]methylmalonyl-CoA into 2,4,6,8-tetramethyldecanoic acid and 2,4,6,8-tetramethylundecanoic acid with acetyl-CoA and propionyl-CoA, respectively, as the primers. Evidence is also presented that fatty acids containing straight and branched regions can be generated by the fatty acid synthetase from the rat and goose, from methylmalonyl-CoA in the presence of malonyl-CoA or other precursors of n -fatty acids. These results provide support for the hypothesis that, under the pathological conditions which result in accumulation of methylmalonyl-CoA, abnormal branched acids can be generated by the fatty acid synthetase.
Ligation of hexamers on hexamer templates to produce primers for cycle sequencing or the polymerase chain reaction.

Abstract A method is described for the ordered ligation of hexanucleotides (hexamers) in solution to produce unique longer oligonucleotides. To form an 18-mer, for example, six different hexamers are selected that can base pair unambiguously to form a double-stranded complex of indefinite length. In the most efficient arrangement, each hexamer forms three complementary base pairs with two other hexamers, generating complementary chains of contiguous hexamers with strand breaks staggered by three bases. Two adjacent hexamers in one chain contain 5′ phosphate groups and the others are unphosphorylated. Both T4 and T7 DNA ligase can ligate the phosphorylated hexamers to their neighbors in such a complex at hexamer concentrations in the 50-100 mM range, producing an 18-mer and leaving three unphosphorylated hexamers. Twenty-nine of 34 complexes that satisfied the requirements for unambiguous ligation generated the desired 18-mers, which could be used directly for cycle sequencing or, after removal of the unreacted hexamers, for polymerase chain reactions (PCR). Comparable ligation reactions also produced 12-, 24-, and 30-mers. With a library of all 4096 possible hexamers, unambiguous ligation has the potential to produce more than 82% of all possible 18-mers and could readily supply the oligonucleotides needed for DNA sequencing by primer walking, for PCR, or for gene synthesis.
Coherent learning control of vibrational motion in room temperature molecular gases

An evolutionary learning algorithm in conjunction with an ultrafast optical pulse shaper was used to control vibrational motion in molecular gases at room temperature and high pressures. We demonstrate mode suppression and enhancement in sulfur hexafluoride and mode selective excitation in carbon dioxide. Analysis of optimized pulses discovered by the algorithm has allowed for an understanding of the control mechanism.
Elevation of Stress-Inducible Heat Shock Protein 70 in the Rat Lung After Exposure to Ozone and Particle-Containing Atmospheres

AbstractHeat shock proteins (HSPs) are elicited as part of a ubiquitous cellular defense mechanism following exposure to a variety of environmental assaults. Ozone (O3) is a commonly encountered toxic air pollutant that is known to produce a variety of effects in the lung. However, the effects of O3 exposure on lung HSP expression have not been reported. In this study, the expression and elevation of stress-inducible HSP 70 was examined in rat lungs (group sizes = 7) following inhalation exposure to either (a) 0.2 ppm O3 or (b) a mixture of 0.2 ppm O3, 350 ± 75 μg/m3 road dust particles with mass median aerodynamic diameter of 5 μm, 65 ± 14 μg/m3 ammonium sulfate (SO4−2), and 365 ± 35 μm/m3 ammonium nitrate (NO3−1). Exposures were episodic at 4 h/day, 4 consecutive days per week for 8 wk; control rats inhaled purified air (n = 4). Rats were euthanized at either 4 or 17 days after the last exposures, and samples of the peripheral lung from the right apical lobe were obtained for analysis of stress-inducibl...
Lithium-Diffused n+ Contacts on High-Purity Germanium Detectors: How Thin Can They be Made-How Stable Are They?

A Li-diffused n+ surface layer is the best n+ contact developed up to the present time. However, the effective dead layer resulting from the Li-diffusion prevents the optimum stacking of detectors for counter telescopes. Diffusion temperatures as low as 160°C have been successfully used to produce effective dead layers as thin as 10 ?. Unfortunately, these dead layers increase significantly when the detector is annealed following radiation damage.
Cardiorespiratory responses to intestinal injection of carbon monoxide

Abstract Experiments were conducted to investigate whether direct, intestinal injection of carbon monoxide (CO) can be used as a reliable method of exposing rats to CO. Laboratory rats were anesthetized with urethane. A laparotomy was performed and the small intestine isolated. The pylorus and ileocaecal valve were ligated and air or 100% CO (75 ml/kg) was injected directly into the small intestine. Heart rate and respiratory rate were monitored by impedance pneumography. COHb and blood lactate concentrations were determined spectrophotometrically. CO was rapidly absorbed from the intestinal tract and COHb levels reached 70.9 ± 1.3% one hr after treatment. After 45 min, heart rate decreased in the CO-injected animals to 86% of pre-injection value. Blood pressure decreased rapidly to levels significantly lower than controls 5 min after treatment. Respiratory rate decreased to levels significantly lower than controls 55 min after treatment. CO treatment resulted in a 4-fold increase in blood lactate concentration. The results indicate that 100% CO injected directly into the small intestine is absorbed rapidly and the resulting elevated COHb levels cause a rapid decrease in blood pressure, a decrease in heart and respiratory rates, and an increase in the blood's lactic acid concentration.
Pheromonal communication in amphibians

Pheromonal communication is widespread in salamanders and newts and may also be important in some frogs and toads. Several amphibian pheromones have been behaviorally, biochemically and molecularly identified. These pheromones are typically peptides or proteins. Study of pheromone evolution in plethodontid salamanders has revealed that courtship pheromones have been subject to continual evolutionary change, perhaps as a result of co-evolution between the pheromonal ligand and its receptor. Pheromones are detected by the vomeronasal organ and main olfactory epithelium. Chemosensory neurons express vomeronasal receptors or olfactory receptors. Frogs have relatively large numbers of vomeronasal receptors that are transcribed in both the vomeronasal organ and the main olfactory epithelium. Salamander vomeronasal receptors apparently are restricted to the vomeronasal organ. To date, no chemosensory ligands have been matched to vomeronasal receptors or olfactory receptors so it is unknown whether particular receptor types are (1) specialized for detection of pheromones versus other chemosignals, or (2) specialized for detection of volatile, nonvolatile, or water-borne chemosignals. Despite progress in understanding amphibian pheromonal communication, only a small fraction of amphibian species have been examined. Study of additional species of amphibians will indicate which traits related to pheromonal communication are evolutionarily conserved and which traits have diverged over time.
Aminoacyl derivatives of 2-aminofluorene and 2,2'-diamino-9,9'-spirobifluorene.

The synthesis of eight new aminoacyl derivatives of 2-aminofluorene and four new aminoacyl derivatives of 2,2′-diamino-9,9′-spirobifluorene are reported. The results of preliminary pharmacological testing of a few representative samples of these new compounds are also reported. A summary is given of negative results in the attempted preparation of analogous aminoalkyl derivatives.
Aortic valve replacement through right minithoracotomy in 306 consecutive patients.

ObjectiveTo define the role and early results of aortic valve surgery through a right minithoracotomy.MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed on 306 consecutive patients undergoing aortic val...
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair in Patients with Renal Allografts

Aortic reconstruction is being reported in an increasing number of patients after renal transplantation as a result of improved renal graft survival and life expectancy. Aortic surgery in these patients places the pelvic allograft at risk for ischemic damage. We present two separate modalities that have been successfully used in protecting the renal transplant from prolonged warm ischemia during abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair in two cases. One technique involves an aortofemoral shunt using the perirenal aorta for proximal cannulation and the other technique utilizes an indwelling shunt through the prosthetic graft. Both patients had an uneventful recovery with no evidence of renal dysfunction and their renal function has been stable on long-term follow-up. These cases illustrate two useful alternatives in providing pulsatile perfusion to a transplanted kidney in the iliac fossa during AAA repair. They have been used successfully as simpler alternatives to temporary axillofemoral bypass or extracorporeal pump oxygenation in preventing postoperative renal dysfunction.
Does Domain Knowledge Moderate Involvement of Working Memory Capacity in Higher-Level Cognition? A Test of Three Models.

Research suggests that both working memory capacity and domain knowledge contribute to individual differences in higher-level cognition. This study evaluated three hypotheses concerning the interplay between these factors. The compensation hypothesis predicts that domain knowledge attenuates the influence of working memory capacity on higher-level cognition, whereas the rich-get-richer hypothesis predicts that working memory capacity enhances use of domain knowledge. The independent influences hypothesis states simply that working memory capacity and domain knowledge make additive contributions to higher-level cognition. Participants representing wide ranges of working memory capacity and knowledge of baseball performed tasks that emphasized keeping track of information in a dynamic environment. The baseball task involved tracking the movements of baseball players on a baseball diamond. The spaceship task was structurally isomorphic to this task but its content was arbitrary. Results revealed greater use of baseball knowledge in the baseball task than in the spaceship task. However, even at high levels of baseball knowledge, this knowledge use did not alter the relationship between working memory capacity and task performance. This finding is inconsistent with compensation and rich-get-richer hypotheses. Instead, it suggests that working memory capacity and domain knowledge may operate independently under certain conditions.
In vivo Kinetics of Polysaccharides in the Hurler and Sanfilippo Syndromes

FRATANTONI and NEUFELD have shown that cultured skin fibroblasts of patient with the Hurler and Hunter syndromes are deficient in their ability to degrade polysaccharides. We have studied in vivo polysaccharide turnover and have found this technique to be of value for the detection and delineation of the metabolic defects in this group of disorders. In these studies, 25 microcuries of 35S Na2 SO4 were injected intravenously, and the specific activities of urinary polysaccharide and inorganic sulfate measured serially for 3–21 days. In 6 control patients urinary polysaccharide and inorganic sulfate reached isotopic equilibrium within 12 to 36 hours after injection; thereafter, the rate of disappearance of radioactivity from polysaccharide and inorganic sulfate was identical. In 3 patients with the Hurler syndrome, the rate of disappearance of radioactivity from urinary polysaccharides was much slower than normal, suggesting impaired degradation. The same result was obtained in a clinically similar patient with normal urinary polysaccharide levels, who at postmortem was found to have polysaccharide storage and diminished beta galactosidase activity. The most striking defect in polysaccharide degradation was found in a patient with combined sulfate and polysaccharide storage who was later shown to have a generalized deficiency of arylsulfatases A, B and C. In contrast, 2 twins with the Sanfilippo syndrome and a 10-fold increase of urinary heparitin sulfate, had a normal polysaccharide turnover time, and thus by this technique showed no evidence of a degradative defect.
State of otolaryngology match: has competition increased since the "early" match?

ObjectiveTo examine fluctuations in supply and demand of otolaryngology residency positions after the shift from an “early match” coordinated by the San Francisco match to a “conventional” matching process through the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP). To determine whether competition among otolaryngology residency positions have changed during this time frame.DesignDatabase analysis.Subjects and MethodsMatching statistics from 1998 to 2013 were obtained for all first-year residency positions through the NRMP. Matching statistics from 1998 to 2005 were obtained for otolaryngology residency positions through the San Francisco match. Univariate analysis was performed, with a P value less than .05 determined as significant.ResultsThe number of otolaryngology positions and applicants remained proportional to the overall number of positions and applicants in the NRMP match. Otolaryngology applicants per position and the matching rate of all applicants did not change between the 2 time periods studied....
Inhibition of Purkinje cells in the frog cerebellum. I. Evidence for a stellate cell inhibitory pathway

Abstract Depression of spontaneous activity on- and off-beam and a hyperpolarization of Purkinje cells was observed after excitation of parallel fibers by local surface stimulation in curarized frogs. An activation of presumed stellate cell interneurons high in the molecular layer was found during the period of inhibition of Purkinje cells. It is proposed that stellate cells postsynaptically inhibit Purkinje cells in the frog cerebellum.
Radiative transfer through a compton-scattering atmosphere with continuous energy dependence

Abstract The method of elementary solutions is applied to an equation of transfer for a Compton-scattering medium. The half-space albedo problem is solved analytically, retaining continuous energy, angle, and position dependence, and numerical results for the emergent distribution are compared to results obtained by an approximate technique.
Intra-arterial administration of recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (rt-PA) causes more intracranial bleeding than does intravenous rt-PA in a transient rat middle cerebral artery occlusion model

Background Intra-arterial (IA) administration of rt-PA for ischemic stroke has the potential for greater thrombolytic efficacy, especially for a large thrombus in the M1 or M2 segment of the middle cerebral artery (MCA). Intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) is a concern with IA or intravenous (IV) administration especially as the therapeutic window is extended. However, because IA administration delivers a higher local concentration of agent, the incidence and severity of ICH may be greater than with similar doses IV. We investigated the safety of rt-PA administration by IA compared to IV infusion following 6 hours of MCA occlusion (MCAo) with reflow in the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR).
Potential of SERS for rapid detection of melamine and cyanuric acid extracted from milk

Melamine, a nitrogen-rich chemical, was implicated in the pet and human food recalls in 2007 and in the global food safety scares in 2008 involving milk and other milk-derived products. In this study, we investigated the feasibility of using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) coupled with SERS-active gold substrates for rapid detection of trace amounts of melamine and its analogue (that is, cyanuric acid) in liquid milk. Raman signals of tested samples were significantly enhanced by SERS. The identification limit for SERS using gold substrate can reach 2 ppm of melamine in liquid milk. Partial least squares (PLS) models were established for the quantification of melamine in liquid milk by SERS: R = 0.90, RMSEP = 1.48 × 10−5. Our results demonstrate that rapid detection of melamine in milk can be achieved by SERS; while detection of cyanuric acid in milk remains a challenging task due to rapid enol-keto tautomerism of cyanuric acid. The SERS method is faster and simpler than other traditional methods, and requires minimum sample preparation. These results demonstrate that SERS could be used to detect food contaminants such as melamine in foods and food ingredients quickly and accurately.
Histologic eosinophilic gastritis is a systemic disorder associated with blood and extragastric eosinophilia, TH2 immunity, and a unique gastric transcriptome

Background The definition of eosinophilic gastritis (EG) is currently limited to histologic EG based on the tissue eosinophil count. Objective We aimed to provide additional fundamental information about the molecular, histopathologic, and clinical characteristics of EG. Methods Genome-wide transcript profiles and histologic features of gastric biopsy specimens, as well as blood eosinophil counts, were analyzed in patients with EG and control subjects (n = 15 each). Results The peak gastric antrum eosinophil count was 283 ± 164 eosinophils/×400 high-power field in patients with EG and 11 ± 9 eosinophils/×400 high-power field in control subjects ( P = 6.1 × 10 −7 ). Patients with EG (87%) had coexisting eosinophilic inflammation in multiple gastrointestinal segments; the esophagus represented the most common secondary site. Increased peripheral blood eosinophil counts (patients with EG: 1.09 ± 0.88 × 10 3 /μL vs control subjects: 0.09 ± 0.08 10 3 /μL, P = .0027) positively correlated with peak gastric eosinophil counts (Pearson r 2 = .8102, P + (proliferating), CD117 + (mast cells), and FOXP3 + (regulatory T cells, activated T cells, or both) cell counts were increased in patients with EG. Transcript profiling revealed changes in 8% of the genome in gastric tissue from patients with EG. Only 7% of this EG transcriptome overlapped with the eosinophilic esophagitis transcriptome. Significantly increased IL4 , IL5 , IL13 , IL17 , CCL26 , and mast cell–specific transcripts and decreased IL33 transcripts were observed. Conclusion EG is a systemic disorder involving profound blood and gastrointestinal tract eosinophilia, T H 2 immunity, and a conserved gastric transcriptome markedly distinct from the eosinophilic esophagitis transcriptome. The data herein define germane cellular and molecular pathways of EG and provide a basis for improving diagnosis and treatment.
The Possibility of a Fair Play Account of Legitimacy

The philosophical literature on state legitimacy has recently seen a significant conceptual revision. Several philosophers have argued that the state's right to rule is better characterized not as a claim right to obedience, but as a power right. There have been few attempts to show that traditional justifications for the claim right might also be used to justify a power right, and there have been no such attempts involving the principle of fair play, which is widely regarded as the most promising basis for a claim right to obedience. William Edmundson argues that the principle of fair play cannot generate power rights, and so any attempt at a fair play account of legitimacy must fail. I explain how fair play could generate a power right, owing to its stipulation that the rules of a cooperative scheme specify the form of participants' repayment.1
The Arabidopsis Xylem Peptidase XCP1 Is a Tracheary Element Vacuolar Protein That May Be a Papain Ortholog

XCP1 is a xylem-specific papain-like cysteine peptidase in Arabidopsis. To determine whether XCP1 could be involved in tracheary element autolysis, promoter activity and localization of XCP1 were investigated using XCP1 promoter-beta-glucuronidase fusions and immunofluorescence confocal microscopy. A tracheary element expression pattern was detected for XCP1. Results from confocal microscopy and biochemical subcellular fractionation indicated that XCP1 was localized in the vacuole. Ectopic expression of XCP1 resulted in a reduction in plant size in some lines and early leaf senescence, as indicated by early loss of leaf chlorophyll. Reduced plant size was correlated with higher levels of XCP1, as shown by immunoblot and peptidase activity gel analyses. The XCP1 prodomain exhibits exceptionally high similarity (greater than 80%) to the prodomains of papain and other papain-like enzymes isolated from papaya (Carica papaya) laticifers when compared with all other reported papain-like enzymes. The potential for XCP1 and papain to perform common functions as catalysts of autolytic processing following cell death due to programmed suicide or to wounding is discussed.
9-cis-Retinoic Acid Suppresses Mammary Tumorigenesis in C3(1)-Simian Virus 40 T Antigen-transgenic Mice

Retinoids have been investigated as potential agents for the prevention and treatment of human cancers. These compounds play an important role in regulating cell growth, differentiation, and apoptosis. 9-cis-Retinoic acid (9cRA) is a naturally occurring ligand with a high affinity for both the retinoic acid receptors and the retinoid X receptors. We hypothesized that treatment with 9cRA would prevent mammary tumorigenesis in transgenic mice that spontaneously develop mammary tumors. To test this hypothesis, C3(1)-SV40 T antigen (Tag) mice, which develop mammary tumors by the age of 6 months, were treated daily p.o. with vehicle or two different dose levels of 9cRA (10 or 50 mg/kg) from 5 weeks to 6 months of age. Tumor size and number were measured twice each week, and histological samples of normal and malignant tissue were obtained from each mouse at time of sacrifice. Our results demonstrate that 9cRA suppresses mammary tumorigenesis in C3(1)-SV40 Tag-transgenic mice. Time to tumor development was significantly delayed in treated mice; median time to tumor formation for vehicle-treated mice was 140 days versus 167 days for mice treated with 50 mg/kg 9cRA (P = 0.05). In addition, the number of tumors per mouse was reduced by >50% in mice treated with 9cRA (3.43 for vehicle, 2.33 for 10 mg/kg 9cRA, and 1.13 for 50 mg/kg 9cRA, P < or = 0.002). Histological analysis of the mammary glands from vehicle and treated mice demonstrated that 9cRA treatment also did not affect normal mammary gland development. Immunohistochemical staining of normal and malignant breast tissue and Western blot analysis demonstrated that SV40 Tag expression was not affected by treatment with retinoids. Single doses of 10 and 50 mg/kg resulted in peak plasma concentrations of 3.4 and 6.71 microM, respectively. Daily doses of 9cRA for 28 days resulted in plasma concentrations of 0.86 and 1.68 microM, respectively, concentrations consistent with that seen in humans treated with 9cRA in clinical trials. These results demonstrate that 9cRA suppresses mammary carcinogenesis in transgenic mice without any major toxicity and suggest that retinoids are promising agents for the prevention of human breast cancer.
Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.

Abstract Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) should be differentiated from other etiologies of pulmonary hypertension since surgical intervention may be potentially curative. The presentation of this illness is nonspecific and may mimic other cardiopulmonary disease states. Without treatment, progressive pulmonary hypertension, right heart failure, and death will ensue. Echocardiography, lung ventilation-perfusion scan, right heart catheterization, and angiography are required for proper diagnosis and preoperative assessment. Definitive treatment requires surgical resection of thromboembolic material. The role of medical therapy remains to be defined. Copyright 2002, Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.
Experimental demonstration that voltage is a measure of energy

Physics and engineering students usually have difficulty grasping that “voltage” in electrical circuits is actually a measure of energy. This paper describes an advanced experiment that was designed at the University of West Florida for directly demonstrating that the voltage between two given points in an electrostatic field is a measure of the energy required to move a unit charge between those points. In the experiment, a computerized vehicle transports a charged metal plate between two electrodes connected to a voltage source, while directly measuring the energy exerted in moving the plate.
Promising Practices Useful in the Design of an Intergenerational Program: Ten Assertions Guiding Program Development

Undertaking qualitative developmental research for the purposes of designing a prototype intergenerational program, the authors offer 10 assertions concerning promising practices. The authors undertook an analysis of 47 Web-based portrayals of intergenerational programs and used Web-based documents that described those programs to further illuminate promising practices. Using thematic analysis of program Web content, affinity coding, and dialogic interpretation the authors illuminated the programs' salient properties and qualities, and formulated and refined their assertions about the distinctiveness of intergenerational programs.
Consistency between most important reasons for using contraception and current method used: the influence of health care providers.

Abstract Objective To identify factors related to consistency between women's “most important” reason for using contraception and their current contraceptive method. Methods A sample of 433 women completed a written questionnaire on demographics, contraceptive use history and the “most important” reason for using contraception. Women were grouped by whether their current contraceptive method “agreed” or “disagreed” with their “most important” reason for contracepting. Multivariable regression was used to identify factors associated with consistency between stated “most important” reason and current method used (“agreed”). Results Current contraceptive method was inconsistent with the “most important” reason for using a method in 25% of women. Demographic characteristics and knowledge of contraceptive effectiveness did not differ between the “agreed” and “disagreed” groups. Women using a method consistent with their reason were more likely to have discussed contraception with a health care provider (RR=1.59, 95% CI 1.13–2.25) even after adjusting for source of contraceptive method or source of contraceptive information (RR=1.57, 95% CI 1.10–2.23). Conclusion Contact with a health care provider was the only factor associated with consistency between birth control method and reasons for initiating contraception. This association appears to be independent of knowledge about contraceptive effectiveness.
Closed-form root loci for quasi-dipoles with control design applications

A quasi-dipole is defined to be a pole-zero pair embedded in a suitable approximation to a linear phase field. When complex conjugate plant poles occur near the stability boundary, quasi-dipoles often result from controller designs having compensating zeros. Closed-form root loci expressions are developed for quasi-dipoles; these expressions are shown to provide excellent root locus approximations for practical problems.
Gender Autonomy, Transgender Identity and Substantive Due Process: Finding a Rational Basis for Lawrence V. Texas

In a 2001 law review article, I suggested that there is a fundamental right to “gender autonomy” that protects people with transgender and transsexual identity. I grounded this in what was then called the “right to privacy,” an outgrowth of substantive due process. There have been significant developments in the law since then, and many commentators have discussed the possibility of a right to gender autonomy. This article looks to review the work that has been done since that time. It also focuses on how the groundbreaking, but widely misunderstood, 2003 decision in Lawrence v. Texas impacts this right. Lawrence has made it possible to argue successfully that laws and policies impacting gender autonomy are not rationally related to state interests. This would impact gender restrictions such as those found regarding birth certificates, laws requiring or permitting sex segregation in public facilities, employment or sports, restrictions on crossdressing or transition for youth, in divorce custody situations and in prisons, health insurance exclusions, marriage restrictions, and military service laws.
Informing Practice Regarding Marginalization: The Application of the Koci Marginality Index

The 49th World Health Assembly of the World Health Organization (WHO) declared violence as the leading worldwide public health problem with a focus on the increase in the incidence of injuries to women. Violence against women is an international epidemic with specific instruments required to measure the impact on women's functioning. This article describes the application of the Koci Marginality Index (KMI), a 5-item scale to measure marginality, to the baseline data of a seven-year prospective study of 300 abused women: 150 first time users of a shelter and 150 first time applicants for a protection order from the justice system. Validity and reliability of the Koci Marginality Index and its usefulness for best clinical practice and for policy decisions for abused women's health are discussed.The 49th World Health Assembly of the World Health Organization (WHO) declared violence as the leading worldwide public health problem and focused on the increase in the incidence of injuries to women (Krug et al., ...
Shortcuts in Complex Engineering Systems: A Principal-Agent Approach to Risk Management

In this article, we examine the effects of shortcuts in the development of engineered systems through a principal-agent model. We find that occurrences of illicit shortcuts are closely related to the incentive structure and to the level of effort that the agent is willing to expend from the beginning of the project to remain on schedule. Using a probabilistic risk analysis to determine the risks of system failure from these shortcuts, we show how a principal can choose optimal settings (payments, penalties, and inspections) that can deter an agent from cutting corners and maximize the principal's value through increased agent effort. We analyze the problem for an agent with limited liability. We consider first the case where he is risk neutral; we then include the case where he is risk averse.
The Major Pilin Subunit of the AAF/II Fimbriae from Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli Mediates Binding to Extracellular Matrix Proteins

Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC) adherence to human intestinal tissue is mediated by aggregative adherence fimbriae (AAF); however, the receptors involved in EAEC adherence remain uncharacterized. Adhesion to extracellular matrix proteins is commonly observed among enteric pathogens, so we addressed the hypothesis that EAEC may bind to extracellular matrix proteins commonly found in the intestine. We found that EAEC prototype strain 042 adhered more abundantly to surfaces that were precoated with the extracellular matrix proteins fibronectin, laminin, and type IV collagen. Differences in fibronectin binding of almost 2 orders of magnitude were observed between EAEC 042 and a mutant in the AAF/II major pilin gene, aafA. Purified AafA, refolded as a donor strand complementation construct, bound fibronectin in a dose-dependent manner. Addition of fibronectin to the apical surfaces of polarized T84 cell monolayers augmented EAEC 042 adherence, and this effect required expression of aafA. Finally, increased bacterial adherence was observed when apical secretion of fibronectin was induced by adenosine in polarized T84 cells. Binding to fibronectin may contribute to colonization of the gastrointestinal tract by EAEC.
Citizens' Sense of Justice and the Legal System

When an actor commits a wrong action, citizens have perceptions of the kind of responsibility the actor incurs, the degree to which the act was mitigated or justified, and the appropriate punishment for the actor. The legislatively mandated law of criminal courts, statutes, and criminal codes deals with the same issues. Experimental evidence shows that there are important discrepancies between the principles that people and legal codes use to assign responsibility. That is, the moral retributive-justice principles that people use are sometimes in conflict with the directions in which modern code drafters are taking criminal law. These discrepancies may cause citizens to feel alienated from authority, and to reduce their voluntary compliance with legal codes.
Childhood medulloblastoma: novel approaches to the classification of a heterogeneous disease

Increasing recognition of pediatric medulloblastoma as a heterogeneous disease, with histopathological and molecular variants that have distinct biological behaviors, will impact how the disease is classified and treated. A combination of clinicopathological evaluation and assays based on molecular subgroups of disease will allow stratification of patients into risk groups and a more tailored approach to therapy. Patients with low-risk disease could be treated with de-escalated adjuvant therapy to maximize cure while reducing long-term adverse effects, and novel therapies could be sought for patients with high-risk disease. My review encompasses a brief overview of the clinical landscape, the current World Health Organization (WHO) classification of medulloblastoma, the status of molecular subgroups, and how potential stratification schemes might impact pathologists and their practice.
Near, far, and online: small business owners’ advice-seeking from peers

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine small business owners’ informal advice-seeking from peers, with a focus on the opportunities afforded by the internet for owners to acquire assistance from other owner-managers outside their local community. Design/methodology/approach – Over 600 owner-managers in a rural US state were surveyed about their advice-seeking during the previous year from peers in the same community, from non-local peers they had met in person, and from peers known only online. Mixed effects logistic regression analysis was used to test both main effects of business and owner characteristics on advice-seeking and interactions with type/location of peer advisors. Findings – Most owners had received advice from peers, and one-third had received advice online from a peer whom they had never met in person. Business performance was not associated with overall use of peer advice, but did interact significantly with source; the use of online-only advisors was associated with business ...
Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome is one of the most common medical conditions seen and managed by both primary care and gastroenterology providers. This disorder, characterized by abdominal pain with altered bowel habits and without structural or biochemical abnormalities to explain symptoms, has diverse etiologies. The severity of the disease can range from mild and intermittent to severe and constant. Previously, mild to moderate disease was thought to predominate, but more recent data suggest that the number of patients with severe disease may be substantially higher than once thought, with prevalence rates of severe disease as high as 69 % reported in tertiary care settings.
Added value, multiple choices: Librarian/faculty collaboration in online course development

This paper investigates the integration of library resources, library instruction and services into the design of online courses. While many libraries embrace the ACRL (Association of College and Research Libraries) guidelines for library support of distance learners, many of the Web-based resources we develop still depend upon students seeking them out. Distance learning librarian collaboration with teaching faculty and instructional designers at Regis University resulted in a proactive method of library resource delivery applicable in multiple online scenarios.
MEGACUSP FORMATION ON RIP CHANNEL BATHYMETRY

The formation of beach megacusps in the presence of rip channel bathymetry is investigated using time-averaged video and simulated with XBeach, a recently developed coastal sediment transport model. A review of four years of video and wave data from Sand City, CA, indicates that megacusp embayments most often form shoreward of rip channels under larger waves (significant wave height (Hs) = 1.5 – 2.0 m) but also occasionally appear shoreward of shoals when waves are smaller and daily mean water level is higher. After calibration to the Sand City site, XBeach is shown to hindcast measured shoreline change moderately well (skill = 0.41) but to overpredict the erosion of the beach face. Simulations with small to moderate waves (Hs ≤ 1.2 m) suggest, similar to field data, that megacusps will form shoreward of either rip channels or shoals, depending on mean water level and pre-existing beach shape. A frequency-based analysis of sediment transport forcing indicates that the mean flow plays the dominant role in each type of megacusp formation, but that very-low-frequency (VLF) oscillations in suspended sediment and advective flow are also significant.
Neutron Scattering Measurements of the Staggered Magnetization of an Antiferromagnetic Epitaxial thin Film FeF2

Elastic neutron scattering measurements performed at the NIST reactor have been used to measure the staggered magnetization near the transition temperature in a thin antiferromagnetic epitaxial film of FeF 2 of thickness 0.8μm and diameter 1cm grown on a diamagnetic (001) ZnF 2substrate by MBE. The use of a thin film permits extinction-free Bragg intensities, something which has proven impossible in bulk crystals. The growth techniques yield sufficient crystal quality to observed resolution limited Magnetic Bragg scattering peaks and to approach the transition within a reduced temperature of |t| = 0.003. The structure quality of this sample has been characterized using X-ray double crystal diffraction with a measured rocking curve lin ewidth of less than 30 arc sec. The sample thickness, while small enough to eliminate extinction, is sufficiently large to assure three-dimensional Ising Model critical behavior. We indeed observe critical behavior consistent with theoretical predictions. The success of the thin film experiments demonstrates the possibilities of extinction-free Bragg scattering measurements in a variety of antiferromagnetic Materials, including multilayered systems.
Joint Toxicity of Xanthene Dyes to the House Fly (Diptera: Muscidae)

Eight xanthene dyes were tested to determine whether they would synergize the toxicity of erythrosin B to adult Musca domestica L. In 1:1 combinations, six dyes exhibited synergistic activity. These were rose bengal, eosin Y, diiodofluorescein, fluorescein, octabromofluorescein, and phloxin B. Dibromofluorescein was inactive, and dichlorofluorescein had an antagonistic effect. Increased efficiency of erythrosin B in killing insects by using lesser amounts in combination with certain other dyes was demonstrated.
Extending the Locavore Movement to Wild Fish and Game: Questions and Implications

The locavore movement presents an opportunity to educate citizens about the nutritional and culinary benefits associated with consumption of wild fish and game, as well as demonstrate the benefits and value of hunting and fishing activities. An integrated research and extension program focused on procuring, preparing, and eating wild fish and game provides further opportunities to understand how actions such as participation in hunting, fishing, and other related outdoor recreation contribute to society and to the rest of the environment. Further, learning that can occur from an extension program that is nested in a stewardship or resource management practice, such as "locavore hunting and fishing," interacts with a larger social-ecological system. Such a program can address numerous civic and public well-being concerns facing society, including an increasing lack of nature contact, a growing health crisis due to diet and inactivity, a decline in hunting and fishing (which create the revenue streams for habitat and wildlife management), and diminishing availability of high-quality, local foods due to economic concerns.
Is It Time to Embrace the Caffeine Level

We thank Dr Eichenwald and the American Academy of Pediatrics for their report, “Apnea of Prematurity.”1 Working in a large 84-bed level IV NICU, we have seen firsthand the impact that an Apnea and Bradycardia Guideline can have on length of stay (LOS), parent and staff satisfaction, and other outcomes. Since we introduced our Apnea and Bradycardia Guideline 2 years ago, we have seen a reduction in our very low birth weight LOS by 24% (Vermont Oxford Network [VON] database), which we attribute in part to standardization of what we consider clinically significant events, and how we manage these events. Although the definition of apnea … E-mail: dkahn{at}mhs.net