cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Parainguinal Laparocystotomy for Urolith Removal in Geldings

Objective— To describe parainguinal laparocystotomy for urolith removal and to report outcome. Study Design— Prospective clinical study. Animals— Ten geldings with uroliths. Methods— Signalment, number, size, type of uroliths, surgical technique, and complications were recorded. Long-term follow-up was obtained by telephone interviews with the client and/or examination by the referring veterinarian. Results— Cystic calculi, 3–9 cm in diameter, were removed by parainguinal laparocystotomy. Mean surgical time was 59 minutes (range, 40–100 minutes). With this approach, ligation of the pudendal or superficial epigastric vessels was not needed. Serous incisional drainage resolved without treatment in 3 horses and 2 horses developed moderate-to-severe incisional swelling. On long-term follow-up (mean, 52 months; range, 11–82 months) for 9 horses, owners reported no recurrence of clinical signs associated with cystic calculi. Conclusions— Parainguinal laparotomy represents a satisfactory alternative approach to the apex of the bladder for urolith removal. Clinical Relevance— Parainguinal laparocystotomy avoids the pudendal and superficial epigastric blood vessels that are encountered when performing median or paramedian laparocystotomy in geldings. This approach minimizes dead space by avoiding the reflection of the prepuce in paramedian or median approaches.
Potential rates of methanogenesis in sawgrass marshes with peat and marl soils in the everglades

Abstract Comparisons of methanogenesis in two sawgrass wetlands of the Florida Everglades revealed that marl soils had a much greater potential rate of methanogenesis than peat soils. In these wetlands methanogenesis (1) decreased rapidly with increased soil depth, (2) increased at higher temperatures, (3) increased with lower Eh, (4) was stimulated by organic compounds (cellulose, glucose and acetate), and (5) remained unaffected by ammonium and phosphate. Lowering the Eh in peat and marl soils with sulfide or sulfate stimulated methanogenesis. Methanogenesis potentials decreased to undetectable values when water levels dropped below the surface, and peaked 1 month after heavy rainfall in November 1989.
An in-depth analysis of lead effects in a delayed spatial alternation task: assessment of mnemonic effects, side bias, and proactive interference.

Abstract This study examined the effects of chronic postweaning lead (Pb) exposure in Long-Evans rats on a series of spatial alternation tasks. All tasks were administered in automated testing chambers, with a nosepoke as the critical response. While neither Pb-exposed group (median blood lead levels: 19 and 39 μg/dl, respectively) was impaired in learning the alternation rule, both groups performed more poorly than controls on the alternation task with variable intertriai delays (0, 10, 20, and 40 s). The deficit was constant across delays, arguing against memory dysfunction. Analyses of the responses on individual trials shed further light on the impaired and spared processes in the Pb-exposed rats. First, these analyses revealed stronger side biases in the higher exposure group. One interpretation is that these animals experienced impatience when the longer delays were included, making it more difficult for them to inhibit a prepotent response to a preferred side. In contrast, these trial-by-trial analyses revealed that several other factors — retention interval, semantic proactive interference, and temporal discriminability —exerted similar effects on performance in the control and lead-exposed animals. The use of logistic regression for these trial-by-trial analyses provided a means of simultaneously assessing the influence of several variables on performance, a significant advantage when there is confounding or interactions between variables.
Pharmacotherapy for Neuropathic Pain

� Abstract: Refractory neuropathic pain can be devastating to a patient’s quality of life. Ideally, the primary goal of therapy would be to prevent the pain, yet even the most appropriate treatment strategy may be only able to reduce the pain to a more tolerable level. Pharmacotherapy is currently the mainstay of treatment in patients with neuropathic pain, although at present the drugs are used on a mainly “off-label” basis. A wide variety of agents are used, especially antidepressants (ie, tricyclic antidepressants, selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors) and anticonvulsants, but also opioids and tramadol, topical agents (eg, lidocaine), systemic local anesthetics, and anti-inflammatories. Even so, effective pain relief is achieved in less than half of patients with chronic neuropathic pain. In refractory patients, combination therapy using two agents with synergistic mechanisms of action may offer greater pain relief without compromising the side-effect profile of each agent. �
Nuclear DHT-Receptor in Tfm / Y Kidney Cell

OUR previous studies on the X-linked testicular feminization (Tfm) mutation1 of the mouse2–4 showed that the so-called cytosol and nuclear 5αx-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) receptor protein5–7 might be a regulatory protein specified by the Tfm locus. The dual role of being a translational repressor in the cytoplasma and a mediator of hypertrophy in the nucleus was envisaged8. We found, however, another class of androgen-receptor in the polysome fraction of kidney proximal tubule cells which seems better qualified to be a translational regulator. Since a single gene locus specifies only one kind of polypeptide chain, we re-examined whether the cytosol and nuclear DHT-receptor protein underwent a true mutational change in Tfm/Y individuals.
The College Science Improvement Program: An Empirical Evaluation.

Longitudinal data on a national sample of undergraduates, along with institutional data, were used in a study of the College Science Improvement Program of the National Science Foundation. In Phase 1, the characteristics of institutions which received COSIP grants were examined. It was found that these institutions were more selective, more affluent, and had a higher percentage of Ph.D.'s on the faculty than nonrecipients. In Phase 2, the relationships between COSIP support and a variety of student outcomes were analyzed while controlling for initial, potentially biasing differences. Among the findings: students in schools which had received COSIP grants were more likely to aspire toward the Ph.D. and to plan on doing research and were less likely to transfer out of that college.
Evaluation of a unique cw laser in radial thermokeratoplasty

A unique continuous wave (cw) holmium laser ((lambda) equals 2.09 micrometers , Rare Earth Medical) has been evaluated as a new heating modality for thermokeratoplasty. Thermokeratoplasty is a refractive surgical procedure for the correction of hyperopia which uses selective heating to reshape the cornea. The holmium laser is highly effective in this procedure due to the high absorption coefficient ((mu) a equals 27.55 cm-1) of the cornea at 2.09 micrometers . The depth of corneal photocoagulation has been evaluated with histological studies of enucleated porcine eyes that were irradiated with the cw Ho:YAG laser. Laser power and exposure time ranged from 300 mW to 800 mW and 100 ms to 800 ms, respectively. The laser was delivered to the eyes via a 600 micrometers low-OH optical fiber. Coagulation depth was determined by birefringence microscopy of the corneal sections. Our studies also compared the effects of contact and non-contact irradiation and found significant advantages with the contact mode. The optimal laser parameters determined from the histology studies were used for in vivo rabbit studies to quantify the refractive correction possible. One coagulation was placed on each of sixteen equiangular rays taken from a central, clear, optical zone in the cornea with a diameter of 7 mm. Refractive changes in the central cornea were quantified with a keratoscope. Initial procedures resulted in refractive changes up to five diopters. The keratoscope results showed a significant regression at three weeks post- operatively.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Multi-modality PET-CT imaging of breast cancer in an animal model using nanoparticle x-ray contrast agent and 18F-FDG

Multi-modality PET-CT imaging is playing an important role in the field of oncology. While PET imaging facilitates functional interrogation of tumor status, the use of CT imaging is primarily limited to anatomical reference. In an attempt to extract comprehensive information about tumor cells and its microenvironment, we used a nanoparticle xray contrast agent to image tumor vasculature and vessel 'leakiness' and 18F-FDG to investigate the metabolic status of tumor cells. In vivo PET/CT studies were performed in mice implanted with 4T1 mammary breast cancer cells.Early-phase micro-CT imaging enabled visualization 3D vascular architecture of the tumors whereas delayedphase micro-CT demonstrated highly permeable vessels as evident by nanoparticle accumulation within the tumor. Both imaging modalities demonstrated the presence of a necrotic core as indicated by a hypo-enhanced region in the center of the tumor. At early time-points, the CT-derived fractional blood volume did not correlate with 18F-FDG uptake. At delayed time-points, the tumor enhancement in 18F-FDG micro-PET images correlated with the delayed signal enhanced due to nanoparticle extravasation seen in CT images. The proposed hybrid imaging approach could be used to better understand tumor angiogenesis and to be the basis for monitoring and evaluating anti-angiogenic and nano-chemotherapies.
Pulse Propagation in the Catalytic Oxidation of Carbon Monoxide on Platinum.

Infrared imaging is used to measure the spatiotemporal patterns associated with the oscillatory oxidation of carbon monoxide on the surface of polycrystalline platinum thin films at atmospheric pressure. An annular geometry restricts the dynamics to be quasi-one-dimensional, and the amplitude of the temperature oscillations is small (0.35 K), so that the reaction conditions are approximately isothermal. A propagating pulse is observed which rotates around the annulus. To our knowledge, this is the first observation of pulse propagation in this chemical reaction at atmospheric pressure.
Lack of influence of GTP cyclohydrolase gene ( GCH1 ) variations on pain sensitivity in humans

To assess the effect of variations in GTP cyclohydrolase gene (GCH1) on pain sensitivity in humans. Thermal and cold pain sensitivity were evaluated in a cohort of 735 healthy volunteers. Among this cohort, the clinical pain responses of 221 subjects after the surgical removal of impacted third molars were evaluated. Genotyping was done for 38 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) whose heterozygosity > 0.2 in GCH1. Influence of the genetic variations including SNPs and haplotypes on pain sensitivity were analyzed. Minor allele frequencies and linkage disequilibrium show significant differences in European Americans, African Americans, Hispanic Americans and Asian Americans. Association analyses in European Americans do not replicate the previously reported important influence of GCH1 variations on pain sensitivity. Considering population stratification, previously reported associations between GCH1 genetic variations and pain sensitivity appear weak or negligible in this well characterized model of pain.
Roles of NOTCH1 as a Therapeutic Target and a Biomarker for Lung Cancer: Controversies and Perspectives

Lung cancer is one of the most common types of human malignancies and the leading cause of cancer-related death. Patients with surgically resectable early stage lung cancer are more likely curable, but currently only a small population of patients can be diagnosed at such a stage, partly due to our incomplete understanding of the biology of lung cancer and the lack of diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. Recent studies have shown that NOTCH1 is a critical regulator of human carcinogenesis and has been implicated in multiple steps of cancer development and progression. Herein, we review recent findings about the role of NOTCH1 in lung cancer and discuss its potential usefulness as both a therapeutic target and a biomarker for lung cancer.
Helicobacter pylori Requires TlpD-Driven Chemotaxis To Proliferate in the Antrum

Different disease outcomes of Helicobacter pylori infection correlate with distinct inflammation patterns. These different inflammatory distributions may be initiated by differences in bacterial localization. One H. pylori property known to affect murine stomach localization is chemotaxis, the ability to move in response to chemical cues. In this report, we used nonchemotactic mutants (Che−) to analyze whether chemotaxis is required for initial colonization of particular stomach regions or for subsequent growth therein. We found that H. pylori behaves differently in the corpus, antrum, and corpus-antrum transition zone subregions of the stomach. This outcome suggests that these regions contain unique chemotactic signals. In the corpus, H. pylori utilizes chemotaxis for initial localization but not for subsequent growth. In contrast, in the antrum and the corpus-antrum transition zone, chemotaxis does not help initial colonization but does promote subsequent proliferation. To determine which chemoreceptor is responsible for the corpus-antrum phenotypes, we infected mice with strains lacking each chemoreceptor. Strains lacking TlpA, TlpB, or TlpC displayed only modest deviations from the wild-type phenotype, while strains lacking TlpD resembled the Che− mutant in their antral colonization defect and fared even worse than the Che− mutant in the corpus. Additional analysis showed that inflammation is worse in the antrum than in the corpus in both wild-type and Che− mutant infections. These results suggest that chemotaxis, specifically, that controlled by TlpD, is necessary for H. pylori to survive or grow in the environment of increased inflammation in the antrum.
Phylogenetic relationships among the Notharctinae of North America.

Study of over 1,000 specimens representing all notharctine genera and species leads to the conclusion that current concepts about the relationships of genera within the Notharctinae are incorrect. The following describes the more probable relationships among these genera. 1) Smilodectes and Notharctus are more closely related to each other than either is to any known early Eocene notharctine. Synapomorphies linking these genera include relatively narrow upper and lower molars, a relatively low-crowned P4, and paraconid size reduction on M1–3. 2) Among known Wasatchian notharctines, a clade consisting of Copelemur tutus and Cop. praetutus shares several lower molar synapomorphies with the Notharctus–Smilodectes clade, and therefore appears to form the Wasatchian sister group of Bridgerian notharctines. Synapomorphies documenting this relationship include well-developed entoconid notches on P4–M2, an anteriorly placed paraconid on M2, and a long premetacristid on M2. 3) Copelemur and Pelycodus are independently derived from early North American Cantius. Recent suggestions that the European adapine taxa Leptadapis priscus and Microadapis sciureus share special phylogenetic relationships with Smilodectes are rejected. The reduced (or lack of a) paraconid and morphology of the paracristid and other features identified as synapomorphies linking these adapines with Smilodectes are also characteristic of most other adapines as well (e.g., other species of Leptadapis, Adapis, Europolemur, and Anchomomys). Such traits developed independently in Smilodectes, which is clearly a notharctine on the basis of many synapomorphies and thus are not evidence of a close phylogenetic relationship between Smilodectes and L. priscus or M. sciureus.
A comparison of primary and revision total knee arthroplasty using the kinematic stabilizer prosthesis

The first 121 arthroplasties (in 105 patients) in which the cemented kinematic-stabilizer total knee prosthesis was used for primary arthroplasty or surgical revision at the Mayo Clinic were reviewed. Sixty-six patients (seventy-nine arthroplasties) were followed for a mean of thirty-seven months. There were fifty-three revision and twenty-six primary arthroplasties. The average range of motion in both groups increased from 95 to 101 degrees. Although none of these patients could ascend stairs without support before the operation, thirty-two (51 per cent) could do so at the time of the final follow-up. The incidence of moderate or severe pain was reduced from 86 to 6 per cent. Moderate or severe ligamentous instability had been present in thirty-three knees (42 per cent) preoperatively, but only five knees had significant medial, lateral, anterior, or posterior instability at final follow-up. The Hospital for Special Surgery knee score increased from an average of 56 points to 83 points in all of the knees. At follow-up, the patients who had had primary arthroplasty had 92 per cent good or excellent results and the patients who had had surgical revision had 81 per cent good or excellent results (p less than 0.05). There was no significant difference in the results between the patients who had osteoarthritis and those who had rheumatoid arthritis. Over-all, 85 per cent of the results were good or excellent at final follow-up. Tibial radiolucent lines of one to two millimeters were observed in 29 per cent of the knees at follow-up.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Path Computation with Variable Bandwidth for Bulk Data Transfer in High-Performance Networks

There are an increasing number of high-performance networks that provision dedicated channels through circuit-switching or MPLS/GMPLS techniques to support bulk data transfer in large-scale science or e-commerce applications. These dedicated links are typically shared by multiple users through advance reservations, resulting in varying bandwidth availability in future time periods. Therefore, efficient advance bandwidth reservation algorithms are needed to improve the utilization of network resources and meet the transport requirements of application users. We investigate the bandwidth-oriented path computation problem for two types of data transfer: (i) fixed path with variable bandwidth and (ii) variable path with variable bandwidth to minimize the transfer end time of a given data size. We prove that both problems are NP-complete and propose a heuristic algorithm for each of them. Extensive simulation results illustrate the performance superiority of the proposed heuristics over methods based on greedy strategies.
SHP2 Mediates the Localized Activation of Fyn Downstream of the α6β4 Integrin To Promote Carcinoma Invasion

Src family kinase (SFK) activity is elevated in many cancers, and this activity correlates with aggressive tumor behavior. The α6β4 integrin, which is also associated with a poor prognosis in many tumor types, can stimulate SFK activation; however, the mechanism by which it does so is not known. In the current study, we provide novel mechanistic insight into how the α6β4 integrin selectively activates the Src family member Fyn in response to receptor engagement. Both catalytic and noncatalytic functions of SHP2 are required for Fyn activation by α6β4. Specifically, the tyrosine phosphatase SHP2 is recruited to α6β4 and its catalytic activity is stimulated through a specific interaction of its N-terminal SH2 domain with pY1494 in the β4 subunit. Fyn is recruited to the α6β4/SHP2 complex through an interaction with phospho-Y580 in the C terminus of SHP2. In addition to activating Fyn, this interaction with Y580-SHP2 localizes Fyn to sites of receptor engagement, which is required for α6β4-dependent invasion. Of significance for tumor progression, phosphorylation of Y580-SHP2 and SFK activation are increased in orthotopic human breast tumors that express α6β4 and activation of this pathway is dependent upon Y1494.
Asymptotic analysis of lubricated heavily loaded point contacts

The paper is devoted to the development of an asymptotic approach to solution of the steady isothermal problem of elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) for heavily loaded point contacts. It is shown that the whole contact region can be subdivided into three subregions: the central one that is adjacent to the other two regions occupied by the ends of the horseshoe-shaped pressure/gap distribution zone. The central region, in turn, can be subdivided into the Hertzian region and its adjacent inlet and exit zones that, in turn, are adjacent to the inlet and exit boundaries of the contact, respectively. Moreover, in the central region, in the inlet and exit zones of heavily loaded point EHL contact, the EHL problem can be reduced to asymptotically valid equations identical to the ones obtained in the inlet and exit zones of heavily loaded line EHL contacts. The latter means that many of the well-known properties of heavily loaded line EHL contacts are also valid for heavily loaded point EHL contacts. These asymptotically valid equations can be analysed and numerically solved based on the stable methods using a specific regularisation approach that were developed for lubricated line contacts. Cases of pre-critical and over-critical lubrication regimes are considered. The by-product of this asymptotic analysis is an easy analytical derivation of formulas for the lubrication film thickness for pre-critical and over-critical lubrication regimes. The method is validated by the results of some experimental and numerical studies published by a number of researches. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Total least squares and constrained least squares applied to frequency domain system identification

Total-least-squares and constrained-least-squares methods are applied to the Transfer Function Determination Code (TFDC). TFDC is a frequency domain system identification code for determining the SISO input-output transfer function of a system from experimentally derived frequency response data. TFDC is modified to implement a total-least-squares solution, to employ a solution to the combined least-squares/total-least-squares problem, and to apply constrained least squares to ensure quadrantal symmetry of the poles and zeros. Results of applying each method to an example system are presented and compared.
High proliferative activity excludes dermatofibroma: report of the utility of MIB-1 in the differential diagnosis of selected fibrohistiocytic tumors.

Abstract Context.—Dermatofibroma is a benign fibrohistiocytic tumor composed of a mixture of fibroblastic and histiocytic cells. The diagnosis of this tumor is generally uncomplicated; however, rare variants may be difficult to distinguish from malignant fibrohistiocytic tumors. Deep penetrating dermatofibroma may be difficult to distinguish from dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans, and pseudosarcomatous dermatofibroma and dermatofibroma with monster giant cells share morphologic similarities with malignant fibrous histiocytoma and atypical fibroxanthoma. Objective.—To find an immunohistochemical marker or markers that differentiate between fibrohistiocytic lesions of skin. Design.—We evaluated the immunophenotypic characteristics of 83 fibrohistiocytic tumors (36 typical dermatofibromas, 16 cases of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans, 16 malignant fibrous histiocytomas, and 15 atypical fibroxanthomas) using antibodies against MIB-1 (Ki-67), factor XIIIa, CD34 (HPCA-1), HHF35 (muscle-specific actin), 1A4 (smooth...
Development and Assessment of a Short Instrument for Assessing Dietary Intakes of Calcium and Vitamin D

Objective To validate a short food frequency screening instrument designed to assess dietary intakes of calcium and vitamin D. Design Cross-sectional surveys and food diaries. Participants Twenty-seven university employees. Main Outcome Measures Calcium and vitamin D intakes of participants were assessed using three instruments: a 7-day food diary, the Block-National Cancer Institute Health Habits and History Questionnaire (HHHQ), and a short screening instrument derived from the HHHQ. The accuracy of participants' reports of calcium and vitamin D intakes on the HHHQ and short screening instrument were checked against the food diaries. The validity of the full survey and the screening instrument were judged according to their correlation with the food diaries. Results Estimates of calcium and vitamin D intakes derived from the 7-day food diary and the short screening instrument were significantly correlated ( r =0.66 and 0.72, respectively, P Conclusion The short screening instrument provides reasonably accurate estimates of calcium and vitamin D intakes. Although it cannot replace more comprehensive nutritional assessments, the screening instrument may provide quick assessments of calcium and vitamin D intakes. Given that many individuals consume suboptimal levels of these nutrients, pharmacists may use the screening instrument to evaluate patients' needs for calcium and/or vitamin D supplements and, thus, reduce their risk for developing osteoporosis.
ENZYMATIC QUANTITATIVE DETERMINATION OF HEXOSES, SINGLY AND IN MIXTURES WITH THEIR OLIGOSACCHARIDES

New Phytol. (1972) 71, 307-315. ENZYMATIC QUANTITATIVE DETERMINATION OF HEXOSES, SINGLY AND IN MIXTURES WITH THEIR OLIGOSACCHARIDES BY ROBERT ERNST AND JOSEPH ARDITTI Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, California, 92664, U.S .A. (Received 16 August 1971) SUMMARY Quantitative determinations of a number of naturally ocurring D-hexoses and their oligo- saccharides can be accomplished by combinations of enzymatic methods without prior separa- tion of the sugars. T hese spectrophotometric methods employ readily-available enzymes and o maltose or lactose mixed with galactose and/or glucose; melibiose in mixtures with raffinose, and other combinations. INTRODUCTION Many chemical and enzymatic methods have been described for qualitative and quanti- tative determination of naturally-occurring sugars (Aminoff et al., 1970; HoUigan, 1971; Holligan and Drew, 1971; Lewis and Smith, 1967). The latest employ gas-liquid chroma- tography (GL C). Since GLC is not yet widely available 'to botanists, this paper presents modified enzymatic methods for the rapid quantitative determination of mixtures of oligosaccharides and their component monosaccharides. These methods, which employ readily-available enzymes and commerical reagents, have been used in studies of carbohydrate physiology of orchid seedlings (Ernst, 1967; Ernst, Arditti and Healey, 1972). MATERIALS AND METHODS Sugars. Melibiose and stachyose were obtained from Calbiochem, Los Angeles, California and other sugars from Pfanstiehl Laboratories, Inc., Waukegan, Illinois. Only D-sugars were employed. They were dissolved either in distilled water and kept frozen until used or in methanol-water (7 : 3, v/v) and stored at room temperature. Enzymes. Fructofuranosidase (invertase) melibiase free, u6 U/mg, derived from bakers' yeast, Grade IV was obtained from Sigma Chemical Company, St Louis, Mo. An alternative grade, purchased from Calbiochem Wallerstein invertase activity 873 (Meister, 1965), gave comparable results. Yeast a-glucosidase (maltase) suspension, 2 mg protein/ml (20 U/ml) and galactose dehydrogenase (Galactose UV-test, TC-GA 15921 TGAN) were obtained from Boeh- ringer Mannheim Corporation (BMC), San Francisco, California. P-Galactosidase (lactase), derived from Escherichia coli, 5.5 mg protein/ml (398 U/mg)
INFECTIOUS VIRUS-ANTIBODY COMPLEX IN THE BLOOD OF CHRONICALLY INFECTED MICE

If viremic sera from mice chronically infected with lactic dehydrogenase virus (LDV) were first treated with ether or ultraviolet light to inactivate the infectious virus, neutralizing antibody could be demonstrated. Significant amounts of antibody, however, were not detected until the mice had been infected for about 2½ months and its presence did not result in the elimination of the chronic viremia. Virus isolated from sera containing neutralizing antibody was found to be relatively resistant to neutralization by anti-LDV. Further studies revealed that the resistant virus existed in the form of an infectious virus-antibody complex (sensitized virus). The presence of such a complex was demonstrated by the fact that the virus fraction which persisted after in vivo or in vitro exposure to mouse anti-LDV was readily neutralized by goat anti-mouse sera or goat anti-mouse γ-globulin, whereas virus that had not been previously exposed to mouse anti-LDV was completely resistant to neutralization by goat anti-mouse sera. These findings suggest that (a) sensitization may play an important role in the resistance and susceptibility of a virus to neutralization by antiviral antibody, and (b) an anti-γ-globulin may prove useful in neutralizing the resistant fraction and in demonstrating otherwise undetectable antiviral antibody.
Characteristics of exceptional responders to lenalidomide-based therapy in multiple myeloma.

We studied all patients at our institution with a diagnosis of multiple myeloma (MM), from 1 January 2004 to 1 July 2009, who received lenalidomide–dexamethasone (Rd) as initial therapy and had a time to progression of 72 months or longer. Of 240 patients, we identified 33 exceptional responders. Twenty-five patients received primary therapy with Rd and eight patients received Rd induction followed by early stem cell transplantation (SCT). Seven of the eight patients who received SCT did not receive maintenance therapy; one patient received 9 months of lenalidomide post transplant. Fifteen (45%) patients had known clonal plasma cell disorder before the diagnosis of MM. The dominant mode of clinical presentation was with lytic lesions in 28 patients. Of those with informative cytogenetics (n=24), trisomies were present in 19 (79%), including one patient with concurrent trisomies and t(11;14). Overall, 21 of 24 patients (88%) had either trisomies or t(11;14). None of these exceptional responders had high-risk cytogenetic features at baseline. Twenty-five patients (76%) had a complete response (CR), whereas eight patients (24%) achieved the exceptional response state without ever achieving a CR. We identify a cohort of exceptional responders to Rd-based therapy, representing ~10–15% newly diagnosed MM patients with normal renal function.
Induction chemotherapy followed by concomitant chemoradiotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer.

Multiple concepts of combined modality therapy for locoregionally advanced inoperable non-small cell lung cancer have been investigated. These include induction chemotherapy, concomitant chemoradiotherapy, and intensified radiation therapy schedules. To date, induction chemotherapy has been validated in randomized prospective trials versus radiotherapy alone. Concomitant chemoradiotherapy has led to promising results when combination chemotherapy regimens were used in the phase II setting. In addition, concomitant chemoradiotherapy has been shown to be superior to induction chemotherapy in direct comparison. Finally, accelerated radiotherapy has been shown to lead to improved locoregional control and survival in one randomized study. Based on these observations, the Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB study 9431) investigated the addition of either vinorelbine, paclitaxel, or gemcitabine to cisplatin. In this trial, patients with locally advanced and inoperable non-small cell lung cancer received two cycles of induction chemotherapy with an additional two cycles of concomitant chemoradiotherapy utilizing the same agents accompanied by standard radiation to a total dose of 66 Gy. One hundred eighty-seven patients were entered on this study. An early analysis showed the median survival time was 17 months for all patients entered on the trial. In the context of other CALGB studies, the data from this trial are encouraging, and the regimens used warrant further study. The Oncologist 2001;6(suppl 1):25-27
Particle filtering with rendered models: A two pass approach to multi-object 3D tracking with the GPU

We describe a new approach to vision-based 3D object tracking, using appearance-based particle filters to follow 3D model reconstructions. This method is targeted towards modern graphics processors, which are optimized for 3D reconstruction and are capable of highly parallel computation. We discuss an OpenGL implementation of this approach, which uses two rendering passes to update the particle filter weights. In the first pass, the system renders the previous object state estimates to an off-screen framebuffer. In the second pass, the system uses a programmable vertex shader to compute the mean normalized cross-correlation between each sample and the subsequent video frame. The particle filters are updated using the correlation scores and provide a full 3D track of the objects. We provide examples for tracking human heads in both single and multi-camera scenarios.
Role of cortisone in regulation of inflammation.

SummaryBy investigation of experimentally induced allergic and traumatic inflammation in (a) adrenalectomized and (b) adrenalectomized and cortisone-treated animals, the role of the adrenals and of exogenous cortical hormone in the regulation of the cellular changes of the inflammatory process was evaluated. Adrenal cortical secretions and exogenous cortisone were demonstrated to inhibit allergic inflammation through an antiphlogistic action sui generic, rather than by interfering with the antigen-antibody union. It is suggested that this antiphlogistic action of cortisone accounts for the capacity of this hormone to minimize the consequences of a wide variety of unrelated inflammation producing stimuli.
Effect of Low-Dose Oral Contraceptives on Metabolic Risk Factors in African-American Women

Context: The effect of oral contraceptive pill (OCP) use on cardiovascular risk in African-American women is unknown. Objective: Our objective was to examine in African-American women the effect of OCP use on insulin resistance, glucose intolerance, and triglycerides (TGs). Design: This was a cross-sectional study. Setting: The study was conducted at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Research Center. Participants: A total of 104 healthy nondiabetic African-American women [21 OCP users, 83 controls, age mean ± sd, 34.7 ± 7.6 yr, body mass index (BMI) 31 ± 8.4 kg/m2] was included in the study. Interventions: Subjects had oral glucose tolerance tests, insulin-modified frequently sampled iv glucose tolerance tests, and fasting lipid profiles. Insulin resistance was determined by the insulin sensitivity index (SI). Main Outcome Measures: Insulin resistance, glucose tolerance status, and TG levels were determined. Results: Fasting glucose did not differ between OCP users and controls (P = 0.27). In contrast, compared with controls, 2-h glucose (135 ± 23 vs.120 ± 25 mg/dl; P = 0.01) and fasting TGs (73 ± 31 vs.57 ± 27 mg/dl; P = 0.02) were higher in OCP users. OCP users tended to be more insulin resistant than controls (SI: 2.51 ± 2.01 vs. 3.46 ± 2.09; P = 0.09). Multiple regression analysis revealed that BMI, age, and OCP use were significant determinants of 2-h glucose (adjusted R2 = 0.37; P < 0.001) and TG levels (adjusted R2 = 0.21; P < 0.001). As BMI was a determinant of both 2-h glucose and TGs, participants were divided into nonobese and obese groups, and the analyses repeated. Among the nonobese women, the OCP users were more insulin resistant (SI: 2.91 ± 1.58 vs. 4.35 ± 1.88; P = 0.03) and had a higher prevalence of glucose intolerance than controls (odds ratio 5.7; 95% confidence interval 1.4–24; P = 0.01). Conclusion: In African-American women, OCP use is associated with an increase in markers of cardiovascular risk manifested by increased insulin resistance, glucose intolerance, and elevated TGs.
Beyond the Reaction Range Concept: A Developmental, Contextual, and Situational Model of the Heredity-Environment Interplay

Despite its popularity, the reaction range concept has several limitations that obscure the complexity of the heredity and environment interplay. This article presents a model that broadens the inherent limitations of the reaction range concept by including (a) multiple sources of variation, (b) changing contributions across development, and (c) dynamic influences of context and situation. The model is intended to expand the focus on sources of variation and to offer heuristic tools for hypothesis generation.
State pruning for test vector generation for a multiprocessor cache coherence protocol

Verification is extremely important in designing digital systems such as a cache coherence protocol. Generating traces for system verification using a model checker and then using the traces to drive the RTL logic design simulation is an efficient method for debugging. This method has been called the witness string method (Abts and Roberts, 1999), which is based on DFS. We investigate a state pruning method that exploits multiple search heuristics in simultaneous DFS searches to choose the most efficient traces. We distribute the hash table of the entire state space among the simultaneous searches so that they cooperate to avoid redundant state exploration. To evaluate this search algorithm, we implant several protocol bugs in the Stanford DASH cache coherence protocol. Using an IBM Power4 system with the Berkeley Active Message library, we show an improvement in witness strings generation through the state pruning method over a pure DFS and a guided DFS.
The reactions of families to childhood leukemia. An evaluation of a program of emotional management.

Parents of 20 deceased leukemic children were interviewed to determine their reactions to the method of emotional management of their child's course. A common theme expressed by all parents was tha...
Existence of Optimal Growth Paths with Endogenous Technology

We prove the existence of an optimal growth path in an economy where goods that are not consumed are either invested in next period capital or in R&D with overall non-convex production possibilities, using results of non-linear functional analysis in weighted L spaces of Chichilnisky (Journal of Optimization Theory and Applications, 1977, 61, No. 2, 504-520) and (Journal of Mathematical Economics, 1981, 8, 1-14).
Spontaneous Vesicles and other Solution Structures in Catanionic Mixtures

We have prepared spontaneous, single-walled, equilibrium vesicles of controlled size and surface charge from aqueous mixtures of simple, commercially available, single-tailed cationic and anionic surfactants. We believe vesicle formation results from the production of anion-cation surfactant pairs which then act as double-tailed zwitterionic surfactants. Although unilamellar vesicles have been created by numerous physical and chemical techniques from multilamellar dispersions, all such vesicle systems revert to the equilibrium, multilamellar phase over time. These catanionic vesicles are stable for periods as long as several years and appear to be the equilibrium form of aggregation. Here we review the phase behavior and structural studies of several such mixtures, with particular focus on the effect of surfactant tail lengths on size and location of the vesicle phase in the appropriate phase diagram. The approach to equilibrium is also discussed.
Influence of Atmospheric Turbulence on Crow-Type Instability of a Vortex in Ground Effect

Crow instability of a pair of counter-rotating vortices in free space is extended to study the case of a single vortex interacting with its ground image when the vortex is in ground effect. The atmospheric turbulence condition triggers and enhances the instability and can potentially cause “linking” of the vortex to the ground. An analytical model is employed to investigate the growth rate and standing-wave angle under different intensity and wave number of atmospheric turbulence.
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about ZIPI

Other users allocate one MIDI channel per synthesizer patch and play multiple notes on each MIDI channel. If they send any pitch-bend or continuous controller messages to the channel, these affect all sounding notes on that channel. In that case, you could think of a ZIPI instrument as being equivalent to a MIDI channel because you can play multiple notes inside the same instrument, and because you can send control messages at the instrument level that affect all the sounding notes of that instrument.
Influence of Resource Removal on Demography of Attwater's Pocket Gopher

Nutrient balancing is a foraging strategy whereby herbivores ingest a mixture of dietary items to ensure an adequate intake of nutrients to maintain individual health and reproduction. Recent findings indicate that terrestrial herbivorous rodents select dietary items from both dicotyledonous (dicots) and monocotyledonous (monocots) plants to obtain requisite nutrients, which may, in turn, influence demographic processes within the population. We investigated how availability of a major food source, dicots, affected population dynamics of Geomys attwateri , a fossorial herbivore. We removed dicots from the habitat in four plots and compared body mass, density, reproduction, recruitment, age-class, sex ratio, length of residency, and spatial distribution of pocket gophers in these areas to pocket gophers in areas with dicots. Removal of dicots reduced the proportion of reproductive females and average length of time in residency within a plot for both sexes. These effects, in turn, resulted in reduced density of pocket gophers in areas having lowered dicot availability. Spatial arrangement of pocket gophers within plots was not affected by removal of dicots but differed by season. Our experiment demonstrates the mechanism for reduction in density of pocket gophers and shows a link between foraging strategy, intake of dietary items, and demographic processes.
Breast Milk Feeding Rates in Patients With Cleft Lip and Palate at a North American Craniofacial Center.

Objective: Our study goal was to evaluate the rates of breast milk feeding among patients with oral clefts at a large North American Craniofacial Center. Methods: Parents of patients with oral clefts born from 2000 to 2012 and treated at our center were interviewed regarding cleft diagnosis, counseling received for feeding, and feeding habits. Results: Data were obtained from parents of 110 patients with oral clefts. Eighty-four percent of parents received counseling for feeding a child with a cleft. Sixty-seven percent of patients received breast milk for some period of time with a mean duration of 5.3 months (range 0.25 to 18 months). When used, breast milk constituted the majority of the diet with a mean percentage of 75%. Breast milk feeding rates increased successively over the 13-year study period. The most common method of providing breast milk was the Haberman feeder at 75% with other specialty cleft bottles composing an additional 11%. Parents who received counseling were more likely to give b...
STUDENTS AND SCIENTISTS TEST PROTOTYPE MARS ROVER

The excitement of NASA, space exploration, and robotic missions provides a natural entry point to engage students in learning about math, science, and technology. Pairing them in a research partnership with scientists and engineers allows them to discover real world applications for that knowledge. Over three years, the LAPIS program has involved students in active, hands-on research with the prototype rover for the 2003–2004 Mars Exploration Rover mission and scientists associated with its Athena Science Investigation. The result has been an experience that positively impacts the scientists, teachers, and students involved, and provides additional information on using the rover to acquire scientific data. Using a participatory evaluation process, empowerment evaluation, the participants have helped improve the program and provided a model for an outreach program associated with the twin rovers of the 2003–2004 Mars mission, the Athena Student Interns Program.
Relationship between pulse pressure and prostatic volume in elderly patients with essential hypertension

Objective To explore the relationship between pulse pressure and prostatic volume in elderly patients with essential hypertension. Methods A total of 101 hypertensive patients were enrolled in this study: 61 benign prostatic hyperplasia(BPH) patients and 40 non-BPH patients.All patients underwent ambulatory blood pressure monitoring(ABPM),and the volume of prostate was detected by ultrasound. Results Pulse pressure in BPH group was higher than that in non-BPH group(P0.05).A positive correlation was found between PP and prostatic volume in 101 patieats(r=0.184,P=0.035). Conclusion The 24 h pulse pressure is closely related with prostatic volume in elderly hypertensive patients.
China Wushu:a Cultural Option of Building China's National Image

By using literature data,the authors have made the China Wushu as the object to argue the hypothetical proposition of whether it can be an effective measure to building the China's national image from the view of the cultural development.In this research,we believe that as a vivid "national characters" cultural carrier and a typical "Chinese style" culture symbol and an identifying culture export,China Wushu can bear the cultural mission of boosting and promoting the constructing of the China's national image,and it can be a cultural option of building the China's national image which is an important national development strategy.
484 Multiple Sclerosis: A series of patients examined for mycotoxic leukoencephalopathy.

Introduction A previous examination of a cluster of patients (42 of 600) working in a mold-infested building confirmed the presence of mycotoxic leukoencephalopathy in these patients as the cause of their multiple sclerosis (MS)-type presentation (AFMR - Monterey, California, February 2005). Purpose In this current study, the study population consisted of patients previously diagnosed with MS, presenting to a medical toxicology department. This group of patients had no previous toxicological diagnosis and no previous history of mold exposure. Methodology A history and physical examination, review of previous medical records, diagnostic tests including PET scan of the brain, MRI brain and spinal cord, environmental testing of the home or worksite including airborne mycotoxin levels, serum ELISA mycotoxin levels, hypersensitivity pneumonitis panels for environmental molds; serum ELISA myelin basic protein (MBP), myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG), crystalline antibodies (CA), glutamate receptor antibodies (GRA), and chondroitin sulfate antibodies (CSA). Other etiologies for leukoencephalopathy were considered. Study period 2004-2005. Results Six patients completed the study. Six (100%) had positive PET scans of the brain confirming hypometabolism of frontal, parietal, and basal ganglia. Six (100%) had confirmation of demyelination by MRI, with areas of hyperintensity on the T2-weighted images. Six ((100%) had a positive neurological panel, consisting of elevated ELISA testing for MBP, MAG, CA, GRA, and CSA. Results of environmental testing confirmed the presence of pathogenic and toxigenic mold species in either the home or workplace in 6 (100%). Six (100%) had positive airborne mycotoxin levels in the toxic range (nanogram to milligram, per cubic meter) for between 2 and 22 of the possible 40 mycotoxins that could be tested. The presence of 3 groups of mycotoxins in the microgram range (microgram to milligram, per cubic meter air) was consistent with elevated serum ELISA levels for the same groups (100%) for trichothecenes, satratoxins, and aflatoxins. Other causes of leukoencephalopathy were ruled out. Conclusions The previous study confirmed the cause of a cluster of patients with MS-type presentation to be mycotoxic leukoencephalopathy. The present study confirms a series of patients previously diagnosed with MS had an etiology consistent with environmental mycotoxicosis. The etiology of MS appears to be environmental mycotoxicosis. This is a small study group, with a statistically significant power, but larger studies should be done to confirm this in other geographic areas.