cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dancing the Body Beautiful

Using accounts from several professional Latin dancers augmented by the author’s own experience, Julia A. Ericksen traces the ways bodily perfection has become an important part of dancers’ identities. In addition, Ericksen argues that this is a more extreme form of general cultural pressure to engage in bodywork.
Developing and evaluating di(2-ethylhexyl) orthophosphoric acid (HDEHP) based polymer ligand film (PLF) for plutonium extraction

A method was developed to produce a thin Polymer Ligand Film (PLF) using di(2-ethylhexyl) orthophosphoric acid (HDEHP) ligand for rapid extraction of plutonium. Ligands were incorporated into a polystyrene matrix to generate a smooth and durable surface for analyte extraction. PLFs were prepared with varying amount of ligands to find the optimimum ratio between the ligands and polymer structure to give best plutonium recovery. Also, the plutonium extraction is dependent on the concentration of nitric solution. This dependency was examined in the manuscript. The PLF samples were counted directly using alpha spectroscopy without any further chemical process to test the plutonium recovery. The alpha spectroscopy data shows that HDEHP based PLFs were effective in extracting plutonium from nitric acid solution. The surface characterization was performed with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and digital autoradiography for defect examination of the PLF and plutonium distribution study, respectively.
Temporal Artery Biopsy in Herpes Zoster Ophthalmicus by Delayed Arteritis

A 58-year-old man developed herpes zoster ophthalmicus with delayed hemiparesis. Temporal artery biopsy confirmed the presence of a vasculitis. Electron microscopy of the temporal artery failed to reveal viral particles. Herpes zoster ophthalmicus with delayed arteritis appeared to be a contiguous spread of vasculitis to the carotid system and not a direct viral invasion.
Treatment of Primary Cutaneous CD30+ Anaplastic Large-Cell Lymphoma With Radiation Therapy

Purpose Primary cutaneous CD30+ anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (CALCL) is a relatively rare and indolent variant of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL). This report examines the response of localized disease to radiation alone. Methods The Yale Cancer Center records were examined, and all patients with CTCL from January 1, 2001, to September 1, 2006, evaluated in the Department of Therapeutic Radiology were identified. Only those patients with localized or single CALCL lesions, no clinical evidence or history of lymphomatoid papulosis, no history of other CTCLs, no history of other skin disorders, lack of lymph node involvement, unambiguous pathology reports, and treatment with radiation alone were included. Results Eight patients were identified. Median age was 67 years, and gender was split evenly. Patients received radiation ranging from 34 to 44 Gy in 2-Gy fractions. Most patients (5 of 8) received 40 Gy, using 6 to 9 MeV electrons with 0.5 to 2 cm of bolus. All patients had a complete response. All patients were without evidence of disease at the most recent follow-up (median follow-up, 12 months). Radiation therapy was well tolerated, and the only recorded toxicity was Grade I to II dermatitis. Conclusions Radiation therapy alone for localized CALCL is very well tolerated and clinical response is excellent. A dose of 40 Gy in 2-Gy fractions seems to be well tolerated and effective in inducing a complete response. Lower doses may be effective in achieving the same result, but data are not available. Longer follow-up is necessary before conclusions regarding durable disease-free survival can be made.
Writing emails as part of sleepwalking after increase in Zolpidem.

This section, IMAGES IN SLEEP MEDICINE, is intended to tap a relatively unique feature of sleep science: images that have great educational and conceptual content. These could be, for example, electroencephalograms, electromyograms, polysomnograms, portable devices, actigrams, scans including functional images, pathology specimens, brain slice preparations, fluorescent microscopy and other cutting edge techniques. The source may be human or nonhuman, but the clinical relevance should be clear. Illustrations must consist of clear and high-quality, blackand-white or color-digitized images. At this stage, videos can be submitted only for online publication. The message accompanying the picture may be a maximum of 500 words, with no more than 5 references. It is especially important not to try and make a case report out of these submissions, and detailed clinical (as contrasted to image) analysis should be avoided. The material should be submitted on the Sleep Medicine website (www.ees.elsevier.com/sleep). Images can be embedded within a text document such as Microsoft Word, a slide program such as Microsoft PowerPoint, or converted to Acrobat files. Authors should expect that the images will be available for use (with acknowledgement) to the general sleep community for teaching purposes, and so copyrighted/ patentable material should be avoided. In its final form, these images will be a freely available, searchable digital teaching image library. Comments regarding the images should be sent by e-mail to the section co-editors within a month of the publication date. These comments will be summarized and posted, if determined to be of educational content, with the original image on the journal’s web site, expected to be active for content soon. We hope this section will be enriched by the contributions of our colleagues who wish to offer stimulating opportunities for discussion and new insights in the field of sleep.
Architecture and Assembly of the Bacillus subtilis Spore Coat

Bacillus spores are encased in a multilayer, proteinaceous self-assembled coat structure that assists in protecting the bacterial genome from stresses and consists of at least 70 proteins. The elucidation of Bacillus spore coat assembly, architecture, and function is critical to determining mechanisms of spore pathogenesis, environmental resistance, immune response, and physicochemical properties. Recently, genetic, biochemical and microscopy methods have provided new insight into spore coat architecture, assembly, structure and function. However, detailed spore coat architecture and assembly, comprehensive understanding of the proteomic composition of coat layers, and specific roles of coat proteins in coat assembly and their precise localization within the coat remain in question. In this study, atomic force microscopy was used to probe the coat structure of Bacillus subtilis wild type and cotA, cotB, safA, cotH, cotO, cotE, gerE, and cotE gerE spores. This approach provided high-resolution visualization of the various spore coat structures, new insight into the function of specific coat proteins, and enabled the development of a detailed model of spore coat architecture. This model is consistent with a recently reported four-layer coat assembly and further adds several coat layers not reported previously. The coat is organized starting from the outside into an outermost amorphous (crust) layer, a rodlet layer, a honeycomb layer, a fibrous layer, a layer of “nanodot” particles, a multilayer assembly, and finally the undercoat/basement layer. We propose that the assembly of the previously unreported fibrous layer, which we link to the darkly stained outer coat seen by electron microscopy, and the nanodot layer are cotH- and cotE- dependent and cotE-specific respectively. We further propose that the inner coat multilayer structure is crystalline with its apparent two-dimensional (2D) nuclei being the first example of a non-mineral 2D nucleation crystallization pattern in a biological organism.
Advances in satellite oceanography

Technical advances and recent applications of active and passive satellite remote sensing techniques to the study of oceanic processes are summarized. The general themes include infrared and visible radiometry, active and passive microwave sensors, and buoy location systems. The surface parameters of sea surface temperature, windstream, sea state, altimetry, color, and ice are treated as applicable under each of the general methods.
Construction of realistic shell theories with fluid loading

Exact elastodynamic theories for fluid loaded elastic shells are only amenable to solution for simple geometries. If separation of variables methods or the extended boundary condition techniques can not be used then alternative numerical techniques are very time consuming and filled with numerical pitfalls. On the other hand the more tractable approximate shell theories (used in place of the exact theory) do not appear to work in general for fluid loaded targets. In particular, flexural resonances are predicted below coincidence frequency where they should not be observed. Further, the lowest symmetric modes are over-estimated when compared to the exact theory predictions. In addition, the presence of water borne waves is not observed from thin shell theories while they are present in exact calculations. Our interest is to develop a thin shell theory that can account for all of the above features correctly and thus can be used as a better approximate theory for future work. We thus construct shell theories which include the various shell features without undue approximation. We include the usual kinetic energy terms, contributions from a generalized Hooke's law, and rotary inertia terms. We then include a complex impedance (not the usual real component). This construction allows us to approximate the exact results in greater detail than earlier theories for three dimensional scatterers. Detailed comparative numerical examples are presented.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Effects of distal point-site mutations on the binding and catalysis of dihydrofolate reductase from Escherichia coli

The importance of salt bridge interactions at the NADPH binding site of dihydrofolate reductase has been studied by using site-directed mutagenesis. The mutations R44L and H45Q respectively disrupt the ionic contacts made between the 2'-phosphate and pyrophosphoryl moiety of the coenzyme and the N-terminal region of helix C. Equilibrium fluorescence experiments indicate that while the overall binding of NADPH to both free mutants is weakened by 1.1 and 1.5 kcal/mol (H45Q and R44L, respectively), the binding of dihydrofolate and tetrahydrofolate is unaffected. Despite the similar binding energies for both mutants, the transition state for the chemical hydride step is differentially destabilized relative to wild type (0.6 and 1.8 kcal/mol for H45Q and R44L, respectively). Both stopped-flow and pre-steady-state experiments suggest that the root of this effect may lie in multiple conformations for the E-NADPH complex of R44L. The ability of both mutants to transmit their effects beyond the local environment of the NADPH pocket is manifested in several details: (1) the pKa of Asp-27 (25 A away from the sites of mutation) is elevated from 6.5 in the wild type to 7.5 and 8.4 in H45Q and R44L, respectively; (2) NADPH elevates the off rates for tetrahydrofolate from 12 s-1 in the wild type to greater than 45 s-1 in R44L; and (3) bound tetrahydrofolate decreases the affinity of the enzymes for NADPH as reflected in the Km from 2 to 40 microM for H45Q (similar to wild type) but from 8 to 5000 microM for R44L.
Sending Pharma Better Signals

I t's time to reassess what drives the discovery of new drugs. In its advertisements, one pharmaceutical company links innovation directly to its revenues: “Today's medicines finance tomorrow's miracles.” If that formula really worked, we would have long since entered the golden age of
Speeding-up codon analysis on the cloud with local MapReduce aggregation

A notable obstacle to higher performance of data-intensive Hadoop MapReduce (MR) bioinformatics algorithms is the large volume of intermediate data that need to be sorted, shuffled, and transmitted between mapper and reducer tasks. This difficulty manifests itself quite clearly in MR codon analysis which is known to generate voluminous intermediate data that create a bottleneck in basic MR codon analysis algorithms. Our proposed approach to handle the intermediate data bottleneck is local in-mapper aggregation (or simply local aggregation), a technique that helps reduce the intermediate data volume between mapper and reducer tasks in MR. We experimentally evaluate the performance of local aggregation (i) by developing codon analysis MR algorithms with and without local aggregation and (ii) by experimentally measuring their performance on Amazon Web Services (AWS), the Amazon cloud platform. Codon analysis with local aggregation maintains consistently high performance with the growth of larger datasets while basic codon analysis, without local aggregation becomes impractically slow even for smaller datasets. Our results can be beneficial (i) to members of the bioinformatics community who need to perform fast and cost-effective nucleotide MR analysis on the cloud and (ii) to computer scientists who strive to increase the performance of MR algorithms.
Fabrication of High Aspect Ratio Porous Microfeatures Using Hot Compaction Technique

High aspect ratio porous microfeatures are becoming more important in the modern industry. However, the fabrication of such features under a mass production environment remains a challenge when robustness, cost effectiveness, and high productivity requirements are required. In this study, the forming of such porous microfeatures using hot compaction was investigated. A hot compaction experimental setup was designed and fabricated that is capable of performing high temperature operation (700°C), quick heatup, and avoiding oxidation. 3D thermal simulation of the experimental setup was conducted to investigate the heat transfer performance and internal temperature distribution, which was then used as a reference for the experiment. Hot compaction experiments were carried out, and the effects of compression force and temperature on the quality in terms of powder consolidation strength and porosity were investigated. In addition, the achievable aspect ratio and taper angle were also discussed.
Residents' Attitudes About On-Site Religious Activities: A Comparison of Continuing Care Retirement Communities in Two States

ABSTRACT Twelve older adults were interviewed in two continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs), one in Florida and the other in Wisconsin. Only the residents in Wisconsin maintained contact with local congregations, probably because most had always lived in communities not far from the CCRC. On-site religious activities such as worship and study groups were important because of the ways they ordered the week and the opportunities they offered for social interaction. In both locations, Protestant residents appreciated the opportunity to worship in ecumenical services conducted by clergy of different Protestant faith traditions. Catholic services were also available in both locations. Suggestions are offered about ways that faith communities can nourish the spiritual lives of persons living in CCRCs by working with chaplains and by conducting small prayer and study groups.
Current dynamic substructuring methods as approximations to condensation model reduction

Abstract Condensation Model Reduction (CMR) theory, when viewed as a dynamic substructuring method, is shown to encompass much of the existing dynamic substructuring methods as special cases of a single unified approach. Dynamic substructuring refers to the partitioning of a semi-discrete (continuous-in-time) mathematical model with respect to its dependence on the discretized independent variables (usually spatial) with the typical intention of eliminating most of the degrees-of-freedom in each partition (substructure) of a subset of isolated partitions. As an example, a contiguous subset of finite elements could be viewed as a substructure (superelement). One important use of dynamic substructuring is, hence, to analyze complex dynamic systems that are too large for current computers by reducing their size. The three currently used methods of dynamic substructuring are referred to as Guyan, Improved Reduced System (IRS), and Component Mode Synthesis (CMS) reduction, the latter having several variants. (The related Modal Reduction method was not considered here since, in that method, the work associated with reducing a particular substructure is not limited to that substructure.) In contrast to the current methods, the accuracy of CMR can be systematically improved by the inclusion of nonmodal higher order terms (as well as by the inclusion of additional modes). It is shown that the transformation matrices associated with both IRS and the Craig-Bampton (fixed interface) version of CMS approximate corresponding special cases of CMR. (The reduced-degree-of-freedom mass, damping, and stiffness matrices are different from those of CMR because CMR does not reduce the matrices via a matrix transformation.) In addition, the appearance of modes in CMR occurs as a natural consequence of the theory and not, as in CMS, as a heuristic inclusion to the transformation matrix. Classic Guyan reduction, in its entirety, is also shown to approximate a special case of CMR.
A three-choice haloperidol-saline-cocaine drug discrimination task in rats.

Abstract This study was conducted to test whether rats could be trained and successfully maintain a three-choice drug discrimination task using 0.1 mg/kg haloperidol (SC, 2-h pretreatment), saline (IP or SC, 2 h and 15 min pretreatment), and 10 mg/kg cocaine (IP, 15-min pretreatment) as training stimuli. Six male Sprague-Dawley rats achieved criterion performance for stimulus control by these training stimuli under a fixed-ratio-5 schedule of food reinforced lever-press responding in an average of 164 training sessions. Dose-response functions for cocaine and haloperidol demonstrated both quantitative and qualitative specificity of the training stimuli. The data also are presented along a single pharmacological continuum (agonist-antagonist) that we hypothesize to represent a parallel subjective or interoceptive stimulus continuum associated with the drug injections. Based on the previous multidimensional model of drug stimuli dimensionality (3), this specific stimulus dimension is characterized as an unidemensional bipolar continuum represented by the hypothetical states of hedonia or euphoria on one end (cocaine) and anhedonia or depression on the opponent end (haloperidol), with a neutral (saline) centroid region. We propose that this specific three-choice drug discrimination task in rats may function as an animal analog of the subjective states associated with cocaine abuse and the subsequent withdrawal or, crash, in humans (7,821).
Base-induced α-nitration of sulfonamides

Abstract A general procedure has been devised for the preparation of α-nitrosulfonamides. Benzylic sulfonamides, and a wide variety of N,N-dialkylalkanesulfonamides may be converted to the corresponding nitrosulfonamides via displacement by a sulfonamide-stabilized carbanion on an alkyl nitrate.
Theoretical and experimental study of the fundamental mode propagation phase temperature sensitivity in air-core photonic-bandgap fibers

We measured the dependence on temperature of the phase of the fundamental mode of air-core photonic-bandgap fibers. The expected weaker dependence (factor of 3.6-5.2) compared to conventional fibers is quantitatively well explained by a simple model.
Diffusion and propagation in triangular Lorentz lattice gas cellular automata

The diffusion process of point particles moving on regular triangular and random lattices, randomly occupied with stationary scatterers (a Lorentz lattice gas cellular automaton), is studied, for strictly deterministic scattering rules, as a function of the concentration of the scatterers. In addition to the normal and various kinds of retarded diffusion found before on the regular square lattice, straight-line propagation through the scatterers is observed.
Nafazatrom (Bay g 6575) blunts canine hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction: evidence for a prostaglandin-mediated mechanism

The eicosanoids are circulating vasoactive substances which may serve as modulators of pulmonary vasomotor tone. Nafazatrom (Bay g 6575) has been reported to raise circulating levels of prostaglandin I2 (PGI2) either by stimulating its synthesis or inhibiting its metabolism, and may also decrease leukotriene synthesis by inhibiting lipoxygenase. We evaluated the hemodynamic effects of nafazatrom administered intravenously in doses of 2,5, and 10 mg/kg in intact, anesthetized dogs ventilated with 21% and 10% oxygen. The hypoxia-induced increase in pulmonary vascular resistance was blunted by nafazatrom in an inverse dose-dependent fashion. Pretreatment with the cyclooxygenase inhibitor indomethacin (5 mg/kg subcutaneously twice daily for two days) abolished the response to low-dose nafazatrom. The pulmonary vasodilator response to the infusion of arachidonic acid (100 micrograms/kg/min) during hypoxic ventilation was blocked by the 10 mg/kg dose of nafazatrom. We conclude that nafazatrom blunts hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction in a manner consistent with a drug-induced increase in PGI2 activity, and that the inverse dose-dependent effects of the drug which we observed are due to an inhibition of cyclooxygenase at higher doses.
Ontological analysis: an ongoing experiment

Knowledge engineering is a complex activity which permeated with problems inherent in the difficulties of choosing the correct abstractions. Knowledge-level analysis has been suggested as a technique to help manage this complexity. We have previously presented a methodology, called ontological analysis, which provides a technique for performing knowledge-level analysis of a problem space. This paper presents the experiences we have gained with knowledge-level analysis. Our experiences are reported and the criteria for a formal knowledge-level analysis language are discussed.
Syntheses and structures of mono-cyclopentadienyl di-iodide complexes of the lanthanides: X-ray crystal structures of Cp‴LaI2py3 (Cp‴ = [η5-C5H2(SiMe3)3-1,2,4]−; py = pyridine) and Cp‴LaI2(bipy)py (bipy = 2, 2′-bipyridine)†

[η 5 -C 5 H 2 (SiMe 3 ) 3 -1,2,4]K reacts with LaI 3 (THF) 4 in tetrahydrofuran (THF) to form the mono-ring complex [η 5 -C 5 H 2 (SiMe 3 ) 3 -1,2,4]LaI 2 (THF) x (1). Elemental analysis and 1 H NMR spectroscopy indicate that the coordinated THF molecules are labile and are easily removed under vacuum. The THF adduct 1 is readily converted to the more stable pyridine complex [η 5 -C 5 H 2 (SiMe 3 ) 3 -1,2,4]LaI 2 py 3 (2) by the addition of excess pyridine to a toluene solution of 1. Although solid samples of 2 lose pyridine less readily, the pyridine molecules exchange with solvent molecules, and in the presence of a large excess of THF, 1 is re-formed. Complex 2 may be crystallized from toluene, and an X-ray diffraction study revealed a monomeric species with the two iodide ligands trans to each other, and three pyridines arranged in a meridional fashion. The addition of one equivalent of 2,2'-bipyridine to a toluene solution of 1 yields the bipyridine adduct, [η 5 -C 5 H 2 (SiMe 3 ) 3 -1,2,4]LaI 2 (bipy) (3). In contrast to 1 and 2, the bipyridine molecule in 3 remains ligated to the lanthanum center in all solvents. Complex 3.py may be crystallized from THF-pyridine; in this case, the presence of bipyridine forces a cis orientation of the two iodide ligands.
"Cryptothyroidism," the Major Cause of Sporadic "Athyreotic" Cretinism

Seven patients with consecutively diagnosed “sporadic athyreotic cretinism” were scintiscanned after administration of 131I to determine whether or not any iodineaccumulating tissue was present and whether, if present, it was ectopic, as has been found in some patients by McGirr and Hutchison and others. In 6 of the 7 patients a small rest of radioactivity was found at a high ectopic site despite 24-hr thyroidal 131I uptakes of less than 10% in all patients. There was no evidence of this tissue on physical examination of the pharynx or tongue. Both the most severely affected patients and 2 with the onset after 1 yr of age showed such rests, although on scintiscans the frontal area of the active tissue was slightly larger in the latter. The relation of this finding to the pathogenesis of infantile and juvenile hypothyroidism and to endemic cretinism is discussed. By analogy with cryptorchidism, the term “cryptothyroidism” is suggested as an appropriate designation for this anomaly.
Delineation and Decomposition of Energies Involved in Quaternary Ammonium Binding in the Active Site of Acetylcholinesterase

The quaternary ammonium binding locus in the active site of mammalian acetylcholinesterase is subtended by the side chains of Trp86, Tyr133, Glu202, and Tyr337. Linear free-energy relationships define the interactions involved in molecular recognition by mouse acetylcholinesterase of the quaternary ammonium moiety of ligands. For substrates CH3C(O)XCH2CH2Y [X = O, Y = CHMe2, or CH2CH3; X = S, Y = H, NH+Me2, or N+Me3 ] and trifluoroacetophenone transition state analogue inhibitors m-YC6H4C(O)CF3 [Y = H, Me, Et, iPr, tBu, CF3, NH2, NO2, NMe2, or N+Me3], log(kcat/Km) and pKi depend linearly on the molar refractivity, but not the hydrophobicity, of the substituents Y. These correlations indicate that, in the acylation stage of catalysis, interactions in the quaternary ammonium binding locus stabilize the tetrahedral intermediate (as modeled by transition state analogue affinity) by (5 × 105)-fold (ΔΔGTI = −32.5 kJ mol-1) and the transition state by (2 × 104)-fold (ΔΔG‡ = −24.5 kJ mol-1). To evaluate the contr...
Advances in Characterization of Non-Rare-Earth Permanent Magnets: Exploring Commercial Alnico Grades 5–7 and 9

The magnetic domain structure of commercial alnico grades 5–7 and 9 was investigated using a magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE) to gain an understanding of their coercivity mechanisms at the micron to millimeter scale. In alnico 5–7, the magnetic domain structure exhibits stripes of alternating high and low induction. Magnetic domains easily cross grain boundaries if neighboring grains have a similar tilt and rotation of their crystallographic axes relative to the magnet body. In contrast for alnico 9, stripe-like magnetic domains are not observed regularly throughout the transverse section; rather, discrete localization of high- and low-induction stripe features are observed. In higher magnification MOKE experiments, i.e., ~100 μm, a zigzag-shaped magnetic domain structure was observed in both alnico 5–7 and 9. The zigzag features are four to five times smaller in size than an average grain of alnico 5–7, implying a pinning mechanism that is caused by structural elements within the grains. Discontinuous and reversible motion on a length scale of a few microns was observed for the zigzag-shaped domains for incremental changes in the applied field of ~10 Oe. Complimentary magnetic force microscopy measurements show that there are domain structures on an even smaller scale, i.e., 2 μm to 100 μm.
Synthesis, Characterization, and Photoactivity of Ta2O5‐Grafted SiO2 Nanoparticles

Herein, we discuss the synthesis as well as material and photochemical characterization of nanometer-sized Ta(2)O(5) decorated, in a controlled fashion, on top of 20 nm diameter SiO(2) particles to yield a composite oxide with a tunable band-gap width. Particular emphasis is paid to control of particle size, and control of the distribution of the overlying oxide. The nanoscale dimension imparts a high surface area and introduces quantum confinement effects that displace the conduction band more negatively and the valence band more positively on the electrochemical scale of potentials. This band shift results in an increase of the number of possible participants in photocatalytic reactions. The band shift is shown to result in an increase in driving force for thermodynamically feasible reactions. By decorating SiO(2) with smaller-sized Ta(2)O(5), the interplay of the Lewis acidity of SiO(2) and the contact area between Ta(2)O(5) and SiO(2) is utilized to develop a photocatalyst with higher photoactivity than pure Ta(2)O(5).
Modeling of catalyst deactivation

Abstract Coke formation and its effect on the catalyst is modeled at three levels: the active site, the particle, and the reactor. At the site level, information on the chemical pathways leading to the deactivating agent and on its interaction with the sites is essential. At the particle level, the presence of concentration profiles and the influence of the structure of the pore network have to be accounted for. The latter aspect is dealt with through percolation theory and the effective medium approximation. At the reactor level, the non-steady-state behavior caused by the deactivation of the catalyst is illustrated. The parallelism between the modeling of deactivation by coke formation and a specific type of poisoning leading to pore blockage is briefly discussed.
Desmoplastic small round cell tumour of the pleura : a case report with further cytogenetic and ultrastructural evidence of 'mesothelioblastemic' origin

A typical case of desmoplastic small round cell tumour of the pleura in a 25-year-old man is described. In addition to the typical histological and immunohistological findings, the EWS-WT1 fusion product was also observed. Ultrastructurally, some tumour cells displayed intracytoplasmic neolumina, with short microvilli characteristic of submesothelial cells. These findings support the theory of a splanchnopleuric intraembryonic mesodermal, 'mesothelioblastemic' origin, both morphologically and cytogenetically.
Differences in the molecular weight and the temperature dependences of self-diffusion and zero shear viscosity in linear polyethylene and hydrogenated polybutadiene

Abstract Within the context of a generalized coupling model we can support the hypothesis that, while the mode of relaxation for self diffusion (D) and shear flow (η) are the same, the entanglement interactions are different. We assume that there are two distinct coupling parameters nD and nη for self diffusion and shear flow respectively. The model predicts the molecular weight and temperature dependences to be scaled by the relevant coupling parameters as: η∝[M 2 exp (E a /kT)] 1 (1−n η ) and D∝M[M 2 exp (E a /kT)] −1 (1−n D ) for melts with Arrhenius temperature dependences. We have found that nn=0.43 and 0.42 for polyethylene (PE) and hydrogenated polybutadiene (HPB) which scale η as M3.5 and M3.4. Also the apparent flow activation energies E∗ a of 6.35 kcal mole−1 for PE and 7.2 kcal mol−1 for HPB scale to primitive activation energies Ea of 3.6 and 4.2 kcal mole−1 for PE and HPB respectively. On the other hand the M−2 dependence of D results in nD=1/3. Then the reported activation energies for self-diffusion in PE and HPB of 5.49 and 6.2 kcal mole−1 scale to primitive activation energies of 3.7 and 4.1 kcal mole−1, respectively.
Developmental Psychopathology in Children of Depressed Mothers.

It is suggested that the tripartite model by Parke, MacDonald, Beitel, and Bhavnagri (1988) of the ways that parents influence their child's social development might be used to organize the study of abnormal development in children of depressed mothers
S&P 500 Index reconstitutions and information asymmetry

We examine the changes in information asymmetry around Standard and Poors (S&P) 500 Index additions and deletions as a possible explanation for the stock price reaction to index revision events. Using an array of information asymmetry measures to represent the complex information environment of corporations, we find a significant decrease in information asymmetry following index inclusions but show that the drop provides limited explanatory power for the announcement return. On the other hand, we find strong support for an increase in information asymmetry after deletion events, and firms with a higher level of information asymmetry prior to deletion accrue larger losses upon deletion announcements. Finally, relative to the behaviour of other firms in the S&P 500 Index, forecast error declines but forecast optimism remains consistent following index inclusions for newly added firms. This study adds to the ongoing debate over demand curves for S&P 500 Index stocks and shows that changes in information asym...
Investigative Use of Bronchoscopy in Asthma

The incorporation of bronchoscopy and bronchoscopic procedures into the investigation of asthma mechanisms, treatment, and in particular, the role of airway inflammation has contributed significantly to the enhanced understanding of this disease. Carefully drafted guidelines have allowed the gradual inclusion of subjects with more severe disease in studies utilizing bronchoscopic investigative tools. Many more questions remained unanswered, including the importance of persistence of airway inflammation in asymptomatic asthma, the specific antiinflammatory effects of new (and old) asthma therapies, the contribution of airway structural changes (subepithelial fibrosis) to nonreversible obstruction, the role of antiinflammatory versus proinflammatory cytokines in the pathogenesis of airway inflammation and the heterogeneity of disease expression in various groups of subjects. We are confident that current and future meticulously designed and executed research studies utilizing bronchoscopic techniques will significantly add to our knowledge of disease mechanisms and lead us to new and improved treatments for asthma.
A Pressure-Based Analysis of the Historical Western North Pacific Tropical Cyclone Intensity Record

AbstractThe western North Pacific Ocean is the most active tropical cyclone (TC) basin. However, recent studies are not conclusive on whether the TC activity is increasing or decreasing, at least when calculations are based on maximum sustained winds. For this study, TC minimum central pressure data are analyzed in an effort to better understand historical typhoons. Best-track pressure reports are compared with aircraft reconnaissance observations; little bias is observed. An analysis of wind and pressure relationships suggests changes in data and practices at numerous agencies over the historical record. New estimates of maximum sustained winds are calculated using recent wind–pressure relationships and parameters from International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS) data. The result suggests potential reclassification of numerous typhoons based on these pressure-based lifetime maximum intensities. Historical documentation supports these new intensities in many cases. In short, wind rep...
Nerve terminal anchorage protein 1 (TAP-1) is a chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan: biochemical and electron microscopic characterization.

The plasma membranes of the nerve terminal and the postsynaptic cell of electric organ are separated by a basal lamina. We have purified, biochemically characterized, and visualized in the electron microscope a macromolecule which appears to anchor the nerve terminal to this basal lamina. This molecule, terminal anchorage protein 1 (TAP-1) is associated with the nerve terminal membrane of electric organ, has the properties of an integral membrane protein, and is tightly bound to the extracellular matrix (Carlson, S.S., P. Caroni, and R.B. Kelly. 1986. J. Cell Biol. 103:509-520). TAP-1 can be solubilized from an electric organ extracellular matrix preparation with guanidine-HCl/3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)-dimethylammnio]-1-propane sulfonate and purified by a combination of permeation chromatography on Sephacryl S-1000, sedimentation velocity, and ion exchange chromatography on DEAE Sephacel. The total purification from electric organ is 91-fold and results in at least 86% purity. Digestion of the molecule with chondroitin ABC or AC lyase produces a large but similar shift in the molecular weight of the molecule on SDS-PAGE. The presence of chondroitin-4- or 6-sulfate is confirmed by identification of the isolated glycosaminoglycans with cellulose acetate electrophoresis. Gel filtration of the isolated chains indicates an average molecular weight of 42,000. Digestion of TAP-1 with other glycosaminoglycan lyases such as heparitinase indicates that only chondroitin sulfate is present. These results demonstrate that TAP-1 is a proteoglycan. Visualization of TAP-1 in the electron microscope reveals a "bottlebrush" structure expected for a proteoglycan. The molecule has an average total length of 345 +/- 17 nm with 20 +/- 2 side projections of 113 +/- 5 nm in length. These side projections are presumably the glycosaminoglycan side chains. From this structure, we predict that the TAP-1 glycosaminoglycan side chains should have a molecular weight of approximately 50,000, which is in close agreement with the biochemical studies. Both biochemical and morphologic data indicate that TAP-1 has a relative molecular weight of approximately 1.2 X 10(6). The large size of TAP-1 suggests that this molecule could span the synaptic cleft and make a significant contribution to the structure of the nerve terminal basal lamina of electric organ.
The effects of four weeks of creatine supplementation and high-intensity interval training on cardiorespiratory fitness: a randomized controlled trial.

High-intensity interval training has been shown to be a time-efficient way to induce physiological adaptations similar to those of traditional endurance training. Creatine supplementation may enhance high-intensity interval training, leading to even greater physiological adaptations. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and creatine supplementation on cardiorespiratory fitness and endurance performance (maximal oxygen consumption (VO2PEAK), time-to-exhaustion (VO2PEAKTTE), ventilatory threshold (VT), and total work done (TWD)) in college-aged men. Forty-three recreationally active men completed a graded exercise test to determine VO2PEAK, VO2PEAKTTE, and VT. In addition, participants completed a time to exhaustion (TTE) ride at 110% of the maximum workload reached during the graded exercise test to determine TWD (TTE (sec) × W = J). Following testing, participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: creatine (creatine citrate) (Cr; n = 16), placebo (PL; n = 17), or control (n = 10) groups. The Cr and PL groups completed four weeks of HIIT prior to post-testing. Significant improvements in VO2PEAK and VO2PEAKTTE occurred in both training groups. Only the Cr group significantly improved VT (16% vs. 10% improvement in PL). No changes occurred in TWD in any group. In conclusion, HIIT is an effective and time-efficient way to improve maximal endurance performance. The addition of Cr improved VT, but did not increase TWD. Therefore, 10 g of Cr per day for five days per week for four weeks does not seem to further augment maximal oxygen consumption, greater than HIIT alone; however, Cr supplementation may improve submaximal exercise performance.
Endothelin-mediated in vivo pressor responses following TRPV1 activation

Transient receptor potential vanilliod 1 (TRPV1) channels have recently been postulated to play a role in the vascular complications/consequences associated with diabetes despite the fact that the ...
Salt Tolerance of Plants: Strategies of Biological Systems

Large terrestrial areas of the world are affected by levels of salt inimical to plant growth. It has been estimated that as many as 4 × 108hectares (ha) of the 1.5 × 109 ha land currently under cultivation have enough salt to reduce the agronomic potential of these areas (28). This is exclusive of the regions classified as arid lands (14). With the enormous amount of arid land, it is very possible that the hectares of land affected by elevated levels of salt will exceed 1.5 × 109 ha or approximately 40% of the 4 × 109 ha of potentially arable land.
Education, Erasmian humanism and More’s Utopia

The humanist movement of the Northern Renaissance—often called ‘Christian humanism’ or ‘Erasmian humanism’ (after its most famous member, Desiderius Erasmus)—had a lasting impact on many areas of European intellectual and cultural life. This paper reviews the contribution of Erasmus and his circle to the theory and practice of education. After first outlining the main features of the Erasmian humanist tradition more generally, the paper then explores in greater detail two specific works on education by Erasmus himself—his treatises on The education of a Christian prince (1515) and his later work On the education of children (1529). The paper then investigates Thomas More’s Utopia (1516), perhaps the most enduring literary achievement of Erasmian humanism, showing how Utopia displays the educational philosophy of the movement in such a way as to bring out its larger implications for moral and political theory and practice. Finally, the paper briefly considers the contemporary legacy of the tradition of Era...
Toward a psychophysics of agency: detecting gain and loss of control over auditory action effects.

Theories of agency-the feeling of being in control of one's actions and their effects-emphasize either perceptual or cognitive aspects. This study addresses both aspects simultaneously in a finger-tapping paradigm. The tasks required participants to detect when synchronization of their taps with computer-controlled tones changed to self-controlled production of tones, or the reverse. For comparison, the tone sequences recorded in these active tapping conditions were also presented in passive listening conditions, in which participants had to detect the transition from computer to human control, or vice versa. Signal detection theory was applied to separate sensitivity from bias. Sensorimotor cues to agency were found to increase sensitivity in the active conditions compared with the passive conditions, which provided only perceptual cues. Analysis of bias revealed a tendency to attribute action effects to self-control. Thus, judgments of agency rely on veridical sensorimotor cues but can also be subject to cognitive bias.
NCX is an important determinant for premature ventricular activity in a drug-induced model of Andersen-Tawil syndrome.

Aims Andersen–Tawil syndrome (ATS1)-associated ventricular arrhythmias are initiated by premature ventricular activity (PVA) resulting from diastolic Ca2+ (CaD) accumulation. We hypothesized that relatively high Na+–Ca2+ exchanger (NCX) expression coupled with slower Ca2+ uptake may constitute an arrhythmogenic substrate during drug-induced ATS1 (DI-ATS1). Methods and results DI-ATS1 was induced with 10 µmol/L BaCl2 and 2 mmol/L [K+]o. Ca2+ transients and action potentials were optically mapped from Langendorff-perfused guinea pig ventricles. Intracellular Ca2+ handling was modulated by either direct NCX inhibition with 5 µmol/L KB-R7943 or by sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA2a) inhibition with cyclopiazonic acid (CPA). During DI-ATS1, PVA was more frequent in left ventricular (LV)-base (LVB) vs. LV-apex (LVA) (2.2 ± 0.8 vs. 0.6 ± 0.3 PVA/10 min), consistent with greater CaD (1.65 ± 0.13 vs. 1.42 ± 0.09 normalized-CaD units) and western blot-assessed NCX protein expression (81.2 ± 30.9%) in LVB relative to LVA. Further, regions of high NCX (LVB) evidenced a shorter PVA coupling interval relative to regions of low NCX expression (LVA, 67.7 ± 3.5 vs. 78.5 ± 3.6%). Inhibiting NCX during DI-ATS1 lowered the incidence of ventricular tachycardias (VTs, 0 vs. 25%) and PVA (1.5 ± 0.4 vs. 4.3 ± 1.4 PVA/10 min), but it did not affect PVA coupling intervals in LVB nor LVA (70.8 ± 4.3 vs. 73.8 ± 2.5%). Conversely, inhibition of SERCA2a with CPA, thereby increasing the role of NCX in Ca2+ handling, significantly increased the incidence of VTs and PVA relative to DI-ATS1 alone, while decreasing the PVA coupling interval in all regions. Conclusion PVA preferentially occurs in regions of enhanced NCX expression with relatively slower Ca2+ uptake and during perfusion of CPA which further reduces sarcoplasmic reticular Ca2+ uptake.
Problems in Shock Wave Research

Theoretical studies of shock waves, their structure and their propagation date well back into the 19th century. Poisson, Stokes and Earnshaw were early pioneers; Rankine, the great Scottish engineer, and a less reknowned French scientist, H. Hugoniot, established foundations which were later elaborated by Rayleigh,1 G. I. Taylor,2 and P. Duhem.3 Their work, along with more recent contributions by Bethe,4 von Neuman,5 Gil barg,6 R. Courant and K. O. Friedrichs7 and others, has been adapted to solids in recent years8 and serves us well today for most purposes. Recent developments by G. R. Fowles and R. Williams9 promise a new dimension in the interpretation of experiments in solids, but fulfillment of their promise may await new measuring techniques.
The Science upon Which to Base Dietary Sodium Policy

Few nutrient intake recommendations become subjects of heated scientific debate, but sodium is 1 of them. In the absence of sufficient clinical trials focused on sodium intake and health outcomes, studies that used the surrogate marker of blood pressure have been used to support extreme sodium reduction. Under tightly controlled conditions, maximum achievable sodium reduction leads to a 1–6 mm Hg reduction in systolic blood pressure, which presumably leads to reduced cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality. However, in observational cohort studies that used not blood pressure but actual health conditions as outcomes, the presumed relation between sodium intakes <2500 mg/d was not observed. Thus, the blood pressure effect of sodium restriction can no longer be accepted as a surrogate for health outcomes associated with sodium intake. Evidence that reducing sodium intakes to <2500 mg/d will improve health is needed to justify continuing efforts to modify diet.
Patient Online Self-Reporting of Toxicity Symptoms During Chemotherapy

Purpose Tracking symptoms related to treatment toxicity is standard practice in routine care and during clinical trials. Currently, clinicians collect symptom information via complex and often inefficient mechanisms, but there is growing interest in collecting outcome information directly from patients. Patients and Methods The National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events schema for seven common symptoms was adapted into a Web-based patient-reporting system, accessible from desktop computers in outpatient clinics and from home computers. Eighty patients with gynecologic malignancies beginning standard chemotherapy regimens were enrolled between April and September 2004. During an 8-week observation period, participants were encouraged to log in and report symptoms at each follow-up visit, or alternatively, to access the system from home. Results All patients completed an initial log in. At each subsequent appointment, most enrollees (80% to 85%) reported symptoms using the onli...
Cauda equina syndrome after spinal anesthesia: A case report

A 72-year-old man undergoing emergency arthroscopic irrigation and debridement of the left knee joint due to pyogenic arthritis developed cauda equina syndrome after spinal anesthesia with 0.5% hyperbaric tetracaine mixed with epinephrine. Epinephrine was added to local anesthetic to prolong the duration and to increase the quality of spinal anesthesia. There was no paresthesia on needle placement. We injected anesthetics twice because the first subarachnoid injection failed. The patient experienced impaired sensation in the perineal region and alterations in bowel and urinary habits. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed spondylolisthesis and disc protrusion (L4-5), with spinal stenosis (L5-S1), but did not show suspicious lesions such as hematoma and abscess. We suggest the causative factors are temporary neural compression due to his spinal diseases and spinal cord ischemia due to decreased spinal blood flow because of epinephrine. We also cannot rule out the tetracaine neurotoxicity.