cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Supplemental dietary calcium fails to alter the acute effects of 1,2-dimethylhydrazine on O6-methylguanine, O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase and cellular proliferation in the rat colon

Prior studies from our laboratory have demonstrated that K-ras G to A mutations were detectable in a high percentage of carcinomas which developed in the colons of animals treated with the known colonic procarcinogen, 1,2-dimethyl-hydrazine (DMH). Moreover, in this model, the incidence of these mutations was decreased by a supplemental dietary calcium regimen which concomitantly decreased the frequency of rats with multiple tumors as well as tumor size. In an attempt to clarify the possible mechanism(s) involved in this antimutagenic effect of supplemental calcium, two groups of Sprague-Dawley rats were fed semisynthetic diets containing either 0.87 or 1.80% calcium by weight for 3 weeks, s.c. injected with 100 mg/kg of DMH and killed prior to and at various time periods (16-144 h) after injection. The colons of animals were analyzed and compared with respect to O6-methylguanine content in DNA, O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase levels as well as cellular proliferation, as assessed by immunohistochemical staining of colonic crypts by bromodeoxyuridine. In certain experiments, these parameters were also analyzed in the proximal and distal colon before and at various times after administration of DMH. The results of these experiments demonstrated that supplemental dietary calcium was not found to influence significantly O6-methylguanine levels, alkyltransferase levels or cellular proliferation in the entire colon or in either colonic segment before or after the acute administration of DMH. DMH did, however, differentially alter all three of these biochemical parameters in the colonic segments (distal > proximal), possibly due to a greater degree of metabolic activation in the distal colon.
Expression of IL-12 in CNS and lymphoid organs of mice with experimental allergic encephalitis

EAE is a Th1 cell-mediated inflammatory autoimmune demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. IL-12 is a 70 kd heterodimeric cytokine, capable of regulating a wide range of immune functions. In view of its crucial role in the development of Th1 immune responses, we studied the expression of IL-12 p40 in the CNS and lymphoid organs of mice with EAE. RT-PCR analysis showed an increase in the expression of IL-12 p40 in brain and spinal cord during the acute paralytic phase of EAE and that decreased upon clinical recovery. The expression of p40 mRNA was also increased in spleen, lymph node and liver along with an elevated levels of circulating serum IL-12 during the height of disease. In vivo administration of rIL-12 increased the proliferative response and IFN-gamma production of MBP sensitized T cells and that was decreased following treatment with anti-IL-12 antibody. The expression of IL-12 in the target and lymphoid organs of animals with EAE, the induction of a Th1 type immune response following immunization with neuronal antigens and the inhibition of clinical disease upon treatment with anti-IL-12 antibody, suggest the crucial role of IL-12 in the pathogenesis of EAE.
Cytochrome P-450IID6 phenotyping in cancer patients: debrisoquin and dextromethorphan as probes.

The usefulness of substituting dextromethorphan for debrisoquin as a probe for cytochrome P450IID6 deficiency was investigated in 20 male cancer patients. Each patient was studied on two occasions. An oral dose of dextromethorphan (60 mg) was administered to 13 patients and are week later an oral dose of debrisoquin (10 mg) was administered to each patient. The order was reversed for the other 7 patients. An 8-h urine sample was collected after administration of each test drug and assayed for parent drug and metabolites. Five poor metabolizers (PMs) and 15 extensive metabolizers (EMs) of debrisoquin were tested. The debrisoquin metabolic ratio (DMR), calculated as [parent drug]/[metabolite], correlated with the metabolic ratio of dextromethorphan (R2=0.58,P=0.0001). All PMs of debrisoquin (metabolic ratio >12.0) were easily identified as being PMs of dextromethorphan (metabolic ratio >0.30). Within the EM group, there was a significant correlation between the metabolic ratios of debrisoquin and dextromethorphan (R2=0.82, P<0.0001). There was not as clear a correlation in the PM group (R2=0.32, P=0.32). These findings suggest that dextromethorphan can be substituted for debrisoquin in establishing the debrisoquin phenotype in a patient population with metastatic cancer.
Three-dimensional reconstructions of the early November 2004 Coordinated Data Analysis Workshop geomagnetic storms: Analyses of STELab IPS speed and SMEI density data

[1] Combined interplanetary scintillation (IPS) and Solar Mass Ejection Imager (SMEI) remote-sensing observations provide a view of the solar wind at almost all heliographic latitudes and covering distances from the Sun between 0.1 AU and 3.0 AU. They are used to study the development of the solar wind and coronal transients as they move out into interplanetary space, and also the inner heliospheric response to the passage of corotating solar structures and coronal mass ejections (CMEs). The observations take place in both radio scintillation level and speed for IPS, and in Thomson-scattered white light brightness for SMEI. With colleagues at the Solar Terrestrial Environment Laboratory (STELab), Nagoya University, Japan, we have developed a data analysis system for the STELab IPS data which can also be applied to SMEI white light data. This employs a three-dimensional (3-D) reconstruction technique that obtains perspective views from solar corotating plasma and outward flowing solar wind as observed from the Earth by iterative fitting of a kinematic solar wind model to the data. This 3-D modeling technique permits reconstructions of the density and speed of CMEs and other interplanetary transients at relatively coarse spatial and temporal resolutions. For the time-dependent model (used here), these typically range from 5° to 20° in latitude and longitude, with a 1/2 to 1 day time cadence. For events during early November 2004 we compare these reconstructed structures with in situ measurements from the ACE and Wind (near-Earth) spacecraft to validate the 3-D tomographic reconstruction results and provide input to the ENLIL 3-D magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) numerical model.
The costs and benefits of phased retirement

Individuals who retire have widely varying needs and differ also in their preparedness for their new conditions.
Locally adjusted LM test for spatial dependence in fixed effects panel data models

Lee and Yu (2010) propose spatial panel data models with one-way and two-way fixed effects. Debarsy and Ertur (2010) construct LM (Lagrange multiplier) and LR (likelihood ratio) tests in the one-way fixed effects model. He and Lin (2012) derive LM tests in the two-way fixed effects model. To guard against possible local misspecification, in this paper we apply Bera and Yoon (1993) principle, and construct locally adjusted (robust) LM tests for spatial dependence in both one-way and two-way fixed effects models. Monte Carlo experiment is carried out to show the advantage of using robust LM tests over the corresponding marginal and conditional versions.
Effects of amiodarone administration during lactation in Fischer-344 rats.

The antiarrhythmic drug, amiodarone, was administered (35 mg/kg, p.o.) once daily to lactating Fischer-344 rats for either the first 7 days of lactation, the first 14 days of lactation, or for the full 24-day lactational period. Treatment with amiodarone resulted in a decrease in maternal weight gain compared to pair-fed vehicle-treated controls, however, neonatal weight gain was not affected. The concentration of amiodarone in the maternal milk was approx. 6-fold higher than its primary metabolite, desethylamiodarone. Plasma levels of amiodarone and desethylamiodarone were higher in maternal rats compared to neonates. Both amiodarone and desethylamiodarone were distributed to neonatal tissues through lactational transfer. The levels of desethylamiodarone were higher in neonatal lung compared to liver at all treatment times. They were also elevated above amiodarone in neonatal lung at all treatment times. The amiodarone levels in neonatal lung and liver were similar.
Coping with the menopausal hot flash

No data are available regarding alternatives to estrogens to help women cope with the menopausal hot flash, a condition labeled vasomotor instability of unknown etiology. This article answers questions most frequently asked by women about the hot flash, places the menopause and associated body changes within a normal growth and developmental framework, and describes methods other than estrogens that women use to cope with the hot flash.
Access to cochlear implant candidacy evaluations: Who is not making it to the team evaluations?

The objective of this study was to investigate trends in the referral process among pediatric cochlear implant candidates. Medical and audiologic charts between 2003 and 2005 were reviewed, and children five years and younger with moderately-severe or worse sensorineural hearing loss were included. Of the 105 audiograms meeting the inclusion criteria, 69% were referred for a cochlear implant, and 52% were considered as definite candidates for an implant by audiologists with expertise in cochlear implant technology. Children referred for an implant, compared to children who were not referred, were more likely to have married parents (91% vs. 70%, p=0.02) and more likely to have private insurance (56% vs. 29%, p=0.02). Multivariable regression results were consistent with the unadjusted findings regarding marital status, but not insurance status. Children with sensorineural hearing loss are inconsistently referred to cochlear implant teams despite similar audiologic findings. To reach the Healthy People 201...
Molecular pathology of osteosarcoma

Publisher Summary Although osteosarcoma is a relatively rare neoplasm, it does represent the most common bone malignancy of childhood with an incidence of 4–5 per million population. Diagnosis and classification of osteosarcoma relies on correlation of biopsy findings with imaging studies. While molecular findings continue to be of limited value in the diagnosis of osteosarcoma, researchers' understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of this neoplasm and the molecular pathways involved has increased significantly in recent years. These findings do contribute to one's understanding of tumor prognosis, and may in the future yield important information for directed therapy. The understanding of these processes has been enhanced through the study of syndromes associated with an increased risk of osteosarcoma, with studies of sporadic osteosarcoma, and with research involving animal models. This chapter reviews specific tumor suppressor genes, oncogenes, and molecular pathways which have been implicated in the development and progression of osteosarcoma.
I-Scan: Chromoendoscopy without the hassle?

Colonoscopy with removal and pathologic assessment of all olyps is frequently performed in patients at risk for colorectal caner. Surveillance intervals are then determined based on quantity nd size of adenomatous polyps. While colonoscopy serves as the urrent gold standard for colon cancer prevention and diagnosis, here is an inherent miss rate with the procedure. For examle, 5% of patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer had a recent olonoscopy that failed to detect the malignancy [1]. Additionally, andem colonoscopy studies have shown an adenoma miss rate of .1% for adenomas >10mm, 13% for adenomas 5–10mm, and 26% or adenomas of 1–5mm [2]. Several factors have been shown to ontribute to miss rates including poor bowel preparation, failure o reach the lesion, flat or depressed polyps, exam performance y a non-gastroenterologists [2], overly rapid withdrawal times 3], incomplete polypectomies, or polyps hidden behind folds. hether and to what extent technological advances in imaging an improve the detection of colonic neoplasia remains an open uestion. Another drawback to colonoscopy is the cost and resources nvolved with full pathologic evaluation of small hyperplasic polyps, which have no malignant potential. It is likely hat if small hyperplastic polyps could be left alone, the costffectiveness of screening and surveillance colonoscopy would mprove. In this issue of Digestive and Liver Disease, Hoffman et al. erformed a pilot evaluation of I-Scan (Pentax, Japan), a new ndoscopic imaging system for performing screening colonoscopy. ike narrow band imaging (NBI) this is a post-processing light lter technology that is able to enhance different elements of he mucosa (SE-mode for surface analysis, v-mode for vessel haracterization, or p-mode for pattern characterization). This articular instrumentation incorporates a variety of filters with ncreased pixels in its colour chip device (CCD) to improve the igital image. The SE-mode is designed to recognize lesions on ithdrawal of the colonoscope, while vand p-mode are proosed for characterizing the histology of lesions as hyperplastic or denomatous.
Voting Rights, Voter Turnout, and Realignment: The Impact of the 1965 Voting Rights Act

Numerous studies have examined the impact of the expansion of voting rights that occurred in the South with the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. It has been demonstrated that black voter registration and black voting increased and that in turn black office holding increased (Rodgers and Bullock, 1972: 15-54).1 Moreover, the responsiveness of white elected officials representing heavily black districts may also have increased, although the relationship between the size of the black constituency and responsiveness does not appear to be consistently linear. William Keech has suggested that the relationship may be linear with responsiveness increasing with a larger black vote up to approximately 30% black, but with little increase in responsiveness between 30% and majority control (Keech, 1968: 101). Other studies have reported a curvilinear relationship. For instance, Bullock (1981: 679), in an analysis of congressional roll call voting, found that representatives of districts that were 26% to 35% black were
Monosaccharide analysis of glycoconjugates by anion exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection.

Abstract The method of anion exchange chromatography followed by pulsed amperometric detection (AE-PAD; Johnson, D. C., and Polta, T. Z. (1986) Chromatogr. Forum 1 , 37–44) has been applied to the compositional analysis of glycoconjugates. Using 22 m m NaOH as a column effluent, underivatized fucose, galactosamine, glucosamine, galactose, glucose, and mannose were readily separated in 15 min at a flow rate of 1 ml/min. The limit of quantification of the monosaccharides was better than 100 pmol (signal to noise ratio 184:1). AE-PAD was employed to quantify the monosaccharides of several glycoproteins, glycopeptides, and oligosaccharides after hydrolysis with 2 m trifluoroacetic acid. Both neutral and amino sugars could be rapidly estimated in a single chromatographic step using AE-PAD. Complete release of N -acetylglucosamine required more vigorous hydrolysis conditions (Lee, Y. C. (1972) in Methods in Enzymology (Ginsburg, V., Ed.), Vol. 28, pp. 63–73, Academic Press, New York). In both glycopeptides and oligosaccharides, approximately one less residue of Man than predicted was determined. Both AE-PAD and liquid chromatographic analysis of borate-monosaccharide complexes with fluorometric detection (Mikami, H., and Ishida, Y. (1983) Bunseki Kagaku 32 , E207–E210) gave similar quantification of mannose and other sugars. The capability of rapid, sensitive quantification of underivitized monosaccharides should facilitate structural analysis of glycoconjugates.
Assessing vitamin D status.

Purpose of reviewTo characterize methods evaluating and to summarize studies linking various serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations with health status.Recent findingsElucidation of the cell-biologic mechanism of vitamin D action, and numerous clinical trials and observational studies rel
Prevalence, Morbidity, and Mortality of Heart Failure–Related Hospitalizations in Children in the United States: A Population-Based Study

Abstract Background Few data exist on prevalence, morbidity, and mortality of pediatric heart failure hospitalizations. We tested the hypotheses that pediatric heart failure–related hospitalizations increased over time but that mortality decreased. Factors associated with mortality and length of stay were also assessed. Methods and Results A retrospective analysis of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Kids' Inpatient Database was performed for pediatric (age ≤18 years) heart failure–related hospitalizations for the years 1997, 2000, 2003, and 2006. Hospitalizations did not significantly increase over time, ranging from 11,153 (95% confidence interval [CI] 8,898–13,409) in 2003 to 13,892 (95% CI 11,528–16,256) in 2006. Hospital length of stay increased from 1997 (mean 13.8 days, 95% CI 12.5–15.2) to 2006 (mean 19.4 days, 95% CI 18.2 to 20.6). Hospital mortality was 7.3% (95% CI 6.9–8.0) and did not vary significantly between years; however, risk-adjusted mortality was less in 2006 (odds ratio 0.70, 95% CI 0.61 to 0.80). The greatest risk of mortality occurred with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, acute renal failure, and sepsis. Conclusions Heart failure–related hospitalizations occur in 11,000–14,000 children annually in the United States, with an overall mortality of 7%. Many comorbid conditions influenced hospital mortality.
Strong magnetic field in spontaneously broken gauge theories

We make a few observations about the calculations of effective potentials of spontaneously broken gauge theories, in the presence of a strong magnetic field, by summation over vacuum energies.
Know‐it‐ahs, identifiers, defenders, and solidifiers (kids): Examining interpretive authority within literacy events

Abstract This paper profiles six fourth‐grade readers in a group of eight as they participated in literacy events with authentic trade books in the language arts curriculum. The students’ interpretations of texts are examined in light of the construct of interpretive authority. Interpretive authority suggests that participants in literacy events have authority to determine whether responses shared by others are acceptable and add to group meaning making, or whether responses are irrelevant to understanding the text. Findings highlight the complexities of interpretive authority as students positioned themselves in diverse ways within the literacy events.
Added mass and damping coefficients fora hexagonal cylinder

An analytical investigation of the fluid coupling effects from a single hexagonal cylinder ina hexagonal cavity undergoing harmonic oscillations is presented. A closed form solution for the velocity and pressure is obtained under a thin gap approximation for the case of moderate frequencies. From this solution, the usual viscous and inertial fluid coupling coefficients are easily obtained. These analytically derived coefficients indicate a strong dependence upon gap spacing and oscillating Reynolds number.
Histologic grade does not predict prognosis in optimally treated, advanced‐stage nodular sclerosing Hodgkin's disease

Forty-two patients with advanced-stage nodular sclerosing Hodgkin's disease (NSHD) were treated uniformly with combination chemotherapy and radiation therapy at the University of Nebraska Medical Center between 1982 and 1987. The cases were subclassified into low-grade (13 cases) and high-grade (29 cases) categories using the British National Lymphoma Investigation (BNLI) histologic criteria. After a median follow-up interval of 48 months, no significant differences with regard to the complete remission rate (100% versus 90%), remission durability (85% versus 96%), or predicted 4-year actuarial survival (92% versus 86%) were observed between the two groups, respectively. It was concluded that the BNLI grading scheme for NSHD does not predict the clinical outcome of patients with advanced-stage NSHD who receive optimal therapy.
Electronic structure of localized Si dangling-bond defects by tunneling spectroscopy.

Scanning tunneling microscopy is used to determine the atomic structure, charge state, and electronic energy spectrum of isolated Si dangling-bond defects at the Al/Si(111) surface. Si adatoms substituting for Al in the first atomic layer give rise to a dangling-bond defect state near —0.4 eV which is strongly localized in space. Tunneling spectra and local band-bending measurements are inconsistent with simple one-electron band theory and demonstrate the importance of many-electron effects.
Importance of identifying left main coronary artery narrowing in subsets of patients with coronary artery disease.

Excerpt An important fact that has emerged from numerous studies conducted during the past decade is that all patients with coronary artery disease do not conveniently manifest a homogenous "natura...
Selection of a Reference Partitioning System for Drug Design Work

Consideration of the structural, polar, and transport properties of water-saturated solvent and solvent-saturated water phases of three general and eight specific binary systems leads to the conclusion that the n-octanol-water system is a very good all-round compromise for use as a reference system for biological partitioning in drug design work.
Techniques to Enhance Arteriovenous Fistula Maturation

Maturation of an arteriovenous fistula remains an elusive step in obtaining a good functional hemodialysis access outcome. Considerable variability in the performance of access procedures exists between surgical practices that are not necessarily well justified. Herein, a brief overview of techniques is presented to help in maximize the potential for maturing an arteriovenous fistula. These include arm vein preservation, arm vein duplex mapping, branch ligation, staged transposition/ superficialization, and comprehensive follow-up and intervention program. Although definitive data may be lacking to show effectiveness in all areas reviewed, recommendations are made to help surgeons in working toward higher maturation rates. Further opportunities avail to developing clinical practice guidelines so as to give all end stage renal disease patients the best clinical experience.
Radiotherapeutic management of cervical carcinoma that complicates pregnancy

BACKGROUND Data regarding radiation therapy for pregnant patients with cervical carcinoma are limited. The goal of this study was to assess the effects of pregnancy on tumor control, survival, and morbidity associated with radiation therapy administered to pregnant patients. METHODS The authors performed a retrospective case-control analysis of 26 women with cervical carcinoma who were diagnosed during pregnancy and treated primarily with radiation therapy. These cases were matched with 26 controls based on age, histology, stage, treatment, and year of treatment. RESULTS Patients were treated with external beam radiation (mean dose, 46.7 gray [Gy]) and intracavitary radiation (mean dose, 56.5 Gy to Point A). Two patients with Stage IA2 squamous cell carcinoma treated in the third trimester had a planned delay in treatment of 3 weeks, and both infants had an uncomplicated neonatal course. Seven pregnant patients (2 Stage IB1, 5 Stage IB2) underwent radiation after radical hysterectomy was aborted due to positive regional lymph nodes. Three patients diagnosed during the first trimester were treated with radiation with the fetus in situ, and all had spontaneous abortions 20-24 days after the start of radiation (mean dose, 34 Gy). In all these cases, radiation was interrupted for only 3 days or less. There were no statistically significant differences in recurrence rates or survival between the pregnant group and the controls. Short term toxicity was comparable in pregnant and nonpregnant patients and easily controlled. Long term complications were more common in controls (12% in pregnant patients, 27% in controls), but this difference was not statistically significant. Most complications were likely related to radiation techniques (particularly the predominance of cobalt-60). CONCLUSIONS Planned delay in treatment should be offered to pregnant patients with early stage squamous cell carcinoma in the late second and early third trimester. Patients diagnosed in the first or second trimester who are not good candidates for planned delay in treatment should be given radiation therapy immediately. It may be necessary to reconsider planned radical hysterectomy for pregnant women with Stage IB2 disease due to the high rate of lymph node positivity found on exploration. For patients with advanced disease, radiation therapy appears to be a safe and effective modality. Cancer 1997; 80:1073-8. © 1997 American Cancer Society.
Resonant optical nonlinearities in semiconductors

Semiconductors provide some of the most promising materials for nonlinear optics, because of large resonant nonlinearities, control of recombination time (from milliseconds to femtoseconds), well-developed fabrication technologies, and compatibility with other optoelectronic devices. The paper reviews some of the concepts and results that have come from the study of nonlinear optics in semiconductors. The emphasis is on nonlinear absorption and the refractive index that arises from the photo-induced excitation of free carriers. Mechanisms described include state-filling, carrier transport, and photorefractivity. Devices include optical bistability, reflective asymmetric Fabry-Perot all-optical absorptive switches, optically addressed spatial light modulators, and real-time holography. The paper's approach is to provide a basic engineering understanding of the principles, some of the historical details, and a snapshot of the state of the field today.
Design of single-voltage amplifier active filters for minimum open-loop gain sensitivity

The pole sensitivity with reference to the open-loop gainbandwidth product |\omega_{a}| of the amplifier for a large class of single-voltage amplifier RC networks is examined. Both finite gain and operational amplifier networks are considered under the assumption that the amplifier openloop gain effectively has a one-pole rolloff frequency characteristic. For p=\omega_{0}(-1/2Q+j\sqrt{1-1/4Q^{2}}) a nominal pole of the transfer function, general expressions for dp/d(1/ \omega_{a}), dQ/d(1/ \omega_{a}) , and d \omega_{0}/d(1 / \omega_{a}) are presented in terms of certain parameters of the RC network. It is shown that these parameters may generally be found by inspection from the RC openand short-circuit time constants and the high-frequency current gain of the passive RC network. The second-order transfer function case is considered in detail and the optimum choices of the pertinent passive RC network parameters for minimum sensitivity magnitude under various constraints are presented. A simple expression for the minimum possible magnitude of dp / d(1 / \omega_{a}) for a given second-order transfer function is derived. Finally, the application of these criteria to existing synthesis schemes in order to minimize dp/d(1/ \omega_{a}) or achieve other sensitivity properties, such as zero Q sensitivity, is discussed.
Comparison of Effectiveness of Silicone Gel Sheeting With Microporous Paper Tape in the Prevention of Hypertrophic Scarring in a Rabbit Model

Objective To determine the effectiveness of treating scars with microporous paper tape or silicone gel sheeting (SGS) in preventing hypertrophic scarring Methods Forty hypertrophic scars were induc...
Traction fields, moments, and strain energy that cells exert on their surroundings

Adherent cells exert tractions on their surroundings. These tractions can be measured by observing the displacements of beads embedded on a flexible gel substrate on which the cells are cultured. This paper presents an exact solution to the problem of computing the traction field from the observed displacement field. The solution rests on recasting the relationship between displacements and tractions into Fourier space, where the recovery of the traction field is especially simple. We present two subcases of the solution, depending on whether or not tractions outside the observed cell boundaries are set to be zero. The implementation is computationally efficient. We also give the solution for the traction field in a representative human airway smooth muscle cell contracted by treatment with histamine. Finally, we give explicit formulas for reducing the traction and displacement fields to contraction moments, the orientation of the principal axes of traction, and the strain energy imparted by the cell to the substrate.
Brassinosteroid signal transduction – choices of signals and receptors

Abstract Small signaling molecules that mediate cell–cell communication are essential for developmental regulation in multicellular organisms. Among them are the steroids and peptide hormones that regulate growth in both plants and animals. In plants, brassinosteroids (BRs) are perceived by the cell surface receptor kinase BRI1, which is distinct from the animal steroid receptors. Identification of components of the BR signaling pathway has revealed similarities to other animal and plant signal transduction pathways. Recent studies demonstrated that tomato BRI1 (tBRI1) perceives both BR and the peptide hormone systemin, raising new questions about the molecular mechanism and evolution of receptor–ligand specificity.
Detection of medulloblastoma and astrocytoma-associated ganglioside GD3 in cerebrospinal fluid

Shedding of gangliosides by tumor cells may enhance tumor development. We recently showed that cells of the human brain tumor, medulloblastoma, shed gangliosides in vitro and have therefore examined ganglioside shedding by pediatric brain tumors into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). GD3, a major ganglioside in medulloblastoma and astrocytoma, was the target for detection in the CSF by immunostaining using the monoclonal antibody R24 and enhanced chemiluminescence detection. Mean CSF GD3 levels in patients with medulloblastomas (n = 9) and astrocytomas (n = 10) were significantly higher than those of controls (mean +/- SD 44.7 +/- 8.4 versus 18.2 +/- 1.9 pmol/ml, n = 20, P < 0.0002). Mass spectrometric analysis showed that tumor-derived ganglioside GD3 contained heterogeneous ceramide structures and, interestingly, the ceramide subspecies with shorter fatty acyl chains were selectively shed. The elevated CSF GD3 concentrations in patients with medulloblastoma and astrocytoma support the concept that ganglioside shedding, which may have significant biological consequences, is characteristic of human brain tumors.
Creating Peace Through Cambodian American Literature

I believe that man will not merely endure: he will prevail. He is immortal, not because he alone among creatures has an inexhaustible voice, but because he has a soul, a spirit capable of compassio...
Role of Endothelin in Mediating the Attenuated Renal Hemodynamics in Dahl Salt-Sensitive Hypertension

The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of endothelin (ET) in the hypertension associated with giving a high sodium diet in Dahl salt-sensitive (DS) rats. To achieve this goal, we examined the effects of intravenous infusion of the nonspecific ET(A)-ET(B) antagonist on arterial pressure and renal function in conscious, chronically instrumented DS and Dahl salt-resistant (DR) rats. After 3 weeks on a high sodium (8%) diet, mean arterial pressure (MAP) in DS rats (166+/-3 mm Hg) was significantly higher than in DR rats (124+/-3 mm Hg). Baseline glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and renal plasma flow (RPF) in DS rats (1.92+/-0.25 mL/min and 7.07+/-0.80 mL/min) were lower than in DR rats (2.52+/-0.21 mL/min and 7.98+/-0.85 mL/min), respectively. Renal vascular resistance was significantly higher in DS rats (32.78+/-5.88 mm Hg x mL(-1) x min(-1)) than in DR rats (24.60+/-5.04 mm Hg x mL(-1) x min(-1)). Intravenous infusion of the ET antagonist SB 209670 at a dose of 30 microg x kg(-1) x min(-1) for 75 minutes caused a significant decrease in MAP in DS rats (from 166+/-3 to 144+/-4 mm Hg). In contrast, the effect of the ET antagonism on MAP in DR rats was not significant. ET-antagonist infusion tended to improve GFR and RPF in DS but not in DR rats. To determine the renal effects of ET antagonism independent of the systemic hemodynamic responses, we examined the effects of the same ET antagonist in rats chronically implanted with a renal interstitial catheter. Arterial pressure in DS rats (181+/-5 mm Hg) was significantly higher than in DR rats (135+/-3 mm Hg). Renal interstitial infusion of SB 209670 at a dose of 200 ng x kg(-1) x min(-1) for 60 minutes caused no change in MAP in DS or DR rats. Intrarenal ET antagonism significantly increased GFR (25%), RPF (30%), urine flow (32%), and urinary sodium excretion (25%) in DS rats, while it had no significant effect in DR rats. Fractional excretion of sodium was not significantly changed by renal interstitial infusion of the ET antagonist in DS rats, indicating that improved renal excretory function in DS rats is most likely due to the associated improvement in renal hemodynamics. We conclude that ET may play a role in the attenuated renal hemodynamics and possibly the development of Dahl salt-sensitive hypertension.
Robust mesh editing using Laplacian coordinates

Shape deformation and editing are important for animation and game design. Laplacian surface based methods have been widely investigated and used in many works. In this paper we propose a robust mesh editing framework which improves traditional Laplacian surface editing. It consists of two procedures: skeleton based as-rigid-as-possible (ARAP) shape modeling and detail-preserving mesh optimization. Traditional ARAP shape modeling relies on the mesh quality. Degenerated mesh may adversely affect the deformation performance. A preprocessing step of mesh optimization can alleviate this problem. However, skinny triangles can still be generated during deformation, which adversely affect the editing performance. Thus our method performs Laplacian mesh deformation and optimization alternately in each iteration, which ensures mesh quality without noticeably increasing computational complexity or changing the shape details. This approach is more robust than those solely using Laplacian mesh deformation. An additional benefit is that the skeleton-based ARAP modeling can approximately preserve the volume of an object with large-scale deformations. The volume is roughly kept by leveraging the skeleton information and employing a carefully designed energy function to preserve the edge length. This method does not break the manifoldness of traditional ARAP methods or sacrifice speed. In our experiments, we show that (1) our method is robust even for degenerated meshes, (2) the deformation is natural in terms of recovering rotations, and (3) volumes are roughly kept even under large-scale deformations. The system achieves real time performance for surface meshes with 7k vertices.
A survey of exercise beliefs and exercise habits among people with arthritis

Objective. To explore a possible explanation for the problem of why few people exercise despite the positive health advantages, by examining the relationship between exercise beliefs and participation in exercise activities. Methods. Eighty-one respondents aged 27–80 were recruited from 3 Chicago-area health care facilities to complete the study survey; 68 (84%) did so. Participants were asked about their participation in 6 types of exercise activities; they also reported their beliefs concerning their ability to exercise (self-efficacy for exercise), barriers to exercise, benefits of exercise, and the impact of exercise on their arthritis. Results. Study results indicate that belief in the benefits of exercise and self-efficacy for exercise are associated with participation in exercise activities. Also, severity of disease differentiated exercisers from non-exercisers. Conclusions. Results suggest the importance of finding ways to strengthen belief in the benefits of exercise and self-efficacy for exercise in people with arthritis, particularly people with moderate to severe disease-related limitations.
Correlation of the Structure and Properties of Alkalides and Electrides That Contain Cryptands or Crown Ethers

Abstract The structures of several salts that contain alkali metal anions (alkalides) and two that contain trapped electrons (electrides) are correlated with their optical and NMR spectra, and magnetic susceptibilities. The nature of the channels and trapping sites in the two electrides are described.
Lateralization of the parietal old/new effect: An event-related fMRI study comparing recognition memory for words and faces

Although the parietal cortex is not conventionally thought of as a major component of the neural systems that mediate declarative memory, many fMRI studies of recognition memory have found that correctly identified old items produce greater activation than correctly rejected new items throughout parietal cortex. This effect is usually heavily lateralized to the left. However, the vast majority of previous studies have used verbal materials. Does the left-lateralization of this effect result from the left hemisphere's role in language or does it suggest the possibility of a specialized role for the left hemisphere in recognition memory that applies across stimulus domains? To address this question, we directly compared recognition memory for words and faces in two event-related fMRI experiments with a total of 38 subjects. In the second experiment, we included a manipulation of recognition difficulty. Despite extensive material-specific lateralization in terms of the brain's overall response to stimuli revealed by a direct comparison of words and faces, the parietal old/new effect did not exhibit material-specific lateralization. Rather, the lateralization of the effect depended on the region of parietal cortex in question. In lateral parietal cortex, the effect was left-lateralized. In medial parietal cortex, the effect was bilateral. These findings indicate that the left-lateralization of the parietal old/new effect is unrelated to the left hemisphere's role in language and raises the possibility of a specialized role for the left hemisphere in recognition memory.
Repair-limit risk-free warranty policies with imperfect repair

The current competitive market environment requires manufacturers to continuously provide better service and support. As a result, warranty considerations emerge as a significant instrument for increasing product marketability. In this paper, we propose a new warranty policy, the repair-limit risk-free warranty with a threshold point on the number of repairs, where replacement is deemed to be more cost effective thereafter. Consumers are better off with this than with a traditional free-repair policy since they could be compensated with a new product in case of premature failures. As for the manufacturers, it not only offers extra marketing incentives, but also reduces the possibility of high-cost lawsuits due to the products with "proven" bad quality. Some useful results of the warranty cost of imperfectly repaired products are derived through a censored quasi-renewal process.
TRICHOGRAMMA SPP. (HYMENOPTERA: TRICHOGRAMMATIDAE) AS EGG PARASITOIDS OF SEPEDON FUSCIPENNIS (DIPTERA: SCIOMYZIDAE) AND OTHER AQUATIC DIPTERA

At least two species of Trichogramma (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) parasitize the eggs of Sepedon fuscipennis Loew (Diptera: Sciomyzidae) in freshwater habitats of central New York. Trichogramma julianoi Platner and Oatman parasitizes S. fuscipennis and Elgiva sundewalli Fries (Diptera: Sciomyzidae). Trichogramma sp. near californicum Nagaraja and Nagarkatti parasitizes S. fuscipennis, E. sundewalli, Tetanocera spp. (Diptera: Sciomyzidae), and pyralid moths (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). T. julianoi was most active in early and late summer. T. sp. near californicum was most active in mid- and late summer. Another undescribed species, similar to Trichogramma semblidis (Aurivillius), occurs in the same habitats but does not parasitize S. fuscipennis. Its primary hosts are Stratiomyidae (Diptera). Mortality of S. fuscipennis eggs due to Trichogramma varied significantly over the summer and reached 43.6% in late July and early August. A list of parasitoids reared from eggs of insects collected in fresh-water habitats is given.
The origins of leaky characteristics of Schottky diodes on p-GaN

The possible origins of the leaky characteristics of a Schottky barrier on p-GaN have been investigated. The as-grown samples did not show any electrical activity using Hall measurements. Ni diodes made on as-activated samples, either at 950/spl deg/C for 5 s or at 750/spl deg/C for 5 min exhibited quasiohmic behavior. Upon sequential etching of the sample to remove a surface layer of 150 /spl Aring/, 1200 /spl Aring/, and 5000 /spl Aring/ from the sample, the I-V behavior became rectifying. I-V-T measurements showed that the slopes of the lnI-V curves were independent of the temperature, indicative of a prominent component of carrier tunneling across the Schottky junction. C-V measurements at each etch-depth indicated a decreasing acceptor concentration from the surface. The highly doped (>1.7 /spl times/ 10/sup 19/ cm/sup -3/) and defective surface region (within the top 150 /spl Aring/ from surface) rendered the as-activated Schottky diodes quasiohmic in their I-V characteristics. The leaky I-V characteristics, often reported in the literature, were likely to originated from the surface layer, which gives rise to carrier tunneling across the Schottky barrier. This highly doped/defective surface region, however, can play an important role in ohmic contact formation on p-GaN.
STATE-SPACE MODELS FROM TIME-SERIES AS SOLUTIONS OF LEAST-SQUARES EQUATIONS

State-space models with block-diagonal system matrices allow for straightforward control system design. Often, however, methods to block-diagona lize suffer from numerical instabilities. The author investigates a technique that would obtain such models as the solution to a set of linear equations. The work follows and extends a method due to Moonen informally known as the "two-stage" method1. Using this procedure, a state vector sequence is obtained which is consistent with input-output data, and then the system matrices are obtained by solving a set of linear equations in the least squares sense. An algorithm for constraining the solution to a block-diagonal set has been completed and tested. However, initial investigation showed that the necessary state vector sequence does not come directly from Moonen's procedure. The current work is to find a transformation on the state-vector sequence that will yield the desired form of the model. Once this step is achieved, an automated process of testing the validity of the model will also be implemented, resulting in a useful and innovative tool for system identification and control system design.
Identification of the most informative regions of the mitochondrial genome for phylogenetic and coalescent analyses

Analysis of complete mitochondrial genome sequences is becoming increasingly common in genetic studies. The availability of full genome datasets enables an analysis of the information content distributed throughout the mitochondrial genome in order to optimize the research design of future evolutionary studies. The goal of our study was to identify informative regions of the human mitochondrial genome using two criteria: (1) accurate reconstruction of a phylogeny and (2) consistent estimates of time to most recent common ancestor (TMRCA). We created two series of datasets by deleting individual genes of varied length and by deleting 10 equal-size fragments throughout the coding region. Phylogenies were statistically compared to the full-coding-region tree, while coalescent methods were used to estimate the TMRCA and associated credible intervals. Individual fragments important for maintaining a phylogeny similar to the full-coding-region tree encompassed bp 577-2122 and 11,399-16,023, including all or part of 12S rRNA, 16S rRNA, ND4, ND5, ND6, and cytb. The control region only tree was the most poorly resolved with the majority of the tree manifest as an unresolved polytomy. Coalescent estimates of TMRCA were less sensitive to removal of any particular fragment(s) than reconstruction of a consistent phylogeny. Overall, we discovered that half the genome, i.e., bp 3669-11,398, could be removed with no significant change in the phylogeny (p(AU)=0.077) while still maintaining overlap of TMRCA 95% credible intervals. Thus, sequencing a contiguous fragment from bp 11,399 through the control region to bp 3668 would create a dataset that optimizes the information necessary for phylogenetic and coalescent analyses and also takes advantage of the wealth of data already available on the control region.
A Spanish and Latin American Evening in a Junior High School.

In order to encourage students to utilize language communication skills, students at Arbor Heights Junior High School (Omaha, Nebraska) were provided the opportunity to organize and implement a Spanish and Latin American evening. The students were invited to take total charge of the event. Committees were formed and plans were made for food and entertainment. The following article is a description of the organization and implementation of the “Fiesta” night. It provides suggestions on how to put together a student and parent evening through a junior high school foreign language department.
Re-stenosis After Drug-eluting Stents in Cardiac Allograft Vasculopathy

Background Cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) constitutes a primary cause of death after heart transplantation. Balloon angioplasty and bare metal stents have been used for revascularization but they are associated with a high risk of re-stenosis. Limited data have shown favorable results with drug-eluting stents (DES). This study examines the rate of re-stenosis for DES in CAV as well as predictors for its occurrence. Methods Cardiac transplant patients who received at least one DES for a previously untreated coronary lesion were included. These patients were retrospectively followed until February 2007. Re-stenosis was defined as ≥50% lumen diameter narrowing on coronary angiography at the site of the DES. Results During the study period, 35 patients underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) on a total of 84 de novo lesions. The mean follow-up was 22 ± 14 months. Twenty-six (31%) lesions developed re-stenosis during follow-up. Re-stenosis rates were 18%, 21% and 26% at 6, 9 and 12 months, respectively. Predictors of re-stenosis included non-white race, ischemic etiology, intervention precipitated by symptoms and severe stenosis (≥90% stenosis) of the target lesion. Conclusions Use of DES has a favorable outcome when used in heart transplant patients for the treatment of CAV. An aggressive strategy for the treatment of CAV using DES may provide good long-term outcome compared with other available therapies.
Empirical likelihood for linear models in the presence of nuisance parameters

Abstract We propose a simple alternative empirical likelihood (EL) method in linear regression which requires the same conditions of the ordinary profile EL but overcomes the challenge of maximizing the likelihood in the presence of high dimensional nuisance parameters. We adapt the idea of added variable plots. We regress the response and the independent variables of main interest on the ancillary variables and construct the likelihood based on the residuals. The hence constructed EL ratio has constraints only pertaining to the parameters of interest and has a standard χ 2 limiting distribution. Numerical results are included.