cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Immunohistochemistry-based assessment of androgen receptor status and the AR-null phenotype in metastatic castrate resistant prostate cancer

Molecular and immunohistochemistry-based profiling of prostatic adenocarcinoma has revealed frequent Androgen Receptor (AR) gene and protein alterations in metastatic disease. This includes an AR-null non-neuroendocrine phenotype of metastatic castrate resistant prostate cancer which may be less sensitive to androgen receptor signaling inhibitors. This AR-null non-neuroendocrine phenotype is thought to be associated with TP53 and RB1 alterations. Herein, we have correlated molecular profiling of metastatic castrate resistant prostate cancer with AR/P53/RB immunohistochemistry and relevant clinical correlates. Twenty-seven cases of metastatic castrate resistant prostate cancer were evaluated using histopathologic examination to rule out neuroendocrine differentiation. A combination of a hybridization exon-capture next-generation sequencing-based assay (n = 26), fluorescence in situ hybridization for AR copy number status (n = 16), and immunohistochemistry for AR (n = 27), P53 (n = 24) and RB (n = 25) was used to profile these cases. Of 27 metastatic castrate resistant prostate cancer cases, 17 had AR amplification and showed positive nuclear expression of AR by immunohistochemistry. Nine cases lacked AR copy number alterations using next-generation sequencing/fluorescence in situ hybridization. A subset of these metastatic castrate resistant prostate cancer cases demonstrated the AR-null phenotype by immunohistochemistry (five cases and one additional case where next-generation sequencing failed). Common co-alterations in these cases involved the TP53, RB1, and PTEN genes and all these patients received prior therapy with androgen receptor signaling inhibitors (abiraterone and/or enzalutamide). Our study suggests that AR immunohistochemistry may distinguish AR-null from AR-expressing cases in the metastatic setting. AR-null status informs clinical decision-making regarding continuation of therapy with androgen receptor signaling inhibitors and consideration of other treatment options. This might be a relevant and cost-effective diagnostic strategy when there is limited access and/or limited tumor material for molecular testing.
The clinical application of pressure-time curve in the mechanical ventilation

Respiratory waveforms are helpful for respiratory therapist in getting the real-time changes of respiratory mechanics and dynamically adjusting ventilator parameters.Pressure-time curve is the most common waveform of ventilator.Correctly grasp the pressure-time curve is important for clinicians.The clinical appfication of pressure-time curve in the different conditions of mechanical ventilation were reviewed. Key words: Mechanical ventilation; Pulmonary mechanics; Pressure-time curve
Amplifying the Noise: The Dangers of Post Hoc Power Analyses

Abstract Small sample sizes decrease statistical power, which is a study's ability to detect a treatment effect when there is one to be detected. A power threshold of 80% is commonly used, indicating that statistical significance would be expected four of five times if the treatment effect is large enough to be clinically meaningful. This threshold may be difficult to achieve in surgical science, where practical limitations such as research budgets or rare conditions may make large sample sizes infeasible. Several researchers have used “post hoc” power calculations with observed effect sizes to demonstrate that studies are often underpowered and use this as evidence to advocate for lower power thresholds in surgical science. In this short commentary, we explain why post hoc power calculations are inappropriate and cannot differentiate between statistical noise and clinically meaningful effects. We use simulation analysis to demonstrate that lower power thresholds increase the risk of a false-positive result and suggest logical alternatives such as the use of larger p-values for hypothesis testing or qualitative research methods.
A historical review of placebo-controlled, relapse prevention trials in schizophrenia: The loss of clinical equipoise

Recent ethical critiques have proposed that placebo-controlled, relapse prevention trials in schizophrenia are no longer justifiable and are therefore unethical. This review provides an historical perspective on the justifications for these trials and how arguments evolved over several decades. We identified 87 placebo-controlled, relapse prevention trials published over the last seventy years and examined the purpose for each trial. We found that first-generation trials had compelling justifications, yet these arguments changed considerably over time. Second-generation trials offered comparatively weaker-and sometimes no-justifications for their conduct. Without clear and compelling justifications for a given trial, it is not ethical to continue using this study design.
Immediate and Longer-Term Stressors and the Mental Health of Hurricane Ike Survivors

Previous research has documented that individuals exposed to more stressors during disasters and their immediate aftermath (immediate stressors) are at risk of experiencing longer-term postdisaster stressors. Longer-term stressors, in turn, have been found to play a key role in shaping postdisaster psychological functioning. Few studies have simultaneously explored the links from immediate to longer-term stressors, and from longer-term stressors to psychological functioning, however. Additionally, studies have inadequately explored whether postdisaster psychological symptoms influence longer-term stressors. In the current study, we aimed to fill these gaps. Participants (N = 448) were from population-based study of Hurricane Ike survivors and completed assessments 2-5 months (Wave 1), 5-9 months (Wave 2) and 14-18 months (Wave 3) postdisaster. Through path analysis, we found that immediate stressors, assessed at Wave 1, were positively associated with Wave 2 and Wave 3 stressors, which in turn were positively associated with Wave 2 and Wave 3 posttraumatic stress and depressive symptoms. Wave 2 posttraumatic stress symptoms were positively associated with Wave 3 stressors, and Wave 1 depressive symptoms were positively associated with Wave 2 stressors. The findings suggest that policies and interventions can reduce the impact of disasters on mental health by preventing and alleviating both immediate and longer-term postdisaster stressors. Language: en
From dropout to degree: The GED pathway to and through Iowa community colleges

This study analyzed available individual-level data on the fiscal year 2004 cohort of Iowa GED candidates to identify demographic, economic, academic ability, and educational goal factors that predicted students’ success from earning the GED to completing a community college credential. The theory of planned behavior (Ajzen, 1985; Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975), persistence theory for adult learners (Bean & Metzner, 1985), and human capital theory (Becker, 1992; Schultz, 1961) supported a conceptual framework asserting that a positive GED experience, mediated by demographic, economic, and ability considerations, may contribute to increased aspirations toward additional schooling. Probit models were used to determine statistically significant predictors for earning the GED (e.g., age, Latino, Black, goal of earning GED), enrolling in community college (e.g., female, age, GED reading score, goal of attending college) and completing a community college credential (e.g., female, age, GED writing score, goal of transferring to a four-year institution). Discrete-time hazard analysis was used to model the conditional probabilities of credential completion from fiscal year 2004 to fiscal year 2009. The study represents a first-of-its kind analysis of GED students in the state of Iowa.
The self organization of context for learning in multiagent games

Reinforcement learning is an effective machine learning paradigm in domains represented by compact and discrete state-action spaces. In high-dimensional and continuous domains, tile coding with linear function approximation has been widely used to circumvent the curse of dimensionality, but it suffers from the drawback that human-guided identification of features is required to create effective tilings. The challenge is to find tilings that preserve the context necessary to evaluate the value of a state-action pair while limiting memory requirements. The technique presented in this paper addresses the difficulty of identifying context in high-dimensional domains. We have chosen RoboCup simulated soccer as a domain because its high-dimensional continuous state space makes it a formidable challenge for reinforcement learning algorithms. Using self-organizing maps and reinforcement learning in a two-pass process, our technique scales to large state spaces without requiring a large amount of domain knowledge to automatically form abstractions over the state space. Results show that our algorithm learns to play the game of soccer better than a contemporary hand-coded opponent.
Privatizing Due Process

In the era of privatization, when more and more government activities are being placed in private hands, a full understanding of procedural alternatives to due process becomes an urgent matter of public policy. When the government privatizes an activity it delegates public power and often leaves procedural issues unaddressed. At this juncture "private due process" becomes a meaningful consideration. Included within this realm are a disparate set of alternatives: state concepts of fair procedure, available either at common law or by statute; process mandated by statute to effectuate some specific federal purpose; process connected judicially to general federal statutes such as the antitrust laws; and due process protocols that are emerging from alternative dispute resolution procedures. After evaluating the current state of the public and private procedural landscape, this article will address two questions arising from the current privatization debate: (1) can private procedural alternatives somehow be connected to the privatization of government functions; and (2) should federal law consider codifying these privatized procedures in a more general way. In other words, is it time to consider a private administrative procedure act?
Malignant and nonmalignant T cell lines from human T cell lymphotropic virus type I-negative patients with Sézary syndrome

The establishment of an in vitro model for cutaneous T cell lymphomas and Sezary syndrome has been difficult since T cells from individuals with these diseases do not proliferate in response to T cell mitogens. We found that conditioned media, collected from mitogen-activated PBMC from Sezary patients, contain an IL-2 receptor inducing factor. Despite their ostensible proliferative disorder, using a combination Sezary cell-conditioned media and rIL-2, we established IL-2 responsive, human T cell lymphotropic virus type I negative T cell lines from 23 patients, nine of which contain cells with the structural and/or genetic characteristics of neoplastic Sezary T cells.
Natural Enemies--Metaphor or Misconception?

When two northern snakeheads, a carnivorous Asian fish, were discovered with their progeny in a Maryland pond in 2002, the state produced an "unwanted" poster, and biologists publicly declared the fish to be an imminent danger to East Coast aquatic ecosystems. It was "the baddest bunny in the bush." Such metaphorical statements are ubiquitous even in science, largely because of their simplicity and intuitive appeal. In their essay, Chew and Laubichler argue that metaphors can cause serious problems. For example, the term "natural enemies" is widely used in the ecology literature, including many papers in Science and Nature. These papers describe well-defined specific ecological processes, and hence the term "natural enemies" persists merely as a rhetorical device. The problem is that metaphorical abstractions all too easily turn familiar human experiences into normative statements about nature. Using bellicose and unnecessary terms like "enemy" therefore carries both real and conceptual risks.
High-speed optical interferometry of micro and nanothermal wave propagation induced by current flow in metal interconnect lines

Thermal deformation waves in a soda-lime-silica glass substrate were measured using high-speed Hilbert-phase interferometry during interconnect heating and Q-switched Nd:YAG irradiation. 100-microsecond thermal events were captured with 256×256 resolution over a 100 micron square area.
In vitro analysis of the invasive phenotype of SUM 149, an inflammatory breast cancer cell line.

Background Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is the most lethal form of locally invasive breast cancer known. However, very little information is available on the cellular mechanisms responsible for manifestation of the IBC phenotype. To understand the unique phenotype of IBC, we compared the motile and adhesive interactions of an IBC cell line, SUM 149, to the non-IBC cell line SUM 102.
Fluid flow and optical flow

The connection between fluid flow and optical flow is explored in typical flow visualizations to provide a rational foundation for application of the optical flow method to image-based fluid velocity measurements. The projected-motion equations are derived, and the physics-based optical flow equation is given. In general, the optical flow is proportional to the path-averaged velocity of fluid or particles weighted with a relevant field quantity. The variational formulation and the corresponding Euler–Lagrange equation are given for optical flow computation. An error analysis for optical flow computation is provided, which is quantitatively examined by simulations on synthetic grid images. Direct comparisons between the optical flow method and the correlation-based method are made in simulations on synthetic particle images and experiments in a strongly excited turbulent jet.
Reactions of Hydantoin and Succinimide Anticonvulsants with Dimethyl Ether Ions in a Quadrupole Ion Trap Mass Spectrometer

The analysis of hydantoin and succinimide anticonvulsants was carried out using techniques of chemical ionization and collision activated dissociation (CAD) in a quadrupole ion trap. Dimethyl ether was used as the chemical ionization reagent gas to generate [M + H] + and [M + 13] + products, with the objective of determining whether the protonation and methylene substitution reactions occurred at the same site and whether the products provided the same structural information. CAD, including MS 3 , SWIFT double resonance experiments and deuterium-labeling studies suggest that protonation occurs on a nitrogen atom or carbonyl oxygen while methylene substitution occurs predominantly on the phenyl substituents. Both [M + H] + and [M + 13] + ions dissociate by similar pathways in which typically the attached proton or methylene group remains a spectator.
Making a Discrete Grain Breakage model practical for comminution equipment performance simulation

Discrete Grain Breakage (DGB) model is a fracture physics based model that describes fragmentation at the microscale level. In this paper, the authors describe the steps necessary to make the DGB model useful for comminution equipment performance simulations. In particular, a brief description of the code and recent improvements in efficiency required to make computation times reasonable are given. A method for obtaining fracture energy parameters from characterization tests is described. Methods to extend the technique to fine size simulations are discussed. Finally, a few example applications for commercial equipment are presented.
Repeated freezing and thawing does not generally alter assay results for several commonly studied reproductive hormones.

Abstract Objective: To determine the effect of repeated freezing and thawing, and storage temperature, on the assay results of commonly measured reproductive hormones, and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) in human serum. Design: Prospective laboratory study. Setting: Academic medical center. Patient(s): Four men and three pregnant women in the third trimester. Intervention(s): Pooled serum from men and pregnant females were frozen at either −20°C or −70°C. Aliquots were then subjected to repeat freeze/thaw cycles, from 1 to 10 times, and assays were performed after the final freeze/thaw cycle. Main Outcome Measure(s): Assay results for eight hormones (FSH, LH, PRL, androstenedione (A), 17α-hydroxyprogesterone, P, insulin, and SHBG, as a function of the number of freeze/thaw cycles and storage temperature. Result(s): Only SHBG in male serum at −20°C and P in pregnant serum at −70°C showed statistically significant decreases in assay results with repeated freeze/thaw cycles (3.3% and 1.1% per cycle, respectively). All other analytes did not show significant changes as a function of freeze/thaw cycles or storage temperature. Conclusion(s): There is no consistent or predictable alteration in the results of SHBG, or the glycoprotein and steroid hormones evaluated, as a function of repeated freeze/thaw or the storage temperature of human serum.
Discourse level evidence for south Asia as a linguistic area

Abstract This paper presents evidence supporting the claim that, in addition to the long-acknowledged areas of lexicon, phonology, and syntax, the areal hypothesis for South Asia is also supported by shared features at the discourse level in both Dravidian and Indo-Aryan. Using data from Malayalam and Hindi as representative of the two language families, shared features are documented in four separate areas of discourse grammar.
A cytological and genetic study of oogenesis in Drosophila melanogaster.

Abstract A newly derived collection of 98 autosomal recessive female-sterile ( fs ) lines induced by ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) in Drosophila melanogaster has been studied genetically and cytologically. By the use of phenotype and complementation tests, the 98 fs lines were resolved into 19 fs genes on the 2nd chromosome and 17 fs genes on the 3rd chromosome. Nearly half of the fs lines turned out to be replicates of noninduced fs mutant loci that preexisted in the EMS-treated files. Systematizing these fs genes according to their phenotypic and morphological defects focuses attention on their relevance to five major aspects of oogenesis: (1) the developmental organization of the ovary, (2) the synthesis and deposition of yolk material, (3) the formation of the chorion, (4) the control of egg-laying, and (5) the construction of the internal milieu of the ovarian oocyte for normal embryogenesis. The results of this study demonstrate that a systematic collection and characterization of fs mutants can provide the genetic tools needed to study the complex interactions which proceed undetected during normal oogenesis.
Retroperitoneal hernia following radical cystectomy: case report

Retroperitoneal hernias are rare. When they occur, they most often occur in naturally occurring fossas, such as with paraduodenal hernias. Due to the anatomy of the ureterovesicular system, patients with prior urological operations may be more likely to develop retroperitoneal hernias. We report the case of a 76-year-old male who had undergone a radical cystectomy with ileal loop conduit for bladder cancer, who presented with recurrent episodes of nausea and vomiting. Upon exploratory laparotomy, he was found to have a retroperitoneal hernia. The patient underwent resection of the strangulated loop of small bowel, and recovered without complications. In our patient, ureteral dissection from his prior procedure had created a defect in the peritoneum posterior to the sigmoid mesocolon, which allowed for herniation and subsequent strangulation of a portion of small bowel. Retroperitoneal hernias may represent an under-diagnosed etiology of intestinal obstruction in post-operative urological patients. Knowledge of anatomy is crucial in patients with previous abdominal operations, and prior operative notes should be reviewed, including non general surgical operations such as urological and gynecological procedures. The surgeon must remain vigilant in such cases of small bowel obstruction, as delayed intervention may lead to bowel compromise.
Robbery victimization among Asian Americans: a comparison with White and Black Americans

Asian Americans remain understudied in criminological research yet they are as likely as non-Asians to be victims of robbery. Drawing upon the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) 1992–2005 data, this study compares and contrasts the risk factors of robbery victimization among Asian, White, and Black Americans. Compared to Whites and Blacks, there is a more visible link between education and robbery risks for Asians. Employment is not significantly related to robbery victimization for Whites or Blacks, but is associated with higher risks for Asians. For Whites and Blacks, urban residence is related to significantly higher likelihoods of robbery victimization yet for Asian Americans, urban placement of robbery experience is not identified. Implications for future research and policy are discussed.
Inviting Patients to Read Their Doctors' Notes: Patients and Doctors Look Ahead: Patient and Physician Surveys

Information technologies offer new ways to engage patients in their health. Providers who have adopted electronic medical records are beginning to use secure Internet portals to offer patients online access to test results, medication lists, and other parts of those records (1–4). However, few portals offer access to notes generated in outpatient encounters, even though exploratory studies focusing on chronic illnesses suggest that such access may help patients and have little net effect on provider workflow (5– 8). To gain further insight into such a shift in care, we designed and initiated OpenNotes, a research and demonstration project involving primary care physicians (PCPs) and their adult patients in urban and suburban Boston, rural Pennsylvania, and inner-city Seattle (9). We asked PCPs whether they would volunteer for 1 year, starting in summer 2010, to send their patients electronic invitations to read their outpatient visit notes online and to review these notes before the next scheduled encounter. We expected that PCPs would be wary of such a change in care, particularly those who had been in practice for many years and those who spend many hours in direct patient care. We hypothesized that patients would be generally positive about open visit notes, that highly educated and younger patients would be particularly enthusiastic, and that many would want to share their notes with others. We surveyed eligible doctors and patients before the start of the voluntary program and report here on their attitudes and expectations toward electronic access to doctors' notes. Survey respondents included PCPs who volunteered to participate in OpenNotes, PCPs who declined to participate, and patients cared for by both groups of PCPs who were using the practices' online portals to access other information about their care (for example, test results).
Nanoparticle-Coated Silicon Nanowires

The synthesis of silicon nanowires that are densely coated with silicon nanoparticles is reported. These structures were produced in a two-step process, using a method known as hypersonic plasma particle deposition. In the first step, a Ti–Si nanoparticle film was deposited. In the second step the Ti-source was switched off, and nanoparticle-coated nanowires grew under the simultaneous action of Si vapor deposition and bombardment by Si nanoparticles. Total process time, including both steps, equaled 5 min, and resulted in formation of a dense network of randomly oriented nanowires covering1.5 cm2 of substrate area. The nanowires are composed of single-crystal Si. The diameters of the nanowires vary over the range 100–800 nm. Each nanowire has a crystalline TiSi2 catalyst particle, believed to have been solid during nanowire growth, at its tip.
Despeckling Utilizing μ-Estimators

In this paper, we propose a novel speckle filtering algorithm based on the maximum likelihood estimate of speckle statistics. The homomorphism approach is utilized to modify the multiplicative noise problem to an additive one. The statistics of the altered noise are derived. The problem is then converted to the statistical M-estimation. Properties of the proposed filtering structure are investigated. Finally, simulations indicating the advantages of the proposed filtering are presented.
Multiparticle diffusion-limited aggregation with strip geometry

Abstract Two finite density versions of the multiparticle DLA model have been investigated on strips of width L lattice units with periodic boundary conditions. In model I single particles are added to the deposit at the position in which they first attempt to step onto the deposit and in model II particles directly and indirectly connected to the deposit (via nearest neighbor occupancy) are added when they first contact the growing deposit. For model I the growth of the deposit mass crosses over from t 1 2 dependence in the low density/short time limit to M ∼ t in the high density/long time limit. For model II a similar crossover is found but as the density approaches the percolation threshold the deposit mass is found to grow according to M ∼ tδ with δ having a value of about 4/3. These results help to resolve some apparent discrepancies between the results of earlier work on closely related models by Voss and by Meakin and Deutch.
Testing the mechanical characteristics of sintered nickel battery plaque and their relationship to nickel electrode performance

Abstract The performance of nickel battery electrodes was investigated in respect of sintered nickel plaque mechanical characteristics. It was found that plaque fatigue, sensitivity, and hardness directly affect nickel electrode performance. In addition, wide variations in these parameters was found in various manufactured plaques. It is concluded that quality control procedures should include testing for fatigue and hardness. Recommended procedures for performing these tests are presented.
Irreversible inactivation of yeast glucose-6-P dehydrogenase by penicillin G

Yeast glucose-6-P dehydrogenase is irreversibly inactivated by penicillin G. Kinetic data show that 1 molecule of penicillin G reacts with each active unit when the enzyme is inactivated The rate of inactivation increases greatly with increasing pH. This irreversible inactivation by penicillin G is largely prevented by pyridoxal-P, a reversible inactivator of this enzyme. Prior treatment of penicillin G with penicillinase totally abolishes its ability to inactivate the enzyme.
Topology, domain theory and theoretical computer science

Abstract In this paper, we survey the use of order-theoretic topology in theoretical computer science, with an emphasis on applications of domain theory. Our focus is on the applications of domain-theoretic methods in programming language semantics, and on problems of potential interest to topologists that stem from concerns that semantics generates.
Quantitative radioautographic localization of newly synthesized protein in the postnatal rat heart.

Abstract Electron microscopic radioautography following injection of 3 H-leucine was undertaken in the left ventricles of 30 g rats. The volume composition of cardiocyte sarcoplasm at this stage of postnatal development was measured by point counting to be 52% myofibrils, 30% mitochondria, 10% sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) and 8% for the rest of the cell structures. The extra-cellular components of the myocardium constituted approximately 26% of the heart muscle. For analysis of electron microscope radioautographs a circle was drawn around each silver grain and the enclosed structures were identified as possible sources. The ratio of percent grain counts to volume percent in sarcoplasmic structures was 1.4 for myofibrils, 1.3 for mitochondria, 4.6 for SR and 1.4 for the combined other structures in the sarcoplasm. The developed grains associated with myofibrils revealed about 91% on the A band, 21% on the I band, 10% on the M band, 23% on the Z band, and 67% at the periphery of the myofibril. Comparing these percentages to values expected in a random distribution of labels it was particularly significant to note that the Z bands had a higher percentage of grains. These observations indicate that newly synthesized protein in cells undergoing myofibrillogenesis at this stage of development is selectively concentrated in regions of the Z bands and in the SR which abuts on the surface of the myofibrils. Developed grains associated with structures in the interstitial space are found predominantly in the endothelial cells and plasma.
Determining anomericity of the glycosidic bond in Zn(II)-Diethylenetriamine-Disaccharide complexes using MSn in a quadrupole ion trap

Zinc-diethylenetriamine (Zn-dien) N-glycoside complexes of four 1,4 and four 1,6 linked disaccharides are prepared. Each reaction mixture is ionized by electrospray and the resulting species [Zn(dien)(disaccharide) − H]+ is allowed to undergo collision-induced dissociation in a quadrupole ion trap. An MS3 analysis is used to differentiate α versus β anomericity of the glycosidic bond in the disaccharide moiety. In addition, the MS2 and MS3 spectra can be used together to determine the linkage position of this glycosidic bond.
Potassium, cardiac necroses and amiloride.

Abstract Administration of amiloride (a potassium-retaining diuretic) prevented the development of the electrolyte-steroid cardiopathy in the rat. This compound corrected the intracellular decrease of potassium and increase of sodium usually observed during the development of the electrolyte-steroid cardiopathy. The results are considered compatible with the assumption that amiloride prevents the development of the lesions by preventing the loss of potassium from the myocardium.
Mining Cancer-Specific Disease Comorbidities from a Large Observational Health Database:

Cancer comorbidities often reflect the complex pathogenesis of cancers and provide valuable clues to discover the underlying genetic mechanisms of cancers. In this study, we systematically mine and analyze cancer-specific comorbidity from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System. We stratified 3,354,043 patients based on age and gender, and developed a network-based approach to extract comorbidity patterns from each patient group. We compared the comorbidity patterns among different patient groups and investigated the effect of age and gender on cancer comorbidity patterns. The results demonstrated that the comorbidity relationships between cancers and non-cancer diseases largely depend on age and gender. A few exceptions are depression, anxiety, and metabolic syndrome, whose comorbidity relationships with cancers are relatively stable among all patients. Literature evidences demonstrate that these stable cancer comorbidities reflect the pathogenesis of cancers. We applied our comorbidity mining approach on colorectal cancer and detected its comorbid associations with metabolic syndrome components, diabetes, and osteoporosis. Our results not only confirmed known cancer comorbidities but also generated novel hypotheses, which can illuminate the common pathophysiology between cancers and their co-occurring diseases.
Age and sex effects on brain morphology

Abstract 1. 1. Brain morphology can be assessed readily in vivo using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). 2. 2. In this study, the effects of age and sex on whole-brain morphology were examined using an operator-controlled computer-segmentation protocol. 3. 3. Results indicated that age was associated with gray-matter volume reduction. 4. 4. Brain-size differences between males and females were primarily attributable to whitematter volume. 5. 5. This study confirms the importance of controlling for age and sex in brain-morphology studies.
Stimulation of procollagenase synthesis parallels increases in cellular procollagenase mRNA in human articular chondrocytes exposed to recombinant interleukin 1β or phorbol ester

Interleukin 1, a product predominantly of monocytes, increases the synthesis and release of procollagenase and prostaglandin E2 by mesenchymal target cells such as synovial fibroblasts and articular chondrocytes, an effect mimicked by some phorbol esters. In order to determine the mechanisms underlying these responses primary cultures of human articular chondrocytes were preincubated with recombinant human interleukin 1β or the phorbol ester, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, in the presence or absence of the cyclooxygenase inhibitor, indomethacin. Interleukin 1β or phorbol ester increased the levels of procollagenase (assayed after trypsin activation) and the labeling of several medium proteins by cells incubated with [35S]methionine, independent of prostaglandin synthesis. The labeling of a 55 kD protein immunocomplexed with antibodies to procollagenase was also increased. The increased synthesis of procollagenase was paralleled by increased cellular levels of procollagenase mRNA, determined with a cDNA probe coding for human procollagenase. Thus the increased synthesis of procollagenase in response to the inflammatory mediator, interleukin 1, is controlled at a pretranslational level, possibly at the level of transcription.
Utilizing a Narrative Approach to Increasing Intimacy After Prostate Cancer

Attitudes about sexual intimacy are an important aspect of relationship satisfaction, especially for couples dealing with prostate cancer. Prostate cancer can have profound effects on men and their partners, and more research is needed to better understand potential sexual barriers for these couples. Five major themes identified in the literature related to prostate cancer survivors and their partners are sexual intimacy, self-esteem, sense of masculinity, role change, and communication. These themes can help counselors identify key clinical issues for helping couples recover from prostate cancer. We integrated these themes with narrative therapy questions to help couples deconstruct problematic narratives and move toward preferred narratives about their thoughts, feelings, and experiences as they learn and grow in their recovery process.
Environmental Selenium and Its Significance

Selenium occupies a unique position in regards to continuing conflicting aspects of its toxicological and nutritional significance. This review focuses on the environmental sources and sinks, transport and alterations of selenium. Both natural and anthropogenic sources of selenium are considered with primary emphasis on the occurrence and significance of selenium in soils, air, water, plants and foods. The patterns and trends of application of selenium are also highlighted in order to focus on the the potential populations at risk.
Hematological and physiological effects of viral erythrocytic necrosis (VEN) in Atlantic cod and herring.

The effects of viral erythrocytic necrosis (VEN) on clinical blood parameters and erythrocyte metabolism were investigated in Atlantic cod (Gadus morphua) and Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus h.). VEN-infected cod and herring exhibited lower hematocrits (HCT) and erythrocyte counts (E) in comparison to uninfected fish. In addition, VEN-infected cod, but not herring, had significantly lower hemoglobin concentrations (HB). No effects on plasma electrolyte or protein concentrations in either species were detected. Several metabolic changes were noted in VEN-infected erythrocytes. Infected cod erythrocytes had significantly lower lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD) activities than erythrocytes from uninfected fish. No alterations in citrate synthetase (CS) activity were observed. No effects on LDH, G-6-PD, or CS activity were detected in VEN-infected herring. In VEN-infected cod erythrocytes the ATP levels were decreased approximately 50% compared to uninfected fish. In contrast, VEN infection in herring was associated with an elevation of ATP levels by approximately 33%.
Genetics of beta-2 microglobulin in the mouse.

Beta-2 microglobulin (fi2M), a 12000 dalton protein with an amino acid sequence homologous to a single immunoglobulin domain, is associated with several 40000-50000 dalton products of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) (Cunningham et al. 1973, Cunningham 1976, Kabat et al. 1979, Peterson et al. 1974, Grey et al. 1973, Ziegler and Pink 1975, Schwartz et al. 1976). In the mouse, the fl2Massociated MHC gene products are the transplantation antigens H-2K, H-2D and H-2L, and the differentiation antigens Qa-1, Qa-2 and TL (Vitetta et al. 1975, Ostberg et al. 1975, Hansen et al. 1977, Rask et al. 1974, Michaelson et al. 1977, 1981, Rothenberg and Boyse 1979). Although much is known about the genetics of these MHC gene products, until recently little was known about the genetics of fi2M. The identification of allelic forms offi2M in the mouse (Michaelson et al. 1980, Robinson et al. 1981a, Gates et al. 1981, Goding and Walker 1980) has now made it possible to study fi2M by the methods of conventional Mendelian genetics, resulting in the assignment of the structural gene for fi2M to chromosome 2 (Michaelson 1981, Robinson et al. 1981, Goding 1981b).
Structural proteins and lipids in a virus, PBCV-1, which replicates in a Chlorella-like alga.

Abstract PBCV-1, a large dsDNA-containing virus which replicates in a Chlorella-like green alga, is composed of approximately 64% protein, 25% DNA, and 5–10% lipid on a weight basis. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the dissociated virus particle resolves 50 to 60 proteins which range in apparent molecular weight from 10,000 to 135,000. Two of these proteins are glycoproteins and at least four are located on the viral surface. The major lipids are phosphatidyl choline, phosphatidyl ethanolamine, and an unidentified component. The effect of organic solvents, surfactants, and chelating and reducing agents on viral infectivity and ultrastructure are reported. Inhibitor studies established that PBCV-1 protein synthesis occurs on cytoplasmic ribosomes.
Screening for colorectal cancer in elderly persons: who should we screen and when can we stop?

Objective: The aim of this study was to quantify the impact of age on the potential benefits of screening for colorectal cancer. Method: Life-table analysis of the risks of dying from colorectal cancer or from all other causes was performed. The impact of prematurely stopping screening was compared to the maximal potential benefit expected from lifelong screening. Results: The relative proportion of deaths from colorectal cancer compared to all other causes was greatest at the age of 62 and diminished thereafter. A total of 80% of the maximal benefit from screening was achieved by screening till the age of 82. The impact of prematurely stopping screening varied with gender and race. Discussion: The maximal societal benefit will be achieved by screening at younger ages because of competing causes of mortality among older people. Gender and ethnicity should be considered in individual decisions to stop screening at a given age.
Étude du discours de remerciement de Marthe Bibesco prononcé devant l'Académie Royale de Langues et Littératures Françaises de Belgique

Cet article propose d’etudier la portee historique et symbolique du discours de remerciement a l’Academie Royale de Belgique prononce par la princesse Marthe Bibesco lors de son investiture en 1955. Il met en question notamment la place particuliere qu’occupe Marthe Bibesco, femme de lettres franco-roumaine dans l’espace francophone belge.
Lifestyle and Pharmacological Approaches to Weight Loss: Efficacy and Safety

Context: Obesity results from a prolonged small positive energy balance, and its treatment needs to reverse this imbalance. Evidence Acquisition: Citations retrieved from PubMed and The Handbook of Obesity 2008 were selected to illustrate the points. Evidence Synthesis: Many different diets have been tried to treat obesity, and weight loss occurs with all of them. There is currently no evidence that clearly supports a superiority of one macronutrient composition for diets used for weight loss. The principal effect seems to be the degree of adherence to the prescribed calorie reduction. Lifestyle strategies to modify eating behavior can be used in individual counseling sessions or in groups, both of which are important in helping patients modify their patterns of eating. Physical activity is particularly important in helping patients maintain a weight loss once achieved and is less valuable for weight loss itself. Food intake is controlled through many different mechanisms, but only a few drugs have been d...
Mineralization of atrazine and 2,4-d in soils inoculated with Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Trappea darkeri

Abstract Previous studies have shown that Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Trappea darkeri can degrade atrazine (2-chloro-4 [ethylamino]-6[isopropylamino]- s -triazine) and 2,4- d (2,4dichlorophenoxyacetic acid) in vitro. In this study radiometric techniques were used to measure the mineralization of atrazine and 2,4- d during each season in microcosms of forest soil, forest soil amended with wood chips, forest soil with wood chips inoculated with P. crysosporium , and forest soil with wood chips inoculated with T. darkeri . In the winter, atrazine or 2,4- d mineralization did not differ significantly among treatments. In spring, summer, and fall, soil amended with P. chrysosporitan mineralized more atrazine than all other treatments, but soil amended with T. darkeri -mineralized less atrazine than soil without amendments. In spring, summer, or fall, soil amended with either P. chrysosporium or T. darkeri mineralized more 2,4- d . Results of this study indicate that adding P. chrysosporium or T. darkeri to riparian forest soils via wood chips may increase the rate of degradation of some aromatic herbicides.
Effects of statin treatment in patients with coronary artery disease and chronic kidney disease.

Statins reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality from coronary artery disease (CAD). However, the effects of statin therapy in patients with CAD and chronic kidney disease (CKD) remain unclear. Within a single hospital-based cohort in the Shinken Database 2004–2010 comprising all patients (n = 15,227) who visited the Cardiovascular Institute, we followed patients with CKD and CAD after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). A major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular event (MACCE) was defined by composite end points, including death, myocardial infarction, cerebral infarction, cerebral hemorrhage, and target lesion revascularization. A total of 391 patients were included in this study (median follow-up time 905 ± 679 days). Of these, 209 patients used statins. Patients with statin therapy were younger than those without. Obesity and dyslipidemia were more common, and the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was significantly higher, in patients undergoing statin treatment. MACCE and cardiac death tended to be less common, and all-cause death was significantly less common, in patients taking statins. Multivariate analysis showed that low estimated GFR, poor left ventricular ejection fraction, and the absence of statin therapy were independent predictors for all-cause death of CKD patients after PCI. Statin therapy was associated with reduced all-cause mortality in patients with CKD and CAD after PCI.
The Effects of Charge Transfer on the Thermal Equilibrium of Photoionized Nebulae

Charge transfer can affect both the ionization and thermal balance of astrophysical plasmas. Using the most recent rate coefficients and energy defects, we calculate the heating/cooling rates for charge transfer reactions between hydrogen and elements up to Z=30. We incorporate these values into the photoionization code CLOUDY. Results from models approximating a wide range of astrophysical objects and conditions suggest that charge transfer can make a significant contribution to the heating near the H ionization front, particularly in objects with a hard ionizing continuum or enhanced abundances. Charge transfer heating can also be important in regimes in which the usual heating/cooling agents are suppressed, such as the emission-line clouds near quasars. We list those reactions that are most important for determining the thermal balance, in the hopes of facilitating improved atomic data.
Online Documentation for Engineering Software: A Hypertext Application

: This article describes the use of ‘hypertext’ as a means to document engineering software online. An extensive hypertext document can be built with relative ease using an authoring tool. Hypertext documents enhance the learning process through the association of facts. The user has the freedom to arrange his/her own study sequence in a particular session. The article provides a brief introduction to the hypertext technology and authoring tools, and describes a Mohr's Circle program, which has been developed to explore the use of hypertext for online users' manuals. The strengths and weaknesses of the software tool, KnowledgePro, as well as the development techniques, are discussed.
Norepinephrine attenuation of amnesia produced by diethyldithiocarbamate.

Abstract Rats given 680 mg/kg diethyldithiocarbamate, approximately one half hour before training in an inhibitory avoidance task, had impaired retention performance when tested one week after training. Intracerebroventricular or subcutaneous injections of norepinephrine administered shortly after training attenuated the disruptive effects of DDC on retention performance. The effect depended upon the footshock intensity used during training. NE (0.01 μg) administered centrally attenuated the DDC induced retention deficit when animals were trained with a high (2 mA) but not a low footshock (0.5 mA). The effect of peripherally administered NE also varied with the intensity of footshock. The lowest dose of subcutaneously administered NE (5 μg/kg) was effective in attenuating DDC induced retention deficits only when animals were trained with higher footshock. Higher doses of NE (50 μg/kg, 500 μg/kg) were more effective when animals were trained with lower footshock.
The perils and promise of futures analysis in marine ecosystem-based management

Ecosystem-based management is now widely accepted as the standard strategy for achieving sustainable delivery of marine and estuarine ecosystem services. The ubiquity and rate of change in marine ecosystems necessitate incorporating visions of future ecosystem states into ecosystem management strategies. Creating visions of the future enables policy makers to set realistic objectives and targets, and to explore the consequences of potential management decisions on ecosystems under multiple potential scenarios of change. Several classes of futures are used in marine ecosystem management program, and three are highlighted here: visioning, predictive models, and scenario analysis. Each approach is briefly described, and their use in current marine ecosystem management programs in North America is reviewed. In particular, the importance of using scenario analysis to identify and incorporate the influence of exogenous drivers into management strategies is highlighted. Then, some of the perils and promises associated with each approach are described, and a way forward is proposed that incorporates multiple types of future envisioning approaches into management programs. Key contributions of future analyses include highlighting connections and trade-offs among ecosystem components, setting realistic targets, and incorporating exogenous drivers, and their uncertainties, into ecosystem management programs.