cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Large B-cell lymphoma with IRF4 rearrangement: a special tonsillar lymphoma in children

Abstract Objective To identify the clinicopathological features and prognosis of large B-cell lymphoma(LBCL) with interferon regulation factor 4 (IRF4) rearrangement. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of four patients from Children’s Hospital of Fudan University diagnosed with LBCL with IRF4 rearrangement during Sep. 2014 to Oct. 2018, and performed a literature review. Results Four patients had an average age of 5.7 years. The median duration from presentation to final diagnosis was 25.7 days. All 4 patients were admitted to the hospital due to severe snoring with no causes. The patients showed enlarged lymph nodes in the neck without tenderness. All 4 cases presented as localized disease (St-jude stage II). Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and serum albumin were all in the normal range. Morphology showed that normal lymphoid follicles were diffusely invaded by consistent, medium-sized large cells with obvious nucleoli. CD20, CD79α, PAX5, CD10 and BCL6 were diffusely positive. Neoplastic cells were also strongly positive for MUM1 and Ki-67. IRF4 gene rearrangement was detected as positive by IRF4 dual-color break-apart probe. Four patients underwent routine chemotherapy post bilateral tonsillectomy operation. Three achieved complete remission (CR) while the newly diagnosed one is during the second course of chemotherapy. Conclusions Tonsillar LBCL with IRF4 rearrangement in children presents distinct clinicopathologic and molecular genetic features, and it usually has a favorable outcome.
Does Assessment of Frailty and Sarcopenia in Lung Resection Candidates Affect Patient Selection

As older patients are increasingly being considered for surgery, frailty and sarcopenia may help predict post-operative morbidity and mortality. Scientific advances in frailty and sarcopenia measurement have demonstrated promising value in many surgical and procedural groups studied to date. However, the literature in lung resection is just emerging. The purpose of this chapter is to review the current evidence for use of frailty and sarcopenia in the risk assessment of lung resection candidates. Currently, there is only low quality evidence supporting the use of frailty and sarcopenia to improve prediction of morbidity and mortality in adult lung resection candidates. Frailty and sarcopenia research would benefit from continued collaborations between surgeons, geriatricians and aging researchers to continue to advance our understanding of multisystem physiologic vulnerability and stress recovery potential in lung resection.
“Feel Like More than a Number in the Classroom:” Faculty Perceptions of Professional Development for Student Success:

Students benefit when faculty develop their teaching practice. This study aimed to identify why faculty seek professional development (PD), barriers to addressing classroom needs, and the benefit o...
Novel Agents and Future Perspectives on Theranostics

In the current era of precision medicine, there is renewed interest in radiopharmaceutical therapy and theranostics. The approval of somatostatin receceptor directed therapy and norepinephrine transporter targeted 131I-MIBG therapies by the FDA and the rapid progress of highly promising beta and alpha emitter tagged PSMA directed therapy of prostate cancer have stimulated clinically impactful changes in practice. Many novel strategies are being explored and novel radiopharmaceutical therapeutic agents including peptide based ligands as well as antibodies or antibody fragments are being developed preclinically or are in early phase clinical trials. While beta particle emitters have most commonly been used for targeted radiotherapy and radioimmunotargeting, there is an emerging interest in alpha emitters that cause greater density of ionization events leading to increased double-strand DNA damage and cluster breaks because of the high-energy particles within a shorter tissue range of penetration and thereby lower toxicity to adjacent normal tissues.
Enhanced energy density and extraction efficiency of polar sol–gel dielectric films with reduced residual ions

We report on the effect of residual ions in dielectric sol–gel films based on 2-cyanoethyltrimethoxysilane (CNETMS) on their dielectric and energy storage properties for pulsed power applications. A wide range of pH from 1.5 to 6.5 is employed to catalyze CNETMS sol–gel films. The sol–gel films processed at near neutral pH exhibit improved dielectric and energy storage characteristics including a Weibull modulus of 11, an order of magnitude reduction of leakage current, and an extractable energy density of 32 J cm−3 with an energy extraction efficiency of 80% at 685 V μm−1, as compared with the films processed at pH 1.5. These improvements are attributed to the reduced amount of ions within the sol–gel films, which is believed to suppress the detrimental effects of mobile charge carriers that are likely to trigger field-driven scattering and impact ionization, and subsequent catastrophic electrical breakdown under high electrical stress. The present work suggests the importance of engineering residual charge carriers in dielectric sol–gel films based on trifunctional alkoxysilanes for pulsed power applications.
Hold my hand: Associations between minority stress, commitment, and PDA for same-gender couples:

For those who are in a same-gender relationship, there is likely a negative association between experiences of minority stress and willingness to engage in public displays of affection (PDA). One’s...
Clinical Recognition of Substance Use Disorders in Medicaid Primary Care Associated With Universal Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT).

Objective Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) programs have been effective for moderate reductions of alcohol use among participants in universal settings. However, there has been limited evidence of effectiveness in referring individuals to specialty care, and the literature now often refers to screening and brief intervention (SBI). This study examines documentation of substance use disorder (SUD) diagnoses in a low-income Medicaid population to evaluate the effect of universal SBIRT on healthcare system recognition of SUDs, a first step to obtaining a referral to treatment (RT) for individuals with SUDs. Method SBI patient data from Wisconsin's Initiative to Promote Healthy Lifestyles (WIPHL) were linked to Wisconsin Medicaid claims data. A comparison group of Medicaid beneficiaries was identified from a matched sample of non-SBIRT clinics (total study N = 14,856). Hierarchical generalized linear modeling was used to assess rates of SUD diagnosis in the 12 months following receipt of SBIRT in WIPHL clinics compared with rates in non-SBIRT clinics. Analysis controlled for clinic, individual patient's health status, demographics, and baseline substance use diagnoses. Results SBIRT was associated with greater odds of being diagnosed with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV), alcohol abuse or dependence as well as drug abuse or dependence over the 12 months subsequent to receipt of the screen. The overall diagnostic rate for any DSM-IV substance abuse or dependence was 9.9% at baseline and 12.2% during the follow-up year. SBIRT patients had 42% (p = .003) greater odds of being diagnosed with a substance use disorder within 12 months relative to comparison clinic patients. However, there were very few claims for specialty SUD services. Conclusions The presence of SBIRT in a primary care clinic appears to increase the awareness and recognition of patients with SUDs and a greater willingness of healthcare providers to diagnose patients with an alcohol or drug use disorder on Medicaid claims. Further research is needed to determine if this increase in diagnosis reflects integrated care for SUDs or if it leads to improved access to specialty care, in which case abandonment of the RT component of SBIRT may be premature.
Toward a Neurochemistry of Naming and Anomia

Publisher Summary The detailed analysis of chemico-cognitive correlates of language is in its premature stage as the cognitive systems involved in the processes of language have not, themselves, been fully detailed. The process of naming a seen object (confrontation naming) is often considered in cognitive science to depend on three stages, each with subcomponents. The first stage is the visual recognition of the object. The second stage is the lexical semantic stage, in which meaning is attached to the percept. The third stage is the phonological output, in which phonological forms are attached to lexical labels prior to preparation of the articulatory system for speech production. The cholinergic neurotransmission is preferentially lateralized to the left temporal lobe, a region of the brain fundamental in the support of lexical semantics. Anomia, verbal memory deficits, and fluent aphasia result from damage to the left temporal lobe in most right-handers. Neurological syndromes other than aphasia, such as Alzheimer's disease, in which anomia, lexical semantic impairment, and verbal memory deficit can occur, and which are associated with temporal lobe disease, are correlated with deficiencies of cholinergic activity.
Introduction and Historical Review

The subject of this book can be broadly described as the principles of radio interferometry applied to the measurement of natural radio signals from cosmic sources. The uses of such measurements lie mainly within the domains of astrophysics, astrometry, and geodesy. As an introduction, we consider in this chapter the applications of the technique, some basic terms and concepts, and the historical development of the instruments and their uses.The fundamental concept of this book is that the image, or intensity distribution, of a source has a Fourier transform that is the two-point correlation function of the electric field, whose components can be directly measured by an interferometer. This Fourier transform is normally called the fringe visibility function, which in general is a complex quantity. The basic formulation of this principle is called the van Cittert–Zernike theorem (see Chap. 15), derived in the 1930s in the context of optics but not widely appreciated by radio astronomers until the publication of the well-known textbook Principles of Opticsby Born and Wolf (1959). The techniques of radio interferometry developed from those of the Michelson stellar interferometer without specific knowledge of the van Cittert–Zernike theorem. Many of the principles of interferometry have counterparts in the field of X-ray crystallography (seeBeevers and Lipson 1985).
Morality and the Ethic of Care: Peaceable Rural Schools, Caring Rural Communities

There is violence and a loss of personal safety in rural schools as there is in urban and suburban schools. The impact is felt by children, teachers, support staff, administrators, and citizens in ...
Use of soft information to describe the relative uncertainty of calibration data in hydrologic models

[1] The impact of inaccurate or unreliable hydrological data on model calibration can be significant. A special case is when calibration data are from different sources with varying accuracy, e.g., missing streamflow measurements that have been supplemented by interpolation or extrapolation. Since the relative accuracy of data is commonly defined subjectively, model calibration with data of varying uncertainty is difficult. In this work, a framework using the method of order of importance is presented to incorporate soft information to describe the relative accuracy of calibration data. A numerical example using synthetic data is presented to demonstrate the validity of the methodology. The applicability of the framework is demonstrated for the Fishtrap Creek Catchment of Washington State, where the short streamflow record with significant gaps was reconstructed using support vector machines (SVM). Incorporation of this educated judgment about the relative accuracy of the calibration data resulted in identification of faulty model calibration as well as errors in the SVM prediction of extreme streamflow events, which would have been undetected otherwise. The methodology was further applied to two management scenarios involving flood frequency analysis and satisfying legally established in-stream flow requirements.
A Hand Hygiene Compliance Check System: Brief Communication on a System to Improve Hand Hygiene Compliance in Hospitals and Reduce Infection

Hand hygiene compliance is the most significant, modifiable cause of hospital-acquired infections, yet national averages for compliance rates remain unsatisfactory. Noncompliance can contribute to patient mortality, extended hospital stays, higher re-admission rates, and lower reimbursement for hospitals under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Although several hand sanitizing tracking systems currently exist, they pose problems of personal tracking, workflow interference, system maintenance concerns, among others. Considering these barriers, we created a prototype system that includes compliance rate tracking, real-time sanitization reminders, and a data archive for future studies.
Evolution of retroposons by acquisition or deletion of retrovirus-like genes.

The retroid family consists of all genetic elements that encode a potential reverse transcriptase (RT). Members of this family include a diversity of eukaryotic genetic elements (viruses, transposable elements, organelle introns, and plasmids) and the retrons of prokaryotes. Some retroid elements have, in addition to the RT gene, other genes in common with the retroviruses. On the basis of RT sequence similarity, the retroposon group is defined as the eukaryotic long interspersed nuclear elements, the transposable elements of (1) Drosophila melanogaster (I and F factors), (2) Trypanosoma brucei (ingi element), (3) Zea mays (Cin4), (4) Bombyx mori (R2Bm), and members of the group II introns and plasmids of yeast mitochondria. The data presented here elucidate the extent of the relationships between the retroposons and other retroid-family members. Protein-sequence alignment data demonstrate that subsets of the retroposons contain different assortments of retroviral-like genes. Sequence similarities can be detected between the capsid, protease, ribonuclease H, and integrase proteins of retroviruses and several retroposon sequences. The relationships among the retroposon capsid-like sequences are congruent with the RT sequence phylogeny. In contrast, the similarity between ribonuclease H sequences varies in different subbranches of the retroposon lineage. These data suggest that xenologous recombination (i.e., the replacement of a homologous resident gene by a homologous foreign gene) and/or independent gene assortment have played a role in the evolution of the retroposons.
Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is distinguishable from acute interstitial pneumonia.

Abstract Context.—Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) and acute interstitial pneumonia (AIP) can share similar clinical presentations. AIP is an acute, diffuse lung disease that has some clinical features suggesting a viral infection, although causative agent(s) have not been identified. Objective.—To clinically, histologically, and immunohistochemically compare cases of HPS to cases of AIP and to determine if any cases of AIP were actually examples of HPS. Design.—Seven cases of HPS and 9 cases of AIP were compared clinically and histologically by semiquantitative grading of features in lung tissue. The cases were also evaluated immunohistochemically for the presence of hantaviral antigens. Results.—Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome had a shorter clinical duration and more acute changes histopathologically; AIP was of longer clinical duration and was usually accompanied by histologic evidence of organization. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome was distinguished by the presence of immature leukocytes in the pulmon...
Underwriting Agricultural Commodity Prices

Underwriting schemes are increasingly being used as a basis for price policy in Australian agricultural industries. These policies simultaneously increase average returns and reduce the risk faced by producers. In this paper, conditions are discussed under which such a combination of policy targets may be desirable. The optimality properties of underwriting schemes in achieving these targets are examined and compared to those of alternative schemes. Aspects of underwriting scheme design are discussed.
Mechanism of Inhibition of Adrenal Steroid 11β-Hydroxylase by Methopyrapone (Metopirone)

To determine the type of inhibition of 11β-hydroxylation produced by Metopirone, deoxycorticosterone-4-C14 was incubated with rat adrenal homogenates in a medium of 50% bovine blood serum, 50% Krebs bicarbonate buffer, pH 7.4, containing an excess of TPNH, and the production of corticosterone and 11-dehydrocorticosterone was measured. Different concentrations of substrate and Metopirone were used. The data were plotted according to Lineweaver and Burk and according to Dixon. The results indicated pure competitive inhibition within the limits of error of the method. Metopirone did not inhibit 21-hydroxylation significantly under the same conditions.
Neighbourhood effects in forests: implications for within‐stand patch structure

1 MOSAIC, a spatially referenced Markov model was used to show how interactions among trees in a neighbourhood may influence the patch structure of forests. A series of two-species simulations were conducted with neighbourhood strength ranging from neutral (chances of species replacing each other independent of neighbourhood composition) to strong (chance of replacement for each species proportional to neighbourhood composition), and with neighbourhood sizes including 1–50 neighbours. 2 Neighbourhood strength was positively correlated with the degree of patchiness. Very high neighbourhood strength is necessary to form mono-specific patches composed of hundreds of individual trees. Intermediate neighbourhood sizes (5–12 neighbours) led to the most distinct patches where individuals were arranged so that contact between species was minimized. 3 Neighbourhood effects alone are unlikely to lead to large areas (several ha) dominated by one species. However, simulations showed that neighbourhood effects can augment small differences in the environment, resulting in large mono-specific patches. 4 Simulations with 4 and 5 species indicated that groups of species can interact to form spatially distinct communities, starting from a random mixture on a uniform environment. This implies that neighbourhood effects may be responsible for some unexplained variability in studies that attempt to relate environmental parameters to forest composition. 5 Patch structures that develop due to neighbourhood effects are usually not recognized by current vegetation classification schemes or by forest managers, and this lack of recognition could lead to the loss of certain natural spatial structures on forested landscapes.
Hydrogen/nitrous oxide kinetics—Implications of the NxHy species

Nitrous oxide, hydrogen, and species containing NH bonds (such as NH{sub 3}, NH{sub 2}, and NH) actively participate in the gas-phase chemistry above burning solid propellants. Dilute mixtures of hydrogen and nitrous oxide in nitrogen were studied in a large-diameter flow reactor at 3 atm and 995 K. The consumption of H{sub 2} and N{sub 2}O as well as the formation of H{sub 2}O and the intermediate species profiles of NH{sub 3} and NO were all measured experimentally. A detailed chemical mechanism is developed and compared with the experimental measurements. From knowledge of the NH{sub 3} and NO intermediate species profiles, results are presented which indicate that N{sub 2}H{sub x} and NH{sub x} species and reactions are necessary to predict the overall reaction rate of pure H{sub 2}/N{sub 2}O/N{sub 2} mixtures at these temperatures. Numerical predictions without this chemistry can be too fast by as much as a factor of 2. Experiments were also conducted with quantities of NO and NH{sub 3} added to the initial mixtures in order to investigate the inhibitory strengths of these species and to further constrain the model validation. Based on these parametric studies, an estimate is given for the rate constant of NO +more » H + M = HNO + M with nitrogen as the collision partner.« less
Dismantling the Active Ingredients of an Intervention for Children with Autism

This study evaluated the association of fidelity to each of the components of the Strategies for Teaching based on Autism Research (STAR) program, a comprehensive treatment package for children with autism that includes discrete trial training, pivotal response training, and teaching in functional routines, on outcomes for 191 students ages 5–8 years in a large public school district. Fidelity to all components was relatively low, despite considerable training and support, suggesting the need to develop new implementation strategies. Fidelity to pivotal response training, but not discrete trial training or functional routines, was positively associated with gains in cognitive ability despite low levels of fidelity, and may be an effective intervention choice in under-resourced settings.
The luminescence of isolated chloroplasts

Abstract 1. 1. The luminescence of isolated spinach and mustard chloroplasts has been studied under various conditions, using a quantum-counting photomultiplier at the temperature of liquid nitrogen. 2. 2. It has been found that luminescence and the Hill reaction rate, as determined by direct potentiometric measurement, saturate at nearly identical light intensities. 3. 3. Spinach chloroplasts show a temperature dependence for luminescence similar to that observed for Chlorella luminescence. Optimum activity was at ca. 36 °C. 4. 4. The influence of pH on spinach and mustard chloroplast luminescence is characterized by two optima at ca. pH 5 and ca. pH 9. It is suggested that the initial reaction may have a broad pH optimum while a succeeding reaction may have a narrower optimum. The resulting interaction of the two systems would give the pH dependence curve observed. 5. 5. The decay curves for spinach chloroplast, spinach and mustard leaf, and Chlorella luminescence are very similar, approaching zero about 5 min. after illumination. Mustard chloroplasts, on the other hand, show a low level of luminescence for as long as 35 min. after illumination. 6. 6. Spinach and mustard chloroplasts, in contrast to Chlorella , show no induction phenomenon or effect of CO 2 on the level of luminescence. 7. 7. Inhibitors previously tested on Chlorella luminescence also showed some differences in their effect on spinach chloroplast luminescence. Hydroxylamine was more strongly inhibitory to spinach luminescence than to Chlorella luminescence while dinitrophenol, cyanide, and azide were appreciably less inhibitory.
Advancing disaster epidemiology and response: developing a national disaster-victim database.

Background. The need to further disaster preparedness has resulted in a call for more comprehensive disaster research. Past disaster research has, for the most part, been limited by the inability to obtain complete medical data from victims of disasters. A national disaster-victim database (NDVD) can be developed that will facilitate collection andaggregation of disaster-victim medical data from health care facilities. Three aspects of the NDVD are discussed: Data Requirements. Medical records of disaster victims must be standardized before being uploaded from various databases into the NDVD. Existing data dictionaries provide formats in which data elements can become standardized. Once standardized, data sets from different facilities can be pooled andsubjected to analyses. Database System. The three tiers of the NDVD system are: 1) medical data are collected at the point of care, 2) medical data are entered into databases andconverted into a specific format, and3) formatted data sets are uploaded to the...
Reactions of antioxidants in foods

Abstract The chemical transformations of BHT and BHA in the deep-fat frying of potatoes were studied. Approximately 80% of the BHT and its associated decomposition products was lost from the lard after six batches of french fries. This may have been due to steam distillation caused by the water boiled out of the potatoes. In contrast, 80% of the radiocarbon introduced as radiolabelled BHA was retained by the frying medium even after 12 batches of french fries. The concentration of intact BHA decreased to undetectable levels after four batches. Because of the complexity of the products formed in the heated fats, studies were undertaken on the thermolysis of a hydroperoxy derivative of BHT, 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroperoxy-4-methylcyclohexa-2,3-dienone (HBHT). The product mixture, which was identified by mass spectrometry and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, included BHT, 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxy-4-methylcyclohexa-2,5-dienone and 3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxybenzaldehyde. Elemental compositions of other unidentified products were determined by high-resolution mass spectrometry.
Cardiology: Bad matters made worse.

Heart attacks occur when lipoprotein-driven inflammation called atherosclerosis triggers blood clotting in the arteries. It seems that the attacks can, in turn, accelerate atherosclerosis by fanning the inflammation. See Letter p.325 Patients who have a myocardial infarction are at high risk of recurrent events. This study shows for the first time that myocardial infarction and stroke accelerate atherosclerosis. The authors were able to demonstrate that myocardial infarction leads to activation of the sympathetic nervous system, which, in turn, leads to the release of haematopoietic stem cells and progenitor cells. These cells seeded in the spleen and augmented the production of monocytes displaying an enhanced atherogenic phenotype. These findings were correlated with patient data showing that prior beta-blocker therapy was associated with a decrease in circulating monocytes after myocardial infarction. These findings suggest that interventions that interrupt the supply of monocytes could attenuate atherosclerosis and may improve long-term patient outcomes.
Assessing the significance of wetland restoration scenarios on sediment mitigation plan

Abstract Wetlands have many environmental, social, and economic values. However, due to accelerated land use change and lack of understanding of the functions of wetland ecosystems, they have deteriorated, if not been lost in many areas worldwide. Meanwhile, current functional wetland assessment techniques only provide rough estimations, and are in most cases site specific and qualitative. The overall goal of this project is to examine the sediment reduction benefit of wetland implementation scenarios both at subbasin and watershed scales. Two sets of models were used to accomplish this goal. First, a watershed model – the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), was employed to estimate sediment load at the subbasin scale. However, due to limitations of wetland functions of SWAT, a second model – the System for Urban Stormwater Treatment and Analysis Integration (SUSTAIN) was used. The sediment load generated for each subbasin was incorporated in the SUSTAIN model. This allows for evaluating sediment reduction capability of wetlands at subbasin level. Next, a portion of sediment not treated by a wetland was fed back to the SWAT model and routed to the watershed outlet. The impacts of four different wetland surface areas (0.40, 0.81, 2, and 4 ha) on sediment load mitigation were examined one-at-a-time for all subbasins within the River Raisin watershed located in southeastern Michigan and northeastern Ohio. Comparison of the sediment reductions due to different wetland restoration scenarios reveals the importance of wetland placement in a watershed. In general, the rate of streamflow reduction resulting from wetland implementation is higher than sediment reduction at the subbasin level but more comparable at the watershed level. In addition, clusters of wetlands installed at the distance of 150–200 stream km from the outlet outperformed other clustered wetlands at closer and farther distances. Wetlands associated with 1st order streams performed better at the subbasin level, while wetlands located at 4th order streams performed better at the watershed level. Considering environmental and economic issues of wetland restoration scenarios revealed that the 0.4 ha wetlands were the most suitable for subbasin and watershed level implementation due to its sediment reduction efficiency and significantly lower cost of installation and maintenance.
Hacking the body: code, performance and corporeality:

This article argues for a politics of code grounded in the performance of hacking as an activity that is able to deconstruct the longstanding binary of code and performance by centering on the relationship of each to the body. Through a reading of hacker responses to the state’s restriction on the export of cryptography, the article argues that interventions by hackers reveal to us the point at which the body becomes, literally, the limit of code, marking it as irreducibly transgressive, while rendering code impotent. It is this performance, it contends, that holds the most powerful possibility for hacktivism and resistance.
Alternately Spliced NH2-terminal Immunoglobulin-like Loop I in the Ectodomain of the Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF) Receptor 1 Lowers Affinity for both Heparin and FGF-1

Alternate splicing of a single exon encoding an NH2-terminal immunoglobulin (Ig) disulfide loop in the ectodomain of the fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) types 1 and 2 results in alpha and beta isoforms that exhibit 3- and 2-Ig loops, respectively. Previously we demonstrated that alternately spliced Loop I has no independent ligand binding activity but is sufficiently interactive with the ligand- and heparin-binding site formed by Loops II and III to lower affinity for the same fibroblast growth factor (FGF) ligand. Here we show that a lower affinity of FGFR1 alpha for heparin parallels the lower affinity for FGF-1. A mutant of FGFR1 alpha in which the sequence between Loops I and II was deleted exhibits high affinity for both FGF-1 and heparin and other properties of the FGFR1 beta isoform, which include resistance to degradation by trypsin and display of specific antibody epitopes. This suggests that the interloop sequence facilitates the interaction of Loop I with Loops II and III. Lack of expression of both exons coding for Loop I and the sequence between Loops I and II in the FGFR2 gene characterizes rat prostate tumor cells, which exhibit a loss of the low affinity class of FGF receptors. Although the exon coding for the sequence between Loops I and II is alternately spliced in the FGFR2 beta isoform, coordinate expression with the exon coding for Loop I results in the functional differences between the FGFR alpha and FGFR beta variants.
To clip or to coil acutely ruptured intracranial aneurysms: update on the debate.

Purpose of review The purpose of this review is to consider why the International Subarachnoid Aneurysm Trial (ISAT) led to such an uproar, provide a summary of the criticisms of the study and responses from the investigators, and discuss the implications of ISAT. Recent findings The ISAT was destined for controversy. It pitted two different treatment modalities directly against each other: one a highly evolved, established means for repairing ruptured intracranial aneurysms and the other a radically different, developing approach. The criticisms of the ISAT fall into several categories. They include study site selection, patient selection and the definition of clinical equipoise, relative expertise of the surgeons and interventionists, and the duration and type of follow-up. While some of the criticisms of ISAT reflect unavoidable statistical, design and temporal constraints and thus are of little impact, others are more consequential and revolve around the need for clinical equipoise, and how that was defined across centers. In addition, the question of surgical expertise needs to be addressed. Finally, long-term outcome data are needed. Summary The study was well designed and executed. The published results met the most up-to-date standards for reporting clinical trials. Important questions remain to be answered, including how to define clinical equipoise and the long-term durability of coiling aneurysms.
Choledochal cyst: findings on cholangiopancreatography with emphasis on ectasia of the common channel

Choledochal cyst is a congenital malformation of the biliary tree that is unusual but by no means rare. During a 13-year period, we encountered eight patients with choledochal cysts who were evaluated with cholangiopancreatography. All of our cases showed an anomalous union of the pancreatic duct and common bile duct, resulting in a long common channel. Review of cholangiopancreatograms also showed ectasia of the common channel in six of the eight patients. Mean length of the common channel, corrected for magnification, was 26 mm (normal, less than 15 mm). The mean corrected diameter of the common channel was 7 mm (normal, 3-5 mm). We conclude that ectasia of the common channel is an important additional radiographic observation in the diagnosis of choledochal cyst. This observation has not been emphasized before.
Introduction to Special Section on Measurements and Monitoring at the TAG Hydrothermal Field, Mid‐Atlantic Ridge 26°N, 45°W

The international oceanographic community carried out a coordinated series of cooperative cruises and dives with Japanese, Russian and U.S. submersibles between 1993 and 1995 to perform baseline measurements and to establish a seafloor observatory to monitor the active sulfide mound in the TAG hydrothermal field before, during and after drilling by Ocean Drilling Program Leg 158 in October–November 1994. The results of that effort and related work are reported herein as group of 23 papers comprising a special section in this issue of “Geophysical Research Letters”.
Review: Computer anxiety: Comparison of research from the 1990s and 2000s

As computers became ubiquitous in businesses, homes, and schools, there was increasing concern about computer anxiety and its effect on individuals. The first academic articles on computer anxiety were published in the early 1980s. Since that time, hundreds of papers have been published on the topic. Yet, up to this time, no one has done a comprehensive review of computer anxiety. In this article, 276 articles on computer anxiety are reviewed. From a synthesis of the articles and variables studied to date, a framework is developed that outlines the primary topics studied in computer anxiety literature. Nine antecedents, five correlates, and two outcomes of computer anxiety are identified as the most studied variables in the literature. In addition, a statistical comparison is done to compare the distribution of computer anxiety topics and results published in the 1990s to those published in the 2000s. Suggestions for future research in computer anxiety are proposed.
Bifunctional action of ephrin-B1 as a repellent and attractant to control bidirectional branch extension in dorsal-ventral retinotopic mapping

We report that the EphB receptor ligand, ephrin-B1, may act bifunctionally as both a branch repellent and attractant to control the unique mechanisms in mapping the dorsal-ventral (DV) retinal axis along the lateral-medial (LM) axis of the optic tectum. EphB receptors are expressed in a low to high DV gradient by retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), and ephrin-B1 is expressed in a low to high LM gradient in the tectum. RGC axons lack DV ordering along the LM tectal axis, but directionally extend interstitial branches that establish retinotopically ordered arbors. Recent studies show that ephrin-B1 acts as an attractant in DV mapping and in controlling directional branch extension. Modeling indicates that proper DV mapping requires that this attractant activity cooperates with a repellent activity in a gradient that mimics ephrin-B1. We show that ectopic domains of high, graded ephrin-B1 expression created by retroviral transfection repel interstitial branches of RGC axons and redirect their extension along the LM tectal axis, away from their proper termination zones (TZs). In contrast, the primary RGC axons are unaffected and extend through the ectopic domains of ephrin-B1 and arborize at the topographically correct site. However, when the location of a TZ is coincident with ectopic domains of ephrin-B1, the domains appear to inhibit arborization and shape the distribution of arbors. Our findings indicate that ephrin-B1 selectively controls, through either attraction or repulsion, the directional extension and arborization of interstitial branches extended by RGC axons arising from the same DV position: branches that arise from axons positioned lateral to the correct TZ are attracted up the gradient of ephrin-B1 and branches that arise from axons positioned medial to the same TZ are repelled down the ephrin-B1 gradient. Alternatively, EphB receptor signaling may act as a `ligand-density sensor' and titrate signaling pathways that promote branch extension toward an optimal ephrin-B1 concentration found at the TZ; branches located either medial or lateral to the TZ would encounter a gradient of increasingly favored attachment in the direction of the TZ.
Cardiac myocyte exosomes: stability, HSP60, and proteomics

Exosomes, which are 50- to 100-nm-diameter lipid vesicles, have been implicated in intercellular communication, including transmitting malignancy, and as a way for viral particles to evade detectio...
Mathematical model for characterization of bacterial migration through sand cores.

The migration of chemotactic bacteria in liquid media has previously been characterized in terms of two fundamental transport coefficients—the random motility coefficient and the chemotactic sensitivity coefficient. For modeling migration in porous media, we have shown that these coefficients which appear in macroscopic balance equations can be replaced by effective values that reflect the impact of the porous media on the swimming behavior of individual bacteria. Explicit relationships between values of the coefficients in porous and liquid media were derived. This type of quantitative analysis of bacterial migration is necessary for predicting bacterial population distributions in subsurface environments for applications such as in situ bioremediation in which bacteria respond chemotactically to the pollutants that they degrade. We analyzed bacterial penetration times through sand columns from two different experimental studies reported in the literature within the context of our mathematical model to evaluate the effective transport coefficients. Our results indicated that the presence of the porous medium reduced the random motility of the bacterial population by a factor comparable to the theoretical prediction. We were unable to determine the effect of the porous medium on the chemotactic sensitivity coefficient because no chemotactic response was observed in the experimental studies. However, the mathematical model was instrumental in developing a plausible explanation for why no chemotactic response was observed. The chemical gradients may have been too shallow over most of the sand core to elicit a measurable response. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Biotechnol Bioeng53: 487–496, 1997.
A discrete model for competing stage-structured species

Abstract This paper deals with the problem of relating physiological properties of individual organisms to the dynamics at the total population level. A general nonlinear matrix difference equation is described which accounts for the dynamics of stage-structured populations under the assumption that individuals in the populations can be placed into well defined descriptive stages. Density feedback is modeled through an assumption that (stage-specific) fertilities and transitions are proportional to a resource uptake functional which is dependent upon a total weighted population size. It is shown how, if stage-specific differences in mortality are insignificant compared to stage-specific differences in fertility and inter-stage transitions, a nonlinear version of the strong ergodic theorem of demography mathematically separates the population level dynamics from the dynamics of the stage distribution vector, which is shown to stabilize independently of the population level dynamics. The nonlinear dynamics at the population level are governed by a key parameter π that encapsulates the stage-specific parameters and thereby affords a means by which population level dynamics can be linked to properties of individual organisms. The method is applied to a community of stagestructured populations competing for a common limiting resource, and it is seen how the parameter π determines the competitively superior species. An example of size structured competitors illustrates how the method can relate the competitive success of a species to such size-specific properties as resource conversion efficiencies and allocation fractions for individual growth and reproduction, largest adult body size, and size at birth and maturation.
Incisional adenocarcinoma after intracranial metastasis resection.

Abstract Skin and subcutaneous secondary tumors are unusual, especially in cases of colonic adenocarcinoma. They usually signify disseminated metastases. A rare case of an isolated incisional tumor after resection of a metastasis to the cerebellum is presented. The pathophysiology and management of such an event is discussed. The clinical setting suggests that this occurrence represented the result of microscopic deposits of neoplastic cells in the wound rather than hematogenous spread
Transient early T wave sensing by implanted programmable demand pulse generator

A seven-year-old girl with a permanent epicardial programmable pulse generator developed inappropriate slowing of the pacing rate due to oversensing a combination of T wave and afterpotential voltage. This phenomenon occurred only in the first three days after implantation and was demonstrable only at long programmed pulse widths. Our observations suggest that the current of injury in the early post-operative period may generate a relatively high T wave voltage capable of combining with a large afterpotential to produce a signal exceeding the sensitivity of a demand pulse generator.
Role of MMP-9 in the breakdown of barrier integrity of the corneal endothelium in response to TNF-α.

TNF-α induces loss of barrier integrity of the corneal endothelium through mechanisms involving the activation of p38 MAP kinase. This study has investigated the role of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), known to be activated by mechanisms downstream of p38 MAP kinase, on the breakdown of the barrier integrity. Experiments were performed with primary cultures of bovine corneal endothelium. Changes in the trans-endothelial electrical resistance (TER), a measure of barrier integrity, were measured by electric cell-substrate impedance sensing. The integrity of the apical junctional assembly was imaged by immunolocalization of ZO-1. MMP-9 activity in the conditioned medium of cells treated with TNF-α was visualized by gelatin zymography. Transcriptional activation of MMP-9 was assessed by real-time RT-PCR. Exposure to TNF-α led to significant disruption of ZO-1 and also caused a continuous decline in TER for more than 20 h. These effects were opposed by cycloheximide (protein synthesis inhibitor), GM-6001 (broad spectrum inhibitor of MMPs), minocycline (MMP-2 and MMP-9 inhibitor), and MMP-9 inhibitor I (selective MMP-9 inhibitor). Cycloheximide, GM-6001, and MMP-9 inhibitor I also attenuated the increase in permeability to FITC-dextran (10 kDa). In addition, TNF-α led to an increased MMP-9 activity in the conditioned medium as well as a nearly 20-fold increase in mRNA for MMP-9 but not for MMP-2. The functional activity and increase in mRNA levels of MMP-9 were blocked by SB-203580 (selective p38 MAP kinase inhibitor) and cycloheximide. In conclusion, transcriptional and translational activation of MMP-9, downstream of p38 MAP kinase signaling, is involved in the (TNF-α)-induced loss of corneal endothelial barrier integrity.
Carbonyl (η3-allyl) anions of molybdenum and tungsten

Abstract Anionic complexes of the type [M(CO)2(diket)(η3-allyl)Cl]− (where M is Mo or W and diket is a β-diketonate group) are readily prepared by the addition of allyl chloride to [M(CO)4(diket)]− anions. NMR measurements indicate an equilibrium between two conformers due to rotation of the allyl groups. [M(CO)5(OC(=O)R)]− anions also react with allyl chloride to form η3-allyl complex anions. Some structural aspects of both the diketonate and carboxylate derivatives are discussed.
Triple marker (α-fetoprotein, unconjugated estriol, human chorionic gonadotropin) versus α-fetoprotein plus free-β subunit in second-trimester maternal serum screening for fetal Down syndrome : A prospective comparison study

Abstract OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to compare the efficacy of triple-marker screening (α-fetoprotein, unconjugated estriol, human chorionic gonadotropin) with α-fetoprotein plus free β-human chorionic gonadotropin. STUDY DESIGN: Free β-human chorionic gonadotropin was concurrently assayed in 2349 maternal serum samples. Trivariate and bivariate algorithms were used to calculate the risk for fetal Down syndrome by the two protocols. Free β-human chorionic gonadotropin from 12 cases of fetal Down syndrome previously screened with the triple marker was retrospectively assayed. RESULTS: Mean maternal age of our study was 29.8 years (range 14 to 51 years). The initial screen-positive rate with the triple marker was 8.0% compared with 12.8% for α-fetoprotein plus free β-human chorionic gonadotropin. All three cases of fetal Down syndrome ascertained in our prospective study were detected by the triple marker; in contrast, one of three was detected by α-fetoprotein plus free β-human chorionic gonadotropin. By adding 12 additional cases of fetal Down syndrome, 12 of 15 (80%) were screen positive with triple marker and nine of 15 (60%) were screen positive with α-fetoprotein plus free β-human chorionic gonadotropin. CONCLUSION: The detection rate of fetal Down syndrome was greater by use of a triple marker screen than when using α-fetoprotein plus free β-human chorionic gonadotropin. Our data do not support the claims of other studies that suggest that α-fetoprotein plus free β-human chorionic gonadotropin is superior to triple markers.
Octogenarian free flap reconstruction: Complications and cost of therapy

Abstract Objective: The study goal was to document the reliability, incidence of complications, and cost of therapy for patients older than 80 years who undergo microvascular head and neck reconstruction. Patients and Methods: Thirteen octogenarians underwent free flap reconstruction of defects resulting from the treatment of head and neck cancer at an academic tertiary care medical center. The incidence of medical and reconstructive complications and the cost of hospitalization were compared with those for 99 younger patients who were treated during the same time period. Results: There were no cases of free flap failure or significant reconstructive complications in the octogenarians. The incidence of medical complications was 62% in the octogenarians and 15% in the younger patients. The average cost of therapy was $54,702 per octogenarian patient compared with $30,397 per younger patient. The increased incidence of medical complications and increased cost arose primarily from an increased severity of preoperative systemic illness in the octogenarians. However, controlling for comorbidity did not eliminate the discrepancy in medical complications between the octogenarians and the younger patients. Conclusions: Although microvascular head and neck reconstruction in the elderly is very reliable, the incidence of medical complications and the cost of therapy are significantly increased in octogenarians. (Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2002;126:301-6.)