cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mood, Meth, Condom Use, and Gender: Latent Growth Curve Modeling Results from a Randomized Trial

Methamphetamine use poses increased risk for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. There is robust evidence that methamphetamine use increases sexual risk behavior, like condomless sex, primarily among men who have sex with men but also among heterosexual women and men. Gender differences have been found among women and men who use meth, and there is a high degree of interconnectedness between meth use, depression, and condomless sex. The aims of the current study are to evaluate the efficacy of a theory-based, tri-focal intervention designed to reduce depression, meth use, and condomless sex among women and men, and to examine gender as a moderator of efficacy. A total of 432 HIV-negative women and men who use meth participated in a two-arm randomized controlled trial and completed baseline and follow-up assessments at 4, 8, and 12 months. We used latent growth curve modeling techniques to analyze the data. Results showed that while all participants exhibited reductions in depression, meth use, and condomless sex, the intervention and comparison groups did not differ in changes over time. However, we did find a significant gender moderation effect, such that among men, those in the intervention arm reported greater reductions in meth use relative to those in the comparison group; reduced meth use was associated with reduced condomless sex, but not depression. In contrast, women in the intervention condition did not differ from women in the comparison condition in changes in any of the three outcome variables. Interventions targeting heterosexual women and men who use meth must be gender-specific, and take into account the unique vulnerabilities and experiences of women, including the perceived positive aspects of using meth, gendered power dynamics, higher depression, and violence.
Anesthesia for Fetal Intervention and Surgery

Congenital birth defects affect 3% of infants born in the United States and accounts for 20% of all infant deaths (Clin Obstet Gynecol, 2017, 10.1016/j.bpobgyn.2017.02.005). The field of fetal surgery emerged in an effort to curtail the incidence of these infant deaths related to potentially reversible defects.Access to prenatal care is essential for prenatal diagnosis of fetal anomalies, and the advances in ultrasound and MRI imaging have led to better delineation of structural anomalies and their potential impact on the fetus or newborn (Curr Opin Pediatr, 24, 386–393, 2012). An increasing number of conditions are diagnosed early in gestation and some of these may benefit from prenatal surgical intervention as they may be life threatening or result in irreversible organ damage (Fetal Diagn Ther 31, 201–209, 2012). Fetal therapy should be limited to the treatment of only those malformations that are severe, and to potentially lethal conditions in which such therapy has been shown to improve the survival and/or preserve normal or near normal function in the infant.
Decisions and Knowledge

This chapter explores the connections between decisions and knowledge, showing that decision making is a knowledge-intensive endeavor. Decision support systems are technologies that help get the right knowledge to the right decision makers at the right times in the right representations at the right costs. By doing so, these systems help decision making to be more productive, agile, innovative, and/or reputable.
NIH Toolbox Screen for MCI and Dementia: Results of a 90-Day Pilot in Primary Care Practices (P07.151)

OBJECTIVE: Determine the feasibility, sensitivity to MCI and dementia, patient and physician acceptance of NIH Toolbox in the routine cognitive screen of individuals >/=70 years old in two primary care practices. BACKGROUND: Biomarker studies and clinical drug trials outcomes suggest that the optimal period to intervene with preventative or curative treatments for dementia is at preclinical or early MCI stages. Current office screens are insensitive to earliest cognitive declines. We studied the newly developed NIH Toolbox, a non-proprietary web-based smart technology cognitive tool administered by trained MAs, standardized for ages 5-85, in screening for MCI and dementia in primary care well/wellness visits. DESIGN/METHODS: In 3,365 patient visits >/=70y among 18 primary care physicians over 18 weeks, 2/5 of visits fit well/wellness inclusion criteria for screening. NIH Toolbox with and without fluency tasks and delayed free and recognition RAVLT trials administered. Outcome measures included physician offer and patient acceptance rates and MCI and dementia detection rates as defined by MCI >/=1 domain 1SD below norm and dementia >/=2 domains 2SD below norm. Rates of MCI and dementia compared using Toolbox alone and with supplemental measures. RESULTS: Physicians offered screens to 43% of eligible patients and significantly less in highest risk group,patients >80. Offer rates increased over time. 76% of patients offered screening accepted. In the 221 patients screened, MCI detection increased from 39-43% at age 70 to 63-74% at age 85. Dementia was diagnosed in 5%, increasing with age, but only with Toolbox + supplemental tests. possibly reflecting the need for delayed episodic memory measures. CONCLUSIONS: NIH Toolbox is practical as a cognitive screen in primary care, detects MCI well, but did not detect dementia without addition of delayed episodic memory tests. Physician education needed to improve screen offer rates. Patient acceptance high. Supported by: Picker Foundation; Grosfeld Collaborative from the Greater Michigan Chapter of the Alzheimer9s Association. Disclosure: Dr. Shatz received research support from Janssen Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Lemere has nothing to disclose. Dr. Williams has nothing to disclose. Dr. Daley has nothing to disclose.
Energy Metabolism and Patterns of Ventilation in Euthermic and Torpid Hummingbirds

Thermoregulation and energy metabolism in hummingbirds, the smallest of all avian species, have long been of interest to comparative physiologists. Early studies reported extremely high rates of oxidative metabolism during both rest and activity. Many species also undergo profound hypothermia, or torpor, often accompanied by long periods of apnea (Pearson, 1950; Bartholomew et al., 1957). Subsequent studies have established that regulated hypothermia (maintenance of stable body temperature via adjustments in metabolic heat production) commonly occurs during torpor (Hainsworth and Wolf, 1970; Wolf and Hainsworth, 1972). The respiratory system of hummingbirds must not only be able to support high rates of oxygen flow during activity, but must also accommodate very large changes in oxygen demand during the transition between torpor and euthermia. Somewhat surprisingly, hummingbird respiration has received relatively little attention from avian physiologists. Moreover, in the few studies of hummingbird ventilation to date, the birds have been restrained within the metabolic chamber (Lasiewski, 1964, 1967; Withers, 1977). These procedures almost certainly alter normal ventilation patterns (Bucher, 1981).
Rule induction and instance-based learning a unified approach

This paper presents a new approach to inductive learning that combines aspects of instancebased learning and rule induction in a single simple algorithm. The RISE system searches for rules in a specific-to-general fashion, starting with one rule per training example, and avoids some of the difficulties of separate-and-eonquer approaches by evaluating each proposed induction step globally, i e, through an efficient procedure that is equivalent to checking the accuracy of the rule set as a whole on every training example. Classification is performed using a best-match strategy, and reduces to nearest-neighbor if all generalizations of instances were rejected. An extensive empirical study shows that RISE consistently achieves higher accuracies than state-of-the-art representatives of its "parent" paradigms (PEBLS and CN2), and also outperforms a decision-tree learner (C4 5) in 13 out of 15 test domains (in 10 with 95% confidence).
Clues to oocyte genome function from organisms displaying chromosome elimination

In certain organisms, chromosome elimination is associated with some phase of germ line differentiation. At the point of initial germ-line specification, for example, the germ-line stem cell alone may retain the total chromosome heritage, while all other blastomeres suffer the early elimination of a particular portion of their chromosome set. The diminution of the chromosome complement is known in various beetles, flies, butterflies, grass-hoppers, midges, and mites, as well as in nematodes. An important group of examples concerns the diminutions occurring in the formation of the meroistic ovarioles of certain beetles, particularly Dysticus . In it, the final four oogonial divisions result in the appearance of 15 nurse cells and one oocyte, of which the oocyte is the only cell to retain the total chromatin complement. Sex determination in certain species depends upon the hetrochromatization of half the chromosomes, in some cases the paternal half.
Recognizing and Managing Postpartum Psychosis: A Clinical Guide for Obstetric Providers.

Postpartum psychosis is at once the most dangerous and the least understood of perinatal psychiatric disorders. It affects 1-2 per 1,000 women and constitutes a true psychiatric emergency, one that requires immediate hospitalization and treatment.[1, 2] The lack of knowledge about what it is, how to recognize it, and how to treat it – combined with stigma about perinatal psychiatric disorders in general and the lack of appropriate treatment venues – mean that it is often missed, by both obstetricians and psychiatrists, with sometimes tragic consequences. Postpartum psychosis has been noted since antiquity. Hippocrates described the first case known to the medical literature, in 400 BC; his patient was delusional, confused, and insomniac within six days of a twin birth[3]. A medieval gynecologist attributed the disorder to “too much moisture in the womb, causing the brain to fill with water.” [4] By the late eighteenth century, German and French obstetricians and neurologists were beginning to write more frequently about the disease. In 1858, French psychiatrist Louis Victor Marce published his “Treatise on the Madness of Women who are Pregnant, Recently Delivered, or Nursing.” [5] Marce’s carefully observed treatise, while suggesting treatments that today seem woefully barbaric (applying leeches to the vulva, for example), nevertheless is a model of observation – and Marce saw in his postpartum mothers the same symptoms that doctors struggle to control today. His observations led him to conjecture about the role of the immune response and the endocrine system, two systems that today are widely acknowledged to contribute to postpartum mental illness.
Abstract 16943: Obesity Moderates the Relationship Between Depressive Symptoms and Diet Quality in Overweight and Obese Adults in Rural Kentucky

Background: Although depressive symptoms have been linked to poor diet quality, little is known about this relationship among overweight and obese adults in rural Kentucky where rates of cardiovasc...
Subgemmal Neurogenous Plaque: A Clinical and Pathologic Review With Comparison to Common Head and Neck Neural Tumors.

Objective:In humans, subgemmal neurogenous plaques (SNPs) are normally found associated with taste buds. On histology, SNP may be mistaken for a neural neoplasm. The objective of this study was to ...
Tracking sources of formant frequency variation in data from a time-controlled speech production task

Vowel formant structure is particularly sensitive to influence from neighboring segments in connected speech. Statistical models can successfully account for acoustic variability from multiple simultaneous sources of variance, such as anticipatory effects of following consonants and vowels (see, for example, Cole et al., 2010). Statistical approaches have also been developed to predict context segments from static measures of spectral variation like mean or midpoint formant frequencies. This study examines shifts in the relative strength of these sources of variance over the course of the target vowel, and compares previous approaches to predicting the identity of upcoming segments with a novel approach which is cumulatively informed by formant frequency variation as it unfolds temporally. Data are from 32 participants who produced target-context word sequences (permutations of …V1C#hV2…, where V1 = [ɛ], C = [θ f], and V2 = [i ɛ ae ɑ u], e.g., “deaf-heating”) within a carrier sentence. Timing and prosody were strictly controlled by entraining the syllable rate to a metronome. Context word onset was always [h], which has no intrinsic supralaryngeal articulation and only begins foot-initial syllables in English. This ensured a consistent prosodic boundary between target and context words and prevented resyllabification of C across words.
FACTS Approach to Address Cybersecurity Issues in Electric Vehicle Battery Systems

Regulations and standards define requirements for the development of every component in an Electric Vehicle (EV). Standards are meant to ensure healthy competition among the stakeholders and enhance consumer safety. Frameworks for the development and testing of the overall EVs have been developed, but they do not address the requirements of each component individually from cybersecurity perspective. With the advent of the Internet of Things (IoT) and connected devices, cybersecurity issues and attacks are coming into notice. This evolution requires a defined framework which addresses cybersecurity issues in EVs. Till date, only a generic EV standard (SAE J3061) has been developed. Battery Management Systems (BMS) which control the key component of an EV, the battery stacks, currently do not have a standard that could address their cybersecurity issues. The Framework for Analysis, Comparison, and Test of Standards (FACTS), is presented in this paper after identifying the key player in EV cybersecurity by comparing existing frameworks. The development approach and steps applicable to EV BMS’s for obtaining technical requirements and comparing testing standards are also presented. Finally, a fault tree analysis is also developed to validate the approach based on the technical requirements considered for the framework development.
The Association of International Normalized Ratio with Postoperative Complications in Revision Total Knee Arthroplasty.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between elevated preoperative international normalized ratio (INR) and (1) mortality, (2) postoperative bleeding, and (3) other postoperative complications in a national cohort of patients who underwent revision total knee arthroplasty (rTKA). The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program was queried for rTKA procedures conducted between 2006 and 2017. Cohorts were based on INR ranges: 1.5. Univariate/multivariate statistics were calculated to analyze associations between INR value and designated covariates. These statistics were additionally applied to optimal cutoff values of INR calculated using a receiver operating characteristics curve. The final cohort consisted of 1,676 patients. Progressively higher INR values were associated with an increased risk of mortality within 30 days (p < 0.006), bleeding requiring transfusion (p < 0.001), sepsis (p < 0.001), return to the operating room (Odds Ratio [OR], p = 0.011), reintubation (p < 0.001), pneumonia (p < 0.001), failure to wean from mechanical ventilation ≤48 hours (p < 0.001), acute renal failure (p = 0.001), and hospital length of stay (LOS). Statistically significant associations were similarly seen when calculated optimal INR values were used. Optimal INR turn point was found to be associated with a significant increased risk of long LOS (optimal INR = 1.03, OR: 1.7, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.33-2.18; p < 0.001) and a significant decreased risk of bleeding requiring transfusion (INR = 1.005, OR: 0.732, 95% CI: 0.681-0.786; p < 0.001). High preoperative INR values were independently and significantly associated with an increased risk of multiple postoperative complications. Current guidelines for INR <1.5 should be reassessed for patients undergoing rTKA.
Thyroid hormone receptors mediate two distinct mechanisms of long-wavelength vision.

Thyroid hormone (TH) signaling plays an important role in the regulation of long-wavelength vision in vertebrates. In the retina, thyroid hormone receptor β (thrb) is required for expression of long-wavelength-sensitive opsin (lws) in red cone photoreceptors, while in retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), TH regulates expression of a cytochrome P450 enzyme, cyp27c1, that converts vitamin A1 into vitamin A2 to produce a red-shifted chromophore. To better understand how TH controls these processes, we analyzed the phenotype of zebrafish with mutations in the three known TH nuclear receptor transcription factors (thraa, thrab, and thrb). We found that no single TH nuclear receptor is required for TH-mediated induction of cyp27c1 but that deletion of all three (thraa−/−;thrab−/−;thrb−/−) completely abrogates its induction and the resulting conversion of A1- to A2-based retinoids. In the retina, loss of thrb resulted in an absence of red cones at both larval and adult stages without disruption of the underlying cone mosaic. RNA-sequencing analysis revealed significant down-regulation of only five genes in adult thrb−/− retina, of which three (lws1, lws2, and miR-726) occur in a single syntenic cluster. In the thrb−/− retina, retinal progenitors destined to become red cones were transfated into ultraviolet (UV) cones and horizontal cells. Taken together, our findings demonstrate cooperative regulation of cyp27c1 by TH receptors and a requirement for thrb in red cone fate determination. Thus, TH signaling coordinately regulates both spectral sensitivity and sensory plasticity.
Displacement hazard curves derived from slope-specific predictive models of earthquake-induced displacement

Abstract Probabilistic hazard curves for earthquake-induced permanent slope displacements incorporate the important variabilities associated with predictions of slope movements, such that a rational assessment of slope performance can be obtained. To date, displacements estimated from sliding block analyses predominantly have been used to compute displacement hazard curves, despite the fact that nonlinear finite element analysis is becoming the preferred method to evaluate the performance of slopes. This paper extends the probabilistic approach for use with displacements from finite element analyses. We develop slope-specific displacement prediction models using displacements computed by nonlinear finite element analyses. Various models are developed that utilize different ground motion intensity measures and each model is used to compute a displacement hazard curve for a site in Northern California. The computed hazard curves reveal that the different models generate a large range of epistemic uncertainty, and the model with the smallest standard deviation does not necessarily predict the smallest displacement hazard due to the influence of the shape of the ground motion hazard curve and of the displacement model. As a result, multiple displacement models that incorporate different intensity measures should be considered in any assessment of the seismic performance of slopes, in the same way that multiple ground motion models are incorporated into ground motion hazard analyses.
Detection of singlet oxygen luminescence for experimental corneal rose bengal photodynamic antimicrobial therapy

Rose bengal photodynamic antimicrobial therapy (RB-PDAT) treats corneal infection by activating rose bengal (RB) with green light to produce singlet oxygen (1O2). Singlet oxygen dosimetry can help optimize treatment parameters. We present a 1O2 dosimeter for detection of 1O2 generated during experimental RB-PDAT. The system uses a 520 nm laser and an InGaAs photoreceiver with bandpass filters to detect 1O2 luminescence during irradiation. The system was validated in RB solutions and ex vivo in human donor eyes. The results demonstrate the feasibility of 1O2 dosimetry in an experimental model of RB-PDAT in the cornea.
Virial Expansions, Finite Differences, and Recursion Relations

A general density expansion method based on the calculus of finite differences (Ramshaw J. D., J. Chem. Phys., 57 (1972) 2070) is revisited and reformulated. The original expression for the coefficients in the expansion is transformed into an alternative equivalent form which simplifies and facilitates their evaluation. The use of the method is illustrated by determining the virial coefficients of arbitrary order in a density expansion of the pressure in a classical monatomic gas. The resulting virial coefficients are expressed in terms of the Ursell reducible cluster integrals. The functional form of those expressions is determined by simple recursion relations.
Chromatic homotopy theory is algebraic when p > n2 + n + 1

Abstract We show that if E is a p-local Landweber exact homology theory of height n and p > n 2 + n + 1 , then there exists an equivalence h S p E ≃ h D ( E ⁎ E ) between homotopy categories of E-local spectra and differential E ⁎ E -comodules, generalizing Bousfield's and Franke's results to heights n > 1 .
Complete Ideals in Two-Dimensional Regular Local Rings

These notes present the main facts concerning the theory of complete ideals in a 2-dimensional regular local ring. Almost all of the theorems in this paper can be found in Appendix 5 of Zariski and Samuel’s Commutative Algebra volume II, in Lipman’s I.H.E.S. notes on rational singularities, or in some cases the papers [G], [R], and [H-S]. Most of the theorems are due to Zariski or to Lipman. The main point of these notes is to make this beautiful material more easily accessible to a reader who does not wish to invest a large amount of time. The main difference in our treatment from the ones above is using the Hilbert-Burch theorem systematically and inducting upon the multiplicity of the ideal considered.
Computerized Anatomy Instruction

A self-paced gross anatomy teaching package is under development using computer-generated anatomic images controlled by branching instructional software on a personal computer. The package is designed to overcome several problems encountered in the traditional study of anatomy. The capabilities, strengths, and weaknesses of computer-assisted instruction are highlighted.
The process of infection with bacteriophage φX174: IV. Replication of the viral DNA in a synchronized infection

An investigation has been made of the origin and mode of replication of viral specific nucleic acids during the replication of bacteriophage φX174. The DNA combining with the infecting single strand to form the first replicative form is synthesized after infection from low molecular weight precursors from the medium. The rate of increase in the amount of infective replicative form in the culture during the eclipse period is constant, and the replicative form molecule containing the parental single strand replicates semi-conservatively. The conserved subunit is a single polynucleotide strand. The material constituting the progeny single-strand DNA is derived directly from the medium, not from the replicative form.
An Investigation of Sex Differences in Word Ratings Across Concrete, Abstract, and Emotion Words

Researchers haw often overlooked the relationships between sex and ratings of word characteristics, such as concreteness, context-availability, imageabil-ity, and emotionality. The current study investigated whether or not sex differences exist in such ratings for abstract, concrete, and emotion words. The results indicated that females rated concrete words as more emotional in nature. However, sex differences did not emerge in the ratings of absvact and emotion words. These findings indicate that sex differences can be demonstrated both across word types and across scales; they also emphasize the need to revise the standard models of word processing and representation so as to address issues related to sex differences.
Bias Properties of Extragalactic Distance Indicators XII: Bias Effects of Slope Differences and Intrinsic Dispersion on Tully-Fisher Distances to Galaxy Clusters with Application to the Virgo Cluster

The Teerikorpi incompleteness bias in the distance modulus of a galaxy cluster that is determined from incomplete data using the Tully-Fisher (TF) method is discussed differently than has been done in earlier papers of this series. A toy cluster is made with zero intrinsic TF dispersion but with slopes that differ between the calibrators and the cluster data, showing the bias caused by incorrect slopes. Intrinsic dispersion is added to the model and two strategies are used to analyze the data; first by binning the data by line width and then by apparent magnitude (the direct method), and second by binning by magnitude and then summing over all line widths (the inverse method). To illustrate these strategies, a composite cluster is made by combining the observations of Virgo A and B subclusters with those for the Ursa Major I and II clusters, corrected to the Virgo A distance. The cluster data are calibrated using Cepheid distances to 25 galaxies that have adequate TF properties. Different moduli calculated with varying completeness limits are displayed. The cluster modulus derived from the complete cluster sample gives (m-M) = 31.42 +/- 0.2 (external) for Virgo A, 31.80 +/- 0.16 for Virgo B, 31.26 +/- 0.13 for UMa I, and 31.58 +/- 0.17 for UMa II. Combining the Virgo A distance (D = 19.2 Mpc that has a range from 17.5 to 21.1 Mpc with its expansion velocity of 1175 +/- 50 km/s as tied to the remote kinematic frame gives a Hubble constant of 61km/s/Mpc with a range from 53 to 70.
A longitudinal study of pressure sensing to infer real-world water usage events in the home

We present the first longitudinal study of pressure sensing to infer real-world water usage events in the home (e.g., dishwasher, upstairs bathroom sink, downstairs toilet). In order to study the pressure-based approach out in the wild, we deployed a ground truth sensor network for five weeks in three homes and two apartments that directly monitored valve-level water usage by fixtures and appliances. We use this data to, first, demonstrate the practical challenges in constructing water usage activity inference algorithms and, second, to inform the design of a new probabilistic-based classification approach. Inspired by algorithms in speech recognition, our novel Bayesian approach incorporates template matching, a language model, grammar, and prior probabilities. We show that with a single pressure sensor, our probabilistic algorithm can classify real-world water usage at the fixture level with 90% accuracy and at the fixture-category level with 96% accuracy. With two pressure sensors, these accuracies increase to 94% and 98%. Finally, we show how our new approach can be trained with fewer examples than a strict template-matching approach alone.
Seals, Joints, Seams, Leaks

“A contradiction seemed to exist between the capacity of humanity to transcend formerly insurmountable environmental limitations and people's ability to anticipate or control the consequences of th...
REFLECTIONS ON THE CREATION OF SETTINGS AND THE FUTURE SOCIETIES: THE ROSES AND THORNS

The presentation below was part of the 2011 Division 27 SCRA conference panel, “Seymour Sarason in Memorial: Prospects for Community and Social Change Innovative Session.”
Radiative decay of a localized temperature perturbation in an idealized atmosphere

UTILIZAMOS ANALISIS DE FOURIER Y LOS RESULTADOS DE SPIEGEL (1957) PARA CALCULAR EL DECAIMIENTO RADIACTIVO DE UNA PERTURBACION DE TEMPERATURA, PEQUENA, LISA Y LOCALIZADA EN UNA ATMOSFERA HOMOGENEA E ISOTERMA BAJO LA SUPOSICION GRIS. ENCONTRAMOS EXPRESIONES APROXIMADAS ANALITICAS PARA EL DECAIMIENTO, TANTO PARA LOS LIMITES OPTICAMENTE DELGADO COMO GRUESO. ASIMISMO DERIVAMOS UN METODO PARA CHECAR LA EXACTITUD DE LA SOLUCION O SOLUCIONES, UTILIZANDO LA CONSERVACION DE LA ENERGIA DE LA PERTURBACION.
Investigating Missed Opportunities and Cultural Displays: A Reader Reacts to Anne Lazaraton's “Incidental Displays of Cultural Knowledge in the Nonnative‐English‐Speaking Teacher's Classroom”

0 Anne Lazaraton's (2003) article "Incidental Displays of Cultural Knowledge in the Nonnative-English-Speaking Teacher's Classroom" has much to commend it regarding some of the dilemmas, paradoxes, and tensions that we face as English teachers in a shrinking world--where standards and categories of cultural and linguistic competence are much fuzzier than they used to be. She has taken the challenge that others have offered (Braine, 1999; Kamhi-Stein, 1999; Liu, 1999) to launch readers onto the "center stage [of] one of the important concerns facing the language teaching profession" (Lazaraton, 2003, p. 214): the nonnativeEnglish-speaking/native-English-speaking teacher phenomenon and the questions that arise about "language competence, pedagogical knowledge and cultural orientation" (p. 213). Using a version of conversation analysis, she investigated the discourse in an ESL class taught by a nonnative speaker of English; in particular she analyzed "incidental cultural knowledge displays." Lazaraton's sustained focus on culture as it is manifested in (unplanned, unrehearsed) classroom interactions forces us as English
The Nature of Tumor Presentation in the Animal Changes the Effects of Levamisole Treatment on Metastasis

We have investigated the ability of levamisole (LMS) to modulate growth and metastasis of a rat hepatocarcinoma. LMS treatment decreased spontaneous metastasis to the lungs and lymph nodes, while it increased tumor lung colonization following intravenous tumor cell inoculation. Both serum immunoglobulin (Ig) and circulating immune complex (CIC) levels were higher than normal in tumor-bearing rats. LMS treatment did not alter these parameters in the lung colony assay, while a small decrease of serum IgG was noted for LMS treated animals in the spontaneous metastasis assay. We found no convincing evidence for CIC levels, immunoglobulin isotype shifts or induced changes in natural killer (NK) cell reactivity being involved in the observed LMS modulation of tumor metastasis. The nature of the presentation of the tumor in the animal, however, appeared to be critical in determining the metastatic response to LMS therapy.
Sequence analysis of a cDNA for lysyl hydroxylase isolated from human skin fibroblasts from a normal donor: Differences from human placental lysyl hydroxylase cDNA

Using polymerase chain reaction, we have isolated and sequenced a 3-kb cDNA for lysyl hydroxylase (LH) from human skin fibroblasts from an normal donor. Apart from two polymorphic sites, no differences were observed between the 2184 nt coding regions of LH cDNA from fibroblasts and placenta. However, four differences were observed in the 3' non-coding regions of the two cDNAs; three were single base changes and the fourth a deletion of a single base. The absence of the single nucleotide in the LH cDNA from fibroblasts resulted in the loss of an Hpall site that is present in the placental LH cDNA; this was confirmed in HpaII digests of fibroblast and placental LH cDNAs from the same donor. Northern blots showed that the LH gene was strongly expressed in fibroblasts and placenta and, to a lesser in aorta, lung, vein, cartilage, and artery.
High prevalence of persistent parasitic infections in foreign-born, HIV-infected persons in the United States.

Background Foreign-born, HIV-infected persons are at risk for sub-clinical parasitic infections acquired in their countries of origin. The long-term consequences of co-infections can be severe, yet few data exist on parasitic infection prevalence in this population. Methodology/Principal Findings This cross-sectional study evaluated 128 foreign-born persons at one HIV clinic. We performed stool studies and serologic testing for strongyloidiasis, schistosomiasis, filarial infection, and Chagas disease based on the patient's country of birth. Eosinophilia and symptoms were examined as predictors of helminthic infection. Of the 128 participants, 86 (67%) were male, and the median age was 40 years; 70 were Mexican/Latin American, 40 African, and 18 from other countries or regions. Strongyloides stercoralis antibodies were detected in 33/128 (26%) individuals. Of the 52 persons from schistosomiasis-endemic countries, 15 (29%) had antibodies to schistosome antigens; 7 (47%) had antibodies to S. haematobium, 5 (33%) to S. mansoni, and 3 (20%) to both species. Stool ova and parasite studies detected helminths in 5/85 (6%) persons. None of the patients tested had evidence of Chagas disease (n = 77) or filarial infection (n = 52). Eosinophilia >400 cells/mm3 was associated with a positive schistosome antibody test (OR 4.5, 95% CI 1.1–19.0). The only symptom significantly associated with strongyloidiasis was weight loss (OR 3.1, 95% CI 1.4–7.2). Conclusions/Significance Given the high prevalence of certain helminths and the potential lack of suggestive symptoms and signs, selected screening for strongyloidiasis and schistosomiasis or use of empiric antiparasitic therapy may be appropriate among foreign-born, HIV-infected patients. Identifying and treating helminth infections could prevent long-term complications.
MEASURING AGGREGATION IN AQUEOUS ADIPIC ACID SOLUTIONS USING A LOCK-AND-KEY PROBE MOLECULE

We report on the measurement of molecular scale self-organization of aqueous adipic acid solutions near and above their saturation concentrations. We use the steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence responses of the probe molecule 1-pyrenecarboxylic acid to elucidate information on precrystalline adipic acid aggregates in solution. We have used this probe molecule to ensure the proximity of the fluorescent moiety to the solution phase aggregation events of interest. Steady-state fluorescence data demonstrate the pH dependence of the chromophore response, with an acid dissociation constant of Ka = 1.64 × 10-5. The fluorescence lifetime of protonated 1-pyrenecarboxylic acid (HPCA) exhibits a discontinuous change at the saturation concentration of adipic acid, although there is little structural information contained in such data. The rotational diffusion behavior of HPCA reveals the presence of aggregates of adipic acid with the fluorophore. We discuss these data in the context of solute local organizati...
Childhood onset oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy

Oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy is an inherited disorder, usually autosomal dominant, which typically becomes symptomatic during the fifth decade of life with slowly progressive ptosis and dysphagia; childhood onset has not been reported. A 13-year-old female of French-Canadian descent developed nasal speech and strabismus at 5 years of age; there was no family history of neuromuscular disease. Ptosis and mild facial and proximal muscle weakness were present by 9 years of age. Over the next 4 years, the patient developed dysphagia, palatal paralysis, weight loss, decreased ocular motility, scoliosis, shortness of breath, and obstructive apnea. Tracheostomy and gastrostomy were required. Creatine kinase and repetitive facial nerve stimulation were normal. Edrophonium testing was negative and electromyography revealed myopathic motor units in the iliopsoas muscle. A preponderance of type I fibers and scattered atrophic and angulated muscle fibers were present in 3 muscle biopsies. The clinical presentation and findings are consistent with childhood onset oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy.
Paricalcitol versus Calcitriol in the Treatment of Secondary Hyperparathyroidism in Hemodialysis Patients

Purpose: A mainstay treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism has been the administration of vitamin D analogs. Paricalcitol is a vitamin D analog thought to reduce parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels with fewer effects on calcium (Ca) and phosphorous (P) levels than intravenous calcitriol. However, there are limited data directly comparing the 2 agents. The primary objective was to compare the efficacy of paricalcitol to calcitriol in hemodialysis patients. Secondary objectives evaluated the safety and direct costs associated with these agents.Methods: This was a retrospective study of hemodialysis patients who received at least 8 weeks of both therapies from 2002 to 2004. Primary outcomes included the percentage of patients achieving greater than or equal to 50% reduction in baseline PTH levels; the change in PTH levels from baseline to the end of therapy; and time to achieve greater than or equal to 50% reduction in baseline PTH concentrations. Secondary outcomes included the percentage of patients exper...
Microleakage of four root canal sealer cements as determined by an electrochemical technique.

Abstract Eighty-eight teeth were used to determine the sealing quality of four root canal sealer cements—Kerr, Diaket, AH-26, and ProcoSol—via the vertical condensation of warm gutta-percha technique. In addition, limited studies were carried out to determine the sealing quality of injected Hydron and thermoplasticized gutta-percha. A comparison was also made between the lateral condensation of gutta-percha and vertical condensation of warm gutta-percha when Kerr sealer was used. Teeth filled with vertical condensation of warm gutta-percha and AH-26 sealer cement showed lower leakage in one experiment but higher leakage in another. Hydron showed the highest leakage of any material. Teeth filled via vertical condensation of warm gutta-percha and Diaket showed less leakage than the other groups. A statistically significant difference was also found between lateral condensation of gutta-percha and vertical condensation of warm gutta-percha using Kerr sealer cement.
Molecular and cytokinetic pretreatment risk assessment in endometrial carcinoma.

Abstract Objective. Our objective was to determine whether cytokinetic and molecular analyses of curettage specimens can provide a mechanism for triage of patients with endometrial cancer before initiating definitive surgical treatment. Methods. Pretreatment analysis consisted of flow cytometric determination of ploidy, S-phase fraction (SPF), and proliferative index (PI) and immunohistochemical determination of expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen, HER-2/neu, and p53 in curettage specimens from 134 patients with endometrial carcinoma who subsequently had surgical staging and definitive surgical treatment. Fisher's exact test or χ 2 was used to examine the association between pretreatment variables and traditional surgical–pathologic indices. The log-rank test was used for univariate survival analysis. Cox proportional hazards identified the most important molecular factors. Results. Nondiploid status, SPF ≥9%, and PI ≥14% were associated with the traditional posttreatment prognostic indices, stage, grade, and histologic subtype. Univariate survival analysis demonstrated a correlation between nondiploid status, SPF ≥9%, PI ≥14%, and p53 overexpression and decreased progression-free survival (PFS) and disease-related survival (DRS). Stepwise Cox regression analysis identified p53 overexpression and SPF ≥9% as the most significant pretreatment molecular risk factors. A model stratifying patients according to whether none, one, or both of these two pretreatment factors were present showed that when both factors are present the risk for recurrence was higher (RR = 7.07; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.06–16.38; P P Conclusion. When observed simultaneously, increased SPF and p53 overexpression defined a group of patients at high risk for rapid recurrence and death due to disease. Pretreatment molecular analysis of curettage specimens could provide a mechanism of triage that could be applied before definitive surgical treatment.
Women's and Men's Retirement Income Status Early Family Role Effects

The effects of work history and early family roles on prospective economic (income) status at retirement are examined using the Earnings Records and Longitudinal Retirement History Study of the Social Security Administration. Regression analyses show that early family roles have greater direct and indirect effects on women's preretirement economic status than on men's. These effects present themselves as costs to women in retirement dollars. Sex differences are especially evident when observing the intervening effects of assets (net worth) and estimated retirement incomes from private and government pensions.
Hydrogen-Bonding and Phase Transitions in Proton-Conducting Solid Acids

From an investigation of the structures and electrical properties of compounds in the CsHSO 4 - CsH 2 PO 4 system, a simple model is presented for predicting whether or not a solid acid will undergo a structural transition to a disordered, superprotonic phase. Such a transition was measured in s-Cs 3 (HSO 4 ) 2 (H 2-x (S x P 1-x )O 4 ), α-Cs 3 (HSO 4 ) 2 (H 2 PO 4 ) and Cs 2 (HSO 4 )(H 2 PO 4 ), but not CsH 2 PO 4 . It is proposed that entropy drives any solid acid to a high-temperature structure in which the oxygen atoms participate equally in forming hydrogen bonds. If the H:XO 4 ratio is not precisely 2:1, such chemical equivalence of oxygen atoms can only be achieved if the structure transforms to a state in which proton occupancies at hydrogen bonds are less than one and/or oxygen site occupancies are less than one. This disorder simultaneously leads to fast proton transport in the high-temperature phase, and thus superprotonic conductivity.
Frequency response functions of circular arches for support motions

Abstract A Green's function approach is used to investigate the response of circular arches to uniform and non-uniform base excitations. These responses are obtained in the frequency domain in closed form as frequency response functions. Displacement as well as stress resultant solutions are calculated from exact expressions. No accuracy loss is present for the stress resultants, which are functions of higher derivatives of the displacement.
Modeling of a Two-Stroke Free-Piston Engine With HCCI Combustion

This paper describes the modeling of a two-stroke dual chamber free piston engine (FPE) running homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) combustion with an embedded linear alternator and a hydraulic pump. Variable compression ratio of FPE enables multi-fuel operation. Furthermore, the addition of an electric generator and hydraulic pump ensure the engine to have both high energy density and power density. These three concepts combined, will make for a highly efficient and flexible approach for engine operation. However, the characteristic of FPE also brings challenges in engine control. We propose a control oriented model that provides detailed gas exchange processes between intake/exhaust and cylinder volume, and the dynamic interactions between combustion, the linear alternator and the hydraulic pump. Influences of fuel and valve timing on engine performance are studied. Simulated engine dynamics are observed to have significant differences from conventional internal combustion engines.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Magnetoconductance of CdSe in the hopping regime: The effect of quantum interference.

A magnetoconductance is observed for weakly insulating n-type CdSe, which, depending on the temperature of the measurement, is quadratic or approximately linear with field in small magnetic fields, and exhibits saturation as the field is increased. The crossovers from quadratic to linear behavior and to saturation occur at magnetic fields which are consistent with theoretical expectations for the effect of quantum interference in the hopping regime.
Relationship between Career Age and Research Productivity for Academic Dentists

The purpose of this investigation was to assess the effects of aging (career age) and research performance for full-time clinical dental faculty. The 489 respondents represented a response rate of 71.3% from a 40% stratified random sample of faculty. Respondents reported a mean number of years in full-time dental education of 10.7 (range = 1 to 45, SD = 7.7) and mean number of career publications of 11.1 (range = 0 to 110, SD = 15.2). A significant positive association of career age and life-time research productivity was observed. A significant positive association of career age and mean two-year research productivity was also noted. Implications of the findings were discussed with respect to similar studies reported for other academic disciplines.
Employment Patterns of Female Coaches in Men's Athletics: Tokenism and Marginalization as Reflections of Occupational Sex-Segregation:

Although a number of studies have investigated the decline of female coaches in women's athletics since Title IX, few have examined the impact of this landmark legislation on females employed in men's athletics. Therefore, this paper investigated the employment patterns of female coaches in men's interscholastic sports within the historical context of Title IX. Two theoretical constructs from occupational sex- segregation literature--tokenism and marginalization--were used to address three major concerns. First, if and when women served as head coaches, would they do so in a "token" capacity? This was determined by employing Kanter's (1977) theoretical model of group composition by gender ratio (representation). Second, were women "marginalized" by being significantly more likely to coach less prestigious men's sports? Finally, would these employment patterns be influenced by Title IX? The data set consisted of a random sample of 1,062 public high schools in Ohio for three Title IX time periods. Results f...
Protein kinase C plays an essential role in sildenafil-induced cardioprotection in rabbits.

Sildenafil citrate (Viagra) is the most widely used pharmacological drug for treating erectile dysfunction in men. It has potent cardioprotective effects against ischemia-reperfusion injury via nit...
Imaging microscopy with x-ray lasers at LLNL

Imaging microscopy with short pulse (200 ps) x-ray lasers offers the opportunity of high resolution three-dimensional imaging of specimens in an aqueous environment without the blurring effects associated with natural motion. As a first step toward this goal we have performed imaging experiments which clearly resolved 500 angstrom features on a gold test pattern. In addition, we have taken images of dried biological specimens as a basis for comparison in future wet specimen imaging. The results of these experiments are described. We also discuss some of the alignment problems involved in doing x-ray microscopy with low repetition rate systems where in situ focusing of the imaging optics is not practical as single shot exposures can alter the specimen.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Iron(II) and Hydrogen Peroxide Detoxification by Human H-Chain Ferritin. An EPR Spin-Trapping Study†

Overexpression of human H-chain ferritin (HuHF) is known to impart a degree of protection to cells against oxidative stress and the associated damage to DNA and other cellular components. However, whether this protective activity resides in the protein's ability to inhibit Fenton chemistry as found for Dps proteins has never been established. Such inhibition does not occur with the related mitochondrial ferritin which displays much of the same iron chemistry as HuHF, including an Fe(II)/H2O2 oxidation stoichiometry of ∼2:1. In the present study, the ability of HuHF to attenuate hydroxyl radical production by the Fenton reaction (Fe2+ + H2O2 → Fe3+ + OH- + ·OH) was examined by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spin-trapping methods. The data demonstrate that the presence of wild-type HuHF during Fe2+ oxidation by H2O2 greatly decreases the amount of ·OH radical produced from Fenton chemistry whereas the ferroxidase site mutant 222 (H62K + H65G) and human L-chain ferritin (HuLF) lack this activity. HuHF...