cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evidence of in vivo basophil activation in chronic idiopathic urticaria

BACKGROUND Approximately 40% of chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU) subjects have autoantibodies to either FcepsilonRIalpha or IgE. The effect of such autoantibodies on circulating basophil activation status is unknown. OBJECTIVE The expression of cell surface activation markers on basophils from CIU, non-allergic, and allergic subjects were compared. Further, the relationship between marker expression and serum factors reported in CIU, such as histamine-releasing activity (HRA) and immunoreactivity to FcepsilonRIalpha were examined. METHODS Peripheral blood was obtained from CIU, allergic, and non-allergic donors and fractionated by density gradients. Enriched basophils (1-12%) were analysed by flow cytometry for expression of activation markers including CD63, CD69, and CD203c. Dilutions of serum (5-50%) were analysed for HRA on basophils from a normal donor. Serum was tested for immunoreactivity by western blotting to a standard cell lysate prepared from an RBL-SX38 cell line transfected with human FcepsilonRIalpha. RESULTS CIU subjects (n=9) and allergic subjects (n=8) exhibited enhanced expression of CD63 and CD69, as compared with non-allergic subjects (n=7); however, no difference was seen among groups for CD203c expression. Five CIU and two non-allergic subjects had evidence of significant serum HRA (>20%), whereas two CIU, two allergic, and three non-allergic subjects had evidence of serum immunoreactivity to FcepsilonRIalpha. Serum HRA and serum immunoreactivity to FcepsilonRIalpha were not associated with enhanced surface marker expression. CONCLUSION Basophil activation marker expression is increased in CIU subjects and is not associated with serum factors. In addition, serum HRA and FcepsilonRIalpha immunoreactivity are not unique to CIU, or related to enhanced circulating basophil marker expression.
Shock expansion analysis of hypersonic pistons decelerating in long tubes

Experimental Results The static (d.c.) pressure in the cavity was measured at all three boundary-layer conditions. It was observed that maximum static pressure developed at a given amplitude with no flow ((/QO = 0) was negligible compared to the pressure developed in the presence of a mean flow. If the loudspeaker was not energized (A = 0) the pressure rise in the cavity was quite small and reproducible. With both flow and oscillations in the cavity it was found that the pressure rise in the cavity in-* creased monotonically with amplitude A and the maximum value reached was about 4% of the dynamic pressure. Clearly, the set of experiments was of a limited range. Nevertheless, one may speculate about possible scaling laws. The displacement amplitude A characterizes the magnitude of the oscillation. The appropriate scaling length must depend on both the boundary-layer thickness 6* and on the diameter of the well D. The simplest assumption would give both these length scales an equal weight with the choice \foTD. The previous normalization for a single frequency /resulted in the collapse of all data (Fig. 2). For varying frequencies, it is reasonable to base the normalization on the Strouhal number, defined as S=fD/U00 . A tentative rough scaling law may be ventured.
Pneumopericardium Resulting in Cardiac Tamponade

Cardiac tamponade most commonly results from accumulation of blood or other fluids within the pericardial sac. However, there is a growing body of clinical evidence showing that pneumopericardium can lead to cardiac tamponade in a large number of patients. Including those in the present report, a total of 252 patients with pneumopericardium are available for review. Interestingly, cardiac tamponade developed in 94 patients, or 37% of this group, because of air within the pericardial space. Pneumopericardium resulting in tamponade most frequently occurs in trauma patients or in newborn infants requiring positive pressure ventilation. This syndrome can be recognized promptly because of its characteristic physical findings and radiographic features. Although air tamponade can be treated effectively by either needle aspiration or insertion of a pericardial tube, the development of a pneumopericardium is a bad prognostic sign. Out of the 221 patients reported in the literature whose outcome is known, 127 (57%) died. In the group with a tension pneumopericardium, the mortality was 56% (53 out of 94 patients). Even without the development of tension, however, pneumopericardium was associated with a 58% mortality (74 out of 127 patients) due to other underlying disease processes.
Development of a deep-UV Mirau correlation microscope

Progress is being made on the development of a deep UV interferometric microscope to operate at a wavelength of 248 nm. The eventual aim is to make measurements of 0.18 - 0.25 micrometers gate structures. The microscope employs a mercury vapor light source, an image intensifier with a CCD or vidicon camera, and quartz lenses. The device is based on the Mirau correlation microscope, and uses a Mirau interferometer with a new type of radially sectored beamsplitter. Feasibility has been demonstrated.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Oxygen toxicity in normal and neoplastic hamster cells in culture.

The effects of different partial pressures of oxygen on the growth of hamster embryo and hamster tumor cells in culture were studied. Hamster embryo cells grown in medium with calf serum became established as continuous cell lines in 1 to 3% O2 but degenerated in 20, 50, or 97% O2. The same cells grown in medium with fetal calf serum became established in 1 to 3 or 20% O2 and degenerated in 50 or 97% O2. Hamster embryo cells grown in medium with fetal calf serum in 20% O2 were less sensitive to O2 toxicity after 119 than after 46 culture days. Treatment of secondary or tertiary cultures of hamster embryo cells grown in medium with calf serum in 20% O2 with chemical carcinogens facilitated their establishment and increased their resistance to O2 toxicity. Cells that developed into established lines and cells that died became heteroploid during the first few weeks of their growth in culture. Lines of carcinogen-treated and untreated cells became tumorigenic in hamsters. Cells from tumors grew permanently in medium with fetal calf or calf serum in 1 to 3 or 20% O2, and were very resistant to higher O2 concentrations. Differences in growth rate and O2 consumption of hamster embryo and hamster tumor cells changed the concentration of O2 calculated to occur at the cell-fluid interface for a given concentration in the gas phase. Such changes may have been partly responsible for the observed differences in O2 toxicity.
Crystal structure of isotactic polypropylene

Abstract To account for the observed diffraction pattern of a commercial specimen of oriented fibers of isotactic polypropylene in the a modification, the crystal structure is described as belonging to the space group P 21/c but having a certain disorder in the distribution of “up” and “down” chain direction. As a result of this disorder, reflections having the (h + k) sum odd are weaker than in the ideal P 21/c space group, and the structure thus resembles partially the situation in the C 2/c space group where no such order is required or possible. In the specimen studied in this work, best agreement between theory and experiment (R = 0.158) was achieved if it was assumed that in about 25 % of matter the chains were placed in the wrong direction.
Calculation of x-ray bremsstrahlung and characteristic line emission produced by a Maxwellian electron distribution

Using power-law least-squares fits to thick-target measurements of X-ray bremsstrahlung and characteristic line emission, analytic expressions for spectra and emission efficiencies of X-rays produced by a Maxwellian electron distribution were calculated. These expressions are particularly useful for the analysis of X-ray spectra produced by hot electrons in laser-produced plasma. The effect of self-absorption on the analysis of these spectra is estimated. It is shown that both the spectral shape and the adsorption effects dictate that bremsstrahlung measurements of plasma temperature should be made at photon energies greater than kT.
Iminodipropionitrile-induced dyskinesia in mice: striatal calcium channel changes and sensitivity to calcium channel antagonists.

Administration of 3,3'-iminodipropionitrile (IDPN) (1 g/kg, i.p. for 3 days) in mice leads to the development of a characteristic syndrome consisting of lateral and vertical head and neck movements, hyperactivity, random circling, increased locomotor activity, and increased startle response. Nifedipine, verapamil, and diltiazem (10 mg/kg) inhibited significantly the symptoms of IDPN-induced dyskinesia. However, there was no change in the affinity (KD) or the density of PN 200-110 binding sites (Bmax) in whole brains of IDPN-treated mice. Similarly, the K(+)-depolarization-dependent Ca2+ uptake in synaptosomes from whole brain, cortex, or striatum was not altered following IDPN treatment. However, IDPN caused a significant increase in the Bmax value (from 157 +/- 7 fmol/mg to 237 +/- 31 fmol/mg in control and treated groups, respectively) of PN 200-110 binding to the striatum without change of KD value (38 +/- 4.7 pM versus 33 +/- 1.6 pM). IDPN also caused a slight but significant decrease in the KD value (from 68 +/- 10.1 pM to 45 +/- 4.5 pM in control and treated groups, respectively), without significant change of Bmax value (563 +/- 51 fmol/mg versus 485 +/- 41 fmol/mg) of PN 200-110 binding to the cortex. IDPN did not alter omega-conotoxin binding in whole brain, striatum, or cortex. The behavioral effects of chronic IDPN treatment as inhibited by L-type calcium channel antagonists and this may be associated with the observed increase in striatal L-type calcium channels.
Characterization of Normal Distribution Related to Two Samples Based on Regression

Characterization of normal distribution related to two samples based on second conditional moments has been obtained. This characterization has been transformed to a characterization based on the UMVU estimators of the density function. These results are generalized to k samples from normal distributions. Finally applications of these characterization results to goodness-of-fit test are discussed.
Aerobic exercise alone results in clinically significant weight loss for men and women: Midwest exercise trial 2

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Donnelly, J. E., Honas, J. J., Smith, B. K., Mayo, M. S., Gibson, C. A., Sullivan, D. K., Lee, J., Herrmann, S. D., Lambourne, K. and Washburn, R. A. (2013), Aerobic exercise alone results in clinically significant weight loss for men and women: Midwest exercise trial 2. Obesity, 21: E219–E228. doi:10.1002/oby.20145, which has been published in final form at http://doi.org/10.1002/oby.20145. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving.
Integrating Technology in Teacher Education Programs: Lessons from the Teaching Teleapprenticeship Project

Abstract The authors describe a three-year project designed around a model that extends the traditional face-to-face apprenticeships currently used in student teaching settings by using electronic networks. Through network interactions and resource sharing, this model brings together the university coordinators, student teaching supervisors, school district instructors, preservice teachers, and public school students. Based on these data and the publications of others who are using technology within their teacher education programs, we present what we have learned about the potential of technology to support teacher education. The unique problems that arise when technology serves as a component for enhancing student teachers' learning are outlined. The discussion centers on three factors impacting the quality and character of participants' use of technology: Issues of access, training, and context.
Rule Consequentialism and Scope

Rule consequentialism (RC) holds that the rightness and wrongness of actions is determined by an ideal moral code, i.e., the set of rules whose internalization would have the best consequences. But just how many moral codes are there supposed to be? Absolute RC holds that there is a single morally ideal code for everyone, while Relative RC holds that there are different codes for different groups or individuals. I argue that Relative RC better meets the test of reflective equilibrium than Absolute RC. In particular, I contend that Relative RC is superior because it accommodates our convictions about costless benefits. Some have charged that Relative RC threatens our convictions about the generality of moral codes and that it leads inevitably to what Brad Hooker calls “runaway relativism.” I argue that Relative RC has principled reasons for stopping this imagined slide down the slippery slope.
GLUCOCORTICOIDS INCREASE PULMONARY S-ADRENERGIC RECEPTORS IN FETAL RABBIT

beta-Adrenergic agonists stimulate surfactant release and decrease fluid in lung alveoli of fetuses. Both effects are most evident toward the end of gestation. We used [3H] dihydroalprenolol (DHA) to investigate the development of pulmonary beta-adrenergic receptors in rabbit fetuses and to study the effect of glucocorticoid treatment on the beta-receptor number. In the lung particulate preparation, DHA binding was rapid, reversible, stereoselective, and of high affinity. The order of potency for adrenergic agonists in competing for DHA binding was isoproterenol > epinephrine = norepinephrine, which is typical of interactions at a beta 1-adrenergic receptor. Using DHA, we demonstrated that the concentration of pulmonary beta-receptors increased significantly between 28 and 31 days of gestation; however, there was no change in the dissociation constant during gestation. After injecting betamethasone (0.17 mg/kg, 24 hours) into rabbits at 25 days of pregnancy, we found that the concentration of pulmonary beta-receptors increased from 44.2 +/- 6.6 fmol/mg protein in untreated fetuses to 77.9 +/- 5.6 fmol/mg protein in treated fetuses. However, this treatment did not affect the DHA binding sites in the fetal rabbit heart. Maternal treatment with the T3 analogue 3,5-dimethyl-3'-isopropyl-L-thyronine (0.5-1 mg/kg) at a dosage which increased both surfactant synthesis and release did not alter pulmonary receptor concentration. Our results indicate that the concentration of pulmonary beta-adrenergic receptors increases in the fetus at term and suggest that this increase is stimulated by endogenous glucocorticoid in fetal circulation.
Acute care utilization for inherited metabolic diseases among children identified through newborn screening in New York state.

Acute care utilization for inherited metabolic diseases among children identified through newborn screening in New York state
PHOTOMETRIC EVIDENCE FOR THE OSMOTIC BEHAVIOR OF RAT LIVER MICROSOMES.

Electron microscope observations are consistent with the interpretation that the elements of the endoplasmic reticulum are osmotically active in situ as well as after isolation. More recently, it has been reported that microsomal suspensions equilibrate almost completely with added C14-sucrose and that no osmotic behavior is evident from photometric data. These findings were considered at variance with the electron microscope data. However, equilibration with added label simply attests to a relatively high permeability, and, in addition, the photometric data need not be critical. Osmotic volume changes, measured photometrically, may be masked by concomitant events (e.g., changes in the refractive index of the test solutions at varying osmotic pressures, breakdown of the particles, and agglutination). For these reasons the photometric experiments were repeated. In this work, the reciprocal of optical density of microsomal suspensions was found to vary linearly with the reciprocal of concentration of the medium at constant refractive index. These changes probably correspond to osmotic volume changes, since the effect was found to be (a) independent of substance used and (b) osmotically reversible. The transmission of the suspension was found to vary with the refractive index of the medium, the concentration of particles, and the wavelength of incident light, according to relationships that are similar to or identical with those obtained for mitochondrial suspensions.
Political Opposition to Stalin and the Origins of the Terror in Russia, 1932–1936

There are few questions as intriguing and as baffling as the reasons for the terror unleashed upon the U.S.S.R. from 1936. The purpose of this paper is to reconsider the issue in the light of further research into the social, economic and political problems faced by Stalin from 1932.
Evaluation and diagnosis of acutetraumatic hand injuries

In the management of acute hand injuries, the objective of the initial evaluation is to determine all damagedstructures to deliver prompt and appropriate treatment. Advances in the fields of radiology and nuclear medicine have generated new diagnostic imaging techniques; however, recognition of the benefits and limitations of each method must be evaluated to determine their proper clinical applications. In today's cost-sensitive climate, it is important to arrive at an accurate diagnosis in the most efficient manner.
Enhancing NBTI Recovery in SRAM Arrays Through Recovery Boosting

Negative bias temperature instability (NBTI) is an important lifetime reliability problem in microprocessors. SRAM-based structures within the processor are especially susceptible to NBTI since one of the pMOS devices in the memory cell always has an input of “0”. Previously proposed recovery techniques for SRAM cells aim to balance the degradation of the two pMOS devices by attempting to keep their inputs at a logic “0” exactly 50% of the time. However, one of the devices is always in the negative bias condition at any given time. In this paper, we propose a technique called Recovery Boosting that allows both pMOS devices in the memory cell to be put into the recovery mode by slightly modifying to the design of conventional SRAM cells. We evaluate the circuit-level design of a physical register file and an issue queue that use such cells through SPICE-level simulations. We then conduct an architecture-level evaluation of the performance and reliability of using area-neutral designs of these two structures. We show that Recovery Boosting provides significant improvement in the static noise margins of the register file and issue queue while having very little impact on power consumption and performance.
The ion channel narrow abdomen is critical for neural output of the Drosophila circadian pacemaker

Circadian clocks consist of transcriptional feedback loops housed in interdependent pacemaker neurons. Yet little is known about the neuronal output components essential for rhythmic behavior. Drosophila mutants of a putative ion channel, narrow abdomen (na), exhibit poor circadian rhythms and suppressed daylight activity. We find that NA is expressed in pacemaker neurons and induced expression within circadian neurons is sufficient to rescue these mutant phenotypes. Selective na rescue in distinct pacemaker neurons influences rhythmicity and timing of behavior. Oscillations of the clock protein PERIOD are intact in na mutants, indicating an output role. Pore residues are required for robust rescue consistent with NA action as an ion channel. In na mutants, expression of potassium currents and the key neuropeptide PDF are elevated, the latter consistent with reduced release. These data implicate NA and the pacemaker neural network in controlling phase and rhythmicity.
Absence of the major zymogen granule membrane protein, GP2, does not affect pancreatic morphology or secretion

The majority of digestive enzymes in humans are produced in the pancreas where they are stored in zymogen granules before secretion into the intestine. GP2 is the major membrane protein present in zymogen granules of the exocrine pancreas. Numerous studies have shown that GP2 binds digestive enzymes such as amylase, thereby supporting a role in protein sorting to the zymogen granule. Other studies have suggested that GP2 is important in the formation of zymogen granules. A knock-out mouse was generated for GP2 to study the impact of the protein on pancreatic function. GP2-deficient mice displayed no gross signs of nutrient malab-sorption such as weight loss, growth retardation, or diarrhea. Zymogen granules in the GP2 knock-out mice appeared normal on electron microscopy and contained the normal complement of proteins excluding GP2. Primary cultures of pancreatic acini appropriately responded to secretagogue stimulation with the secretion of digestive enzymes. The course of experimentally induced pancreatitis was also examined in the knock-out mice because proteins known to associate with GP2 have been found to possess a protective role. When GP2 knock-out mice were subjected to two different models of pancreatitis, no major differences were detected. In conclusion, GP2 is not essential for pancreatic exocrine secretion or zymogen granule formation. It is unlikely that GP2 serves a major intracellular role within the pancreatic acinar cell and may be functionally active after it is secreted from the pancreas.
A parametric investigation of gas-particle flow in a vertical duct

The impact of physical and process parameters on flow of gas and particles in a vertical duct has been examined. Steady-state solutions were sought to equations of continuity and motion with closures from kinetic theory and the variations of the solutions with changes in parameters were computed using a bifurcation/continuation approach. When the particles are assumed elastic, we find that the segregation of particles transits from the center to the walls with an increase in the bed width or solids load. The origin of this transition arises from the contribution of the gas-particle slip term on the pseudothermal energy transport. When the particles are inelastic, we find particles always segregate to the center of the channel, irrespective of the bed width or solids load. As we track the variation of the average solids fraction with a number of parameters, multiple steady-state solutions can be observed. Recent interest in using fluidized beds on Mars or the Moon for local production of oxygen has prompted us to examine the effect of gravity on steady fully developed flows in gas-particle fluidized beds. When the average gas velocity is held constant, the flow profiles are found to be insensitive to the magnitude of gravity if the gas flow rate is high and particles always move upward in the bed. The physical mechanism leading to this insensitivity can be traced to the automatic compensation of the gas-particle drag force to the body force. However, when the gas flow rate is low, particles move downward in the region close to the walls with high gravity, whereas this downflow is not observed under low gravity. Finally, the effects of two dimensionless numbers are investigated. It is found that the flow behaviors are not sensitive to the variation of the Reynolds number when this number is high because of a relatively small value of the gas viscous term. With an increase in the Froude number, the gas and particle velocities decrease as well as the granular temperature. © 2005 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2006
The mission to mars Webliographer: a principled approach to the design of a CSCL tool

The Mission to Mars Webliographer is a tool which allows children and adults to collaborate and synthesize Internet resources for research in context rich, sustained learning environments. In communicating the process of software development and analysis that went into the Mission to Mars Webliographer, we use a framework first proposed by Koschmann et al. (1996). This framework is a four step model which articulates the desired instructional features of the tool, analyzes current practice in light of design goals, develops a specialization for the tool based on both the instructional requirements of the setting and the known capabilities of the technology, and produces an implementation that allows for adaptation to instructional practice. Preliminary findings indicate that the Mission to Mars Webliographer is an effective tool for time management issues concerning student research in project-based classrooms utilizing the Internet. In addition, teacher interviews and classroom observations indicate that student's Internet use is more focused and on-task when utilizing the Mission to Mars Webliographer as opposed to more traditional Internet in research activities.
Lessons learned from a Boston community health center promoting the human papilloma virus vaccine in a minority adult population.

This quality improvement study aims to examine knowledge and attitudes about human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination among women ages 18 through 26 in a Boston community health center to increase up...
The Effects of Caregiving on Women's Social Security Benefits

Using data from the Social Security Administration's 1982 New Beneficiary Survey, we tested a life-course model that suggests that early- and late-life caregiving reduce monthly Social Security benefits of newly retired women workers. Each child raised was associated with a loss of $8 to $16 dollars in the 1983 Social Security primary insurance amounts (PIAs). The 1983 PIAs of women leaving their last jobs to care for others were $127 lower than the PIAs of women who left because of the availability of Social Security benefits, to receive a pension, or because they wanted to retire. Leaving work to care for others exerted a stronger depressing effect on the Social Security benefits of women with low- and moderate- as opposed to high-earnings histories.
Experimental analysis of a mixed-mode parallel architecture using bitonic sequence sorting

Abstract Experimentation aimed at determining the potential benefit of mixed-mode SIMD/MIMD parallel architectures is reported. The experimentation is based on timing measurements made on the PASM system prototype at Purdue utilizing carefully coded synthetic variations of a well-known algorithm. The synthetic algorithms used to measure and evaluate this system were based on the bitonic sorting of sequences stored in the processing elements. This computation was mapped to both the SIMD and MIMD modes of parallelism, as well as to two hybrids of the SIMD and MIMD modes. The computations were coded in these four ways and experiments that explore the trade-offs among them were performed. Consideration is given to the overhead caused by enabling or disabling PEs in SIMD mode and a lower bound on this overhead is shown. Finally, a more efficient PE mask generation scheme for multiple “off-the-shelf” microprocessor-based SIMD systems is emulated and its performance is analyzed. The results of these experiments are presented and are discussed with special consideration of the effects of the system's architecture. The goal is to (as much as possible) obtain implementation independent analyses of the attributes of mixed-mode parallel processing with respect to the computational characteristics of the application being examined. The results are used to gain insight into the impact of computation mode on synchronization and data-conditional aspects of system performance.
Left ventricular filling and ventricular diastolic performance after percutaneous balloon mitral valvotomy

Abstract The time course of left ventricular (LV) filling and LV diastolic performance were examined in 27 consecutive patients in sinus rhythm before and acutely after balloon mitral valvotomy (BMV). The mitral valve area acutely increased from 1.1 ± 0.3 to 2.1 ± 0.8 cm 2 . Simultaneous pressure-volume data were obtained using digital subtraction left ventriculography and LV micromanometer pressure before and 10 minutes after BMV. The time constant of LV isovolumic relaxation was unchanged after BMV (50 ± 10 ms before BMV vs 47 ± 13 ms after BMV). In addition, values before and after BMV for LV end-diastolic volume (123 ± 29 vs 125 ± 36 ml), end-diastolic pressure (11 ± 4 vs 12 ± 4 mm Hg) and diastolic filling time (337 ± 126 vs 338 ± 152 ms) were not altered by the procedure. After BMV the peak diastolic filling rate (403 ± 143 vs 469 ± 302 ml/s) was maintained despite a 36% reduction in left atrial filling pressure. There was a trend toward earlier occurrence of the peak filling rate (196 ± 127 vs 146 ± 148 ms, p = 0.08). The percentage of diastolic filling in the first third of diastole, however, was similar (42 ± 9 vs 48 ± 16%) before and after the procedure. Thus, the time course of LV filling is not significantly altered acutely after BMV, but is maintained at reduced left atrial filling pressure. Neither LV relaxation or LV chamber compliance are altered acutely after BMV. Changes in LV diastolic performance, which have recently been shown to alter Doppler mitral valve half-time measurements independent of changes in valve area, do not contribute to the decreased correlation between Doppler and invasive data observed acutely after BMV. In addition, the lack of impairment of LV isovolumic relaxation suggests that LV ischemia or papillary muscle injury are unlikely to contribute to increased mitral regurgitation after BMV.
The effect of the London-van der Waals dispersion force on interline heat transfer

A theoretical procedure to determine the heat transfer characteristics of the interline region (junction of liquid-solid-vapor) from the macroscopic optical and thermophysical properties of the system is outlined. The analysis is based on the premise that the interline transport processes are controlled by the London-van der Waals dispersion force between condensed phases (solid and liquid). Numerical values of the dispersion constant are presented. The procedure is used to compare the relative size of the interline heat sink of various systems using a constant heat flux mode. This solution demonstrates the importance of the interline heat flow number, which is evaluated for various systems.
Squamous papilloma with hyperpigmentation in the skin graft of the neovagina in Rokitansky syndrome: literature review of benign and malignant lesions of the neovagina.

Abstract Background It is rare for a benign or malignant neoplasm to develop in a neovagina. Case This is the first report of a squamous papilloma with hyperpigmentation which developed in the neovagina 12 years after a McIndoe procedure was done with a split-thickness skin graft from the patient's buttock. The patient had congenital absence of the vagina and uterus (Rokitansky syndrome, Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser syndrome, MRKH syndrome). It presented as post-coital blood spotting for 3 months. Conclusion As a routine, all cases of vaginal construction regardless of the reason for the surgery or the lining of the neovagina should have a continuous annual examination and careful inspection of the entire vagina. Biopsy of any unusual finding should be done. Despite the dark color of the vaginal lesion, bleeding and rapid appearance our patient had a benign tumor. Radiation therapy to the neovagina and prolonged treatment with podophyllin and cauterization should be avoided.
Outstanding submissions to the AMIA annual symposium now featured in JAMIA.

The AMIA Annual Symposium is the premier forum for live presentation of scientific studies in biomedical informatics. Since its inception in 1976 as the Symposium on Computer Applications in Medical Care (SCAMC), the AMIA Symposium has showcased leading-edge informatics studies and promoted the exchange of ideas within a diverse community. Recognizing the importance of the symposium, as well as the reality of current academic promotion systems, the Scientific Program Committee (SPC) of the 2008 AMIA Annual Symposium developed a strategy to recommend outstanding AMIA manuscript submissions for possible publication in JAMIA. Since MEDLINE® has for years indexed the articles that appear in the AMIA Symposium, JAMIA has traditionally treated those works as “already published.” Thus, in order for a paper published in the AMIA Proceedings to merit consideration as a JAMIA submission, JAMIA has required authors to add new methods, and produce substantially different results that lead to new insights. The intent of the … Correspondence: Lucila Ohno-Machado, MD, PhD, DSG, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA 02115; e-mail:
Nanotechnology-mediated targeting of tumor angiogenesis

Angiogenesis is disregulated in many diseased states, most notably in cancer. An emerging strategy for the development of therapies targeting tumor-associated angiogenesis is to harness the potential of nanotechnology to improve the pharmacology of chemotherapeutics, including anti-angiogenic agents. Nanoparticles confer several advantages over that of free drugs, including their capability to carry high payloads of therapeutic agents, confer increased half-life and reduced toxicity to the drugs, and provide means for selective targeting of the tumor tissue and vasculature. The plethora of nanovectors available, in addition to the various methods available to combine them with anti-angiogenic drugs, allows researchers to fine-tune the pharmacological profile of the drugs ad infinitum. Use of nanovectors has also opened up novel avenues for non-invasive imaging of tumor angiogenesis. Herein, we review the types of nanovector and therapeutic/diagnostic agent combinations used in targeting tumor angiogenesis.
Identification of an adeno-associated virus binding epitope for AVB sepharose affinity resin

Recent successes of adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based gene therapy have created a demand for large-scale AAV vector manufacturing and purification techniques for use in clinical trials and beyond. During the development of purification protocols for rh.10, hu.37, AAV8, rh.64R1, AAV3B, and AAV9 vectors, based on a widely used affinity resin, AVB sepharose (GE), we found that, under the same conditions, different serotypes have different affinities to the resin, with AAV3B binding the best and AAV9 the poorest. Further analysis revealed a surface-exposed residue (amino acid number 665 in AAV8 VP1 numbering) differs between the high-affinity AAV serotypes (serine in AAV3B, rh.10, and hu.37) and the low-affinity ones (asparagine in AAV8, rh.64R1, and AAV9). The residue locates within a surface-exposed, variable epitope flanked by highly conserved residues. The substitution of the epitope in AAV8, rh.64R1, and AAV9 with the corresponding epitope of AAV3B (SPAKFA) resulted in greatly increased affinity to AVB sepharose with no reduction in the vectors' in vitro potency. The presence of the newly identified AVB-binding epitope will be useful for affinity resin selection for the purification of novel AAV serotypes. It also suggests the possibility of vector engineering to yield a universal affinity chromatography purification method for multiple AAV serotypes.
Negative Regulation of CARD11 Signaling and Lymphoma Cell Survival by the E3 Ubiquitin Ligase RNF181

NF-κB activation downstream of antigen receptor engagement is a highly regulated event required for lymphocyte activation during the adaptive immune response. The pathway is often dysregulated in lymphoma, leading to constitutive NF-κB activity that supports the aberrant proliferation of transformed lymphocytes. To identify novel regulators of antigen receptor signaling to NF-κB, we developed bioluminescence resonance energy transfer-based interaction cloning (BRIC), a screening strategy that can detect protein-protein interactions in live mammalian cells in a high-throughput manner. Using this strategy, we identified the RING finger protein RNF181 as an interactor of CARD11, a key signaling scaffold in the antigen receptor pathway. We present evidence that RNF181 functions as an E3 ubiquitin ligase to inhibit antigen receptor signaling to NF-κB downstream of CARD11. The levels of the obligate signaling protein Bcl10 are reduced by RNF181 even prior to signaling, and Bcl10 can serve as a substrate for RNF181 E3 ligase activity in vitro. Furthermore, RNF181 limits the proliferation of human diffuse large B cell lymphoma cells that depend upon aberrant CARD11 signaling to NF-κB for growth and survival in culture. Our results define a new regulatory checkpoint that can modulate the output of CARD11 signaling to NF-κB in both normal and transformed lymphocytes.
Tuning of power system stabilizer employing differential evolution optimization algorithm

In this paper, differential evolution (DE) optimization algorithm is applied to design robust power system stabilizer (PSS). The design problem of the proposed controller is formulated as an optimization problem and DE is employed to search for optimal controller parameters. By minimizing the time-domain based objective function, in which the deviation in the oscillatory rotor speed of the generator is involved; stability performance of the system is improved. The non-linear simulation results are presented under wide range of operating conditions; disturbances at different locations as well as for various fault clearing sequences to show the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed controller and their ability to provide efficient damping of low frequency oscillations.
Modified Unconfined Compression Testing System to Characterize Stress–Strain Behavior of Unsaturated Soils at Low Confining Stresses:

In geotechnical and pavement engineering, many projects involve shallow, unsaturated soil with low confining stress. Suction-controlled triaxial tests usually are used to investigate stress–strain behavior (i.e., deformation and strength) in such soils. However, because they require significant modifications to the conventional apparatus used to test saturated soils and are time-consuming to perform, the tests cannot be justified for time-sensitive engineering projects. A modified unconfined compression testing system is presented to investigate the stress–strain behavior of unsaturated soils at low confining stresses. Negative air pressure (i.e., vacuum) provides the low confining pressure required for the tests, and high-suction tensiometers are used to monitor variations in the soil matric suction during testing. A photogrammetric method is used to reconstruct the three-dimensional model of unsaturated soil specimens, from which total and localized volume changes are calculated. Methods are proposed fo...
Missing in Mobility: An Analysis of Leadership Invisibility of Asian Americans in Organizations

In the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders’ interim report from 2001, Asian Americans are referred to as “Missing in History,” or MIH. The history of Asian Americans in the United States is not widely known, and organizationally, this absence of awareness of Asian American issues can be translated as “Missing in Mobility,’ or MIM (Cheng & Thatchenkery, 1997; Thatchenkery, 2001). There is at once a pervasive invisibility that is a shared experience among Asian Americans at all levels of organizations, and leadership invisibility at the senior levels of organizations. Research shows that this invisibility, creating a glass ceiling effect for Asian Americans, exists across local and federal governments, private sector, and educational institutions. Yet, the mental models held of Asian Americans perpetuate the perception that Asians have “made it” or that they are not truly American, and hence they are not considered in diversity initiatives designed to support the needs of minorities. This paper begins by pointing to the lack of research on Asian American diversity and brings together the key themes in Asian American Studies of the “model minority,” “middle minority,” and “forever foreigner” into an organizational context, and shows the unique challenges Asian Americans face based on these mental models. The paper also considers their implications to the practitioner world of talent management and leadership development. If organizations continue to maintain these mental models, and do not begin to re-frame their ideas around leadership to actively engage Asian Americans, several opportunities for innovation will be lost. As organizations seek strategies to respond to the ever changing global economic and political climate of the new “flat world”, upward mobility policies that include all their talent pool should be an integral part of them.
The Net Effect A Comparison of Internet and Mail Survey Respondents

Multiple-mode surveys can improve response and reduce survey error and costs. Although web surveys are an increasingly popular mode of survey administration, the full effect of web data collection on a primarily mail survey is not yet fully understood. This paper details response rates for a large-scale health care survey fielded by mail with a web response option. It also compares characteristics of those who responded online to characteristics of those who responded by mail to determine whether web respondents differ from mail respondents and whether particular subsets of the population are more likely to respond over the internet.
Application of High Frequency Inverse Scattering to Nondestructive Testing

The objective of our research in non-destructive testing has been to image flaws — voids, inclusions and cracks — in solids. For the decision process of keeping or rejecting a part of a “machine,” size, shape, orientation and composition are all important factors. As the simplest example of the reason for this, note that a crack subjected to shear forces may be far more tolerable than one subjected to normal expansive forces.
Möbius maps between ultrametric spaces are local similarities

We show that Mobius maps between ultrametric spaces are local similarities. The proof is based on the notions of chordal ultrametric and normalization, which we introduce in this paper.
LIFE-HISTORY EVOLUTION IN GUPPIES (POECILIA RETICULATA): 1. PHENOTYPIC AND GENETIC CHANGES IN AN INTRODUCTION EXPERIMENT

Previous investigations (Reznick and Endler, 1982; Reznick, 1982a, 1982b) demonstrated that genetic differences in guppy life histories were associated with differences in predation. Guppies from localities with the pike cichlid Crenicichla alta and associated predators matured earlier, had greater reproductive efforts, and produced more and smaller offspring than did guppies from localities with only Rivulus harti as a potential predator. Crenicichla preys primarily on large, sexually mature size-classes of guppies, while Rivulus preys primarily on small, immature size-classes. These patterns of predation are hypothesized to alter mean age-specific survival. Theoretical treatments of such differences in survival predict the observed trends in age at maturity and reproductive effort. We are using introduction experiments to evaluate the role of predators in selecting for these life-history patterns. The experiment whose results are presented here was conducted in a tributary to the El Cedro River (Trinidad), where a waterfall was the upstream limit to the distribution of all fish except Rivulus. Guppies collected from the Crenicichla locality immediately below the waterfall (the downstream control) were introduced over the waterfall in 1981. This introduction released the guppies from Crenicichla predation, exposed them instead to Rivulus predation only, and also introduced them to a different environment, since the introduction site has greater canopy cover than the site of origin. Changes in guppy life-history patterns can be attributed to predation and/or the environment. Evidence from fish collected and preserved in the field demonstrated that, by mid-1983, guppies from the introduction site above the waterfall matured at larger sizes and produced fewer, larger offspring. There were no consistent differences in reproductive allotment (weight of offspring/total weight). With the exception of reproductive allotment, these patterns are identical to previous comparisons between Rivulus and Crenicichla localities. A laboratory genetics experiment demonstrated that males from the introduction site matured at a later age and at a larger size than did males from the control site downstream, as predicted from the "age-specific predation" hypothesis. No differences between localities were observed for female age and size at maturity or for reproductive effort. The trends for fecundity and offspring size were the reverse of those observed in the field. Because only the males changed in the predicted fashion, it is not possible either to reject or to accept the hypothesis of age-specific predation at this time. We discuss the possible causes for these patterns and the high degree of plasticity in the life history, as evidenced by the differences in fecundity and offspring size between the field and laboratory results.
Theoretical investigation on monomer and solvent selection for molecular imprinting of nitrocompounds.

The aim of this work is to serve as a guideline for the initial selection of monomer and solvent for the synthesis of the nitrocompound-based molecularly imprinted polymers, MIPs. Reported data include evaluation of six systems with the ability to form noncovalently bonded monomer–template complexes. These systems are represented by the following aliphatic and aromatic molecules: acrolein, acrylonitrile, 2,6-bisacrylamide, 4-ethylenebenzoic acid, methyl methacrylate, and 2-vinylpyridine. Cave models for selected monomers are also presented and supported by binding energy analysis under various conditions. Solvent effects on monomer–template binding energy have been studied for four solvents: acetone, acetonitrile, chloroform, and methanol. Additionally, systems such as 2,4-dinitrotoluene (2,4-DNT), 2,6-dinitrotoluene (2,6-DNT), pentachlorophenol (PCP), and 3,6-dichloro-2-methoxybenzoic acid (Dicamba) have been used to study selectivity of acrolein-based MIP toward TNT detection. The density functional the...
How the Validity of the Parallel Inference is Possible: From the Ancient Mohist Diagnose to a Modern Logical Treatment of Its Semantic-Syntactic Structure

The purpose of this paper is to explore the issue of how the validity of the parallel inference (as a type of deductive reasoning) is possible in view of its deep semantic-syntactic structure. I first present a philosophical interpretation of the ancient Mohist treatment of the parallel inference concerning its semantic-syntactic structure. Then, to formally and accurately capture the later Mohist point in this connection for the sake of giving a general condition for the validity of the parallel inference, I suggest a modern logical treatment via an expanded predicate logic account.
Thrombin Inhibitors in Acute Myocardial Infarction

Thrombin inhibitors play an important role as part of current and potential future thrombolytic-antithrombotic regimens for acute myocardial infarction. Heparin has been shown to improve infarct-related artery patency following tissue plasminogen activator (TP A) and is an integral adjunct to front-loaded TP A and aspirin, the regimen that has been demonstrated to be superior to standard thrombolytic regimens. The initial experience with direct thrombin inhibitors, such as hirudin and hirulog, as adjuncts to thrombolytic therapy has shown promising results. Hirudin, compared with heparin, provides a more consistent level of anticoagulation and improved indices of coronary reperfusion and has shown favorable results for clinical end points. Current larger phase III trials should allow testing of the "thrombin hypothesis," that more potent inhibition of thrombin will translate into improved clinical outcome for patients with acute myocardial infarction.