cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Microtubules are critical for radial glial morphology: possible regulation by MAPs and MARKs

Radial glia are a polarized cell type that in most neural regions appear only transiently during development. They have long been recognized as glia or glial progenitors that support neuronal migration. Recent evidence indicates that radial glia also give rise to neurons and appear to be a major population of dividing precursor cells in the embryonic cortical ventricular zone. Radial glia extend long processes from the ventricular zone to the pial surface that provide guides for neuronal migration. We reasoned that the unique morphology of radial glia is due to the composition and organization of their cytoskeleton. In this present study, we have used C6-R, a radial glial-like cell line and isolated perinatal cerebellar radial glia to ask what are the critical cytoskeletal elements in radial glial cells and how they are regulated. Treatments with nocodazole and cytochalasin D showed that microtubules, but not microfilaments, are critical for the polarized morphology of radial glia. In addition, quantitative real-time PCR indicated that certain mRNAs specific for microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) are selectively expressed in radial glia. These results together with the known ability of microtubule affinity-regulating kinases to regulate microtubule organization suggest that microtubules and MAPs are critical for the morphology of radial glia.
The enfranchisement of resident aliens: variations and explanations

What explains the timing of the liberalization of citizenship laws? Although scholars have offered a number of competing explanations for differences among citizenship regimes, few have examined the timing of liberalization and retraction of rights for non-citizens. To investigate the timing of both liberalization and reversal, this study examines the historical expansion of voting rights for non-citizen residents (VRA). Given both the symbolic and substantive consequences of VRA, democracies may proceed slowly when liberalizing political rights and may retract them quickly. Two bodies of scholarship offer competing explanations. The “national resilience” thesis suggests that differences in cultural definitions of citizenry, political institutions, and social policies produce national citizenship regimes that evolve slowly. By contrast, the “policy constraints” thesis asserts that domestic institutions enact human rights norms that expedite convergence around a common set of political rights. This study t...
Airborne observations of the composition of the 1992 tropical stratosphere by FTIR solar absorption spectrometry

Vertical column measurements of the gaseous composition of the tropical stratosphere were made from the NASA DC-8 aircraft early in 1992. As anticipated, the burdens of the stratospheric source gases (e.g., O3, HF, HCl, ClNO3, HNO3) were reduced from their mid-latitude values due to increased uplift and photolysis. The tracers revealed considerably more uplift near the equator than the sub-tropics. For example, the HF burdens at +/- 20 deg latitude were nearly double those at 5 deg N. This, together with results obtained from other long-lived gases (e.g. N2O, CH4, CF2Cl2) indicates that volume mixing ratios found at 22 km altitude at mid-latitudes occurred at 26 km in the sub-tropics and at 30 km in the equatorial zone. This zone of uplift was symmetrical about the equator even though the sun was overhead at 20 deg S.
Sodium, potassium and glucose management in organ transplantation.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW To present current knowledge about the metabolic management of patients undergoing solid organ transplantation, and potential organ donors. RECENT FINDINGS Appropriate management of electrolytes and glucose improves outcome after transplantation, although conflicting evidence exists. Patients with cirrhosis-induced hyponatremia can be successfully transplanted but are at increased risk of postoperative complications. A new class of drugs, the vaptans, that antagonizes arginine vasopressin may be an effective treatment for hyponatremia in transplant candidates. Recent literature has documented the implications, predictors and potential therapies for perioperative hyperkalemia in the transplant population. The debate over appropriate targets for serum glucose in perioperative and critically ill patients has been lively. The documented risk of hypoglycemia associated with 'intensive insulin therapy' has led to the adoption of more conservative glycemic targets. Studies of glycemic control in transplant recipients are limited. SUMMARY In patients undergoing solid organ transplants, sodium management should aim to minimize an acute change in sodium concentration. Vaptans may be of future use in optimizing patients with cirrhosis prior to transplantation. Pending further studies, a perioperative 'middle ground' target glucose of between 140 and 180 mg/dl seems reasonable at this time.
Quality of life across the schizotypy spectrum: findings from a large nonclinical adult sample.

Abstract Objective It is well documented that patients with schizophrenia have impoverished quality of life (QOL). Efforts to determine the underpinnings of this impoverishment have implicated negative symptoms more than positive or disorganized symptoms. However, only a minority of individuals with the liability to schizophrenia will ever show manifest illness, and it is presently unclear the degree to which QOL is affected in individuals with subclinical symptoms of the disorder (ie, schizotypy). The present study examined the relative contributions of negative, positive, and disorganized schizotypy symptoms to QOL. Methods Measures of schizotypal symptoms and subjective and objective QOL were obtained from a sample of 1395 adults. Results Measures of schizotypal symptoms significantly corresponded to all measures of QOL, although the magnitude of correlations were significantly larger for subjective than objective measures. The negative symptom dimension explained a substantial portion of unique variance in the social domains of QOL above and beyond that accounted for by the other schizotypy dimensions. Conclusions These findings highlight the deleterious impact of schizotypal symptoms, particularly negative symptoms. Further research clarifying the mechanism underlying this relationship is called for.
Mechanisms of Sperm Transfer and Storage in the Red Flour Beetle (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)

This study examines mechanisms of sperm transfer during copulation in Tribolium castaneum (Herbst), red flour beetles, and describes the dynamics of sperm movement within the female reproductive tract. During copulations that range in duration from 30 s to 32 min, T. castaneum males transfer sperm to females in a spermatophore consisting of a membranous sperm sac attached to a gelatinous posterior rod. The spermatophore is deposited in the female bursa copulatrix; shortly afterward, the sperm sac membrane ruptures and sperm are released. Sperm begin to appear in the complex, tubular spermatheca of the female within 10 min after mating. Between 0 and 60 min after mating, the number of sperm stored in the spermatheca exhibits an 8.5-fold increase, and sperm quantity in the bursa declines. Both bursal and spermathecal sperm numbers remain nearly constant between 60 and 120 min after mating. Only ≈4% of the total sperm transferred by mating males are translocated to the female's spermatheca for long-term storage. T. castaneum females continue to use sperm stored in the female spermatheca to fertilize their eggs for up to 140 d following a single mating. Neither male body size nor copulation duration appear to influence the number of sperm transferred during copulation or the number of sperm stored within the female spermatheca.
Role of prophylactic anticoagulation for direct current cardioversion in patients with atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter

The need for prophylactic anticoagulation to prevent embolism before direct current cardioversion is performed for atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter is controversial. To examine this issue further, a retrospective review was undertaken to assess the incidence of embolic complications after cardioversion. The review involved 454 elective direct current cardioversions performed for atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter over a 7 year period. The incidence rate of embolic complications was 1.32% (six patients); the complications ranged from minor visual disturbances to a fatal cerebrovascular event. All six patients had atrial fibrillation, and none had been on anticoagulant therapy (p = 0.026). The duration of atrial fibrillation was less than 1 week in five of the six patients who had embolic complications. Baseline characteristics of patients with a postcardioversion embolic event are compared with those of patients who did not have an embolic event. There was no difference in the prevalence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus or prior stroke between the two groups, and there was no difference in the number of patients who were postoperative or had poor left ventricular function. Left atrial size was similar between the two groups. No patient in the embolic group had valvular disease. No patient with atrial flutter had an embolic event regardless of anticoagulant status; therefore, anticoagulation is not recommended for patients with atrial flutter undergoing cardioversion. Prophylactic anticoagulation is pivotal in patients undergoing elective direct current cardioversion for atrial fibrillation, even those with atrial fibrillation of less than 1 week's duration.
Minimum Decoupling Capacitor Insertion in VLSI Power/Ground Supply Networks by Semidefinite and Linear Programs

Nanometer-scale VLSI design demands reliable on-chip power/ground (P/G) supply. Decoupling capacitors effectively reduce P/G supply fluctuation at the cost of leakage increase and yield loss. Existing P/G supply network decoupling capacitor insertion techniques are based on sensitivity analysis and greedy optimization. In this paper, we propose a semidefinite program and a linear program for minimum decoupling capacitor insertion in a P/G supply network, which are global optimizations with theoretically guaranteed supply voltage degradation bounds. We also propose scalability improvement schemes which enable application of the proposed semidefinite and linear programs to practical industry designs. Our experimental results on industry designs verify that the proposed semidefinite program guarantees supply voltage degradation bound for all possible supply current sources, while the proposed linear program achieves the most accurate supply voltage degradation control for a given set of supply current sources.
GABAA and GABAB receptors in the anterior piriform cortex modulate feeding in rats

The effects of GABA(A) and GABA(B) receptors in the anterior piriform cortex (APC) on intake of an amino acid imbalanced diet and a basal diet were evaluated in rats. Administration of muscimol (GABA(A) receptor agonist) to the APC immediately suppressed ingestion of both amino acid imbalanced and basal diets. Central administration of bicuculline (a GABA(A) receptor antagonist) stimulated feeding of the amino acid imbalanced diet but had no effect on intake of the basal diet. The GABA(B) receptor antagonist phaclofen decreased consumption of the basal diet but did not affect consumption of the amino acid imbalanced diet. These findings demonstrate that manipulation of GABA-sensitive cells in the APC can have a pronounced effect on feeding behavior that is not selective to aminoprivic feeding. However, these data suggest that GABA(A) and GABA(B) receptors may function as regulators that are activated by monoaminergic systems and neuropeptides in response to amino acid imbalanced diet intake. Inhibitory effects of GABA(A) and GABA(B) receptors may modulate the pyramidal cells, contributing to the reduced feeding response to the amino acid imbalanced diet. Also, transcription of mRNA for both GABA receptors and the GABA reuptake transporter was affected by a threonine deficient but not a corrected diet, compared to the basal diet. Taken together, these results support the involvement of GABA receptors in the APC in feeding in general and the responses to amino acid deprivation in vivo.
Primary malignant gastric PEComa - Diagnostic and technical dilemmas.

Introduction The World Health Organisation defines PEComa's as “a mesenchymal tumour composed of histologically and immunohistochemically distinctive perivascular cells”.1 These ubiquitous tumours show distinctive perivascular epithelioid cell differentiation and arise most commonly at visceral and abdominopelvic sites.
Rapid degradation of newly synthesized collagen by primary cultures of adult rat hepatocytes

Abstract Greater than 95% of the total radioactive hydroxyproline synthesized by adult rat hepatocytes during the first 24 to 48 hours in monolayer culture is soluble in 5% TCA. During the next 24-hour culture period, the amount of TCA-soluble hydroxyproline is reduced to approximately 40%. Likewise, rat hepatoma cells (HTC) also produce a significant amount of TCA-soluble hydroxyproline (48%). These findings suggest that hepatocytes not only have the capacity to synthesize collagen, but also have the ability to degrade this fibrous protein.
On Random Field Discretization in Stochastic Finite Elements

Several traditional methods for discretizing random fields in stochastic mechanics applications are considered; they are the midpoint method, the interpolation method, and the local averaging method. A simple and computationally convenient criterion for estimating the accuracy of these discretization methods is developed. Also, the Volterra series representation of nonlinear input/output relationships is utilized to assess the effect of the random field discretization methods on the response variability of stochastic mechanics problems. The theoretical developments are elucidated by a numerical example involving a beam problem.
Medical home access and health care use and expenditures among children with special health care needs

Objective To test associations between having a medical home and health services use and expenditures among US children with special health care needs (CSHCN). Design Cross-sectional analysis. Setting The 2003-2008 Medical Expenditure Panel Surveys. Participants A total of 9816 CSHCN up to 17 years, including 1056 with a functional or sensory limitation and 8760 without a limitation. Main Exposure Parent or caregiver report of CSHCN having a medical home. Main Outcome Measures We examined CSHCN's annual use of outpatient, inpatient, emergency department, and dental visits, and annual outpatient, inpatient, emergency department, prescription medication, dental, and other health care expenditures. Results CSHCN with a medical home had 14% more dental visits compared with CSHCN without a medical home (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 1.14; 95% CI, 1.03-1.25); this finding is significant for CSHCN without limitations but not for those with limitations. The medical home was associated with greater odds of incurring total, outpatient, prescription medication, and dental expenditures (odds ratio range, 1.25-1.92). Among CSHCN with a limitation, children with a medical home had lower annual inpatient expenditures compared with those without a medical home (mean, −$968; 95% CI, −$121 to −$1928), and among CSHCN without a limitation, children with a medical home had higher annual prescription medication expenditures compared with those without a medical home (mean, $87; 95% CI, $22-$153). Conclusions There were few differences in annual health services use and expenditures between CSHCN with and without a medical home. However, the medical home may be associated with lower inpatient expenditures and higher prescription medication expenditures within subgroups of CSHCN.
Renal interstitial Ca2+ during sodium loading of normotensive and Dahl-salt hypertensive rats

It is now established that cells in many tissues including renal epithelial cells and perivascular sensory nerves have mechanisms that monitor and respond to the concentration of Ca2+ in the interstitial compartment [Ca2+ISF]. We tested the hypothesis that high Na+ intake alters renal [Ca2+ISF] and that the response is altered in salt-sensitive hypertensive versus normotensive rats. Male Wistar (W), Dahl salt-resistant (DR), and Dahl salt-sensitive (DS) rats were fed diets containing 0.45% or 8% NaCl for 7 days beginning at 8 to 10 weeks of age. Systolic blood pressure (BP) was measured before and at the end of the 7-day period. During the last 12 h the animals were placed in metabolic cages for urine collection. They were then anesthetized and renal [Ca2+ISF] was determined using in situ microdialysis. Feeding 8% NaCl caused a significant increase in systolic BP only in DS. The 8% NaCl also caused a significant increase in renal urinary Na+ excretion in all groups, had no effect on renal Ca2+ excretion in W or DS and significantly increased urinary Ca2+ excretion in DR. When fed 0.45% NaCl, renal [Ca2+ISF] was lower in W and DR compared with DS. Feeding 8% NaCl significantly increased [Ca2+ISF] in W, had no effect on this parameter in DR, and significantly decreased [Ca2+ISF] in DS ([Ca2+ISF] for DS on 0.45% NaCl = 1.89 ± 0.15 v 8% NaCl = 1.08 ± 0.07 mmol/L, n = 6 to 12, P < .05). These results indicate that Na+ loading significantly alters renal [Ca2+ISF]; that the response of DS is disturbed relative to controls, and are consistent with the hypothesis that Na+ loading can alter cell function by modulating [Ca2+ISF].
Survey of Airborne Microwave Refractometer Measurements

This paper presents a summary of airborne refractive index measurements which have been made at many locations in the United States both over land and off the east and west coasts, by several organizations. Included are the results of studies of the mean vertical structure of the index of refraction of the atmosphere as a function of such factors as location, season, horizontal distance, and time. Included also are the results of measurements of the fine detail variations of refractive index about its mean value at several locations for altitudes up to 20,000 feet mean sea level.
Valence and core state modifications in Pt3Ti

Abstract XPS data for the valence band, the Pt 4ƒ states, and the Ti 2 p states are presented for the intermetallic Pt 3 Ti. Relative to the Pt valence band, the Pt 3 Ti band shows a decrease in the density of states just below the Fermi level and a shift of the centroid to higher (binding) energy. Ti 2 p and Pt 4ƒ binding energies showed relatively large shifts with respect to the pure metals. These changes in the valence band density of states and core level binding energies are interpreted as arising from hybridization of the d -orbitals in both metals to form strong intermetallic bonds.
The Effects of Pooling on Spike Train Correlations

Neurons integrate inputs from thousands of afferents. Similarly, some experimental techniques record the pooled activity of large populations of cells. When cells in these populations are correlated, the correlation coefficient between the collective activity of two subpopulations is typically much larger than the correlation coefficient between individual cells: The act of pooling individual cell signals amplifies correlations. We give an overview of this phenomenon and present several implications. In particular, we show that pooling leads to synchronization in feedforward networks and that it can amplify and otherwise distort correlations between recorded signals.
Multilinear cayley factorization

An important problem in computer-aided geometric reasoning is to automatically find geometric interpretations for algebraic expressions. For projective geometry this question can be reduced to the Cayley factorization problem. A Cayley factorization of a homogeneous bracket polynomial P is a Cayley algebra expression (using only the join and meet operations) which evaluates to P. We give an introduction to both Cayley algebra and bracket algebra for those readers not already familiar with them. The main result of this paper is an algorithm which solves the Cayley factorization problem in the important special case that P is multilinear.
On ensuring data recoverability by the use of error-correcting codes

The problem of controlling data errors in magnetic disc storage is one of fundamental importance. Data errors caused by electrical noise within the system are considered 'soft' and generally recoverable by retry of the data transfer operation, resulting in execution overhead. However, errors caused by inherent defects in the recording media or due to contamination are considered to be 'hard' and occur in 'bursts', in which case, consecutive bit positions are corrupted, as opposed to isolated 'random' errors. In the latter case, data is inevitably lost. This paper describes the effective use of error-correcting codes to combat burst errors in disc storage.
Time-dependent current-density functional theory for generalized open quantum systems.

In this article, we prove the one-to-one correspondence between vector potentials and particle and current densities in the context of master equations with arbitrary memory kernels, therefore extending time-dependent current-density functional theory (TD-CDFT) to the domain of generalized many-body open quantum systems (OQS). We also analyse the issue of A-representability for the Kohn–Sham (KS) scheme proposed by D’Agosta and Di Ventra for Markovian OQS [Phys. Rev. Lett. 2007, 98, 226403] and discuss its domain of validity. We suggest ways to expand their scheme, but also propose a novel KS scheme where the auxiliary system is both closed and non-interacting. This scheme is tested numerically with a model system, and several considerations for the future development of functionals are indicated. Our results formalize the possibility of practising TD-CDFT in OQS, hence expanding the applicability of the theory to non-Hamiltonian evolutions.
Immunological assays for putative periodontal pathogens.

Immunological tests including immunofluorescence microscopy, latex agglutination, flow cytometry, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays are being developed for the detection of carcinogenic microorganisms and periodontal pathogens. In the present study, indirect immunofluorescence microscopy was used to examine two hundred eighty-three subjects for Actinobacillus (“Haemophilus”) actinomycetemcomitans and Bacteroides gingivalis in subgingival dental plaque samples pooled from the mesial surface of the four first molar teeth. Alveolar bone height on panoramic radiographs was measured at each sample site using a Schei ruler and correlated with the results of immunofluorescence microscopy. Over ninety percent of the subjects did not demonstrate either putative periodonlal pathogen or harbored only trace amounts. Only 5% of the subjects demonstrated 2% or greater A. actinomycclemcomitans and no subject harbored more than 5% consistent with the finding that there were no localized juvenile periodontitis patients in this subject group. Nine percent of the subjects revealed 2% or more, and 5% demonstrated 5% or more of the total cell count as B. gingivalis. K. gingivalis levels, however, did exhibit a significant positive correlation with loss of alveolar bone height. The use of immunofluorescence microscopy for B. gingivalis exhibited 19% sensitivity, 96% specificity, 69% positive predictive value, and 69% negative predictive value when correlated with alveolar bone height measurements. The present data indicate that indirect immunofluorescence microscopy is a useful, rapid method for the detection of A. actinomycetemcomitans and B. gingivalis in subgingival dental plaque which can be used in the clinical diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of periodontal disease. The sensitivity of microbiological assays as indicators of periodontal disease can likely be increased by utilization of additional Immunological tests for other putative periodontal pathogens.
Life and Death Choices in Neonatal Care: Applying Shared Decision-Making Focused on Parental Values

Unfortunately, all too often infants and children have such severe medical conditions that parents and health care providers contemplate withholding or withdrawing lifeprolonging interventions. Suchdecisions arenever easy, and families often struggle when considering such drastic measures. In the past, such decisions were the purview of the attending physician; however, over the last several decades there has been a significant shift in decision-making practices, particularly in the United States. Today in the United States, many physicians merely present a smorgasbord of choices and defer all decision-making authority to parents. In contrast, Europeanphysicians have generallymaintained greater control in decision making. Based on data demonstrating that most patients (and parents) prefer neither patient-only nor physician-only decision making, the major American and European critical care professional societies published a consensus statement supporting shareddecisionmaking, particularly in life-anddeath choices (Carlet et al. 2004). How we operationalize shared decision making in the clinical setting is being discussed; however it is now widely accepted that physician abdicationof responsibility for decisionmaking is unacceptable, and paternalistic decision making without consideration of parental values is inappropriate. In shared decision making, health care providers work with parents to determine how best to proceed. Because different families will necessarily have different preferences regarding how such decisions should be made, providers must work closely with parents and ensure excellent communication in order to bear the appropriate level of burden in choice making (Kon 2010). Further, because the values and beliefs of the providers will likely differ from those of the family, providers must be careful to ensure that it is the families beliefs, values, and preferences that guide decision making (Kon 2010). Indeed, shared decision making will take different forms when caring for different families, and may take different forms at different times when caring for the same family (Kon 2010). How parents and providers judge whether lifeprolonging interventions are appropriate is family specific. Some families believe that life is always preferable to death,
The family series workshop: a community-based psychoeducational intervention.

This study describes an evaluation of a community-based psychoeducational intervention, called The Family Series Workshop, for caregivers of community-dwelling persons with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias (ADRD). In a one-group pretest–posttest design, participants (n = 35) attended six weekly sessions. Caregiver stress, coping, and caregiving competence were evaluated along with demographic characteristics of participants. There was a significant improvement found for caregiving competence, and a marginally significant increase in coping with humor. Using regression analysis we also found that coping with humor, along with stress, were significant predictors of caregiving competence. These findings indicate that it is possible to increase caregiving competence utilizing a “grassroots” approach and that it is feasible to hold educational, group discussions on a plethora of challenging caregiving topics.
An optimal parameter choice for regularized ill-posed problems

Schock has given a nearly optimal a posteriori parameter choice strategy for Tikhonov regularization. We show that a modification of his argument leads, in fact, to an optimal convergence rate.
A hybrid watershed method for cell image segmentation

In cytological evaluation of cells, the nuclear characteristics present significant opportunities for early detection of abnormalities arising from various types of cancer. Accurate representation of cell nuclear structure by traditional manual inspection is difficult and time-consuming. In this paper, we introduce a new semi-automated cell segmentation algorithm combining a histogram-based global approach with local watershed segmentation. The procedure requires very little prior knowledge or user interaction. Preliminary results of accurate segmentation of the nucleus from the cell are presented to demonstrate potential application of this algorithm in cytological evaluation of abnormal nuclear structure.
Adaptive sampling for wireless sensor networks

This paper proposes an adaptive three-stage approach for accurate field estimation using a wireless sensor network that can significantly reduce energy consumption. Under a piecewise smooth field assumption, this method nearly achieves the minimax error rate n/sup -1/2/, where n is the number of available sensors, while activating only n/sup 3/4/ of the sensors in the network. This approach can save significant energy compared to dense, nonadaptive sampling.
High resolution 3D "snapshot" ISAR imaging and feature extraction

We have developed a new formulation for three dimensional (3D) radar imaging of inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) data based on recent developments in high resolution spectral estimation theory. Typically for non real-time applications, image formation is a two step process consisting of motion determination and image generation. The technique presented focuses on this latter process, and assumes the motion of the target is known. The new technique offers several advantages over conventional techniques which are based on the correlation imaging function. In particular, the technique provides for a direct 3D estimate (versus back projection to a 3D target grid matrix) of the locations of the dominant scattering centers using only a minimum set of independent 2D range-Doppler ISAR "snapshots" of the target. Because of the snapshot nature of the technique, it is particularly applicable to 3D imaging of sectors of sparse-angle data, for which the sidelobes of the correlation imaging integral become high. Furthermore, the technique provides for an estimate of amplitude and phase of each scattering center as a function of aspect angle to the target, for those aspect angles which encompass the set of 2D range-Doppler snapshots. Results illustrating the technique developed are presented for both simulated and static range data.
Sociodemographic factors associated with pap test adherence and cervical dysplasia in surgically sterilized women.

Background: Routine dysplasia screening decreases the rates of cervical cancer. Since many women seek gynecological care to secure contraception, it was hypothesized that sterilized women will be less likely to undergo routine cervical cancer screening. Prior studies tried to evaluate this relationship, but results were conflicting. The study sought to further explore the sociodemographic and behavioral risk factors that might predispose sterilized women to be screening non-adherent and more likely to have cervical dysplasia. Methods: Secondary analysis of women (n=1688) enrolled in a cross-sectional study in North America and divided into screening (n=925) and diagnostic (n=763) groups was performed. Information about sociodemographic and behavioral risk factors, surgical sterilization and date of last Pap test were obtained from questionnaires. Cervical histology was obtained from pathology records. Univariable analyses identified differences in risk factors between groups. Multivariable logistic regression models were constructed to evaluate Pap adherence and cervical dysplasia. Results: Sterilized women were 39% more likely to be screening non-adherent (p≤ 0.05) especially if divorced, separated or widowed (OR=1.62), Hispanic (OR=1.57) and with a higher number of vaginal births (OR=2.00). Education was an effect measure modifier, significantly associated with non-adherence (OR=1.60). The association between sterilization and non-adherence remained significant when adjusted for confounders (AOR=1.47). Sterilization was associated with an 80% increased odds of cervical dysplasia in women over 40. Conclusion: Sterilized women with certain sociodemographic factors are more likely to be non-adherent with Pap screening and more prone to dysplasia. These findings may assist practitioners in counseling at-risk patients.
A Cohort Study of p27 Localization in Colon Cancer, Body Mass Index, and Patient Survival

Energy balance and the AKT pathway are important in colorectal cancer development and regulate p27 (cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor-1B/CDKN1B/KIP1), which plays a role in preventing cell cycle progression. However, little is known on the clinical outcome or prognostic significance of p27 alterations in relation to patient body mass index (BMI). Among 630 colon cancers (stage I-IV) in two prospective cohort studies, we detected p27 alterations (cytoplasmic p27 localization or p27 loss) in 500 tumors (79%) by immunohistochemistry. The remaining 130 (21%) tumors were "p27-nuclear+." Cox proportional hazard models computed hazard ratios (HR) of deaths, adjusted for patient and tumoral characteristics, including p53, p21, cyclin D1, KRAS, BRAF, PIK3CA, cyclooxygenase-2, fatty acid synthase (FASN), beta-catenin, microsatellite instability (MSI), CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP), and long interspersed nucleotide element-1 (LINE-1) hypomethylation. Compared with p27-nuclear+ patients, p27-altered patients experienced low colon cancer-specific [adjusted HR, 0.63; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 0.42-0.94] and overall mortality (adjusted HR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.51-0.95), independent of FASN, MSI, CIMP, LINE-1 methylation, and other potential confounders. The effect of p27 alteration on overall mortality significantly differed by BMI (P(interaction) = 0.013); adjusted HR (p27-altered versus p27-nuclear+ tumors) was 0.28 (95% CI, 0.13-0.59) for BMI >or=30 kg/m(2), 0.67 (95% CI, 0.40-1.14) for BMI 25 to 29 kg/m(2), and 0.91 (95% CI, 0.57-1.46) for BMI <25 kg/m(2). Obesity was associated with inferior overall survival among p27-nuclear+ cases (adjusted HR, 3.07; 95% CI, 1.49-6.32; versus nonobese cases), but not among p27-altered cases (adjusted HR, 1.08). In conclusion, p27 alterations in colon cancer are associated with superior prognosis. Adverse prognostic effect of obesity seems limited to patients with nuclear p27 expression, suggesting a host-tumor interaction.
Age-related changes in the expression of schizophrenia susceptibility genes in the human prefrontal cortex

The molecular basis of complex neuropsychi- atric disorders most likely involves many genes. In recent years, specific genetic variations influencing risk for schizophrenia and other neuropsychiatric disorders have been reported. We have used custom DNA microarrays and qPCR to investigate the expression of putative schizo- phrenia susceptibility genes and related genes of interest in the normal human brain. Expression of 31 genes was measured in Brodmann's area 10 (BA10) in the prefrontal cortex of 72 postmortem brain samples spanning half a century of human aging (18-67 years), each without history of neuropsychiatric illness, neurological disease, or drug abuse. Examination of expression across age allowed the identification of genes whose expression patterns correlate with age, as well as genes that share common expression patterns and that possibly participate in common cellular mechanisms related to the emergence of schizophrenia in early adult life. The expression of GRM3 and RGS4 decreased across the entire age range surveyed, while that of PRODH and DARPP-32 was shown to increase with age. NRG1, ERBB3, and NGFR show expression changes dur- ing the years of greatest risk for the development of schizophrenia. Expression of FEZ1, GAD1, and RGS4 showed especially high correlation with one another, in addition to the strongest mean levels of absolute correlation with all other genes studied here. All microarray data are available at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/ (accession #: TBA).
Oral cortisone therapy in allergic diseases

Abstract 1.1. Orally administered cortisone is readily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract, and in comparable dosage affects allergic diseases in much the same manner as the saline suspension of cortisone given by intramuscular injection. 2.2. A moderate depression in blood eosinophiles is apparent 4 hours after a single 25 to 50 mg. dose of oral cortisone. Maximum depressions are usually attained during the second to fourth day of therapy. 3.3. Symptoms of hay fever, asthma, urticaria, atopic dermatitis and contact dermatitis are often completely relieved during oral cortisone therapy. The onset of such improvement appears to be more rapid than with cortisone suspension administered by injection, but the therapeutic effect of each dose of the oral material is dissipated more rapidly. 4.4. The effects of oral cortisone, although striking in many cases, are of relatively brief duration, and chronic symptoms recur shortly after withdrawal of the hormone. Close supervision of the patient is necessary to avoid the known side effects of adrenal hormone therapy.
Development and application of genetic probes for detection of Enterocytozoon bieneusi in formalin-fixed stools and in intestinal biopsy specimens from infected patients

The microsporidium Enterocytozoon bieneusi is closely linked to wasting and diarrhea in a high proportion of individuals with AIDS. However, its relative contribution to disease is uncertain because diagnosis until recently depended on procedures involving endoscopy. A sensitive PCR technique which amplifies a fragment of the small-subunit rRNA gene of E. bieneusi from formalin-fixed stool samples was developed. Of 80 formalin-fixed stool samples collected from 74 Zimbabweans and 6 U.S. patients who were human immunodeficiency virus positive, 50% tested positive for E. bieneusi by PCR, whereas 24% tested positive for E. bieneusi by light microscopy of trichrome-stained fecal smears. In addition, we describe an in situ hybridization technique which detected and identified E. bieneusi as the causative agent in all six intestinal biopsy specimens tested. Both the PCR and in situ hybridization procedures are sensitive diagnostic tools which will complement currently available techniques and enable the differentiation of E. bieneusi from other microsporidia to be made.
A convenient method to synthesize specifically labelled cholesterol with tritium

A simple method is described to label cholesterol with tritium. Cholesterol was first oxidized to 5-cholesten-3-one (2) which was then purified by HPLC. Its structure was established by electron impact (EI) mass spectrometry and 1H-NMR spectroscopy. The ketone (2) was reduced with NaB3H4 to give specifically labelled cholesterol (C-33H) at low specific activity.
Identifying student retention patterns using GIS technology

Geographic information systems (GIS) have been used successfully by personnel in government, business, and industry to map natural resource data, determine socioeconomic boundaries, and manage fleet routing activities. The diverse applications of GIS have made its use attractive to people in many professions. However, educators have not used this technological tool as extensively even though they acquire a large amount of student data. Similar to business owners, it is helpful for administrators in higher education to understand their student/customer base in order to meet their needs and retain them. The author obtained student addresses at both a Midwestern and Western university and mapped them onto a GIS system. Spatial analysis was used to determine whether there were geographic differences among students who dropped out of school, remained enrolled, or successfully graduated within six years of matriculation. Differences were found among the student groups. Geographic distance did not make a difference for dropouts or graduates. However, living near the universities was significant for students who remained in school. Proximity to classes is important for many students to continue their education and ultimately graduate. Additional research using GIS can assist educators in finding off-site campus locations near the greatest concentration of students.
Использование мышиной модели для анализа иммунного ответа к инфекциям методами классической генетики

Abstract. Identification and studying of numerous functions of all genes of the human beings is one of the main objects of modern biological science. Due to high level of homology between mouse and human genomes the important role to reach above mentioned goal belongs to the mouse model which using in the classical genetics increase in connection with appearance of different inbred mouse lines. For instance, the differences in immune response to infectious pathogens in various mouse lines were used many times to determine immunologically competent genes. That is why the contribution of mouse model in understanding of the mechanisms of immune response to infectious pathogens is difficult to overestimate. In the current review some of the most successful and well known examples of mouse using in studies of anti-infectious response are described.
Solitary pulmonary metastasis presenting 20 years after primary resection of Wilms tumor

Wilms tumor is the most common renal malignancy of childhood. Relapse occurs most often within 4 years of initial diagnosis, and the most common site of metastasis is the lung. We describe a 22-year-old man who presented with hemoptysis and a solitary pulmonary lesion 20 years after primary resection of Wilms tumor. Computed tomography of the chest showed an indeterminate pulmonary mass of heterogeneous attenuation with no other in-trathoracic abnormalities. Surgical resection revealed a solitary pulmonary metastasis from Wilms tumor. Further evaluation yielded no evidence of extrathoracic metastases. This case shows that late relapse in the form of a solitary pulmonary mass can occur in patients with Wilms tumor.
An asymptotic singular value decomposition analysis of nonlinear multilayer neural networks

The nonlinear multilayer neural network architecture is analyzed as a set of coupled Moore-Penrose pseudo-inverse equations, which arise from an asymptotic approximation to each unit's output equation. A linear analysis of these equations is performed through singular value decomposition (SVD) of the input matrix and a matrix of the desired hidden values. This analysis exactly determines the values of the weights and the optimal number of hidden units needed for a given set of training patterns. The outputs of the resulting neural network asymptotically approach the desired output values for each input pattern. This analysis provides an approach to determining the computational complexity of constructing nonlinear feedforward neural networks. A simple example of the XOR problem illustrates the results of the analysis. >
Segmental distribution of common synaptic inputs to spinal motoneurons during fictive swimming in the lamprey.

These experiments were designed to measure the degree of shared synaptic inputs coming to pairs of myotomal motoneurons during swimming activity in the isolated spinal cord of the lamprey. In addit...
Modulation of arousal regulation with central thalamic deep brain stimulation

To investigate the effects of central thalamic deep brain stimulation (CT/DBS) on behavior and frontal cortical function, we conducted experiments in an awake, behaving macaque monkey performing tasks that required sustained attention and working memory. Results of this preliminary study revealed that CT/DBS can lead to an improvement, a decrement, a mixed or have no effect on behavior.
Health status among 28,000 women veterans : The VA women's health program evaluation project

BACKGROUND: Male veterans receiving Veterans Health Administration (VA) care have worse health than men in the general population. Less is known about health status in women veteran VA patients, a rapidly growing population. OBJECTIVE: To characterize health status of women (vs men) veteran VA patients across age cohorts, and assess gender differences in the effect of social support upon health status. DESIGN AND PATIENTS: Data came from the national 1999 Large Health Survey of Veteran Enrollees (response rate 63%) and included 28,048 women and 651,811 men who used VA in the prior 3 years. MEASUREMENTS: Dimensions of health status from validated Veterans Short Form-36 instrument; social support (married, living arrangement, have someone to take patient to the doctor). RESULTS: In each age stratum (18 to 44, 45 to 64, and ≥65 years), Physical Component Summary (PCS) and Mental Component Summary (MCS) scores were clinically comparable by gender, except that for those aged≥65, mean MCS was better for women than men (49.3 vs 45.9, P<.001). Patient gender had a clinically insignificant effect upon PCS and MCS after adjusting for age, race/ethnicity, and education. Women had lower levels of social support than men; in patients aged <65, being married or living with someone benefited MCS more in men than in women. CONCLUSIONS: Women veteran VA patients have as heavy a burden of physical and mental illness as do men in VA, and are expected to require comparable intensity of health care services. Their ill health occurs in the context of poor social support, and varies by age.
Accelerated atherosclerosis in patients with chronic inflammatory rheumatologic conditions

Atherosclerosis is a complex inflammatory disease involving aberrant immune and tissue healing responses, which begins with endothelial dysfunction and ends with plaque development, instability and rupture. The increased risk for coronary artery disease in patients with rheumatologic diseases highlights how aberrancy in the innate and adaptive immune system may be central to development of both disease states and that atherosclerosis may be on a spectrum of immune-mediated conditions. Recognition of the tight association between chronic inflammatory disease and complications of atherosclerosis will impact the understanding of underlying pathogenic mechanisms and change diagnostic and therapeutic approaches in patients with rheumatologic syndromes as well as patients with coronary artery disease. In this review, we provide a summary of the role of the immune system in atherosclerosis, discuss the proposed mechanisms of accelerated atherosclerosis seen in association with rheumatologic diseases, evaluate the effect of immunosuppression on atherosclerosis and provide updates on available risk assessment tools, biomarkers and imaging modalities.