cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Assessing Biomarkers of Breast Cancer Risk in Underserved Women in a Midwestern County.

Objective:The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of collecting risk factor information and accessing digitized mammographic data in a medically marginalized population. A sec...
Recurrent Sphenocavernous Meningioma

A case of a recurrent sphenocavernous meningioma is presented. The patient is a 42-year-old male who presented with an episode of transient right-sided numbness. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a large left sphenocavernous meningioma. The patient underwent a frontotemporal craniotomy for tumor resection. Near total resection was achieved with minimal residual in the left cavernous sinus (CS) and orbital apex. The pathology was consistent with meningioma, World Health Organization (WHO) grade I. A follow-up MRI was done 9 months after surgery and showed a growth of the residual tumor, which was treated with intensity modulated radiotherapy. Tumor growth was detected on serial imaging over a 4-year period. Surgical resection was offered. A left frontotemporal craniotomy with pretemporal transcavernous approach was performed. The bone flap was reopened and the dura was opened in a Y-shaped fashion. The roof of the optic canal was drilled off, and the falciform ligament was opened to decompress the optic nerve. The tumor was disconnected from the anterior clinoid region (the anterior clinoid process was eroded by the tumor) and reflected off the wall of the lateral CS. Tumor was adherent to the V2 fascicles (the lateral CS wall was resected in the first surgery) and was sharply dissected off. Gross total resection was achieved. The pathology was consistent with meningioma, WHO grade I. The patient had an unremarkable postoperative course without any new neurological deficits. The link to the video can be found at: https://youtu.be/KVBVw_86JqM .
Small Boat Safety: The Alaskan King Crab Boat Experience

A two-year-long research project concerning vessel safety problems in the Alaska king crab fishery was recently completed. Preliminary results of the casualty analysis part of the study were presented in "Alaskan King Crab Boat Casualties," Marine Technology, January, 1978. This paper presents the final results of the casualty analysis, and then applies those results to recommend safety-oriented design features. Although these recommendations were formulated to apply specifically to king crab boats, in many instances they may be applied to any of the related classes of small boats, commonly referred to as industrial vessels. Design recommendations are presented in the areas of vessel arrangements, subdivision, procedures for performing stability calculations, and the format for presenting stability information. Specific recommendations are made concerning deckhouse location, lazarette design, and crab tank size, including a rule-of-thumb free-surface limit. A sample stability information report form is also presented. Human factors are shown to be extremely important in king crab boat casualties. Design features that can reduce the incidence and severity of human error are discussed and procedures to increase communication between naval architects and fisherman are proposed.
Neurovascular protection by ischaemic tolerance: role of nitric oxide

Abstract Nitric oxide (NO) has emerged as a key mediator in the mechanisms of ischaemic tolerance induced by a wide variety of preconditioning stimuli. NO is involved in the brain protection that develops either early (minutes–hours) or late (days–weeks) after the preconditioning stimulus. However, the sources of NO and the mechanisms underlying the protective effects differ substantially. While in early preconditioning NO is produced by the endothelial and neuronal isoform of NO synthase, in delayed preconditioning NO is synthesized by the inducible or ‘immunological’ isoform of NO synthase. Furthermore, in early preconditioning, NO acts through the canonical cGMP pathway, possibly through protein kinase G and opening of mitochondrial KATP channels. In late preconditioning, the protection is mediated by peroxynitrite formed by the reaction of NO with superoxide derived from the enzyme NADPH oxidase. The mechanisms by which peroxynitrite exerts its protective effect may include improvement of post-ischaemic cerebrovascular function, leading to enhancement of blood flow to the ischaemic territory, and expression of prosurvival genes resulting in cytoprotection. The evidence suggests that NO can engage highly effective and multifunctional prosurvival pathways, which could be exploited for the prevention and treatment of cerebrovascular pathologies.
Zinc Transporters and Trafficking in Yeast

Zinc is an essential nutrient that plays important roles in cells as a structural or catalytic cofactor in hundreds of different proteins. The functions of many zinc transporter genes, including genes with orthologs that play similar roles in mammals, were first characterized in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The study of zinc metabolism using this yeast as a model organism has had profound impact on the field of zinc biology. It has advanced the zinc field by aiding the identification of new transporter genes and improving our understanding of regulatory mechanisms underlying various cellular stresses and responses in higher eukaryotes as well as other organisms. This report provides a comprehensive review of yeast zinc homeostasis, emphasizing our current knowledge of the regulation of zinc transport mechanisms and cellular distributions of zinc. Keywords: zinc; deficiency; homeostasis; regulation; transporters; yeast; Saccharomyces
TIME SERIES MODEL IDENTIFICATION AND PREDICTION VARIANCE HORIZON

An approach to time series modelling is described; it classifies the time series into one of three memory types (called no memory, short memory, and long memory), and then finds a whitening filter. When the time series is short memory one would like to identify the whitening filter type as AR, MA, or ARMA before parameter estimation. A new tool is introduced which can be used to diagnose both the memory type of a “time series,” and the whitening filter type of a short memory time series. It is called prediction variance horizon function, and is defined by PVH(h) = 1 - σ2h,∞, where σ2h,∞ is the normalized mean square prediction error of infinite memory prediction h steps ahead. To classify the model type of a time series, one uses the shape of PVH and the value of the horizon HOR (defined as the smallest value of h for which PVH(h) ≤ 0.05). The analysis of a real time series, called Freeze, is described.
Common Uncomplicated Specimens

The dissection of tonsils, adenoids, hernia sacs, intervertebral discs, and amputations for gan-grene are fairly straightforward, yet a brief discussion of the appropriate handling of these specimens is important for two reasons. First, because these specimens are so frequently en-countered, even small mistakes in technique can be magnified over the course of handling numerous specimens. By getting it right the first time, you can avoid developing bad habits that are perpetuated with subsequent dissections. Second, mundane specimens are particularly susceptible to cursory and inattentive examinations. As is true for novel and complex specimens, the prosector should carefully examine the specimen and tailor a dissection that is attuned to the clinical context.
Propagation of chirped nonlinear pulses in a lossy highly birefringent single-mode optical fibre

A new model of the nonlinear propagation of optical solitons with initial linear frequency chirp through lossy highly birefringent fibres, allowing the improvement of the practical results concerning the distortionless signal transmission in ultrahigh-speed communications, is presented within the framework of a system of coupled nonlinear Schroedinger (CNLS) equations. This model demonstrates the existence of bound chirped solitons in a lossy single-mode highly birefringent fibre.
Tilt the Table Toward Good Choices

Nudge . Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness. By Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein . Yale University Press, New Haven, CT, 2008. 303 pp. $26, £18. ISBN 9780300122237. The authors marshal results from behavioral economics research to argue for using asymmetric choice architecture to exert a "libertarian paternalism" on social and economic choices.
Increasing Law Students' Effectiveness When Representing Traumatized Clients: A Case Study of the Katharine & George Alexander Community Law Center

This article discusses the issues that arise when representing traumatized clients, addressing the goals for training effective representation, and the issues of duty of care and professional responsibility. It reviews the mechanics of training and mentoring law students who work with traumatized clients, including de-briefing, simulations, class components, group sessions, and "stand alone" courses. The analysis is done through the prism of the Katharine & George Alexander Community Law Center, Santa Clara University School of Law (KGACLC). Finally, this article discusses which methods were most successful and suggests possible explanations. The basic thesis of this article is that in order to increase law students' effectiveness when representing traumatized clients, the training and mentoring must be done consciously, institutionalized, and grounded in three core goals: recognition of trauma, knowledge of strategies for representation of traumatized clients, and understanding of vicarious trauma and self-care techniques. While other scholars have written about the need for lawyers, law students, and other participants in the legal process to understand trauma, vicarious trauma, and the effect of trauma on legal representation, this article adds several unique pieces to the discussion. It not only chronicles and analyzes KGACLC's efforts during the past seven years to provide effective training to law students working with traumatized clients, but it incorporates the voices and experiences of the students themselves. Former KGACLC law students received a questionnaire that asked about their experiences working with traumatized clients, as well as any training or mentoring that made the representation more effective, and any training or mentoring they would have liked to receive. Their responses are an integral part of this article.
Latino Health Care in Southern Appalachia a Community-Engaged Examination

Between 2007 and 2009, we created a research-based community partnership to identify and assess the health care needs of Latino1 families in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina. This report...
SPURT - a Simulation Package for University Research and Teaching

One problem facing an academic program in computer and information sciences is how to teach the basic ideas of simulation without being overwhelmed by the requirements of presenting a complex simulation language. It is usually true that the student taking a simulation course has some prior knowledge of computer programming, quite often FORTRAN. Capitalizing on this fact, the Industrial Engineering and Management Sciences Department of Northwestern University has developed SPURT: a Simulation Package for University Research and Teaching. SPURT is written in FORTRAN. It provides the novice with basic subroutines required for simulation, and it provides the more advanced user with considerable capability. SPURT consists of a collection of FORTRAN subroutines and functions providing generators for various probability distributions, matrix and graphical output, list processing, and clock functions for controlling discrete time simulation models. SPURT was developed originally for the CDC 3400 and has been converted to the CDC 6400 and the IBM System/360.This paper discusses the objectives and design of SPURT and its features for discrete simulation. Examples of the use of SPURT for a typical freshman exercise, an advanced, multiprocessor system simulation and other applications are presented.
DNA Triplexes, Quadruplexes, and Aptamers

The sections in this article are 1 Introduction 2 DNA Triplexes 3 DNA Quadruplexes 4 DNA Aptamers 5 Biographical Sketch Related Articles
On the role of canonicity in knowledge compilation

Knowledge compilation is a powerful reasoning paradigm with many applications across AI and computer science more broadly. We consider the problem of bottom-up compilation of knowledge bases, which is usually predicated on the existence of a polytime function for combining compilations using Boolean operators (usually called an Apply function). While such a polytime Apply function is known to exist for certain languages (e.g., OBDDs) and not exist for others (e.g., DNNFs), its existence for certain languages remains unknown. Among the latter is the recently introduced language of Sentential Decision Diagrams (SDDs): while a polytime Apply function exists for SDDs, it was unknown whether such a function exists for the important subset of compressed SDDs which are canonical. We resolve this open question in this paper and consider some of its theoretical and practical implications. Some of the findings we report question the common wisdom on the relationship between bottom-up compilation, language canonicity and the complexity of the Apply function.
Comparative Effectiveness of Imaging Modalities for the Diagnosis of Upper and Lower Urinary Tract Malignancy: A Critically Appraised Topic

Rationale and Objectives The purpose of this study was to critically appraise and compare the diagnostic performance of imaging modalities that are used for the diagnosis of upper and lower/bladder urinary tract cancer, transitional cell carcinoma (TCC). Methods A focused clinical question was constructed and the literature was searched using the patient, intervention, comparison, outcome (PICO) method comparing computed tomography (CT) urography, magnetic resonance (MR) urography, excretory urography, and retrograde urography in the detection of TCC of the upper urinary tract. The same methods were used to compare CT cystography, MR cystography, and ultrasonography in the diagnosis of bladder cancer. Retrieved articles were appraised and assigned a level of evidence based on the Oxford University Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine hierarchy of validity for diagnostic studies. Results The retrieved sensitivity/specificity for the detection of TCC of upper urinary tract for CT urography, MR urography, excretory urography, and retrograde urography were 96%/99%, 69%/97%, 80%/81%, and 96%/96%, respectively. For detecting bladder cancer, the retrieved sensitivity/specificity for CT cystography, MR cystography, and ultrasonography were 94%/98%, 91%/95%, and 78%/96%, respectively. Conclusions CT urography is the best imaging technique for confirming or excluding malignancy in the upper urinary tract, whereas CT cystography has the best diagnostic performance for diagnosing bladder cancer.
Th1 and Th2 cytokine responses to academic stress.

Predominant Th2 profiles are associated with the worsening of asthma, and stress is speculated to induce a Th2 profile. The goals of this study were to examine the responses of the cytokines Th1 (IFN-gamma and IL-2) and Th2 (IL-4, IL-5, and IL-6) to a stressor and to look at the relationships between cytokine and psychological responses. Twenty-four students with and without a history of asthma completed questionnaires and gave blood samples during nonexam and exam periods. Cytokines were measured by ELISA from supernatants of stimulated mononuclear cells (MNC) and whole blood. During examinations, there were a significant decrease in IL-2 and a significant increase in IL-6 production (both cultures) and a significant decrease in IFN-gamma production (MNC cultures). Baseline IL-2 levels showed significant negative correlations with several stress and mood scores. Findings of this study indicate a down-regulation of Th1 and a selective up-regulation of Th2 cytokines during a stressful exposure.
Intensities in Perturbations

Quantitative formulae for the intensities of lines from a pair of interacting states to a common lower state are applied to perturbations in band spectra. It appears that rotational and vibrational perturbations show quite a different behavior. In the former there is a direct superposition of intensities of the two interacting states whereas in the latter interference effects give an entirely different picture. The general formulae are applied to a few cases in the ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$ spectrum.
Ischemic strokes secondary to vitamin B12 deficiency-induced hyperhomocystinemia

A 45-year-old woman sustained two ischemic cerebral infarctions 16 years after ileal resection for Crohn9s disease. Her evaluation showed an elevated random serum homocystine level, a low serum vitamin B 12 level, and an increased mean corpuscular volume (MCV) without anemia. A methionine-loading test resulted in a marked increase in the homocystine levels 2, 4, and 6 hours after the load. A Schilling test demonstrated a malabsorption of vitamin B 12 . Vitamin B 12 injections normalized her fasting homocystine level and her MCV. She has had no recurrent strokes during a year follow-up.
Benjamin constant and the making of modern liberalism

(1987). Benjamin constant and the making of modern liberalism. History of European Ideas: Vol. 8, No. 2, pp. 237-238.
Resolution of fluorescence intensity decays of the two tryptophan residues in glutamine-binding protein from Escherichia coli using single tryptophan mutants

Time correlated single photon counting measurements of tryptophan (Trp) fluorescence intensity decay and other spectroscopic studies were performed on glutamine-binding protein (GlnBP) from Escherichia coli. Using site-specifically mutated forms of the protein in which tyrosine (Tyr) and phenylalanine (Phe) substitute for the Trp residues at positions 32 and 220, we have examined whether wild-type (Wtyp) intensity decay components may be assigned to specific Trp residues. Results indicate that: (a) two exponential intensity decay components are recovered from the Wtyp protein (6.16 ns, 0.46 ns); (b) the long decay component arises from Trp-220 and comprises greater than 90% of the total fluorescence emission; (c) the short component arises from Trp-32 and is highly quenched; (d) all four single-Trp mutants exhibit multiexponential intensity decays, yet equimolar mixtures of two single-Trp mutants yield only two decay components which are virtually indistinguishable from the Wtyp protein; (e) the recovery of additional components in protein mixtures is obscured by statistical noise inherent in the technique of photon counting; (f) various spectroscopic measurements suggest that Trp-Trp interactions occur in the Wtyp protein, but the Wtyp intensity decay may be closely approximated by a linear combination of intensity decays from single-Trp mutants; and (g) inferences derived independently from fluorescence and NMR spectroscopy which pertain to the presence of Trp-Trp interactions and the relative solvent exposure of the two Trp residues are in agreement.
Embracing Urban Youth Culture in the Context of Education

The rise of post industrial urban centers and global communication technologies has created a distinctive Urban Youth Culture (UYC) with roots in Black history and social activism. In the discourse on education and Black youth, UYC is rarely seen as a positive force promoting academic achievement and self esteem. Drawing on the voices of Black urban youth in an all-male high school mentoring program, this article offers an affirming view on the significance and pragmatism of UYC to a group of young men at an East Coast high school. Findings reveal that the young men related to and relied on UYC to help them negotiate school and establish positive academic and social identities for themselves.
The persistence and heterogeneity of factor VIII:C inhibitors as demonstrated by preparative isofocusing.

The purpose of this study was to determine if factor VIII:C inhibitors completely disappear during remission and if they recur on exacerbation, are they similar to or different from the original inhibitors? To answer these questions, isofocusing, which separates proteins on the basis of their p/s, was utilized to recover inhibitors from the plasmas of six patients, five nonhemophiliacs with acquired VIII:C inhibitors and the sixth with classic hemophilia. Initially, all plasmas were studied during the presenting hemorrhagic episodes and, subsequently, following the disappearance or recurrence of the inhibitors. Following isofocusing, each fraction was tested for inhibitory activity. The method enabled us to determine that inhibitors to factor VIII:C persisted even when they could not be demonstrated by conventional methods. The inhibitory activity resulted from a composite of inhibitors, each of the group identified by its own p/. In many patients, some peaks persisted throughout the entire interval of study, whereas others disappeared and new ones appeared, suggesting that various groups of cells were capable of producing the inhibitors.
Evaluating risk of re-injury among 1214 army airborne soldiers using a stratified survival model.

Abstract Background: Many factors interact to influence an injured individual's risk of sustaining a second injury. However, the quantitative assessment of subsequent injury risk has been limited, primarily due to methodologic constraints. The purpose of this study is to present analytical methodology not previously employed in injury epidemiology to identify risk factors for subsequent injury. Methods: Data were collected from a retrospective cohort of 1214 U.S. Army Airborne soldiers. Lower extremity and low-back musculoskeletal injuries were identified from outpatient medical records. The Prentice, Williams, and Peterson (PWP) model, stratified by injury event, was used to identify risk factors for initial and subsequent injuries. A Cox proportional hazards model to the time of last injury was used to determine the magnitude of the increased risk associated with having a previous injury history. Results: Risk factors for initial injuries were similar to those seen in other epidemiologic studies of military populations. However, this study found that race/ethnicity, physical fitness, medical provider training, and initial injury types (traumatic versus other) were associated with subsequent injury risk. Additionally, the observed risk of injury was seven times greater among previously injured individuals. Conclusions: In this population, the risk factors for injury differed by event (initial or subsequent injury), and prior injury history was a risk factor for subsequent injury. The associations between demographic characteristics, the nature of the initial injury, and risk of subsequent injury suggest that changes in the evaluation and medical management of injured individuals may decrease the risk of subsequent injury.
BSW: FPGA-accelerated BLAST-Wrapped Smith-Waterman aligner

The current generation of genome sequencers produces orders of magnitude more sequencing data at a fraction of their former cost, a development that has repositioned the sequencing bottleneck from data acquisition to alignment and analysis. Optimal alignment algorithms, such as Smith-Waterman (SW), provide the most desirable output in terms of sensitivity and accuracy, but are perceived as too computationally demanding for practical use. Practical alignment tools, such as NCBI BLAST, have compensated by using increasingly specialized heuristics to provide faster results at the expense of reduced sensitivity and accuracy. This paper presents an FPGA-based alignment tool that considerably accelerates the SW algorithm with a highly configurable and novel hardware computation engine, while providing a robust software interface that seamlessly integrates into existing BLAST pipelines. This new alignment tool, BLAST-wrapped Smith-Waterman (BSW), improves upon previously published SW-acceleration research by providing a refined tool with a familiar and standard BLAST interface and essential local alignment statistics found in production tools. Experimental evaluation of BSW's performance for several configurations using large, real-world genome datasets shows speedups up to 59 and 7 vs. BLAST (word sizes 7 and 11) and 63 vs. FASTA's SSEARCH on a single Altera Stratix IV E530 FPGA. Scaled speedups exceeding 3300 vs. SSEARCH were observed when executed on up to 64 FPGAs of Novo-G, the reconfigurable supercomputer in the NSF CHREC Center at Florida.
Highly stable bilayer lipid membranes (BLMs) formed on microfabricated polyimide apertures.

Abstract Microfabrication is used to realize a polyimide aperture for highly stable bilayer lipid membranes (BLMs). The microfabrication process used in this work is compatible with standard processes used in microelectronics. The physical features of the aperture, such as diameter, thickness and tapering of the edges are precisely controlled during the microfabrication process which results in high yield and reproducibility of the polyimide apertures. A study of BLM stability using precise measurements of specific capacitance shows that the BLM is stable up to 50 h. Alamethicin channels were successfully incorporated into these membranes further proving their bilayer nature. Vesicles containing reconstituted nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) were fused to the BLMs. The successful incorporation of functioning ion channel activity into highly stable BLMs promises a future class of miniature sensors that are very sensitive with fast response times.
Polarized Ovaries of the Long-Tongued Bat, Glossophaga soricina: A Novel Model for Studying Ovarian Development, Folliculogenesis, and Ovulation

Glossophaga soricina is a spontaneously ovulating, monovular, polyestrous bat with a simplex uterus, exhibiting true menstruation. Studies conducted on reproductively active, captive-maintained animals established that G. soricina also has polarized ovaries, with the ovarian surface epithelium (OSE) restricted to the medial side of the ovary, and primordial follicles limited to an immediately adjacent zone. Follicles selected for further development are recruited from the medullary side of this zone, and ovulation is restricted to the portion of the ovary covered by the OSE. To further develop G. soricina as a model for studying ovarian development and physiology, ovaries were collected from fetal, neonatal, and adult females and processed for morphological and immunohistochemical analyses. The latter included staining for factor VIII-related antigen (von Willebrand factor) to assess regional differences in ovarian vascularity. The ovarian structure in fetal and neonatal animals was very similar to that in other species that do not have polarized ovaries at comparable stages of development. This indicated that polarization of the ovary does not occur during fetal development, but rather sometime between the neonatal period and adulthood. Vascular elements were abundant in areas of the ovary surrounding early growing follicles, but sparse in the zone of the ovary containing primordial follicles. The polarized nature of the ovaries in G. soricina suggests that this species might be used as a model to investigate the formation, long-term maintenance, and activation of primordial follicles, and the role of the OSE in ovulation and folliculogenesis.
Regulation of ciliary neurotrophic factor receptor α in sciatic motor neurons following axotomy

Abstract Spinal motor neurons are one of the few classes of neurons capable of regenerating axons following axotomy. Injury-induced expression of neurotrophic factors and corresponding receptors may play an important role in this rare ability. A wide variety of indirect data suggests that ciliary neurotrophic factor receptor α may critically contribute to the regeneration of injured spinal motor neurons. We used immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization and retrograde tracing techniques to study the regulation of ciliary neurotrophic factor receptor α in axotomized sciatic motor neurons. Ciliary neurotrophic factor receptor α immunoreactivity, detected with two independent antisera, is increased in a subpopulation of caudal sciatic motor neuron soma one, two and six weeks after sciatic nerve transection and reattachment, while no changes are detected at one day and 15 weeks post-lesion. Ciliary neurotrophic factor receptor α messenger RNA levels are augmented in the same classes of neurons following an identical lesion, suggesting that increased synthesis contributes, at least in part, to the additional ciliary neurotrophic factor receptor α protein. Separating the proximal and distal nerve stumps with a plastic barrier does not noticeably affect the injury-induced change in ciliary neurotrophic factor receptor α regulation, thereby indicating that this injury response is not dependent on signals distal to the lesion traveling retrogradely through the nerve or signals generated by axonal growth through the distal nerve. The prolonged increases in ciliary neurotrophic factor receptor α protein and messenger RNA found in regenerating sciatic motor neurons contrast with the responses of non-regenerating central neurons, which are reported to display, at most, a short-lived increase in ciliary neurotrophic factor receptor α messenger RNA expression following injury. The present data are the first to demonstrate, in vivo , neuronal regulation of ciliary neurotrophic factor receptor α protein in response to injury. Moreover, they suggest that the ability of a subpopulation of spinal motor neurons to regulate ciliary neurotrophic factor receptor α levels in response to injury may play a role in their survival and axonal regeneration. Consistent with such a role, we also find relatively high, and probably elevated, levels of ciliary neurotrophic factor receptor α immunoreactivity in regenerating axons.
The interaction of bile salt micelles with the dansyltyrosine derivatives of porcine colipase.

Abstract The interaction of bile salt micelles with the tyrosines of pancreatic colipase was assessed by steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence techniques. Dansyltyrosine fluorescence showed that Tyr-55 was located in the proposed interface recognition site. In support of this claim was a 70 nm blue shift and 4.3-fold quantum yield increase in emission spectrum due to taurodeoxycholate (TDOC) micelle-complex formation. Complex formation also caused a shift in the center of the major lifetime distribution from 11.7 to 15.1 ns, and more than doubled the polarization and anisotropy decay parameters. These data supported an earlier model of colipase-micelle binding that suggested that Tyr-55 was inserted into the interior of the TDOC micelle upon binding (J.C. McIntyre, P. Hundley and W.D. Behnke, Biochem. J. 245 (1987) 821). Identical experiments on a DNS-Tyr-59 derivative of colipase showed that Tyr-59 did not specifically interact with micelles. Moreover, acrylamide quenching data suggest an alteration in the protein environment surrounding DNS-Tyr-59 such that during complex formation, the efficiency of quenching of DNS-Tyr-59 increases
Effect of insulin‐like growth factor 1 on host response to tumor

Oncology patients suffer multiple detrimental metabolic alterations. Among these are catabolism of tumor free body mass to supply nutrients to feed the tumor. This results not only in enhanced tumor growth but also poor wound healing and immunosuppression of the tumor host. Efforts are therefore being directed at finding methods for improving the nutritional status of the tumor host without enhancing tumor growth. We investigated the ability of two hormones, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and insulin, to improve physiologic function in tumor-bearing animals. Tumor-bearing animals received a continuous infusion of IGF-1 (2.20 mg/kg/ day), insulin (820 μm/kg/day) or placebo via an osmotic minipump for 7 days. All animals were pair fed to eliminate nutritional intake as a variable. The placebo group lost 31.37 ± 4.3 g of tumor free body mass during the study period. The insulin treated group lost 26.34 ± 7.42 g and the IGF-1 group lost 5.07 ± 3.25g (P < 0.001, ANOVA). IGF-1 treatment failed to alter plasma glucose, lactate, or total amino acid concentration and failed to alter hepatic ketone body concentrations, but did improve hepatic mitochondria redox potential. Finally, IGF-1 improved splenic weight by 110% and splenic lymphocyte count by 300%. In conclusion IGF-1 appears to offer potential in supporting tumor free host body mass without stimulating tumor growth. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Growth of polystyrene films via gas‐phase polymerization with [Pd(CH3CN)4][BF4]2 thin film catalyst

The heterogeneous catalytic polymerization of styrene vapor with a tetrakis(acetonitrile)palladium(II) tetrafluoroborate, [Pd(CH 3 CN) 4 ][BF 4 ] 2 , thin film has been demonstrated. The catalyst is deposited by nebulization of dilute solutions onto a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) and then exposed to styrene vapor in controlled environments. The use of QCM allows in situ monitoring of catalyst deposition and polymer growth kinetics. The polymerization process appears to involve the entire catalyst film rather than polymerization only at the catalyst film surface. The styrene vapor polymerization occurs rapidly after a short induction time needed for monomer dissolution and catalyst activation. The narrow molecular weight distribution of the produced polymer suggests that the deposited film acts as a single site catalyst.
Visual ground pattern modulates flight speed of male Oriental fruit moth Grapholita molesta

Insects flying in a horizontal pheromone plume must attend to visual cues to ensure that they make upwind progress. Moreover, it is suggested that flying insects will also modulate their flight speed to maintain a constant retinal angular velocity of terrestrial contrast elements. Evidence from flies and honeybees supports such a hypothesis, although tests with male moths and beetles flying in pheromone plumes are not conclusive. These insects typically fly faster at higher elevations above a high-contrast ground pattern, as predicted by the hypothesis, although the increase in speed is not sufficient to demonstrate quantitatively that they maintain constant visual angular velocity of the ground pattern. To test this hypothesis more rigorously, the flight speed of male oriental fruit moths (OFM) Grapholita molesta Busck (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) flying in a sex pheromone plume in a laboratory wind tunnel is measured at various heights (5–40 cm) above patterns of different spatial wavelength (1.8–90°) in the direction of flight. The OFM modulate their flight speed three-fold over different patterns. They fly fastest when there is no pattern in the tunnel or the contrast elements are too narrow to resolve. When the spatial wavelength of the pattern is sufficiently wide to resolve, moths fly at a speed that tends to maintain a visual contrast frequency of 3.5 ± 3.2 Hz rather than a constant angular velocity, which varies from 57 to 611° s−1. In addition, for the first time, it is also demonstrated that the width of a contrast pattern perpendicular to the flight direction modulates flight speed.
Variable frequency of polyomavirus SV40 and herpesvirus EBV in lymphomas from two different urban population groups in Houston, TX

Background Studies have reported differing frequencies of detection of polyomavirus simian virus 40 (SV40) in association with human lymphomas.
Survival of Four Mosses from West Virginia After Two Hours in the Stratosphere

Abstract. Four mosses collected in West Virginia (Sphagnum magellanicum, S. fallax, S. girgensohnii, and A. angustatum) were sent into the stratosphere in April 2006, in or on a foam box tied to a weather balloon. Moist shoots of the three Sphagnum species were placed both inside the box (normal conditions: 1 atmosphere pressure, temperatures between 25 and 30° C) and on the outside of the box (stratospheric conditions, with temperatures as low as -30° C). Two samples of dry shoots were also exposed to the stratosphere: S. fallax (two capitula from a WVA herbarium specimen) and A. angustatum (local collection with capsules). The balloon ride lasted about four hours, with two hours in the stratosphere. Mosses were tested for viability by culturing shoots (all species) or spores (Atrichum only) in the laboratory for 28 days. All four mosses survived the ride inside the box, as expected. Three of the four mosses (all except S. girgensohnii) survived exposure to the stratosphere in that they showed at least i...
Reversal of Hypercholesterolemia in Low Density Lipoprotein Receptor Knockout Mice by Adenovirus-mediated Gene Transfer of the Very Low Density Lipoprotein Receptor

We have used the technique of adenovirus-mediated gene transfer to study the in vivo function of the very low density lipoprotein receptor (VLDLR) in low density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) knockout mice. We generated a replication-defective adenovirus (AdmVLDLR) containing mouse VLDLR cDNA driven by a cytomegalovirus promoter. Transduction of cultured Hepa (mouse hepatoma) cells and LDLR-deficient CHO-ldlA7 cells in vitro by the virus led to high-level expression of immunoreactive VLDLR proteins with molecular sizes of 143 kDa and 161 kDa. Digestion of the cell extract with the enzymes neuraminidase, N-glycanase, and O-glycanase resulted in the stepwise lowering of the apparent size of the 161-kDa species toward the 143-kDa species. LDLR (-/-) mice fed a 0.2% cholesterol diet were treated with a single intravenous injection of 3 x 10(9) plaque-forming units of AdmVLDLR. Control LDLR (-/-) mice received either phosphate-buffered saline or AdLacZ, a similar adenovirus containing the LacZ cDNA instead of mVLDLR cDNA. Comparison of the plasma lipids in the 3 groups of mice indicates that in the AdmVLDL animals, total cholesterol is reduced by approximately 50% at days 4 and 9 and returned toward control values on day 21. In these animals, there was also a approximately 30% reduction in plasma apolipoprotein (apo) E accompanied by a 90% fall in apoB-100 on day 4 of treatment. By FPLC analysis, the major reduction in plasma cholesterol in the AdmVLDLR animals was accounted for by a marked reduction in the intermediate density lipoprotein/low density lipoprotein (IDL/LDL) fraction. Plasma VLDL, IDL/LDL, and HDL were isolated from the three groups of animals by ultracentrifugal flotation. In the AdmVLDLR animals, there was substantial loss (approximately 65%) of protein and cholesterol mainly in the IDL/LDL fraction on days 4 and 9. Nondenaturing gradient gel electrophoresis indicates a preferential loss of the IDL peak although the LDL peak was also reduced. When 125I-IDL was administered intravenously into animals on day 4, the AdmVLDLR animals cleared the 125I-IDL at a rate 5-10 times higher than the AdLacZ animals. We conclude that adenovirus-mediated transfer of the VLDLR gene induces high-level hepatic expression of the VLDLR and results in a reversal of the hypercholesterolemia in 0.2% cholesterol diet-fed LDLR (-/-, mice. The VLDLR overexpression appears to greatly enhance the ability of these animals to clear IDL, resulting in a marked lowering of the plasma IDL/LDL. Further testing of the use of the VLDLR gene as a therapeutic gene for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia is warranted.
Evaluating ion diffusivity of cracked cement paste using electrical impedance spectroscopy

Cracking can significantly accelerate mass transport in concrete and as such, impact its durability. This paper is aimed at quantifying the effect of saturated cracks on ion diffusion. Electrical conductivity, measured by electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), was used to characterize the diffusion coefficient of fiber-reinforced cement paste disks that contained one or two through-thickness cracks. Crack widths in the range 20–100 μm were generated by controlled indirect tension test. Crack profiles were digitized and quantified by image analysis to determine crack volume fraction and average crack width. Crack connectivity (e.g., inverse of tortuosity) was calculated from the conductivity results measured by EIS. The results suggest that the diffusion coefficient of cracked samples is strongly and linearly related to the crack volume fraction; but is not directly dependent on crack width. Crack tortuosity does reduce the ion diffusion through cracks, but its impact is not very significant. Overall, the most important parameter governing ion diffusion in saturated cracked concrete is the volume fraction of cracks. Theoretical justifications of these observations are also provided.
Deadtime reduction in thermal neutron coincidence counter

Abstract Two areas for reducing coincidence deadtime have been investigated, analog and digital. The analog work includes use of a commercially available hybrid preamplifier discriminator useful to at least 150 kpps/channel with present detectors and added circuitry for combining multiple channels. The digital work includes reducing OR gate deadtime and the introduction of a derandomizing buffer at the input of the shift-register section, providing benefits to 1 Mpps. The combined efforts of this work have reduced the six-channel coincidence deadtime from ∼ 2.4 to ∼ 0.7 μs.
Split identification: Representations of Rape in Gaspar Noé’s Irréversible and Catherine Breillat’s A masoeur!/Fat Girl

ABSTRACTThis article critically examines rape scenes in two films of the ‘new extreme cinema’, Gaspar Noe's Irreversible (2002) and Catherine Breillat's A ma sœur!/Fat Girl (2001). On the surface, Noe's disturbing long-take rape scene is clearly designed to foster empathy with the woman's experience and to induce a physical aversion to rape. However, a deeper examination of the scene's ambiguous techniques reveals that they actually work to split the viewer's identification between the rapist and the woman he attacks. One function of this split is to lead the viewer—who is presumed to be male—along an emotional path from lustful aggression towards empathic understanding. Similarly, the film also provides audiences with a transitional figure—a male character who is almost raped—as someone with whom they can identify on the way towards identifying with the female. But this male character ultimately serves as a negative example when he moves to take revenge—an act which is shown to be an extension of the rap...
Validating SPICES as a Screening Tool for Frailty Risks among Hospitalized Older Adults

Older patients are vulnerable to adverse hospital events related to frailty. SPICES, a common screening protocol to identify risk factors in older patients, alerts nurses to initiate care plans to reduce the probability of patient harm. However, there is little published validating the association between SPICES and measures of frailty and adverse outcomes. This paper used data from a prospective cohort study on frailty among 174 older adult inpatients to validate SPICES. Almost all patients met one or more SPICES criteria. The sum of SPICES was significantly correlated with age and other well-validated assessments for vulnerability, comorbid conditions, and depression. Individuals meeting two or more SPICES criteria had a risk of adverse hospital events three times greater than individuals with either no or one criterion. Results suggest that as a screening tool used within 24 hours of admission, SPICES is both valid and predictive of adverse events.
Plasma homocysteine concentration and blood pressure in young adult African Americans.

Abstract Background An association of plasma homocysteine concentration ([Hcy]) with cardiovascular events has been described, but the role of [Hcy] in the early phase of cardiovascular disease is uncertain. The purpose of this study was to determine whether [Hcy] is related to blood pressure (BP) or other risk factors in African Americans, a population at high risk for cardiovascular disease. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of premenopausal African American women ( N = 119) and men ( N = 56), 30 to 40 years of age. Each subject was classified as normotensive or hypertensive. Fasting blood samples were obtained for serum lipids, insulin, glucose, Hcy, folate, and B-12, followed by an oral glucose tolerance test. Results Mean [Hcy] was higher in hypertensives compared to normotensives, but the difference was statistically significant only in women (10.5 ± 5.3 v 8.2 ± 2.3; P r = 0.22, P = .02) and diastolic BP ( r = 0.240, P = .01). However, after adjusting for age and body mass index (BMI), the correlations were attenuated and no longer significant. There was a significant inverse relationship of [Hcy] with plasma folate ( r = −0.35, P r = −0.29, P Conclusions Although the simple correlation coefficient suggests a significant relationship of [Hcy] with BP in women, this relationship was no longer statistically significant after adjustment for age and BMI. The significant inverse relationship of plasma folate and B-12 with [Hcy] suggest that diet factors may affect the crude [Hcy]–BP relationship identified in this sample.
Community-Based Care Systems for the Functionally Disabled. (A Report of the State of Washington Department of Social and Health Planning)

The report of this research and demonstration project for the systematic community-based delivery of health and human services to functionally disabled individuals has several major flaws in its presentation. First, it too well exemplifies the astylistic approach to research writing that now appears to be so prevalent in policy studies and is perhaps related to the ascendancy of the computer print-out as not only the foundation for data analysis, but, as well, as an outline for writing. Thus, the 119 page single-spaced narrative is burdened with the undistinguished exposition of both major and minor details of the project's design, progress, and outcomes; the reader must staunchly pursue meaning through more-than-enough dry, impassive syntax. Secondly, one catches only a glimpse of any literature review and virtually no perspective of the project as part of a cultural shift and social movement toward community alternatives to the institutionalization of the poor and disabled members of our society, many o...
Effects of countervailing duty on Norwegian farmed salmon

The recent plunge in the price of Norwegian farmed Atlantic salmon provoked salmon farmers in the United States, Scotland, and Ireland to file dumping litigations against Norway. A dynamic econometric model was constructed to depict the world salmon market and was used to simulate the impacts of a countervailing duty levied on Norwegian farmed salmon. Four different combinations of countervailing tariffs levied in the United States and the European Economic Community are examined. Future profitability of US salmon farming is found to depend on the joint determination of the dumping litigations against Norway in the United States and the European Economic Community. The Pacific salmon capture fishery is likely to be adversely affected if the European Economic Community imposes a larger countervailing tariff than the United States.
Progesterone regulation of luteinizing hormone receptors on cultured bovine luteal cells

During development of the corpus luteum (CL), the numbers of luteinizing hormone (LH) receptors increase. Cultured bovine luteal cells from developing and mature CL were used to examine the influence of progesterone (P4) on this receptor. CL were obtained from dairy cows during the early or middle phase of the estrous cycle. In early CL, the number of receptors per cell was increased by exogenous progesterone treatment but there was no effect on receptor numbers in cells from midcycle CL. Binding affinities did not change with respect to age or treatment. Forskolin elevated endogenous progesterone and also enlarged the receptor population. The action did not appear to be an unmasking of cryptic receptors since the effect was not seen in luteal particulates. Elevation of LH receptor numbers by progesterone in immature CL may be a form of intraluteal regulation contributing to the functional maturation of these steroidogenic cells.