cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Genetic differences in the rewarding and activating effects of morphine and ethanol.

The influence of genotype on the rewarding and locomotor activating effects of morphine and ethanol was examined in the place conditioning paradigm. Two inbred mouse strains (C57BL/6J and DBA/2J) were exposed to a differential conditioning procedure in which each mouse received four pairings of a distinctive floor stimulus with IP injection of morphine (0, 2.5, 5 or 10 mg/kg) or ethanol (0, 1, 2, 3 or 4 g/kg). A different floor stimulus was paired with saline. Conditioning trials lasted 30 min and each experiment concluded with a floor preference test in the absence of drug. In accord with previous studies, morphine evoked a dose-dependent increase in activity during conditioning that was greater in C57BL/6J mice than in DBA/2J mice. In contrast, ethanol produced a dose-dependent increase in activity that was greater in DBA/2J than in C57BL/6J mice. Both strains showed conditioned place preference with morphine, but only the DBA/2J strain showed conditioned place preference with ethanol. No conditioned place aversion was seen. With both drugs, stronger place preference conditioning was obtained in DBA/2J mice, supporting the general conclusion that sensitivity to drug reward is influenced by genotype. The fact that the same genotype is more sensitive to the rewarding effects of two different drugs supports theories postulating commonality in the biological mechanisms of drug reward. Although the outcome of the ethanol study supports predictions of the psychomotor stimulant theory of addiction concerning the relationship between drug-induced activation and reward, the outcome of the morphine study does not. The direction of the strain difference in conditioned place preference is opposite to what might be predicted on the basis of strain differences previously reported in drug consumption and preference studies, suggesting that genetic differences in drug consumption may not accurately reflect postabsorptive motivational effects of drug.
Measurement of magnetic fields in the direct proximity of power line conductors

Modeling and managing of power frequency magnetic fields requires verification of theory with actual measurements. Measurements only at ground level are not always sufficient for comprehensive studies. The technique and the results of three-dimensional mapping of the power frequency magnetic fields high above ground level are presented in this paper. Comparative calculations illustrate relevance and approximations of the existing theoretical approach to field modeling. The influence of harmonics on the elliptical rotation of the magnetic field vector is illustrated. The possibility of use of the magnetic fields for the power line proximity detection is discussed. >
Physical performance and disability in schizophrenia

Despite 50 years of pharmacological and psychosocial interventions, schizophrenia remains one of the leading causes of disability. Schizophrenia is also a life-shortening illness, caused mainly by poor physical health and its complications. The end result is a considerably reduced lifespan that is marred by reduced levels of independence, with few novel treatment options available. Disability is a multidimensional construct that results from different, and often interacting, factors associated with specific types and levels of impairment. In schizophrenia, the most poignant and well characterized determinants of disability are symptoms, cognitive and related skills deficits, but there is limited understanding of other relevant factors that contribute to disability. Here we conceptualize how reduced physical performance interacts with aging, neurobiological, treatment-emergent, and cognitive and skills deficits to exacerbate ADL disability and worsen physical health. We argue that clearly defined physical performance components represent underappreciated variables that, as in mentally healthy people, offer accessible targets for exercise interventions to improve ADLs in schizophrenia, alone or in combination with improvements in cognition and health. And, finally, due to the accelerated aging pattern inherent in this disease - lifespans are reduced by 25 years on average - we present a training model based on proven training interventions successfully used in older persons. This model is designed to target the physical and psychological declines associated with decreased independence, coupled with the cardiovascular risk factors and components of the metabolic syndrome seen in schizophrenia due to their excess prevalence of obesity and low fitness levels.
Distribution and properties of NADPH-linked aldehyde reductases from rat brain synaptosomes.

Studies on the subcellular distribution of NADPH-linked aldehyde reductase from rat brain showed that 10% of the total reductase activity is located in the mitochondrial-synaptosomal fraction. There are differences in the percentages of reductase activity found in the synaptosomes compared to cytosol in various regions of the brain. The NADPH-linked aldehyde reductase from the synaptosomal fraction exhibited a nonlinear Lineweaver-Burk plot. This nonlinearity is due to the presence of two distinct aldehyde reductases, which can be distinguished by Michealis constants forp-nitrobenzaldehyde of 4.1×10−5 M and 2.6×10−6 M. The two NADPH-linked aldehyde reductases isolated from synaptosomes were further characterized according to pH optima, andK i values for inhibition by barbiturates. In addition regional distributions for the two enzymes were determined. TheK i values for pentobarbital for the “highK m ” enzyme and the “lowK m ” enzyme were estimated to be 2×10−5 M and 6×10−5 M, respectively. It was concluded from the above studies that the lowK m reductase is probably responsible for 3,4-dihydroxyphenylglycoaldehyde (derived from norepinephrine) reduction in brain and a role of the highK m enzyme for protection of neurons from high concentrations of chemically reactive aldehydes was proposed.
Ure2, a Prion Precursor with Homology to Glutathione S-Transferase, Protects Saccharomyces cerevisiae Cells from Heavy Metal Ion and Oxidant Toxicity

Ure2, the protein that negatively regulates GATA factor (Gln3, Gat1)-mediated transcription inSaccharomyces cerevisiae, possesses prion-like characteristics. Identification of metabolic and environmental factors that influence prion formation as well as any activities that prions or prion precursors may possess are important to understanding them and developing treatment strategies for the diseases in which they participate. Ure2 exhibits primary sequence and three-dimensional homologies to known glutathione S-transferases. However, multiple attempts over nearly 2 decades to demonstrate Ure2-mediatedS-transferase activity have been unsuccessful, leading to the possibility that Ure2 may well not participate in glutathionation reactions. Here we show that Ure2 is required for detoxification of glutathione S-transferase substrates and cellular oxidants.ure2Δ mutants are hypersensitive to cadmium and nickel ions and hydrogen peroxide. They are only slightly hypersensitive to diamide, which is nitrogen source-dependent, and minimally if at all hypersensitive to 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene, the most commonly used substrate for glutathione S-transferase enzyme assays. Therefore, Ure2 shares not only structural homology with various glutathioneS-transferases, but ure2 mutations possess the same phenotypes as mutations in known S. cerevisiaeand Schizosaccharomyces pombeglutathione S-transferase genes. These findings are consistent with Ure2 serving as a glutathione S-transferase in S. cerevisiae.
The inflammatory Papanicolaou smear: what does it mean?

Objective: To determine the correlation between inflammation detected on Papanicolaou smear and specific lower genital tract agents, and, based on these findings, to develop recommendations for follow-up tests and treatment of young women with inflammation on smears. Methods: A high-risk population of 779 randomly selected women attending a sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinic and a low-risk population of 1050 consecutive women presenting for annual examination at a university student health center underwent a standardized history and gynecologic examination. Univariate and multivariate analyses, focusing on the association between dense inflammation on Papanicolaou smear and specific lower genital tract pathogens or findings on cervical examination, were done for each population. Results: Dense inflammation was present on the Papanicolaou smear of 256 (337%) of the 779 women in the STD clinic and 200 (19%) of 1050 students. Dense inflammation on Papanicolaou smear was independently associated with mucopus, cervical ectopy, cervical infection with Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis , herpes simplex virus (HSV), and vaginal infection by Trichomonas vaginalis in the STD population; in the student population, it was associated with cervical ectopy, C trachomatis , and mucopus. Conclusion: Although dense inflammation on Papanicolaou smear was a common finding in both the high- and low-risk populations, about half of the inflammation detected in the high-risk setting was associated with a specific microbial organism ( C trachomatis, N gonorrhoeae , HSV, or T vaginalis ), whereas less than 10% of the dense inflammation detected in the low-risk setting was linked with a specific pathogen ( C trachomatis ). In both settings, a substantial population of sexually active women had dense inflammation associated with cervical ectopy but none of the specific organisms evaluated in this study.
The Relations Among Oral and Silent Reading Fluency and Comprehension in Middle School: Implications for Identification and Instruction of Students With Reading Difficulties

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relations among oral and silent reading fluency and reading comprehension for students in Grades 6 to 8 (n = 1,421) and the use of fluency scores to identify middle school students who are at risk for failure on a high-stakes reading test. Results indicated moderate positive relations between measures of fluency and comprehension. Oral reading fluency (ORF) on passages was more strongly related to reading comprehension than ORF on word lists. A group-administered silent reading sentence verification test approximated the classification accuracy of individually administered ORF passages. The correlation between a maze task and comprehension was weaker than has been reported for elementary students. The best predictor of a high-stakes reading comprehension test was the previous year's administration of the grade-appropriate test; fluency and verbal knowledge measures accounted for only small amounts of unique variance beyond that accounted for by the previous year's administration.
In vivo cervical imaging with an integrated Optical Coherence Tomography colposcope

We report the first demonstration of integrated Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) colposcopy for in vivo imaging of cervical neoplasia in patients. The cervix is an excellent model system for investigating imaging modalities and cancer. Integrating OCT with colposcopy, or low mimerical aperture microscopy in general, is a powerful technique since it permits simultaneous en face viewing of structural features while allowing precise registration of the OCT scan plane. Image processing techniques can be used for the analysis and interpretation of the OCT images, enabling statistical interpretation and visualization of image data as well as rapid analysis of large volumes of data.
Bacteremia with gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures

The authors have reviewed 40 prospective studies of bacteremia with gastrointestinal procedures. Endoscopic procedures with a low mean frequency of bacteremia were esophagogastroduodenoscopy (4.2%), endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (5.6%), colonoscopy (2.2%), and sigmoidoscopy (4.9%). A higher mean frequency of bacteremia was encountered with esophageal dilation (45%) and variceal sclerotherapy (31%), although the number of patients studied was small. Potentially pathogenic organisms, such as Streptococcus viridans, Staphylococcus aureus, and Staphylococcus epidermidis have been isolated. Recommendations for antibiotic prophylaxis are reviewed. Less cumbersome regimens encourage compliance and are preferred.
The assessment of values in medical decision making

Abstract Individuals, families, and health care providers consider medical treatment decisions in light of their respective values about life iin varying states of health. The clarification of health care values is important not only in the context of everyday clinical decision making, but also for advance care planning and the resolution of ethical dilemmas. This article argues that objective assessment tools may facilitate the process of clarifying and communicating health care values in these contexts. The article reviews arguments for the importance of values assessment in health care planning, methods used to date for health care values assessment, conceptual and methodological challenges for the measurement of health care values, and lessons learned through the process of developing and piloting a Health Care Values Survey. Objective values assessment tools appear useful for eliciting health care values, although multiple challenges for reliable, valid, and clinically useful measurement of values are identified.
Synthesis and Process Optimization of Amtolmetin: An Antiinflammatory Agent†

Efforts toward the synthesis and process optimization of amtolmetin guacil 1 are described. High-yielding electrophilic substitution followed by Wolf−Kishner reduction are the key features in the novel synthesis of tolmetin 2 which is an advanced intermediate of 1.
Adaptive linear turbo equalization of large delay spread time-varying channel responses

In this paper, we investigate applying linear turbo equalization techniques to underwater acoustic communications. First, we elaborate on two popular linear turbo equalizers (TEQ), a channel estimate-based minimum mean square error TEQ (CE-based MMSE-TEQ) and a direct-adaptive TEQ (DA-TEQ). We compare the behavior of both TEQ approaches in the presence of channel estimation errors and adaptation filter adjustment errors. By analyzing extrinsic information transfer (EXIT) charts, we confirm that the performance gap between these two TEQs is small after convergence. Next, we introduce an underwater receiver architecture based on the LMS DA-TEQ technique that dramatically improves the performance of the conventional decision-feedback equalizer at a feasible complexity. This receiver architecture is demonstrated using data collected from the SPACE 08 experiment. The experimental results demonstrate that the LMS DA-TEQ yields more than an order of magnitude performance gain over the conventional equalizer.
Pulmonary preconditioning, injury, and inflammation modulate expression of the candidate tumor suppressor gene ECRG4 in lung

ABSTRACTPurpose: The human c2orf40 gene encodes a candidate tumor suppressor called Esophageal Cancer-Related Gene-4 (ECRG4) that is a cytokine-like epigenetically-regulated protein that is characteristically downregulated in cancer, injury, inflammation, and infection. Here, we asked whether ECRG4 gene expression is detectable in lung epithelial cells and if its expression changes with inflammation, infection, and/or protective preconditioning. Materials and Methods: We used immunoblotting, PCR, and quantitative PCR to measure ECRG4 and either inhalation anesthesia preconditioning, lipopolysaccharide injection, or laparotomy to modulate lung inflammation. Results: Immunoblotting establishes the presence of the full-length 14 kDa ECRG4 peptide in mouse lung. Immunohistochemistry localizes ECRG4 to type l alveolar epithelial cells. Basal ECRG4 mRNA is greater than TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 but following inflammatory lung injury, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-10 are upregulated while ECRG4 gene expression is decr...
Bone Marrow-Derived Multipotent Stromal Cells Attenuate Inflammation in Obliterative Airway Disease in Mouse Tracheal Allografts

Obliterative bronchiolitis (OB) remains the most significant cause of death in long-term survival of lung transplantation. Using an established murine heterotopic tracheal allograft model, the effects of different routes of administration of bone marrow-derived multipotent stromal cells (MSCs) on the development of OB were evaluated. Tracheas from BALB/c mice were implanted into the subcutaneous tissue of major histocompatibility complex- (MHC-) disparate C57BL/6 mice. At the time of transplant, bone marrow-derived MSCs were administered either systemically or locally or via a combination of the two routes. The allografts were explanted at various time points after transplantation and were evaluated for epithelial integrity, inflammatory cell infiltration, fibrosis, and luminal obliteration. We found that the most effective route of bone marrow-derived MSC administration is the combination of systemic and local delivery. Treatment of recipient mice with MSCs suppressed neutrophil, macrophage, and T-cell infiltration and reduced fibrosis. These beneficial effects were observed despite lack of significant MSC epithelial engraftment or new epithelial cell generation. Our study suggests that optimal combination of systemic and local delivery of MSCs may ameliorate the development of obliterative airway disease through modulation of immune response.
Physical pain and associated clinical characteristics in treatment-seeking patients in four substance use disorder treatment modalities.

Physical pain among persons seeking treatment for substance use disorders (SUD) and characteristics associated with pain were examined in a secondary analysis of data from the Drug Abuse Treatment Outcome Study (DATOS), a multi-site treatment outcome study. Patients (N = 7,876) in four treatment modalities—long-term residential (LTR), short-term inpatient (STI), outpatient methadone treatment (OMT), and outpatient drug-free (ODF)—reported severity of physical pain experienced during the preceding 12 months. Moderate to severe physical pain was reported by 21.2% of LTR patients, 26.8% of STI patients, 33.6% of OMT patients, and 17.6% of ODF patients. Individuals with and without physical pain were compared across treatment modalities. Patients with pain were more likely to report weekly heroin use [aOR = 1.73 (1.44–2.08)], weekly narcotics use [aOR = 1.43 (1.18–1.74)] and greater depressive symptoms [aOR = 1.30 (1.21–1.38)]. These findings support the presence of a sizable proportion of SUD patients with p...
United States open-label glatiramer acetate extension trial for relapsing multiple sclerosis: MRI and clinical correlates

After the placebo-controlled extension of the pivotal US trial of glatiramer acetate for the treatment of relapsing multiple sclerosis ended, 208 participants entered an open-label, long-term treatment protocol. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was added to the planned evaluations of these subjects to determine the consequences of long-term treatment on MRI-defined pathology and evaluate its clinical correlates. Of the 147 subjects that remained on long-term follow-up, adequate images were obtained on 135 for quantitative MRI analysis. The initial imaging sessions were performed between June 1998 and January 1999 at 2447+61 days (mean+standard deviation) after the subject's original randomization. Clinical data from a preplanned clinical visit were matched to MRI within 3+51 days. At imaging, 66 patients originally randomized to placebo (oPBO) in the pivotal trial had received glatiramer acetate for 1476+63 days, and 69 randomized to active treatment with glatiramer acetate (oGA) were on drug for 2433+59 ...
Acute pancreatitis associated with different combination therapies in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus.

Study Objective. To assess the risk of acute pancreatitis in patients receiving various combinations of protease inhibitors, nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), and nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) for treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Design. Retrospective cohort study. Data Source. Ohio Medicaid claims database, January 1997–December 2002. Patients. Four thousand nine hundred seventy-two patients with HIV infection who had received at least one antiretroviral drug. Measurements and Main Results. Three combination regimens were evaluated: didanosine plus other antiretroviral agents, protease inhibitors plus NRTIs or NNRTIs, and NRTI combinations (no didanosine) or NRTIs plus NNRTIs. We used Cox proportional hazard regression and Kaplan-Meier plots to examine the risk for acute pancreatitis. We identified 159 (3.2%) cases of acute pancreatitis during the study period. For patients who were newly treated for HIV, the incidence of acute pancreatitis was 1.95/100 person-years. Half of these cases developed within 500 days of the start of drug therapy. Hazard ratios (HRs) for acute pancreatitis were 39–54% higher for nonwhite patients than Caucasians and 240–290% higher for symptomatic versus nonsymptomatic patients. Hazard ratios also were significantly associated with increased age, liver injuries (HR 2.94, 6.73), and cardiovascular diseases (HR 1.68, 2.36), respectively, for both newly treated and previously diagnosed patients with HIV. The risk for patients receiving either protease inhibitors plus an NRTI or an NNRTI, or NRTI plus NNRTI combinations was not significantly different risk associated with didanosine combination therapy (p>0.10). Conclusion. The risk of acute pancreatitis was significantly associated with age, race, symptomatic HIV infection, and liver and cardiovascular diseases. However, risk did not differ significantly among patients with different antiretroviral regimens. Our results can be used by the medical community to enhance patient safety and minimize costly adverse drug reactions among patients with HIV infection.
A hybrid direct-indirect estimator of network internal delays

The network tomography problem requires a remote source to estimate network-internal statistics on individual links within the network. Several techniques have been proposed to perform network delay tomography. The most accurate prior techniques directly measured delay by using ICMP Timestamp requests to the head and tail of the measured link. However, routing irregularities in the Internet significantly limited the applicability to individual links (the route to the head of the link had to be a proper prefix of the route to the tail of the link). Alternative techniques with broader coverage are all either less accurate, require new functionality in routers, or require the existence of a network-wide measurement infrastructure. This report presents a network tomography technique that achieves accuracy comparable with the best prior techniques, can measure one-way delays, depends only on existing infrastructure, and is much more widely applicable than previous techniques with comparable accuracy. Our approach is to use a number of probes to directly measure overlapping multi-link segments in the neighborhood of the target link. The delay distributions on these segments are used as input to an inference algorithm that derives an estimate of the queuing delay distribution on the target link. The coverage of this technique is assessed by inspecting many thousands of Internet paths. The accuracy is evaluated through simulation (where knowledge of the real delay distributions is obtainable, and where such real distributions can be compared to the estimated delay distributions).
Algorithms for Efficient Near-Perfect Phylogenetic Tree Reconstruction in Theory and Practice

We consider the problem of reconstructing near-perfect phylogenetic trees using binary character states (referred to as BNPP). A perfect phylogeny assumes that every character mutates at most once in the evolutionary tree, yielding an algorithm for binary character states that is computationally efficient but not robust to imperfections in real data. A near-perfect phylogeny relaxes the perfect phylogeny assumption by allowing at most a constant number of additional mutations. We develop two algorithms for constructing optimal near-perfect phylogenies and provide empirical evidence of their performance. The first simple algorithm is fixed-parameter tractable when the number of additional mutations and the number of characters that share four gametes with some other character are constants. The second, more involved, algorithm for the problem is fixed-parameter tractable when only the number of additional mutations is fixed. We have implemented both algorithms and have shown them to be extremely efficient in practice on biologically significant data sets. This work proves that the BNPP problem is fixed-parameter tractable and provides the first practical phylogenetic tree reconstruction algorithms that find guaranteed optimal solutions while being easily implemented and computationally feasible for data sets of biologically meaningful size and complexity.
Vertically and horizontally polarized diffuse double-scatter cross sections of one-dimensional random rough surfaces that exhibit enhanced-backscatter–full-wave solutions

Full-wave solutions for the vertically and horizontally polarized diffuse single- and double-scatter cross sections of random rough surfaces are given in terms of multidimensional integral expressions. The one-dimensional random rough surface is characterized by joint probability-density functions for the surface heights and slopes, and we account for the correlations between the surface heights and slopes. The full-wave solutions are compared with experimental results. The sharp enhanced backscatter is due to the contributions associated with the quasi-antiparallel paths in the expression for the double-scatter cross section. We conduct a comprehensive parametric study to determine the dependence of the level and the angular width of the sharp enhanced backscatter on the rough-surface characteristics. The results for the diffuse double-scatter cross sections exhibit a distinct dependence on polarization. Full-wave, high-frequency approximations that are practically independent of polarization provide useful physical insights into the problem.
On the Place of Allegory in the Methodological Conventions of a Critical Sociology: A Case Study of Max Weber's Protestant Ethic

This paper undertakes a critical reading of Max Weber's The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism in order to demonstrate how the moral impulses of allegory and social fiction insinuate themselves within the narrative strains of an ethnographic research that often imagines itself as simply reporting “the social facts.” This place of the allegorical within the social sciences, particularly sociology, is read in symptomatic fashion. However, rather than decrying or denying the appearance of such moral fictions, this paper advocates working with and from the insights — both conscious and not — that the appearances of the allegorical generates, in order to construct a more rigorous and critical form of social scientific knowledge that is attentive to the workings of social power.
Beyond the Indian‐Ladino Dichotomy: Contested Identities in an Eastern Guatemalan Town

Guatemala's Eastern Highlands constitute an important but understudied region long ignored or misrepresented. This study focuses on the township of Quezaltepeque, on the margins of the Ch'orti' area and examines die content and usage of identity labels diere. The article describes local social categories (i.e."ladinos, 'indio, sambo, "maya." "gringo") as deploy ed and articulated by both its town dwellers and rural population. These categories are of particular interest because of their "invisibility " and/or misrepresentation in both ethnographic and official discourses. The intricate and multiple meanings contained in these labels as documented here are a direct challenge to die validity of the prevalent Lidino-Indian dichotomy pervasive in social analysis of Guatemala. In particular, the study indicates the need to lease out other identities subsumed in what appear to be only ethnic labels.
Coronary CT angiography: an established, not emerging, basis of diagnosis and risk stratification.

In this issue of iJACC , 2 papers are published on risk stratification with coronary computed tomographic angiography (CTA) in the evaluation of post-coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) patients ([1][1]) and in the evaluation of acute chest pain in the emergency department ([2][2]). The
Modulation of rat hepatic microsomal monooxygenase enzymes and cytotoxicity by diallyl sulfide

Diallyl sulfide (DAS) and other organosulfur compounds inhibit chemically induced carcinogenic and toxic responses in rodent model systems. A possible mechanism of action is the inhibition of the hepatic cytochrome P450IIE1-dependent bioactivation of the procarcinogens and protoxicants. Previous work showed competitive inhibition by DAS of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) demethylase activity in vitro, and a reduction in the microsomal level of P450IIE1 after in vivo treatment with DAS. The present studies demonstrated a time- and dose-dependent decrease of hepatic microsomal P450IIE1 activity, induction of P450IIB1 and pentoxyresorufin dealkylase activity, and moderate induction of ethoxyresorufin dealkylase activity by oral DAS treatment. DAS treatment elevated P450IIB1 mRNA but had no effect on P450IIE1 mRNA. Treatment with putative metabolites of DAS, diallyl sulfoxide and diallyl sulfone, led to similar modulations in monooxygenase activities, but the decrease of P450IIE1 activity by the sulfone occurred more rapidly. In studies in vitro, diallyl sulfone caused a metabolism-dependent inactivation of P450IIE1, but such inactivation was not observed with DAS or diallyl sulfoxide. The profile of microsomal testosterone metabolism after DAS treatment indicated an enhancement of P450IIB1-dependent 16β-hydroxylase activity, and a decrease in 6β-hydroxytestosterone production possibly related to a lower level of P450IIIA1 or IIIA2. When rats were subjected to a 48-hr fast and DAS treatment, the starvation-induced microsomal P450IIE1 level was decreased by DAS. Inhibition of hepatotoxicity due to exposure to P450IIE1 substrates, CCl4 and NDMA, by DAS was observed under a variety of treatment schedules.
Effect of guidewire on contribution of loss due to momentum change and viscous loss to the translesional pressure drop across coronary artery stenosis: An analytical approach

Guidewire (GW) size and stenosis dimensions are the two major factors affecting the translesional pressure drop. Studying the combined effect of these parameters on the mean pressure drop (Δp) across the stenosis is of high practical importance. In this study, time averaged mass and momentum conservation equations are solved analytically to obtain pressure drop-flow, Δp-Q, curves for three different percentage area blockages corresponding to moderate (64%), intermediate (80%), and severe (90%) stenoses. Stenosis is considered to be axisymmetric consisting of three different sections namely converging, throat, and diverging regions. Analytical expressions for pressure drop are obtained for each of these regions separately. Using this approach, effects of lesion length and GW insertion on the mean translesional pressure drop and its component (loss due to momentum change and viscous loss) are analyzed. It is observed that for a given percent area stenosis (AS), increase in the throat length only increases the viscous loss. However, increase in the severity of stenosis and GW insertion increase both loss due to momentum change and viscous loss. GW insertion has greater contribution to the rise in viscous loss (increase by 2.14 and 2.72 times for 64% and 90% AS, respectively) than loss due to momentum change (1.34% increase for 64% AS and 25% decrease for 90% AS). It also alters the hyperemic pressure drop in moderate (48% increase) to intermediate (30% increase) stenoses significantly. However, in severe stenoses GW insertion has a negligible effect (0.5% increase) on hyperemic translesional pressure drop. It is also observed that pressure drop in a severe stenosis is less sensitive to lesion length variation (4% and 14% increase in Δp for without and with GW, respectively) as compared to intermediate (10% and 30% increase in Δp for without and with GW, respectively) and moderate stenoses (22% and 48% increase in Δp for without and with GW, respectively). Based on the contribution of pressure drop components to the total translesional pressure drop, it is found that viscous losses are dominant in moderate stenoses, while in severe stenoses losses due to momentum changes are significant. It is also shown that this simple analytical solution can provide valuable information regarding interpretation of coronary diagnostic parameters such as fractional flow reserve (FFR).
Psychosomatic Medicine and Its Implementation in the Latin America Region

The psychosomatic concept in the Latin American region is immersed in the mental health concept. This is also part of the generic notion of public health and therefore involves the pragmatic application of knowledge in various fields: clinical, epidemiological, neurobiological, sociocultural, and basic research, as the most important ones. The objective is the normal development of individuals and the maintenance of integrally emotional functions at individual and collective level.
LcrG secretion is not required for blocking of Yops secretion in Yersinia pestis

LcrG, a negative regulator of the Yersinia type III secretion apparatus has been shown to be primarily a cytoplasmic protein, but is secreted at least in Y. pestis. LcrG secretion has not been functionally analyzed and the relevance of LcrG secretion on LcrG function is unknown. An LcrG-GAL4AD chimera, originally constructed for two-hybrid analyses to analyze LcrG protein interactions, appeared to be not secreted but the LcrG-GAL4AD chimera retained the ability to regulate Yops secretion. This result led to further investigation to determine the significance of LcrG secretion on LcrG function. Additional analyses including deletion and substitution mutations of amino acids 2–6 in the N-terminus of LcrG were constructed to analyze LcrG secretion and LcrG's ability to control secretion. Some changes to the N-terminus of LcrG were found to not affect LcrG's secretion or LcrG's secretion-controlling activity. However, substitution of poly-isoleucine in the N-terminus of LcrG did eliminate LcrG secretion but did not affect LcrG's secretion controlling activity. These results indicate that secretion of LcrG, while observable and T3SS mediated, is not relevant for LcrG's ability to control secretion.
Quaternary Ammonium Salts of 8-(Dialkylaminoalkox y)-theobromines and -caffeines as Curariform Agents

Three 8-(dialkylaminoalkoxy)-theobromine compounds were prepared by reacting the appropriate sodium dialkylamino alcoholate with 8-chlorotheobromine. Nine quaternary salts were prepared from the above three compounds by reacting each with methyl iodide, ethyl iodide, and benzyl chloride. The nine quaternary compounds along with nine corresponding caffeine quaternary compounds, previously reported, were tested for their curariform activity.
Ultrasonic diagnosis of lymphocele complicating renal transplantation.

SUMMARY Ultrasonic B-mode scanning is a useful diagnostic technique for the early detection of perirenal fluid collections following renal transplantation. Generally, the technique does not allow differentiation between collections of lymph, pus, blood or urine. Two examples of post-transplant lymphocele are described.
Paleolithic archeology in Turkey

Turkey lies at the interface between distinctive archeological and biotic provinces.7 For example, the Middle Pleistocene sequences of the Levant and the Caucasus include many Acheulean assemblages, whereas Acheulean handaxes and biface technology are seldom found in the contemprary Lower Paleolithic assemblages of the Balkans. Likewise, areas surrounding Turkey, including the Levant, the Zagros mountains of Iran, and the Balkan peninsula, yield distinctive Middle Paleolithic assemblages. The limits of these regional archeological complexes should lie somewhere within the boundaries of Turkey. Examining how these regional complexes interacted at their edges, and particularly whether they remained coherent or blended into one another, has the potential to cast light on population interactions and processes of technological divergence over the course of the Pleistocene. The range of things one would like to know about the Turkish Paleolithic contrasts sharply with what is actually known about it. Although a general picture is beginning to emerge, we have comparatively little hard information about what might have been happening in much of the country during much of the Pleistocene. Some of these gaps in the knowledge base reflect a paucity of research. Turkey encompasses an area of almost 780,000 square kilometers and, despite the efforts of a small number of dedicated researchers, much of the land area simply has not been investigated in detail. In other cases, the absence of evidence is clearly due to gaps in the geological record. In some instances, the absence of evidence may even be evidence of human absence. Nonetheless, a series of projects carried out in Turkey over the past twenty years has produced substantive results on the Lower, Middle, and Upper Paleolithic periods in the region. Although there is a great deal more to be learned, it is instructive at this point to assess the state of knowledge about the Pleistocene prehistory of this vast area.
Effects of sediment burial on grass carp, Ctenopharyngodon idella (Valenciennes, 1844), eggs

Summary It is thought that grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) eggs must remain suspended in the water column in order to hatch successfully. Using sand, the effects of varying sediment levels on grass carp eggs were tested at different developmental states and temperatures. Survival was high (15–35%, depending on temperature and trial) in the unburied treatment where eggs rested on a sand bed but were not covered by sediment. Survival was lower in the partial burial (5–10%) and very low (0–4%) in the full burial treatment. In all treatments, delayed hatching (organisms remaining in membranes past the stage of hatching competence) was noted. Deformities such as missing heads and pericardial edema occurred at high rates in the partial and full burials. Eggs that come in contact with the benthos and are resuspended in the water column should be considered in embryonic drift models.
Learning sequence kernels

Kernel methods are used to tackle a variety of learning tasks including classification, regression, ranking, clustering, and dimensionality reduction. The appropriate choice of a kernel is often left to the user. But, poor selections may lead to a sub-optimal performance. Instead, sample points can be used to learn a kernel function appropriate for the task by selecting one out of a family of kernels determined by the user. This paper considers the problem of learning sequence kernel functions, an important problem for applications in computational biology, natural language processing, document classification and other text processing areas. For most kernel-based learning techniques, the kernels selected must be positive definite symmetric, which, for sequence data, are found to be rational kernels. We give a general formulation of the problem of learning rational kernels and prove that a large family of rational kernels can be learned efficiently using a simple quadratic program both in the context of support vector machines and kernel ridge regression. This improves upon previous work that generally results in a more costly semi-definite or quadratically constrained quadratic program. Furthermore, in the specific case of kernel ridge regression, we give an alternative solution based on a closed-form solution for the optimal kernel matrix. We also report results of experiments with our kernel learning techniques in classification and regression tasks.
Prognostic Value of Metabolic Tumor Volume and Velocity in Predicting Head-and-Neck Cancer Outcomes

Purpose We previously showed that metabolic tumor volume (MTV) on positron emission tomography—computed tomography (PET-CT) predicts for disease recurrence and death in head-and-neck cancer (HNC). We hypothesized that increases in MTV over time would correlate with tumor growth and biology, and would predict outcome. We sought to examine tumor growth over time in serial pretreatment PET-CT scans. Methods and Materials From 2006 to 2009, 51 patients had two PET-CT scans before receiving HNC treatment. MTV was defined as the tumor volume ≥50% of maximum SUV (SUV max ). MTV was calculated for the primary tumor, nodal disease, and composite (primary tumor + nodes). MTV and SUV velocity were defined as the change in MTV or SUV max over time, respectively. Cox regression analyses were used to examine correlations between SUV, MTV velocity, and outcome (disease progression and overall survival). Results The median follow-up time was 17.5 months. The median time between PET-CT scans was 3 weeks. Unexpectedly, 51% of cases demonstrated a decrease in SUV max (average, −0.1 cc/week) and MTV (average, −0.3 cc/week) over time. Despite the variability in MTV, primary tumor MTV velocity predicted disease progression (hazard ratio 2.94; p = 0.01) and overall survival (hazard ratio 1.85; p = 0.03). Conclusions Primary tumor MTV velocity appears to be a better prognostic indicator of disease progression and survival in comparison to nodal MTV velocity. However, substantial variability was found in PET-CT biomarkers between serial scans. Caution should be used when PET-CT biomarkers are integrated into clinical protocols for HNC.
Vernacular Publics and Political Modernity: Language and Progress in Colonial South India

The late-nineteenth century in India, usually scrutinized for the emergence of anti-colonial nationalist thought and politics, witnessed broader, and potentially more radical changes in the making and re-making of political subjectivities as articulated within burgeoning vernacular public spheres. Vernacular publics coalesced around the emergence of new communicative forms, the formation of voluntary and political associations, and the restructuring of literary communities. It is within this context I place the writings of Gidugu Venkata Ramamurti (1863–1940). He proclaimed at the turn of the twentieth century that Telugu as a language had to be reformed in order for it to become an appropriate medium for the newly emergent Telugu public spheres. Through his study of linguistics, his commitment to educational reform, and his study of Telugu language and literature, Ramamurti became the spokesperson for a new Telugu that would be able to traverse the boundaries of modern genres of writing that flourished in the colonial era. Fully immersed in linguistic theories of the day, Ramamurti's concerns were primarily with language reform and its centrality in the remaking of political subjectivities. ‘In this era there is an important challenge facing us. There is no Telugu word for ‘challenge,’ nevertheless, the word, ‘dhikaaramu’ or defiance, comes close. For that reason, I am calling this era, ‘dhikaara yugamu,’ the age of defiance. In the past, society was divided between free people and the enslaved. Soon, the enslaved defied the power of the free and freed themselves. In the past, women were not allowed to be educated nor were they allowed to work. Now they are asking themselves why they were not considered more productive in society? These days, women are performing all kinds of work. . . .Until recently, in most countries the wealthy held power. And now the poor are challenging the power of the rich’.1
Angiographic Intervention in Patients With a Suspected Visceral Artery Pseudoaneurysm Complicating Pancreatitis and Pancreatic Surgery

Objective To assess the clinical effectiveness of angiography and transcatheter intervention in patients suspected of visceral artery pseudoaneurysm complicating pancreatitis and pancreatic surgery. Design Retrospective study. Setting University hospital. Patients A total of 51 patients who underwent mesenteric angiography for a suspected visceral artery pseudoaneurysm following pancreatitis or pancreatic surgery from 1978 to 2010 were included in this study. There were 39 men and 12 women. The mean age was 66 years (range, 21-89 years) at the time of the angiography. Data on patients' demographics, medical history, angiographic findings, treatment, and outcomes were recorded. Of these 51 patients, 27 had acute pancreatitis, 22 had pancreatic cancer, and 2 experienced pancreatic trauma. Embolization was performed for patients with a pseudoaneurysm. One patient was treated with a stent graft. Main Outcome Measures The technical success rate of the intervention, the 24-hour and 30-day rebleeding rates, and the 24-hour and 30-day mortality rates were calculated. A multivariate analysis was performed to determine the factors associated with survival following angiography. Results Of the 51 patients studied, 23 had a visceral artery pseudoaneurysm involving the gastroduodenal (7 patients), hepatic (5 patients), splenic (5 patients), and other arteries (7 patients). The technical success rate of the intervention (ie, embolization or exclusion with a Stent graft) was 100%. The 24-hour and 30-day rebleeding rates were 4% and 17%, respectively. The 24-hour and 30-day mortality rates were 0% and 9%, respectively. For the 27 patients who had a negative angiographic finding, the 24-hour and 30-day rebleeding rates were 0% and 11%, respectively, and the 24-hour and 30-day mortality rates were 4% and 21%, respectively. The requirement of a large number of blood products prior to angiography was associated with poor outcome. Conclusion Embolization was highly effective in treating a pseudoaneurysm complicating pancreatitis and pancreatic surgery. The hemodynamic status at the time of angiography determines overall survival.
Computed tomography for minor head injury: variation and trends in major United States pediatric emergency departments.

Pediatric head trauma results in more than 650,000 emergency department (ED) visits and 64,000 hospitalizations in the United States (U.S.) every year 1. However, even though pediatric head injury is relatively common, pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) requiring neurosurgical intervention is far less frequent 2, 3. Although pediatric TBI can be readily diagnosed with computed tomography (CT), such evaluations carry a heavy public health burden of cost and radiation exposure 4, 5. Recently, efforts have been made to develop reliable clinical decision rules for mild TBI 2, 6, 7, but it remains uncertain how these rules will impact clinical practice. Prior studies have described significant practice variation in the use of imaging after pediatric head injury, with rates ranging from 5–70% 6, 8, 9. There is some evidence to suggest that pediatric EDs have lower rates of diagnostic imaging than general EDs 10. The goal of this study was to investigate CT utilization of children with minor head injury discharged home after evaluation at pediatric hospitals.
Quantum chaos with cesium atoms: pushing the boundaries

Atomic motion in pulsed, periodic optical potentials provides a unique experimental testing ground for quantum chaos. In the first generation of experiments with sodium atoms we observed dynamical localization, a quantum suppression of chaotic diffusion. To go beyond this work we have constructed an experiment with cold cesium atoms, and report our first results from this system. The larger mass and longer wavelength push out the momentum boundary in phase space that arises from the nonzero duration of the pulses. This feature should enable the study of noise effects and dimensionality on dynamical localization. We propose a new method of quantum state preparation based on stimulated Raman transitions for studies of mixed phase space dynamics. c 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.