cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transforming growth factor-beta1 modulates p107 function in myeloid cells: correlation with cell cycle progression.

Abstract Transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) is a potent inhibitor of hematopoietic cell growth. Here we report that TGF-β1 signals inhibition of IL-3-dependent 32D-123 murine myeloid cell growth by modulating the activities of cyclin E and cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (cdk2) proteins and their complex formation in the G phase of the cell cycle. Whereas the cyclin E protein was hyperphosphorylated in TGF-β1-treated cells, TGF-β1 decreased both the phosphorylation of cdk2 and the kinase activity of the cyclin E-cdk2 complex. Decreased cyclin E-cdk2 kinase activity correlated with decreased phosphorylation of the retinoblastoma-related protein p107. In support of these observations, transient overexpression of p107 inhibited the proliferation of the myeloid cells, and expression of antisense oligodeoxynucleotides to p107 mRNA blocked TGF-β1 inhibition of myeloid cell growth. Furthermore, as reported previously, in 32D-123 TGF-β1-treated cells, c-Myc protein expression was decreased. TGF-β1 increased the binding of p107 to the transcription factor E2F, leading to decreased c-Myc protein levels. p107 inhibited E2F transactivation activity and was also found to bind the c-Myc protein, suggesting p107 negative regulation of c-Myc protein function. These studies demonstrate the modulation of p107 function by TGF-β1 and suggest a novel mechanism by which TGF-β1 blocks cell cycle progression in myeloid cells.
A dark future for cosmology

The discovery 10 years ago that the expansion of the universe is accelerating, which implies that most of the universe is made up of a gravitationally repulsive substance called dark energy, was one of the most profound observations in cosmology. Several of us theorists had actually argued a few years earlier that something like dark energy must exist – the reason being that such a substance could iron out inconsistencies in, for example, measurements of Big Bang nucleosynthesis and of the age of the universe. But the direct observation of cosmic acceleration via measurements of distant supernovae demonstrated to the entire community that our understanding of cosmic evolution required a major overhaul.
STATUS OF SOLAR WIND MODELING FROM THE TRANSITION REGION OUTWARDS

In recent years, solar wind modeling has to some extent undergone a shift of emphasis, from attempts to produce high-speed streams far from the sun, to investigations of what conditions must exist in the solar corona and transition region in order to produce the observed conditions in both the solar wind and low corona. Thus there has been an increased awareness that the solar wind should really be treated as part of the solar atmosphere, and that the problems associated with heating and accelerating the solar wind should be treated in concert with the coronal (and perhaps chromospheric) heating problems. We will discuss several models which take this point of view but we will place particular emphasis on some outstanding problems, viz. the mass flux problem, some puzzling recent IPS data, our persistent difficulties with electron heat conduction, and observational uncertainties about the coronal and transition region boundary conditions which should be put into the models. We will conclude by suggesting some possible alternatives for future models.
Transborder Data Flows Usage by U.S. Subsidiaries in Mexico and Hispanic South America: A Preliminary Regional Study

Transborder data flows (TDF) have been shown to be vital to multinational corporations (MNCs) in managing the complex information flows required for control and implementation of worldwide strategy. Research on TDF has generally been on a global scale and from a headquarters perspective. This preliminary study takes a new direction by reporting results of a survey of TDF activity on a regional rather than a global level of analysis and from the viewpoint of U.S. MNC subsidiaries overseas rather than from a headquarter's driven analysis. In addition to a breakdown by manufacturing and service industries usage of TDF by functional area within the region is reported along with the climate of governmental regulation for TDF in the emerging economies of Mexico and Hispanic South America.
An evolutionary bridge to a new protein fold.

Arc repressor bearing the N11L substitution (Arc-N11L) is an evolutionary intermediate between the wild type protein, in which the region surrounding position 11 forms a β-sheet, and a double mutant 'switch Arc', in which this region is helical. Here, Arc-N11L is shown to be able to adopt either the wild type or mutant conformations. Exchange between these structures occurs on the millisecond time scale in a dynamic equilibrium in which the relative populations of each fold depend on temperature, solvent conditions and ligand binding. The N11L mutation serves as an evolutionary bridge from the β-sheet to the helical fold because in the mutant, Leu is an integral part of the hydrophobic core of the new structure but can also occupy a surface position in the wild type structure. Conversely, the polar Asn 11 side chain serves as a negative design element in wild type Arc because it cannot be incorporated into the core of the mutant fold.
First observation of a family of double-charm baryons

The SELEX experiment (E781) at Fermilab has candidates for high mass states decaying to {Lambda}{sub c}{sup +}K{sup -}{pi}{sup +} and {Lambda}{sub c}{sup +}K{sup -} pi{sup +}{pi}{sup +}, Cabibbo-allowed decay modes of doubly-charmed baryons {Xi}{sub cc}{sup +} and {Xi}{sub cc}{sup ++}. The masses are consistent with theoretical considerations, but the spectroscopy is surprising. Limited lifetime information suggests that {tau}{sub {Xi}{sub cc}{sup ++}} {approx} {tau}{sub Xi}{sub cc}{sup +}.
Effects of transdermal magnesium chloride on quality of life for patients with fibromyalgia: a feasibility study.

Abstract Background Fibromyalgia is a syndrome characterized by chronic pain, fatigue, depression, and sleep disturbances. Its primary cause is unclear. Several studies have reported decreased intracellular magnesium levels in patients with fibromyalgia and have found negative correlation between magnesium levels and fibromyalgia symptoms. Objective To gather preliminary data on whether transdermal magnesium can improve quality of life for women who have fibromyalgia. Design, setting, participants and interventions This is a patient questionnaires and survey in a fibromyalgia clinic at a tertiary medical center. Forty female patients with the diagnosis of fibromyalgia were enrolled. Each participant was provided a spray bottle containing a transdermal magnesium chloride solution and asked to apply 4 sprays per limb twice daily for 4 weeks. Participants were asked to complete the Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire, SF-36v2 Health Survey, and a quality-of-life analog scale at baseline, week 2, and week 4. Main outcome measure Questionnaire and survey scores, evaluated through intent-to-treat and per-protocol analyses. Results Twenty-four patients completed the study (mean [SD] age, 57.2 [7.6] years; white, 95%; mean body mass index, 31.3 kg/m 2 ). With intention-to-treat analysis, Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire subscale and total scores were significantly improved at week 2 and week 4 (total score, P = 0.001). Per-protocol analysis results were similar: all subscales of the Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire were significantly improved at week 2 and week 4 (total score, P = 0.001). Conclusion This pilot study suggests that transdermal magnesium chloride applied on upper and lower limbs may be beneficial to patients with fibromyalgia. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov . ldentifier NCT01968772 .
Neuronal modulation of photoreceptor activity in the bee moth Galleria mellonella.

1. Pairs of light stimuli given at varying intervals causes changes in fast-adaptation characteristics in the bee moth Galleria mellonella . With increasing intervals between the stimuli of up to 1.0 sec there is a decrease in the amplitude of the visual response to the second stimulus. 2. This depression of the response can be affected by a variety of agents which alter synaptic activity. Application of compounds such as Mg 2+ and nicotinic acid, which block synapses, to the optic ganglion lift depression. 3. K + and CO 2 applied to the optic ganglion also abolish adaptation. 4. Severing neuronal connexions between the retina and ganglion also lifts the depression. De-ganglionation and nicotinic acid also result in increases in absolute amplitude of the response. 5. If Ca 2+ is added to the Ringer bathing the ganglion, adaptation becomes more marked. 6. These results suggest that the decreases in sensitivity following a brief light stimulus are mediated by synaptic feedback onto the receptor cells.
The Sodium Channel Scn8a Is the Major Contributor to the Postnatal Developmental Increase of Sodium Current Density in Spinal Motoneurons

Sodium currents were recorded from motoneurons that were isolated from mice at postnatal days 0-8 (P0-P8) and maintained in culture for 12-24 hr. Motoneurons from normal mice exhibited a more than threefold increase in peak sodium current density from P0 to P8. For mice lacking a functional Scn8a sodium channel gene, motoneuronal sodium current density was comparable at P0 to that of normal mice but failed to increase from P0 to P8. The absence of Scn8a sodium channels is associated with the phenotype "motor end plate disease," which is characterized by a progressive neuromuscular failure and is fatal by 3-4 postnatal weeks. Thus, it appears that the development and function of mature motoneurons depends on the postnatal induction of Scn8a expression.
Effect of route and pattern of exposure on the pharmacokinetics and acute hepatotoxicity of carbon tetrachloride

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the influence of both route and pattern of exposure on the pharmacokinetics (PK) and target organ toxicity of a common volatile organic chemical, carbon tetrachloride (CCl4). Male Sprague-Dawley rats, 325-375 g, inhaled 100 or 1000 ppm CCl4 for 2 hr through a one-way breathing valve. The total amount of CCl4 retained by each rat (i.e., the systemically absorbed dose) during the 2-hr period was determined to be 17.5 and 179 mg CCl4/kg body wt, respectively. CCl4, in doses of 17.5 and 179 mg/kg body wt, was administered in an aqueous emulsion by bolus gavage or by constant gastric infusion over 2 hr. Serial micro blood samples from the animals were analyzed for CCl4, in order to delineate blood concentration-versus-time profiles. Serum enzyme activities and total liver microsomal cytochrome P450 level and glucose 6-phosphatase activity were measured 24 hr postdosing as indices of CCl4 hepatotoxicity. The pattern of oral exposure, or dosage regimen, had a significant effect on the PK and acute the hepatotoxicity of CCl4. Arterial blood levels in the gastric infusion group were much lower than in the oral bolus group with both doses. Since CCl4 is quickly and extensively absorbed from the GI tract, large amounts of CCl4 in the portal blood following the oral bolus apparently exceeded the capacity of the liver to metabolize the chemical. Thus, substantially higher Cmax and AUC0 integral of infinity values were manifest. Hepatotoxicity was also significantly greater in these animals. The route of exposure also had a significant effect on the PK of CCl4. Levels of CCl4 in the arterial blood were much higher during inhalation than during gastric infusion. However, AUC0 integral of infinity vales for the two groups were not significantly different, due to relatively slow elimination after gastric infusion. There was little difference between the two groups in hepatotoxicity indices 24 hr postdosing.
The cost-effectiveness of preoperative autologous blood donation for total hip and knee replacement

Although the frequency of preoperative autologous blood donation is increasing dramatically, the economic implications of its use remain largely unexplored. Decision analysis was used to calculate the cost-effectiveness of autologous blood donation for hip and knee replacement. Cost-effectiveness, expressed as cost per quality-adjusted year of life saved, was based on observed red cell use in 629 patients undergoing surgery at two tertiary-care centers. Autologous blood donation for bilateral and revision joint replacement cost $40,000 per quality-adjusted year of life saved at Center 1 and $241,000 at Center 2. Autologous blood donation for primary unilateral hip replacement cost $373,000 per quality-adjusted year of life saved at Center 1 and $740,000 at Center 2. Autologous blood donation was least cost-effective for primary unilateral knee replacement ($1,147,000/quality-adjusted year of life saved at Center 1 and $1,467,000/year at Center 2). Differences between autologous blood collections and transfusion requirements explained variations among procedures in the cost-effectiveness of autologous blood donation. Higher transfusion rates in autologous blood donors than in nondonors accounted for the poorer cost-effectiveness of autologous blood donation at Center 2 than at Center 1. Autologous blood donation is not as cost-effective as most accepted medical practices. Its cost-effectiveness can be improved substantially by the avoidance of overcollection and overtransfusion of autologous blood.
Flexion Relaxation Ratio Not Responsive to Acutely Induced Low Back Pain from a Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness Protocol

Background. The flexion relaxation ratio (FRR) has been suggested as a measure of muscular performance in patients with low back pain (LBP). The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the FRR was responsive to acute LBP produced from a delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) protocol. Methods. Fifty-one pain-free volunteers performed DOMS to induce LBP. Current pain intensity, trunk flexion range of motion (ROM), and passive straight leg raise (SLR) were measured at baseline, 24 and 48 hours after DOMS. Participants were categorized into pain groups based on reported current pain intensity. Changes in FRR, trunk flexion ROM, and SLR ROM were examined using two-way repeated measures analysis of variance. Results. Pain group was not found to have a significant effect on FRR (F 1,29 = 0.054, P = 0.818), nor were there any two-way interactions for changes in FRR. The pain group had decreased trunk flexion ROM compared to the minimal pain group (F 1,38 = 7.21, P = 0.011), but no decreases in SLR ROM (F 1,38 = 3.51, P = 0.057) over time. Interpretation. There were no differences in FRR based on reported pain intensity of LBP from a DOMS protocol. The responsiveness of FRR might be limited in patients with acute onset LBP of muscular origin.
New Window Material for Near-Infrared Spectroscopy

Liquid-phase samples absorb very weakly in the near-infrared (NIR) region compared to the fundamental region. To detect weak vibrations in NIR region, one uses cells of relatively high pathlengths ranging from 0.1 cm to 5 cm. The selection of a particular pathlength depends upon the absorption strength of the vibration of interest.
Psychological aspects of genetic counseling: Analysis of a transcript

A transcript of a genetic counseling session is presented and discussed by 2 separate readers. The style of counseling emphasized content material at the expense of process. The counselor avoided or evaded affective issues and thus limited his ability to clarify the current attitudes and beliefs of the counselees as well as to identify their future needs. However, one empathic intervention did have an important impact on changing the tone of the session. The issues of directiveness and neutrality were examined in light of the process of the session. The counselor appeared to be largely nondirective in his advice-giving and ostensibly neutral in his educational approach. Nevertheless, his overall counseling strategy seemed to be aimed at persuading the counselees to agree to have the amniocentesis procedure. The need for more information on what actually occurs in the course of genetic counseling is underscored.
Retinopathy of prematurity.

Premature infants born at 30 weeks' gestational age or younger, or 1500 g or smaller, are screened for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). Guidelines for supplemental oxygen in neonatal intensive care units have decreased but not eliminated the incidence of severe ROP. The underlying cause for ROP is prematurity and low birth weight, and with the survival of smaller and younger babies, ROP continues to be a significant problem facing premature infants. Threshold ROP is treated with retinal photocoagulation, but newer treatments such as intraocular injections of bevacizumab (Avastin) are being used alone or in conjunction with laser.
Likelihood-based confidence intervals for the risk ratio using double sampling with over-reported binary data

In this article we derive likelihood-based confidence intervals for the risk ratio using over-reported two-sample binary data obtained using a double-sampling scheme. The risk ratio is defined as the ratio of two proportion parameters. By maximizing the full likelihood function, we obtain closed-form maximum likelihood estimators for all model parameters. In addition, we derive four confidence intervals: a naive Wald interval, a modified Wald interval, a Fieller-type interval, and an Agresti-Coull interval. All four confidence intervals are illustrated using cervical cancer data. Finally, we conduct simulation studies to assess and compare the coverage probabilities and average lengths of the four interval estimators. We conclude that the modified Wald interval, unlike the other three intervals, produces close-to-nominal confidence intervals under various simulation scenarios examined here and, therefore, is preferred in practice.
Collective Biography and the Progressive Movement: The “Status Revolution” Revisited

Virtually from the beginning “collective biography,” or “prosopography,” has been seen as one of the most powerful and useful techniques of the “new” quantitative history. As Lawrence Stone succinctly described that technique, it is “ … the investigation of the common background characteristics of a group of actors by means of a collective study of their lives.” It is not case, of course, as Stone also makes clear, that the new quantitative historians invented collective biography. In fact, the approach was used by historians and other social scientists well before the advent of quantitative history. Even so, the technique has frequently been employed by quantitative historians and may even be seen by some as virtually a hallmark of that approach to historical studies.
Space, Language, and Ontology: A Response to Bateman

Abstract Some of John Bateman's critiques of my article “Qualitative Spatial Reasoning in Interpreting Text and Narrative” are certainly valid. However, the alternative solutions that he proposes do not seem to me to be improvements.
Tratamiento endovascular de un pseudoaneurisma traumático de la arteria axilar por hiperextensión

La evolucion de las tecnologias endoluminales, la mejora del diseno de stents , y la reduccion del calibre de los sistemas de introduccion han aumentado la posibilidad de usar stents recubiertos para el tratamiento de las lesiones arteriales traumaticas. La mayor flexibilidad de los stents , disminucion del potencial de fractura y la mayor variedad de longitudes y diametros han aumentado la versatilidad de uso en localizaciones axilar y subclavia. En estos territorios, el tratamiento abierto de lesiones arteriales traumaticas puede traducirse en una morbilidad y mortalidad sustanciales. Al evitar el abordaje directo al area de lesion con el uso de tecnicas endovasculares, el tratamiento con stent recubierto se ha convertido en una opcion competitiva de la cirugia abierta. Describimos el caso de un paciente con un pseudoaneurisma traumatico de la arteria axilar por mecanismo insolito, que se resolvio mediante una endoprotesis recubierta de politetrafluoroetileno.
The effects of halothane and isoflurane on intracellular Ca2+ regulation in cultured cells with characteristics of vascular smooth muscle

The Ca(2+)-sensitive photoprotein aequorin was used to monitor changes in intracellular [Ca2+] within cultured cells with characteristics of vascular smooth muscle. Two cell lines were investigated: they were A10 cells, which are transformed cells originally derived from rat aorta, and BC3H1 cells obtained from mouse brain neoplasm. Transient increases in intracellular [Ca2+] were induced following exposure to two different volatile anaesthetics (halothane and isoflurane) and various vasoactive substances (acetylcholine, endothelin, histamine, serotonin and vasopressin). The amplitude of the transients induced by isoflurane were more dependent on the presence of extracellular Ca2+ than those induced by halothane, thus the modes and/or locations of action of these two anesthetics are somewhat different. The response of the two cell lines to the vasoactive substances are unique. Receptor activated changes in [Ca2+]i by various agonists were diminished in the presence and absence of either anesthetic. These data suggest that, although the receptor populations within each cell line were slightly different, the prior application of a volatile anesthetic in a clinically-relevant dose induced a transient increase in [Ca2+]i that could subsequently diminish agonist responses.
Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education: A longitudinal examination of secondary school intervention

Learning experiences in informal Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) educational settings, such as camps, provide significant benefits for secondary students such as awareness of STEM subjects and careers along with increasing enthusiasm, self-efficacy, and content knowledge. To expand the number of students majoring in STEM subjects and entering careers in STEM fields, a two-week summer STEM camp for secondary students (N=31) was held at a Research I University. This qualitative case study followed students through matriculation into a postsecondary STEM major. Camp participants were interviewed to address the following research questions: 1) How did the camp fulfill its purpose and intended student outcomes? 2) Were the purpose and intended outcomes reflected in student perceptions? 3) Did the camp experience influence a student's decision to attend the hosting university as well as choice of major? This camp fulfilled its purpose and encouraged students to attend the host university and major in a STEM field. The anticipated cognitive and social outcomes were reflected in the student's experiences at camp. Informal learning environments, such as the one described in this study, can result in increased achievement, self-efficacy, and interest in STEM along with encouraging students to pursue STEM careers.
Conditioned pressure spectra and coherence measurements in the core of a turbofan engine

Multiple and partial coherence functions and the corresponding conditioned coherent output spectra are computed between fluctuating pressures measured at two locations within the tailpipe of a turbofan engine and far-field acoustic pressure. The results are compared with the ordinary coherent output spectrum as obtained between a single tailpipe pressure measurement and the far-field acoustic pressure. The comparison indicates apparent additional "coherent output" (i.e., core-noise) beyond that detectable with an ordinary coherent measurement, thus suggesting the tailpipe as a core-noise source region. Further evidence suggests, however, that these differences may be attributed to the presence of transverse acoustic modes in the tailpipe and that the tailpipe is not, in fact, a significant source region.
The first direct evidence of pre-columbian sources of palygorskite for Maya Blue

Abstract Maya Blue, a nano-structured clay–organic complex of palygorskite and indigo, was used predominantly before the Spanish Conquest. It has fascinated chemists, material scientists, archaeologists and art historians for decades because it is resistant to the effect of acids, alkalis, and other reagents, and its rich color has persisted for centuries in the harsh tropical climate of southern Mesoamerica. One of its components, palygorskite, is part of modern Maya indigenous knowledge, and ethnohistoric and archaeological data suggest that its modern sources were probably utilized in Prehispanic times. Yet no direct evidence verifies that palygorskite was actually mined from these sources to make Maya Blue. Here we characterize these sources compositionally, and compare our analyses to those of Maya Blue from Chichen Itza and Palenque. We demonstrate that the palygorskite in most of these samples came from modern mines, providing the first direct evidence for the use of these sources for making Maya Blue. These findings reveal that modern Maya indigenous knowledge about palygorskite, its mining, and its source locations, is at least seven centuries old.
Effects of cadmium on human platelet reactions

Human platelets incubated with Cd2+ took up the cation slowly, and the uptake was speeded up by ionophore A23187. The capacity of human platelets to accumulate Cd2+ was large, equivalent to 10 nmol Cd2+ per mg protein. The effects of Cd2+ on protein phosphorylation and serotonin release of human platelets were studied. Washed platelets incubated with Cd2+ showed a general increase in protein phosphorylation concurrent with a slow release of serotonin. In the presence of ionophore A23187, however, Cd2+ had a biphasic effect on protein phosphorylation: stimulatory at low and inhibitory at high Cd2+ concentrations. The phosphorylation of two proteins with molecular masses close to 43 and 20 kDa was more sensitive to the inhibitory effect of Cd2+, and under similar conditions, the primary effect of Cd2+ on serotonin release was inhibitory, although at lower Cd2+ concentrations a slight stimulation was noted. Thrombin increased the phosphorylation of several proteins, and a prior incubation with Cd2+ further augmented that of a 20 kDa protein, but this treatment did not affect thrombin-induced serotonin release.
Constructing the Captive Audience: Channel One and the political economy of the text

ABSTRACT Educational policy and practice are the results of compromises at many levels with dominant groups attempting to shift the terms of the compromise onto their own terrain. Channel One ‐‐ a commercially produced news program which includes both news and advertisements broadcast to nearly one‐third of the schools in the USA ‐‐ is a paradigm case of the way the conservative restoration builds a coalidon in favor of the business agenda in schools. The economic and discursive strategies involved in creating this coalition, the ideologies constructed by the news, and the daily lives of teachers and students in schools receiving Channel One are analyzed. These are then situated back into the larger rightist project.
Pulmonary Vein Thrombosis and Peripheral Embolization

A 78-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital with bilateral femoral arterial occlusion. Her medical history disclosed atrial fibrillation and a left thoracoplasty performed 50 years earlier for treatment of tuberculosis. A transesophageal echocardiogram demonstrated intraluminal thrombus in a left pulmonary vein. The patient recovered after thromboembolectomy. This case documents another uncommon cause of cardiac thromboembolism in which a transesophageal echocardiogram was essential to make the diagnosis.
Pesher: A Cognitive Model of the Genre

Earlier models of the genre of the pesharim have tended either to subsume pesher into the genre of midrash, on the one hand, or to doubt its coherence as a genre due to a perceived lack of common features shared among all the member texts, on the other. Cognitive genre theory offers a way forward by challenging previous conceptions of the way genre categories are formed. Rather than fixed sets of texts belonging equally to a genre, cognitive theory proposes that genres are radial categories extending outward from a “prototypical” center toward a fuzzy boundary, with texts participating in the genre to varying degrees. A cognitive model of the pesher genre provides a flexible enough construction of the genre to account for the variation among the constituent texts, yet still firmly distinguishes the genre from other forms of Early Jewish literature through the concept of the idealized cognitive model (ICM) of reality that animates the genre.
The liberty simulation environment as a pedagogical tool

This paper describes how the Liberty Simulation Environment (LSE) and its graphical visualizer can be used in a computer architecture course. LSE allows for the rapid construction of simulators from models that resemble the structure of hardware. By using and modifying LSE models, students can develop a solid understanding of and learn to reason about computer architecture. Since LSE models are also relatively easy to modify, the tool can be used as the basis of meaningful assignments, allowing students to explore a variety of microarchitectural concepts on their own. In lectures where block diagrams are typically displayed, LSE's visualizer can be used instead to not only show block diagrams, but to demonstrate the machine in action. As a result, LSE can ease the burden of conveying complex microarchitectural design concepts, greatly improving the depth of understanding a computer architecture course provides.
On Entering and Remaining in Psychotherapy

Schauman and Mansell (2012) propose the use of perceptual control theory to help us understand why individuals may be reluctant to enter into therapy and, if they do, why they may terminate prematurely. Although there exists an extensive theoretical and research literature that documents the benefits of having control over oneself and situations, I maintain this does not totally explain why people either avoid entering therapy or drop out prematurely. Without denying the importance of perceived control, I suggest that certain principles of change also play a most important role, namely one's expectations about treatment, one's motivation to change, and the nature of the therapy alliance.
Chemical cholecystitis after intrahepatic chemotherapy. The case for prophylactic cholecystectomy during pump placement.

Recent repopularization of intrahepatic infusion chemotherapy has been made possible by the development of the implantable Infusaid® pump. Surgical placement of a catheter into the gastroduodenal artery with division of collaterals to the stomach, duodenum, and pancreas has reduced the incidence of gastroduodenal ulceration and pancreatitis. The risk of chemical cholecystitis similarly demands prevention. Anatomically, the cystic artery is a branch of the right hepatic, artery in over 95 percent of patients. As a result, even a normal gallbladder is subjected to high-dose chemotherapy with the risk of development of drug-induced cholecystitis. In our first six patients undergoing pump implantation who had normal appearing gallbadders at the time of surgery, two developed symptomatic cholecystitis, necessitating cholecystectomy after receiving intrahepatic chemotherapy. As a result, we recommend elective cholecystectomy at the time of arterial catheterization for intrahepatic chemotherapy.
Site-specific effects of intracerebral injections of three neurokinins (neurokinin A, neurokinin K, and neurokinin γ) on the expression of male rat sexual behavior

Abstract Accumulating evidence indicates that neurokinins play a role in the neural regulation of male rat copulatory behavior. We have previously reported that injections of the neurokinin substance P into the medial preoptic nucleus facilitated male rat copulatory behavior. Recently, a number of other neurokinins, neurokinin K (neuropeptide K), neurokinin A (substance K), and neurokinin γ (derived from the same gene as substance P), have been indentified in the mammalian CNS. Therefore, in a series of experiments we examined the effects on male copulatory behavior following bilateral injections of different doses of neurokinin K (NkK), neurokinin A (NkA), or neurokinin γ (Nkγ) into the medial preoptic area (MPOA), bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BnST), or the caudate/putamen. Bilateral injections of NkK into the MPOA or BnST inhibited the expression of male copulatory behavior. The most marked effect was seen following bilateral injections of 0.25 and 0.52 nmol of NkK into the MPOA and the BnST. These injections produced a dramatic suppression of copulatory behavior in previously sexually vigorous male rats when compared to control injections. In contrast, bilateral injections of three different doses of NkA into the MPOA failed to affect any parameter of male copulatory behavior. Bilateral injections of 0.431 nmol of Nkγ into the MPOA failed to affect the expression of copulatory behavior, but significantly delayed its initiation when compared to controls. Bilateral injections of 0.251 nmol of NkK into the caudate/putamen had no significant effect on copulatory behavior in sexually vigorous male rats when compared to control injections. The results of the present study provide further support for a role of neurokinins in the regulation of copulatory behavior in the male rat. Taken together, these results suggest that the effects of neurokinins upon the expression of male copulatory behavior are site specific for brain regions in the sexually dimorphic vomeronasal pathway which includes the MeA, BnST, and MPOA.
Can statins reduce the inflammatory response associated with preterm birth in an animal model

Objective The objective of the study was to determine the effect of statins on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory response in a mouse model of preterm birth (PTB). Study Design Day 15 CD1 mice were randomly allocated to intraperitoneal LPS injection (100 μg) or control. Mice in the LPS group were pretreated, 16 and 2 hours prior, with pravastatin (10 μg/g), simvastatin (10 μg/g), or vehicle control. Animals were sacrificed 6 hours after LPS. Cytokine messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expression in the uterus and cervix, and concentrations in the maternal serum and amniotic fluid (AF) were determined. Results Pravastatin reduced interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6 mRNA expression in the uterus and cervix, respectively, and serum IL-1β and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) concentrations. Simvastatin reduced IL-1β and IL-6 mRNA expressions in the uterus, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) in the cervix, and IL-1β, IL-2, IL-12p70, IL-13, TNF-α, GM-CSF, and interferon-γ concentrations in the serum and IL-6 in AF. Conclusion Statins reduce the LPS-induced inflammatory responses in a mouse model of PTB.
Growth of Asiatic clams (Corbicula sp.) during and after long-term zinc exposure in field-located and laboratory artificial streams

Juvenile and adult Asiatic clams were exposed to 0.025-1.0 mg Zn/L for 30 days in artificial stream systems in an outdoor field laboratory and formal laboratory setting. All exposures (≧0.050 mg/L), except 0.025 mg/L, significantly reduced total weight gain between days 20 to 30 in the field-laboratory experiments. Laboratory exposures yielded little growth information as nutritional needs of the clam were not adequately satisfied; therefore, further research was confined to the field location. Exposures to 1.0 mg/L resulted in 10-50% mortality by day 30 in outdoor artificial streams. Significant increases in tissue water content of Zn-exposed clams indicated tissue degradation or osmoregulatory impairment. Bioaccumulation of Zn occurred at all levels of exposure and reflected growth inhibition at the levels tested. The maximum accumulation occurred in 1.0 mg/L treated clams (2000 Μg Zn/g dry weight). Controls varied consistently around 200 Μg Zn/g dry weight. When clams exposed to Zn (0.050-1.0 mg/L) were removed from exposure to control streams, Zn was completely depurated in 17 days with a concomitant return to normal growth patterns. Clams from the higher Zn exposures (0.50 and 1.0 mg/L) remained significantly different from controls due to earlier growth inhibition by Zn.Corbicula is a sensitive indicator of Zn stress at levels that are currently considered protective of aquatic life.
Oneness, complexity, and the distribution of disease.

Suggested Citation for this Article: Potter P. Oneness, complexity, and the distribution of disease [about the cover]. Emerg Infect Dis [serial on the Internet]. 2005 Sep [date cited]. http://dx.doi.org/10.3201/eid1109.AC1109
Hepatitis C and arthritis: an update.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infects approximately 3% of the world’s population or 170 million people. In the United States, HCV represents the most common blood-borne chronic infection and is a leading cause of chronic liver disease. It is estimated that the overall prevalence of HCV in the United States is 1.8% or 3.9 million people with approximately 2.7 million people chronically infected [1,2]. These figures likely are an underestimate of the true incidence of the disease, however, because the infection may be clinically silent. The main target of the virus is the hepatocyte and thus HCV primarily causes liver disease with cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma being the most devastating consequence of long-term infection. In addition, HCV infection frequently is associated with various extrahepatic manifestations, such as arthritis and arthralgias, vasculitis, mixed cryoglobulinemia, glomerulonephritis, lichen planus, porphyria cutanea tarda, and B cell lymphomas [3]. Depending on the population studied, some form of extrahepatic manifestation is observed in 24% to 74% of the patients [4–6] and they usually are seen during the chronic phase of the infection. Cacoub and colleagues [5] undertook a large, single-center evaluation of 1202 patients who had chronic HCV infection and described that 74% of them manifested extrahepatic symptoms, the risk factors being female sex, increasing age, and extensive liver fibrosis (suggesting that duration of infection or infecting genotype 1 also may represent risk factors, although these factors were not reported specifically). The mechanisms involved in extrahepatic manifestations are complex; HCV is known to be lymphotropic also [7] and persistent activation of immune cells leads to production of HCV-specific immunoglobulins with potential formation of immune complexes that may contribute to the various autoimmune and rheumatologic manifestations observed [8]. Special
Does radiofrequency ablation of lone atrial flutter change the natural history of atrial arrhythmia

Purpose: The development of atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with atrial flutter (AFl) is not an infrequent phenomenon. We hypothesized that radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of AFl might change the natural history of subsequent AF development, compared to a control, unablated, AFl population. Methods: The study group consisted of 215 consecutive patients, who underwent successful RFA of isthmus dependent AFl from 1997-2003. Patients who had no structural heart disease or permanent pacemaker/ICD, and no previous history of AF (n 97) were included in this analysis. Patients with “lone AFl”, who had received only medical therapy from 1965-1995 in the same Institute (n 59) comprised the control group. Results: AF occurred in 35 patients of the study group during 2.3 1.9 years of follow up and in 30 patients of the control group during 6.7 6.4 years. Kaplan Mayer analysis demonstrated no significant difference in cumulative survival without AF between the groups (fig). The 6 year cumulative probability of AF in the study group was 49%(95% CI 3361%), and in the control group 39%(95% CI 24-51%). Conclusions: Patients who presented with isthmus dependent AFl are at significant risk of subsequent AF. Successful RFA of AFl did not diminish late AF occurrence.
Structural Studies of Semiflexible Fluorocarbon Chains Containing an Aromatic Core

The molecular structure of a series of perfluoroalkane oligomers having two F(CF2)n chains attached to a phenyl group in the para position has beenstudied by Fourier Transform and conventional Raman spectroscopy at ambient and low temperatures. From comparison with model compounds bands attributable to both the substituted phenyl ring and the perfluoroalkane chains could be assigned. In particular, the low frequency region was investigated as a function of temperature and pressure in order to assess the impact of the rigid aromatic core on the bandshapes and frequencies.
The ergonomics of women in surgery.

Background Among surgeons who regularly perform minimally invasive surgery, as many as 87 % report injuries or symptoms related to job performance. Operating room and instrument design have traditionally favored surgeons who are taller and who possess hands that are, in general, large and strong. We hypothesize that women may be experiencing more ergonomic difficulties than men for whom the operating room and surgical instruments, although uniformly perilous, more traditionally have accommodated.
Analysis of Transcriptional Regulatory Sequences of the N-Methyl-d-aspartate Receptor 2A Subunit Gene in Cultured Cortical Neurons and Transgenic Mice

Abstract The postnatal appearance and up-regulation of the NR2A subunit of the N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor contributes to the functional heterogeneity of the receptor during development. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms that regulate the neural and developmental specific expression of NR2A, an upstream ∼9-kb region of the gene harboring the promoter was isolated and characterized in transgenic mice and transfected cortical neurons. Transgenic mouse lines generated with luciferase reporter constructs driven by either 9 or 1 kb of upstream sequence selectively transcribe the transgene in brain, as compared with other non-neural tissues. Reporter luciferase levels in dissociated cultures made from these mice are over 100-fold greater in neuronal/glial co-cultures than in pure glial cultures. Analysis of NR2A 5′-nested deletions in transfected cultures of cortical neurons and glia indicate that while sequences residing upstream of −1079 bp augment NR2A neuronal expression, sequences between −486 and −447 bp are sufficient to maintain neuronal preference. An RE1/NRSE element is not necessary for NR2A neuron specificity. Furthermore, comparison of the 5′-deletion constructs in cortical neurons grown for 5, 8, 11, or 14 days in vitro indicate that sequences between −1253 and −1180 bp are necessary for maturational up-regulation of NR2A. Thus, differentcis-acting sequences control the regional and temporal expression of NR2A, implicating distinct regulatory pathways.
Is There a Pragmatist Approach to Literature

This article explores the relation between literature as a form of artistic understanding and pragmatism as a form of philosophical inquiry. It does so, first, by exploring the place that each similarly accords the imagination as an instrument both of knowing and of making. The American philosopher John Dewey expressed the nature of this linkage when he argued that the purpose of art – and, he could have added, of pragmatic reflection as well – is to contrast actual conditions and their probable consequences with the purely plausible outcomes of experiences that are merely potential. Second, it shows how the cognitive needs served in this way by both literature and pragmatic philosophy converge around a double truth. Just as we need forms to express and experience what would otherwise go unsaid and thus unfelt and unknown, so we also need forms that also help us retrieve what we have already experienced or understood but have then either forgotten or suppressed. Literary and philosophical forms serve both these functions by at once taking us out of ourselves to experience what is strange and foreign on the peripheries of our understanding and also return us to the center of our experience where we so often recover a sense of the strangeness and foreignness that is already within it. Third, this article discusses how these strategies have found expression in a tradition of American writing that begins with Emerson and continues down the present and is marked by a special kind of linguistic skepticism.
Interference effects in the multiphoton ionization of sodium.

Sodium atoms are ionized by 777 nm, 150 fs laser pulses. Modulations are observed in the multiphoton ionization yield as a function of laser intensity. The oscillations are attributed to Ramsey interference caused by coherent population transfer between bound states at two different times during a single laser pulse.
Pulse detection logic for multibin photon counting detectors: beyond the simple comparator

Energy-discriminating, photon counting (EDPC) detectors have been proposed for CT systems for their spectral imaging capabilities, improved dose efficiency and higher spatial resolution. However, these advantages disappear at high flux because of the damaging effects of pulse pileup. From an information theoretic standpoint, spectral information is lost. The information loss is particularly high when we assume that the EDPC detector extracts information using a bank of comparators, as current EDPC detectors do. We analyze the use of alternative pulse detection logic which could preserve information in the presence of pileup. For example, the peak-only detector counts only a single event at the peak energy of multiple pulses which are piled up. We describe and evaluate five of these alternatives in simulation by numerically estimating the Cramer-Rao lower bound of the variance. At high flux, alternative mechanisms outperform comparators. In spectral imaging tasks, the variance reduction can be as high as an order of magnitude.
Central performance drop in texture segmentation: the role of spatial and temporal factors

Previous studies reported that performance in texture segmentation was lower near the fovea than in the periphery. However, the exact cause of this phenomenon had been unknown. Experiment 1 replicated the central performance drop (CPD). Experiments 2 and 3 demonstrated that the previously reported CPD was due to a temporal factor, i.e. slower neural processing in central vision, rather than a spatial factor. But Experiments 4 and 5 showed that certain textures can lead to a purely spatial form of CPD due to inhibition and/or interference from high spatial frequency mechanisms in central vision. This study showed that, depending on textures, CPD can arise from either temporal or spatial causes.