cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Roles of p63 in Differentiation of Müllerian Duct Epithelial Cells

In the mouse female reproductive tract, p63, a homologue of the p53 tumor suppressor gene, is highly expressed in basal cells of the vaginal and cervical epithelium, but not in the uterine epithelium. P63 is undetectable in the undifferentiated epithelium of the embryonic Mullerian duct. The Mullerian vaginal epithelium becomes p63 positive and stratified during the first week of postnatal development. P63 expression in the Mullerian vaginal epithelium is induced by vaginal mesenchyme. When vaginal mesenchyme was combined with uterine epithelium from newborn mouse, the uterine epithelium was induced to undergo vaginal differentiation and to express p63. Conversely, when the vaginal epithelium from the newborn mouse was recombined with uterine mesenchyme, it underwent uterine differentiation and failed to express p63. After the uterine epithelium or vaginal epithelium differentiates, the expression status of p63 in uterine (negative) and vaginal (positive) epithelia is not altered by heterotypic mesenchyme. Studies with p63-null mice demonstrate that p63 is essential for vaginal epithelial differentiation, because p63-null Mullerian vaginal epithelium developed as uterine epithelium. Thus, p63 determines whether Mullerian duct epithelial cells become uterine or vaginal. Misexpression of p63 in uterine and vaginal epithelial lesions induced by neonatal diethylstilbestrol (DES) exposure induces pathological changes. Irregularities in p63 expression (and thus epithelial differentiation) are observed in the uterine and vaginal epithelia of neonatally DES-exposed mice during the first week of postnatal development. Thus, neonatal DES exposure abnormally transforms uterine and vaginal epithelial differentiation by perturbing epithelial expression of p63 during development.
Use of four short-term tests to evaluate the mutagenicity of municipal water

Some ways in which four short-term tests may be used to evaluate the mutagenicity of drinking water were explored by testing raw and treated water from Lake Bloomington, which serves the town of Bloomington, Illinois (population, 44,000). The water was collected from February 1976 to October 1977 and was concentrated by evaporation or by use of XAD-2 resin. The water was tested for the ability to induce reverse mutation in a prokaryote, Salmonella typhimurium; forward mutation in a mold, Neurospora crassa; mitotic gene conversion in a yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae; and reverse mutation in maize, Zea mays. Because of the large number of water samples (54) and the limited amounts of the samples, it was not possible to test all samples in all four tests by all the protocols. Thus, the sensitivities of the four tests to potential mutagens in the water samples could not be rigorously compared. However, the results do show that lake and tap water samples collected during 1976 were toxic but not mutagenic in N. crassa and neither toxic nor genotoxic in S. cerevisiae; lake water collected during 1977 was mutagenic in one line of Z. mays and slightly mutagenic in S. typhimurium strain TA1536 in the presence of rat liver S9. The results suggest that tests that detect a variety of genetic end points should be used when testing complex mixtures such as drinking water. The advantages and disadvantages of the tests and protocols are discussed in terms of their applicability to the study of the mutagenicity of drinking water.
Convergent validation of the Social Axioms Survey

Social axioms are generalized statement beliefs about oneself, the social and physical environment, or the spiritual world. A recently developed measure of social axioms was validated in a sample of female college students (N=182) from the USA. Five established measures were used to demonstrate convergent validity for the Social Axioms Survey (SAS). The five dimensions of the survey (Control by Fate, Reward for Application, Social Cynicism, Spirituality, and Social Flexibility) were predictably related to the established measures. In addition, a number of self-reported behaviors were also significantly correlated with the social axioms dimensions. While the USA data lend support to the validity of the SAS, validation in other cultures is needed. In addition, the emic aspects of social beliefs in individual cultures should be explored.
Characterization of a panel of cell lines derived from urothelial neoplasms: genetic alterations, growth in vivo and the relationship of adenoviral mediated gene transfer to coxsackie adenovirus receptor expression.

Purpose: Cell lines have become an essential component for the investigation of cancer. We have developed a panel of cell lines derived from human urothelial cancers and we describe some of their important characteristics.Materials and Methods: Ten human urothelial cancer cell lines were characterized by their growth in athymic nude mice, CAR expression and their susceptibility to adenoviral mediated transfer of the green fluorescence protein gene. TP53 mutation status and immunochemical analysis of p53, pRB and p16 were also examined.Results: Five cell lines rapidly produced tumors in athymic nude mice. Two cell lines produced tumors in 1 month, 1 produced them in 3 months and 2 were nontumorigenic. The cell lines varied in CAR expression and in their susceptibility to adenoviral mediated gene transduction. There was no direct correlation between CAR expression and susceptibility to adenoviral mediated gene transduction. Seven cell lines had TP53 mutations, of which 2 had large deletions and did not expr...
Mass transfer in the flow of gases through shallow fluidized beds

Concentration profiles within a fluidized bed have been measured using a hydrocarbon analyzer and have been utilized to establish from them mass transfer coefficients and the corresponding jd-factor relationship, ϵfjd = 0·947/Re12, for 100 <Re < 450. The experimental approach involved the evaporation of n-decane from the surface of Celite particles, ranging from 0sd1215 to 0·0721 in. dia. In addition, a model is presented which is based on the variation with bed height of az, the interfacial area. This model predicts concentration profiles and actual mass transfer coefficients for a fluidized bed system.
Down-regulation of the polymeric immunoglobulin receptor in non-small cell lung carcinoma: correlation with dysregulated expression of the transcription factors USF and AP2.

The polymeric immunoglobulin receptor (PIGR) mediates transport of IgA and IgM antibodies across mucosal and glandular epithelia. Several studies have utilized immunohistochemistry to demonstrate that PIGR expression varies in different types of lung carcinoma, and is down-regulated during tumor progression. We have previously shown in cultured tumor cell-lines that basal transcription of the PIGR gene is regulated by the transcription factors USF1, USF2 and AP2. To examine the mechanism by which PIGR expression is down-regulated in lung carcinoma, RNA was microdissected from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded lung carcinomas (14 adenocarcinomas and 8 squamous cell carcinomas). Levels of PIGR, USF1, USF2 and AP2-α mRNA were quantified by real-time reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction and normalized to mRNA for the housekeeping gene GAPDH. PIGR mRNA levels were decreased in adenocarcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas relative to adjacent non-tumor tissue, and were inversely correlated with stage of differentiation. USF1 and USF2 mRNA levels were reduced in adenocarcinomas relative to non-tumor tissue, while AP2-α levels were elevated. Multivariate regression analysis demonstrated that reduced USF2 mRNA and increased AP2-α mRNA levels were predictive of down-regulated PIGR mRNA expression in the majority of adenocarcinomas and in moderately differentiated squamous cell carcinomas.
Promoting nursing research through newsletters

T HE AWARENESS AND application of research findings in nursing practice continue to be lacking in many health care organizations. It is more important than ever to ensure that nurses deliver quality patient care in the most efficient manner possible. Studies reported in the research literature have provided results that could be implemented in a variety of inpatient and outpatient areas. Despite the abundance of research that could be applied to practice, findings from many studies are never used. Common reasons identified by practicing nurses include limited access to research reports, inability to critically evaluate research studies, lack of time, inability to implement change, and lack of support from administrative personnel (Funk, Champagne, Wiese, & Tornquist, 1991a, 1991b; Miller & Messenger, 1978; Nolan, Larson, McGuire, Hill, & Hailer, 1994; Walczak, McGuire, Haisfield, & Beezley, 1994).
Complication with Removal of a Lumbar Spinal Locking Plate

Introduction. The use of locking plate technology for anterior lumbar spinal fusion has increased stability of the vertebral fusion mass over traditional nonconstrained screw and plate systems. This case report outlines a complication due to the use of this construct. Case. A patient with a history of L2 corpectomy and anterior spinal fusion presented with discitis at the L4/5 level and underwent an anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) supplemented with a locking plate placed anterolaterally for stability. Fifteen months after the ALIF procedure, he returned with a hardware infection. He underwent debridement of the infection site and removal of hardware. Results. Once hardware was exposed, removal of the locking plate screws was only successful in one out of four screws using a reverse thread screw removal device. Three of the reverse thread screw removal devices broke in attempt to remove the subsequent screws. A metal cutting drill was then used to break hoop stresses associated with the locking device and the plate was removed. Conclusion. Anterior locking plates add significant stability to an anterior spinal fusion mass. However, removal of this hardware can be complicated by the inherent properties of the design with significant risk of major vascular injury.
A lifestage approach to assessing children's exposure.

Understanding and characterizing risks to children has been the focus of considerable research efforts at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Potential health risks resulting from environmental exposures before conception and during pre- and postnatal development are often difficult to recognize and assess because of a potential time lag between the relevant periods of exposure during development and associated outcomes that may be expressed at later lifestages. Recognizing this challenge, a lifestage approach for assessing exposure and risk is presented in the recent EPA report titled A Framework for Assessing Health Risks of Environmental Exposures to Children (U.S. EPA, 2006). This EPA report emphasizes the need to account for the potential exposures to environmental agents during all stages of development, and consideration of the relevant adverse health outcomes that may occur as a result of such exposures. It identifies lifestage-specific issues associated with exposure characterization for regulatory risk assessment, summarizes the lifestage-specific approach to exposure characterization presented in the Framework, and discusses emerging research needs for exposure characterization in the larger public-health context. This lifestage approach for characterizing children's exposures to environmental contaminants ensures a more complete evaluation of the potential for vulnerability and exposure of sensitive populations throughout the life cycle. Birth Defects Res (Part B) 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
To RAS or Not to RAS? The Evidence for and Cautions with Renin‐Angiotensin System Inhibition in Patients with Diabetic Kidney Disease

Substantial morbidity, mortality, and costs are associated with progressive diabetic kidney disease (DKD). A goal of Healthy People 2020 is to reduce kidney disease attributable to diabetes mellitus and increase the proportion of patients who receive agents that interrupt the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), such as angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs). The mechanisms that contribute to progressive loss of kidney function in patients with diabetes are disrupted by inhibition of the RAS. ACEIs, ARBs and direct renin inhibitors (DRIs) all reduce the effect of angiotensin II, yet each works through a different mechanism and displays properties that may or may not be replicated by the others. As single agents, RAS inhibitors and blockers have been shown to slow the rate of progression of DKD and to reduce new cases of end-stage renal disease in various subsets of patients with diabetes and proteinuria (e.g., albuminuria). However, even with contemporary use of ACEIs, ARBs, and, more recently, DRIs, the burden of kidney disease remains high. Thus investigators sought to explore the utility of combining agents (e.g., dual RAS therapy) in various regimens for cardiovascular and kidney end points. Recent data from the Ongoing Telmisartan Alone and in Combination with Ramipril Global Endpoint Trial (ONTARGET) and Aliskiren Trial in Type 2 Diabetes Using Cardio-Renal Endpoints (ALTITUDE) studies suggest that kidney-related outcomes (composite of dialysis initiation, doubling serum creatinine concentration, or death) were increased with ACEI plus ARB or DRI plus ARB combinations. Consequently, dual therapy should not be routinely prescribed in patients with diabetes until further data become available from other future studies. This review provides an introduction to DKD and a rationale for using RAS inhibition; discusses screening, detection, and monitoring of patients with DKD; and summarizes results from meta-analyses and critical reviews and from recent large randomized controlled studies published since the meta-analyses or reviews. Finally, we suggest a clinical approach for using RAS agents in patients with DKD.
Olvanil acts on transient receptor potential vanilloid channel 1 and cannabinoid receptors to modulate neuronal transmission in the trigeminovascular system.

Abstract The transient receptor potential vanilloid channel 1 (TRPV1) is a nociceptive transducer located on nociceptive neurons. TRPV1 channels located on peripheral neurons mainly transduce the sense of heat and are also activated by low pH or capsaicin. The role of centrally located TRPV1 channels is not fully understood. Likewise their importance in pain syndromes of central origin, such as migraine, is not known. Experimental data suggest a relationship to migraine. However, experimental studies with TRPV1 receptor antagonists indicate that the receptor may not be a useful target for new acute migraine treatments. Any potential role for the receptor in the chronification of migraine has not been investigated. The present study aimed at analyzing the use of the TRPV1 channel as a target to desensitize trigeminal neurons and thereby inhibit neuronal activity in the trigeminocervical complex. The TRPV1 receptor agonist olvanil was used for desensitization because, as compared with capsaicin, it is non-noxious and lacks capsaicin’s pungency and CGRP release potential. We further investigated a possible effect of olvanil on cannabinoid (CB 1 ) receptors, as an interaction between both receptor systems has been described previously. The results show that olvanil dose-dependently inhibited spontaneous and stimulus-induced activity within the trigeminocervical complex, whereas it had no effect on CSD susceptibility. We further demonstrated that the inhibiting effect of olvanil is mediated by vanilloid and cannabinoid receptor systems, thereby using the synergistic effects this dual mechanism offers. Curiously, TRPV1 receptor agonism may have anti-nociceptive properties through central mechanisms that would be of considerable interest to elucidate.
Effects of Perceived Interactivity on Web Site Preference and Memory: Role of Personal Motivation

The main purpose of this study is to explore theoretically and empirically the effects of consumers' different surfing behaviors in terms of advertising effectiveness in the new media context. This study attempts to answer two primary questions: (1) What effect does interactivity have on attitude and memory? (2) What is the role of individual motivation on clicking behavior on the Web site? In this study, perceived interactivity was also found to influence consumers' attitudes toward the ad and memory for its contents. This finding is consistent with literature about the effects of interaction on attitude and memory. Results of this study showed a positive impact of perceived interactivity on both attitude and memory.
The reaction of 3-chloropentafluoropropene with 1,4-diazabicyclo[2,2,2]octane on activated carbon

Abstract 3-Chloropentafluoropropene ( 1 ) is useful in the production of co-polymers [ U.S. Pat. 3 047 639 (1962) to W.J. Cunningham, R.F. Sweeney and C. Woolf] and elastomers [G.L. Kann and S. Smith, Eur. Polym. J., 24 (1988) 411] or as a precursor to (chlorodifluoromethyl)trifluorooxirane [J. Kvicala and O. Paleta, XIIIth Int. Symp. Fluorine Chemistry, Bochum, September, 1991; Abstr. J. Fluorine Chem., 54 (1991) 69]. It has also been reported that 1 is highly toxic [M. Thun and R.D. Kimbrough, Clin. Toxicol., 24 (1981) 481]. Part of the role of our laboratory is to assess the hazard posed to users, and the public, of toxic industrial, agricultural and pharmaceutical chemicals. To that end we have assessed the ability of activated carbon filters to remove 1 from contaminated airstreams. Compound 1 is poorly retained on standard activated carbon filters and, in contrast to pentafluoro-2-(trifluoromethyl)propene [C.R. Hall, I.W. Lawston and A.M. Tinsley, Chem. Ind. (London), (1989) 145], does not react rapidly with water adsorbed on the surface of BPL carbon. The incorporation of 1% 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]-octane (TEDA) onto BPL carbon reduces the amount of 1 in the effluent airstream considerably, but leads to the formation of hexafluoropropene (2) as the only volatile reaction product detected in the effluent airstream. This conversion involves the hydrolysis of 1, promoted by TEDA, on the carbon surface to generate fluoride ion. It is nucleophilic attack of fluoride ion on 1 that is responsible for the generation of 2. The reaction pathway, which is complex, will be described in detail.
Cosmological simulations of decaying dark matter: implications for small-scale structure of dark matter haloes

We present a set of N-body simulations of a class of models in which an unstable dark matter particle decays into a stable non-interacting dark m atter particle, with decay lifetime comparable to the Hubble time. We study the effects of the kinematic recoil velocity (Vk) received by the stable dark matter on the structures of dark matter halos ranging from galaxycluster to Milky Way mass scales. For Milky Way-mass halos, we use high-resolution, zoomin simulations to explore the effects of decays on Galactic substructure. In general, halos with circular velocities comparable to the magnitude of kick velocity are most strongly affected by decays. We show that decaying dark matter models with lifetimes 1 � H 1 0 and recoil speeds Vk � 20 40km/s can significantly reduce both the abundance of Galactic subh alos and the internal densities of the subhalos. We also compare subhalo circular velocity profiles with observational constraints on the Milky Way dwarf satellite galaxies. Interestingly, we find that decaying dark matter models that do not violate current astrophysical constraints, can significantly mitigate both the well-documented “missing satellites problem” and the more recent “too big to fail problem” associated with the abundances and densities of Local Group dwarf satellite galaxies. A relatively unique feature of late dec aying dark matter models is that they predict significant evolution of halos as a function of time. This is an important consideration because at high redshifts, prior to decays, decaying models exhibit the same sequence of structure formation as cold dark matter. Thus, decaying dark matter models are significantly less constrained by high-redshift phenomena (e.g., reionizati on, AGN formation, Lyman-α forest) than warm mark matter models that exhibit similar low-redshift predictions. We conclude that models of decaying dark matter make predictions that are relevant for the interpretation of observations of small galaxies in the Local Group and can be tested or constrained by the kinematics of Local Group dwarf galaxies as well as by forthcoming large-scale surveys.
Determination of antimony in human blood with inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry

A method is presented for the determination of antimony in whole human blood samples with an ICP-MS instrument using a quadrupole mass analyzer. A nitric acid/hydrogen peroxide open digestion procedure was employed for the blood sample treatment and preparation for analysis. The precision and accuracy of the method were evaluated by analyzing several Seronorm™ trace elements whole blood reference materials. The precision of the method at various antimony levels was better than 4% RSD and the recovery was greater than 92% at all levels. The detection limit, calculated as three times the standard deviation of the blank (3σ, n = 12), was 0.03 μg L−1. The method was successfully applied for the determination of antimony in blood samples from school children in rural areas of Kwazulu/Natal, South Africa and adults from Dearborn, Michigan. Blood antimony levels ranged from <0.03 to 3.82 μg L−1 in children and 1.40 to 4.35 μg L−1 for adults.
Optimal control of product selectivity in the reations of polyatomic molecules: a reduced space analysis

The methods proposed for the control of the dynamical evolution of a quantum system are, in principle, applicable to molecules of any size. However, the complexity of the description of the states of a molecule with many degrees of freedom has the practical consequence that obtaining the information necessary to design a control field is very difficult. To overcome this difficulty we propose, for the case of enhancement of specific product formation in a unimolecular reaction, the use of a particular reduced description of the many body dynamics, namely, a constrained reaction path representation. The formalism for this scheme is sketched, and some of the consequences of the approximations used are briefly discussed.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Platelets, coagulation and fibrinolysis in breast cancer progression

The progression of breast cancer from early-stage to metastatic disease results from a series of events during which malignant cells invade and travel within the bloodstream to distant sites, leading to a clonogenic accumulation of tumor cells in non-breast tissue. While mechanistically complex, an emerging literature supports hemostatic elements as an important patient factor that facilitates the metastatic potential of breast cancer. Hemostatic elements involved include platelets, coagulation, and fibrinolysis. Key steps in breast tumor progression, including cellular transformation, proliferation, tumor cell survival, and angiogenesis, can be mediated by components of the hemostatic system. Thus, the hemostatic system provides potential targets for novel therapeutic approaches to breast cancer therapy with drugs in current use and in development. The present article provides a comprehensive overview of the evidence and mechanisms supporting the roles played by platelets, coagulation activation, and the fibrinolytic system in breast cancer progression.
Ytterbium laser with reduced thermal loading

We report a novel design for a high-power ytterbium disk laser. This laser utilizes radial diode pumping of a back surface cooled active-mirror geometry. Wing absorption of the pump light at 0.99 /spl mu/m allows efficient laser operation at 1.05 /spl mu/m with a low quantum defect. Laser performance and thermal loading were characterized for a wide range of conditions. Optimized operation of the laser yielded 490 W in a quasi-continuous-wave mode. Electrical efficiency of the laser was found to be 9.4%, while heating of the laser disk was only 3.2% of the absorbed optical power. Fluorescence re-absorption is identified as the principal heat generation mechanism in this laser. A simplified extension to the conventional rate model is proposed for lasing in radiation-trapped systems. This model allows power flow calculations in a radiation-trapped laser system using a single parameter determined from fluorescence decay waveforms. The revised model agrees with heat load measurements.
Dihydrogen Binding to Isostructural S = 1/2 and S = 0 Cobalt Complexes

Two isostructural, nonclassical Co(H2) complexes are prepared from their Co(N2) precursors using tris(phosphino)silyl and tris(phosphino)borane ancillary ligands. Comproportionation of CoBr2 and Co metal in the presence of TPB (tris-(o-diisopropylphophinophenyl)borane) gives (TPB)CoBr (4). One-electron reduction of 4 triggers N2 binding to give (TPB)Co(N2) (2-N2) which is isostructural to previously reported [SiP3]Co(N2) (1-N2) ([SiP3] = tris-(o-diisopropylphosphinophenyl)silyl). Both 1-N2 and 2-N2 react with 1 atm H2 to generate thermally stable H2 complexes 1-H2 and 2-H2, respectively. Both complexes are characterized by a suite of spectroscopic techniques in solution and by X-ray crystallography. The H2 and N2 ligands in 2-H2 and 2-N2 are labile under ambient conditions and the binding equilibria are observable by temperature-dependent UV/vis. A van’t Hoff analysis allows for the ligand binding energetics to be determined (H2: ΔHo = −12.5(3) kcal mol–1 and ΔSo = −26(3) cal K–1 mol–1; N2: ΔHo = −13.9(7)...
Comparison of gluteus medius muscle activity during functional tasks in individuals with and without osteoarthritis of the hip joint

Abstract Background Neuromuscular alterations have been reported for patients with osteoarthritis of the hip joint; however, the underlying cause associated with altered gluteus medius muscle function has not been examined. This study assessed electromyographic amplitudes of the gluteus medius muscles during function in patients with unilateral end-stage osteoarthritis of the hip joint compared to controls. Methods Patients with unilateral end-stage hip joint osteoarthritis (n = 13) and asymptomatic control participants (n = 17) participated. Average root-mean squared muscle amplitudes represented as a percent of maximum voluntary isometric contraction for both the involved and uninvolved limb gluteus medius muscles were analyzed during step up, step down, and gait. The association between muscle activation and impact forces during stepping tasks was assessed. Findings Patients with hip osteoarthritis exhibited increased gluteus medius muscle electromyographic amplitudes bilaterally during stair ascent, stair descent, and gait compared to controls, regardless of which limb they led. Involved limb muscle activity was inversely related to impact force during step down onto the ipsilateral limb. Interpretation Patients with hip osteoarthritis demonstrated increased gluteus medius muscle activation levels during stepping tasks and gait when compared to controls. The increased activation is most likely a compensatory response to muscle weakness. Therefore, application of strengthening exercises which target the gluteal muscles should assist in neuromuscular control and result in improved strength for patients with hip joint osteoarthritis.
Maternal epidural use and neonatal sepsis evaluation in afebrile mothers.

Objective. Epidural use has been associated with a higher rate of neonatal sepsis evaluation. Epidural-related fever explains some of the increase but not the excess of neonatal sepsis evaluations in afebrile women Methods. We studied 1109 women who had singleton term pregnancies and who presented in spontaneous labor and were afebrile during labor ( 24 hours or sustained fetal heart rate of >160 beats per minute. Minor criteria included a maternal temperature of 99.6°F to 100.4°F, rupture of membranes for 12 to 24 hours, maternal admission white blood cell count of >15 000 cells/mL3, or an Apgar score of Results. Infants of afebrile women with epidural analgesia were more likely to be evaluated for sepsis than infants of women without epidural (20.4% vs 8.9%), although not more likely to have neonatal sepsis. An increased risk of sepsis evaluation persisted in regression analysis (odds ratio: 3.1; 95% confidence interval: 2.0, 4.7) after controlling for confounders and was not explained by longer labors with epidural. Women with epidural were significantly more likely to have major and minor criteria for sepsis evaluation, including fetal tachycardia (4.4% vs 0.4%), rupture of membranes for >24 hours (6.2% vs 3.4%), low-grade fever of 99.6°F to 100.4°F (24.3% vs 5.2%), and rupture of membranes for 12 to 24 hours (21.4% vs 5.2%) than women without epidural. Conclusions. Epidural analgesia is associated with increased rates of major and minor criteria for neonatal sepsis evaluations in afebrile women.
A Review of the Relationship Between 100% Fruit Juice Consumption and Weight in Children and Adolescents:

Studies assessing a relationship between consumption of 100% fruit juice by children and adolescents and weight are contradictory. The purpose of this review was to assess the 9 cross-sectional and 12 longitudinal studies that have looked at this association. Of the 9 cross-sectional studies reviewed, only 3 reported any association. Those studies used small, local convenience samples of preschool children; furthermore, selection criteria were not well defined. One found that preschool children consuming ≥12 fluid oz/day of 100% fruit juice had a higher prevalence of overweight than those who consumed less than 12 oz/day (32% vs 9%). Later, a separate study showed that this relationship held only for apple juice. Another study demonstrated an association of overweight and energy from juice. These 3 studies were not nationally representative. Only 3 of the longitudinal studies showed an association between 100% fruit juice consumption and weight; 1 found an association only in adolescent girls, and 2 repor...
Inactivation of Spermatozoa by Lactate and Reactivation with Alkali

Summary In two experiments, comparisons were made on the inactivation and reactivation by alkalinization of spermatozoa in two basic diluters: (a) YC, consisting of one part egg yolk and one part of a 2.9% solution of sodium citrate dihydrate, and (b) YGL, consisting of one part yolk, four parts of a 5% solution of glucose, and one part of different combinations of a 1.25% solution of lactic acid and a 0.6% solution of sodium hydroxide to have different pH levels. Survival of spermatozoa in the lactate diluents at 5° C. for seven days was not enhanced by the presence of sulfanilamide. Rather, complete inactivation of spermatozoa was observed after storage in YGL at pH 6.4, but not in YC at the same pH. Reactivation of spermatozoa after storage in the lactate medium can be accomplished by increasing pH to levels above 7.00. These spermatozoa are then capable of maintaining motility for at least 1 hr. at room temperature or for 24 hr. at 5° C, in spite of high pH. More work is needed to determine the value of inactivation with lactate in preservation of spermatozoa.
Optimized assay for mammalian tyrosinase (polyhydroxyl phenyloxidase)

Tyrosinase is an important enzyme in the formation of pigment throughout the animal kingdom and many assays have been described for measuring its activity. This paper describes an assay which has been optimized to measure the enzymatic activity of mammalian tyrosinase and describes the procedures from which the optimum conditions were determined. The preparation and storage of the stock reagents required to perform the assay are also described in detail as well as some discussion pertaining to the preparation of samples prior to assay.
Directness and deference in pharmacy students' messages to physicians.

The profession of pharmacy is in the midst of an attempted role expansion. Advocates of a philosophy of practice known as pharmaceutical care want to expand the traditional role of the pharmacist to include patient counseling, drug use monitoring, clinical consultation with physicians, and responsibility for patient outcomes. Other health professions are resisting this role expansion, and it has proven difficult to socialize students into a professional role that is not yet widely accepted. To better prepare students for the workplace, pharmacy educators need a way of assessing the extent to which students have accepted and begun to enact the expanded clinical role. Since role and identity disputes are negotiated in routine interactions between pharmacists and other health professionals, an assessment tool was devised to mimic a common interprofessional interaction. Written messages to physicians were gathered from pharmacy students in response to a hypothetical drug allergy scenario. Pharmacist-physician communication is especially problematic because many of the acts pharmacists routinely perform (e.g. correcting, reminding, reporting, etc.) are intrinsically threatening to a physician's professional identity and sense of self worth. Brown and Levinson's politeness theory explains how situational factors influence peoples' choices in dealing with such identity threatening acts. As an act becomes more threatening, the degree of politeness accompanying the act also increases. Detailed content analysis of pharmacy students' messages to physicians determined that allergy reports were more likely to be made directly than alternative drug recommendations. Recommendations were more likely than reports to be omitted entirely. Implications for pharmacy students' emerging professional identities are discussed.
Utility of leg ultrasonography in suspected symptomatic isolated calf deep venous thrombosis

PURPOSE : To evaluate the utility of duplex ultrasonography in patients with suspected symptomatic, isolated calf deep venous thrombosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS : Thirty patients with clinically suspected isolated calf deep venous thrombosis were examined with both duplex ultrasonography and contrast venography and the results were compared. RESULTS : Venography detected 7 cases of isolated calf deep venous thrombosis, all of which were also detected by ultrasonography. Ultrasound identified an additional 3 cases of soleal vein thrombosis, but venography did not visualize these veins. Of the 20 negative ultrasound studies, 11 were technically inadequate ; however, no false-negative ultrasound studies were noted. CONCLUSIONS : Compression ultrasonography may be reliable for the evaluation of patients with suspected symptomatic infrapopliteal deep venous thrombosis. Its apparent superiority to contrast venography in visualizing muscular calf veins warrants further study ; however, the high rate of technical inadequacy in ultrasound studies observed here, if confirmed in larger studies, may limit the usefulness of ultrasound in this setting.
Effect of Surface Finishing on Filtration Performance of a Regenerable Filter Media

The periodical filter cleaning process has a marked effect on the filtration performances of fabric filters. A model was proposed to express the non-uniformity of residual dust cake distribution after filter cleaning in a simpler manner, in which two parameters, i.e. the surface cleaning fraction, f , and the residual dust load on un-cleaned surface, RD , were introduced. Three filter media with different surface finishing were tested and f and RD were calculated by using the testing results. It can then be concluded that filter with surface finishing of calendar + singe has a better filter regeneration effect than that of singe + calendar. Lamination with PTFE membrane results in an excellent filter regeneration effect.
Dissemination of CMS voltage standard by using NIST 10 V programmable Josephson voltage standard system

A 10 V programmable Josephson voltage standard (PJVS) system has been successfully set up at Center for Measurement Standards (CMS) in 2011. In order to evaluate the performance of this system, we indirectly compared the new PJVS system with the conventional JVS (CJVS) system by using a Zener reference. The voltage across the 10 V terminal of this Zener reference is measured by these two systems individually. Comparison result shows that the difference between the voltages measured by PJVS and CJVS systems is far smaller than the uncertainty of the CJVS system after cancelling the voltage offset of the circuit.
Effects of Two Harvesting Methods and Grinding on Growth, Intake, and Digestion of Corn Stover Silage Diets by Yearling Dairy Heifers

Abstract Four total mixed diets were fed after ensiling for 45 days to four groups of seven yearling Holstein heifers for 168 days. Diet 1 (control) consisted of 84% whole corn plant and 16% dehydrated poultry excreta. Diets 2, 3, and 4 contained 60% whole corn plant, 25% corn stover, and 15% dehydrated poultry excreta. Source of stover for diet 2 was 2-yr-old baled stover and for diets 3 and 4 fresh stover harvested by rotary mower and forage harvester with a pickup head attachment immediately after removal of whole ear corn. Stover in diets 2 and 3 was also ground through a 6.35-cm tub grinder screen. Heifers were housed in a free stall shed with open side and fed individually via electronic feedgates. Average daily gains and intakes of dry matter were: .88, 8.60; .65, 7.37; .65, 9.70; and .58, 8.70 for the four diets. Four additional heifers were fed diets in a 4 × 4 Latin square digestion trial. Dry matter, acid detergent fiber, and crude protein digestion coefficients were: 62.5, 62.3, 47.2; 60.7, 56.3, 41.9; 61.0, 46.7, 45.9; and 63.1, 58.1, 51.0%. Grinding fresh stover prior to ensiling had no effect on intake or gain compared with the unground fresh stover. Heifers fed the 2-yr-old baled ground stover diet consumed less (2.3 kg) feed per day but produced the same average daily gains as those fed the fresh ground stover diet.
Bending Strain Effects on the Critical Current of Bi-2223 Superconducting Tapes by Pure Bending Method

The effects of bending strain on the critical current of 19-filament Ag/Bi-2223 and 121-filament AgMg/Bi-2223 tapes produced by powder-in-tube method have been studied by a pure-bending method at 77K. The I cn (e) curves are of two regimes, I cn does not decrease until bending strain increases to a limit e irr . The e 0.9 values of 19-filament Ag/Bi-2223 and 121-filament AgMg/Bi-2223 tapes are 0.32% (negative bending), 0.64% (positive bending) and 0.30%, respectively. The I cn (e) curves are fitted by the formulae I cn =1-(e/a) b , where a and b is the material parameters. The strain dependences of the I cn values for the pure-bending, modified RRT and bending-rig methods were nearly identical up to e irr .
Miniacina miniacea: modern foraminiferal sands on the Outer Moroccan shelf*

The attached foraminifera, Miniacina miniacea, is a major sedimentary component on the outer shelf off central and southern Morocco, particularly in water depths between 95 and 115 m, where concentrations generally exceed 40% of the carbonate fraction. Predominance of this species may be largely a function of the relatively great water depths which preclude optimal growth of other encrusting organisms.
Lyric Economies: Manufacturing Values in French Petrarchan Collections (1549-60) *

Between 1549 and 1560, French Petrarchan sonnet sequences proliferated in the wake of Du Bellay's Defense and Illustration of the French Tongue and Ronsard's Amours. Yet this proliferation relied on a remarkable economy of means, in large part due to the constant recycling of metaphors, tropes, and forms. In fact, the genre can be read as a cost-efficient system that addressed the economic anxiety of a generation of poets caught between the aspiration to impose the autonomy of their art and their social dependence on a patron. It also preemptively solved the potential credit crisis that could have resulted from having had to borrow from the Italians in order to establish a new French canon. Looking at Ronsard, Du Bellay, and Ellain, this essay examines French Petrarchan collections as complex lyric economies that manufacture and negotiate aesthetic, literary, monetary, and national values.
Ineffective Communication of Mental Status Information During Care Transfer of Older Adults

BACKGROUND: Monitoring and documenting the mental status of older patients transferred between providers or facilities is important because mental status change can be a sign of acute disease and mental status abnormalities necessitate specific approaches to care.
Plasma elimination of antithrombin III (heparin cofactor activity) is accelerated in term newborn infants

Antithrombin III (AT III) levels are markedly increased in newborn infants following exchange transfusion with adult blood, and subsequently return to pre-exchange values. This transient rise in AT III (heparin cofactor activity), was used to estimate its plasma elimination half-life. AT III activities were measured serially, before and after double-volume exchange transfusions with heparinised blood in newborn infants requiring therapy for severe hyperbilirubinaemia. The plasma elimination half-life of AT III activity was calculated to be 3.9±1.4 h ( $$\overline X = 2.05$$ ±SEM). Compared with published data on the kinetics of AT III infusions in adults, the neonate has a considerably accelerated turnover. This finding has important implications for the design of future therapeutic trials of AT III concentrates and provides further evidence that plasma proteins, including components of the coagulation system, appear to have different kinetics in the neonatal period.
Comparison of TNFα and TNFβ Cytolytic Mechanisms in Human Ovarian and Cervical Carcinoma Cell Lines

Abstract Objectives. The aim of this study was to determine the potential and mechanism of tumor necrosis factor β (TNFβ) mediated cytolysis in human ovarian and cervical carcinoma cells. Methods. The cytolytic potential of tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) and TNFβ was determined using the TNF reference cell line L929 and human ovarian (SK-OV-3, CaOV-3) and cervical (SiHa, HT-3) carcinoma cell lines. We have previously reported the effects of the lipoxygenase enzyme inhibitor, nordihydroguaiaretic acid, the oxygen radical scavenger glutathione, and fragmented DNA-specific staining with diamidino-2-phenylindole and ApopTag on TNFα-mediated cytolysis in these cells. The effects of these agents on TNFβ-mediated cytolysis were determined. Results. All of the cell lines express a protein-synthesis-dependent TNFα and TNFβ resistance mechanisms. When protein synthesis is inhibited the cytolytic activity of TNFβ was fivefold greater than that of TNFα in L929 cells. In contrast, the cytolytic activity of TNFα was fivefold greater than that of TNFβ in the human cells. Like the TNFα cytolytic mechanism, the TNFβ cytolytic mechanism is dependent on lipoxygenase enzymes, but not oxygen radicals, and results in apoptosis. Conclusions. To date there is little information about the cytolytic potential of TNFβ in human cells. The fact that the cytolytic mechanism of TNFβ appears very similar to that of TNFα could be important to our understanding of the potential of these closely related cytokines in anticancer therapies. Although the cytolytic potential of TNFβ is greater than that of TNFα in mouse cells, this is not true in human cells and could limit the efficacy of TNFβ in anticancer therapies.
Efficient Routing for Hybrid Optical-CDMA and WDM All-Optical Networks

This article presents a routing algorithm for all-optical networks that utilizes near future WDM and Optical-CDM technologies. The assumption that parallel channels traversing the same path have the same metric (cost) is no longer valid. The algorithm adopts a flooding mechanism to compute metrics corresponding to every possible path between the source and destination nodes based on the link impairments and switch characteristics. From amongst computed costs, a selection is taken minimizing the cost by using Viterbi algorithm. This way, codes and wavelengths are assigned based on the characteristics of each link for each possible route, thus optimizing the network's performance.
Steering azathioprine safely: lessons from pharmacogenetics: Cuffari C, Hunt S, Bayless T, Utilisation of Erythrocyte 6-Thioguanine Metabolite Levels to Optimise Azathioprine Therapy in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Gut 2001;48:642–6

Abstract The immunosuppressive properties of azathioprine and 6-mercaptopurine are mediated by their active metabolite 6-thioguanine. Cuffari and colleagues performed a prospective study to determine the relationship of erythrocyte 6-thioguanine levels and treatment efficacy in adult patients with inflammatory disease (IBD). The study design is summarized in Figure 1 . Download : Download high-res image (110KB) Download : Download full-size image Figure 1 . Study design. AZA = azathioprine; 6-MP = 6-mercaptopurine. Eighty-two patients (42 females) with IBD aged 17–77 yr (mean age = 42) were studied. Among 63 with Crohn’s disease (CD) 29 had ileocolonic disease (15 with previous bowel resection) and 26 had colonic disease (four with previous resection). Twelve of the 19 with ulcerative colitis (UC) had pancolitis and the rest had left-sided disease. The mean duration of IBD was 6.3 yr, and 72 patients were on 5-aminosalicylate. In patients with CD, activity was measured using the Harvey-Bradshaw index and for UC a clinical activity score was adapted to monitor response to therapy. Remission was defined as an HBI score of Thirty-three patients with CD and 14 with UC achieved remission at an average daily dose of 1.44 mg of azathioprine or 1.16 mg of 6-mercaptopurine. The median 6-thioguanine level for CD patients in remission was 316 pmol/8 × 108 red blood cells (RBCs), compared with 176 pmol/8 × 108 RBCs in those with incomplete responses. A significantly higher number of patients who responded to therapy had 6-thioguanine levels of >250 pmol/8 × 108 RBCs relative to those who failed to achieve remission. Treatment efficacy correlated with a 6-thioguanine level of >250 pmol/8 × 108 RBCs in patients with colonic and fistulating CD, but not in those with ileocolonic CD. Twenty-two out of 30 patients with CD who were incompletely responsive and had 6-thioguanine levels below 250 pmol/8 × 108 RBCs were recruited to the dose optimization study. The dose of azathioprine was increased by 25 mg/day at 8-wk intervals up to a median dose of 1.5 mg/kg/day. This was associated with a rise in the median 6-thioguanine level to 303 pmol/8 × 108 RBCs. Eighteen out of 22 patients achieved remission on this regime. The authors conclude that serial measurements of 6-thioguanine levels would be useful in optimizing azathioprine treatment without inducing leucopenia. Patients who were unresponsive to therapy despite adequate 6-thioguanine levels (>250 pmol/8 × 108 RBCs) should be considered refractory to azathioprine/6-mercaptopurine and offered other forms of treatment.
An instantaneous normal mode theory of condensed phase absorption: the vibrational spectrum of condensed CS2 from boiling to freezing

Abstract An instantaneous normal mode (INM) theory of condensed phase absorption is applied to determine the infrared spectrum of condensed phase carbon disulfide (CS 2 ). State points with pressures from 100 kPa (near boiling) to 1.16 GPa (near freezing) are considered, and excellent agreement with time correlation function (TCF) and experimental results is demonstrated. The INM theory includes an approximate treatment of the imaginary INM absorption, and reproduces the Fourier transform of the full system dipole–dipole TCF. The INM formalism also allows for more flexibility in calculating the spectrum, and is far less computationally demanding.