cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tamoxifen toxicity in cultured retinal pigment epithelial cells is mediated by concurrent regulated cell death mechanisms.

Purpose To evaluate the mechanism of tamoxifen-induced cell death in human cultured RPE cells, and to investigate concurrent cell death mechanisms including pyroptosis, apoptosis, and necroptosis. Methods Human RPE cells were cultured until confluence and treated with tamoxifen; cell death was measured by detecting LDH release. Tamoxifen-induced cell death was further confirmed by 7-aminoactinomycin D (7-AAD) and annexin V staining. Lysosomal destabilization was assessed using lysosomal-associated membrane protein-1 (LAMP-1) and acridine orange staining. The roles of lysosomal enzymes cathepsin B and L were examined by blocking their activity. Caspase activity was evaluated by caspase-1, -3, -8, and -9 specific inhibition. Cells were primed with IL-1α and treated with tamoxifen; mature IL-1β production was quantified via ELISA. Caspase activity was verified with the fluorochrome-labeled inhibitor of caspases (FLICA) probe specific for each caspase. Regulated cell necrosis or necroptosis was examined with 7-AAD and inhibition of receptor-interacting protein 1 (RIP1) kinase using necrostatin-1 (Nec-1). Results Cell death occurred within 2 hours of tamoxifen treatment of confluent RPE cells and was accompanied by lysosomal membrane permeabilization. Blockade of cathepsin B and L activity led to a significant decrease in cell death, indicating that lysosomal destabilization and cathepsin release occur prior to regulated cell death. Tamoxifen-induced toxicity was shown to occur through both caspase-dependent and caspase-independent cell death pathways. Treatment of RPE cells with caspase inhibitors and Nec-1 resulted in a near complete rescue from cell death. Conclusions Tamoxifen-induced cell death occurs through concurrent regulated cell death mechanisms. Simultaneous inhibition of caspase-dependent and caspase-independent cell death pathways is required to protect cells from tamoxifen. Inhibition of upstream activators, such as the cathepsins, may represent a novel approach to block multiple cell death pathways.
Visual field defects after selective amygdalohippocampectomy and standard temporal lobectomy.

Background Selective amygdalohippocampectomy (SelAH) is increasingly performed in patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy and hippocampal sclerosis. To determine whether visual field defects are less pronounced after SelAH than after standard temporal lobectomy (StTL), we retrospectively analyzed postoperative quantitative visual fields after the 2 procedures. Methods Humphrey visual field analysis was obtained postoperatively in 18 patients who had undergone SelAH and in 33 patients who had undergone StTL. The SelAH was performed via a transcortical approach through the middle temporal gyrus and included the amygdala, 3 cm of the hippocampus, and the parahippocampal gyrus. The visual field pattern deviation was used for analysis. We considered a defect clinically significant if there were 3 contiguous coordinates affected at the 5% level or 2 at the 1% level. Results All but 2 of 18 patients who had undergone SelAH had homonymous superior quadrantic visual field defects contralateral to the side of the surgery. One patient had no defects by our criteria, and one had a mild defect that reached significance only in the ipsilateral eye. The averaged defect affected mostly coordinates close to the vertical meridian with relative sparing of points close to the horizontal meridian. All but 3 of the 33 patients who had undergone StTL had homonymous superior quadrantic visual field defects. One patient had no defects; 2 had defects that reached significance in only one eye. The averaged defect involved all points in the affected quadrant, but was also greater near the vertical meridian. Of 13 tested visual field coordinates, 4 were significantly less affected by SelAH in the ipsilateral eye and 3 in the contralateral eye. The coordinates close to the horizontal meridian were significantly spared by SelAH. Conclusions Visual field defects are very common after SelAH but are significantly less pronounced than after StTL. In particular, the visual field close to the horizontal meridian is relatively spared in SelAH.
Traumatic Retinal Pigment Epithelial Edema

A 17-year-old girl was struct in the right eye by a mortarboard tossed into the air during high school graduation exercises. She suffered commotio retinae with damage to the retinal pigment epithelium and macular hole formation. Fluorescein angiography in the acute stages revealed diffuse staining at the level of the pigment epithelium. Five months later, the areas of abnormal staining had undergone depigmentation and dye no longer accumulated in the pigment epithelial layer. The fluorescein findings in traumatic retinal pigment epithelial edema are unusual.
Isotope experiments on the 2, 6-dichlorophenolindophenol-mediated oxidation of ascorbic acid by illuminated chloroplasts.

Abstract The use of oxygen isotopes revealed that when 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol and ascorbic acid were added to a system containing illuminated Phytolacca chloroplasts functioning in a Mehler reaction, the rate of oxygen evolution was decreased to 9 10 while the rate of oxygen consumption was increased to 2 3 4 times the original rates. After complete oxidation of the added ascorbate, the rate of oxygen evolution increased to 1 1 2 times the original rate. These results support the assumption that ascorbate can be oxidized via the (OH) system produced by the photolysis of water.
Microcollaborations in a social Q&A community

Most social Q&A sites are designed to support solo searchers who access the aggregated opinions of other users, and ask and answer questions of their own. The purpose of this paper is to show how users in one social Q&A community defy system constraints to engage in brief, informal episodes of collaborative information seeking called microcollaborations. A brief literature review is presented, suggesting a view of information seeking as a combination of problem-centered information seeking, technological affordances and constraints, and social and affective factors. The results of content and transaction log analyses of user interactions suggest that topics of collaboration share a common threshold of complexity and invite responses containing both fact and opinion. Analysis also revealed that key elements in predicting a collaborative instance involve social capital and affective factors unrelated to the topic of the collaboration. Suggestions for supporting future lightweight microcollaborations, and implications for future research, are discussed.
Effects of high concentrations of secretagogues on the morphology and secretory activity of the pancreas: a role for microfilaments.

Cholecystokinin (CCK) and acetylcholine, at concentrations greater than those required for maximal pancreatic enzyme secretion, elicit a submaximal secretory response. The mechanism for this “secretagogue-induced unresponsiveness” is unknown. Using isolated pancreatic acini of the mouse, we now find that high concentrations of secretagogues also induce a profound alteration in acinar morphology, characterized by the formation of spherical protrusions on the basal surface of the cells. Since both the determination of cell shape and exocytosis may involve calcium and contractile proteins, we used a calcium-free medium and cytochalasin B (CB) to evaluate the importance of a contractile mechanism in the secretory and morphological effects of high concentrations of CCK-octapeptide (CCK8). Incubation in a calcium-free medium partially blocked CCK-induced unresponsiveness, but brought about dissociation of the acini. CB at a concentration of 3 μg/ml caused the disappearance of apical microfilaments and, most strikingly, completely prevented the morphological alteration induced by CCK8. Furthermore, CB converted the biphasic dose-response curve for CCK8-induced amylase release to a monophasic shape, such that the amylase release stimulated by a high concentration of CCK8 (10 nM) was augmented. It is concluded, therefore, that a contractile process involving microfilaments may mediate “secretagogue-induced unresponsiveness” in pancreatic acinar cells.
Multilevel dynamic programming for general multiple linear-quadratic control in discrete-time systems

Abstract This paper extends the reach of dynamic programming to general multiple linear-quadratic control problems in discrete-time systems, where the overall objective is a nonlinear function of multiple quadratic performance indices. A multilevel dynamic programming solution procedure is proposed to obtain an analytical linear control law for this nonseparable control problem. At the lower level the formulated auxiliary Lagrangian problem is of a parametric linear-quadratic structure and is solved by dynamic programming. The weighting vector in the auxiliary Lagrangian problem is adjusted by the upper level iteratively. This two-level process repeats until an optimal condition is satisfied.
An Improved Method for Recording and Analyzing the Electrical Activity of the Human Stomach

We have simultaneously recorded the transcutaneous and gastric electrogastrogram in 26 humans. The gastric suction electrode had 3 sintered Ag/AgCl electrodes which minimized motion artifacts. These were cast into a silicone rubber cup. For the transcutaneous signals, we punctured the skin under sintered Ag/AgCl transcutaneous electrodes to minimize variations in skin potential. We located the gastric electrode by fluoroscopy in the antrum and located the transcutaneous electrode over it to optimize the signal-to-noise ratio. A gastric pressure balloon confirmed that large electrical waves were synchronous with gastric contractions. We successfully recorded the electrogastrogram in 23 of 26 normal subjects. A fast Fourier transform produced a similar power spectrum for transcutaneous and gastric recordings. The cross-correlation function between the transcutaneous recording and the gastric recording confirms that the signals are of the same origin. This noninvasive transcutaneous technique is very attractive to investigate patients with suspected gastric disturbances.
P02.85. A prospective patient-centered data collection program at an acupuncture and Oriental medicine teaching clinic.

Abstract Objective: Large-scale patient-reported outcomes research investigating the role of acupuncture and Oriental medicine (AOM) in general practice is limited, despite the growing use of AOM in the United States. This article describes the development and refinement of a prospective, patient-centered outcomes data collection program at an Oriental medicine college and presents demographic and clinical data. Setting/location: Individualized acupuncture treatment at the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine teaching clinic in Portland, Oregon. Methods: A prospective patient-centered data collection program was implemented in 2007 using the Measure Your Medical Outcomes Profile (MYMOP) questionnaire and college-developed demographic and conditions forms. The forms were completed by patients on the first and fifth clinic visit. The program was revised after two years to streamline the data entry process and to include three Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) questionnaires mea...
Computer simulation study of molecular recognition in model DNA microarrays.

DNA microarrays have been widely adopted by the scientific community for a variety of applications. To improve the performance of microarrays there is a need for a fundamental understanding of the interplay between the various factors that affect microarray sensitivity and specificity. We use lattice Monte Carlo simulations to study the thermodynamics and kinetics of hybridization of single-stranded target genes in solution with complementary probe DNA molecules immobilized on a microarray surface. The target molecules in our system contain 48 segments and the probes tethered on a hard surface contain 8–24 segments. The segments on the probe and target are distinct and each segment represents a sequence of nucleotides (∼11 nucleotides). Each probe segment interacts exclusively with its unique complementary target segment with a single hybridization energy; all other interactions are zero. We examine how the probe length, temperature, or hybridization energy, and the stretch along the target that the probe segments complement, affect the extent of hybridization. For systems containing single probe and single target molecules, we observe that as the probe length increases, the probability of binding all probe segments to the target decreases, implying that the specificity decreases. We observe that probes 12–16 segments (∼132–176 nucleotides) long gave the highest specificity and sensitivity. This agrees with the experimental results obtained by another research group, who found an optimal probe length of 150 nucleotides. As the hybridization energy increases, the longer probes are able to bind all their segments to the target, thus improving their specificity. The hybridization kinetics reveals that the segments at the ends of the probe are most likely to start the hybridization. The segments toward the center of the probe remain bound to the target for a longer time than the segments at the ends of the probe.
Information Audit: Keys for Understanding the Academic Library

An information audit is a tool that can be used to discover and identify patterns and changes in an organization. Although most of the research is not focused on the academic library, many of the existing case studies and practical resources on the information audit have details that can be easily applied to the academic environment. In this article the author reviews the literature on the information audit in the library and information center environment and provides an overview of the benefits of an information audit in the academic library setting.
Purification and partial characterization of a corticosteroid-binding globulin from hamster serum.

Abstract Our objective was to characterize and purify the corticosteroid-binding proteins in hamster pregnancy serum. When [ 3 H]cortisol-labeled pregnancy and proestrous serum were subjected to native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, a single peak of specific steroid-binding activity was detected in each, with identical electrophoretic mobility. The steroid-binding affinity ( K a =1.07·10 8 M −1 for cortisol) is typical of corticosteroid-binding globulin from other species, but the steroid-binding specificity (cortisol>testosterone>progesterone) is not. An ultraviolet photoaffinity-labeling protocol was developed using 17β-hydroxy-4,6-[1,2- 3 H]androstadiene-3-one ([ 3 H]androstadienolone), permittig analysis of ultraviolet photoaffinity-labeled proestrous and pregnancy serum by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and fluorography. Both sera contained the same labeled protein species. Corticosteroid-binding globulin was purified from pregnancy serum by DEAE-cellulose chromatography followed by steroid affinity chromatography on androstadienolone-17β-hemisuccinate-ethylenediamine-AffiGel 10. The purified protein ( M r = 62 250; p I = 3.95; n = 1; Stokes radius = 3.5; S = 4–5) was determined to be a glycoprotein. When analyzed by gel filtration and two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, purified corticosteroid-binding globulin behaved the same as in unfractionated serum, and when ultraviolet photoaffinity-labeled with [ 3 H]androstadienolone, purified corticosteroid-binding globulin produced the same fluorogram spot pattern seen in unfractionated serum. A specific cortiscosteroid-binding globulin antiserum was raised in rabbits, and this antiserum reacted with a single spot in Western blots of unfractionated serum. Thus, hamster pregnancy serum was determined to have one corticosteroid-binding protein. This protein is identical to the corticosteroid-binding globulin found in proestrous serum, with a higher titer in pregnancy serum. No other steroid-binding component is observed in hamster serum.
Applications, complications, and outcomes of transvenous pacemaker implantation in 105 dogs (1997-2002)

We reviewed the indications for age and breeds of dogs who received transvenous endocardial artificial pacemaker (AP) implantation (n = 105) and complications and survival thereafter at a single institution over a 6-year period. A third-degree atrioventricular (AV) block (59%) and sick sinus syndrome (SSS; 27%) were the most common indications, along with a high-grade second-degree AV block (9%) and atrial standstill (5%). The most common breeds identified were Labrador Retriever (n = 16; 11 with a third-degree AV block), American Cocker Spaniel (n = 14; 10 with SSS), and Miniature Schnauzer (n = 13; all with SSS). Common presenting complaints were syncope (n = 66) and exercise intolerance or lethargy (n = 25). Half of the dogs (n = 52) had a history of acute onset of clinical signs (<2 weeks). Mean survival time for the 60 dogs who died during the study period was 2.2 years (range, 0.1-5.8 years). Major complications occurred in 13% of dogs and included lead displacement (n = 7), sensing problems that led to syncope (n = 3), infection at the pacemaker site (n = 1), bleeding (n = 1), and ventricular fibrillation during implantation (n = 1; successfully defibrillated). Minor complications occurred in 11 dogs (11%). The success rate of transvenous AP implantation was comparatively high (all dogs survived the first 48 hours), and the complication rate was comparatively low when compared with a previous multicenter study, most likely because of how commonly the procedure was performed and supervisory experience.
Guidelines for end-of-life and palliative care in Indian intensive care units' ISCCM consensus Ethical Position Statement.

Evidence Since the publication of the last guideline in 2005,[1] there has been an exponential increase in empirical information and discussion on the subject. The literature reviewed address key surveys, observational studies, randomized controlled and interventional studies as well as guidelines and recommendations for education and quality improvement from all over the world and India. Established and evolving bioethical and medico-legal opinions in the world and in India are also included in this review.
Intracellular ANG II induces cytosolic Ca2+ mobilization by stimulating intracellular AT1 receptors in proximal tubule cells

Intracellular ANG II induces biological effects in nonrenal cells, but it is not known whether it plays a physiological role in renal proximal tubule cells (PTCs). PTCs express angiotensinogen, ren...
Comprehension of negation with quantification

Three experiments were carried out to compare the processing of three kinds of affirmative and negative sentences. In the first experiment, S s were timed while they read a sentence, looked at a dot array, and then judged the sentence true or false with respect to the picture. The results showed that explicit syntactic negatives (e.g., None of the dots are red ) and implicit syntactic negatives (e.g., Few …) were processed differently than semantic negatives which were referentially equivalent to few (e.g., A minority …). All three types of negatives took longer to verify than affirmatives. Two further experiments confirmed that S s coded the arrays accompanying the implicit syntactic negatives ( few ) and semantic negatives ( a minority ) in terms of the larger and smaller subsets of dots, respectively, thus accounting for the difference in processing.
SU-FF-T-254: The Development and Testing of a Prototype Three-Dimensional Wedge for Whole Brain Radiation Therapy

Purpose: Whole brainradiation therapy (WBRT) is the standard treatment for >2 brain metastases, and often used in conjunction with stereotactic radiotherapy for 1‐2 metastases. The use of open fields (conventionally used for WBRT) leads to higher doses to the brain periphery with lower doses near the brain center. These dose variations potentially compromise treatment efficacy and translate to increased side effects. The goal of this research was to design and construct a 3D “Brain Wedge” to compensate dose heterogeneities in WBRT. Method and Materials:Radiation transport theory was invoked to calculate the desired shape of a wedge to achieve a uniform dose distribution at the sagittal plane for an ellipsoid irradiated medium. A wedge was machined based on the calculation results. Three ellipsoid phantoms, representing the mean and ± two standard deviations from the mean cranial size were constructed, representing 95% of the adult population. Film was placed at the sagittal plane for each of the three phantoms and irradiated with 6MV photons, with the wedge in place. Optical density to dosecalibrations were conducted following IMRTquality assurance procedures, for 6 MV photon beams. Results: The calculations yielded a smooth 3D wedge design to account for the missing tissue at the peripheral areas of the brain. Isodose plots for the three phantoms demonstrated the feasibility of this wedge to create a homogeneous distribution with similar results observed for the three phantom sizes, indicating that a single wedge may be sufficient to cover 95% of the adult population. Conclusion: A 3D wedge has been developed based on transport theory with the aim of creating a uniform mid‐plane sagittal dose distribution for WBRT. A prototype wedge was machined and experimentally validated. Conflict of Interest: Partially supported by Enhanced Oncology Systems and the AAPM Summer Undergraduate Fellowship Program.
Cell contact during early morphogenesis in the chick embryo.

Abstract The primitive epithelial layers of the chick blastoderm, the epiblast and hypoblast, are underlain by discontinuous basement laminae. Primary mesenchymal cells, which comprise the mesoblast that migrates laterally from the primitive streak, make close junctions (intercellular space, 25–100 A) and tight junctions (no apparent extracellular space) with the basal surfaces of the epiblast and hypoblast. Close and tight junctions are also prominent between mesenchymal cells, especially along their trailing edges. Filopodia are most numerous on the leading edges of the migrating cells as would be expected if the close and tight junctions played a role in contact inhibition, perhaps by mediating electrical coupling between the cells. The tight junctions within mesoblast, epiblast, and hypoblast are at first focal in nature (maculae occludentes), but subsequently those between cells in the same tissue become more extensive while those between cells in unlike tissues are disrupted. When the primary mesenchyme organizes itself into an epithelium (somite, lateral, and intermediate mesoderm), the trailing ends of the cells, which contain the Golgi organelles, are directed toward the middle of the mass where zonulae occludentes appear next to the newly created free surface. Subsequently, secondary mesenchyme derives from the mesodermal epithelium. The migrating cells are connected by broad tight junctions (fasciae occludentes) which seem to persist as maculae occludentes after the presumptive connective tissue cells differentiate. Within the epithelia, maculae adhaerentes (desmosomes) are particularly well developed at later stages and probably contribute to tissue-specific intercellular adhesion.
Involvement of the Hispanic Community in ATOD Research

SUMMARY Alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs (ATOD) have had a devastating impact on Hispanic communities in the United States. This population historically has not had access to culturally competent services to address the effect of drugs in their lives. There is little debate in the field of ATOD about the need to develop strategies to involve communities in research and service to ensure quality services. This paper identifies issues and challenges for researchers wishing to engage Hispanic communities in the research process.
Normalized Microwave Reflection Index: A Vegetation Measurement Derived From GPS Networks

Measurements of vegetation state are required both for modeling and satellite validation. Reflected GPS signals recorded by the Plate Boundary Observatory network provide a source of new information about vegetation state in the western United States and Alaska. The GPS ground stations were installed between 2005 and 2008 to measure plate boundary deformation. They operate continuously and transmit their data to a public facility at least once per day. However, they also act as bi-static radars by recording the interference between a direct GPS signal (transmitted at 1.5 GHz) and a reflected GPS signal. The frequency of this interference pattern primarily depends on the vertical distance between the antenna and the ground reflector. As an L-band sensor, the amplitude of the interference pattern depends on vegetation water content. A daily vegetation metric that depends on reflection amplitudes, Normalized Microwave Reflection Index (NMRI), is defined. A method for removing outliers caused by snow and rain is described. The footprint of NMRI depends on the antenna height and local terrain. The minimum footprint is ${\bf 1000}\nbsp{\bf m}^{\bf 2}$ . A database of more than 300 station NMRI time series has been compiled; these data span the period from 2007 to 2012. Comparisons between NMRI and in situ sampling of vegetation state are the subject of a companion paper.
Expression of a swine class II gene in murine bone marrow hematopoietic cells by retroviral-mediated gene transfer.

Abstract As a first step in assessing the efficacy of a gene transfer approach to the induction of transplantation tolerance in our miniature swine model, double-copy retroviral vectors engineered to express a drug-resistance marker (neomycin) and a swine class II DRB cDNA were constructed. Infectious particles containing these vectors were produced at a titer of greater than 1 x 10(6) G418-resistant colony-forming units/ml using both ecotropic and amphotropic packaging cell lines. Flow cytometric analysis of DRA-transfected murine fibroblasts subsequently transduced with virus-containing supernatants demonstrated that the transferred sequences were sufficient to produce DR surface expression. Cocultivation of murine bone marrow with high-titer producer lines leads to the transduction of 40% of granulocyte/macrophage colony-forming units (CFU-GM) as determined by the frequency of colony formation under G418 selection. After nearly 5 weeks in long-term bone marrow culture, virus-exposed marrow still contained G418-resistant CFU-GM at a frequency of 25%. In addition, virtually all of the transduced and selected colonies contained DRB-specific transcripts. These results suggest that a significant proportion of very primitive myelopoietic precursor cells can be transduced with the DRB recombinant vector and that vector sequences are expressed in the differentiated progeny of these cells.
A Lunar Surface System Supportability Technology Development Roadmap

This paper discusses the establishment of a Supportability Technology Development Roadmap as a guide for developing capabilities intended to allow NASA s Constellation program to enable a supportable, sustainable and affordable exploration of the Moon and Mars. Presented is a discussion of supportability, in terms of space facility maintenance, repair and related logistics and a comparison of how lunar outpost supportability differs from the International Space Station. Supportability lessons learned from NASA and Department of Defense experience and their impact on a future lunar outpost is discussed. A supportability concept for future missions to the Moon and Mars that involves a transition from a highly logistics dependent to a logistically independent operation is discussed. Lunar outpost supportability capability needs are summarized and a supportability technology development strategy is established. The resulting Lunar Surface Systems Supportability Strategy defines general criteria that will be used to select technologies that will enable future flight crews to act effectively to respond to problems and exploit opportunities in an environment of extreme resource scarcity and isolation. This strategy also introduces the concept of exploiting flight hardware as a supportability resource. The technology roadmap involves development of three mutually supporting technology categories, Diagnostics Test and Verification, Maintenance and Repair, and Scavenging and Recycling. The technology roadmap establishes two distinct technology types, "Embedded" and "Process" technologies, with different implementation and thus different criteria and development approaches. The supportability technology roadmap addresses the technology readiness level, and estimated development schedule for technology groups that includes down-selection decision gates that correlate with the lunar program milestones. The resulting supportability technology roadmap is intended to develop a set of technologies with widest possible capability and utility with a minimum impact on crew time and training and remain within the time and cost constraints of the Constellation program.
Young children's recitation and comprehension of information presented by songs

Abstract In two experiments, young children's recitation and comprehension of content presented in songs was examined. In the first experiment, repeated exposure to a televised song improved young children's verbatim word-for-word memory of incomprehensible French, but not comprehensible English, lyrics. Memory for verbal factual material never improved after exposure to that song, even after repeated exposure to the English version. In the second experiment, children who were exposed to a prose presentation of their phone number remembered this information more often than did those, who heard an original song about their phone number. There was no relation between reciting and understanding that material. Results were interpreted within a modified levels of processing framework, which focuses on superficial versus deeper processing of information.
Magnetic resonance imaging compatible neonate incubator

An incubator for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of premature and full-term infants was designed and constructed. The device is an extensively modified MRI system table that has a permanently attached incubator housing, self-contained power supply, and full patient monitoring capability. A custom eight-element birdcage coil within the incubator slides over the infant and provides high sensitivity for MRI. The incubator provides all the temperature control and patient monitoring found in conventional neonatal intensive care incubators, but in an MRI-compatible fashion. The table can operate for at least three hours on a single battery charge. It is believed that this table design will enable routine MRI scanning of newborn infants requiring extensive monitoring of vital signs and/or temperature regulation. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Concepts in Magnetic Resonance (Magn Reson Engineering) 15: 117–128, 2002
Myosin components of the latissimus dorsi and the pectoralis major muscles in the dystrophic chicken

The myosin composition of the anterior latissimus dorsi, the posterior latissimus dorsi, and the pectoralis major muscles was examined in the inbred White Leghorn dystrophic chicken and its isogenic normal line at different ages during development and maturation. Using the biochemical methods of native gel electrophoresis, one- and two-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS PAGE), and peptide mapping, it was found that myosin isozyme changes occurred normally in the anterior latissimus dorsi muscle. However, in the posterior latissimus dorsi muscle, slow myosin components which were not present in the adult normal muscle were present in the adult dystrophic muscle. In addition, the pectoralis major muscle of the dystrophic chicken failed to undergo the neonatal to adult fast myosin isozyme transition. Our data also showed that muscle cell cultures derived from the pectoralis major muscle of dystrophic chickens expressed identical myosin components to cultures derived from normal embryos. However, since these cultures only produced embryonic myosins even after 1 month in culture, it implied that cells in tissue culture were phenotypically normal because present cell culture conditions were insufficient to induce the fetal to adult isozyme changes.
High speed multi-channel optical interconnects applicable to optical computing and processing

Multi-channel optical interconnects were built using ultra-thin silicon CMOS driven vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser array and photodetector array. Optical data and image communication and signal processing by diffractive optical elements (DOE) were demonstrated from the optical interconnects.
Common errors in the treatment of congenital clubfoot

The conservative treatment of clubfeet in newborn babies is detailed, and the pitfalls in the treatment are commented.
Neural substrates for leptin and neuropeptide Y (NPY) interaction: hypothalamic sites associated with inhibition of NPY-induced food intake

Intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection of leptin, the adipocyte hormone, inhibits neuropeptide Y (NPY)-induced feeding in the rat. To identify the neural substrate for leptin and NPY interaction in the hypothalamus, we evaluated the expression of c-fos-like immunoreactivity (FLI), an early marker of neuronal activation, in response to icv administration of leptin, NPY and leptin plus NPY. As expected, leptin significantly decreased NPY-induced feeding in leptin plus NPY-treated rats. A comparative evaluation of the number of FLI-positive neurons in hypothalamic sites showed that both leptin and NPY activated FLI in the parvocellular subdivision of the paraventricular nucleus (pPVN), dorsomedial nucleus (DMN) and ventromedial nucleus (VMN). NPY also augmented the FLI response in the magnocellular PVN (mPVN) and supraoptic nucleus (SON), two sites where leptin alone was ineffective. Combined leptin and NPY treatment significantly decreased the number of FLI-positive neurons in the magnocellular PVN but increased their number in the dorsomedial nucleus as compared to the number of FLI-expressing neurons in these sites after NPY and leptin alone. Because there is morphologic evidence of a link between magnocellular PVN and dorsomedial nucleus, these results suggest the functional involvement of leptin plus NPY responsive elements in these sites in reduction of NPY-induced feeding by leptin.
Diffusional anisotropy in cranial nerves with maturation: quantitative evaluation with diffusion MR imaging in rats.

PURPOSE: To investigate the correlation between diffusional anisotropy and developmental changes in anatomy, which include myelination, in central and peripheral nerves in an animal model by using quantitative diffusion magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and electron microscopy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In vivo transverse and longitudinal apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs) of the optic and trigeminal nerves in 2-10-week-old rats were measured with MR imaging. Then the animals were sacrificed at each time point, and transverse and longitudinal sections of optic and trigeminal nerves were studied with electron microscopy. RESULTS: In the optic nerve, the ADC parallel to the neurofibers increased with development and increased contemporaneously with myelination, while the ADC perpendicular to the nerve did not change. This resulted in a significant increase in diffusional anisotropy. There were no significant changes in ADCs in either direction in the trigeminal nerve. Longitudinal sections of optic nerve showed a marked change in the orientation of each fiber. As development proceeded, the axons, which initially followed tortuous courses, assumed straighter and more parallel orientations. Trigeminal nerves displayed straight parallel courses at 2 weeks that did not change over the study period. CONCLUSION: Changes in fiber anatomy in maturation from tortuous to straighter and more parallel orientation can account for changes in longitudinal ADC and in diffusional anisotropy.
Intermediate in the O–O Bond Cleavage Reaction of an Extradiol Dioxygenase

The reactive oxy intermediate of the catalytic cycle of extradiol aromatic ring-cleaving dioxygenases is formed by binding the catecholic substrate and O2 in adjacent ligand positions of the active site metal [usually Fe(II)]. This intermediate and the following Fe(II)−alkylperoxo intermediate resulting from oxygen attack on the substrate have been previously characterized in a crystal of homoprotocatechuate 2,3-dioxygenase (HPCD). Here a subsequent intermediate in which the O−O bond is broken to yield a gem diol species is structurally characterized. This new intermediate is stabilized in the crystal by using the alternative substrate, 4-sulfonylcatechol, and the Glu323Leu variant of HPCD, which alters the crystal packing.
PET/CT Imaging of I-124–Radiolabeled Bevacizumab and Ranibizumab after Intravitreal Injection in a Rabbit Model

PURPOSE. To determine whether bevacizumab and ranibizumab remain confined within the vitreous cavity after intravitreal injection and to determine the pharmacokinetic properties of these agents within the vitreous cavity. METHODS. Radiolabeling with I-124 was completed using a modified Iodogen method. After testing for radiochemical purity, three anesthetized Dutch-belted rabbits underwent intravitreal injection with I-124 bevacizumab, and three underwent it with I-124 ranibizumab. All rabbits were imaged with a Micro PET-CT scanner on days 0, 2, 5, 7, 14, 21, 28, and 35. RESULTS. The intravitreally placed radiolabeled agents were found to be contained within the vitreous cavity for the duration of the study with no extravasation into the central nervous system or elsewhere. I-124 bevacizumab was detectable until day 28, whereas I-124 ranibizumab was detectable until day 21. The kinetic model appears to represent a two-compartment model, and the average retention times for bevacizumab and ranibizumab after correction for radioactive decay were found to be 4.2 days and 2.8 days, respectively. CONCLUSIONS. There was no significant escape of bevacizumab and ranibizumab from the vitreous cavity after intravitreal injection. After correction for radioactive decay, both agents remained detectable until 28 and 21 days, respectively, with retention properties that validated those methods reported in previous studies. (Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2011;52: 5899‐5903) DOI:10.1167/iovs.10-6862
Langerhans cell hyperplasia and IgE expression in canine atopic dermatitis

Langerhans cells appear to be critical for IgE-mediated allergen capture and presentation in human atopic dermatitis. The present study sought to determine whether epidermal (i.e Langerhans cells) and dermal dendritic cells in the skin of dogs with atopic dermatitis are hyperplastic and expressed surface IgE. Frozen sections of lesional or non-lesional atopic and normal control canine skin were immunostained with CD1a-, CD1c-, and IgE-specific monoclonal antibodies. The enumeration of cells was performed by morphometry in both the epidermis and the dermis. Cell counts were compared with each individual's total serum IgE levels. Higher numbers of epidermal and dermal dendritic cells were present in atopic dogs than in normal control animals. Epidermal Langerhans cell counts were significantly higher in lesional than in non-lesional atopic specimens. IgE+ dendritic cells were observed in lesional atopic epidermis and dermis, and non-lesional atopic dermis, but not in normal control skin specimens. The percentages of IgE+ dendritic cells were correlated with each patient's total serum IgE levels. These results demonstrate dendritic cell hyperplasia and IgE expression in canine atopic dermatitis. Increased epidermal Langerhans cell counts in lesional specimens suggest an epidermal allergen contact in canine atopic dermatitis.
Measurement and correlates of internalized homophobia: a factor analytic study.

We developed a scale to measure internalized homophobia in men who have sex with men, which is comprised of items derived from theoretical and clinical reports of internalized homophobia. Two hundred two men who have sex with men and who attend "Man to Man" sexual health seminars in a midwestern U.S. city completed the scale at baseline. Orthogonal factor analysis revealed four dimensions of internalized homophobia: public identification as gay, perception of stigma associated with being homosexual, social comfort with gay men, and the moral and religious acceptability of being gay. Factor scoring of these dimensions indicated that they were associated significantly with relationship satisfaction, duration of longest relationship, extent of attraction to men and women, proportion of social time with gay people, membership of gay/bisexual groups, HIV serostatus, and disclosure of sexual orientation. Internalized homophobia is measurable and consists of four dimensions that are associated significantly with low disclosure, shorter length of and satisfaction with relationships, lower degree of sexual attraction to men and higher degree of attraction to women, and lower social time with gay people.
On the universal coverings of algebraic surfaces

Abstract In this paper we use some recent developments in Nonabelian Hodge theory to study the existence of holomorphic functions on the universal coverings of algebraic surfaces. In particular we prove that if the fundamental group of an algebraic surface is reductive then its universal covering is holomorphically convex. This is a partial verification of the Shafarevich conjecture claiming that the universal covering of a smooth projective variety is holomorphically convex.
A population-based comparison of quantitative dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry with dual-photon absorptiometry of the spine and hip.

Dual photon absorptiometry (DPA) is currently the most widely used method for noninvasive bone mineral density (BMD) measurement of the axial skeleton. Dual energy X-ray absorptimetry (DEXA) is a recently developed technique that uses an X-ray tube as a photon source; it has demonstrated several significant advantages over DPA in preliminary studies. We report here a quantitative comparison of the DEXA and DPA technologies using a Hologic DEXA (Hologic QDR model 1000, Waltham, MA) scanner and a Lunar DPA (Lunar Radiation DP3, gandolineum-153 source) scanner at both the proximal femur and lumbar spine sites using bone density measurements from a populationbased sample of older white men and women who had complete DEXA and DPA measurements of the hip (n=217) or the spine (n=176). To examine the relationship of BMD measured by the DPA scanner to BMD measured on the DEXA scanner, normal least squares linear regression was used to regress the DPA BMD on the DEXA BMD for each site. DEXA values were consistently lower than DPA values, with an average difference of 16%. The squared multiple correlation (R2) values were at or above 0.95 for almost all sites, with Ward's triangle having the lowest value (0.89). The slope for all sites was similar, ranging from 0.94 to 1.1. Research and clinical centers that wish to change to DEXA technology because of its shorter examination time and greater precision can therefore compare DEXA with DPA values using representative convesion factors.
Completely automatic segmentation for breast ultrasound using multiple-domain features

Because of ultrasound images' low quality, fully automated segmentation of breast ultrasound (BUS) image is a challenging task. In this paper, a novel segmentation method for BUS images which is fully automatic without any human intervention is proposed. By incorporating empirical knowledge and characteristics of breast structure, a ROI is generated automatically. Then two newly proposed lesion features: phase in max-energy orientation (PMO) and radial distance (RD), combined with the commonly used intensity and texture feature, are extracted. Then the new feature set is used to distinguish lesion region from the background by a trained ANN. The proposed segmentation method was tested on a BUS database composed of 60 cases. We use the manually outlined lesions by an experienced radiologist as the golden standard and evaluated the performance by both area error metrics and boundary error metrics. Quantitative results demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed fully automatic BUS segmentation method.
CASL fMRI of subcortico-cortical perfusion changes during memory-guided finger sequences

Arterial spin labeling (ASL) perfusion functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is an attractive alternative to BOLD fMRI. Nevertheless, current ASL fMRI techniques are limited by several factors that hamper more routine applications in humans. One of these factors is restricted brain coverage so that whole-brain ASL fMRI studies have never been reported. The present study tested the ability of a multislice continuous ASL (CASL) fMRI approach using a small surface coil placed on the subject's neck to map changes in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) throughout the brain while healthy individuals (N = 15) performed memory-guided sequential finger movements at a mean rate of approximately 0.5 Hz. As predicted by results from a large number of studies, reliable task-related increases in flow were detected across subjects not only in primary and associative cortical areas but also in subcortical brain regions. When normalized to baseline, rCBF increased 31% in the hand representation area (HRA) of left primary motor cortex (M1), 13% in the left supplementary motor area proper (SMA), 10% in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), 10-18% in the bilateral intraparietal sulci, 6% in the HRA of left putamen, 10% in the left thalamus, and 17% in the right anterior cerebellum. In addition to these increases, 6% and 4% decreases in rCBF were detected in the HRA of the right M1 and the bilateral posterior cingulate sulci, respectively. These results demonstrate that perfusion-based fMRI using CASL with a separate labeling coil can now be used to characterize task-related flow changes in most of the brain volume with adequate accuracy and sensitivity.
Enzyme Dynamics Along the Reaction Coordinate: Critical Role of a Conserved Residue

Conformational flexibility of the enzyme architecture is essential for biological function. These structural transitions often encompass significant portions of the enzyme molecule. Here, we present a detailed study of functionally relevant RNase A dynamics in the wild type and a D121A mutant form by NMR spin-relaxation techniques. In the wild-type enzyme, the dynamic properties are largely conserved in the apo, enzyme−substrate, and enzyme−product complexes. In comparison, mutation of aspartic acid 121 to alanine disrupts the timing of active-site dynamics, the product-release step, and global conformational changes, indicating that D121 plays a significant role in coordinating the dynamic events in RNase A. In addition, this mutation results in 90% loss of catalytic activity despite the absence of direct participation of D121 in the chemical reaction or in interactions with the substrate. These data suggest that one role of this conserved residue is to facilitate important millisecond protein dynamics.
Reflection, absorption and transmission of TE electromagnetic waves propagation in a nonuniform plasma slab

Abstract A numerical scheme is described to compute the reflection, absorption, and transmission coefficients of TE m , 0 and plane electromagnetic waves propagating in a nonuniform plasma slab. The numerical solutions are in good agreement with theoretical solutions for two different kinds of electron density profiles. The solutions for various electron density profiles will be shown in TE m , 0 mode. The method has applications to predicting the fields in plasmas where the density is profile is known, such as in microwave breakdown in a waveguide.