cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Recent advances in the treatment of central nervous system tumors

Abstract Introduction Central nervous system (CNS) tumors cause a significant amount of morbidity and mortality. More research is needed to improve the prognosis of patients with CNS tumors, and especially for those with malignant gliomas. The advances over the last several years in the treatment of adult central nervous system tumors are reviewed here. Materials and methods Phase II and Phase III trials published in major peer-reviewed journals between 2005 and 2006 were examined. Adult central nervous system tumors including malignant glioma, low-grade glioma, primary central nervous system lymphoma, brain metastases, and neoplastic meningitis, were included. Results Phase II treatment trials for patients with gliomas dominated the literature in the time-period examined. Trials primarily addressed radiotherapy as well as chemotherapy in the treatment of gliomas. A number of trials examined targeted agents as single agents and in combination with systemic therapy in glioma patients. A few studies evaluated the role of chemotherapy and radiation in metastatic disease and primary CNS lymphoma. Conclusions Temozolomide is now the new standard of care in combination with radiation therapy for newly diagnosed glioblastomas. The optimal dosing and length of adjuvant temozolomide treatment remains unclear, and there remains no current role for neo-adjuvant therapy. Targeted agents that can be used in the salvage or front-line setting, alone or in combination with systemic therapy, will likely be the focus of future research. For metastatic brain tumors, more studies are needed to examine the exact role of radiosurgery, whole brain radiation, and the role of other therapies such as temozolomide or targeted agents. For primary CNS lymphomas, the role of various high-dose methotrexate regimens is being actively investigated.
RegB Kinase Activity is Repressed by Oxidative Formation of Cysteine Sulfenic Acid

RegB/RegA comprise a global redox-sensing signal transduction system utilized by a wide range of proteobacteria to sense environmental changes in oxygen tension. The conserved cysteine 265 in the sensor kinase RegB was previously reported to form an intermolecular disulfide bond under oxidizing conditions that converts RegB from an active dimer into an inactive tetramer. In this study, we demonstrate that a stable sulfenic acid (-SOH) derivative also forms at Cys-265 in vitro and in vivo when RegB is exposed to oxygen. This sulfenic acid modification is reversible and stable in the air. Autophosphorylation assay shows that reduction of the SOH at Cys-265 to a free thiol (SH) can increase RegB kinase activity in vitro. Our results suggest that a sulfenic acid modification at Cys-265 performs a regulatory role in vivo and that it may be the major oxidation state of Cys-265 under aerobic conditions. Cys-265 thus functions as a complex redox switch that can form multiple thiol modifications in response to different redox signals to control the kinase activity of RegB.
SV40 T antigen induction and transformation in human fibroblast cell strains

Abstract Human fibroblast cell strains differ markedly in their susceptibility to SV40 transformation. The strains so far tested fall into three classes—susceptible, normal, and resistant. In most cases susceptible strains have been obtained from persons with genetic diseases associated with a high risk of neoplasia. The present studies show that the transformation frequency is directly related to the fraction of SV40 T antigen-producing cells seen in the acute infection. In susceptible strains the efficiency of SV40 T antigen induction per plaque-forming unit is 1 in 250; in resistant strains the efficiency is 1 in 10 5 . Once having formed T antigen, however, the cells of each strain have a comparable probability (1 in 250) of giving rise to transformed colonies. The difference in transformation susceptibility among human cell strains thus involves a step prior to or associated with SV40 T antigen induction.
Evaluating the potential effectiveness of harvest restrictions on riverine sunfish populations in Georgia, USA

The effects of minimum length limits (MLLs) on bluegill, Lepomis macrochirus Rafinesque, redbreast sunfish, Lepomis auritus (Linnaeus), and redear sunfish, L. microlophus (Gunther), fisheries in 13 river sections located across Georgia were evaluated. A Beverton–Holt equilibrium yield model was used to predict and compare the response of these fisheries to three MLL scenarios: 100 (i.e. no size limit), 125 and 150 mm. Model results indicated that natural mortality rates of all sunfish species examined in this study were low enough to allow harvest restrictions to be effective if growth was fast. If sunfish reached 203 mm in <4.0 years, then MLLs were generally effective in increasing size structure without decreasing yield or causing unacceptable declines in the number of fish available for anglers to harvest. Harvest restrictions resulted in minimal increases in size structure, declines in yield and a large decrease in the number of fish harvested by anglers if time to reach 203 mm was ≥ 8.0 years. Response to MLLs was more variable when fish grew to 203 mm in 4.0–6.5 years. Examination of mortality caps largely supported the results from the model, but there was indication that empirical rates of total annual mortality may have been biased high in some instances.
THE GONADOTROPIC AND THE GONADOTROPIC-LIKE FACTOR IN THE TREATMENT OF MALE STERILITY

This is a presentation of clinical observations on the effect obtained from the use of the gonadotropic principle and the extract of pregnancy urine in 20 sterile male patients who had azoospermia, oligospermia, or necrospermia. The condition was discovered in examining the spermatozoa of the patients whose wives had sought advice from obstetricians either because of a sterile marriage, or because pregnancy had not occurred in several years. Recognizing that there are many causes for sterility in the male, we selected only those patients in whom no apparent cause for sterility could be discovered, or those in whom the sterility was due to a unilateral or bilateral testicular atrophy.
High Performance Liquid Chromatographic Assay of Erythromycin Salts and Esters in Bulk and Pharmaceutical Dosage Forms

Recently, several liquid chromatographic methods for the assay of erythromycin base were developed and are being considered for the routine assay of erythromycin. In this study, we developed simple and rugged liquid chromatographic methods for the assay of erythromycin salts and esters, and used these methods for the assay of erythromycin estolate, erythromycin ethylsuccinate, erythromycin stearate, erythromycin gluceptate, and erythromycin lactobionate in bulk and pharmaceutical formulations. The HPLC methods proved to be simple, sensitive, versatile, and rugged. The developed methods provide an attractive alternative to current official microbiological methods. The HPLC assay results for all commercial erythromycin products tested comply with the USP Antibiotics-Microbial assay specification.
AP-1 and C/EBP transcription factors contribute to mda-7 gene promoter activity during human melanoma differentiation.

Treatment of human melanoma cells with a combination of recombinant fibroblast interferon (IFN-beta) and the protein kinase C (PKC) activator mezerein (MEZ) causes a rapid and irreversible suppression in growth and terminal cell differentiation. Temporal subtraction hybridization combined with random clone selection, reverse Northern hybridization, high throughput microchip cDNA array screening, and serial cDNA library arrays permit the identification and cloning of genes that are differentially expressed during proliferative arrest and terminal differentiation in human melanoma cells. A specific melanoma differentiation associated (mda) gene, mda-7, exhibits reduced expression as a function of melanoma progression from melanocyte to metastatic melanoma. In contrast, treatment of metastatic melanoma cells with IFN-beta + MEZ results in expression of mda-7 mRNA and protein. To evaluate the mechanism underlying the differential expression of mda-7 as a function of melanoma progression and induction of growth arrest and differentiation in human melanoma cells the promoter region of this gene has been isolated from a human placental genomic library and characterized. Sequence analysis by GCG identifies multiple recognition sites for the AP-1 and C/EBP transcription factors. Employing a heterologous mda-7 luciferase gene reporter system, we demonstrate that ectopic expression of either AP-1/cJun or C/EBP can significantly enhance expression of the mda-7 promoter in melanoma cells. In contrast, a dominant negative mutant of cJun, TAM67, is devoid of promoter-enhancing ability. Western blot analyses reveals that cJun and the C/EBP family member C/EBP-beta are physiologically relevant transcription factors whose expression corresponds with mda-7 mRNA expression. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA) performed using nuclear protein extracts from terminally differentiated human melanoma cells document binding to regions of the mda-7 promoter that correspond to consensus binding sites for AP-1 and C/EBP. These results provide further mechanistic insights into the regulation of the mda-7 gene during induction of terminal cell differentiation in human melanoma cells.
8.1: Presentation session: Welcome/administrative comments

Biographical Sketch: Gary Alley has been the Deputy Director of Oak Ridge National Laboratory's (ORNL) Biomedical Science and Engineering Center (BSEC) since 2008. Mr. Alley also serves as the Group Leader for the Monolithic Systems Development Group in the Measurement Sciences and Systems Engineering Division (MSSED). The group's major emphasis continues to be the development of application specific integrated circuits and systems. for a wide variety of application domains including biomedical measurements and instrumentation. Additionally, he has responsibility for MSSED's nanoscale science and technology research facilities, which includes a cleanroom and SEM laboratory. He is also responsible for many of MSSED's biomedical research and development programs. He is a registered professional engineer in the state of Tennessee. He is a senior member of the Institute of Electrical & Electronic Engineers (IEEE) and has served as Guest Editor and Short Course Program Chairman for the Nuclear Science Symposium, Chairman of the Continuing Education Committee of the IEEE Nuclear & Plasma Sciences Society (NPSS) and as an elected member of the NPSS AdCom. Mr. Alley has also served as a member of the Industrial Advisory Board for the Biomedical Engineering Dept. at Vanderbilt University. He received his BS degree in Electrical Engineering from Tennessee Technological University in 1978. He received his MS degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Tennessee (UTK) in 1982. He is a registered professional engineer in the state of Tennessee.
An efficient dual approach to the urban road network design problem

Abstract In this paper we present a computationally efficient technique for determining the optimal design of an urban road network. The procedure involves the assignment of network flows and the determination of improved link parameter values so that congestion is minimized subject to a budget constraint. The resulting problem is a very large nonconvex minimization program. It is shown that by dualizing with respect to a single constraint the resulting dual objective function can be evaluated by solving a traffic assignment problem. Since the dual objective function is a concave function of one variable, effective one-dimensional search techniques based on subgradients can be utilized to solve the dual (and thus the primal network design) problem. Since this network design problem reduces to solving several traffic assignment problems, it should be efficient for realistically large networks. Computational results for several problems with up to 553 constraints and 1,862 variables are reported.
Brownian dynamics simulations of ellipsoidal magnetizable particle suspensions

The rotational motion of soft magnetic tri-axial ellipsoidal particles suspended in a Newtonian fluid has been studied using rotational Brownian dynamics simulations by solving numerically the stochastic angular momentum equation in an orientational space described by the quaternion parameters. The model is applicable to particles where the effect of shape anisotropy is dominant. The algorithm quantifies the magnetization of a monodisperse suspension of tri-axial ellipsoids in dilute limit conditions under applied constant and time-varying magnetic fields. The variation of the relative permeability with the applied magnetic field of the particle's bulk material was included in the simulations. The results show that the equilibrium magnetization of a suspension of magnetizable tri-axial ellipsoids saturates at high magnetic field amplitudes. Additionally, the dynamic susceptibility at low magnetic field intensity presents a peak in the out-of-phase component, which is significantly smaller than the in-phase component and depends on the Langevin parameter. The dynamic magnetization of the particle suspension is in phase with the magnetic field at low and high frequencies far from the peak of the out-of-phase component.
Will we ever learn: Case studies of rhetorical errors and effective rhetorical strategies in written communication-from the challenger accident to the BP/Horizon Oil Rig disaster to the 2011 Mississippi flood

Failures in written communication have been cited as partial causes of The Columbia and Challenger disasters and the BP/Horizon Gulf Oil Rig explosion. An analysis of the documents seems to indicate that engineers lack rhetorical strategies to counter the culture of an organization and challenge managerial decisions. The analysis indicates that the documents are writer-rather than reader-based. In contrast, when writers select rhetorical devices that consider the reader's knowledge, reading processes and styles, as occurred in the letters sent to residents during the 2011 Mississippi flood, there is an increased likelihood that a message will achieve its goal. The presentation will discuss rhetorical failures and successes and suggest rhetorical strategies for writers to use to achieve effective communication, regardless of the culture and political/economic environment of an organization. The presentation will also recommend ways to help students, engineers and technical writers use these strategies effectively.
Impact of acid mine-drainage from abandoned spoils on the chemistry of an intermittent stream in the arid Southwest

Drainage from an orphaned copper mine (Sheldon Mine Complex) contributes highly mineralized, acidic waters to Lynx Creek, a small intermittent, arid-climate stream. This results in localized elevation of major cations, silica, sulfate, and heavy metals (Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn), depression in pH, and complete neutralization of bicarbonate alkalinity. Levels of chloride, nitrogen and phosphorus are unaffected by mine-drainage. During stable flow, water quality of the creek improves downstream through precipitation of metal salts, dilution by less mineralized tributaries, and additional buffering from the creek channel and tributaries. Climatic aridity, via high evaporation, concentrates and precipitates metal salts during summertime periods of low flow. Creek sediments thus contain large amounts of heavy metals and phosphorus that are transported downstream in suspended particulates during spates. This reflects an annual cycle of temporary creek-bed storage followed by episodic mobilization toward Lynx Lake, a downstream reservoir. Although the influence of mine drainage is not overtly apparent in the dissolved chemistry of the Lake, high concentrations of metals and phosphorus occur in lake sediments.
A STUDY ON FERROCYANIDE-REDUCED OSMIUM TETROXIDE AS A STAIN AND CYTOCHEMICAL AGENT

Ultrastructural and limited ultracytochemical studies were explored with potassium ferrocyanide-reduced osmium tetroxide (POCC). The use of 2% osmium tetroxide solution following POCC treatment was found to improve the preparation of ultrathin sections by facilitating the infiltration of Epon into the treated tissues. Potassium ferrocyanide alone did not stain tissues. Treating of tissues with potassium ferrocyanide and osmium tetroxide separately was not effective indicating that reduced osmium staining could not be produced within the tissues.
Isolation of rabbit testicular cathepsin D and its role in the activation of proacrosin

Abstract Cathepsin D was purified 900-fold with 30% recovery from rabbit testes using pepstatin bound Sepharose affinity chromatography. The enzyme is homogeneous as observed by acrylamide gel electrophoresis. The heat stable enzyme exhibits an apparent molecular weight of 42,000 with identical subunits of 20,000. Purified cathepsin D catalyses the conversion of proacrosin to acrosin.
Cavitation Bubble Collapse Observations in a Venturi

Cavitation bubble collapse in venturi, discussing flow characteristics under large pressure gradient
Organochlorines and mercury in common egrets and great blue herons

Abstract Reproductive success of a colony of common egrets ( Casmerodius albus ) in California declined between 1967 and 1970. Successful nesting attempts decreased from 52 to 28%, and nests losing eggs increased from 30 to 54%. Reproductive success of great blue herons ( Ardea herodias ) in this colony showed no comparable trends over this period. Mean thicknesses of all egret and heron eggshells recovered from the floor of the heronry were 15·2 and 10·4% lower, respectively, than pre-1947 values. Eggs of both species, broken during incubation, were 17% below normal thickness. Concentrations of DDE recorded in egg lipids and in the carcasses of adults found dead or moribund were comparable with those found in other species now producing thin-shelled eggs. Polychlorinated biphenyls ranged up to 15 ppm in the brain and 93 ppm in the livers of adult egrets, and concentrations of total mercury in the liver ranged between 2 and 9·5 ppm. Dieldrin concentrations in the brains of four adult egrets found dead or moribund ranged between 5 and 7 ppm, suggesting death by dieldrin poisoning. Ratios of DDE to PCB in the more heavily contaminated egrets indicated that the birds had acquired the major part of their body residues on the wintering ground rather than in the immediate vicinity of the colony.
Nuclear temperature of the disassembling source in central heavy-ion collisions from isotope yields.

We modify the method of Albergo et al. for determining the temperature of an excited nucleus from double ratios of isotope yields and present a statistical model which accounts for the population and decay of excited states of the emitted fragments. Nuclear temperatures are extracted using experimental ratios of isotopic yields of fragments from helium through carbon for the reactions $^{40}\mathrm{Ca}$ + $^{58}\mathrm{Ni}$, $^{40}\mathrm{Ar}$ + $^{58}\mathrm{Ni}$, $^{40}\mathrm{Ca}$ + $^{58}\mathrm{Fe}$, and $^{40}\mathrm{Ar}$ + $^{58}\mathrm{Fe}$ at 33 MeV/nucleon projectile energy. Using the model we obtain consistent values for the temperature from various isotope combinations within the experimental error when accounting for the population and decay of the excited fragments.
Organic Farmer Networks: Facilitating Learning and Innovation for Sustainable Agriculture

This paper examines the role of organic farmer networks in facilitating farmer innovations in complex agro-ecological farming systems through a study of a sample of organic farmers in the northeastern tier of New York State. Building on a knowledge systems and social learning perspective, it illustrates how learning is triggered and agricultural innovations diffused among a broader community of sustainable producers through an interactive, participatory style of problem solving. Finally, the paper links farmers' social learning processes to extension through a critical reflection on the potential niches in organic farmer management for extension practice.
Gender differences in facial expression recognition in survivors of pediatric brain tumors.

Objective: To examine the relation between gender, history of cranial radiation therapy (CRT) and facial expression recognition (FER) skill in survivors of pediatric brain tumors. Methods: Fifty-three survivors (27 females) completed a measure of FER and an intelligence test. Results: There was a significant interaction between gender and CRT on ability to interpret low-intensity facial expressions, such that females who had not had CRT made fewer errors than either females who had CRT or males. Conclusion: A history of CRT has a notable effect on FER skill in females: girls who received CRT performed significantly more poorly than girls who did not. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Isolated Dislocation of the Posterior Tibial Tendon in an Amateur Snowboarder: A Case Report

Isolated dislocation of the posterior tibial tendon is an uncommon pathologic entity that typically occurs in the setting of acute trauma. The diagnosis remains challenging and is often delayed second to the rarity of the injury and symptoms similar to that of medial ankle sprains and other routinely diagnosed injuries about the ankle. The factors that predispose this tendon to dislocation include a hypoplastic retromalleolar groove, flexor retinaculum insufficiency, chronic repetitive trauma, and a structural abnormality from a previous medial malleolar fracture, or a combination thereof. Dislocation has also been cited as a complication of multiple local steroid injections and tarsal tunnel release. The mechanism of injury appears to involve forced dorsiflexion and eversion of the ankle when the posterior tibial tendon is contracted. Most cases do not respond well to conservative treatment and will require surgery to restore function and eliminate symptoms. We report a case of posterior tibial tendon dislocation related to a snowboarding injury and offer our technique for surgical correction.
Examination room presentations in general internal medicine clinic: patients' and students' perceptions.

PurposeTo determine if patients are more satisfied with their health care when medical students present in the exam room to both the attending physician and patient than they are when medical students present outside the exam room to only the attending. To determine medical students' preference for
Estimating Nonlinear Dynamic Models Using Least Absolute Error Estimation

We consider least absolute error estimation in a dynamic nonlinear model with neither independent nor identically distributed errors. The estimator is shown to be consistent and asymptotically normal, with asymptotic covariance matrix depending on the errors through the heights of their density functions at their medians (zero). A consistent estimator of the asymptotic covariance matrix of the estimator is given, and the Wald, Lagrange multiplier, and likelihood ratio tests for linear restrictions on the parameters are discussed. A Lagrange multiplier test for heteroscedasticity based upon the absolute residuals is analyzed. This will be useful whenever the heights of the density functions are related to the dispersions.
Effects of sleep and arousal on the processing of visual information in the cat

Single units in the cat lateral geniculate nucleus and primary visual cortex show changes in both spontaneous and visually evoked firing as a function of the state of wakefulness. On arousal spontaneous firing is smoother and often reduced, whereas evoked responses are usually enhanced; the result is an increase in the signal-to-noise ratio. Single- and double-label 2-deoxyglucose autoradiographs show further that slow-wave sleep differentially depresses visually evoked activity in the deeper layers of the visual cortex.
Relation of Ultrastructure to Function in the Intact Heart: Sarcomere Structure Relative to Pressure Volume Curves of Intact Left Ventricles of Dog and Cat

Reproducible pressure-volume curves have been obtained from fresh left ventricles removed from 10 cats and 27 dogs. Electron microscopic observations of sarcomere length and structure in the walls of these chambers have been correlated with the parameters of passive filling. In both the dog and the cat a similar relation of sarcomere length to filling pressure is observed, a filling pressure of 12 mm Hg corresponding to a sarcomere length of 2.2 µ. Sarcomeres shorter than 1.85 µ are not observed under conditions of passive filling. Sarcomeres tend to be longest in the inner layer of the ventricular wall. Filling pressure is observed to be a more general and reproducible index of sarcomere length than absolute or normalized filling volume. H zones are often present in the sarcomeres of the ventricular wall with filling pressures greater than 15 mm Hg and sarcomeres greater than 2.3 µ in length. These findings are discussed in relation to previous studies of papillary muscle and in relation to mathematical ...
The MacBride Movement: Old 'New Order' leads to the new

‘The MacBride Movement’ was the culmination of the campaign by the Non- aligned Movement to secure a better share of the global communications flows, while improving coverage by the dominant Western news media of Third World information and political objectives. The Soviet bloc, for its own Cold War objectives, joined the Nonaligned's bid for some ‘new world information and communication order’.With the MacBride Commission's report in 1980, following the relatively moderate Mass Communication Declaration at Unesco in 1978, the Nonaligned Movement's drive for NWICO reached its peak. This was the result, I maintain, mainly of 1) the changed global geopolitics, demonstrated spectacularly in 1989–91, and 2) the opportunities for diversity of information flows provided by the new communications technologies. They had already demonstrated they could generate and sustain political revolutions in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe.The paper traces the ‘Hegelian dialectic’ of events preceding and during th...
Induction of Coiling in Tendrils by Auxin and Carbon Dioxide

Symmetric application of indole-3-acetic acid, CO2, or, to a lesser extent, ethylene can substitute for the contact stimulus in inducing coiling in the tendrils of Marah fabaceus. In the case of auxin, treatment of the apical few millimeters results in strong, permanent coiling throughout the length of the tendril. The speed of the response to CO2 is comparable to that to tactile stimuli. A possible mechanism for thigmotropism is outlined.
Electrochemiluminescence in low ionic strength solutions of 1,2-dimethoxyethane

Abstract Steady-state electrochemiluminescence (ECL) arising from ion annihilation reactions was examined at a double-band microelectrode in 1,2-dimethoxyethane (DME) as a function of electrolyte concentration for the following reactions: the 9,10-diphenylanthracene (DPA) radical cation with the DPA, benzil and 2-naphthyl phenyl ketone (NPK) radical anions, and the rubrene radical cation with the rubrene radical anion. The ECL efficiency of all systems was found to increase as the added electrolyte concentration was decreased from 100 to 0.1 mM. These increases were found to correlate with changes in Δ E 1/2 attributed to ion-pairing of the radical ions with their electrolyte counter-ions. For the energy-sufficient ECL reaction of DPA in DME, the increase in the Gibbs energy available for reaction as the electrolyte concentration was lowered produced an ECL efficiency approaching the theoretical limit of 25%.
Minimal non-simple sets in 4D binary images

One way to verify that a proposed parallel thinning algorithm "preserves topology" is to check that no iteration can ever delete a minimal non-simple ("MNS") set. This is a practical verification method because few types of set can be MNS without being a component. Ronse, Hall, Ma, and the authors have solved the problem of finding all such types of set for 2D and 3D Cartesian grids, 2D hexagonal grids, and 3D face-centered cubic grids. Here we solve this problem for a 4D Cartesian grid, in the case where 80-adjacency is used on 1's and 8-adjacency on 0's.
Nit1 and Fhit Tumor Suppressor Activities Are Additive

The fragile histidine triad gene (human FHIT, mouse Fhit) has been shown to act as a tumor suppressor gene. Nit1 and Fhit form a fusion protein, encoded by the NitFhit gene in flies and worms, suggesting that mammalian Nit1 and Fhit proteins, which are encoded by genes on different chromosomes in mammals, may function in the same signal pathway(s). A previous study showed that Nit1 deficiency in knockout mice confers a cancer prone phenotype, as does Fhit deficiency. We have now assessed the tumor susceptibility of Fhit−/−Nit1−/− mice and observed that double knockout mice develop more spontaneous and carcinogen-induced tumors than Fhit−/− mice, suggesting that the extent of tumor susceptibility due to Nit1 and Fhit deficiency is additive, and that Nit1 and Fhit affect distinct signal pathways in mammals. Nit1, like Fhit, is present in cytoplasm and mitochondria but not nuclei. Because Fhit deficiency affects responses to replicative and oxidative stress, we sought evidence for Nit1 function in response to such stresses in tissues and cultured cells: when treated with hydroxyurea, the normal kidney-derived double-deficient cells appear not to activate the pChk2 pathway and when treated with H2O2, show little evidence of DNA damage, compared with wild type and Fhit−/− cells. The relevance of Nit1 deficiency to human cancers was examined in human esophageal cancer tissues, and loss of Nit1 expression was observed in 48% of esophageal adenocarcinomas. J. Cell. Biochem. 107: 1097–1106, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Pitfalls in measuring R waves in pacemaker-dependent patients.

Determinali'on of adequate R wave sensing is an important step in pacemaker electrode implantation and pacemaker replacement operations. In palients who are completely pacemaker dependent, these operations are usually performed with a functional temporary pacemaker in place throughout the testing period. In such patients, there is the special problem of determining whether the test system is sensing the temporary pacemaker spike rather than the resultant QRS voltage. Patients were studied and a laboratory model was created to evaluate the response characteristics of a standard R wave test device. Patients showed two general types of curves as R waves were measured at various output voltages of the temporary pacemaker. Type A responses showed direct correlation between output voltage and measured R waves. Type B responses showed an initial high plateau of R waves followed by an abrupt fall below acceptable values, and then a direct correlation between R waves and output voltage. Laboratory testing revealed that the temporary pacemaker spike, and not the R wave, was being “sensed” in Type A curves, and that the R wave was sensed only in the initial plateau of the Type B curves. This pitfall can lead to acceptance of an unsatisfactory electrode position in some patients and to futile electrode repositioning in others.
Occupational injuries among adolescents in Washington State, 1988–1991

Background To characterize work-related injuries and illnesses in minors. Methods We analyzed Washington State workers' compensation claims from 1988 through 1991. Results There were 17,800 claims among adolescents from age 11 through 17 years accepted in the 4-year period, including three occupational fatalities, 22 amputations, and 464 fractures; 89% of all injuries occurred among the 16- and 17-year-olds. Claims were most frequent in restaurants, food stores, service industry, other retail and wholesale trade, and agriculture. Washington State census data were used for the denominator in calculating injury rates for adolescents and adults. The crude injury rate for 16- and 17-year-olds employed at the time of the census was similar to that seen among adults (9.0 vs.10.4 per 100 workers), despite that minors work fewer hours per year. The rate among boys was almost twice that seen among girls (11.7 vs. 6.4 per 100 workers). Highest rates, per 100 workers, were in public administration (27.0), construction (21.1), agriculture (11.4), and restaurants (11.0). Using census data for those working anytime over the course of the year and adjusted for the number of hours worked, the injury rate for 16- and 17-year-olds was 19.4/100 full-time equivalents compared with 10.6 of 100 full-time equivalents for adults. Most injuries were lacerations, sprains and strains, contusions, and burns. Conclusions Public health policy and injury prevention strategies for working adolescents should be developed and implemented. Am. J. Ind. Med. 34:121–132, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Non-uniform attenuation and scatter correction in SPECT

Using a large test object containing an asymmetrical distribution of Tc-99m activity and having nonuniform attenuation, techniques have been developed and evaluated to correct for attenuation and scatter in the object in conjunction with a filtered backprojection reconstruction algorithm. A weighted-backprojection approach whereby corrections are applied to each pixel from each angle of view was used to correct for attenuation. Using a germanium detector to sample the energy spectrum of emitted radiation, an optimal method was devised to subtract scatter counts from the photopeak counts of a scintillation camera before reconstruction. SPECT (single-photon-emission computed tomography) images of the test object were evaluated to validate the correction approaches. >
Computerized tomography of a large retroperitoneal liposarcoma.

Abstract A case of a huge retroperitoneal liposarcoma that was diagnosed with computerized tomography is presented. Conventional radiographic studies demonstrated organ displacement. Computerized tomography confirmed the retroperitoneal locationand attenuation coefficient numbers consistent with a liposarcoma. The availability of CT and the distinctive appearance of these unusual tumors should allow for future histologic diagnoses preoperatively.
A simple technique for the rapid spectrophotometric determination of phagocytosis by fish macrophages

Abstract A new technique to determine in vitro phagocytic function of fish macrophages has recently been developed in this laboratory. This assay involves the spectrophotometric measurement of congo red-stained yeast cells which have been phagocytized by macrophages. The assay is simple, rapid and reproducible. Furthermore, it is less subjective than previously described methods which employ microscopic examination of cells. Using this technique with toadfish (Opsanus tau) captured from the relatively nonpolluted York River. Virginia, phagocytosis of yeast cells was found to increase with time, reaching a maximum between 60 and 90 minutes (as determined by absorbance at 510nm). This technique holds promise as a biomarker of environmental contamination and will be used to compare macrophage activity in fish from polluted and nonpolluted rivers.
The effects of cyclophosphamide and nor-nitrogen mustard administration to one-day-old mice

Storung der normalen Entwicklung und des Wachstums ein Tag alter Mause wurde durch Injektion von Cyclophosphamid verursacht. Verabreichung von Nor-Chlormethin zeigte keine derartigen Effekte und es wird vermutet, dass diese Unterschiede durch die pharmakokinetischen Eigenschaften dieser Stoffe verursacht sein konnten.
MisTec - A software application for supporting space exploration scenario options and technology development analysis and planning

The structure and composition of a new, emerging software application, which models and analyzes space exploration scenario options for feasibility based on technology development projections is presented. The software application consists of four main components: a scenario generator for designing and inputting scenario options and constraints; a processor which performs algorithmic coupling and options analyses of mission activity requirements and technology capabilities; a results display which graphically and textually shows coupling and options analysis results; and a data/knowledge base which contains information on a variety of mission activities and (power and propulsion) technology system capabilities. The general long-range study process used by NASA to support recent studies is briefly introduced to provide the primary basis for comparison for discussing the potential advantages to be gained from developing and applying this king of application. A hypothetical example of a scenario option to facilitate the best conceptual understanding of what the application is, how it works, or the operating methodology, and when it might be applied is presented.
High-aspect-ratio etching in polymer for microactuator applications

High aspect ratio line and trench plating molds suitable for microactuator applications were etched in polymer using oxygen plasma in an rf inductive plasma etcher. A high vertical etch rate of approximately equals 2.5 micrometer/min in a polymer has been achieved for 2 micrometer wide lines and trenches, with even higher rates being observed for wider trenches due to the usual RIE lag effect. The lateral etch rate can be reduced by adjusting the inductive to bias power ratio, and by lowering the etch temperatures. Under optimum etching conditions, aspect ratios of close to 20:1 in a 2.5 micrometer line/2.0 micrometer spacing pattern and of greater than 20:1 in isolated 2.0 micrometer lines with greater than or equal to 5 micrometer spacing have been achieved.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Condition of the pelage regulates sandbathing and grooming behaviour in the kangaroo rat (Dipodomys merriami)

Abstract Our previous work suggested that peripheral input from the pelage regulates sandbathing and grooming in D. merriami . To investigate this possibility we observed kangaroo rats on sandbathing substrate after four pre-test treatments. (1) Animals deprived of suitable substrate for 3 days direct equal numbers of sandbathing and grooming components to the left and right sides of the body, and the ventrum. (2) Animals treated with lanolin on one body surface direct more behaviour to the treated area and change the temporal organization of their cleaning bouts. Animals (3) treated with water, or (4) stimulated tactually show only non-significant shifts in behaviour. Results demonstrate that kangaroo rats can adjust the organization of their care of the body surface (COBS) behaviour in response to different types of peripheral input stemming from differing local conditions of the body surface.
Vascular morphology and permeability in fetal CNS grafts to the renal capsule

According to conventional neovascularization concepts, due to local tissue factors, a viable graft of central nervous (CNS) tissue should be expected to retain a complete blood-brain barrier (BBB) in its new site. In order to determine if grafted CNS would alter the phenotype of ingrowing peripheral vessels we have used an uncomplicated model. Rat fetal cortex, which already has a BBB to protein, was grafted to the subcapsular space of the host rat kidney. After postoperative times between 4 weeks and 3 months, horseradish peroxidase was injected systemically for periods between 90 s and 4 min. Correlative electron microscopy depicted vascular morphology. Each graft contained protein exudation particularly around large vessels in the neuropil. At the EM level some of the vascular endothelia had fenestrations, were invested with collagen, and were not contacted by astroglia. Capillaries indigenous to the CNS grafts and related normally to astroglial end feet were also prominent. The presence of non-CNS vessels with peripheral ultrastructural and permeability characteristics would appear to contradict conventional theory in that CNS grafts can be vascularized by vessels of a different phenotypic and physiologic nature.
The Impact of Client Race on Clinician Detection of Eating Disorders

Eating disorders are thought to occur less among African-American women than among women of other ethnic groups. Ninety-one clinicians read 1 of 3 passages (differing only with regards to the girl's race: African-American, Caucasian, or Hispanic) describing disturbed eating patterns of a fictional character named Mary. Participants were then asked to indicate if they thought Mary had a problem and to rate her anxiety, depression, and eating disorder symptoms based upon the passage they had read. The results suggest that clinicians may have race-based stereotypes about eating disorders that could impede their detection of symptoms in African-American girls.
Can you be integrative and a person-centered therapist at the same time?

I argue that person-centered therapy is a “fuzzy set” with a variety of members that bear a family resemblance to one another. I suggest that some members of this fuzzy set are approaches that integrate various activities and procedures into their practice along with traditional empathic understanding responses. Based on quotations from Carl Rogers I demonstrate that these approaches deserve to be included as members of the family and that if one follows what Rogers said there is no warrant for the idea that classical nondirective practice is the only “true” person-centered therapy. I argue that one can practice person-centered therapy in an integrative way by including techniques and procedures from other approaches, by meeting at relational depth, and by focusing on experiencing and emotions. I conclude by arguing that it is important that we be open to alternative ways of actualizing person-centered principles.
Synoptic-dynamic character of `bursts' and `breaks' in the South-West U.S. summer precipitation singularity

Marked intraseasonal variations in the intensity of the south-west U.S. summer precipitation singularity (the ‘Monsoon’) are identified for the years 1980–1982 from a previously developed satellite cloud climatology. These ‘bursts’ and ‘breaks’ are examined synoptically by compositing sea level pressure and 500 mb height data. Both types of events are controlled by the upper-level flow. This typically involves, for bursts, the intrusion into subtropical latitudes of a trough in the westerlies with attendant cold air advection. In conjunction with intense surface heating, this produces widespread atmospheric destabilization over the South-west. Monsoon breaks are characterized by enhanced ridging of the Bermuda and North Pacific subtropical anticyclones with associated subsidence over southern Arizona/California. Between-year differences in these composite patterns are identified, and it is suggested that wetter summers may be characterized by larger within-season variations in 500 mb heights and isobaric curvature compared with drier summers. Several 500 mb synoptic types associated with burst events are determined subjectively, and composite patterns are derived. These indicate that bursts occasionally occur with anticyclonic conditions aloft, but the latitude of the ridge seems critical in determining the extent of moist air penetration from the south. Twice-daily aerological soundings at five stations in the South-west and northern Mexico are also used to determine the thermodynamic characteristics of bursts and breaks and the dominant source of monsoon moisture. Monsoon bursts in Arizona are evidently a combination of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico, transported on a light south-easterly flow, and more rapid lower-level ‘surges’ originating in the Gulf of California. Moisture from the latter source is transported rapidly into the Great Basin on a low-level wind-speed maximum of marked directional constancy. This study has implications for longer-term summer rainfall-synoptic circulation variations in the American South-west.
Spatial sensitization of the B cone pathways.

Abstract Spatial sensitization functions were determined under chromatic adaptation conditions designed to isolate the short-wavelength-sensitive pathways (B cone pathways). Spatial sensitization occurs over large retinal dimensions for B cone detected targets and can be produced both by signals from B cones and by signals from R and/or G cones. Field sensitivity measures demonstrate that the mechanism producing sensitization on short-wavelength backgrounds has the spectral sensitivity of B cones. The field sensitivity on long-wavelength backgrounds does not correspond to any receptor spectral sensitivity or any π mechanism, but suggests that opponent interaction between medium and long-wavelength receptors produces sensitization of B cone detected targets.
Ultrasonic assessment of tooth structure

A means of assessing the internal structure of teeth based upon use of high frequency, highly localized ultrasound (acoustic waves) generated by a short laser pulse is discussed. Some key advantages of laser-generated ultrasound over more traditional contact transducer methods are that it is noncontact and nondestructive in nature and requires no special surface preparation. Optical interferometric detection of ultrasound provides a complementary nondestructive, noncontact technique with a very small detection footprint. This combination of techniques, termed laser-based ultrasonics, holds promise for future in-vivo diagnostics of tooth health. In this paper, initial results using laser-based ultrasound for assessment of dental structures are presented on an extracted human incisor. Results show the technique to be sensitive to the enamel/dentin, dentin/pulp, and dentin/cementum junctions as well as a region of dead tracts in the dentin.
Use of plasma DNA in detection of loss of heterozygosity in patients with multiple myeloma

: Background: Deletions or structural abnormalities in chromosomes 11 and 13 have been shown to be important in predicting clinical behavior in patients with multiple myeloma (MM). However, cytogenetic analysis in MM is frequently difficult because of poor yield of informative metaphases and the disease is frequently patchy, which complicates fluorescent in situ hybridization studies. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to explore the potential of using peripheral plasma DNA for the detection of loss of heterozygosity (LOH) in chromosomes 11 and 13 in patients with MM. Methods: Peripheral blood (PB) plasma of 81 patients with MM, was used as a source of DNA for the detection of LOH at chromosomes 13q14 (D13S319 and D13AFMaw301wb5), and 11q21 (D11S2179) using polymerase chain reaction. Results: Only 62 of the studied patients were informative for the two 13q microsatellite markers and 16 (26%) of these patients showed LOH. Only seven (11%) of 61 patients with informative D11S2179 microsatellite maker showed LOH. Purified plasma cells (PCs) from six bone marrow (BM) samples using anti-CD138-coated magnetic beads showed identical results to those detected in DNA isolated from PB plasma. Three patients with LOH underwent autologous BM transplantation, and two of three reverted to a normal state (no LOH) after transplantation. Seven of the patients with 13q LOH in PB plasma had <10% PCs (PCs) in their BM at the time of testing. Conclusion: PB plasma appears to be enriched by tumor-specific DNA and can be used to detect chromosomal abnormalities in patients with MM. Further studies are needed to establish the clinical relevance of this approach in comparison with other techniques.