cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Seventeenth century concepts of "apoplexy" as reflected in Bonet's "Sepulchretum".

The term “apoplexy,” which has been in use since antiquity, referred to a catastrophic illness with an abrupt loss of consciousness and a frequently fatal outcome. During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries scholastic approaches that relied on authorities were merging with an observational approach to medicine and Galen’s speculation that apoplexy was due to an accumulation of phlegm or black bile in the cerebral ventricles began to be seriously challenged. The most extensive collection of case reports with autopsies published in the seventeenth century was Theophile Bonet’s Sepulchretum sive Anatomia Practica. Section 2 of Book I of the Sepulchretum contains 70 case reports of patients that died with the diagnosis of apoplexy. The scholia in this section provide an idea for the modern reader of the notions physicians had of apoplexy in the seventeenth century. The Sepulchretum was an important book for physicians of the late seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. It played an important role in the dev...
C–S–H (I)—A Nanostructural Model for the Removal of Water from Hydrated Cement Paste?

Helium gas is used as a nanostructural probe to investigate the structural changes in C–S–H (I) due to the removal of interlayer water. Changes in the 002 basal spacing are correlated with helium inflow characteristics. Similarities to helium inflow experiments conducted on hydrated Portland cement and C3S pastes are discussed. Conclusions are drawn with respect to the viability of considering C–S–H (I) as a physical model for the drying of Portland cement and C3S pastes.
Multimedia Approach to Preoperative Adenotonsillectomy Counseling

Objective. The primary objective was to compare retention of knowledge of surgical risks in parents of children having an adenotonsillectomy who received a preoperative handout or watched a video, in addition to standard counseling. A secondary objective was to determine whether time from counseling to day of surgery affects risk retention.Study Design. Prospective randomized control study.Setting. Tertiary referral center.Subjects and Methods. The study, conducted March 2010 through April 2011, included participants who had children undergoing adenotonsillectomy. The preoperative and postoperative test scores of those undergoing verbal counseling, counseling with handout, or counseling with video were compared.Results. Forty-five participants were tasked to identify 9 risks of adenotonsillectomy. Preoperatively, participants identified an average of 6.8 (95% confidence interval [CI], 6.2-7.3) in the counseling group, 7.3 (95% CI, 6.4-8.3) in the counseling and handout group, and 6.6 (95% CI, 5.9-7.3) in ...
Impact of location and multifocality of positive surgical margins on disease-free survival following radical prostatectomy: a comparison betweenAfrican-American and white men

Objectives. Although the rate of positive surgical margins is higher in African-American men (AAM) than in white men (WM), the impact of this difference on survival is not clear. Furthermore, it is unknown whether there are racial differences in the distribution of the positive surgical margins after radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP). We investigated the differences between AAM and WM in terms of the site and multifocality of the positive surgical margins and their effect on disease-free survival (DFS) following RRP. Methods. Between January 1991 and December 1995, 493 patients (288 WM and 205 AAM) were treated with RRP as monotherapy. Positive surgical margins were observed in 179 patients (86 WM and 93 AAM). Patients were divided in two groups: group 1 = WM and group 2 = AAM. The incidence and location of the positive surgical margins and their correlation with DFS were determined and compared. Results. Overall, AAM had a higher rate of positive surgical margins than WM (48% versus 33%, respectively, P = 0.001). There was no significant difference in the frequency of multifocality of the positive margins (P = 0.4). Positive surgical margins were located significantly more often at the base in AAM (P = 0.015); however, the location of the positive surgical margins did not impact on DFS between groups. In those with multifocal positive surgical margins, AAM had a worse DFS compared with WM (P = 0.03). Conclusions. Race is an independent prognostic factor for DFS in patients with positive surgical margins. There were no differences in DFS between WM and AAM based on the margin location. In WM, prognostic factors for DFS in those with positive surgical margins were preoperative serum prostate-specific antigen, Gleason score, and pathologic stage. Conversely, in AAM none of these parameters were significant predictors of failure.
Immunologic detection of retina cognin on the surface of embryonic cells

Abstract The retina cell-aggregating glycoprotein, referred to as the retina cognin, has been demonstrated to be located at the surface of embryonic neural retina cells. The term cognin is used to indicate its postulated role in the mechanism of mutual recognition and morphogenetic association of embryonic cells. Antiserum was prepared to the highly purified retina cognin derived from isolated cell membranes of chick embryo retina, and it was used to detect the cognin on cells from chick embryos by means of complement-mediated cell lysis. Retina cells (from 10-day embryos) freshly dissociated with trypsin showed little—if any—lysis by the cognin antiserum; this is consistent with the sensitivity of the cognin to trypsin. However, the cells became susceptible to immunolysis after a period of incubation at 37 °C, which indicates regeneration of the cognin at the cell surface during the recovery period. This regeneration required protein synthesis. Immunofluorescence tests showed binding of the antiserum to the surface of the recovered cells, thereby further demonstrating the surface location of the cognin. The presence, availability or ability to regenerate the cognin, as assayed here, declined sharply with the embryonic age of the cells. Addition of exogenous cognin to freshly trypsin-dissociated retina cells (from 10-day embryos) markedly increased their susceptibility to immunolysis by the cognin antiserum, which indicates that the added cognin becomes associated with the surface of these cells. In contrast, addition of retina cognin to cells freshly trypsinized from 10-day embryo optic tectum and cerebrum, or from 14-day retina did not increase their susceptibility to immunolysis by the cognin antiserum. These results are consistent with earlier findings that enhancement of cell aggregation by the retina cognin is tissue-specific and stage-specific. Cells from non-neural tissues of the chick embryo were not lysed by the retina cognin antiserum. However, neural tissues, such as optic tectum, were found to contain cells which showed surface cross-reaction with the retina cognin antiserum.
Online survey system for image-based clinical guideline studies using the Delphi method

The increasing use of health information technology (HIT) is due to a rising interest in improving the quality of health care. HIT has the potential to reduce cost and transform services. Proper clinical support systems will contribute to the meaningful use of HIT systems by providing a wide array of data to clinicians for the diagnosis and treatments. Clinical guidelines, created by a consensus of experts, can be put in place to assist physicians in making clinical decisions. Delphi methods are commonly used to create consensus from surveys completed by a team of experts. Image based studies could create guidelines that standardize severity, deformity or other clinical classifications. As these studies were traditionally conducted using paper based media, the cost and time requirement often make the process impractical. Ware proposing a web based system to aid medical researchers in conducting image based Delphi studies for improved clinical guidelines and decision support.
Personality characteristics, parent behaviors, and sex of subject in relation to cheating.

Abstract College students were given the opportunity to falsify self-reported scores on a task to gain course credit. Personality and perceived parent behavior data were obtained in a counterbalanced design. Male cheaters were significantly higher in Aggression, Exhibition, Social Recognition, and Harmavoidance but lower in Autonomy (PRF scales) and ACT scores. Female transgressors were reliably lower in harmavoidance and higher in Impulsivity than noncheaters. Among males, no parent scales differentiated transgressors and resisters. Among females, parent scales reflecting reports of lower father warmth and fewer maternal equalitarian interactions but higher Hostile Control significantly differentiated cheaters from noncheaters. These findings were discussed, particularly in terms of the sex differences which suggest that males and females may cheat for different reasons.
Wavelet Analysis of Soil Mass Images for Particle Size Determination

A method for determination of average grain size from images of fairly uniform particle size soil masses is presented. The procedure utilizes two-dimensional wavelet decomposition of gray scale images. Earlier attempts to quantify grain sizes based on the statistics of co-occurrence matrices suffered from dependence on the illumination intensity and soil color. By normalizing the energy distribution from wavelet decomposition the effects of these previously problematic factors have been eliminated. A general relationship between the center of area beneath the normalized energy distribution and the perceived particle size in pixels per diameter (PPD) is established. A sample problem demonstrates that the proposed wavelet decomposition method provides accurate grain sizes for a wide range of magnification levels as long as the resulting PPD is between approximately 1 and 50.
A Framework for Setting Retirement Savings Goals

The purpose of this paper is to develop a framework for calculating savings needed to meet retirement goals under a variety of alternative assumptions about the economic and institutional environment. A “base case” that incorporates a zero real rate of interest serves as a starting point; next, differences resulting from a positive interest rate are examined. The analysis is further modified to take into account the effects of inflation, the role of Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs), and possible future changes in tax laws. Throughout, the goal is to evaluate how best to plan for a smooth, regular consumption level before and after retirement and to adjust savings programs for changes in one's situation or expectations. The framework provided herein is expected to be useful to consumer educators and financial counselors concerned with helping individuals to meet their retirement goals.
An ear asymmetry for gap detection following anterior temporal lobectomy

A threshold elevation in the performance of auditory temporal order judgment in man has been reported in the ear contralateral to the side of an anterior temporal lobectomy. On the basis of temporal order judgments alone it is not possible to determine whether the deficit is attributable to an impairment of recognition, identification, or temporal resolution. The present monaural experiments compared the performance of the two ears in the detection of a gap in a broad-band noise burst in normal and temporal lobectomized subjects. The results revealed a right-left symmetry in gap detection performance by normal subjects but a significant deficit in gap detection in the ear contralateral to the side of an anterior temporal lobectomy--a finding interpreted as revealing the existence of a bonafide deficit in auditory temporal resolution induced by such resection.
On 4-manifolds and span-related numbers for cat manifolds

LetM n denote any closed connected CAT manifold of positive dimensionn. We define CATs(Mn) to be the smallest positive dimension of all closed connected CAT manifoldsN for which the CAT span ofM×N is strictly greater than the CAT span ofN. We determine a formula for this characteristic number which involves only the Kirby-Siebenmann numberks(M) ofM and a Stiefel-Whitney number. Several results on splitting the tangent bundles of closed 4-manifolds are obtained. For example, both the Euler number ofM 4 andks(M4) represent the total obstruction to positive CAT span for a non-smoothable closed connected 4-manifold.
Negotiating Shuttling Between Transnational Experiences: A De/colonizing Approach to Performance Ethnography

Using several approaches of data collection over a period of 10 months, the author combines participant observations, conversational interviews, photoelicitations, and various other serendipitous types of information gathering in performative spaces of actions and re-actions, demonstrating the contestatory negotiations of two transnational female Indian graduate students who had been in the United States for no longer than a year. Methodologically, the author explores the role of performance ethnography informed by de/colonizing epistemologies to highlight the possibilities of working within/against/through contestatory discourses. Demonstrating the complexities of human experiences through front- and back-staged one-act plays, the author argues for opening up possibilities of scientific research that investigates the role of social structures of inequality in producing experiences of marginalization.
Promotion of HL-60 cell differentiation by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 regulation of protein kinase C levels and activity

Abstract The hormone 1,25-dihydroxyvicamin D 3 [1,25-(OH) 2 D 3 ] promotes differentiation of a number of cell types including HL-60 promyelocytic leukemia cells. It is now established that protein kinase Cβ (PKCβ) plays a critical role in HL-60 cell maturation to a monocyte/macrophage phenotype. In the present study, we investigated the importance of PKCβ levels and activation in 1,25-(OH) 2 D 3 -mediated differentiation of HL-60 cells. Cell differentiation promoted by 1,25-(OH) 2 D 3 at 48 hr was 39 ± 3% (mean ± SEM) nitroblue tetrazolium (NB'T) positive and at 72 hr it was 35 ± 2% NBT positive and 70% CD14 positive. Thus, promotion of cell differentiation by 20 nM 1,25-(OH) 2 D 3 treatment was maximal at 48–72 hr. When PKCβ levels and cell differentiation were assayed at 72 hr, treatment with 20 nM 1,25-(OH) 2 D 3 for the initial 6 hr increased PKCβ levels by 175% but had little effect on cell differentiation (7 ± 2% NBT positive; 11% CD 14 positive). The effect of ionomycin, a calcium ionophore, on PKCβ levels and cell differentiation also was examined. Alone, 5 μM ionomycin promoted few cells (3% CD14 positive) to differentiate. In contrast, cells treated with 5 μM ionomycin for 66 hr after a 6-hr pretreatment with 20 nM 1,25-(OH) 2 D 3 resulted in 34 ± 5% NBT positive cells and 73% CD14 positive cells. Quantitatively, this induction of differentiation was identical to that observed in cultures continuously treated with 1,25-(OH) 2 D 3 (35 ± 2% NBT positive; 70% CD14 positive). Therefore, ionomycin seemed to replace the requirement for the continuous presence of 1,25-(OH) 2 D 3 . Chelerythrine chloride (3 μM), a specific PKC inhibitor, blocked differentiation promoted by 1,25-(OH) 2 D 3 alone (82 ± 2% inhibition) or in sequence with ionomycin (86 ± 3% inhibition). Taken together, our data show that the capacity of 1,25-(OH) 2 D 3 to both increase PKCβ levels and activate PKC is utilized to promote HL-60 cell differentiation. These data further suggest that 1,25-(OH) 2 D 3 has a genomic action to increase PKCβ levels and also a nongenomic action requiring its continuous presence to promote HL-60 cell differentiation.
What is the timing of orbital-scale monsoon changes?

Abstract A major (but little noted) divergence of opinion has developed among climate scientists over the orbital-scale periodicity and phasing of tropical monsoon variations. Kutzbach (1981. Monsoon climate of the early Holocene: climate experiment with Earth's orbital parameters for 9000 years ago. Science 214, 59–61) proposed that monsoons are driven by northern summer insolation at the precession period, but Clemens and Prell (1990. Late Pleistocene variability of Arabian Sea summer monsoon winds and continental aridity: eolian records from the lithogenic component of deep-sea sediments. Paleoceanography 5, 109–145; 2003. A 350,000-year summer-monsoon multi-proxy stack from the Owen Ridge, Northern Arabian Sea. Marine Geology 201, 35–51) inferred a more complicated response tied to latent heat transfer from the Southern Hemisphere. Because tropical monsoons affect climate over a vast area, resolving this divergence is an important task for the climate community. The purpose of this note is to highlight definitive evidence from high-resolution dating of speleothem calcite that provides unambiguous support for the Kutzbach hypothesis.
Color doppler characteristics in normal lower extremity arteries

The purpose of this study was to determine the normal characteristics of the lower extremity arterial system as seen with color Doppler. A total of 420 arterial segments from the level of the proximal abdominal aorta to the distal tibial and peroneal vessels were examined with a color ultrasound scanner in 10 normal volunteers. Each arterial segment was examined for the presence of triphasic flow, wall irregularities, calcification, bruits, collaterals, and post-stenotic flow patterns. Standard duplex spectral waveform data were also obtained at each site. As expected, triphasic flow was present and detected by color Doppler in the majority of arterial segments. Color patterns suggesting the presence of bruits, collaterals, or post-stenotic flow were absent in all cases.
Effect of vertical support on highway bridge superstructures

Abstract A Fourier series expansion is used to obtain the deflection, moment, shear, velocity, and acceleration expressions for a multispan highway bridge superstructure under the effects of vertical support motion. These expressions are used in computer programs that compute the maximum values along the bridge span. The formulation is also used to show the feasibility of creating nondimensionalized design aids that may be used in industry. A finite element analysis is used to help verify the results.
How programming can become counterproductive: An analysis of approaches to programming

I propose seeing environmental programming as varied and differentiated, and more specifically as having a diversity of approaches, which are best treated differently. I develop a typology of approaches to programming, based on the mode of data collection, analysis and presentation, and describe how their inherent assumptions, epistemological, ontological and methodological positions affect the efficacy of programming, often rendering it counterproductive to its original aim of assisting the designer in producing suitable physical environments. I discuss the implications of, and issues with, the different approaches to programming, and elaborate on the counterproductiveness of programming.
15-HETE: selective incorporation into inositol phospholipids of MDCK cells.

15-HETE: Selective incorporation into inositol phospholipids of MDCK cells. The interaction of 15-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (15-HETE) and cultured MDCK renal tubular epithelial cells was investigated to determine whether incorporation of this lipoxygenase product will affect polyphosphoinositide formation. MDCK cells were incubated with 1 µM [ 3 H]-15-HETE for 15 to 120 minutes. Maximum uptake occurred between 15 and 30 minutes, and after 60 minutes, 70% of the incorporated 15-HETE was present in the phosphatidylinositol (PI) fraction. Some 15-HETE was also incorporated into phosphatidylinositol-4-monophosphate (PIP) and phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PIP 2 ). However, even though more 15-HETE than arachidonic acid was incorporated into PI, the fractional amount of 15-HETE present in the polyphosphoinositides was smaller than arachidonic acid. Therefore, although 15-HETE is selectively channeled into PI, conversion of PI species containing 15-HETE to PIP and PIP 2 is relatively impaired. This suggests that either PI containing 15-HETE is a less effective substrate for phosphorylation, or PI containing arachidonic acid is a preferred substrate. MDCK cells converted 15-HETE to polar metabolites that were released into the extracellular fluid. This process may constitute a renal tubular mechanism for the clearance of 15-HETE and related lipoxygenase products.
The Community Helpers Project: A description of a prevention strategy for rural communities

Because of the prevalence of psychosocial distress and the difficulties involved in delivering services to rural areas, prevention programs are especially important for rural communities. The Community Helpers Project was designed as a model prevention program for rural communities since it builds upon informal local helpers. Through a system of community-based training, local helpers' helping skills are enhanced using three training packages—basic helping skills, life development skills, and crisis resolution skills. The assumptions underlying the design of The Community Helpers Project, the components of the intervention, the locale of the effort, and an overview of its implementation are presented.
No effect of high sucrose diets on the kidneys of Wister Kyoto (WKY) rats

Dietary constituents, such as sucrose, may influence renal integrity during aging. Diets with high sucrose content cause extensive basement membrane damage in retinal vessels of WKY rats (J Clin Lab Sci 16: 419, 1986), which have been likened to the changes in diabetes mellitus and aging. Nevertheless, it is unknown whether similar lesions also occur in renal glomeruli and play a role in the progressive decline of renal function during aging. Knowledge of the latter possibility is important, because eye and renal vascular pathology often correlate, and earlier publications indicated that renal perturbations result from high sugar intake. In sharp contrast to work reported by others, our initial studies using Wistar rats showed no evidence of renal perturbations during months of high sucrose intake. We used diets formulated to be virtually the same in electrolyte and vitamin content, with the only differences being in the proportion of macronutrients — CHO (sucrose), fats and protein. To corroborate the initial studies, we expanded the studies using 40 unilaterally nephrectomized WKY rats. Despite marked differences in the consumption of macronutrients over a 6–7 month period, differences in kidney function and morphology were not seen among any of the 4 dietary groups. Although protein excretion was significantly higher in WKY rats consuming a low sucrose-high fat diet and BP was significantly higher in the rats consuming diets high in sucrose content, serum urea nitrogen and creatinine and urinary findings did not suggest renal damage secondary to high sucrose consumption. Light and electron microscopy failed to show renal morphological differences among the groups, similar to those reported in the vasculature of the eye. Based upon the ability of kidney slices to transport organic ions and consume OZ , renal tubular function also was not affected by different diets. We conclude that excess ingestion of sucrose over months causes no obvious renal perturbations in WKY rats, even though it elevates BP and causes eye lesions.
Consumer response to child tax credit

This article uses micro-level data from the Consumer Expenditure Survey (CEX) to study consumers’ spending responses to the child tax credit. The article provides one test of the permanent-income hypothesis (PIH) that infers that temporary changes in income have little effect on consumer spending, at the initiation of the child tax credit in 1997, and a second PIH test when the credit was increased in 2003. The evidence supports the PIH in both 1997 and 2003, even using three different proxies for liquidity-constrained households. Separate from any PIH implications, our findings suggest the child tax credit did not provide a short-term consumption stimulus in either of the time periods studied. Our results therefore cast some doubt on whether this type of tax credit should be considered sound fiscal policy.
On a class of integrals of Legendre polynomials with complicated arguments--with applications in electrostatics and biomolecular modeling.

The exact analytical result for a class of integrals involving (associated) Legendre polynomials of complicated argument is presented. The method employed can in principle be generalized to integrals involving other special functions. This class of integrals also proves useful in the electrostatic problems in which dielectric spheres are involved, which is of importance in modeling the dynamics of biological macromolecules. In fact, with this solution, a more robust foundation is laid for the Generalized Born method in modeling the dynamics of biomolecules.
THE INTERACTION OF PARTICULATE HORSERADISH PEROXIDASE (HRP)-ANTI HRP IMMUNE COMPLEXES WITH MOUSE PERITONEAL MACROPHAGES IN VITRO

The uptake, distribution, and fate of particulate horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-anti HRP aggregates has been studied in homogeneous monolayers of mouse macrophages in vitro. Macrophages rapidly interiorize the immune complexes after binding to the cell surface. The rate of interiorization is maximal for complexes formed in a broad zone of 4-fold antibody excess to equivalence and corresponds to a rate of 10% of the administered load/106 cells per hour. This rate is 4000-fold greater than the uptake of soluble HRP. The binding and endocytosis of HRP-anti HRP by macrophages is mediated by the trypsin insensitive Fc receptor. Cytochemically, intracellular HRP is localized within membrane bound vacuoles. After uptake of HRP, the enzymatic activity is degraded exponentially with a half-life of 14–18 hr until enzyme is no longer detectable. This half-life is twice as long as that previously observed for soluble uncomplexed HRP and is related to the combination of HRP with anti-HRP rather than the absolute amounts of enzyme or antibody ingested. The half-life of HRP-125I was 30 hr. Exocytosis of cell associated enzyme or TCA precipitable counts was not detected, nor were persistent surface complexes demonstrable. The extensive capacity of macrophages to interiorize and destroy large amounts of antigen after the formation of antibody illustrates a role of this cell in the efferent limb of the immune response.
Labor markets and organizations: A screening theory of hiring networks and racially homogeneous employment

Abstract This theoretical analysis uses three relationships between individual and organizational performance to help explain when organizations will use different labor markets to organize employment and when they will use different hiring networks. Granovetter's [Granovetter, M. (1973). The Strength of Weak Ties. American Journal of Sociology, 78, 1360–1381] distinctions about job seekers’ networks are combined with Jacobs’ [Jacobs, D. (1981). Towards a theory of mobility and behavior in organizations: An inquiry into the consequences of relationships between individual performance and organizational success. American Journal of Sociology, 87, 684–707] and Marsden and Campbell's [Marsden, P. V., & Campbell, K. E. (1990). Recruitment and selection processes: The organizational side of job searches. In R. Breiger (Ed.), Social mobility and social structures (pp. 59–79). New York: Cambridge University Press] work on employers’ recruitment and screening strategies to develop insights about when weak or strong ties will be used in the hiring process. Strong ties between a job seeker and an intermediary and between the intermediary and an employer are possible without also assuming a tie between the job seeker and the employer. This is possible because the tie between the job seeker and the intermediary exists in a different kind of network than the tie between the intermediary and the employer. When employees can only hurt collective efforts and employers are concerned about the quality of information about job seekers, administrators will prefer strong ties. These ideas also explain when ethnic homogeneity in hiring will be most prevalent.
On the class of t-designs

Abstract The necessary and sufficient condition for a t-design satisfying v=2k to be a resolvable t-design is derived. Construction of some series of resolvable 3-designs are also given. Finally, a simple and general method for constructing balanced incomplete block designs from symmetrical balanced incomplete block designs are shown. Using this method many known infinite series of balanced incomplete block designs can easily be obtained.
Effects of single and repeated marijuana smoke exposure on fetal EEG.

Abstract The effect of single and repeated marijuana smoke exposure on fetal EEG was investigated in the chronic fetal lamb model using power spectral analysis. Maternal inhalation of marijuana smoke (n = 9) resulted in a significant reduction in total power and power distribution in the delta (1–4 Hz) band, and an increase in power distribution in the faster frequencies in the first h after smoke inhalation. These EEG changes were not observed following maternal inhalation of placebo smoke (n = 5), nor in animals with 3–5 prior exposures to marijuana smoke (n = 5). These results suggest that the effects of marijuana smoke exposure on fetal EEG is short-lived and tolerance develops rapidly with repeated exposure.
Articulating Identity: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and the Animal/Human Divide

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) faces a daunting task in creating support for animal rights and convincing individuals that they share substance with animals. PETA challenges the animal/human divide by articulating a shared identity through discursive and visual appeals. Their advertisements invite viewers to see similarities to the Other, visually experience the Others’ world, and visually break down differences between the two. A critical reading of select PETA advertisements leads to conclusions about the nature and function of these specific rhetorical campaigns, as well as to larger conclusions about visual rhetoric, articulation of identities, and social movements.
Tumefactive intracranial presentation of precursor B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia

In children, leukemia is the most common malignancy, and approximately 75% of leukemias are acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Central nervous system leukemia is found at diagnosis in fewer than 5% of children with ALL. Leukemic intracranial masses have been described with acute myeloid leukemia, but ALL presenting as a mass lesion is rare. We describe a unique case of an intracranial confirmed precursor B cell (pre-B) ALL mass in a 13-year-old girl that was diagnosed by brain CT, MRI and cerebral angiography, and confirmed by biopsy. This report details pertinent history and distinguishing imaging features of an intracranial ALL tumefaction.
The effects of incentive shifts on stimulus-bound licking in rats

Abstract Sucrose drinking elicited by electrical stimulation of the lateral hypothalamus was sensitive to shifts in sucrose concentration. Furthermore, the sensitivity of the animals to the nature of the goal object was found across the full range of stimulation intensities that would reliably elicitthe drinking response.
Why the Dog Eats Nikki's Homework: Making Informed Assignment Decisions

Homework is an instructional staple for most classroom teachers; however, considerable debate over the effectiveness of homework has been at the center of discussions among researchers, administrators, educators, parents, and students. Rather than continuing the battle as to whether or not homework enriches learning, it appears the more commonsense question is “How can we improve on the quality of homework assigned to students so that it is doable and appropriate?” In order to provide effectual homework tasks, responsive teachers have knowledge of, and consider, their students' reading abilities. Therefore, this article presents homework guidelines and practical interventions for teachers to use when designing out-of-school literacy tasks based on the components of the Simple Reading Assessment Model – SRAM.
Family History and Risk of Ovarian Cancer-Reply

In Reply. —Drs Foulkes and colleagues underscore a key point in the recommendations of the NIH Consensus Development Panel on Ovarian Cancer, namely, the importance of ascertaining family history to define a woman's inherited risk of ovarian, breast, colon, and other cancers. However, it is important to differentiate between those women whose pedigree fits one of the three major syndromes (site-specific ovarian cancer syndrome, breast-ovarian cancer syndrome, and Lynch II syndrome) and those in whom the appearance of ovarian cancer appears to be sporadic. 1 The vast majority (97%) of women with two or three relatives with ovarian cancer will not have a hereditary cancer syndrome. 2,3 Their lifetime probability of developing ovarian cancer appears to be about 7%. Those women whose family history is consistent with a hereditary cancer syndrome may have a lifetime risk of 40%, assuming an autosomal-dominant inheritance pattern with 80% penetrance. 4 The development of
Computational predictions and expression patterns of conserved microRNAs in loblolly pine ( Pinus taeda )

MiRNAs are mostly known for their expressions in sporophytic (diploid) tissues from various angiosperms, and only limited information is available on those expressed in gametophytic (haploid) tissues. Even more limited information is available for gymnosperms, particularly those that are expressed in gametophytic tissues. Homology search of the loblolly pine expressed sequence tag (EST) database using known miRNAs from Arabidopsis thaliana and Picea abies revealed 12 miRNAs previously unreported and/or uncharacterized in loblolly pine (Pinus taeda). Their precursor and mature sequences and secondary structures were obtained using computational approaches. PCR was used to confirm their expressions using samples that represent the sporophyte (i.e., needles) and gametophyte (i.e., mature and germinated pollen) phases of the loblolly pine life cycle. Our results showed that all 12 miRNAs were expressed in the needles, three of which were detected only in the needles, two were expressed only in the needles and germinated pollen, and seven were expressed in all of the three tissues examined. None was expressed only in the mature and germinated pollen, but nine had expressions in both or either of these samples. Target predictions suggest that these newly identified and characterized loblolly pine miRNAs regulate messenger RNAs (mRNAs) that are involved in gene regulation, metabolism, and signal transduction. This study demonstrates the usefulness of computational approach in identifying conserved miRNAs in species with unsequenced genomes like loblolly pine and reveals that conserved miRNAs can be used to differentiate sporophytic and gametophytic tissues and between stages of the male gametophyte.
Input shunt networks

Abstract Shunting inhibition is a neural network mechanism to perform pattern classification. It generates competition between representations through an alternative mechanism from lateral inhibition. I present a neurally plausible version of shunting inhibition, which I call input shunt networks. It is implemented with feedback connections, similar to connections found between cortical processing centers, and between the cortex and the thalamus in the mammalian brain.
Reciprocal inhibition or extinction

Abstract Since reciprocal inhibition therapy techniques involve the procedure for classical extinction, it is reasonable to consider the possibility that it is extinction, rather than counterconditioning, that is responsible for their efficacy. Certain experiments increase the plausibility of this possibility by suggesting that a certain feature of the extinction procedure involved in the reciprocal inhibition techniques makes it more effective than free response avoidance extinction. This feature is the fact that the subject's escape from the anxiety stimuli is delayed by the therapist's instructions. Only one experiment clearly indicates any feature of any reciprocal inhibition technique which could not be attributed to extinction, this characteristic being a superiority of a reciprocal inhibition procedure to extinction in eliminating fear in rats. Thus for explaining reciprocal inhibition therapy, it is still essentially an open question as to whether the concept of reciprocal inhibition is better than extinction.
PHOTOPRODUCTION OF NEUTRAL PIONS FROM COMPLEX NUCLEI

The photoproduction of neutral pions from complex nuclei is expressed in terms of the production amplitudes from single nucleons, as well as certain properties of the nuclear ground state. Methods are developed for the evaluation of the nuclear matrix elements. Correlations between nucleons lead to suppression of the incoherent cross section for small momentum transfers. The coherent nuclear production is strongly peaked at an angle $\ensuremath{\theta}\ensuremath{\approx}\frac{2}{\mathrm{kR}}$. Pions can also be produced by the coupling of the incident photon with the nuclear Coulomb field. The cross section for this process is peaked at an angle $\ensuremath{\theta}\ensuremath{\approx}\frac{{{m}_{\ensuremath{\pi}}}^{2}}{2{k}^{2}}$. Final-state interactions of the produced pion are included by means of the Fernbach-Serber-Taylor model. This leads to attenuation of the nuclear production and to a change in shape of the Coulomb production. The theoretical predictions are compared with experimental measurements at 250 and 900 MeV.
Lipid biosynthesis in the marine flatworm Convoluta roscoffensis and its algal symbiont Platymonas convoluta

Abstract As a part of an investigation on the lipid metabolism in Platyhelminthes, the acoel Convoluta roscoffensis, which harbors the green alga Platymonas convoluta as a symbiont, was studied. Isotopic tracer experiments established that the acoel lacks the ability to synthesize de novo long-chain saturated and unsaturated fatty acids and depends on its algal symbiont for these compounds. The acoel's fatty acid composition closely resembles that of the alga but differs from those of other animals; the acoel's polyunsaturated fatty acids are of the plant type (ω3 family) rather than of the animal type (ω6 family). The acoel also lacks the ability to synthesize sterols de novo. It contains 24-methylenecholesterol synthesized by the algae and, in addition, significant amounts of cholesterol, which is probably a host modification product of the algal sterol. With fatty acids provided by the symbiont, the acoel has the ability to synthesize its own complex lipids. The acoel contains relatively large amounts of triglyceride, phosphatidylcholine, and ethanolamine plasmalogen. These compounds are either not present at all or present only in minute amounts in the symbiotic alga. Since acoels belong to the most primitive forms of the present-day flatworms, the observed metabolic defects in this organism suggest that mechanisms for the biosynthesis of fatty acids and sterols were lost early during the evolution of the Platyhelminthes, and that this phenomenon is widespread within the phylum.
Development and use of a PCR assay for detection of the reproductive virus in wild populations of helicoverpa zea (Lepidoptera: noctuidae)

Abstract Helicoverpa zeareproductive virus (HzRV) is a nonoccluded bacilliform virus that affects both female and male moths of the corn earwormH. zea.In order to study the biology and host range of HzRV, a bioassay was previously developed to detect the presence of this virus in infected insects. A drawback of this bioassay is that it is time consuming and requires more than a month to complete. Here we describe the development of a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for the rapid detection of HzRV in infected corn earworms. The genome of HzRV was digested withPstI and cloned into a plasmid vector. Sequences from two different clones, P4 and P13, were selected for designing two sets of primers. These primers were used for PCR and their sensitivity and specificity in detecting HzRV DNA were examined. Both sets of primers produced the expected amplification product in samples containing HzRV DNA but not in uninfected corn earworm samples,Spodoptera frugiperda(Sf-9) cells, or samples from theAutographa californicanuclear polyhedrosis virus. In addition, the primer pair of the clone P13 was sensitive enough to detect approximately 175 copies of viral DNA. We then used this assay to examine feral populations ofH. zeafrom seven geographical locations in the United States. HzRV was detected primarily in the Mississippi populations and to a lesser extent in Iowa and Georgia, but none in Maryland, Missouri, and Texas populations. This PCR assay provides a highly specific, sensitive, and rapid way of detecting the presence of HzRV and will be useful in further studying the host range, tissue specificity, and incidence of this virus in wild populations of the corn earworm.
Resting peripheral blood flow in the anemic state

Abstract By means of the venous occlusion plethysmographic method, the peripheral circulation was investigated in a series of eleven patients with anemia of various types. A moderate increase in blood flow was observed in the forearm, but in the hand the readings were, for the most part, within the lower range of normal or somewhat decreased. The observations on the forearm constitute direct confirmation of the view that one of the compensatory mechanisms elicited in the anemic state is an augmented circulation through the tissues.
Lutein from ozone-treated corn retains antimutagenic properties.

The present study was conducted to determine the influence of an ozonation process on lutein and protein in clean and contaminated corns. This study aimed to determine the levels of lutein and prot...
Sterile Culture of Musca sorbens

There has been increased use of gnotobiotic insects, especially in areas of insect pathology, nutrition, and tissue culture. The need for germ-free explants from larvae, pupae, and adults of the fly Musca sorbens Wiedemann for tissue culture studies prompted the culture method described here. It is the 1st report of the sterile culture of this fly known to me.
Themes and Variations: Regulation of RpoN-Dependent Flagellar Genes across Diverse Bacterial Species

Flagellar biogenesis in bacteria is a complex process in which the transcription of dozens of structural and regulatory genes is coordinated with the assembly of the flagellum. Although the overall process of flagellar biogenesis is conserved among bacteria, the mechanisms used to regulate flagellar gene expression vary greatly among different bacterial species. Many bacteria use the alternative sigma factor σ54 (also known as RpoN) to transcribe specific sets of flagellar genes. These bacteria include members of the Epsilonproteobacteria (e.g., Helicobacter pylori and Campylobacter jejuni), Gammaproteobacteria (e.g., Vibrio and Pseudomonas species), and Alphaproteobacteria (e.g., Caulobacter crescentus). This review characterizes the flagellar transcriptional hierarchies in these bacteria and examines what is known about how flagellar gene regulation is linked with other processes including growth phase, quorum sensing, and host colonization.
Posttranslational protein palmitoylation: promoting platelet purpose.

Posttranslational modification of proteins is the foundation of intracellular signaling. Without the ability to reversibly modify proteins and lipids, cells would be unable to react to signals received from their environment. Posttranslational modification of proteins usually, but not always, occurs after a protein has arrived at the appropriate subcellular location. In certain instances, however, such modifications serve as addresses to correctly target the protein within the cell. See page 1478 Phosphorylation is the most widely studied of the posttranslational modifications. Both proteins and lipids can be reversibly phosphorylated, with the modification thereby being able to act as an on/off switch for the propagation of intracellular signals. Proteins can also be modified by attachment of lipid moieties (lipidation), modifications which have in recent years gained attention for their significant roles in propagating intracellular signals. Lipid modifications of proteins fall into several categories, of which 4 are predominant: (1) N-myristoylation, where myristate (C14) is cotranslationally attached to proteins at N-terminal glycine residues1–3; (2) Addition of glycosyl phosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchors, where GPI is attached to the C termini of proteins4; (3) S-prenylation, where a farnesyl (C15) or geranylgeranyl (C20) moiety is attached to a C-terminal cysteine within a CAAX motif (where C is cysteine, A is an aliphatic amino acid, and X is any amino acid)5; and (4) S-acylation (also known as S-palmitoylation) where palmitate (C16) and, less frequently, other fatty acids are attached to cysteine residues.6,7 Of the known membrane-targeting lipid modifications, palmitoylation is unique in two respects: (1) cysteinyl residues to be palmitoylated are not specified by obvious consensus sequences6 and (2) the process is reversible,8,9 which renders palmitoylation/depalmitoylation capable of regulating cellular functions. Further, although palmitate is the preferred acyl chain transferred to proteins by the palmitoyl …
Drag Reduction in Pipes Lined with Riblets

In the present paper, experiments are reported establishing a maximum drag reduction of five to seven percent in fully developed turbulent flow of water through 25.4mm and 50.8mm diameter pipes lined with a film of grooved equilateral triangles of base 0.11mm. The maximum reduction occurs when the height of the riblets is 11 to 16 wall units. This correlates well with the Taylor microscale of the fluctuating velocity gradient.
Staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome in a preterm newborn presenting within first 24 h of life

A preterm neonate was noted to have diffuse blanching erythema around the mouth followed by appearance of bullous lesions on the upper back, lower neck and right scapular areas at 23 h of life. The bullae subsequently ruptured leaving an extremely tender, erythematous, denuded area of the skin, which extended over next few hours to involve most of the upper back and right shoulder regions. Nikolsky sign was positive. Clinical diagnosis of staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome was made. The throat, blood, urine and cerebrospinal fluid cultures did not yield any growth, but wound culture was positive for Staphylococcus aureus. Treatment included administration of intravenous fluids and vancomycin for 10 days. The wound area was covered with vaseline and sterile gauge dressings. On day 5 of life, epithelialisation began and was complete on the seventh day of life. She was discharged home with intact skin, without scars, on day 12 of life.