cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Amorphin is phosphorylase; phosphorylase is an alpha-actinin-binding protein.

In a study of myofibrillar proteins, Chowrashi and Pepe [1982: J. Cell Biol. 94:565–573] reported the isolation of a new, 85-kD Z-band protein that they named amorphin. We report that partial sequences of purified amorphin protein indicate that amorphin is identical to phosphorylase, an enzyme important in the metabolism of glycogen. Anti-amorphin antibodies also reacted with purified chicken and rabbit phosphorylase. To explore the basis for phosphorylase's (amorphin's) localization in the Z-bands of skeletal muscles, we reacted biotinylated alpha-actinin with purified amorphin and with purified phosphorylase and found that alpha-actinin bound to each. Radioimmune assays also indicated that phosphorylase (amorphin) bound to alpha-actinin, and, with lower affinity, to F-actin. Negative staining of actin filaments demonstrated that alpha-actinin mediates the binding of phosphorylase to actin filaments. There are several glycolytic enzymes that bind actin (e.g., aldolase, phosphofructokinase, and pyruvate kinase), but phosphorylase is the first one demonstrated to bind alpha-actinin. Localization of phosphorylase in live cells was assessed by transfecting cultures of quail embryonic myotubes with plasmids expressing phosphorylase fused to Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP). This resulted in targeting of the fusion protein to Z-bands accompanied by a diffuse pattern in the cytoplasm. Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 53:125–135, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Clustering of cardiovascular disease risk factors.

Abstract In a population-based cardiovascular disease study we analyzed the associations among five risk factors—cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, obesity, and cigarette smoking. Two methods were used: standard correlation analysis, and a percentile analysis method limited to associations at higher levels of these risk factors. The study population, 4,839 men and women aged 30–89, showed significantly positive standard and age-adjusted correlation coefficients for all comparisons between any two risk factors except for those comparisons involving smoking. In the percentile analysis, subjects with moderate or greater (⩾70th percentile) or high (⩾90th percentile) levels on one of these risk factors showed clustering of elevations in other risk factors in that observed/expected ratios were generally greater than unity, again excepting smoking comparisons. Clustering was strongest in subjects at the highest levels of these risk factors, a phenomenon which has not, to our knowledge, previously been reported. Because of the particularly high risk of subjects with several risk factors, this finding should caution clinicians who identify a patient with an elevation of one of these risk factors to evaluate the patient carefully for elevations of other risk factors.
Formation of FeCo by mechanical alloying

There is considerable current interest in the use of mechanical attrition in high-energy ball mills to form alloys. Starting from powders of two constituent elements, A and B, several alternative reaction paths are, in principle, possible to form the alloy AB: A may dissolve in the lattice of B, B may dissolve in A, or A and B may undergo a reaction at their interface to form the alloy directly. In the present study, {sup 57}Fe Moessbauer spectroscopy is applied to determine the reaction path for formation of disordered, equiatomic FeCo. The hyperfine field at the nucleus of an {sup 57}Fe probe atom depends on the local environment of atoms within the first few near-neighbor shells. The observed distribution of hyperfine fields therefore reflects the superposition of local atomic environments in which the probes find themselves. In the present work, the distribution of hyperfine fields is monitored at stages during milling of elemental powders to trace the evolution of the local environments. From the non-observation of hyperfine fields of dilute Fe probes in Co metal and of Fe atoms with nearby Co solutes in Fe metal, it is concluded that neither constituent element alloys into the other. By default, itmore » is concluded that alloying takes place by an interfacial reaction between the constituents. A similar study of formation of Ni{sub 3}Fe led to the same conclusion.« less
Perspectives in fetal echocardiography

Editor's Note: This discussion is extracted from a lecture and has been minimally edited to maintain the style which we think maintains the spirit as well as the educational content. It is primarily included to offer trainees an introduction to the history and physiology encountered in this evolving specialty. We invite your comments.
Age-related changes in the cerebrospinal fluid outflow glycosaminoglycans.

Abstract The glycosaminoglycan distribution patterns of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) outflow pathway, dura mater and cerebral cortex of young New Zealand red rabbits and 1-, 3- and 12-week-old C-57 mice were identified by analyses of the glycosaminoglycan moieties and by the use of zone electrophoresis. The glycosaminoglycans were identified by specific degradation procedures, i.e., hyaluronate lyase, chondroitin ABC lyase, endo-gb-D-galactosidase and nitrous acid treatment. The CSF outflow pathway and dura mater glycosaminoglycan components were primarily hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfatedermatan sulfate, whereas the cerebral cortex glycosaminoglycan components were hyaluronic acid, chondroitin sulfatedermatan sulfate, keratan sulfate and heparan sulfate. The glycosaminoglycan components of the dura mater and cerebral cortex decreased and those of the CSF outflow pathway increased as a function of age. These results demonstrate the feasibility of analyses of the CSF outflow pathway glycosaminoglycan components and suggest that topographical changes in the glycosaminoglycan distribution profiles may contribute to the pattern of cerebrospinal fluid outflow.
A Beta Distribution Model for Characterizing Earthquake Damage State Distribution

This study investigates methods for modeling the distribution of post-earthquake damage among categorical damage states. Specifically, it is demonstrated that the beta distribution is a good model ...
On the Theory of Diffraction Grating Interferometers

One-dimensional diffraction-grating theory is developed in vector notation. First-order expressions are derived for the effects of the rotation of the grating about an arbitrary axis upon the diffracted beam. These results are applied to the three-grating interferometer whose characteristics are given in some detail. Generalization to moire patterns or to any number of gratings with arbitrary separations is indicated.
Symptomatic Ganglion Cyst of the Popliteus Tendon Treated With Ultrasound-Guided Aspiration and Steroid Injection: A Case Report

Ultrasound-guided aspiration of symptomatic ganglion cysts about peripheral joints is a valuable and routinely performed therapeutic modality. Intratendinous and peritendinous ganglia involving the popliteus tendon are rare, with only 3 cases previously reported. These ganglion cysts are usually small and can easily be mistaken for normal anatomy on magnetic resonance imaging (ie, small periarticular vessel or fluid within the popliteus tendon sheath), leading to delayed patient diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
The synthesis of tethered ligand dimers for PPARγ–RXR protein heterodimers

Heterodimeric compounds based on tethering the PPARgamma agonist Rosiglitazone to the RXR ligand Targretin have been prepared.
The economic value of using advance booking of orders

Abstract The advance booking of orders (ABO) is the practice of selling units of an item (either products or services) in advance of the actual availability of the item. We consider the question of whether or not advance bookings should be offered. Closed-form analytical results are derived for the expected profits for the classic single-period inventory (newsboy) problem both with and without advance bookings. These two profit expressions allow us to quantify the benefits of ABO. The benefits include both the yield-management benefits associated with the stimulation of demand and the planning and control benefits of using advance booking as a leading indicator of total demand.
WEST EUROPEAN DIRECT INVESTMENT IN THE US

Research suggests that the small‐ and medium‐sized Western European firms interested in direct investment in the United States are reluctant to co‐operate with state governments in formulating investment decisions. Research findings in the Upper Mid‐west indicate that the primary motivation of these firms to invest in the Upper Mid‐west is to shelter capital. The amount of importance the individual state governments place on reverse direct investment politicises the entire process of solicitation of potential direct investors. As a result, the small‐ and medium‐sized Western European firms tend to seek direct investment assistance from professional private sources.
A Novel Sporadic 614-Kb Duplication of the 22q11.2 Chromosome in a Child With Amyoplasia

Arthrogryposis is a rare congenital disorder characterized by multiple fixed joint contractures. Decreased fetal movement, regardless of etiology, causes an immobilization of the affected joints and subsequent contractures. Amyoplasia refers to the most common variant of arthrogryposis in which patients develop symmetrical limb contractures because of muscle underdevelopment. It is a sporadic condition with no known genetic abnormality being linked to this syndrome. The authors report a 4-month-old boy with amyoplasia carrying a novel de novo 614-Kb duplication of the 22q11.2 region. Amyoplasia has not been reported in patients with 22q11.2 microduplication syndrome. This particular 614-Kb duplicated segment contains 7 genes located within the typical 22q11.2 duplication region and 2 genes, TUBA8 and USP18, mapping outside of the typical region. This patient broadens the phenotypic spectrum of the 22q11.2 microduplication syndrome and raises the possibility that TUBA8 and USP18 may play an important role in the pathogenesis of amyoplasia.
Probabilistic classification of hemophilia A carriers by discriminant analysis

Abstract The linear discriminant procedure is described for obtaining, on the basis of F.VIII-related antigen determinations and F.VIII coagulant activity, appropriate formulas for calculating the probability that a woman is a carrier for hemophilia A. In applying the method to two separate bodies of data, a significant effect of age was observed on the F.VIII-related activities, and allowing for this increased the accuracy of discrimination. Tests for validity demonstrated that in each of the two sets of data a linear discriminant was valid provided: (i) allowance was made for the effect of age where appropriate, (ii) logarithmic transformations were taken of both the F.VIII-related antigen determinations and the coagulant activity, and (iii) allowance was made for the fact that the variance of the discriminant is significantly larger in the carriers than in the normals.
The Hückel model for small metal clusters. IV. Orbital properties and cohesive energies for model clusters of up to several hundred atoms

We examine model cluster structures by applying the simple Huckel method to spherically symmetric clusters whose atoms are constrained to occupy cubic (simple, body centered, or face-centered) and hop lattice positions. The Huckel orbitals are organized into energy “supershells,” many of which remain well separated even at 500–600 atom cluster sizes. The classical droplet model provides a good fit to cluster atomization energies, which then correctly extrapolate to the bulk cohesive energy predicted by tight-binding calculations. Energy level distributions for cubic lattices show that features characteristic of a tight-binding solid become fully evident in clusters containing as few as 100 atoms. A particular example is the high density of states found for the Fermi level of bcc clusters, vestiges of which might suffice to confer on suitable materials an enhanced electrical conductivity.
Failure of dengue viruses to replicate in Culex quinquefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae).

Culex quinquefasciatus (Say) and Aedes aegypti (L.) were parenterally infected with dengue viruses and virus replication was monitored at intervals after infection in each species. Dengue viruses replicated rapidly in Ae. aegypti, reaching a peak titer of 106–107 mosquito infectious dose 50 (MID50) per mosquito. In Cx. quinquefasciatus, however, dengue virus replication did not occur. We conclude that this mosquito species is refractory to infection with dengue viruses and, therefore, does not serve as a vector in nature.
Origin and removal of adducts (molecular mass = 98 u) attached to peptide and protein ions in electrospray ionization mass spectra

Electrospray ionization of peptides and proteins often produces intense adduct ions resulting from the attachment of a moeity with mass 98 u. The formation of these adduct ions results in a substantial reduction in the mass spectrometric sensitivity and an undesirable increase in the complexity of the mass spectra. In the present study it was shown that the removal of the attached adducts from peptide and protein ions can be affected by collisional activation and that the adducts arise from the attachment of sulfuric acid or phosphoric acid to peptide and protein ions. When sulfate and phosphate ions are removed from the samples by chemical means, adduct free ions are obtained from proteins yielding spectra with improved quality and sensitivity.
Influence of wheeled vehicular traffic on the acoustic-to-seismic transfer function

Understanding the variability of the grounds acoustic properties will lead to a reduction in false alarms associated with acoustic landmine detection. Experimental measurements of the acoustic-to-seismic transfer functions performed at a US Army eastern temperate site reveal frequency modulation scales in the acoustic-to-seismic transfer function. These modulations have different spatial dependencies along and across the mine lanes. It was hypothesized that these are due to spatial dependencies of the acoustic parameters in the ground layers. It also was speculated that downward gradients in these parameters are due to additional soil strain produced by the wheels of vehicles repeatedly moving down the lane. The measured transfer functions for a few sites were analyzed. It is shown that an elastic layered model of the ground with downward gradients of sound speed in the ground layers successfully models the features observed in the experimental data. Direct time-of-flight measurements of sound speeds in and out of the wheeled tracks confirm the results obtained from the acoustic-to-seismic transfer function analysis.
Integration in computational plasticity

Abstract Temporal integration of the constitutive relations is an important topic in computational plasticity. A brief review of recent developments is given in this paper. The Generalized Midpoint Rule and the Generalized Closest Point Projection Method are emphasized in particular. Algorithmic issues are discussed, especially with respect to the treatment of non-smooth yield surfaces. Numerical analyses support the conclusion that midpoint integration is preferred for small and moderate strain increments, while the Backward Euler rule (Closest Point Projection Method) is best suited when large strain increments can be anticipated, e.g. in zones of localized deformation and in large deformation plasticity.
Real-time holographic motion picture camera capable of recording front surface detail from a random velocity vector

A new holographic technique has been developed that allows the resolution of front surface detail to be holographically recorded from a scene having a relatively large total motion during the exposure, i.e., the total motion of the scene during the exposure is large, relative to the allowed path length change of the signal beam. The new technique has been employed as a holographic camera and consequently produced the first real-time, true three-dimensional motion picture of a moving scene with resolution of front surface detail [ R. L. Kurtz L. M. Perry , Appl. Opt.12, 888 ( 1973)]. A composite of this technique provides for the moving scene to have a randomly oriented velocity vector. Evidence of the maximum allowable total scene motion for a single velocity component is provided where the laser source was a continuous wave argon laser.
Evaluation of a software program for applying the American Board of Orthodontics objective grading system to digital casts.

Introduction: The American Board of Orthodontics' objective grading system (ABO OGS) is currently the gold standard for evaluating plaster casts of completed orthodontic cases. Methods: Thirty-six cases of finished orthodontic casts in plaster and digital form were scored by using 2 methods: an electronic version of the ABO OGS designed to be used with digital casts (OrthoCAD, Cadent, Fairview, NJ) and the ABO gauge designed to be used with plaster casts. The 2 scoring methods were compared using descriptive analysis (range, absolute mean difference, and standard deviation), the Spearman rank correlation coefficient, and the Wilcoxon rank sum test. Results: Intraexaminer reliability was high for both the plaster and the digital casts (r = 0.998). A statistically significant difference ( P Conclusions: The results indicate that this computer version of the ABO OGS cannot be used as a substitute for manual grading with the ABO ruler.
Single Sheet Functionalized Graphene by Oxidation and Thermal Expansion of Graphite

A detailed analysis of the thermal expansion mechanism of graphite oxide to produce functionalized graphene sheets is provided. Exfoliation takes place when the decomposition rate of the epoxy and hydroxyl sites of graphite oxide exceeds the diffusion rate of the evolved gases, thus yielding pressures that exceed the van der Waals forces holding the graphene sheets together. A comparison of the Arrhenius dependence of the reaction rate against the calculated diffusion coefficient based on Knudsen diffusion suggests a critical temperature of 550 °C which must be exceeded for exfoliation to occur. As a result of their wrinkled nature, the functionalized and defective graphene sheets do not collapse back to graphite oxide but are highly agglomerated. After dispersion by ultrasonication in appropriate solvents, statistical analysis by atomic force microscopy shows that 80% of the observed flakes are single sheets.
Modeling of the non-linear optical properties of the [GeO4] centers in silica

Abstract Semi-empirical PM3 calculations are performed on the Ge centers in silica using a cluster approximation in the Hartree-Fock framework. Ge-doped silica is simulated as a cluster that consists of a GeO 4 unit together with its four nearest SiO 4 units. Electron trapping does distort the local symmetry of the Ge center where the GeO 4 unit is not exactly tetrahedral. The calculations of the microscopic NLO properties in terms of static hyperpolarizabilities show a large, noticeable increase in β related to second-harmonic generation or Kerr effect for the Ge(1) center upon electron trapping.
Metabolic Imbalance Associated with Methylation Dysregulation and Oxidative Damage in Children with Autism

Oxidative stress and abnormal DNA methylation have been implicated in the pathophysiology of autism. We investigated the dynamics of an integrated metabolic pathway essential for cellular antioxidant and methylation capacity in 68 children with autism, 54 age-matched control children and 40 unaffected siblings. The metabolic profile of unaffected siblings differed significantly from case siblings but not from controls. Oxidative protein/DNA damage and DNA hypomethylation (epigenetic alteration) were found in autistic children but not paired siblings or controls. These data indicate that the deficit in antioxidant and methylation capacity is specific for autism and may promote cellular damage and altered epigenetic gene expression. Further, these results suggest a plausible mechanism by which pro-oxidant environmental stressors may modulate genetic predisposition to autism.
Reliable MLC data storage and retention in phase-change memory after endurance cycling

For phase-change memory to be considered a true universal memory it would have to combine MLC storage, for low cost per bit, with adequately high endurance and at least moderate data retention. However, this appears to be particularly difficult to achieve, because of phenomena such as material segregation, which comes as an effect of cycling, and resistance drift, which is inherent in the amorphous phase and affects the stability of stored data. We present a combination of a memory cell with stable programming behavior over cycling, electrical sensing techniques and signal processing technologies, to demonstrate the viability of reliable, non-volatile, MLC storage in phase-change memory cells after extended endurance cycling.
The dayside magnetospheric boundary layer at Mercury

Abstract Magnetic field and plasma data from the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft on the outbound portions of the first (M1) and second (M2) flybys of Mercury reveal a region of depressed magnetic field magnitude and enhanced proton fluxes adjacent to but within the magnetopause, which we denote as a dayside boundary layer. The layer was present during both encounters despite the contrasting dayside magnetic reconnection, which was minimal during M1 and strong during M2. The overall width of the layer is estimated to be between 1000 and 1400 km, spanning most of the distance from the dayside planetary surface to the magnetopause in the mid-morning. During both flybys the magnetic pressure decrease was ∼1.6 nPa, and the width of the inner edge was comparable to proton gyro-kinetic scales. The maximum variance in the magnetic field across the inner edge was aligned with the magnetic field vector, and the magnetic field direction did not change markedly, indicating that the change in field intensity was consistent with an outward plasma-pressure gradient perpendicular to the magnetic field. Proton pressures in the layer inferred from reduced distribution observations were 0.4 nPa during M1 and 1.0 nPa during M2, indicating either that the proton pressure estimates are low or that heavy ions contribute substantially to the boundary-layer plasma pressure. If the layer is formed by protons drifting westward from the cusp, there should be a strong morning–afternoon asymmetry that is independent of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) direction. Conversely, if heavy ions play a major role, the layer should be strong in the morning (afternoon) for northward (southward) IMF. Future MESSENGER observations from orbit about Mercury should distinguish between these two possibilities.
Mechanism of enolic ion tautomerization

Evidence of enolic ion-enolic ion tautomerization was observed in the mass spectra of several alkylcyclobutanols and aliphatic ketones. Extensive deuterium labeling experiments on 1-butylcyclobutanol, 5-nonanone and 7-tridecanone demonstrated that the process did not involve the intermediacy of the ketonic ion. The predominant mechanism involves reciprocal hydrogen transfers through large ring transition states, rather than a direct 1,3 hydrogen shift. Other decomposition reactions of the enolic ions were observed.
Efficient Raman sidescatter and hot-electron production in laser-plasma interaction experiments

These experiments studied the Raman instability occurring at densities below the quarter-critical density of the incident 0.53-..mu..m laser light. Solid gold targets were irradiated by up to 4 kJ of energy in a 1-ns pulse with focal spots of 150 to 1880 ..mu..m. The angular distribution of the Raman scattering shows efficient Raman sidescatter. The energy in electron plasma waves accounts for the hot-electron production over almost three orders of magnitude. We report the results and discuss the implications for laser fusion.
Analysis of red blood cell motion through cylindrical micropores: effects of cell properties.

Filtration through micropores is frequently used to assess red blood cell deformability, but the dependence of pore transit time on cell properties is not well understood. A theoretical model is used to simulate red cell motion through cylindrical micropores with diameters of 3.6, 5, and 6.3 microns, and 11-microns length, at driving pressures of 100–1000 dyn/cm2. Cells are assumed to have axial symmetry and to conserve surface area during deformation. Effects of membrane shear viscosity and elasticity are included, but bending resistance is neglected. A time-dependent lubrication equation describing the motion of the suspending fluid is solved, together with the equations for membrane equilibrium, using a finite difference method. Predicted transit times are consistent with previous experimental observations. Time taken for cells to enter pores represents more than one-half of the transit time. Predicted transit time increases with increasing membrane viscosity and with increasing cell volume. It is relatively insensitive to changes in internal viscosity and to changes in membrane elasticity except in the narrowest pores at low driving pressures. Elevating suspending medium viscosity does not increase sensitivity of transit time to membrane properties. Thus filterability of red cells is sensitively dependent on their resistance to transient deformations, which may be a key determinant of resistance to blood flow in the microcirculation.
Technovation and the informal investor

Abstract Technovation is a creative process in financial as well as technical terms. Inventors, entrepreneurs, and venture capital are the key ingredients in the technovation process. The key financial concepts include venture capital risk/reward trade-offs, discounted cash flow evaluation of income producing assets, and the risk-bearing role of entrepreneurs and venture investors. This paper discusses and illustrates the economic creativity of successful technovation, and explores the division of rewards between inventor/entrepreneurs and venture investors. Capital market gaps affecting the financing of emerging, technology-based ventures are identified. The paper concludes with a discussion of current research in-to the role of informal investors (essentially financially sophisticated individuals of means) as a source of risk capital for inventors and entrepreneurs.
Feasibility study on the ethanol-water solar fractionating system

Abstract In order to demonstrate the feasibility of vacuum distillation of alcohol by using flat-plate collectors to provide the energy, an experimental solar still was designed, constructed and tested. The complete system provided for water heating and storge and the fractionation of ethanolwater mixtures in the alcohol still. The results of our experiment confirm that such a system is technically practical for the production of better than 90 per cent ethanol.
The Clock Paradox

In two-dimensional Minkowski space a geodesic arc is longer than every other admissible arc with the same end points. Thus a particle whose worldline is a geodesic—that is, an unaccelerated particle—requires more (local) time to travel between two events than an accelerated particle. Similar results in four-dimensional Minkowski space can be established.
Public things, excremental politics, and the infrastructure of bare life in Ghana's city of Tema

In Ghana's planned city of Tema, public toilets and sewerage systems are a formative terrain of urban political praxis giving tangible form to what Henri Lefebvre calls “the right to the city.” Revealing the political potentials and determinations of both waste and municipal infrastructure, excreta and the systems devised to contain and channel them serve as res publicae, or “public things.” At the same time they embody the inequities of bare life and biopolitical proscription in Tema's urban margins, waste management arrangements underwrite collective outlooks and entitlements and wrest a space for urban existence outside the grasp of state bureaucracies and political elites.
What MOVES Simulation

Many educators have learned from experience on this! If you only need a ‘‘warm body’’ to fulfill the role of a patient, then an actor will suit your needs. However, if you need trained individuals that can provide a standardized approach to the simulation you are providing, then you should use a standardized patient. Because these individuals are trained, they understand the medical presentation, the terminology, and the objectives you are trying to ascertain. Standardized patients not only portray the role of the patient in a standardizedmanner for all students but also they can provide feedback and evaluation to the student and faculty member.
Energy expenditure in African American and white boys and girls in a 2-y follow-up of the Baton Rouge Children's Study.

Background: Previously reported race and sex differences in energy expenditure (EE) may play a role in body fat gain. Objective: The purpose of the study was to determine the relations between race, sex, Tanner stage, and EE. Design: We conducted a 2-y follow-up study of EE in 114 African American (AA) and white girls and boys aged 12.7 0.1 y( x SE), who were stratified as obese or lean and were part of the Baton Rouge Children’s Study. Total daily EE (TDEE) was measured by using doubly labeled water. Resting metabolic rate (RMR) and thermic effect of food were measured by using indirect calorimetry. Results: White children had significantly higher TDEE and RMR than did AA children when fat-free mass was considered. Boys had significantly higher TDEE and RMR than did girls, even after adjustment for differences in size. TDEE and RMR were significantly higher in obese children, as a result of their greater fat-free mass and body fat, than in lean children. Activity-related EE did not differ significantly between obese and lean children. There was a strong relation between initial and 2-y TDEE and RMR. There was a significant decrease in activity-related EE in both racial groups. AA children had significantly more lean limb mass than did white children. Conclusions: Average TDEE did not change over 2 y, but RMR increased significantly, and activity-related EE decreased significantly. Differences in trunk and limb lean mass of white and AA children may explain some of the ethnic differences in EE. The decrease in physical activity over 2 y may contribute to the risk of obesity. Am J Clin Nutr 2004;79:268–73.
Analysis of ThinPrep cytology in establishing the diagnosis of small cell carcinoma of lung

BACKGROUND: ThinPrep liquid-based cytology (TP) preparations are being used increasingly in nongynecologic specimens. To the authors' knowledge, few studies to date have evaluated TP cytology in the setting of small cell carcinoma of the lung (SCCL). Accurately differentiating SCCL from other lung tumors has important clinical and therapeutic implications. Herein, the authors evaluated the diagnostic utility and cytomorphology of TP in the setting of SCCL. METHODS: All cases of SCCL with prior or concurrent TP cytologic specimens were identified via computer search. The cytodiagnoses were tabulated. When available, cytologic material was reviewed. Performance parameters of the various cytologic modalities processed with TP were calculated. RESULTS: In 121 patients with SCCL, 261 TP specimens were identified. The cytodiagnoses were: SCCL (119 specimens), suspicious for SCCL (45 specimens), atypical cells-not otherwise specified (22 specimens), negative/nondiagnostic (63 specimens), and nonsmall cell carcinoma (4 specimens). During the same period of time, 3 cases of false-positive diagnoses of SCCL were identified. The positive predictive value for a cytodiagnosis of SCCL on TP was 97.5%, and the sensitivity was 62.8%. Bronchial brush was the most sensitive cytologic modality (78.3%). Immunostaining was found to be contributory to the diagnosis in 10 of the 11 cases in which it was attempted. CONCLUSIONS: TP is a sound alternative to conventional preparations for the cytodiagnosis of SCCL. Cytomorphology of SCCL is altered in TP with less molding, less cell fragility, more discohesion, and tumor cell shrinkage artifact. Immunohistochemical staining of cellblocks is a useful adjunct in challenging cases. A positive cytodiagnosis of SCCL on TP can be used to initiate definitive therapy when biopsy is not possible. Cancer (Cancer Cytopathol) 2009. © 2009 American Cancer Society.
Disparities in health insurance among children with same-sex parents.

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to examine disparities in health insurance coverage for children with same-sex parents and to investigate how statewide policies such as same-sex marriage and second-parent adoptions affect children’s private insurance coverage. METHODS: We used data from the 2008–2010 American Community Survey to identify children (aged 0–17 years) with same-sex parents ( n = 5081), married opposite-sex parents ( n = 1 369 789), and unmarried opposite-sex parents ( n = 101 678). We conducted multinomial logistic regression models to estimate the relationship between family type and type of health insurance coverage for all children and then stratified by each child’s state policy environment. RESULTS: Although 77.5% of children with married opposite-sex parents had private health insurance, only 63.3% of children with dual fathers and 67.5% with dual mothers were covered by private health plans. Children with same-sex parents had fewer odds of private insurance after controlling for demographic characteristics but not to the extent of children with unmarried opposite-sex parents. Differences in private insurance diminished for children with dual mothers after stratifying children in states with legal same-sex marriage or civil unions. Living in a state that allowed second-parent adoptions also predicted narrower disparities in private insurance coverage for children with dual fathers or dual mothers. CONCLUSIONS: Disparities in private health insurance for children with same-sex parents diminish when they live in states that secure their legal relationship to both parents. This study provides supporting evidence in favor of recent policy statements by the American Academy of Pediatricians endorsing same-sex marriage and second-parent adoptions.
Depressive symptoms in mid-pregnancy, lifetime stressors and the 5-HTTLPR genotype

Few studies of gene–environment interactions for the serotonin transporter promoter polymorphism (5-HTTLPR), life stressors and depression have considered women separately or examined specific types of stressful life events. None have looked at depression during pregnancy. In the Pregnancy Outcomes and Community Health (POUCH) Study, women were queried about history of stressful life events and depressive symptoms at the time of enrollment (15–27 weeks gestation). Stressful life events were grouped a priori into “subconstructs” (e.g. economic, legal, abuse, loss) and evaluated by subconstruct, total subconstruct score and total stressful life event score. The effect of genotype on the association between stressful life events and elevated depressive symptoms was assessed in 568 white non-Hispanic participants. The relationship between exposure to abuse and elevated depressive symptoms was more pronounced in the s/s group (OR = 24.5) than in the s/l group (OR = 3.0) and the l/l group (OR = 7.7), but this significant interaction was detected only after excluding 73 (13%) women with recent use of psychotropic medications. There was no evidence of gene–environment interaction in analytic models with other stressful life events subconstructs, total subconstruct score or total stressful life events score. These data offer modest support to other reports of gene–environment interaction and highlight the importance of considering specific stressful life events.
Fine Structure and Progesterone Levels in the Corpus Luteum of the Pig During Pregnancy and after Hysterectomy

The corpora lutea of pregnant pigs were examined by electron microscopy at 28, 40, and 60 days following fertilization and compared to the corpora lutea from pigs hysterectomized for 40 and 60 days. Corpora lutea from a minimum of two animals were utilized at each interval. Progesterone analysis was performed on corpora lutea from each animal. The fine structure of granulosa lutein cells from the corpus luteum of pregnancy was similar to that of granulosa lutein cells in corpora lutea maintained for similar periods of time after hysterectomy. Furthermore, progesterone levels in the corpora lutea of these two groups of animals were generally similar during comparable stages. The cells showed fine structural features that are typical and characteristic of cells of steroid secretion. Compared with the published descriptions of the fine structure of granulosa lutein cells during the estrous cycle, the granulosa lutein cells during pregnancy and after hysterectomy contained a larger Golgi apparatus, more agranular endoplasmic reticulum organized as arrays of fenestrated cisternac, more granular endoplasmic reticulum, and an immensely larger number of membrane-limited dense bodies which were not acid phosphatase positive. The presence of considerable areas of granular endoplasmic reticulum in granulosa lutein cells from corpora lutea of pregnant and hvsterectomized animals suggested an increased capacity for protein synthesis over that observed in the estrous cycle. It is possible that the dense bodies have a protein content related to relaxin.
Effect of a Centralized Clinical Pharmacy Anticoagulation Service on the Outcomes of Anticoagulation Therapy

Context A growing body of reports has documented the ability of anticoagulation management services to help patients receiving warfarin therapy achieve better outcomes compared to the care provided by their personal physicians (ie, usual care). Objective To compare clinical outcomes associated with anticoagulation therapy provided by a clinical pharmacy anticoagulation service (CPAS) to usual care. Design Retrospective, observational cohort study, 6 months in duration. Setting Large nonprofit, group-model health maintenance organization. Patients A total of 6,645 patients receiving warfarin therapy were included in the final analyses (intervention group, 3,323 patients; control group, 3,322 patients). Intervention Anticoagulation therapy for patients in the intervention group was managed by a centralized, telephonic CPAS. Therapy for patients in the control group was managed in the usual manner by their personal physicians. Main outcome measures The primary outcome was the occurrence of anticoagulation therapy-related complications. A secondary outcome was the proportion of time spent in the target international normalized ratio (INR) range for each patient. Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were used to examine the risk of complications in relation to the study group. Results Patients in the CPAS were 39% less likely to experience an anticoagulation therapy-related complication than were patients in the control group (hazard ratio, 0.61; 95% confidence interval, 0.42 to 0.88). The number of patients needed to treat to prevent an anticoagulation therapy complication was 52. Additional analyses revealed that improved outcomes associated with CPAS were mediated largely through improved therapeutic INR control. Patients in the CPAS group spent 63.5% of study period days within their target INR range compared to 55.2% in the control group (p Conclusions A centralized, telephonic, pharmacist-managed anticoagulation monitoring service reduced the risk of anticoagulation therapy-related complications compared to that with usual care. The cumulative evidence supporting the superior care associated with implementing a pharmacist-managed anticoagulation monitoring service was sufficient to recommend widespread implementation.
Brain Basis for Dyslexia A Summary of Work in Progress

Studies of brain/behavior relations in the last decade have converged to suggest a left-hemisphere functional deficit for dyslexia. The relationship is most convincing at the microscopic level, where anomalous neural organization has been associated with reading, and at the macroscopic level, where several studies find atypical hemispheric symmetry in the language-related temporal region in individuals with dyslexia. Physiological studies measuring brain function during cognitive challenge have now begun to accumulate in support of a left-hemisphere deficit in dyslexia. This article summarizes work in progress on the structure and physiological profiles of reading disability and relates the findings to core left-hemisphere language functions.
Preoperative pulmonary vascular morphology and its relationship to postpneumonectomy hemodynamics.

Rationale and Objectives Pulmonary edema and pulmonary hypertension are postsurgical complications of pneumonectomy that may represent the remaining pulmonary vasculature's inability to accommodate the entirety of the cardiac output. Quantification of the aggregate pulmonary vascular cross-sectional area (CSA) has been used to study the development of pulmonary vascular disease in smokers. In this study, we applied this technique to demonstrate the potential utility of pulmonary vascular quantification in surgical risk assessment. Our hypothesis was that those subjects with the lowest aggregate vascular CSA in the nonoperative lung would be most likely to have elevated pulmonary vascular pressures in the postoperative period. Materials and Methods A total of 61 subjects with postoperative hemodynamics and adequate imaging were identified from 159 patients undergoing pneumonectomies for mesothelioma. The total CSA of blood vessels perpendicular to the plane of computed tomographic (CT) scan slices was computed for blood vessels 2 (CSA 5 mm). This measurement expressed as a percentage of lung parenchyma area (CSA 5%) was compared to postoperative hemodynamic measurements obtained by right heart catheterization. Results In patients where a contrasted CT scan was used ( n = 26), CSA 5% was correlated with postoperative day 0 minimum cardiac index ( R = 0.37, P = .03) but not with the maximum pulmonary arterial pressures. In patients with noncontrast CT scans ( n = 35), CSA 5% was inversely correlated with postoperative day 0 maximum pulmonary arterial pressures ( R = 0.43, P = .03) but not with the minimum cardiac index. The preoperative perfusion fraction of the nonsurgical lung did not correlate with postoperative hemodynamics. Conclusions CSA of pulmonary vasculature with an area ≤5 mm 2 has potential in estimating the ability of pulmonary vascular bed to accommodate postsurgical changes in pneumonectomy.
A demonstration of the coupled oscillator based agile beam receiver concept

The Cao-York concept of using a linear array of mutually injection locked oscillators to provide local oscillator signals for an agile beam receiver is demonstrated using a 15 circuit array of L-band voltage controlled oscillators coupled to nearest neighbors. The concept involves mixing each 1.265 GHz local oscillator (l-o) signal with a corresponding 1.950 GHz signal received by an element in an antenna aperture and combining the resulting 685 MHz intermediate frequency (i-f) signals. A normally incident wave is simulated using a power divider to provide 15 equal in-phase signals to the r-f ports of the mixers and the i-f combining is accomplished using a similar power divider in reverse. The "antenna beam" is steered through this "normally incident wave" by antisymmetrically detuning the end oscillators of the array and a plot of the i-f combiner output represents the receive beam shape. Finally, this system is used to demonstrate the Kott sidelobe suppression technique.
Cut-Through Metal Slit Array as an Anisotropic Metamaterial Film

It has been shown that a metal film with a one-dimensional array of subwavelength cut-through slits can be accurately modeled as an anisotropic and uniform metamaterial film with nondispersive electric permittivity [epsimacr] and magnetic permeability [mumacr] tensors. This model has an interesting scaling property: The values for the thickness Lmacr can be chosen at arbitrarily, provided that [epsimacr] and [mumacr] are scaled accordingly. The analytical expressions of the corrections due to near fields have also been given. This framework provides an intuitive and precise model for the understanding of the metal slit arrays in the subwavelength regime
Electromagnetic invisibility cloak with circular-elliptical shaped boundary

An electromagnetic invisibility cloak featuring an elliptic inner and a circular outer boundary was presented. Explicit design equations were given. The performance of the designed cloaks for different angles of incidence and shielded object dimensions were verified by full-wave EM simulations. The proposed configuration leads to more flexible geometries for invisibility cloaks.
The process and effect of supportive message expression and reception in online breast cancer support groups.

Being diagnosed with breast cancer and undergoing various treatments is a traumatic event for cancer patients [1]. They often experience many anxieties and uncertainties about the prognosis of their illness, thus their needs for support are likely to be high and vary during the course of their cancer experience. For breast cancer patients, one common way to cope with these problems is to engage in social support groups. Indeed, many scholars argue that social support exchange could function as a effective means to empower patients, enhancing their control over their illness, and managing uncertainty about their situation, which, in turn, leads to improved physical and emotional well-being [2–4]. Similar to the beneficial effects of traditional face-to-face social support, computer-mediated social support can be offered as a functional alternative for people with chronic illness [5–8]. In recent years, this phenomenon has increased because the growth and prevalence of the Internet has increased the accessibility and use of information and support for people with serious illnesses. Such trends are consistent with the growing recognition that, rather than being passive recipients, patients actively engage in mediated information and support seeking to help them effectively cope and make informed decisions during the course of their illness [9]. Recent studies found that participating in computer-mediated social support (CMSS) groups has emerged as an important source to seek and receive social support during social interaction, which ultimately yields positive effects on health outcomes [10–16]. A review of literature also suggests that it is important to differentiate the two behavioral exchanges of giving and receiving social support in order to uncover how supportive messages are exchanged [14, 17, 18]. For example, one recent study found that those who have more resources at pretest are more likely to provide emotional support to others, while those who lack resources are more likely to seek and receive emotional support from peer patients to compensate for deficits in their social network [19]. Unfortunately, little is known about how different modes of engaging in supportive exchanges - the reception and provision of emotional support - might matter for breast cancer patients’ psychosocial health outcomes. Accordingly, this study will simultaneously take these two supportive behaviors of giving and receiving into account in explaining their relative effects on psychosocial adjustments for breast cancer patients in the context of online support groups. In addition, this study will further examine the dynamic interplay of support giving and receiving among breast cancer patients within CMSS groups. Our aim here is to provide insights into the underlying mechanisms of what makes CMSS groups effective and how patients facing life-threatening illnesses interact and obtain benefits from such systems.