cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Coagulopathy in amyloidosis: Combined deficiency of factors IX and X

Combined severe deficiencies of blood clotting factors IX and X were observed in 2 patients who suffered from systemic amyloidosis. This unique deficiency state was marked by refractoriness to Vitamin K as well as to transfusion therapy. Increased antithrombin activity was present in both individuals and corresponded in time to the emergence of a monoclonal IgG kappa light chain paraprotein in 1. Both patients demonstrated profound bleeding disorders. It is hypothesized that the Vitamin K dependent factors have special affinity for amyloid deposits due to an unusual amino acid (gamma-carboxyglutamic acid) present in these factors.
Ductile crack growth—II. Void nucleation and geometry effects on macroscopic fracture behavior

Many metals that fail by void growth and coalescence display a macroscopically planar fracture process zone of one or two void spacings in thickness; outside this region, the voids exhibit little or no growth. A finite element model of this mode of failure was described in Part I of this paper [J. Mech. Phys. Solids, 43, 233–259 (1995)]. A row of void-containing cell elements is placed on the symmetry plane ahead of the initial crack. The cells incorporate the softening characteristics of hole growth and dependence on stress triaxiality. These cells are embedded within a conventional elastic-plastic continuum. Under increasing strain, the voids grow and coalesce to form new crack surfaces, thereby advancing the crack. Parametric studies reveal that the important microstructural parameters in the model are D and f0, characterizing the spacing and the initial volume fraction of voids on the fracture plane. Using this model, Xia et al. [J. Mech. Phys. Solids, 43, 389–413 (1995)] have successfully predicted details of the load, displacement and crack growth histories—collectively referred to as the macroscopic fracture behavior—of four specimen geometries, which give rise to significantly different crack tip constraints under fully plastic conditions. Here we study the quantitative effects of void nucleation by a stress and strain criterion on the macroscopic fracture behavior. This behavior is compared with predictions using a similar volume of voids present from the very beginning. Geometry effects on macroscopic fracture behavior under contained and fully yielded conditions are discussed for the three-point-bend specimen and the center-crack-panel loaded in tension. Here the objective is to show the connection between the crack growth resistance and the fracture environment, namely, the constraint ahead of the crack tip and the tensile stress on the fracture plane.
Something ‘Paralogical’ Under the Sun: Lyotard's Postmodern Condition and science education

(2000). Something ‘Paralogical’ Under the Sun: Lyotard's Postmodern Condition and science education. Educational Philosophy and Theory: Vol. 32, No. 2, pp. 159-184.
Syncope: A Tale of Two Triggers

A60-year-oldmanwasevaluatedforrecurrentsyncope.HehadahistoryofhepatitisCandhypothyroidismtreatedwith levothyroxine.He wastreatedwithmethadoneforopiatedependency.Hehadnohistory ofcardiovasculardisease.For6monthshenotedincreasingurinaryfrequencyanddifficulty initiatingurination.Over1monthheexperienced 10episodesof syncope that occurredwhile urinating.Hedescribeda prodromeofdiaphoresisandlightheadedness.Rapidpalpitationsprecededabrupt lossofconsciousness,whichheregainedafter1 to2minutes.Hehadno family historyof syncopeor suddendeath. His presenting vital signswere normal. Therewas no evidence of orthostasis. Findings fromphysical examinationwerenormal except for anenlargedprostate. Serumelectrolytesand thyroid stimulating hormone were within normal limits. His presenting electrocardiogram (ECG) is shown in Figure 1. Question:What ECG findings should be considered “red flags” in patients presenting with a complaint of syncope?
Safety evaluation of free radical scavengers PEG-catalase and PEG-superoxide dismutase.

Treatment with catalase and SOD (superoxide dismutase) could diminish the damage due to oxygen free radical formation, but these enzymes are rapidly removed from circulation. The covalent attachment of monomethoxypolyethylene glycol (PEG) to catalase and SOD extended their plasma half-lives. Toxicity of PEG-catalase and PEG-SOD was evaluated in mice and rats prior to their use as free radical scavengers. Rodents used in acute, subacute, and subchronic toxicologic studies could tolerate large doses of PEG-catalase and PEG-SOD without developing toxic signs. The conjugates did not affect survival rate, appearance, behavior, food intake, blood chemistry, hematology, or urinalysis. In general, body weight gains, organ weights, and histomorphology were also unaffected. Massive doses of PEG-catalase caused slight weight loss, splenic hypertrophy, and generalized splenic stimulation in mice. Massive doses of PEG-SOD resulted in vacuolation in splenic macrophages in rats. PEG-catalase and PEG-SOD circulated for 3 days and 8 days, respectively, in mice following i.v. or i.m. administration.
Electrorheological Behavior of Main-Chain Liquid Crystal Polymers Dissolved in Nematic Solvents

The Miesowicz viscosities ηc and ηb of dilute nematic solutions of the main-chain liquid crystal polymer (LCP) TPBx, in 4‘-(pentyloxy)-4-cyanobiphenyl (5OCB) or 4‘-pentyl-4-cyanobiphenyl (5CB) as nematic solvents, were measured by cone-and-plate rheometry in the presence and absence, respectively, of an external electric field. TPBx has a mesogenic group, 1-(4-hydroxy-4‘-biphenyl)-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)butane, separated by flexible n-alkyl spacers of variable length x. Since for these solutions ηc ≫ ηb, a pronounced electrorheological effect is observed, the viscosity with the field on being an order of magnitude larger than that with the field off. The intrinsic viscosity, [ηc], of TPB10 in 5OCB, was found to follow a Mark−Houwink−Sakurada relationship, [ηc] = KMα, with α ≈ 1.0. Applying a theoretical description by Brochard, this result suggests that TPB10 behaves hydrodynamically in 5OCB like a free-draining random coil stretched along the director. Comparisons were made of [ηc] and [ηb] for TPBx and a hy...
Kinematics and normal stress differences of a viscoelastic fluid undergoing wiggle flow

Abstract An experimental program was carried out to determine the laminar regime kinematics and normal stress differences of a viscoelastic fluid in wiggle flow employing non-contact measurement techniques. The viscoelastic fluid was a 5% by weight solution of polyisobutylene dissolved in Primol 355, a high purity mineral oil. The kinematics were determined by Laser-Doppler Anemometry and compared with the data obtained for a Newtonian fluid, Primol 355, under identical flow conditions. It was found that the normalized axial velocity versus axial position curves along the centerline for both fluids superimposed at very low flow rates, an experimental verification that a viscoelastic fluid behaves like a Newtonian fluid under very low shear rates. However, at higher flow rates the behaviour of the viscoelastic fluid curves changed appreciably whereas the Newtonian fluid curves did not change at all. Thus, the effect of flow rate on viscoelastic fluid behaviour was also experimentally established. The normal stress differences were determined using a stress-birefringence apparatus. Data obtained along the centerline clearly exhibited a delayed growth of stress which should be attributed to the expected memory effects in viscoelastic fluid flow.
Myeloma as a model for the process of metastasis: implications for therapy

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a plasma cell dyscrasia characterized by the presence of multiple myelomatous “omas” throughout the skeleton, indicating that there is continuous trafficking of tumor cells to multiple areas in the bone marrow niches. MM may therefore represent one of the best models to study cell trafficking or cell metastasis. The process of cell metastasis is described as a multistep process, the invasion-metastasis cascade. This involves cell invasion, intravasation into nearby blood vessels, passage into the circulation, followed by homing into predetermined distant tissues, the formation of new foci of micrometastases, and finally the growth of micrometastasis into macroscopic tumors. This review discusses the significant advances that have been discovered in the complex process of invasion-metastasis in epithelial carcinomas and cell trafficking in hematopoietic stem cells and how this process relates to progression in MM. This progression is mediated by clonal intrinsic factors that mediate tumor invasiveness as well as factors present in the tumor microenvironment that are permissive to oncogenic proliferation. Therapeutic agents that target the different steps of cell dissemination and progression are discussed. Despite the significant advances in the treatment of MM, better therapeutic agents that target this metastatic cascade are urgently needed.
Coordinated Price-Maker Operation of Large Energy Storage Units in Nodal Energy Markets

In this paper, a new optimization framework is proposed to coordinate the operation of large, price-maker, and geographically dispersed energy storage/battery systems in a nodal transmission-constrained energy market. The energy storage units are assumed to be investor-owned and independently-operated, seeking to maximize their total profit. Various design factors are taken into consideration such as the location, size, efficiency, and charge and discharge rates of the energy storage units as well as the joint impact of the energy storage operations on the locational marginal prices. While the formulated optimization problem is originally nonlinear and hard to solve, nonlinearities are tackled both in the objective function and in the constraints and the problem is transformed into a tractable mixed-integer linear program, for which the global optimal solutions are found for the charge and discharge schedules of each energy storage unit. Both deterministic and stochastic design scenarios are addressed. Various case studies are presented. It is observed that transmission line congestion is often, but not always, desirable for the coordinated storage systems. Locational diversity, practice of arbitrage, robust design, self-scheduling versus economic bidding, and the overall power system performance are also investigated.
Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Fructose: Bad for Us, Better for Mice

COMMENTARY ON: Increased Fructose Consumption is associated with Fibrosis Severity in Patients with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease; Abdelmalek MF, Suzuki A, Guy C, Unalp-Arida A, Colvin R, Johnson RJ, Diehl AM; 2010 Hepatology 51(6): 1961-1971 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20301112 AND High-Fructose, Medium Chain Trans Fat Diet Induces Liver Fibrosis and Elevates Plasma Coenzyme Q9 in a Novel Murine Model of Obesity and Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis; Kohli R, Kirby M, Xanthakos SA, Softic S, Feldstein AE, Saxena V, Tang PH, Miles L, Miles MV, Balistreri WF, Woods SC, Seeley RJ. 2010 Hepatology 52(3):934-945. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20607689
Maneuver sequence design for the post-Jupiter leg of the Pioneer Saturn mission.

A sequence of midcourse maneuvers has been designed for the Pioneer 11 post-Jupiter trajectory to provide Saturn targeting options to aimpoints either inside or outside the visible ring system. An interim aimpoint was selected which retains these options until late 1977 and improves the navigation accuracy to the finally selected target. An arrival time of September 1, 1979, selected to reduce interference due to solar conjunction, required the use of preprogrammed open-loop maneuvers with a brief communication loss to reach the interim aimpoint. Subsequent targeting will be achieved in continuous communication using simpler and more accurate maneuvers near the Earth-line. This paper develops the maneuver sequence, with emphasis on overall efficiency, flexibility, and navigation system accuracy.
Efficacy of repeated adenoviral suicide gene therapy in a localized murine tumor model.

Abstract Background . Gene therapy using adenovirus to deliver herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (Ad.HSV tk ) followed by the administration of the prodrug ganciclovir has been an effective anticancer therapy in models of localized tumor (including malignant mesothelioma) and is currently being evaluated in clinical trials. To optimize this approach, we studied the effects of repeated injections of Ad.HSV tk in an animal model of localized tumor in both naive and immunized mice. Methods . Immunocompetent animals with established abdominal tumor were treated with either one or three (given weekly) intraperitoneal injections of Ad.HSV tk (10 9 plaque-forming units) followed by daily ganciclovir and monitored for survival. Survival studies were also performed in mice previously immunized with adenovirus. Results . Animals treated with multiple courses of Ad.HSV tk showed significantly improved survival versus singly injected animals and control animals with some long-term survivors in the multiple injected group. Preexisting neutralizing immunity did not diminish this survival advantage. Conclusions . Multiple treatments using an adenoviral vector to deliver HSV tk significantly improves survival in a murine intraperitoneal tumor model. The presence of preexisting neutralizing antibodies does not blunt this effect. Repeat Ad.HSV tk is a feasible approach and may be a useful strategy in human cancer gene therapy.
Modeling leaching as a decomposition process in humid montane forests

Forests in the White Mountain region (New Hampshire, USA) range from northern hardwoods and pine at low elevations to spruce-fir at middle elevations, subalpine fir, and krummholz on mountain peaks. We studied landscape-scale effects of gradients in forest cover type, litter chemistry, rates of litter input (including fine woody litter), tem- perature, and moisture on forest-floor pools and input-output fluxes of C and N. We coupled a new model of decomposition processes to a Geographic Information System (GIS) and applied it in 10-ha cells in the White Mountain National Forest. We sought to synthesize current understanding of forest-floor leachate qualities and quantities in humid forests with measured changes in carbon fractions ("lignin," "cellulose," and "extractives") in de- composing litter. We included N dynamics as transfers of N among C fractions, including the production of dissolved organic N in leachate from the forest floor. We calibrated fluxes of dissolved organic C and N (DOC and DON) to measurements from two stands at the Harvard Forest, Massachusetts, USA. We calibrated rates of humus decay to two sites at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest. By including leaching as a mechanism of mass loss from the forest floor, we were able to calculate CO2 mineralization fluxes by difference. Predicted masses of forest floor were higher and peaked over a broader elevational range in spruce-fir forest than in hardwoods, due primarily to a slower decay rate of humus in coniferous forests. DOC and DON fluxes were higher in coniferous forests, while CO2 fluxes were higher in hardwood forests. Predicted residence times for C in the forest floor were longer, and organic N concentrations were higher, in spruce-fir forests than in hard- wood forests. Along a generalized elevational ecotone from hardwood to spruce-fir forests in the region, predicted mass and N in the forest floor increased and DOC and DON fluxes increased, while CO2 fluxes decreased.
Insights into the structural variation between pentapeptide repeat proteins--crystal structure of Rfr23 from Cyanothece 51142.

Cyanothece sp. PCC 51142 contains 35 pentapeptide repeat proteins (PRPs), proteins that contain a minimum of eight tandem repeated five-residues (Rfr) of the general consensus sequence A[N/D]LXX. Published crystal structures of PRPs show that the tandem pentapeptide repeats adopt a type of right-handed quadrilateral β-helix called an Rfr-fold. To characterize how structural features of Rfr-folds vary with different amino acid sequences, the crystal structure of Cyanothece Rfr23 (174 residues) was determined at 2.1 A resolution. The structure is dominated by an Rfr-fold capped at the N-terminus with a nine-residue α-helix (M26* - E34). The Rfr-fold of Rfr23 contains four structural features previously unobserved in Rfr-folds. First, Rfr23 is composed entirely of type II β-turns. Second, the pentapeptide repeats are not all tandem in the primary amino acid sequence. Rfr23 contains a 24-residue loop protruding outside one corner of the first complete N-terminal coil of the Rfr-fold (L56 – P79) for which little electron density is observed (24-residue loop). Third, a disulfide bond exists at the corner of one β-turn in the first coil (disulfide bracket). Size exclusion chromatography and NMR and CD spectroscopy indicate that the reduction of the disulfide bracket with the addition of DTT destroys the entire Rfr-fold.more » Fourth, a single-residue loop in the C-terminal coil perturbs the last coil slightly about one corner of the Rfr-fold (single-residue loop).« less
Oral contraceptives: a reassessment.

Cardiovascular risks attributable to oral contraceptive use may now be subdivided into those that appear to be secondary to the estrogen component, i.e., venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and those linked to the progestin component, i.e., small vessel disease including myocardial infarction and cerebrovascular accident. It appears that venous risk is attributable to subtle changes in clotting factors, while arterial risk may be secondary to changes in glucose and lipid metabolism. In order to determine which women are at greatest risk from oral contraceptive use, Spellacy et al. has developed a risk scoring form that aids in the screening process. After excluding women with an absolute contraindication to pill use, women at greatest risk for cardiovascular disease related to oral contraceptive use are those with a family history of hyperlipidemia, gestational or overt diabetics, hypertensives, and smokers over the age of 35. The gradual reduction by manufacturers of the steroid content of oral contraceptives appears to have lessened the incidence of adverse effects. Our current knowledge of risk factors permits the clinician to reduce exposure to oral contraceptive-related mortality by as much as 86 per cent. As we continue to search for ways to reduce risk among oral contraceptive users, it is important to note that more than 25 per cent of women are still taking formulations containing 50 micrograms of estrogen. It becomes the responsibility of the practicing physician to "step-down" these patients to lower-dose preparations such as the multiphasics. Such preparations also represent optimal therapy for first-time pill users.
Taste of dipeptides

Abstract Forty-six commercially available dipeptides, reagent grade, along with 3 L-amino acids were rated on 52 sematic differential scales. A verbal description, as well as a multidimensional representation of the tastes, was obtained. Although many dipeptides have a bitter component, other characteristics were found as well. A strict relationship between the taste of the dipeptides, their physicochemical parameters, or the taste of their constituent amino acids was not found. Hydrophobicity of constituent amino acids was not found to be predictive of bitterness.
What's Experience Got to Do With It? Sources of Cost Reduction in a Large Specialty Chemicals Producer

Conventional learning curves relating unit cost to measures of production experience are estimated for 221 specialty chemicals produced by a Fortune 500 company. Detailed records on cost and R'D coupled with insights from company personnel are used to explain the variation across products in the rate of cost reduction. Products that exhibited the strongest relationship between unit cost and measures of production experience were subject to specific initiatives, particularly process R'D. The R'D was not, however, generally motivated or informed, by production experience. However, cumulative past output, the most commonly used measure of production experience, was related to expected future output, which conditioned the expected future returns from R'D and the choice of R'D projects. Thus, cumulative output was connected to unit costs through its role in conditioning incentives to undertake process R'D rather than as a proxy for production experience. This suggests that the strong relationship commonly found between unit cost and measures of production experience may reflect incentives to reduce cost as much as learning from production experience.
A transitional snake from the Late Cretaceous period of North America

Snakes are the most diverse group of lizards, but their origins and early evolution remain poorly understood owing to a lack of transitional forms. Several major issues remain outstanding, such as whether snakes originated in a marine or terrestrial environment and how their unique feeding mechanism evolved. The Cretaceous Coniophis precedens was among the first Mesozoic snakes discovered, but until now only an isolated vertebra has been described and it has therefore been overlooked in discussions of snake evolution. Here we report on previously undescribed material from this ancient snake, including the maxilla, dentary and additional vertebrae. Coniophis is not an anilioid as previously thought a revised phylogenetic analysis of Ophidia shows that it instead represents the most primitive known snake. Accordingly, its morphology and ecology are critical to understanding snake evolution. Coniophis occurs in a continental floodplain environment, consistent with a terrestrial rather than a marine origin; furthermore, its small size and reduced neural spines indicate fossorial habits, suggesting that snakes evolved from burrowing lizards. The skull is intermediate between that of lizards and snakes. Hooked teeth and an intramandibular joint indicate that Coniophis fed on relatively large, soft-bodied prey. However, the maxilla is firmly united with the skull, indicating an akinetic rostrum. Coniophis therefore represents a transitional snake, combining a snake-like body and a lizard-like head. Subsequent to the evolution of a serpentine body and carnivory, snakes evolved a highly specialized, kinetic skull, which was followed by a major adaptive radiation in the Early Cretaceous period. This pattern suggests that the kinetic skull was a key innovation that permitted the diversification of snakes.
Environmental Impacts of Catalytic Converter Malfunctions

For effective reduction of total vehicle emissions, identifying and understanding the effects of high-emitting vehicles play an important role. Although several studies have documented the environmental impacts of high-emitting vehicles, these studies have not looked at the operational impacts of these vehicles on the environment. In this study, field-collected and simulated data are used to explain the operational effects associated with catalytic converter malfunctions on vehicle emissions. In addition, the study develops microscopic emission models for vehicles with catalytic converter malfunctions by using on-road emission measurement data. The study demonstrates that catalytic converter malfunctions produce significant increases in hydrocarbon (HC), carbon monoxide (CO), and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions of 297%, 211%, and 378%, respectively, during cruising operations. Furthermore, increases of 63.4%, 26.9%, and 76.1% are observed during acceleration maneuvers. The study also found that under extre...
Medications as adjunct therapy for weight loss: approved and off-label agents in use.

Abstract Although a nutritionally balanced, energy-controlled diet and regular exercise form the cornerstone of weight management, supporting therapies may include antiobesity medications when a clinician determines that pharmacologic assistance could contribute to treatment success. The US Food and Drug Administration has approved certain medications for helping achieve weight loss in patients with obesity or overweight who have comorbidities. However, some clinicians prescribe medications not approved for weight loss for this purpose. Evidence from clinical trials indicates that weight loss resulting from the use of many of these off-label pharmaceutical agents is modest, but in a range that correlates with favorable modification of cardiovascular risk factors, and significant when compared with placebo plus diet and lifestyle modification. Clinical trials also demonstrate a slight but significant effect in the weight-maintenance phases following weight loss. Pharmacotherapy alone, without behavior modification, is not effective; patients who respond to medication typically regain weight when the drug is discontinued. The fact that many weight-loss medications are sold over the Internet without a prescription suggests that they are being used without medical supervision. The purpose of this review is to present evidence for and against the obesity medications currently used in clinical practice, and the possible role for these agents in a person's overall weight loss plan.
Assessment of chromosome 8 copy number in cervical cancer by fluorescent in situ hybridization.

Cervical carcinoma is a malignancy which typically occurs at the transformation zone between squamous and glandular epithelium. The vast majority falls into two histologic types, squamous cell and adenocarcinoma. In an effort to identify a subset of cervical cancer characterized by chromosome 8 trisomy, a biomarker extensively explored by this laboratory, we conducted a study of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded materials of cervical cancer. A total of 24 cases of cervical cancer were identified from the archives of the Rhode Island Hospital. Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) using a chromosome 8 centromere enumeration probe was conducted to assess the chromosome 8 copy number in these specimens. Hybridization signals were scored among tumor cells in a blinded fashion. Tumors with ≥15% of cells with three signals were scored as trisomic. Of 24 cases studied, 23 were informative. Of the 23 informative cases, 12 (52.2%) were found to be trisomic. Eleven cases (47.8%) were disomic. The frequency of trisomy in a control chromosome 17 probe was 13.0% (3/23). Selected clinicopathologic characteristics of the tumors were also reviewed. The frequency of trisomy 8 among cases of invasive squamous cell carcinoma was 44.4% (8 of 18 tumors) and that of invasive adenocarcinoma was 80% (4 of 5 tumors). The sole tumor which was both trisomic 8 and amplified for the HER-2/neu oncogene was found to be an invasive adenocarcinoma. While the sample size in this pilot study is not large, the data obtained thus far clearly demonstrate that FISH is an appropriate technique for detecting chromosomal trisomies and that a subset of cervical cancer exists that is characterized by chromosome 8 trisomy. Further exploration of this biomarker is warranted.
Antinuclear antibodies in the serum of normal pregnant women: A prospective study

Abstract A prospective study was performed to determine the incidence of antinuclear antibodies in 214 normal pregnant women and in 50 age-matched controls. Serum samples of 23 pregnant women (10.7%) yielded positive results (1+ or more at a dilution of 1:20) in contrast with only one sample (2%) in the control group ( p
Transfer of immunity by transfer of bone marrow cells: T-cell dependency.

Abstract Thymectomized, lethally irradiated mice reconstituted with normal bone marrow cells succumbed when challenged ip with rat Yoshida ascites sarcoma (YAS) cells 40 days after irradiation and reconstitution. In contrast, thymectomized irradiated mice reconstituted with bone marrow cells from YAS-immune donors rejected the subsequent tumor challenge. Pretreatment of the bone marrow cells from immune donors with anti-Thy 1.2 antiserum and complement completely abolished the transfer of anti-YAS resistance. Bone marrow cells from donors thymectomized 2 months before immunization enabled almost all recipients to reject YAS, but bone marrow cells from donors thymectomized 8 months before immunization protected only 50% of the recipients. Further analysis showed that mice thymectomized 8 months before immunization failed to generate anti-YAS antibody response, whereas the antibody response of mice thymectomized 2 months before immunization did not differ from that of non-thymectomized age-matched control mice. The data suggest that the immune reaction of mice against xenogeneic YAS requires long-lived T 2 lymphocytes.
The impact of CAG repeats in exon 1 of the androgen receptor on disease progression after prostatectomy.

BACKGROUND The authors examined the impact of the number of CAG repeats in exon 1 of the androgen receptor on disease progression among men with prostate carcinoma after prostatectomy. This polymorphism has been associated with alterations in activity of the androgen receptor in in vitro systems and with the risk of clinically diagnosed prostate carcinoma in some epidemiologic studies. An earlier series found that, among men at low risk of progressive disease, a small number of CAG repeats predicted a high risk of recurrence, and the impact of CAG repeats varied among men with different risks of progressive disease. METHODS The authors analyzed specimens from a large clinical series of fixed tissue specimens from men who underwent prostatectomy at a single institution, including 413 American white men (WM) and 298 African-American men (AAM), with 5–10 years of available clinical follow-up. RESULTS There was little association between the number of CAG repeats and extent of disease, Gleason score, and preoperative PSA level at diagnosis. Overall, patients who had > 18 CAG repeats had a greater risk of recurrence compared with patients who had ≤ 18 CAG repeats (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.52; P = 0.03). Excess risk was not found among men who were at low risk of recurrence (HR = 0.93; P = 0.96); however, among men who were at high risk of recurrence, the risk elevated for WM (HR = 1.75; P = 0.28), AAM (HR = 1.49; P = 0.06), and both races combined (HR = 1.53; P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS Overall, men with prostate carcinoma who had > 18 CAG repeats had an estimated 52% increased risk of disease recurrence. The increased risk could be attributed to men who were at high risk of recurrence. Cancer 2005. © 2005 American Cancer Society.
Serum lipase, C-reactive protein, and interleukin-6 levels in ERCP-induced pancreatitis.

Abstract Background: C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) are elevated in acute pancreatitis. Limited studies have evaluated their role in ERCP-induced pancreatitis. The aim of this study was to assess the role of serum lipase, CRP, and IL-6 in ERCP-induced pancreatitis. Methods: Eighty-five patients (62 women, 23 men; mean age 43 years; range 16-85 years) who underwent ERCP were entered in a prospective trial. ERCP-induced pancreatitis was classified as mild, moderate, or severe. Serum levels of lipase, CRP, and IL-6 were measured before ERCP and at 12 to 24 hours and 36 to 48 hours after ERCP. Results: Mild, moderate, and severe pancreatitis occurred, respectively, in 9, 7, and 4 patients after ERCP. There were significant differences in levels of CRP and IL-6 but not lipase for patients with mild versus moderate and moderate versus severe pancreatitis. The mean CRP levels (mg/dL) at 12 to 24 hours were 0.98 ± 0.24 in mild pancreatitis, 3.89 ± 0.32 in moderate pancreatitis, and 12.0 ± 1.60 in severe pancreatitis. The levels, respectively, at 36 to 48 hours were 1.60 ± 0.31, 7.60 ± 0.74, and 25.0 ± 2.9. The mean IL-6 levels (pg/mL) at 12 to 24 hours were 16.6 ± 2.06 in mild pancreatitis, 73.0 ± 15.60 in moderate pancreatitis, and 235.5 ± 26.31 in severe pancreatitis. The levels at 36 to 48 hours were, respectively, 18.92 ± 3.28, 100.17 ± 11.56, and 438.2 ± 71.50. Conclusions: Serum CRP and IL-6 levels may be useful early markers for predicting the severity of ERCP-induced pancreatitis. (Gastrointest Endosc 2001;54:435-40.)
Experimental Data and Theoretical Analysis of Particle Removal Efficiency in a Novel Hydraulic Separation Unit

This research investigates the removal efficiency of a novel hydraulic separation unit—a counter-current upflow column that hydraulically separates sediment particles based on size—for washing contaminated soils with remediation technology. Significant attributes of the new design include the capability for continuous loading and the use of a side-entry tee as a slurry port. Eight tests were performed in a bench-scale model of the hydraulic separation unit to experimentally determine the impact of washwater and slurry flow rates on removal efficiency. After analyzing the experimental results qualitatively, a theoretical residual power approach was used to predict removal efficiency and analyze soil/fluid interaction under the varying flow rates. Optimal separation was obtained for three tests. The residual power analysis revealed two conditions for the optimal tests: (1) the slurry flow rate dominates the approach flow rate at the slurry mixing-jet and the power analysis is a good predictor; and (2) the a...
Raman spectra of (CH3)4NOH.5H2O and (CH3)4NI

Abstract Raman spectra are presented for crystalline (CH 3 4 NI and for (CH 3 ) 4 NOH.5H 2 O as melt, aqueous solution and crystal. Several assignments reported in the literature are shown to be incorrect. In particular, four polarized Raman bands in the CH stretching region are assigned to a fundamental and three combination tones in Fermi resonance with this fundamental.
Behavioral response of beet armyworm males to female‐produced sex pheromone 1

Abstract In the laboratory, female beet armyworms (BAW) [Spodoptera exigua (Hubner)] first began “calling”; 6 hr into the scotophase. The calling behavior lasted from a few seconds to several minutes and was repeated periodically throughout the dark period. A hexane extract of abdominal tips excised from calling females was attractive to laboratory‐reared males in bioassays conducted in small screenwire cages in the greenhouse and to native males in field trapping trials. Laboratory‐reared and native females were ca. equally attractive to native males in the field. Therefore, the selective laboratory rearing regimen has not unduly influenced the quantity or quality of the BAW pheromone produced by the laboratory strain.
Precision and Accuracy in the Quantitation of Carboxytetrahydrocannibinol by Isotope Dilution Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry

The classical definitions of method detection limit (MDL) and limit of quantitation (LOQ) are redefined using calibration curve regression analysis. Traditional ways of determining these parameters provide scant information on the daily precision of the analysis at all concentration levels. These parameters are time consuming to acquire and hold only for the moment of acquisition. It is illustrated, with experimental data, using isotope dilution analyses of THC-COOH, a marijuana metabolite, that not only can MDL and LOQ be obtained directly from the calibration curve, but confidence intervals for the calibration curve can also be obtained, which define the precision of the analyses at all levels calibrated. If calibration and analyses of unknowns take place simultaneously, then an MDL and confidence intervals that are relevant to data acquisition are obtained. Confidence intervals at particular analyte concentrations of interest were of greater value than the MDL and LOQ in evaluation of the analytical method. The parameter from the calibration curve is defined as the calibrated quantitation limit.
Urinary excretion of nephrin in patients with severe preeclampsia. Urinary nephrin in preeclampsia.

Objective. The objective of this study was to examine whether nephrin is present in the urine of patients with severe preeclampsia. Methods. A total of 45 women were recruited for this study, and 25 of these patients had severe preeclampsia. Twenty gestational age-matched normotensive women without proteinuria served as a control group. Urine samples were collected close to delivery, typically ≤24 h before delivery. Western blot analysis was performed to assess the excretion of nephrin in urine. Results. Nephrin was detected in all urine samples from all the women with severe preeclampsia but not in urine from normotensive controls. Conclusion. In pregnancy complicated by severe preeclampsia, urinary nephrin shedding, reflecting the damage in the glomerular slit diaphragm, was observed.
"High Quantum Efficiency of Band-Edge Emission from ZnO Nanowires"

External quantum efficiency (EQE) of photoluminescence as high as 20% from isolated ZnO nanowires were measured at room temperature. The EQE was found to be highly dependent on photoexcitation density, which underscores the importance of uniform optical excitation during the EQE measurement. An integrating sphere coupled to a microscopic imaging system was used in this work, which enabled the EQE measurement on isolated ZnO nanowires. The EQE values obtained here are significantly higher than those reported for ZnO materials in forms of bulk, thin films or powders. Additional insight on the radiative extraction factor of one-dimensional nanostructures was gained by measuring the internal quantum efficiency of individual nanowires. Such quantitative EQE measurements provide a sensitive, noninvasive method to characterize the optical properties of low-dimensional nanostructures and allow tuning of synthesis parameters for optimization of nanoscale materials.
High-lysine corn produced by the combination of enhanced lysine biosynthesis and reduced zein accumulation

Summary Corn is one of the major crops in the world, but its low lysine content is often problematic for animal consumption. While exogenous lysine supplementation is still the most common solution for today's feed corn, high-lysine corn has been developed through genetic research and biotechnology. Reducing the lysine-poor seed storage proteins, zeins, or expressing a deregulated lysine biosynthetic enzyme, CordapA, has shown increased total lysine or free lysine content in the grains of modified corn plants, respectively. Here, by combining these two approaches through genetic crosses, the total lysine content has more than doubled in F1 progeny. We also observe a synergy between the transgenic zein reduction and the enhanced lysine biosynthesis by CordapA expression. The zein reduction plants are found to accumulate higher levels of aspartate, asparagine and glutamate, and therefore, provide excess precursors for the enhanced lysine biosynthesis.
Immunologic minimal residual disease detection in acute lymphoblastic leukemia: A comparative approach to molecular testing

The generation of antisera directed against leukocyte differentiation antigens opened the possibility of studying minimal residual disease (MRD) in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). During the three decades that followed the pioneering studies in this field, great progress has been made in the development of a wide array of monoclonal antibodies and of flow cytometric techniques for rare event detection. This advance was accompanied by an increasingly greater understanding of the immunophenotypic features of leukemic and normal lymphoid cells, and of the antigenic differences that make MRD studies possible. In parallel, molecular methods for MRD detection were established. The systematic application of immunologic and molecular techniques to study MRD in clinical samples has demonstrated the clinical significance of MRD in patients, leading to the use of MRD to regulate treatment intensity in many contemporary protocols. In this article, we discuss methodologic issues related to the immunologic monitoring of MRD and the evidence supporting its clinical significance, and compare the advantages and limitations of this approach to those of molecular monitoring of MRD.
Total internal reflection fluorescent microscopy

SUMMARY This review discusses applications of fluorescence microscopy using totally internally reflected excitation light. When totally internally reflected in a transparent solid at its interface with liquid, the excitation light beam penetrates only a short distance into the liquid. This surface electromagnetic field, called the ‘evanescent wave’, can selectively excite fluorescent molecules in the liquid near the interface. Total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) has been used to examine the cell/substrate contact regions of primary cultured rat myotubes with acetylcholine receptors labelled by fluorescent α-bungarotoxin and human skin fibroblasts labelled with a membrane-incorporated fluorescent lipid. TIRF examination of cell/substrate contacts dramatically reduces background from cell autofluorescence and debris. TIRF has also been combined with fluorescence photobleaching recovery and correlation spectroscopy to measure the chemical kinetic binding rates and surface diffusion constant of fluorescent labelled serum protein binding (at equilibrium) to a surface.
Onset of the receptive and proceptive components of feminine sexual behavior in rats following the intravenous administration of progesterone.

Abstract The present study was carried out in order to assess the time course of action of progesterone (P) in the facilitation of complete feminine sexual behavior. Female rats (estrogen primed via 5% E2 Silastic capsules) were given 200 μg of P either intravenously (iv) or subcutaneously (sc), and tested for estrous behavior at 1 4 , 1 2 , 1, 2, and 4 hr after treatment. Among iv-treated animals, significant amounts of lordosis behavior were seen as early as 1 2 hr, and a dramatic rise in solicitation behavior was observed at 2 hr. Although sc-treated animals displayed significant amounts of lordosis and solicitation behavior at 2 hr, the behavior was not maximal until 4 hr. Intravenous administration of 400 μg P was equipotent to 200 μg P, whereas 50 μg of iv P was relatively ineffective. A dual mechanism hypothesis pertaining to progesterone's actions in the facilitation of both the receptive and preceptive components of feminine sexual behavior in rats is discussed.
Localization of bombesin-like peptides in frog gastric mucosa.

Antibodies against synthetic bombesin C-terminal nonapeptide were used to investigate the presence of bombesin-like immunoreactivity by radioimmunoassay and to identify bombesin (like)-containing cells by indirect immunofluorescence in the gastrointestinal tract of the frog species Rana pipiens, Rana catesbeiana, and Xenopus laevis. Bombesin-like immunoreactivity was localized by radioimmunoassay in the stomach of the three frog species. Immunofluorescent endocrine-appearing cells were seen only in the mucosal glands of the gastric antrum and fundus of the same species.
Evolution of the crystal stress distributions in face-centered cubic polycrystals subjected to cyclic loading

Abstract Due to the heterogeneous nature of polycrystalline metals, the stress distribution at the crystal level is influenced by the complex interplay of factors such as the orientations of the crystal lattices, the elastic and plastic mechanical properties, the interactions between neighboring crystals, and the type of loading conditions. In this paper, we investigate the evolution of the crystal scale stress and elastic strain distributions under cyclic loading. More specifically, we examine the orientation dependent lattice strains in face-centered cubic polycrystals under fully reversed, strain-controlled cyclic loading using a cyclic hardening model implemented within a crystal-based finite element formulation. The directional strength-to-stiffness ratio and the single crystal yield surface (SCYS) topology are used to provide a quantitative explanation of the observed hysteresis behavior when the lattice strains are plotted as a function of the macroscopic stress. The directional strength-to-stiffness ratio influences the progression of yielding in the elastic–plastic transition regime, leading to a nonlinear response in the elastic–plastic transition regime and causing hysteresis behavior in the macroscopic stress versus lattice strain curves. The lattice strains after the elastic–plastic transition regime are influenced by the single crystal elastic moduli and the facet/vertex attributes of the SCYS. We found that the same trends hold in the absence of slip system hardening and in the presence of a strong rolling texture.
Prevalence of subclinical hypocalcemia in dairy herds.

The prevalence of subclinical hypocalcemia in the transition cow is unknown. Cows with subclinical hypocalcemia have no clinical signs of hypocalcemia but may be more susceptible to other diseases. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of subclinical hypocalcemia in the US dairy herds. As a part of the United States Department of Agriculture's National Animal Health Monitoring System 2002 Dairy study, serum samples were collected from 1462 cows within 48 h of parturition. The samples were sorted by lactation number: 1st (n=454), 2nd (n=447), 3rd (n=291), 4th (n=166), 5th (n=72), and 6th (n=32). Subclinical hypocalcemia ( 2.0 mM had significantly lower serum non-esterified fatty acids indicating better energy balance than those with subclinical hypocalcemia. Subclinical hypocalcemia may make cows more susceptible to secondary diseases but more research will be required to determine if this is true.
Increased shelf‐life of fosphenytoin: Solubilization of a degradant, phenytoin, through complexation with (SBE)7m‐β‐CD

Fosphenytoin, a water-soluble prodrug of phenytoin, degrades primarily to phenytoin at pH values < 8 during long term storage; phenytoin readily precipitates when formed from fosphenytoin due to its limited aqueous solubility. The objective of this study was to develop stable formulations of fosphenytoin in the pH range of 7.4–8.0 by inhibiting the phenytoin precipitation through complexation with a parenterally safe cyclodextrin, (SBE)7m-β-CD. Phase solubility studies at 25 °C revealed that phenytoin could be effectively solubilized by (SBE)7m-β-CD both in the presence and absence of 80.6 mg/mL fosphenytoin (as its dihydrate). The binding constants for the phenytoin/cyclodextrin complex were found to be 1073 and 792 M− 1 at pH 7.4 and pH 8.0, respectively. Because of the competitive inclusion between fosphenytoin and phenytoin with (SBE)7m-β-CD, the extent of solubilization of phenytoin was lower, as expected, in the presence of fosphenytoin than in the absence of fosphenytoin, even though the binding constants for the fosphenytoin/cyclodextrin complex were relatively small (41–45 M− 1). Initial rates were used to follow the production of phenytoin from fosphenytoin. Zero-order kinetics were observed under all conditions investigated. Phenytoin production rates were followed at 25, 37, and 50 °C in the presence of 0.03 or 0.06 M (SBE)7m-β-CD. It was projected from the solubility of phenytoin and the kinetic information that fosphenytoin shelf lives as high as nine years at 25 °C and pH 7.4 in the presence of 60 mM of (SBE)7m-β-CD might be possible while longer shelf lives might be possible at pH 8.
4 The Evolving Adolescent Immunization Schedule: A Need for Acellular Pertussis Booster Immunizations

4 The Evolving Adolescent Immunization Schedule: A Need for Acellular Pertussis Booster Immunizations