cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Small or Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Based Therapy for Treatment of Large Cell Neuroendocrine Cancer of The Lung? University of Cincinnati Experience

Large cell neuroendocrine cancer (LCNEC) of the lung exhibits morphological and immunohistochemical characteristics of both neuroendocrine and large cell carcinomas. No defined optimal therapy has been described for this subset of patients and the question of whether these patients should be treated with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treatment protocols, according to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines, or with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) due to histological and clinical similarities is still uncertain. We conducted a retrospective review of patients identified with diagnosis of LCNEC of the lung at the University of Cincinnati Cancer Center from the year 2002 to 2012 to determine which treatment approach resulted in improved outcomes in this rare category of disease. Patients who received chemotherapy whether NSCLC (group A) or SCLC (group B) protocols did not show significant changes in OS (P=0.911). Meanwhile, patients who underwent surgery (group C) had better OS compared to groups A and B (P= 0.027 and 0.024, respectively). This analysis reveals that outcomes for SCLC or NSCLC treatment strategies in LCNEC patients did not result in survival advantages and future research should be addressing it as a separate entity.
Enhanced Ionization of Molecular Ions in Intense Laser Fields: Experiments on the Iodine Melecule

Based on ultrashort laser pulse multiphoton pump-probe techniques we have observed enhanced ionization of diatomic ions in intense laser fields at a critical internuclear separation when the laser is polarized parallel to the internuclear axis. No such enhancement is observed for perpendicular polarization in agreement with recent calculations of enhanced ionization due to electron localization.
Chapter 27 – Integrative Networks Across Basal Ganglia Circuits

The basal ganglia's central role in mediating reward, cognition, and motor control lies in its connection with frontal cortical regions that mediate these functions. Subregions of cortex, basal ganglia structures, and thalamus are associated with these different functions, which have given rise to the concept of parallel and segregated functional circuits. However, appropriate responses to environmental stimuli require continual updating and learning; thus integrating information across functional domains is critical. Indeed, anatomical links across these areas demonstrate that information flow allows cross talk between reward, cognitive, and motor control regions. This creates a dual system of both parallel processing and integration, permitting coordinated behaviors to be maintained (parallel networks), but also to be modified and changed (integrative networks). This chapter focuses on the anatomical basis for integration across different functional circuits (corticostriatal, cortico-subthalamic hyperdirect pathway, and connections of the pallidum, thalamus, and midbrain dopamine neurons). Finally it reviews functional support for integrative processes.
Enhancing Bump Thick Resist Lithography: Establishing Process Controls to Eliminate Copper Pillar Footing

In order to fabricate tall post technologies, chemically amplified positive resist with high viscosity is usually used. Thick and uniformly coated resist is patterned during lithography to act as mold prior copper (Cu) electroplating. An unoptimized photolithography process can consequently result to defects in the plated Cu pillar – among which is Cu footing. This defect poses electrical and reliability risks such as shorting and Cu migration.In this study, Cu post footing is resolved by enhancing the thick resist lithography process. The baseline recipe was initially optimized in order to set the parameters for the design of experiment (DOE). Among the settings checked include soft bake and post-exposure bake time and z-axis settings to optimize the heat transfer process, and the develop spin direction to improve the developer coverage. The confirmation run yielded a 20.6% improvement in resist undercut measurements.Using the baseline split as comparison, a 24-split multiple-facet four-variable full-factorial design of experiment was executed by taking into consideration the soft bake (125C, 80140–125C, 80–140C), expose (1800, 2000 mJ/cm2), postexposure bake (100C, 105C) and puddle develop settings (8x, 11x).The best DOE split (140C, 1800 mJ/cm2, 100C, 8x puddle) resulted to 58.8% reduction in the actual resist undercut which translates to Cu foot elimination. This is backed up by improvement in the undercut uniformity across the wafer as the standard deviation was also reduced by 63.9%. Considering a theoretical resist undercut to ensure optimization without jeopardizing the critical dimension, an 81.4% and 81.9% improvement was observed on the undercut readings and standard deviation, accordingly.Among the parameters involved, post-exposure bake, soft bake, and develop settings are shown to have significant effects in the improvement. The optimized heat transfer during the bake process helped in the uniform solvent dissipation and enhanced resist-to-substrate adhesion. Also, the stabilization of the photoactive compound (PAC) to carboxylic acid conversion during post-exposure bake at lower temperature ensured avoidance of over production of soluble acid. Finally, development at less puddle intervals caused controlled resist dissolution and removal.
Vascular syndromes in liver cirrhosis

Liver cirrhosis is associated with multiple vascular syndromes affecting almost all body systems. Many of these syndromes are directly related to impaired liver function and sometimes reversible after liver transplantation while others arise secondary to portal hypertension and ascites. Altered expression of angiogenic and vasoactive compounds (most importantly nitric oxide), endothelial dysfunction, dysregulated neurohormonal control, and systemic inflammatory state play differential roles in mediating homeostatic instability and abnormal vasogenic response. Important vascular features encountered in liver disease include portal hypertension, splanchnic overflow, abnormal angiogenesis and shunts, portopulmonary syndrome, hepatopulmonary syndrome, and systemic hyperdynamic circulation. Redistribution of effective circulatory volume deviating from vital organs and pooling in splanchnic circulation is also encountered in liver patients which may lead to devastating outcomes as hepatorenal syndrome. Etiologically, vascular syndromes are not isolated phenomena and vascular dysfunction in one system may lead to the development of another in a different system. This review focuses on understanding the pathophysiological factors underlying vascular syndromes related to chronic liver disease and the potential links among them. Many of these syndromes are associated with high mortality, thus it is crucial to look for early biomarkers for these syndromes and develop novel preventive and therapeutic strategies.
Biomechanical Principles of Fracture Healing

Osteogenic tissues are remarkably mechanosensitive during both growth and repair. Thus, it is important for a surgeon aiming to optimize bone regeneration to create an ideal mechanical environment with the surgical protocol, implants, and postsurgical weight-bearing they select. Here, we discuss the basics of mechanical strength from both the material and structural perspectives for fracture callus tissues and implant materials. After reviewing this chapter, the reader should be able to find characteristic points on a stress-strain curve and to categorize material properties (i.e., stiff vs. compliant, strong vs. weak, ductile vs. brittle). The following topics are also covered: anisotropy, fatigue failure, viscoelasticity, and stress concentrations.
Variation in effectiveness of planned postpartum contraception at two time points from prenatal to postpartum care.

Abstract Objective To identify characteristics of women who have consistent plans in terms of contraceptive effectiveness from antepartum to postpartum care. Study design This is a secondary analysis of a retrospective chart review of women who delivered at a single tertiary care center from 2012 to 2014. Preferred postpartum contraceptive plan was abstracted at three time points (prenatal care, hospital discharge, and outpatient postpartum care) and categorized into three tiers of effectiveness. We then examined consistency between the first two time points for the effectiveness in postpartum contraceptive method planned. Results Of the 8,394 women in the study cohort, 2,642 (31.5%) had a consistent postpartum contraceptive plan. Women who had a consistent plan were more likely to have higher parity (aOR 2.36, 95% CI 2.06-2.70 for parity 2+), choose highly effective methods of contraception (p Conclusion Better understanding contraceptive decision-making as a journey and removing external barriers during that process is a necessary component of pregnancy care. Implications Counseling and documentation of contraceptive preferences throughout antepartum and postpartum care can help improve contraceptive outcomes.
eQTpLot: an R package for the visualization and colocalization of eQTL and GWAS signals

Summary Genomic studies increasingly integrate expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) information into their analysis pipelines, but few tools exist for the visualization of colocalization between eQTL and GWAS results. To address this issue, we developed the intuitive R package eQTpLot, which takes as input GWAS and eQTL summary statistics to generate a series of plots visualizing colocalization, correlation, and enrichment between eQTL and GWAS signals for a given gene-trait pair. We believe eQTpLot will prove a useful tool for investigators seeking a convenient and customizable visualization of genomic data colocalization. Availability and Implementation the eQTpLot R package and tutorial are available at https://github.com/RitchieLab/eQTpLot Contact theodore.drivas@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Monocyte and bone marrow macrophage transcriptional phenotypes in systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis reveal TRIM8 as a mediator of IFN-γ hyper-responsiveness and risk for macrophage activation syndrome

Objectives Systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (SJIA) confers high risk for macrophage activation syndrome (MAS), a life-threatening cytokine storm driven by interferon (IFN)-γ. SJIA monocytes display IFN-γ hyper-responsiveness, but the molecular basis of this remains unclear. The objective of this study is to identify circulating monocyte and bone marrow macrophage (BMM) polarisation phenotypes in SJIA including molecular features contributing to IFN response. Methods Bulk RNA-seq was performed on peripheral blood monocytes (n=26 SJIA patients) and single cell (sc) RNA-seq was performed on BMM (n=1). Cultured macrophages were used to define consequences of tripartite motif containing 8 (TRIM8) knockdown on IFN-γ signalling. Results Bulk RNA-seq of SJIA monocytes revealed marked transcriptional changes in patients with elevated ferritin levels. We identified substantial overlap with multiple polarisation states but little evidence of IFN-induced signature. Interestingly, among the most highly upregulated genes was TRIM8, a positive regulator of IFN-γ signalling. In contrast to PBMC from SJIA patients without MAS, scRNA-seq of BMM from a patient with SJIA and MAS identified distinct subpopulations of BMM with altered transcriptomes, including upregulated IFN-γ response pathways. These BMM also showed significantly increased expression of TRIM8. In vitro knockdown of TRIM8 in macrophages significantly reduced IFN-γ responsiveness. Conclusions Macrophages with an ‘IFN-γ response’ phenotype and TRIM8 overexpression were expanded in the bone marrow from an MAS patient. TRIM8 is also upregulated in SJIA monocytes, and augments macrophage IFN-γ response in vitro, providing both a candidate molecular mechanism and potential therapeutic target for monocyte hyper-responsiveness to IFNγ in cytokine storms including MAS.
Immunogenicity of Childhood Vaccines after Pediatric Cancer.

Children treated for cancer do not retain full immunity from previous vaccinations; therefore, it is likely beneficial for children who survive cancer to be revaccinated six to 12 months after immunosuppressive therapy.
Sculptorades, Cloodles, and Cameos, Oh My! A Cranium Game for General Psychology:

Background:Many instructors use trivia-style review games to encourage self-testing, increase student engagement, and promote collaboration. However, most published examples of review games include...
Hearing reality in Joker

Though ostensibly about the emergence of the infamous Batman villain, Joker eschews traditional comic book tropes and fantasy, instead grounding Joker’s story in a recognizable realistic world devo...
Recent Questions in Responsible Conduct of Research

The global research enterprise has seen extensive technological, social, and financial changes in the last two decades that have dramatically changed the face of academic research. While many of these changes have had a tremendously positive impact on research progress, many of them have raised new questions about how to ensure that research is conducted responsibly. In addition, there have been some high-profile cases of error and fabrication in published works that might have been caught earlier if the enterprise had better safeguards in place. There is an ongoing discussion within the research enterprise about whether and how to establish new guidelines to ensure the integrity of the research process within this shifting environment. In this article, I survey key changes in the research environment that have opened up new questions about how to best ensure the integrity of the research process. Introduction The U.S. academic research community was forced to address issues relating to the responsible conduct of research (RCR) in the late 1980s in response to numerous allegations of falsification, fabrication, and plagiarism (FFP) in federally funded research projects (Wheeler 1991). The first document to formally address issues of RCR, give guidelines defining research misconduct, and provide recommendations for how to establish institutional practices protecting against falsification of the research record was the 1992 report Responsible Science: Ensuring the Integrity of the Research Process published by the National Academies (NAS 1992). The report defined FFP as research misconduct; it also identified a collection of questionable research practices, such as the inappropriate use of statistical methods, which must be avoided to protect the research record, but these practices do not rise to the level of misconduct. The 1992 report addressed a wide range of issues in RCR, ranging from FFP, to data and record storage, to treatment of subordinates. While all of these issues and associated recommendations are still applicable today, the research enterprise has seen important social, technological, and financial changes during the last two decades that raise important new questions in the RCR realm.
Low Noise Proximity Focused Image Intensifiers

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the low noise proximity focused image intensifiers. The performance of image intensifiers is often rated in terms of the capability to increase detection and recognition ranges at low light levels. Several models exist in which detection or recognition ranges for a given target, background and light level are related to objectively measurable tube parameters. To gain more insight into the parameters that affect the noise figure, a formula can be derived. For the derivation, the electron multiplication process is divided into two parts, the first collision of the electrons with the channel walls, and the rest of the multiplication process. It is assumed that the secondary emission process can be described by Polya statistics. It has been shown experimentally that by pulse saturation of the microchannel plate (MCP) a gain noise figure of 1.06 can be obtained, but these values could not be reproduced in a tube. It is found that by evaporating materials of a high secondary emission coefficient into channels of the MCP, gain noise figures as low as 1.15 were measured.
Curvilinear Triangular Discretization of Biomedical Images

Mesh generation is a useful tool for obtaining discrete descriptors of biological objects represented by images. The generation of meshes with straight sided elements has been fairly well understood. However, in order to match curved shapes that are ubiquitous in nature, meshes with high-order elements are required. Moreover, for the processing of large data sets, automatic meshing procedures are needed. In this work we present a new technique that allows for the automatic construction of high-order curvilinear meshes. This technique allows for a transformation of straight-sided meshes to curvilinear meshes with C 2 smooth boundaries while keeping all elements valid as measured by their Jacobians. The technique is demonstrated with examples.
Robust Control in State Space: An Approach via the Krasovskii Theorem

The problem of robust control with structured perturbations is addressed in state space. Measures of preserving the closed-loop system stability for a given stabilizing controller with respect to parameter variations are determined in the parameter space using the Krasovskii stability theorem. Since the measures are directly given in terms of the nominal system matrix and perturbation structure matrix, solving the Lyapunov matrix equation required in approaches recently reported in the literature, is avoided. Based on the robust stability measure defined, an iterative design procedure is proposed to determine a robust controller for the perturbed system with prescribed range of perturbations. Numerical examples are also provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the results developed.
Overcoming adeno-associated virus vector size limitation through viral DNA heterodimerization.

Overcoming adeno-associated virus vector size limitation through viral DNA heterodimerization
Model-based morphology: simple and complex shapes

Filtering by morphological operations is particularly suited for removing clutter and noise objects which have been introduced into noiseless binary images containing shapes of interest. Morphological filtering is designed to exploit differences in the spatial nature (shape, size, orientation) of the objects (connected components) in the ideal noiseless images as compared to the noise/clutter objects. Since the typical noise models (union, intersection set difference, etc.) for binary images are not additive, the morphological processing is strongly nonlinear, optimal filtering results conventionally available for linear processing in the presence of additive noise are not directly applicable to morphological filtering of binary images. After morphological filtering for clutter reduction recognition can begin.
Advanced Integrated Propulsion System (AIPS) for Future Main Battle Tank (MBT)

In August of 1982, the US Army Tank-Automotive Command (TACOM), initiated the first phase of the Advanced Integrated Propulsion System (AIPS) program by awarding six design analysis contracts. The AIPS program is aimed at competitively developing and producing a power package for application to the future heavy combat vehicle weight class. This paper reviews the purpose, schedule, target goals, and acquisition strategy of the AIPS program. The AIPS development differs from past programs in several ways. Technically, the engine, transmission and other subsystems will be designed and developed together as a totally integrated propulsion system. With regard to management of the program, the Government is examining acquisition strategies with the intent of insuring competition throughout all phases (research, development, and production) and achieving the simultaneous qualification of two production sources. The final acquisition strategy has yet to be determined.
RECONSIDERING THE ROLE OF FOLK SONGS IN PRE-T'ANG YÜEH-FU DEVELOPMENT

It is well-known from near-contemporaneous sources that a Music Bureau, or Yueh-fu , was established in the Former Han dynasty (206 B.C.-8 A.D.) court. As described in modern times by Lo Ken-tse tRiW, J.P. Dieny and others, the bureau had a twofold mission: (1) to collect and compose music by imperial command; and (2) to perform that music at court functions, both ritual and social.2 Later, the name was applied to a complex and diachronically extended genre of poetry, known as either yueh-fu or yueh-fu shih e--"#. The boundaries of the yueh-fu genre are difficult to pin down, as it includes a wide variety of poems of different periods, styles, forms, and content. The most comprehensive yueh-fu anthology, Kuo Mao-ch'ien's +ffiASn (fl. 12th.c.) Yueh-fu shih-chi hf "t (hereafter YFSC), includes: miscellaneous pre-Han ditties and songs; court ritual hymns and aristocratic banquet songs from the Han (206 B.C.-8 A.D.; 25-220) through the T'ang; anonymous popular songs, narrative ballads, and words to accompany dance pieces from the Han through the Southern Dynasties (420-589); anonymous short love songs of the Eastern Chin (317-420) and Southern Dynasties; and poems by
Site‐specific reciprocal translocation, t(11;22) (q23;q11), in several unrelated families with 3:1 meiotic disjunction

We have studied 32 unrelated families with a site-specific reciprocal translocation between chromosomes 11 and 22 [t(11;22) (q23;q11)]. In translocation heterozygotes 3:1 meiotic segregation occurs and results in abnormal progeny who carry the der(22) as a supernumerary chromosome. Phenotypic findings consistent with 47,XX (or XY), +der(22), t(11;22) include mental retardation, preauricular skin tag and/or sinus, ear anomaly, palate anomaly, micrognathia, congenital heart disease, and genital anomalies in males. The frequency of abortions among offspring of male and female heterozygotes is increased. Segregation analysis shows that the risk of unbalanced offspring to be born to female heterozygotes may be as high as 10%, and that there may be a significant risk to male heterozygotes as well. The overall carrier frequency among progeny of 11;22 translocation carriers is 70.6%. The occurrence of multiple 11;22 translocation events is supported by de novo occurrence of translocation, familial heteromorphic variants of the der(22), and varied racial and ethnic backgrounds of the families. To our knowledge, with the exclusion of centric fusion translocations, this represents the only example of nonrandom exchange in a constitutional chromosomal rearrangement.
Secondary hypotensive insults in a rat forebrain ischemia model.

Abstract Previous studies have shown that the recently injured brain has an increased sensitivity to subsequent brief episodes of severe ischemia. This investigation was designed to assess whether less severe secondary insults, which alone would be incapable of producing injury, exacerbate brain damage resulting from a primary episode of global ischemia. Rats were subjected to either 10 min of 2-vessel forebrain ischemia (primary insult alone), 20 min of hypotension (mean arterial pressure, MAP=either40or25mmHg ) without vessel occlusion (secondary insult alone), or 10 min ischemia followed 1 h later by the hypotensive challenge (primary+secondary insult). Seven days later, the animals were neurologically evaluated and the brains then prepared for histologic analysis. Neither magnitude of secondary insult alone was found to produce injury. In contrast, the primary insult alone caused moderate damage in the hippocampus, caudoputamen and neocortex. With the exception of increased neuronal necrosis in the hippocampal CA1 sector in rats receiving the primary + secondary insult ( MAP= 25mmHg ), no worsening of outcome could be attributed to the secondary insults. These results indicate that the recovering brain may not be as sensitive to hypoperfusion as has previously been suggested.
Principles of Wound Closure

Methods of wound closure have advanced over the last decade with the addition of newer techniques but the fundamental principles of wound management remain unchanged and must be understood to achieve a stable wound that can be successfully closed. This article reviews the basic science of wound healing and the clinical principles of wound management with respect to timing and assessment of the wound, and finally, the principles of irrigation and debridement that one must understand to obtain a stable wound prior to any soft tissue closure. Once a stable wound has been achieved, some of the newer advancements in wound dressings and soft tissue coverage techniques that are discussed in this article can be applied to any open wound to achieve a stable durable wound closure that will ultimately lead to improved form and function.
Studies on the impact of dietary fat composition on proteinuria in diabetic rats

Rats with streptozotocin diabetes were pair-fed diets containing 20% beef tallow (BT), fish oil (FO), or safflower oil (SO) for up to six months. After one month, differences in glucose control were not observed but rats fed FO had more renal hypertrophy. FO reduced glomerular prostaglandin E2 and 6-keto F1 alpha, and BT increased thromboxane B2 production, but there were no differences in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) or renal plasma flow (RPF). Animals fed BT needed more insulin after two months than rats fed FO followed by SO. After six months, diabetic rats fed FO had larger relative kidney weights than SO or BT, but a similar pattern was present in non-diabetic controls fed the same diets. Diabetic rats fed BT had more proteinuria than diabetic rats fed SO but not FO. However, FO-fed controls had more proteinuria than controls fed SO and similar levels of proteinuria as diabetic rats fed FO. The composition of dietary fat alters glucose tolerance in diabetic rats after two months. BT increases glomerular thromboxane production and hastens proteinuria compared to SO. FO enhances renal growth and proteinuria, but this effect is independent of the diabetic condition.
The Arctic in the Quarterly Review

Pursuing the quintessentially Romantic quest for transcendence, I find it in an unlikely location – the Quarterly Review. My essay analyzes a series of eighteen articles on Arctic exploration published in the Quarterly between 1816 and 1840 by John Barrow, the bureaucrat behind the Romantic‐era push to discover the Northwest Passage. I approach these articles in the context of recent interpretations of early nineteenth‐century periodical writing that see it as collaborating with, rather than resisting, the emergence of Romanticism. Masking his political influence with a display of cultural power, Barrow used the anonymity of the Quarterly to advance his imperialistic, nationalistic, and private agendas, stereotyping native North Americans and conducting a feud against the explorer John Ross. Yet his Arctic articles reveal as well as occlude Barrow’s behind‐the‐scenes role as the Second Secretary for the British Admiralty, parading his access to inside information and even occasionally mentioning his own n...
Effect of pressure on the resistivity and Hall coefficient of amorphous metallic alloys

Measurements have been made of the resistivity as a function of hydrostatic pressure in the range 0-5 kbar in the temperature interval 180-330 K for the amorphous alloys ${\mathrm{Fe}}_{80}$${\mathrm{B}}_{20}$(Metglas 2605), ${\mathrm{Fe}}_{19}$${\mathrm{Ni}}_{61}$${\mathrm{P}}_{14}$${\mathrm{B}}_{6}$, ${\mathrm{Fe}}_{32}$${\mathrm{Ni}}_{36}$${\mathrm{Cr}}_{14}$${\mathrm{P}}_{12}$${\mathrm{B}}_{6}$ (Metglas 2826A), ${\mathrm{Pd}}_{82}$${\mathrm{Si}}_{18}$, and ${\mathrm{Cu}}_{42}$${\mathrm{Zr}}_{58}$. Measurements of the Hall coefficient were also made in ${\mathrm{Fe}}_{19}$${\mathrm{Ni}}_{61}$${\mathrm{P}}_{14}$${\mathrm{B}}_{6}$ and Metglas 2826A. The pressure coefficients of resistivity were uniformly negative and, with the exception of ${\mathrm{Fe}}_{80}$${\mathrm{B}}_{20}$, insensitive to temperature. The contributions of thermal and magnetic scattering to the resistivity are negligible. The simple formulation of the Ziman theory is found to be inadequate to account for the observed pressure dependence of the resistivity.
Episodic nocturnal wanderings responsive to anticonvulsant drug therapy

Six patients between the ages of 17 and 32 years presented with unusual sleep-walking epidodes characterized by screaming or unintelligible vocalizations; complex, often violent automatisms; and ambulation. Two or more attacks could occur in a single night and were most common in the early morning hours. Family and personal histories did not show epilepsy, psychiatric disorders, or (with 1 exception) previous somnambulism. Electrographic investigation revealed that all patients had normal waking-sleep cycles but that 4 of them had epileptiform abnormalities on their electroencephalograms. All patients were treated with either phenytoin or carbamazepine, with cessation of the abnormal nocturnal behavior during follow-up periods ranging from 9 to 48 months. This syndrome appears to be distinct from more typical non-rapid eye movement dyssomnias and suggests an atypical form of epilepsy.
Sex differences in mouse cortical thickness are independent of the complement of sex chromosomes.

Although the morphology of the cerebral cortex is known to be sexually dimorphic in several species, to date this difference has not been investigated in mice. The present study is the first to report that the mouse cerebral cortex is thicker in males than in females. We further asked if this sex difference is the result of gonadal hormones, or alternatively is induced by a direct effect of genes encoded on the sex chromosomes. The traditional view of mammalian neural sexual differentiation is that androgens or their metabolites act during early development to masculinize the brain, whereas a feminine brain develops in the relative absence of sex steroids. We used mice in which the testis determination gene Sry was inherited independently from the rest of the Y chromosome to produce XX animals that possessed either ovaries or testes, and XY animals that possessed either testes or ovaries. Thus, the design allowed assessment of the role of sex chromosome genes, independent of gonadal hormones, in the ontogeny of sex differences in the mouse cerebral cortex. When a sex difference was present, mice possessing testes were invariably masculine in the morphology of the cerebral cortex, independent of the complement of their sex chromosomes (XX vs. XY), and mice with ovaries always displayed the feminine phenotype. These data suggest that sex differences in cortical thickness are under the control of gonadal steroids and not sex chromosomal complement. However, it is unclear whether it is the presence of testicular secretions or the absence of ovarian hormones that is responsible for the thicker male cerebral cortex.
Pharmaco-Proteomic Study of Hydroxyurea-Induced Modifications in the Sickle Red Blood Cell Membrane Proteome

Hydroxyurea (HU) is an effective oral drug for the management of homozygous sickle cell anemia (SS) in part because it increases fetal hemoglobin (HbF) levels within sickle red blood cells (RBCs) a...
Immunologic parameters during NOTES compared with laparoscopy in a randomized blinded porcine trial

It remains unclear if the natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) technique is less invasive than laparoscopy. Serum interleukins and peritoneal cellular response have been utilized to support the immunologic difference between open and laparoscopic surgery. We hypothesized that there would be no difference between cytokine levels during NOTES or laparoscopic peritoneoscopy. Twelve pigs were assigned to NOTES or standard laparoscopy with permuted block randomization. Each group underwent 90 min of diagnostic peritoneoscopy using CO2 for laparoscopy and air for NOTES pneumoperitoneum. Blood draws were obtained at baseline, at procedure end, and on postoperative days (POD) 1, 2, and 7. Quantification of cytokines (IL-1b and TNF-α) was performed with a Duo Set Porcine enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Laboratory results were captured by a technician blinded to the research question, and data analysis was performed by an investigator blinded to the procedure using t-test and repeated measures linear model. The study was approved by the institutional animal care and use committee (IACUC). All procedures were successfully completed. One NOTES animal succumbed to hemorrhagic gastritis (day 3). All other animals thrived to POD 14, with no gross infections at necropsy. Animals undergoing laparoscopy had lower mean arterial pH than NOTES animals (p < 0.001). Serum and intraperitoneal white blood cell (WBC) counts were similar between the groups. Mean interleukin-1b levels at baseline, at the end of the procedure and at 48 h did not differ (0.50 and 0.31; p = 0.65). TNF-α levels did not differ at baseline or procedure end but increased in the NOTES group on POD 1, persisting to POD 7. Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) decreased in the laparoscopy group (p = 0.005). Cytokines and WBC did not differ between laparoscopic and NOTES groups during the initial 24 h. These findings do not currently support the assumption that NOTES is less invasive than laparoscopy. The late TNF-α elevation contradicts other studies and requires further examination.
The effect of ionophore A23187 on albumin internalization in cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells.

Abstract The effects of calcium and the calcium ionophore A23187 on endocytosis were studied in cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells using iodinated human albumin to measure bulk phase endocytosis. In the absence of the ionophore, varying the levels of extracellular calcium did not affect endocytosis. In the presence of 10 μM A23187, the endocytic clearance of albumin decreased approx. 50% when exposed to physiological concentrations of extracellular calcium, but increased approx. 50% at lower calcium concentrations. Since the ionophore is known to alter cellular calcium levels, these results are compatible with a role for intracellular calcium in the modulation of endothelial cell endocytosis.
Diffusion Processes Influenced by Conjugate-Point Wave Phenomena

Radial diffusion coefficients for low-energy protons in the magnetosphere are estimated for processes involving Pc 1, 2, and 3 hydromagnetic waves. These diffusion coefficients are compared to rough estimates of diffusion due to magnetic impulses and bays, to arrive at an overall diffusion rate. An effective loss rate for ptich-angle diffusion (caused by Pc 1) is developed, and combined with radial diffusion to yield a nonlinear differential equation. Some estimates of expected proton flux levels are made on the basis of this equation.
Chloroplast culture VIII a new effect of kinetin in enhancing the synthesis and accumulation of protochlorophyllide invitro

Abstract By pretreating etiolated cucumber cotyledons with kinetin in the dark, it was observed that the plastids isolated from such tissues were 400% more active in the conversion of δ-aminolevulinic acid into protochlorophyllide, than plastids prepared from water-treated controls. The experimental evidence is consistent with the hypothesis that (a) the kinetin dark-pretreatment of the etiolated tissue, uncouples the joint biosynthesis of prothylakoids and protochlorophyll and results in the accumulation of excess prothylakoid membranes poorly supplied with protochlorophyllide (b) upon isolation of the plastids and incubation with δ-aminolevulinic acid, the latter is very rapidly converted into membrane-bound protochlorophyllide.
Chromatin structure and regulation of the eukaryotic regulatory gene GAL80

Abstract The chromatin structure around the 5' end of the yeast regulatory gene GAL80 has been determined. The chromatin organization is very similar to that on the 5' regions of the GAL1-10 structural genes: a constitutive hypersensitive region containing the upstream activating sequence (UAS) element, and nucleosomes around this hypersensitive region. The downstream nucleosome, which is a positioned nucleosome, covers the TATA and transcription start sites. The nucleosome upstream of the hypersensitive region undergoes significant change when cells are grown in galactose, where GAL80 gene expression is induced to maximal levels. The change may be related to the induction process. GAL4 protein binds strongly to the GAL80 UAS in galactose-grown cells, less strongly in glycerol-grown cells, and not at all in glucose-grown cells. These data and published gene expression data are used to develop a model for the regulation of the GAL80 regulatory gene.
Plastic Surgery Training: Evaluating Patient Satisfaction with Facial Fillers in a Resident Clinic

Resident cosmetic surgery clinics, or “chief clinics,” are arguably the most effective way to provide cosmetic surgery training. Approximately 70 % of plastic surgery training programs utilize a “chief resident clinic” to augment their cosmetic surgery experience, even though a quantitative outcome scale is lacking to guide education. We report the use of the FACE-Q, a novel patient outcome tool, to evaluate patients’ satisfaction with nonsurgical facial rejuvenation performed by residents. The FACE-Q “Satisfaction with Facial Appearance Overall Scale” was administered to patients prior to and 1 week after undergoing nonsurgical facial rejuvenation performed by plastic surgery residents. All patients received nonsurgical facial rejuvenation with botulinum toxin A and hyaluronic acid as part of resident facial aesthetics training. Eleven patients completed the pre- and postinjection FACE-Q survey. Average overall facial appearance satisfaction scores of 47.6 pre- and 51.1 postinjection were found (p < 0.037), with a total possible score of 68. Ten patients (91 %) reported feeling satisfied or very satisfied with the overall appearance of their face following injection. Despite resident inexperience and patient awareness that novices were performing the procedures, our experience supports use of the FACE-Q to optimize and endorse resident cosmetic surgery clinics. The learning curve for facial cosmetic procedures can be adversely affected by limited time available or exposure to improvement variables when initially performing the procedure. It is imperative to any technique that direct, and preferably quantitative, feedback is given so that an immediate modification can be generated and successive patient outcomes improved. This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .
The Epistemic Challenges, Trust and the Online Collaborative Group.

The use of collaborative learning strategies continues to grow in online environments. The ability to collaborate may, therefore, present epistemic challenges for the students and hinder their capacity to trust their own and their fellow students’ ability to help them learn, and the capacity of the group (as a whole) to grow and develop. The purpose of this study is to: examine the students’ experiences in OCG groups to understand the ways trust issues manifest in the OCG; the ways these trust issues reflect epistemic challenges; and the strategies that the students use to resolve the trust issues. The study uses a phenomenographic approach, a qualitative interpretative research approach that seeks to illuminate people’s understandings and ideas about the world or their experiences of it. The data analysis revealed that trust—especially as it related to ability—was a persistent issue for the groups with regard to two epistemic challenges: trusting their own capacity to accomplish the task; and trusting th...
A receptor for retinol in the developing retina and pigment epithelium

Abstract A specific receptor for retinol is present in the soluble fraction (cytosol) of the retina and pigment epithelium of the chick embryo. As demonstrated by sucrose density gradient centrifugation, the macromolecule is a protein of approximately 19 000–20 000 daltons and has different sedimentation properties from the serum retinol-binding macromolecule. Binding of retinol to the tissue receptor appears to be reversible and non-covalent; retinal and retinoic acid have little effect on the retinol-receptor interaction. Similar binding of retinol is also observed in the developing chick liver and brain.
Spherical trigonometry and the structure of valinomycin.

A new method of computing the geometry of a cyclic polymer from internal coordinates is discussed, which is particularly useful if the molecule has a center of inversion symmetry. When applied to the structure of valinomycin, the calculation is reduced to solving one transcendental equation in one variable.
Population Adaptive Immune Algorithm Based Trustworthy QoS Routing Algorithm

The trustworthiness of data transmission is a very important parameter in the future network. In this paper, considering the optimal ability of population adaptive immune and the trustworthiness demand of the network, a trustworthy QoS routing algorithm is proposed. The interval is used to describe the user requirement in order to adapt to the fuzziness of the user QoS and trust demand, and the sliding window is adopted to implement the trust evaluation and control mechanism. With satisfaction degree function introduced, it tries to find the optimal path which satisfies the user requirement based on population adaptive immune algorithm. The simulation results show that the proposed algorithm is both feasible and effective.
7213 Are all colonoscopy preparations the same? a retrospective analysis of over 11,000 colonoscopies.

INTRODUCTION: We examined our colonoscopy preparation experience over a 4 year period to determine if all preparations lead to similar quality examinations. METHODS:The data were extracted from an automated endoscopy reporting tool, GIstation. 11,036 of the 29,535 cases perfomed between October 1995 and October 1999 were colonoscopies. The preparation used was cited in 95% of cases, the extent of insertion in 95% of cases and the quality of preparation in 75% of cases. Only if the preparation, quality of preparation and extent were all known was the case included for study. Cases with surgical alterations were also removed from the analysis. This resulted in a final group of 7632 cases (70% of the colonoscopy population) which was used for analysis. Quality was examined using a 7 point scale. If the case was judged to be in the upper 2 scales (excellent or very good) it was considered high quality. If judged to be in lower 2 scales (inadequate or poor) it was considered low quality. RESULTS:Physicians used thirteen different preparations during the four year period. Three of them, Oral Phosphosoda (66.1%), Golytely (19.9%) and Colyte (8.9%) accounted for 95% of the cases. The average age of patients receiving Oral Phosphosoda (56.6 yr) was less than the average age of those receiving Colyte (60.2 yr) or Golytely (62.4 yr). There was a highly significant difference (p
Structural Stability Effects on Adsorption of Bacteriophage T4 Lysozyme to Colloidal Silica

Abstract Circular dichroism (CD) spectra were obtained for bacteriophage T4 lysozyme and three of its mutants in the presence and absence of colloidal silica nanoparticles. Mutant lysozymes were produced by substitution of the isoleucine at position 3 with tryptophan, cysteine, and leucine. Each substitution resulted in an altered structural stability, quantified by a difference in free energy of unfolding from the wild type. CD spectra recorded in the absence of colloidal silica agreed with X-ray diffraction data in that the mutants and wild type showed similar secondary structures. CD spectra of protein–nanoparticle complexes recorded after contact for 90 min showed significant differences from those recorded in the absence of nanoparticles, and these differences varied among the proteins. The percentage of α-helix lost in these proteins upon adsorption was also recorded as a function of time by CD. For a 1:2 protein to nanoparticle mixture, the more unstable the protein, the greater the rate and extent of secondary structure loss upon adsorption. These kinetic data were evaluated using a model allowing proteins to exist in two different conformational states at the interface: state 1 molecules retain their native conformation, and state 2 molecules lose a certain amount of secondary structure and occupy more surface area than state 1 molecules. This analysis indicated that proteins of lower thermal stability have a greater tendency to adopt state 2 on silica. Rate constants governing generation of state 1 and state 2 molecules determined by CD were used as initial values of surface coverage-dependent rate constants in order to simulate adsorption kinetics. Comparison of simulated curves to adsorption data recorded within situellipsometry suggests that protein adsorption may adequately be described with a model allowing for only two functional states.
Interactions of plasticity and oxide crack closure mechanisms near the fatigue crack growth threshold

Abstract An advanced analytical model developed earlier has been utilized to predict interactions between plasticity and oxide crack closure mechanisms that influence near-threshold fatigue crack growth behavior. Near-threshold closure is complex because multiple closure mechanisms are likely, including plasticity and oxide-induced crack closure. A series of experiments has been performed to validate analytical results. Analytical and experimental results suggest that interactions between plasticity and oxide result in high closure levels near the fatigue crack growth threshold. At sufficiently low ΔK, the combined effects of plasticity and oxide completely closes fatigue cracks resulting in high fatigue crack growth threshold values.
Markers for the factor VIII antibody response in hemophilia A.

Antibodies to FVIIIC occur in 5-5 percent of patients with hemophilia A who receive FVIII replacement therapy. Several observations suggest that the immune response to FVIIIC may be under some form of genetic control. The American Cooperative Study of FVIIIC inhibitors in hemophilia A has followed 1,522 patients with hemophilia A and has examined a number of variables relating to this problem. Antibodies were present in 216 patients at entry into the study and an additional 31 patients developed antibodies during the study. Almost all antibodies occurred in patients whose FVIIIC was 10 Bethesda U/ml) and all but 3 developed within the first 100 exposure-days to FVIII. Studies of 167 sibships with at least 2 hemophilic brothers showed a non-random distribution of antibodies. HLA typing of 35 antibody and 105 non-antibody patients showed an under-representation of HLA-Al in antibody patients. We also studied polymorphisms of complement components C2, C4A, C4B and factor B, known to be synthesized under genetic control of loci on chromosome 6, close to the HLA-Dr locus. The frequencies of C4A4, C4B2 and factor BF-F were 1-1/2 to 2 times higher in antibody formers than in non-antibody patients. Taken together, these studies imply strongly the presence of some Immune Response gene control over the FVIIIC antibody response in patients with hemophilia A.
Group Psychotherapy with Children on an Inpatient Unit: The MEGA Group Model

TOPIC: Psychotherapy group intervention with children based on the use of community meeting. PURPOSE: To describe a model group intervention that is based on developmental level and applicable across a broad spectrum of behavioral and psychiatric disorders. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the development of this model on one inpatient unit, the benefits of the model and implication for future research, including a simple model of the stages of group development. SOURCES: A review of the literature and the author's experience in the development of a model group intervention. CONCLUSION: The model is a flexible and broadly applicable one, which may be utilized by a variety of staff, including relatively inexperienced line workers.