cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Remodeling of the 12-lead electrocardiogram in immediate survivors of sudden cardiac arrest.

Abstract Background The ECG is a critical diagnostic tool for the management of immediate sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) survivors, but can be altered as a consequence of the SCA event. A limited number of studies report that electrical remodeling post SCA is due to prolonged myocardial repolarization, but a better understanding of this phenomenon is needed. Aim To identify specific ECG abnormalities that follow SCA in immediate survivors. Methods SCA survivors with a pre-arrest ECG and an ECG obtained within 48 h post-SCA were prospectively collected in the Oregon Sudden Unexpected Death Study (Portland metro region) from 2002–2015. Ventricular depolarization and repolarization measurements were compared between pre-arrest and post-arrest ECGs using paired t-tests and assessed for association with survival using unpaired t-tests and Pearson’s chi-square tests. Results A pre-arrest ECG and post-arrest ECG were available for 297 SCA cases (67.8 ± 13.4 years; 65.3% male). From the pre- to post-arrest setting, there was a significant mean increase in QRS (21 ms, p Conclusions Contrary to expectations, electrical remodeling of the ECG due to SCA occurs due to prolongation of ventricular depolarization (QRSD), and not repolarization (JTc). Prolonged QRSD may also assist with prognostication and warrants further evaluation.
The role of histology on endometrial cancer survival disparities in diverse Florida.

Background Endometrial cancer (EC) mortality is particularly high among non-Hispanic Blacks and is twice that of non-Hispanic Whites. However, comparisons of EC survival outcomes by race/ethnicity are often confounded by histology and grade. Here, we analyze EC survival disparities in multiracial Florida with a focus on EC types (1 and 2) and subtypes, defined according to histology and grade. Methods All 27,809 cases of EC diagnosed during 2005-2016 were obtained from the Florida Cancer Registry. Age-standardized, 5-year cause-specific survival by race/ethnicity and histological type were calculated. Fine and Gray competing risk regression was used to estimate sub-distribution hazard ratios (sHRs) for associations between risk of death due to EC and potential predictive factors such as histology/grade, age, stage at diagnosis, and insurance. Results Type 2 EC accounted for only 38.7% of all incident EC-cases but 74.6% of all EC-deaths. Blacks were disproportionately affected by type 2 EC (57.6%) compared to Whites, Hispanics, and Asians (35.6%, 37.7%, and 43.0%, respectively). Age-adjusted 5-year survival for types 1 and 2 were 85.3% and 51.6%, respectively; however, there was wide variation within type 2 subtypes, ranging from 60.2% for mixed cell EC to as low as 30.1% for carcinosarcoma. In the multivariable model, Blacks with type 2 EC had a 23% higher risk of death due to EC (sHR: 1.23, 95%CI: 1.12-1.36) compared to Whites. Conclusions Population-based analyses should consider the histological heterogeneity of EC because the less common type 2 EC drives racial/ethnic survival disparities in EC. Black women have a higher proportion of more aggressive histological types and an overall higher risk of death due to EC than Whites. To the extent that some of these histological types may be considered different diseases and require specific treatment approaches, further research on etiology and prognosis for detailed type 2 EC subtypes is warranted.
Everyone Choreographs: A Process of Inclusive Dance-making

Choreographing for the first time can be a vulnerable experience for dance students. With an open invitation for anyone to choreograph, students feel welcome to participate in as many choreographic...
Identification of Marginal Effects in a Nonparametric Correlated Random Effects Model

In this paper, we consider identification and estimation of average marginal effects in a correlated random coefficients model without imposing strong functional form assumptions on the structural likelihood or the mixing distribution. Identification is achieved through imposing that the mixing distribution depends on observed covariates only through an index function and the assumption that at least three time periods are available for each cross sectional unit. We leave the functional form of the index function unrestricted subject to smoothness conditions. We present identification results for this model and consider estimation of the marginal effects of interest. We illustrate the use of the approach through a brief empirical example which considers the relationship between insider trading activity and trading volume.
Allogeneic Bone Marrow–Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cell Safety in Idiopathic Parkinson's Disease

BACKGROUND Neuroinflammation plays a key role in PD pathogenesis, and allogeneic bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells can be used as an immunomodulatory therapy. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to prove the safety and tolerability of intravenous allogeneic bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells in PD patients. METHODS This was a 12-month single-center open-label dose-escalation phase 1 study of 20 subjects with mild/moderate PD assigned to a single intravenous infusion of 1 of 4 doses: 1, 3, 6, or 10 × 106 allogeneic bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells/kg, evaluated 3, 12, 24, and 52 weeks postinfusion. Primary outcome safety measures included transfusion reaction, study-related adverse events, and immunogenic responses. Secondary outcomes included impact on peripheral markers, PD progression, and changes in brain perfusion. RESULTS There were no serious adverse reactions related to the infusion and no responses to donor-specific human leukocyte antigens. Most common treatment-emergent adverse events were dyskinesias (20%, n = 4) with 1 emergent and 3 exacerbations; and hypertension (20%, n = 4) with 3 transient episodes and 1 requiring medical intervention. One possibly related serious adverse event occurred in a patient with a 4-year history of lymphocytosis who developed asymptomatic chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Peripheral inflammation markers appear to be reduced at 52 weeks in the highest dose including, tumor necrosis factor-α (P < 0.05), chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 22 (P < 0.05), whereas brain-derived neurotrophic factor (P < 0.05) increased. The highest dose seems to have demonstrated the most significant effect at 52 weeks, reducing the OFF state UPDRS motor, -14.4 (P < 0.01), and total, -20.8 (P < 0.05), scores. CONCLUSION A single intravenous infusion of allogeneic bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells at doses of 1, 3, 6, or 10 × 106 allogeneic bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells/kg is safe, well tolerated, and not immunogenic in mild/moderate PD patients. © 2021 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
Systematic Coarse-graining and Multiscale Modeling of Soft Matter

Format This is a copy of the slides presented at the meeting but not formally written up for the volume. Abstract A multiscale theoretical and computational methodology will be presented for describing liquid state, biomolecular, and nanoparticle systems across multiple length- and time-scales. The approach provides an interface between atomistic molecular simulations, mesoscale dynamics, and continuum mechanics. The underlying methodology couples atomistic-level simulations with mesoscale simulations which, in turn, can be bridged to continuum-level modeling where necessary. A new and systematic multiscale coarse-graining strategy for linking the atomistic-scale interactions to the mesoscale will be the primary focus of the presentation. Applications of the overall methodology will be given.
Safety Performance Assessment of Connected Vehicles in Mitigating the Risk of Secondary Crashes: A Driving Simulator Study:

Traffic crashes can be divided into primary and secondary crashes. Secondary crashes occur as a consequence of primary crashes within their spatiotemporal distances. Secondary crashes comprise near...
Aspiration and Opportunity: First-Generation Immigrants and Refugees at Community College:

Objective:This article explores the experiences of 32 first-generation immigrant and refugee students as they transition into and out of community college. The challenges students face and the reso...
Power, positionality, and purpose: employing indigenous methods as a non-indigenous scholar

As non-Indigenous scholars, what does it mean to engage with Indigenous methodology and how can Indigenous methods be used to offer unique ways of knowing in a responsible manner? What are ethical ...
Statistics and tropicalization of local field Gaussian measures

This paper aims to lay the foundations for statistics over local fields, such as the field of $p$-adic numbers. Over such fields, we give characterizations for maximum likelihood estimation and conditional independence for multivariate Gaussian distributions. We also give a bijection between the tropicalization of such Gaussian measures in dimension 2 and supermodular functions on the 2-dimensional discrete cube. Finally, we introduce the Bruhat-Tits building as a parameter space for Gaussian distributions and discuss their connections to conditional independence statements as an open problem.
Pustular Psoriasis and Acute Generalized Exanthematous Pustulosis

The similarity between pustular psoriasis (PP) and acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis (AGEP) poses problems in the diagnosis and treatment of these two conditions. Significant clinical and histopathologic overlap exists between PP and AGEP. PP is an inflammatory disorder that has numerous clinical subtypes, but all with sterile pustules composed of neutrophils. AGEP is a severe cutaneous adverse reaction that is also characterized by non-follicular sterile pustules. Clinical features that suggest a diagnosis of PP over AGEP include a history of psoriasis and the presence of scaling plaques. Histologically, eosinophilic spongiosis, vacuolar interface dermatitis, and dermal eosinophilia favor a diagnosis of AGEP over PP. Importantly, PP and AGEP vary in clinical course and treatment. PP treatment involves topical steroids, oral retinoids, and systemic immunosuppressants. Newer therapies targeting IL-36, IL-23, IL-1, and PDE-4 have been investigated. The removal of the offending agent is a crucial part of the treatment of AGEP.
Tropical Atlantic Dust and Smoke Aerosol Variations Related to the Madden-Julian Oscillation in MODIS and MISR Observations

In this study, MODIS fine mode fraction and MISR non-spherical fraction are 2used to derive dust and smoke AOT components (tau(sub dust) and tau(sub smoke)) over the tropical Atlantic, and their variabilities related to the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) are then investigated. Both MODIS and MISR show a very similar dust and smoke winter climatology. tau(sub dust) is found to be the dominant aerosol component over the tropical Atlantic while tau(sub smoke) is significantly smaller than tau(sub dust). The daily MODIS and MISR tau(sub dust) are overall highly correlated, with the correlation coefficients typically about 0.7 over the North Atlantic. The consistency between the MODIS and MISR dust and smoke aerosol climatology and daily variations give us confidence to use these two data sets to investigate their relative contributions to the total AOT variation associated with the MJO. However, unlike the MISR dust discrimination, which is based on particle shape retrievals, the smoke discrimination is less certain, based on assumed partitioning of maritime aerosol for both MISR and MODIS. The temporal evolution and spatial patterns of the tau(sub dust) anomalies associated with the MJO are consistent between MODIS and MISR. The tau(sub dust) anomalies are very similar to those of tau anomalies, and are of comparable magnitude. In contrast, the MJO-related tau(sub smoke) anomalies are rather small, and the tau(sub mar) anomalies are negligible. The consistency between the MODIS and MISR results suggests that dust aerosol is the dominant component on the intra-seasonal time scale over the tropical Atlantic Ocean.
Partial activation of the pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase by the lipoyl domain region of E2 and interchange of the kinase between lipoyl domain regions.

The binding of the pyruvate dehydrogenase (E1) component and the E1-specific kinase to the core-forming dihydrolipoyl acetyltransferase (E2) component facilitates a severalfold enhancement in the rate at which the kinase phosphorylate E1 (i.e. versus free kinase phosphorylating free E1). The kinase and E1 associate with small exterior linker region-connected domains in the E2 structure. The kinase binds to one of two lipoyl domains, and the E1 component binds to a domain in E2"s structure between the lipoyl domain region and the inner domain. Sixty of the latter domains assemble to form a dodecahedron-shaped inner core. Binding of the kinase to a detached lipoyl domain region enhanced kinase activity. This bi-lipoyl domain fragment induced a 2-fold enhancement in the slow rate of phosphorylation of peptide substrate and intact E260 gave only a 50% higher rate. In contrast, the lipoyl domain fragment gave only a 40% enhancement in the faster rate of phosphorylation of E1; whereas the rate of phosphorylation of E1 was markedly increased (4-10-fold depending on conditions) by kinase interaction with the intact E2 core. Binding of E1 to an E2 structure lacking only the bi-lipoyl domain region did not enhance kinase activity. Thus, binding of the kinase to the lipoyl domain region elicits a structural change which enhances kinase activity; however, other processes are required to explain the very large enhancement in phosphorylation of E1 effected by intact E2 core. Among the latter is a need for a mechanism allowing one kinase molecule to phosphorylate many E1 tetramers, whereas both E1 and the kinase stay bound to the oligomeric E2 core (i.e. phosphorylation appears to be much faster than the dissociation of either the kinase or E1 tetramers from E260 core). Exposure of kinase bound to the lipoyl domain fragment to intact E2 core for 10 s allowed a transition to a maximal (7-fold) activation of the kinase. In the opposite direction, an increasing level of the free bi-lipoyl domain fragment rapidly reduced, in a concentration-dependent manner the activity of kinase bound initially to intact E2. The data strongly support kinase transfer between free lipoyl domains and the intact E2 core and fit about a 12-fold tighter binding of the kinase to intact E2 cores over binding to free lipoyl domains. Such an interchange of the kinase between these E2 structures was confirmed by sucrose gradient studies.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Transdifferentiated retinal pigment epithelial cells are immunoreactive for vascular endothelial growth factor in surgically excised age-related macular degeneration-related choroidal neovascular membranes

Purpose To determine the cellular origin and the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) immunoreactivity of the nonvascular stromal cells in surgically excised age-related macular degeneration (ARMD)-associated choroidal neovascular membranes (CNVMs). Methods Immunohistochemical analysis was performed on frozen sections of eight surgically excised ARMD-related CNVMs. Results Cytokeratin-positive, smooth muscle actin-positive polygonal or fibroblastic (transdifferentiated RPE) cells were the principal nonvascular stromal cells detected. The polygonal cells were more commonly found in active (highly vascularized) regions and were strongly immunoreactive for VEGF. The fibroblastic cells were predominantly found in fibrotic (hypovascular) regions and were minimally immunoreactive for VEGF. Conclusions Transdifferentiated RPE cells are the principal nonvascular stromal cells of both vascular and fibrotic ARMD-related CNVMs. Preferential localization of VEGF immunoreactivity with the cytoplasm of the polygonal transdifferentiated RPE cells in the highly vascularized regions of the surgically excised CNVMs suggests an important angiogenic role of these cells and this growth factor in the progression of ARMD-related choroidal neovascularization.
Moral Reasoning of Education Students: The Effects of Direct Instruction in Moral Development Theory and Participation in Moral Dilemma Discussion:

Background/ContextResults of the few studies that have investigated moral reasoning in education students suggest that such reasoning may be less advanced for them than for college students with no...
Information theory without the finiteness assumption, I: Cryptosystems as group-theoretic objects

This paper gives a definition of cryptosystem in terms of confusion, diffusion and replacement. This definition lends itself to infinite, as well as finite, structures, and the notion of group appears to play an essential role in it. We offer three theses for discussion. The first is that all known cryptosystems fit the definition. The second is that (Shannon) confusion amounts to left composition of a cryptographic relation with a message and left action of a cryptographic relation on a message, as well as that (Shannon) diffusion amounts to left composition of a message with a cryptographic relation and left action of a message on a cryptographic relatin. The third is what Shannon calls mixing cannot occur unless certain type of “nonassociativity”, or at least lack of adherence to some algebraic laws, is present in the description of a cryptosystem in accordance with this definition.
A novel Multiple Hypothesis Testing (MHT) scheme for tracking of dim objects

Multiple Hypothesis Tracking (MHT) is an active field for the detection and tracking of low-observable small targets. Most of MHT algorithms are based on a search method in a large tree of possible tracks in a digital image sequence. Though, processing a tree structure with a significant number of branches in MHT has been a challenging issue. Tracking high-speed objects with traditional MHT requires some presumptions which limit the capabilities of these methods. This paper presents a novel MHT system in three steps to solve this problem. The process starts with the root of each track in the video sequence followed by a Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) search to find the optimum tracks. Iterative process of PSO tries to refine each track. In the third step, the proposed algorithm merges all of the refined tracks related to an object. Efficiency of the proposed method is presented through the figures and tables in the simulation results section.
Diagnosis and treatment of anemia of the newborn caused by occult placental hemorrhage.

Abstract 1. 1. Attention is called to a previously unrecognized entity, namely, severe anemia of the newborn caused by unapparent hemorrhage from the fetal surface of the placenta. 2. 2. Two cases are described of newborn infants exhibiting this picture of severe posthemorrhagic anemia, one of whom recovered following treatment by blood transfusion, while the other died despite transfusion. In both these cases the mothers were Rh positive as revealed by routine antenatal blood tests, and isosensitization was ruled out as playing any role by detailed serological tests and the absence of any icterus of the cord serum. 3. 3. In a third fatal case of severe anemia in the newborn baby of a sensitized Rh-negative woman, the anemia was apparently due primarily to hemorrhage rather than hemolysis. The significance of this finding in relation to the treatment of such cases is that if exchange transfusions are given to such erythroblastotic babies, a margin of 150 c.c. instead of only 50 c.c. should be maintained between the amount of blood injected and the amount of blood withdrawn, in order to correct the reduction in blood volume as well as the anemia.
Disrupting Genetic Dogma: Bridging Cytogenetics and Molecular Biology in Fragile X Research

Historians of science, reflecting the disciplinary divides of their actors, have largely examined cytogenetics and molecular biology in separate contributions. In recent years, however, as the historical analysis of postwar genetics has begun to shift toward a focus on the late twentieth century, these distinctions have become increasingly impractical. This paper examines the collaborative use of cytogenetic and molecular analysis by research groups as they examined a unique chromosomal marker associated with inherited intellectual disability, known as the fragile X site. As clinicians and biologists studied the fragile X site during the early 1980s, they noted its unusual behavior under the microscope and in family pedigrees. These findings greatly complicated attempts to use the chromosomally visible fragile X site to warn female carriers and identify fetuses affected by fragile X syndrome, leading to the recruitment of molecular biologists to develop improved diagnostic techniques. Molecular biologists were also drawn to study the fragile X site by the potential basic research implications of its unusual behavior. Collaborating across international and interdisciplinary divides, cytogeneticists and molecular biologists established the fragile X site as a novel and unanticipated example of genomic instability. During the 1980s, cytogenetic and molecular examination of the fragile X site contributed significantly to disrupting the longstanding genetic dogma of intergeneration stability, and demonstrated the role of genomic dynamism in the development of disease-causing mutations.
Overview of Schizosaccharomyces pombe

The fission yeast S. pombe provides an attractive alternative system to budding yeast S. cerevisiae for studies of fundamental cell biology. Fission yeast is a particularly powerful model for studies of cell cycle, chromosome dynamics, and polarity. Other areas of study are also expanding. Conceptually similar genetic tools are available in both systems, and both organisms have completely sequenced genomes.
Structured importance sampling of environment maps

We introduce structured importance sampling, a new technique for efficiently rendering scenes illuminated by distant natural illumination given in an environment map. Our method handles occlusion, high-frequency lighting, and is significantly faster than alternative methods based on Monte Carlo sampling. We achieve this speedup as a result of several ideas. First, we present a new metric for stratifying and sampling an environment map taking into account both the illumination intensity as well as the expected variance due to occlusion within the scene. We then present a novel hierarchical stratification algorithm that uses our metric to automatically stratify the environment map into regular strata. This approach enables a number of rendering optimizations, such as pre-integrating the illumination within each stratum to eliminate noise at the cost of adding bias, and sorting the strata to reduce the number of sample rays. We have rendered several scenes illuminated by natural lighting, and our results indicate that structured importance sampling is better than the best previous Monte Carlo techniques, requiring one to two orders of magnitude fewer samples for the same image quality.
Chiral β and random fractional deuteration for the determination of protein sidechain conformation by NMR

Abstract Stereospecific assignments of the aspartic acid and asparagine, β-protons of the 108 residue protein E. coli thioredoxin have been obtained by the use of chiral deuteration. In addition protein samples have been prepared in which all carbon bound hydrogen positions are substituted to an extent of 75% with deuterium. These random fractionally deuterated samples significantly facilitate the measurement of coupling constants and intraresidue NOE intensities which combined with the stereospecific assignments have provided determination of the first sidechain dihedral angle ϰ 1 , for all four asparagine residues and eight of the ten assigned aspartic acid residues.
Characterization of human lysophospholipid acyltransferase 3

Esterifying lysophospholipids may serve a variety of functions, including phospholipid remodeling and limiting the abundance of bioactive lipids. Recently, a yeast enzyme, Lpt1p, that esterifies an array of lysophospholipids was identified. Described here is the characterization of a human homolog of LPT1 that we have called lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase 3 (LPCAT3). Expression of LPCAT3 in Sf9 insect cells conferred robust esterification of lysophosphatidylcholine in vitro. Kinetic analysis found apparent cooperativity with a saturated acyl-CoA having the lowest K0.5 (5 μM), a monounsaturated acyl-CoA having the highest apparent Vmax (759 nmol/min/mg), and two polyunsaturated acyl-CoAs showing intermediate values. Lysophosphatidylethanolamine and lysophosphatidylserine were also utilized as substrates. Electrospray ionization mass spectrometric analysis of phospholipids in Sf9 cells expressing LPCAT3 showed a relative increase in phosphatidylcholine containing saturated acyl chains and a decrease in phosphatidylcholine containing unsaturated acyl chains. Targeted reduction of LPCAT3 expression in HEK293 cells had essentially an opposite effect, resulting in decreased abundance of saturated phospholipid species and more unsaturated species. Reduced LPCAT3 expression resulted in more apoptosis and distinctly fewer lamellipodia, suggesting a necessary role for lysophospholipid esterification in maintaining cellular function and structure.—Jain, S., X. Zhang, P. J. Khandelwal, A. J. Saunders, B. S. Cummings, and P. Oelkers. Characterization of human lysophospholipid acyltransferase 3.
The T1799A BRAF mutation is not a germline mutation in familial nonmedullary thyroid cancer

Summary Objective Familial nonmedullary thyroid cancer (FNMTC) is relatively common but its predisposing genetic alteration is unclear. As the somatic T1799A BRAF mutation is highly prevalent in papillary thyroid cancer, the aim was to test whether this mutation was a susceptibility mutation for FNMTC. Subjects and methods The T1799A BRAF mutation as a possible germline mutation was examined in 40 subjects from 23 families with a history of FNMTC. Direct DNA sequencing was performed on white blood cell DNA samples to analyse the mutation status. Results No T1799A BRAF mutation was found in this group of subjects as germline mutation. Conclusion The T1799A BRAF mutation is not a germline mutation or susceptibility genetic event for FNMTC.
Arthroscopic partial meniscectomy for degenerative tears: where do we stand?

In this issues of Osteoarthritis and Cartilage, Gauffin and colleagues report the findings of a randomized controlled trial of arthroscopic partial meniscectomy (APM) vs. a physical therapy regimen in subjects with degenerative meniscal tears. This carefully executed study is an important addition to an evolving body of research on the appropriate role of APM and other arthroscopic procedures in patients with osteoarthritis. We review research in this area over the last two decades to put this trial into context.
Autoradiographic evidence of primary projections to the caudal cochlear nucleus in cats.

Six adult cats received unilateral cochlear injections of 30–70 μCi 3H-leucine (3-H-leu) in saline. After 20–48 hours, their brains were prepared for autoradiography. The octopus cell area (OCA) and the dorsal region (DCN) of the cochlear nucleus of both the injected and uninjected sides were studied in detail. Grain counts of autoradiographs always showed much greater label in the injected side. Autoradiography confirmed uniform distribution of primary afferents in the OCA, as seen in grain counts over the whole area (both somata and neuropil); however, grains were more densely packed over somata than neuropil of the OCA. In DCN, grain counts showed a gradient of label from the deep to superficial layers, a greater density of label over somata than neuropil of the deep DCN, and uniform distribution of label over the whole fusiform cell layer of the DCN. These results showed (1) best resolution and localization in cats that survived 24 hours and with exposures of two weeks, (2) no significant diffusion of label to other CNS regions than the auditory nuclei,and (3) transneuronaltransport of label after 48-hour survival times. Liquid scintillation counts (LSC) of cochlear nerve roots ipsilateral and contralateral to the injection showed at least a 10:1 ratio in all cats. This report not only gives new autoradiographic evidence of the distribution of primary afferents within the caudal cochlear nucleus, but also provides a useful approach to the study of distribution of specific amino acids implicated in central neurotransmission by cochlear terminals.
Pathological hypertrophy and cardiac interstitium. Fibrosis and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system.

Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is the major risk factor associated with myocardial failure. An explanation for why a presumptive adaptation such as LVH would prove pathological has been elusive. Insights into the impairment in contractility of the hypertrophied myocardium have been sought in the biochemistry of cardiac myocyte contraction. Equally compelling is a consideration of abnormalities in myocardial structure that impair organ contractile function while preserving myocyte contractility. For example, in the LVH that accompanies hypertension, the extracellular space is frequently the site of an abnormal accumulation of fibrillar collagen. This reactive and progressive interstitial and perivascular fibrosis accounts for abnormal myocardial stiffness and ultimately ventricular dysfunction and is likely a result of cardiac fibroblast growth and enhanced collagen synthesis. The disproportionate involvement of this nonmyocyte cell, however, is not a uniform accompaniment to myocyte hypertrophy and LVH, suggesting that the growth of myocyte and nonmyocyte cells is independent of each other. This has now been demonstrated in in vivo studies of experimental hypertension in which the abnormal fibrous tissue response was found in the hypertensive, hypertrophied left ventricle as well as in the normotensive, nonhypertrophied right ventricle. These findings further suggest that a circulating substance that gained access to the common coronary circulation of the ventricles was involved. This hypothesis has been tested in various animal models in which plasma concentrations of angiotensin II and aldosterone were varied. Based on morphometric and morphological findings, it can be concluded that arterial hypertension (i.e., an elevation in coronary perfusion pressure) together with elevated circulating aldosterone are associated with cardiac fibroblast involvement and the resultant heterogeneity in tissue structure. Nonmyocyte cells of the cardiac interstitium represent an important determinant of pathological LVH. The mechanisms that invoke short- (e.g., collagen metabolism) and long-term (e.g., mitosis) responses of cardiac fibroblasts require further investigation and integration of in vitro with in vivo studies. The stage is set, however, to prevent pathological LVH resulting from myocardial fibrosis as well as to reverse it.
Coagulation factor III (tissue factor) interaction with phospholipid vesicles induced by cadmium: characterization of the reconstituted protein-membrane complex

Coagulation factor III (tissue factor) is a membrane glycoprotein which serves as a cofactor in the proteolytic activation of factor X and factor IX by factor VIIa. Mixing of human placental factor III apoprotein with vesicles of bovine brain phospholipids does not produce significant reconstitution of factor III activity, but, when the mixture of apoprotein and vesicles is made 5 mM with CdCI2, the apoprotein is incorporated into the vesicles. Ultracentrifugation on sucrose density gradients demonstrated that the active factor III-lipid complex formed by reconstitution with vesicles had a density indistinguishable from that of the complex formed by detergent dialysis. Vesicles isolated after centrifugation were shown to range in diameter from 20 nm to over 100 nm using the electron microscope. Gel filtration showed that factor-III activity was associated with all size-classes of vesicles. The presence of factor III activity in the smaltest vesicles argues for a specific cadmium-mediated reconstitution of the apoprotein with phospholipid vesicles.
Reduction kinetics of cytochromes b.

Abstract 1. 1. Durohydroquinone (H2DQ), a specific reductant for the second phosphorylation site, has been used in the study of the fast reduction kinetics of cytochromes b. 2. 2. In ubiquinone-extracted mitochondria, H2DQ reduces cytochrome(s) b in a fast reaction, the rate and extent of which decreases upon reincorporation of ubiquinone. 3. 3. In cytochrome c-extracted mitochondria, H2DQ reduces both cytochromes b. After ATP addition, with cytochrome bT reduced by endogenous substrate, H2DQ reduces cytochrome bK at a slow rate whereas ubiquinone readily accepts reducing equivalents. In the presence of uncoupler, H2DQ reduces cytochrome bK at a faster rate while ubiquinone behaves as a less efficient electron acceptor. Under these conditions, cytochrome bT is not reduced by H2DQ. 4. 4. Cytochrome c1 reduction can be resolved free of cytochrome c interference in cytochrome c-extracted mitochondria. Cytochrome c1 reduction is 4 times faster in the presence of uncoupler than in the presence of ATP. 5. 5. Addition of cytochrome c to cytochrome c-extracted mitochondria stimulates the rate of cytochromes b reduction. 6. 6. In intact mitochondria, ATP addition causes 20 % reduction of cytochrome bT and speeds up the initial rate of cytochromes b reduction by a factor of 10. 7. 7. Addition of antimycin A to intact mitochondria results in 80–100 % reduction of cytochrome bK by endogenous substrate. ATP added to antimycin A-inhibited mitochondria produces oxidation of cytochrome bK and simultaneous and variable reduction of cytochrome bT. This latter effect is reverted by the addition of an uncoupler.
Familial nonmedullary thyroid carcinoma: a meta-review of case series.

Familial occurrence of nonmedullary thyroid carcinoma is extremely rare but this has been increasingly recognized over the recent years. Earlier reports of such occurrence were primarily confined t...
An improved hash code for scatter storage

Introduced is a hash coding method based on fixed-point division rather than multiplication or logical operations. This new method allows the hash table to have almost any length. Also a new method of handling collisions is discussed. Known as quadratic search, this method is faster than random search and free from the “clusters” that build up with a linear search.
Disc Space Preparation in Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion: A Comparison of Minimally Invasive and Open Approaches

Background Minimally invasive surgical (MIS) approaches to transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) have been developed as an alternative to the open approach. However, concerns remain regarding the adequacy of disc space preparation that can be achieved through a minimally invasive approach to TLIF.
Fas (CD95/APO-1) plays a role in the pathophysiology of focal cerebral ischemia.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of fas antigen, a member of the TNF receptor family, in cell death after focal cerebral ischemia. Focal ischemia was induced in the Sprague–Dawley rat. Evidence for apoptosis was determined by morphology as well as the presence of DNA fragmentation by the end labeling technique (TUNEL). Immunohistochemistry was performed to detect expression of both fas and fas ligand (fasL). In a separate set of experiments, two groups of mice were studied: lpr (that have a loss of function mutation for fas) and wild type. Infarct volume was measured at 24 hr as well as evidence for apoptosis. Twenty-four hours after ischemia, there was evidence for apoptosis based on morphological criteria as well as the TUNEL technique in the rat. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated increased expression of both fas and fasL in the ischemic region, with maximal staining occurring between 24–48 hr for both. Twenty-four hours after ischemia in the mice, there was evidence of apoptosis in both groups, however, the mutant mice (lpr) had significantly smaller infarcts as compared to the wild type. There was no difference in the cerebrovasculature of the two groups of mice. These data support the hypothesis that apoptosis plays a role in the pathophysiology of focal cerebral ischemia. Furthermore, these data suggest that fas-mediated apoptosis contributes to this process. J. Neurosci. Res. 61:686–692, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Solid-State Wetting of Graphite by Pb and Pb-Ni Alloys

Equilibrium segregation of Ni to the interface of solid Pb/graphite was studied using a solid-state wetting approach. Increasing amounts of Ni, ranging from 0 to 0.2 wt pct Ni, added to Pb were found to systematically lower the contact angle. No significant surface concentration of Ni was found at the Pb surface. The reduction of the contact angle was therefore attributed entirely to the lowering of the interfacial energy by interfacial adsorption of Ni. The amount of Ni at the interface was determined using the Gibbs adsorption isotherm. The presence of excess Ni at the interface was confirmed qualitatively by crater-edge profiling studies performed using a scanning Auger microprobe (SAM). All the experiments were performed under ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) to reduce the effects due to surface adsorption of impurities.
The Roles of Various Fractions of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in its Pathogenesis. II. Effects of Lecithinase and Protease.

Type Cultures, England) produced a high titer of protease with relatively low amounts of lecithinase; 117 (Inoue, 1961) was used as a source of alkaline phosphatase. The latter was included in this study since it was always produced in high titer in the environment of phosphate deficiency that was required for lecithinase formation by P. aeruginosa (Liu, 1964). It was therefore necessary to establish that the 2 enzymes were distinct and also to show that alkaline phosphatase was nontoxic.
Spirituality and Severity of Menopausal Symptoms in a Sample of Religious Women

Menopause represents an important life change, particularly for religious women whose identity is significantly related to family. Two competing hypotheses are examined: one, because religious women have their identity focused on family and child rearing, spirituality will be related to increased menopausal symptoms because menopause represents a loss of identity and purpose; and two, because spirituality can provide strength and comfort during difficult times, it will, therefore, be related to decreased menopausal symptoms. To test these competing hypotheses, questionnaires were administered to 218 women (average age 55, 35% premenopausal, 26% peri-menopausal, 39% postmenopausal) who were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Regression analyses indicated that higher levels of spiritual strength were related to decreased levels of reported menopausal symptoms. Spiritual strength was also related to increased benefit finding during menopause, decreased concern with body appearance, and increased use of adaptive coping strategies. We conclude that finding strength in spirituality may help religious women cope better with the life changes associated with menopause.
Action potential propagation and conduction velocity — new perspectives and questions

Abstract Recent studies on axonal structure and function have elucidated some of the constraints which determine conduction velocity in nerve fibers. They have also suggested new models of action potential propagation, and have raised important questions about impulse conduction.
STATISTICAL APPROACHES TO HUMAN BRAIN MAPPING BY FUNCTIONAL MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING

Proper use of functional neuro-imaging through effective experimental design and modern statistical analysis provides new insights in current brain research. This tutorial has two aims: to describe aspects of this technology to applied statisticians and to provide some statistical ideas to neuroscientists unfamiliar with quantitative analytic methods that accommodate randomness. Introductory background material and ample references to current literature on the physics of magnetic resonance imaging, Fourier methods for image reconstruction and measures of image quality are included. Two of the statistical approaches mentioned here are extensions of established methods for longitudinal data analysis to the frequency domain. A recent case study provides real-world instances of approaches, problems and open questions encountered in current functional neuro-imaging research and an introduction to the analysis of spatial time series in this context.
A new method for continual quantitation of viable cells on endothelialized polyurethanes

Many of the segmented polyurethanes currently used in cardiovascular prostheses undergo either modification of their surface structure or are lined with a confluent monolayer of endothelial cells to improve their hemocompatibility. During the establishment of an endothelial cell lining on these biopolymers it is necessary to continually monitor the number of viable cells that are covering the substrate. Yet, not all of the conventional cell enumeration techniques are suitable for assessing the growth of endothelial cells on polyurethanes. Methods, such as direct cell counting, dye uptake, or DNA or protein staining require either a transparent scaffold or lead to termination of the culturing process prior to measurement. In addition, some of the spectroscopic assays are often hampered by interaction of the dyes and/or solubilizers with the various constituents (e.g., catalyzers, antioxidants) and/or functional groups in the polyurethane formulations. In addressing these problems, we adapted a novel, highl...
What did we learn about Vub from B decays

Abstract The Standard Model of electroweak interactions demands the presence of a non-zero coupling between the b and the u quark in order to be able to explain CP violation in a natural way. The experimental searches reported so far have been unsuccessful in finding positive evidence for this transition, in spite of the wealth of B decay modes investigated. However there are promising hints coming from the preliminary results of the 1987 CLEO semileptonic spectrum which will be presented. The close interplay between accurate experimental results and more reliable theoretical models for B decays will be discussed.
Does psychiatric history bias mothers' reports? An application of a new analytic approach

ABSTRACT Objective To evaluate whether mothers' psychiatric history biases reports of their children's behavior problems, mothers' and teachers' reports of children's behavior problems were compared using a recently developed statistical approach. Method Child Behavior Checklists and Teacher's Report Forms were completed by mothers and teachers, respectively, about 801 six-year-old children. Mother's history of major depression, anxiety disorders, and substance use disorder was assessed by using the National Institute of Mental Health Diagnostic Interview Schedule. Generalized estimating equations were used for data analysis. Results According to both teachers and mothers, maternal history of major depression was associated with more internalizing problems; the association was significantly stronger when mothers were the informants. Mothers with history of any psychiatric disorder reported more externalizing problems in their children than expected, whereas teachers' reports of externalizing behaviors were unrelated to maternal psychiatric history. These findings could not be explained by variations in children's behaviors across settings. Conclusion The generalized estimating equation models enabled simultaneous examination of whether children of depressed mothers have excess behavior problems and whether depressed mothers overreport behavior problems in their children. The results indicate that children of depressed mothers have more internalizing problems. In addition, depressed mothers overstate and overgeneralize their offspring's behavior problems. This study broadens the concerns with reporting bias beyond maternal depression to include other psychiatric problems. The results emphasize the potential for bias in family history studies that rely on informants. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry, 1997, 36(7):971–979.
Density distribution of red cells infected by Plasmodium knowlesi and Plasmodium coatneyi.

Abstract Red cells parasitized by ring forms of P. knowlesi were distributed equally in all density fractions, whereas ring forms of P. coatneyi concentrated in the low-density fractions. Thus, the density of red cells infected by ring forms was probably determined by the density of the red cells invaded; P. coatneyi preferred reticulocytes, a low-density red cell. The total number of schizonts of both P. knowlesi and P. coatneyi , irrespective of the density of the red cell prior to invasion, was recovered in the low-density red cell. Therefore, any attempt to concentrate malaria parasites by density-gradient technique must take into account the age of red cells invaded, alteration in density of red cells infected by different asexual stages, and possibly other factors. The density distribution for any species of malarial plasmodia can be determined empirically by the method described.
STRIDE: a randomized trial of a lifestyle intervention to promote weight loss among individuals taking antipsychotic medications.

Individuals diagnosed with serious mental illnesses are at increased risk of obesity- and cardiovascular-related morbidity and early mortality. Lifestyle interventions aimed at weight loss, even those adapted to suit the needs of this particular subgroup, have rarely produced clinically meaningful reductions in weight.
Crystalline Low Molecular Weight γ-Globulin from a Human Urine

A basic protein with a molecular weight near 17,000, related serologically to the normal serum gamma(2)-globulins, has been isolated in crystalline form from the urine of a patient with multiple myeloma. Proteins of this size along with the Bence-Jones molecules whose inolecular weight is about 35,000 can provide subunits for studies of the structure of the serum gamma-globulins.
The disembodied act: copresence and indexical symmetry in computer-mediated communication

CSCL has recently begun to consider how shared understanding is achieved in computer-mediated interactional environments. In this paper, we explore how actors produce and maintain indexical symmetry and reciprocity of perspectives in online chat by establishing reciprocal fields of copresence. We use ethnomethodologically informed analysis to describe the interactional methods by which actors establish indexical symmetry and reciprocal fields of copresence.
Nucleotide−Surface Interactions in DNA-Modified Au−Nanoparticle Conjugates: Sequence Effects on Reactivity and Hybridization

We report a systematic study of the base-dependent behavior of oligonucleotides linked to Au NP surfaces. Ten 15mer sequences were designed to investigate the effect of oligonucleotide sequence and high-affinity nucleotide location relative to the nanoparticle surface. The nucleotide position was varied within the sequence to be proximal, midway, or distal to the 5′ thiol. High-affinity motifs of adenine, guanine, and cytosine were placed in polythymine sequences, with a homobase oligonucleotide of thymine as a control sequence. Oligonucleotide reactivity toward the NPs and the extent of hybridization of the conjugates varied with sequence. Chemical treatment of the NP surface to remove nonspecific adsorption removed sequence-dependent effects on the hybridization. The behavior of the conjugates can be explained by nonspecific adsorption, where A- and C-containing oligonucleotides have a higher affinity for the NP surface.