cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Histopathologic changes associated with prostaglandin induced abortion

Abstract Although numerous articles have appeared reporting on the efficacy of prostaglandin administration as an abortifacient, little mention has been made of the associated pathologic findings observed in the aborted tissue. The purpose of this present study was to document the histopathology observed in tissue specimens obtained from volunteers undergoing abortion as a result of prostaglandin administration in early human gestation. Microscopic findings in the ten patients studied were remarkably similar and resembled the placental and decidual changes seen in tissue obtained from patients undergoing spontaneous abortion. The pathologic findings described are thought to be secondary ones relating to the prostaglandin induced contractions.
Divergent appearance of complement receptors and fc receptors on t cells in a murine mammary tumor system.

Abstract The emergence of novel T cells during mammary tumorigenesis has been previously described. T cells with surface markers usually associated with B cells, i.e. complement receptors (CR), appear in the spleens from tumor bearing mice. We now report on the appearance of Fc receptor (FcR) positive T cells in the spleens from the same animals. The kinetics of appearance of the two kinds of cells are similar. Based on evidence from double and triple label assays, it was concluded that FcR and CR are not coexpressed on the same T cell and that the two kinds of T cells which emerge do so in an independent fashion. Furthermore, they appear to represent a branch in the differentiation process influenced by tumor growth. The development of CR+ T cells represents an irreversible process as evidenced by the lack of change in the cells' representation following surgical procedures. In contrast the development of FcR+ T cells appears to be quite flexible in nature since mere surgical trauma as well as tumor mass removal can effect a decrease in the proportion of such cells.
`I am not a woman writer' About women, literature and feminist theory today

This essay first tries to answer two questions: Why did the question of the woman writer disappear from the feminist theoretical agenda around 1990? Why do we need to reconsider it now? I then begin to develop a new analysis of the question of the woman writer by turning to the statement `I am not a woman writer'. By treating it as a speech act and analysing it in the light of Simone de Beauvoir's understanding of sexism, I show that it is a response to a particular kind of provocation, namely an attempt to force the woman writer to conform to some norm for femininity. I also show that Beauvoir's theory illuminates Virginia Woolf's strategies in A Room of One's Own before, finally, asking why we still should want women to write.
Electrohydrodynamic interaction of spherical particles under Quincke rotation.

Weakly conducting dielectric particles suspended in a dielectric liquid of higher conductivity can undergo a transition to spontaneous sustained rotation when placed in a sufficiently strong dc electric field. This phenomenon of Quincke rotation has interesting implications for the rheology of these suspensions, whose effective viscosity can be controlled and reduced by application of an external field. While previous models based on the rotation of isolated particles have provided accurate estimates for this viscosity reduction in dilute suspensions, discrepancies have been reported in more concentrated systems where particle-particle interactions are likely significant. Motivated by this observation, we extend the classic description of Quincke rotation based on the Taylor-Melcher leaky dielectric model to account for pair electrohydrodynamic interactions between two identical spheres using the method of reflections. A coupled system of evolution equations for the dipole moments and angular velocities of the spheres is derived that accounts for electric dipole-dipole interactions and hydrodynamic rotlet interactions up to order $O({R}^{\ensuremath{-}5})$, where $R$ is the separation distance between the spheres. A linear stability analysis of this system shows that interactions modify the value of the critical electric field for the onset of Quincke rotation: both electric and hydrodynamic interactions can either stabilize or destabilize the system depending on the orientation of the spheres, but the leading effect of interactions on the onset of rotation is hydrodynamic. We also analyze the dynamics in the nonlinear regime by performing numerical simulations of the governing equations. In the case of a pair of spheres that are fixed in space, we find that particle rotations always synchronize in magnitude at long times, though the directions of rotation of the spheres need not be the same. The steady-state angular velocity magnitude depends on the configuration of the spheres and electric field strength and agrees very well with an asymptotic estimate derived for corotating spheres. In the case of freely-suspended spheres, dipolar interactions are observed to lead to a number of distinct behaviors depending on the initial relative configuration of the spheres and on any infinitesimal initial perturbation introduced in the system: in some cases the spheres slowly separate in space while steadily rotating, while in other cases they pair up and either corotate or counterrotate depending on their orientation relative to the field.
Nonrhabdomyosarcoma in children: prognostic factors influencing survival.

In approximately 90% of children with nonrhabdo soft tissue sarcoma (NRSTS) local control can be obtained by either surgery alone or with supplemental radiation. The disease-free survival is, however, only about 50%. To determine factors influencing overall survival, we undertook a retrospective review of the 154 children with NRSTS. We used the American Joint Committee on Cancer staging system (1988), using invasiveness, size, and a Pediatric Oncology Group grading system. Using this system we documented that 72 (46%) were noninvasive (T1) lesions. Of these 72 patients 50 (70%) were ≤ 5 cm A, and only 9 (18%) had G3 lesions. Overall 7/72 (10%) have died. In contrast to the 82 patients with invasive (T2) lesions, 65 (79%) were > 5 cm (B), with approximately 80% G3. Of all T2 lesions, 56/82 were G3 (65%). Here, overall 58/82 (70%) have died, primarily because 49/58 had G3 lesions. Important prognostic factors include primarily G3 lesion 52/71 (73%) mortality, as compared to 13/83 (15%), G1-2 dying. Children with invasive lesions tended to have larger tumors, 50/65, most of which were higher grades. We feel that patients with histologic grade G3 and T2 lesions should be enrolled in effective chemotherapy protocols.
Spectroscopic techniques based on Lamb's laser theory

Abstract The physical approach used by Lamb to treat the laser can also treat the absorption of a probe wave by a medium subjected to a saturating wave. This general spectroscopic approach, known as saturation spectroscopy, originated in “Lamb-dip” spectroscopy. This paper discusses saturation spectroscopy, revealing how the Lamb dip and other features of Lamb's laser theory can be used to study relaxation processes in matter.
Characterization of rabbit antisera elicited with human LMP2‐ and LMP7‐specific peptides and recombinant proteins

Anti-human LMP2 and anti-human LMP7 sera with a titer of at least 1:10,000 were developed by immunizing rabbits with LMP2- and LMP7-specific peptides corresponding to C-terminal regions of each subunit or with TrxLMP2 and TrxLMP7 recombinant proteins. IgG antibodies elicited by immunization with LMP-specific peptides or recombinant proteins displayed reactivity with their respective immunogens in ELISA. Furthermore, antibodies elicited with both types of immunogens recognize native and recombinant LMP2 and LMP7 subunits in Western blotting and are able to immunoprecipitate LMP2 and LMP7 as components of the 20S proteasome from lymphoid cell lysates. In ELISA, a subpopulation of the antibodies generated with LMP peptides and recombinant proteins corresponding to one LMP subunit is cross-reactive with the other one. This antibody subpopulation was not detectable in the affinity-purified antibody populations isolated by passing antisera over the corresponding immunogen. Neither anti-LMP2 nor anti-LMP7 sera displayed cross-reactivity with the homologous proteasome subunits Delta and MB1. In immunohistochemical reactions affinity-purified anti-LMP2 and anti-LMP7 antibodies stained cells in both frozen and formalin-fixed tissue sections of normal skin. These results indicate that the anti-LMP2 and anti-LMP7 sera elicited with peptides and recombinant proteins are both useful reagents for biochemical characterization of LMP2 and LMP7 and to analyze their expression in normal and transformed cells.
Ketorolac prophylaxis against heterotopic ossification after hip replacement.

Three hundred three patients undergoing total hip replacement were enrolled in a prospective, randomized, double-blind clinical study of heterotopic bone formation. All the procedures were primary arthroplasties done for osteoarthritis using an anterolateral approach. Patients with spondyloarthropathy, previous surgery, or previous head or pelvic trauma were excluded. A total of 152 patients received 60 mg of ketorolac intraoperatively and 30 mg every 8 hours for 5 doses postoperatively ; another 151 patients received no prophylaxis for heterotopic bone formation. Patients in each group had similar postoperative courses. No complications related to ketorolac use were seen. There was significantly less heterotopic bone formation in the ketorolac-treated group. Severe heterotopic bone formation did not develop in any treated patient, as compared with 11 untreated patients. It is concluded that ketorolac is useful as prophylaxis to prevent heterotopic bone formation. Treatment with ketorolac is completed during hospitalization ; therefore, compliance is ensured. This treatment is convenient, but not necessarily more effective than other treatments.
Dermatoglyphics in Congenital Heart Disease

Dermatoglyphics form in utero during early gestation and may be influenced by genetic or environmental factors operating at that time. Since cardiac embryogenesis also occurs during early gestation, an analysis of dermatoglyphics in congenital heart disease (CHD) might reveal some types which are associated with aberrant dermatoglyphics. Ten dermatoglyphic traits were analyzed in 225 individuals with CHD proved, in most instances, by extensive radiologic studies and at surgery. These traits were compared with dermatoglyphics in 200 normal control subjects. The analysis revealed that the atd angle was significantly increased in CHD. Except for endocardial fibroelastosis and atrioventricular canal, all subtypes of CHD had a wider atd angle than controls. In ventricular septal defect, patent ductus arteriosus, tetralogy of Fallot, and multiple cardiac defects, the increase was statistically significant. The present study confirms previous reports that the atd angle may be increased in CHD.
IgA paraprotein inhibition of human neutrophil chemotaxis. Reduced activity following treatment with IgA-specific protease from Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

Removal of the Fc region of human IgA M components by treatment with IgA-specific protease fromNeisseria gonorrhoeae reduces the neutrophil chemotactic inhibitory activity associated with IgA M components. This observation, along with the failure of an IgA halfmer paraprotein to inhibit neutrophil chemotaxis, emphasizes the importance of the IgA Fc region in the inhibition of neutrophil chemotaxis by IgA M components.
Caveat Patiens - Ethical Dilemmas in Decision -making

More than 99,358 men, women and children are on organ transplant lists in the United States. Pressure on family members to donate organs can therefore be intense. The medical excuse was created to address this potential coercion. It is a fabricated anatomical or physiological reason given to a donor (with or without the donor’s request) that provides an immediate shield against coercive pressure by family and friends on the potential donor. While the long-term risks and benefits of the medical excuse have not been studied, they could arguably include: 1) Reinforced perception that donation is expected; hence, declining donation is aberrant, and requires legitimization by external authority; 2) Eroded family trust of transplant physicians; 3) Eroded family trust in the individual reporting a “true” medical excuse; 4) Falsification of potential donor’s medical record; 5) Development of “toxic secrets” in the family unit; 6) Paternalism; and 7) General erosion of trust in both health care providers and the healthcare system. This author proposes a system of transparent and balanced communication where both the potential donor and the transplant team are clearly cognizant of the voluntary nature of the purported donation and where provisions for “opting-out” occur at any point along the pre-transplantation continuum.
Fluostatins produced by the heterologous expression of a TAR reassembled environmental DNA derived Type II PKS gene cluster

Culture independent approaches for accessing small molecules produced by uncultured bacteria are often hampered by the inability to easily clone environmental DNA (eDNA) fragments large enough to capture intact biosynthetic gene clusters that can be used in heterologous expression studies. Here we show that homology screening of eDNA megalibraries for clones containing natural product biosynthetic genes, coupled with transformation-assisted recombination (TAR) in yeast, can be used to access large, functionally intact, natural product gene clusters from the environment. The eDNA derived gene cluster reported here was functionally reconstructed from two overlapping cosmid clones using TAR. The isolation and structure elucidation of three new fluostatins (F, G, and H) produced by this TAR reconstructed gene cluster is described.
Pilot study to assess patient outcomes following endoscopic application of photodynamic therapy for advanced cholangiocarcinoma.

Background: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has demonstrated promise in the palliative treatment of advanced cholangiocarcinoma. The aim of this pilot study was to assess the outcome in patients with non-resectable cholangiocarcinoma following endoscopic application of PDT directly into the biliary tract. Methods: In patients with advanced cholangiocarcinoma, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) was performed to define the proximal and distal extent of intraductal tumor. Sodium porfimer was administered intravenously to all patients. Forty-eight hours later, a commercially available cylindrical diffusing laser fiber (1–2.5 cm in length, OptiGuide) designed for esophageal use was advanced across the biliary strictures. Laser light was applied at a power of 400 mW/cm fiber for a total energy of 180 J/cm2 using an argon-pumped tunable dye laser. Patients received endoscopic PDT every 3 months provided they maintained a favorable performance status. Plastic biliary stents were replaced immediately following light application and were maintained in all patients. Results: Using a preloaded catheter, adequate positioning of the laser fiber was achieved in all patients. Eight patients with advanced cholangiocarcinoma received a total of 19 PDT treatments, range 1–5 treatments/patient. All eight patients were followed until death; mean follow-up was 9.8 months. Median survival from the date of the first PDT treatment was 276 days, which compares favorably with published series that have reported median survival times between 45 and 127 days for patients with bismuth type III and IV tumors treated with stenting alone. Conclusions: Endoscopic application of PDT demonstrates promise in prolonging survival in patients with advanced cholangiocarcinoma. Additional randomized clinical trials using commercially available fibers are needed to fully evaluate both the optimum frequency and treatment interval of endoscopic PDT in the management of advanced cholangiocarcinoma.
Modeling of spherical fluorescent glucose microsensor systems : Design of enzymatic smart tattoos

A two-substrate mathematical model of microspherical optical enzymatic glucose sensors is presented. The sensors are based on the well-known oxidation of glucose by glucose oxidase, and are constructed by the encapsulation of glucose oxidase within hydrogel microspheres coated with ultrathin polyelectrolyte multilayer films. In order to measure glucose via changes in oxygen concentration, a fluorescent oxygen indicator is co-encapsulated with the enzyme. The model was used to predict the temporal and spatial distributions of glucose and oxygen within the sphere for step increases in bulk glucose concentration. In addition, the model was used to observe the effect of varying sensor parameters, namely sphere size, film thickness, enzyme concentration, and mass transport of substrate and co-substrate within the sphere and film coatings, on the response of the sensors. A major finding was that the application of {PSS/PAH} films as thin as 12 nm can drastically improve the sensor performance over uncoated sensors based on calcium alginate microspheres. The model is proposed as an important tool for a priori design of these complex sensor structures.
The use of collaboration to implement evidence-based safe practices.

The Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority receives over 235,000 reports of medical error per year. Near miss and serious event reports of common and interesting problems are analysed to identify best practices for preventing harmful errors. Dissemination of this evidence-based information in the peer-reviewed Pennsylvania Patient Safety Advisory and presentations to medical staffs are not sufficient for adoption of best practices. Adoption of best practices has required working with institutions to identify local barriers to and incentives for adopting best practices and redesigning the delivery system to make desired behaviour easy and undesirable behaviour more difficult. Collaborations, where institutions can learn from the experiences of others, have show decreases in harmful events. The Pennsylvania Program to Prevent Wrong-Site Surgery is used as an example. Two collaborations to prevent wrong-site surgery have been completed, one with 30 institutions in eastern Pennsylvania and one with 19 in western Pennsylvania. The first collaboration achieved a 73% decrease in the rolling average of wrong-site events over 18 months. The second collaboration experienced no wrong-site operating room procedures over more than one year.
Hematocrit and hemoglobin are independently related to insulin resistance and compensatory hyperinsulinemia in healthy, non-obese men and women

In this study, we evaluated the relationship between resistance to insulin-mediated glucose disposal and hematocrit (Hct) and hemoglobin (Hgb) concentrations in 150 normal, healthy volunteers: 100 men and 50 women. Insulin resistance was defined as the steady-state plasma glucose (SSPG) concentration at the end of a 180-minute infusion of somatostatin, insulin, and glucose. Since the steady-state plasma insulin (SSPI) concentrations are similar in all individuals, the SSPG concentrations provide a direct measure of insulin resistance: the higher the SSPG, the more insulin-resistant the subject. The results indicated that SSPG was significantly (P < .001) related to Hct and Hgb in both men and women, with correlation coefficients (r) ranging from 0.38 to 0.43. A series of other variables were also related to Hct and Hgb, including blood pressure, plasma glucose and insulin responses to oral glucose, and plasma triglyceride and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) concentrations. When multiple regression analysis was used to evaluate these relationships, the only variables that were consistently found to be associated with Hct and Hgb were insulin resistance and plasma insulin response to oral glucose. Thus, these results suggest that Hct and Hgb concentrations be added to the cluster of variables related to insulin resistance and compensatory hyperinsulinemia.
Towards a theory of cache-efficient algorithms

We present a model that enables us to analyze the running time of an algorithm on a computer with a memory hierarchy with limited associativity, in terms of various cache parameters. Our cache model, an extension of Aggarwal and Vitter's I/O model, enables us to establish useful relationships between the cache complexity and the I/O complexity of computations. As a corollary, we obtain cache-efficient algorithms in the single-level cache model for fundamental problems like sorting, FFT, and an important subclass of permutations. We also analyze the average-case cache behavior of mergesort, show that ignoring associativity concerns could lead to inferior performance, and present supporting experimental evidence. We further extend our model to multiple levels of cache with limited associativity and present optimal algorithms for matrix transpose and sorting. Our techniques may be used for systematic Some of the results in this article appeared in preliminary form in S EN, S., AND CHATTERJEE ,S. 2000. Towards a theory of cache-efficient algorithms. In Proceedings of the Symposium on Discrete Algorithms. ACM, New York.
A Single-stranded DNA-binding Protein Is Needed for Efficient Presynaptic Complex Formation by the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Rad51 Protein

Protein-promoted DNA strand exchange requires formation of an active presynaptic complex between the DNA-pairing protein and single-stranded DNA (ssDNA). Formation of such a contiguous filament is stimulated by a ssDNA-binding protein. Here, the effects of replication protein A (RPA) on presynaptic complex formation and DNA strand exchange activities of Rad51 protein were examined. Presynaptic complex formation was assessed by measuring ATP hydrolysis. With ϕX174 ssDNA, the ATPase activity of Rad51 protein is stimulated ∼1.4-fold by RPA, provided that Rad51 protein is in excess of the ssDNA concentration; otherwise, RPA inhibits ATPase activity. In contrast, with ssDNA devoid of secondary structure (poly(dT), poly(dA), poly(dI), and etheno-M13 DNA), RPA does not stimulate the already elevated ATPase activity of Rad51 protein, but inhibits activity at low Rad51 protein concentrations. These results suggest that Rad51 protein and RPA exclude one another from ssDNA by competing for the same binding sites and that RPA exerts its effect on presynaptic complex formation by eliminating secondary structure to which Rad51 protein is bound nonproductively. DNA strand exchange catalyzed by Rad51 protein is also greatly stimulated by RPA. The optimal stoichiometry for stimulation is ∼20-30 nucleotides of ssDNA/RPA heterotrimer. The ssDNA-binding protein of Escherichia coli can substitute for RPA, showing that the role of RPA is not specific. We conclude that RPA affects both presynaptic complex formation and DNA strand exchange via changes in DNA structure, employing the same mechanism used by the ssDNA-binding protein to effect change in E. coli RecA protein activity.
A conformal mesh for efficient planar electromagnetic analysis

A planar electromagnetic analysis can provide faster analysis by using larger subsections at the cost of reduced accuracy. However, even if both rectangular and triangular subsections are used, large subsections are not practical for complicated curving planar circuits. This paper describes a method for joining small subsections so that the large subsections so formed can follow the arbitrarily curving edges of a complicated circuit while still inherently including the high edge current. Using such conformal subsections, non-Manhattan geometries can be analyzed efficiently and accurately. This is especially important for continuously curving geometries (like circular spiral inductors), which cannot be efficiently meshed using rectangular and triangular subsections. These conformal subsections retain nearly all the accuracy of small subsection size while also realizing the speed of large subsections, even for complicated geometries.
K channel subconductance levels result from heteromeric pore conformations.

Voltage-gated K channels assemble from four identical subunits symmetrically arranged around a central permeation pathway. Each subunit harbors a voltage-sensing domain. The sigmoidal nature of the activation kinetics suggests that multiple sensors need to undergo a conformational change before the channel can open. Following activation, individual K channels alternate stochastically between two main permeation states, open and closed. This binary character of single channel behavior suggests the presence of a structure in the permeation pathway that can exist in only two conformations. However, single channel analysis of drk1 (Kv2.1) K channels demonstrated the existence of four additional, intermediate conductance levels. These short-lived subconductance levels are visited when the channel gate moves between the closed and fully open state. We have proposed that these sublevels arise from transient heteromeric pore conformations, in which some, but not all, subunits are in the “open” state. A minimal model based on this hypothesis relates specific subconductance states with the number of activated subunits (Chapman et al., 1997). To stringently test this hypothesis, we constructed a tandem dimer that links two K channel subunits with different activation thresholds. Activation of this dimer by strong depolarizations resulted in the characteristic binary open–close behavior. However, depolarizations to membrane potentials in between the activation thresholds of the two parents elicited highly unusual single channel gating, displaying frequent visits to two subconductance levels. The voltage dependence and kinetics of the small and large sublevels associate them with the activation of one and two subunits, respectively. The data therefore support the hypothesis that subconductance levels result from heteromeric pore conformations. In this model, both sensor movement and channel opening have a subunit basis and these processes are allosterically coupled.
Short note: Behavioral genetic research: achievements and concerns

Behavioral genetic research is advancing rapidly. This can result in the improvement in diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric disorders. However, humankind may not be able to use reasonably the results of research into the genetic basis of behavior, and genetic discoveries may lead to the violation of human rights. The author calls for international cooperation in order to make sure that the results of genetic research will be used for the sake of people.
Abundance of TRPC6 protein in glomerular mesangial cells is decreased by ROS and PKC in diabetes

The present study was performed to investigate the underlying mechanism, particularly the roles of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and protein kinase C (PKC), in the diabetes-induced canonical transient receptor potential 6 (TRPC6) downregulation. We found that high glucose (HG) significantly reduced TRPC6 protein expression in cultured mesangial cells (MCs). TRPC6 protein was also significantly reduced in the glomeruli but not in the heart or aorta isolated from streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. In the cultured MCs, H(2)O(2) suppressed TRPC6 protein expression in a dose- and time-dependent manner, which emulated the HG effect. Catalase as well as superoxide dismutase were able to prevent the inhibitory effect of HG on TRPC6. The antioxidant effect observed in cultured cells was also observed in diabetic rats treated with tempol for 2 wk, which exhibited a preservation of TRPC6 in the glomeruli. Specific knockdown of Nox4, a component of NADPH oxidase, increased TRPC6 protein expression. Furthermore, the PKC activator phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), but not its analog 4α-phorbol 12, 13-didecanoate (4α-PDD), suppressed TRPC6 expression, and this PMA effect was not affected by catalase. Moreover, Go6976, but not LY333531, attenuated the negative effect of HG on TRPC6 expression. Go6976 also inhibited H(2)O(2) effect on TRPC6. Furthermore, either knockdown of TRPC6 or HG treatment significantly decreased ANG II-stimulated MC contraction, and the HG-impaired MC contraction was rescued by overexpression of TRPC6. These results suggest that hyperglycemia in diabetes downregulated TRPC6 protein expression in MCs through a NADPH oxidase Nox4-ROS-PKC pathway, proving a mechanism for impaired MC contraction in diabetes.
Coding versus feedback: Hybrid ARQ protocols for the packet erasure channel

This paper introduces hybrid ARQ protocols for the packet erasure channel - protocols that enable tradeoffs between complexity of encoding/decoding redundant packets and the amount of feedback needed for re-transmission requests. These protocols use adaptations of Tornado codes for erasure-correction on the forward link, and rate-distortion codes on the reverse link for feeding back the status of received packets. The resulting complexity-feedback tradeoffs are shown to be substantially better (in regimes of practical interest) than a naive protocol that simply time-shares between coding-only and feedback-only approaches.
The isotope dilution procedure of analysis. I. Historical and literature survey.

The isotope dilution procedure of analysis, a relatively new technique, offers intriguing possibilities and is of sufficient importance to warrant special attention at this time. The history of the procedure and a survey of the literature are presented.
Fevers, weight loss, and bilateral peripheral infiltrates in a young man.

(CHEST 1999; 115:1181‐1183) A 28-year-old man with a remote history of snorting cocaine presented with a 3-month history of fevers, nightsweats, weight loss, and cough. Similar symptoms had occurred 1.5 years earlier. At that time, the appearance of the chest radiograph (Fig 1), borderline peripheral eosinophilia (total eosinophil count of 300/mm 3 ), and negative sputum and blood cultures prompted the diagnosis of chronic eosinophilic pneumonia (CEP). The symptoms and lung opacities markedly improved within 2 weeks of initiating prednisone treatment at 60 mg qd. Three months later, the patient stopped taking steroids and was lost to follow-up. He denied using illicit drugs between presentations. Physical Examination The patient’s temperature was 36.8°C, pulse was 84 beats/min, BP was 148/94, and respirations were 28 breaths/min. The patient was well-appearing and had a nonproductive cough. There were raised violaceous lesions on his left shoulder and forehead. The chest was clear, the heart had an increased P2 component, and there was a 1.5 3 1.5-cm right submandibular lymph node.
Steady state phenol degradation in a draft-tube, gas-liquid-solid fluidized-bed bioreactor

Experiments on phenol biodegradation by a mixed culture in a draft-tube, three-phase fluidized-bed biofilm reactor (DTFBR) at the steady state were performed. The characteristics of biofilms developed in the DTFBR were identified. A steady state biofilm model was proposed that considers the simultaneous diffusion and reaction of oxygen and phenol within the biofilm and the external mass transfer resistance between the biofilm and the completely mixed bulk liquid phase. The proposed model assumes a double-substrate limiting mechanism for microbial growth kinetics, and Haldane and Monod type expressions were used to characterize the dependence of microbial specific growth rate on phenol and oxygen, respectively. The experimental results were used to test the validity of the proposed model.
Double-balanced 130–180 GHz passive and balanced 145–165 GHz active mixers in 45 nm CMOS

This paper presents wideband passive and active mixers in the 100–200 GHz range. The mixers are built using a 45nm CMOS SOI process with an ft of 220 GHz when referenced to the top metal layer. The passive double-balanced mixer results in a conversion loss of 12–13 dB from 130–180 GHz (including balun, transmission line and GSG pad losses) and achieves optimal performance with 3 dBm of LO power (referenced to the GSG LO pads). The active mixer achieves a conversion loss of 4.5 dB with a 3-dB bandwidth of 145–165 GHz, and consumes only 10 mW of DC power from a 1.5 V supply. The application areas are in wideband Gbps communications, imaging arrays with large IF bandwidths, and mm-wave spectrometers. To our knowledge, this work represents the first demonstration of high performance CMOS mixers in the 130–180 GHz frequency range.
VIEWPOINT: The myth of global strategy

Suggests that globalization is a myth and does not exist in terms of a single world market with free trade. States that instead business is triad‐based, with companies operating on a regional level rather than global. Concludes that due to government regulation of the service sectors, which limits free market movement, businesses need to think local and act regional and forget globalization.
The effects of L1 orthography on L2 word recognition: A study of American and Chinese learners of Japanese

This paper examines the effects of a first language (L1 ) orthographic system on second language (L2) word recognition strategies. Lexical judgment tests using Japanese kana (a syllabic script consisting of hiragana and katakana ) were given to native English and native Chinese learners of Japanese. The visual familiarity and length in test words were controlled to examine the involvement of phonological or visual coding in word recognition strategies. The responses of the English and Chinese subjects were compared on the basis of observed reaction time. The results indicated that (a) Chinese subjects relied more on the visual information in L2 Japanese kana words than did English subjects and (b) English subjects utilized the phonological information in Japanese kana words more than did Chinese subjects. Accordingly, these findings demonstrate that native speakers of English and Chinese utilize different word recognition strategies due to L1 orthographic characteristics, and such L1 word recognition strategies are transferred into L2 Japanese kana word recognition.
Customer contributions and roles in service delivery

Focuses on the roles of customers in creating quality and productivity in service experiences. Presents two conceptual frameworks to aid managerial understanding and focus research efforts on customer participation. The first framework captures levels of customer participation across different types of services. The second discusses three major roles of customers in the service delivery process. Two examples of the concepts are presented ‐ one in a weight loss context and the other in a mammography screening setting. Both are based on empirical research and illustrate specific applications of customers’ roles in creating the service experience.
Current research on learning in Soar

In this article we describe five projects in progress on learning in the Soar architecture: (1) problem-space creation, (2) learning of macro-operators, (3) data chunking, (4) generalization and analogy, and (5) abstraction planning. We also briefly review Soar itself and its learning mechanism chunking.
Clinical Significance of the Most Common Chromosome Translocations in Adult Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Acquired genetic alterations such as balanced and unbalanced chromosome aberrations and submicroscopic gene mutations and changes in gene expression strongly affect pretreatment features and prognosis of adults with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The most frequent chromosome/molecular rearrangements, that is, t(8;21)(q22;q22)/RUNX1-RUNX1T1 and inv(16)(p13q22)/t(16;16)(p13;q22)/CBFB-MYH11 characteristic of core-binding factor (CBF) AML and t(15;17)(q22;q12-21)/PML-RARA characteristic of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), confer favorable clinical outcome when patients receive optimal treatment, that is, regimens that include high-dose cytarabine for CBF AML and all-trans-retinoic acid and/or arsenic trioxide for APL. Recently, mutations in such genes as KIT in CBF AML and FLT3 in APL have been correlated with clinical features and/or outcome of patients with these AML subtypes, and microarray gene expression profiling has been successfully used for diagnostic purposes and to provide biologic insights. These data underscore the value of genetic testing for common translocations for diagnosis, prognostication, and, increasingly, selecting therapy in acute leukemia.
Aromatase and 5α-Reductase Inhibition during an Exogenous Testosterone Clamp Unveils Selective Sex Steroid Modulation of Somatostatin and Growth Hormone Secretagogue Actions in Healthy Older Men

Background: How endogenous testosterone (Te), 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT), and estradiol (E2) regulate pulsatile GH secretion is not understood. Hypothesis: Conversion of Te to androgenic (Te→DHT) or estrogenic (Te→E2) products directs GH secretion. Subjects and Location: Healthy older men (N = 42, ages 50–79 yr) participated at an academic medical center. Methods: We inhibited 5α-reduction with dutasteride and aromatization with anastrozole during a pharmacological Te clamp and infused somatostatin (SS), GHRH, GH-releasing peptide-2 (GHRP-2), and l-arginine/GHRH/GHRP-2 (triple stimulus) to modulate GH secretion. Endpoints: Deconvolution-estimated basal and pulsatile GH secretion was assessed. Results: Administration of Te/placebo elevated Te by 2.8-fold, DHT by 2.6-fold, and E2 concentrations by 1.9-fold above placebo/placebo. Te/dutasteride and Te/anastrozole reduced stimulated DHT and E2 by 89 and 86%, respectively. Stepwise forward-selection regression analysis revealed that 1) Te positively determines mean (P = 0.017) and peak (P < 0.001) GH concentrations, basal GH secretion (P = 0.015), and pulsatile GH secretion stimulated by GHRP-2 (P < 0.001); 2) Te and E2 jointly predict GH responses to the triple stimulus (positively for Te, P = 0.006, and negatively for E2, P = 0.031); and 3) DHT correlates positively with pulsatile GH secretion during SS infusion (P = 0.011). These effects persisted when abdominal visceral fat was included in the regression. Conclusion: The present outcomes suggest a tetrapartite model of GH regulation in men, in which systemic concentrations of Te, DHT, and E2 along with abdominal visceral fat determine the selective actions of GH secretagogues and SS.
Regular sets and rank order processors

Rank order processors (ROPs) can be specified in terms of regular sets and consequently studied as finite-state automata or sequential machines. A necessary and sufficient condition for a regular set to represent an ROP is given. Examples are given to illustrate the advantages of such a specification in terms of a primary focus on root signals and input-output relations. One result is a practical equivalent of the recursive median smoother that is easier to compute. Another is a demonstration that some ROPs, although not implementable as finite autoregressive algorithms involving only the input-output signal values, are implementable as finite state sequential machines, e.g. those with a modified stack filter structure. The demonstration is constructive and coincidentally shows how the idea of a nondeterministic automaton relates to the subject matter. >
Exciton reactions in ultrathin molecular wires, filaments and pores: A case study of kinetics and self-ordering in low dimensions

Abstract When are molecular wires thin enough to show one-dimensional exciton kinetics? Cylindrical naphthalene wires ( 5–5000 nm radius) show a definite one- to three-dimensional transition (about 25 nm for triplet excitons at 4 K; 40 nm at 77 K). Nuclear channel pore membranes (polycarbonate) serve as templates and calibrators. The triplet exciton migration (multiple hopping) length is 50–100 molecules. The closest neighbor distribution is used as an order criterion. Steady-state simulations of the reactions:A+A→0 and A+A→A in low-dimensional media give non-random reactant distributions, e.g. Wigner-like rather than Poissonian spacings in one dimension. Effectively, a dynamic, quasi-ordered superlattice of excitations is created (excitation grating with a 5 nm spacing). Experimental verification involves a new technique: excitation time modulation. Porous glass (Vycor) is shown to have an effective one-dimensional channel topology. Naphthalene powder and isotopic alloys also show nonrandom steady-state exciton distributions.
Bondgraph based approach to passive teleoperation of a hydraulic backhoe

Human operated, hydraulic actuated machines are widely used in many high-power applications. Improving productivity, safety and task quality (eg. force feedback to the operator in a teleoperated scenario) has been the focus of past research. In addressing these issues, our research proposes and experimentally demonstrates a control technique that renders a hydraulic machine (teleoperated backhoe in this case) as a two-port, co-ordinated, passive machine. The passive teleoperated backhoe is driven by a human operator at one-port and interacts with the environment at the other. It guarantees interaction stability and safety with the human / work environment as the latter are usually passive. In previous work, a passive teleoperation algorithm was proposed for multi degree of freedom teleoperation of a hydraulic backhoe approximated by its kinematic behavior. The approximation led to severe performance deterioration under certain operating conditions. In this paper, a bondgraph based passive teleoperation architecture is proposed for the non-linear dynamic modeled backhoe. Passive control is designed in two stages. In the first stage, bondgraph based system inversion ideas are used to determine a coordination control law. In the second stage, a desired locked system (desired dynamics of the coordinated teleoperator) is defined and an appropriate control law is determined to ensure the passivity property of the locked teleoperator. The proposed passive control law is experimentally verified for its bilateral energy transfer ability and performance enhancements.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Future test system architectures

Expanding number of test system architectural choices has caused confusion in the test engineering community. This paper will show the strengths and weaknesses of the existing test system architectures including rack and stack systems with GPIB instruments and modular systems like VXI and PXI. It will provide a glimpse into an emerging new architecture; LAN-based test systems. The paper will review key concerns such as costs, channel counts, footprints, !O speeds, ease-of-integration, and flexibility. The objective of the paper is to provide engineers insight into the most effective test systems for their future applications.
Through‐the‐thickness stress predictions for laminated plates of advanced composite materials

A finite element formulation is developed with emphasis primarily focused on providing stress predictions for thin to moderately thick plate (shell) type structures. Plate element behaviour is specified by prescribing independently the neutral surface displacements and rotations, thus relaxing the Kirchhoff hypothesis. Numerical efficiency is achieved due to the simplicity of the element formulation, i.e. the approach yields a displacement dependent multi-layer model. In-plane layer stresses are determined via the constitutive equations, while the transverse shear and short-transverse normal stresses are determined via the equilibrium equations. Accurate transverse stress variations are obtained by appropriately selecting the displacement field for the element. A selective reduced integration technique is utilized in computing element stiffness matrices. Static and spectral (eigenvalue) tests are performed to demonstrate the element modelling capability.
Atomic layer deposition: A versatile technique for plasmonics and nanobiotechnology

While atomic layer deposition (ALD) has been used for many years as an industrial manufacturing method for microprocessors and displays, this versatile technique is finding increased use in the emerging fields of plasmonics and nanobiotechnology. In particular, ALD coatings can modify metallic surfaces to tune their optical and plasmonic properties, to protect them against unwanted oxidation and contamination, or to create biocompatible surfaces. Furthermore, ALD is unique among thin-film deposition techniques in its ability to meet the processing demands for engineering nanoplasmonic devices, offering conformal deposition of dense and ultra-thin films on high-aspect-ratio nanostructures at temperatures below 100 °C. In this review, we present key features of ALD and describe how it could benefit future applications in plasmonics, nanosciences, and biotechnology.
Speculative search: An efficient search algorithm for limited memory

The authors present a novel algorithm, speculative branch and bound, for performing heuristic search in restricted memory. Speculative branch-and-bound combines elements of best-first and depth-first searches. The authors describe the search and a variant, SIDA* that is analogous to A*. They show how they are related to such searches as IDA* and MA* show how to add pruning to SIDA* and give performance results. SIDA* is superior to IDA* and competitive with MA* in the number of nodes it expands, and its overhead lies between theirs. >
Myocardial Fibrosis in Transforming Growth Factor β1Heterozygous Mice

Aging is associated with an increase in myocardial extracellular matrix components and contractile dysfunction. Transforming growth factor- beta(1)(TGF- beta(1)) has been shown to regulate expression of collagen genes and extracellular matrix component synthesis in the heart, and may contribute to the increase in myocardial fibrosis with aging. Therefore, we examined whether TGF- beta(1)heterozygous mutant mice would exhibit less age-associated myocardial fibrosis than normal mice. Twelve heterozygous TGF- beta(1)(+/-) deficient mice and 26 wild-type controls were examined to determine if there was a difference in development of myocardial fibrosis or mortality at 24 months of age due to the loss of one TGF- beta(1)allele. Animals which survived to 24 months of age were killed, and morphometric and functional studies were performed in isolated perfused hearts and in hearts from 6 month old control mice. Pressure-volume relations of the LV were assessed in the isovolumic (balloon in LV) Langendorff preparation. Eleven of 12 (92%) TGF- beta(1)deficient mice survived to 24 months of age in comparison to 66% (12/18) age-matched controls (P<0.05). Hearts from the 24 month old TGF- beta(1)deficient mice exhibited a decrease in myocardial fibrosis (4+/-1 v. 10+/-1% average LV fibrosis in TGF- beta(1)(+/-) and age-matched controls, respectively (P<0.05) and greater compliance (i.e.,lower LV end-diastolic pressure at a given balloon volume), decreased myocardial stiffness, and shorter contractile duration in comparison to 24-month-old wild-type controls. This suggests that modulation of collagen production and/or degradation by TGF- beta(1)may contribute to changes in myocardial structure and function with age. Thus, loss of one TGF- beta(1)allele appears to ameliorate age associated myocardial fibrosis and improve LV compliance, which may contribute to increased survival over the life span of these mice.
Characterization of the Orobanche-Arabidopsis system for studying parasite-host interactions.

Abstract Parasitization by Orobanche is a complex process, one that is mediated by host-derived chemical signals that control parasite seed germination and haustorium initiation and one that ultimately results in the union of two plant species. Experiments were conducted to characterize Orobanche parasitization of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana and to begin to explore the role of host flavonoid metabolism in the interaction. Arabidopsis thaliana stimulated seed germination and allowed tubercle development of O. aegyptiaca and O. ramosa but did not significantly stimulate seeds of O. crenata, O. minor, or O. cernua. However, if Orobanche seeds were artificially stimulated, O. crenata and O. minor successfully established tubercles on A. thaliana. When compared to the recognized crop hosts, Daucus carota and Nicotiana tabacum, A. thaliana stimulated less O. aegyptiaca germination but allowed for formation of equivalent numbers of tubercles. These findings indicate that A. thaliana is not a large-scale...