cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Aortic Graft Infections and Aortoenteric Erosions/Fistulae Diagnosis and Management

Aortic graft infections and graft enteric complications are among the most challenging problems faced by vascular surgeons. Prompt, accurate diagnosis and definitive treatment are essential if major morbidity and mortality are to be avoided. In this paper, the clinical presentation, diagnostic evaluation, and contemporary surgical management of aortic graft infections and graft enteric complications are reviewed. Traditional management techniques (extraanatomic bypass with complete graft removal) are described in detail. Newer and more controversial techniques (management of infected aortofemoral graft limb without graft removal and in situ replacement of infected aortic grafts) are discussed and their results compared with those of traditional treatment.
Cd13/aminopeptidase N and murine cytomegalovirus infection

CD13/aminopeptidase N is a membrane-bound metalloproteinase implicated in human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection and pathogenesis. Anti-CD13 antibodies can neutralize HCMV infectivity, and HCMV viremia after bone marrow transplantation induces anti-CD13 autoantibodies which correlate with development of chronic graft vs. host disease. We examined whether murine CD13/APN was similarly implicated in murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) disease. MCMV infection did induce anti-CD13 antibodies in mice in a strain-specific manner. ICR and 129S mice developed high titers of anti-CD13 antibodies and anti-MCMV antibodies after MCMV infection, whereas CBA and CBAxC57BL/6 f1 hybrid mice produced antibodies against MCMV only. Unlike HCMV, no evidence was found for a correlation between host cell CD13/APN expression and infection, or for the presence of CD13/APN on MCMV particles, although APN inhibitors decreased MCMV plaque formation. Reproduction of CD13/APN autoantibody production in the murine system should make it possible to determine if these antibodies contribute to CMV pathogenesis.
Fitting into Food Webs: Behavioral and Functional Response of Young Lake Trout (Salvelinus namaycush) to an Introduced Prey, the Spiny Cladoceran (Bythotrephes cederstroemi)

Functional response experiments with alternative prey demonstrate how an exotic zooplankter co-exists with salmonid fish in Lake Superior. Young lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) response to Daphnia, a typical prey genus, and to Bythotrephes, a spined invertebrate predator that invaded North America in the mid-1980s, is examined in a variety of laboratory experiments that span various prey densities, frequencies, experience, and consumer size. Bythotrephes’ caudal spine protects the animal from small fish predation. At intermediate densities, the spiny cladoceran also disrupts foraging behavior of young-of-year fish. Lake trout response to Bythotrephes is dependent on the length of the spine and fish size. The degree to which lake trout are able to discriminate between prey and resume their prior attack rate on Daphnia depends on the absolute density of Daphnia and the frequency with which fish encounter Bythotrephes. For both experienced and naive fish, aversive behavior to Bythotrephes occurs after a certain threshold of encounters. Under conditions of high encounter rates, once aversive behavior is established in YOY fish, foraging efficiency on Daphnia improves because Bythotrephes is recognized and ignored. The density-dependent behavioral and functional responses resemble classical predator reactions to unpalatable prey.
Part-time entrepreneurship and financial constraints: evidence from the Panel Study of Entrepreneurial Dynamics

To date, entrepreneurship literature overlooks part-time entrepreneurs, i.e., those who devote time to entrepreneurial ventures and wage employment at the same time. In contrast, recent evidence from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, a large cross-national study on the level of entrepreneurial activity, establishes that 80% of nascent entrepreneurs also hold regular wage jobs. This paper offers a model of entrepreneurial entry under financial constraints where individuals choose between wage employment, part-time, and full-time entrepreneurship. Those who become nascent entrepreneurs must further decide how much capital to invest and what proportion of time to spend in business. I test this model using data from the Panel Study of Entrepreneurial Dynamics, which covers start-ups and nascent entrepreneurs. My findings show that part-time entrepreneurs are not affected by financial constraints. The analysis suggests that industry barriers, risk aversion, and learning by doing might be other factors worth investigating.
Theta-Role Assignment, Passivization, and Excorporation

The purpose of this paper is to clarify the syntactic nature of the passive verb of theni direct passive in Japanese. K. Hasegawa (1964), Kuroda (1965), among others, propose that the passive verb of this type assigns an external ϕ-role and does not trigger NP movement. Contrary to this proposal, N. A. McCawley (1972), Kuno (1973), among others, argue that it does trigger NP movement and does not have an external ϕ-role to assign. Showing evidence for both proposals, I argued in Hoshi (1991) that the passive verb of theni direct passive not only assigns an external ϕ-role but also triggers NP movement. In addition, I sketched a way to reconcile these two syntactic operations.
A method for measuring collection expansion rates and shelf space capacities

Abstract Many library buildings are nearing their space capacities. In order to make the most efficient use of existing stacks space, librarians must carefully measure the rates of collection expansion and the amounts of available shelf space. This article describes an effort to quantify annual collection expansion and shelf space capacities using a microcomputer-based spreadsheet program.
Isolation and Characterization of an Actin‐like Protein from Membranes of Human Red Cells

The existence of an actin-like protein in human red-cell membranes has been confirmed. The protein was extracted from acetone-treated ghosts and purified by (NH4)2SO4 fractionation. The protein undergoes G-F transformation and forms filaments in the presence of 0.1 M KCl. The filaments can be "decorated" by muscle heavy meromyosin. The protein has the same molecular weight as muscle actin and interacts with muscle myosin. All these properties show that the protein closely resembles muscle actin.
The effect of retrieval cues on visual preferences and memory in infancy: evidence for a four-phase attention function.

Bahrick and Pickens (1995) proposed a four-phase model of infant attention, suggesting that recent memories are expressed as a visual preference for novelty, intermediate memories as a null preference, and remote memories as a preference for familiarity. The present study tested a hypothesis generated from this model that a retrieval cue would increase memory accessibility and shift visual preferences toward greater novelty to resemble more recent memories. Results confirmed our predictions. After retention intervals associated with remote memory, previously observed familiarity preferences shifted to null preferences, whereas after a retention interval associated with intermediate memory, the previously observed null preference shifted to a novelty preference. Further, a second experiment found that increasing the exposure to the retrieval cue could shift the familiarity preference to a novelty preference. These findings support the four-phase model of infant attention and suggest that novelty, null, and familiarity preferences lie along a continuum and shift as a function of memory accessibility.
Negative feedback regulation of the content of proenkephalin mRNA in chromaffin cell cultures

The content of proenkephalin messenger RNA (PEmRNA) in cultured bovine adrenal chromaffin cells was reduced in the presence of reserpine (1 nM to 0.1 microM) with a return to basal levels 3 days after removal of the drug. In these cells, the basal release of Met5-enkephalin-Arg6-Phe7 immunoreactivity (MERF-IR) into the medium was significantly decreased when the cultures were pretreated with 0.2 microM reserpine for 3 days. The addition of 0.1 microM etorphine for 3 days also decreased the basal release of MERF-IR without depleting stores of catecholamines. Neither drug modified the total (cells + medium) amount of MERF-IR. In contrast, reserpine was without effect on levels of PEmRNA or release of Met5-enkephalin immunoreactivity (ME-IR) in primary cultures of the striatum of the fetal rat. The present data establish a correlation between inhibition of the secretion of enkephalin and reduced accumulation of its specific mRNA, suggesting a negative feedback inhibition by low molecular weight enkephalins.
Food deprivation effects on some estrogen-sensitive responses in female rats.

Abstract Thirty-six female rats were placed on food deprivation schedules to reduce them to 4 groups having 100, 90, 80, or 75% of prestarvation body weights. Vaginal smears were made to establish estrus cycling for 12 days before and 12 days during starvation. Lordosis responses to cervical probing were recorded for 4 days before starvation, 4 days during starvation and also 1 day during starvation after priming with estrogen. Though starvation did not significantly affect estrus cycling, it did significantly decrease the lordosis response; the difference was eliminated by estrogen injection. Deprivation also significantly decreased blood plasma refractive index and ovarian weight, but did not affect blood hematocrit or adrenal weight. It was suggested that food deprivation affects the lordosis response by reduction of estrogen levels.
Progesterone-Induced Delay of the Onset of Lay in the Prepubertal Pullet

Abstract Thirty-six 119-day-old White Leghorn pullets were administered either a 2 cm progesterone (P4) implant or an empty (control) implant. Plasma samples drawn at 7, 14, and 42 days postimplant were assayed for P4 and luteinizing hormone (LH), and the day of first egg production and total egg production to 200 days of age was recorded. Treatment with P4 significantly elevated plasma concentrations of P4 at all sampling intervals and depressed plasma LH at the sampling intervals 14 and 42 days postimplant. In addition, P4 treatment significantly delayed the mean time of the onset of egg production by greater than 16 days and decreased the total number of eggs laid to 200 days of age. It is suggested that P4 can inhibit LH secretion in the prepubertal pullet. However, from the present study, it is not possible to determine whether the decrease in plasma LH in P4-implanted birds is directly or indirectly related to the delayed onset of egg production.
Cognitive development: Past, present, and future.

This article summarizes what developmentalists have come to believe about human cognitive development after over a century of study. Topics briefly considered include the child as constructive thinker, invention of new research methods; the diagnosis problem; recent changes in estimates of children's competence; the question of general stages vs. domain-specific developments; the effects of expertise; natural domains and constraints; cognitive development as theory development; synchronisms, sequences, and qualitative changes; mechanisms of development; sociocultural influences; individual differences; practical applications; and suggestions about what develops. The article concludes with some guesses about future directions for the field
Oral involvement in mucous membrane pemphigoid

Abstract While this disease, including the oral lesions, was initially described by Wichmanns 1,2 in the late 18th century, the first comprehensive description and nomenclature, although using a different name, was set forth by Thost. 3–5 He distinguished an "acute pemphigus of mucous membranes" usually seen in pemphigus vulgaris, foliaceus, and vegetans and a "chronic pemphigus of mucous membrane." Using the term mucous membrane pemphigus, Thost listed the features as follows: 1.1) Exclusive participation of the mucous membrane and total freedom on the part of the skin surface, with only very exceptional extension of the mucous membrane to directly adjacent skin areas. 2.2) Very regular participation of the connective tissue of the eye which leads to essential shrinking thereof and later to Phtisis bulbi. 3.3) There is always a tendency forthe growing together of adjacent parts of the mucous membrane and for shrinkage of deeper structures of the mucous membrane. 4.4) A chronic feverless course. 5.5) Concurrent general cachexia and poor nutrition of the skin and poor development of the muscles. 6.6) Completely unaffected by medication, especially iodine and mercury. Wassermann negative. Thost regarded this disorder as distinct from pemphigus, although both diseases were characterized by blister formation. Other early descriptions emphasizing ocular and oral lesions were offered by Morris and Roberts 6 and Nettleship. 7 The ocular involvement was further described by Klauder and Cowan 8 and Lever 9 using the term "ocular pemphigus" or "pemphigus conjunctivae." The microscopic distinction of mucous membrane pemphigoid from pemphigus was finally made by Lever, 10, 11 based on the histopathologic finding of subepithelial vesiculation rather than the typical acantholysis seen in true pemphigus. The same histologic features in oral cavity lesions were confirmed by Shklar and McCarthy. 12
On Fixed-Parameter Tractability and Approximability of NP Optimization Problems

Fixed-parameter tractability of NP optimization problems is studied by relating it to approximability of the problems. It is shown that an NP optimization problem is fixed-parameter tractable if it admits a fully polynomial-time approximation scheme, or if it belongs to the class MAX SNP or to the class MIN F+?1. This provides strong evidence that noW1-hard NP optimization problems belong to these optimization classes and includes a very large class of approximable optimization problems into the class of fixed-parameter tractable problems. Evidence is also demonstrated to support the current working hypothesis in the theory of fixed-parameter tractability.
Hemoglobin A and B of the Cat: Occurrence in the Same Cell

The two major hemoglobins found in domestic cat blood occur within the same erythrocyte. A putative asymmetrical hybrid, α2βAβB, is shown to be present in the cell by isolectric focusing.
Effects of spin-orbit interactions on tunneling via discrete energy levels in metal nanoparticles

The presence of spin-orbit scattering within an aluminum nanoparticle affects measurements of the discrete energy levels within the particle by (1) reducing the effective g factor below the free-electron value of 2, (2) causing avoided crossings as a function of magnetic field between predominantly spin-up and predominantly spin-down levels, and (3) introducing magnetic-field-dependent changes in the amount of current transported by the tunneling resonances. All three effects can be understood in a unified fashion by considering a simple Hamiltonian. Spin-orbit scattering from 4% gold impurities in superconducting aluminum nanoparticles produces no dramatic effect on the superconducting gap at zero magnetic field, but we argue that it does modify the nature of the superconducting transition in a magnetic field.
Client Satisfaction and Big 6 Audit Fees

This study examines whether client satisfaction can help explain cross-sectional variation in Big 6 audit fees paid by Fortune 1000 clients. After controlling for other factors related to audit fees (including audit quality attributes), client satisfaction with the audit team is positively associated with fees. It appears that a dimension of client satisfaction unrelated to audit quality attributes is the factor associated with an audit fee premium. This dimension of satisfaction may reflect other aspects of service quality not documented in the literature, or it may simply enable an auditor to earn economic rents through enhanced bargaining power. Client satisfaction with the audit firm does not appear to be priced in this segment of the audit market. The results are consistent with the view that a Big 6 audit is a service that is differentiable in the eyes of client management, and the results highlight the importance of the audit team composition in allowing a Big 6 audit firm to differentiate the audit product. Also, if auditors are earning local rents due to enhanced satisfaction levels, then a perfect competition model may not be appropriate for the audit services market.
Staff burnout in the perspective of grief theory.

Abstract The processes leading to staff burnout are poorly understood, due to the very term “burnout.” It is a static term which refers explicitly to the end-stage or outcome of a process, rather than to the process itself. Grief theory is an attempt to explore the process of adaptation to high stress work, a process which, through some inadequacy or disorder, too often eventuates in burnout. Concepts of grieving seem suited to this purpose because (a) grief has undergone transformation from a static term to a process term in response to theoretical efforts of the last generation, and (b) burnout entails considerable loss and is, in part, a response to loss. Kavenaugh's concept of the grieving process is used as a framework for a brief description of adaptation to the stresses of professional work with dying person and their families.
Infrared Photothermal Beam Deflection Fourier Transform Spectroscopy of Solids

Infrared spectra were recorded of organic and inorganic solids with a Fourier transform spectrometer built to operate with a photothermal beam deflection detector. No sample preparation or cells per se is needed to examine milligram quantities of powder. The total absence of sample-containing devices makes it possible to examine portions of the surfaces of objects which are very large in size. Sample heating may occur, so that care must be taken with heat-sensitive materials.
Characterization of two operons that encode components of fructose-specific enzyme II of the sugar:phosphotransferase system of Streptococcus mutans

Three genes, designated as fruC, fruD and fruI, were predicted to encode polypeptides homologous to fructose-specific enzyme II (II(Fru)) of the phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent sugar:phosphotransferase system, and were cloned from Streptococcus mutans, the primary etiological agent of human dental caries. The fruC and fruD genes encoded domains BC and domain A of II(Fru), respectively. The fruI gene encoded IICBA(Fru). Northern hybridization and slot blot analysis showed that expression of fruI was inducible by sucrose and fructose, while fruCD were expressed constitutively and at much lower levels. Inactivation of either fruI or fruCD alone, or of both fruCD and fruI, had no major impact on growth on fructose at a concentration of 0.5% (w/v). However, when the strains were grown with 0.2% fructose as the sole carbohydrate source, a significant decrease in the growth rate was seen with the fruCD/fruI double mutants. Assays of sugar:phosphotransferase activity showed that the fruCD/fruI double mutants had roughly 30% of the capacity of the wild-type strain to transport fructose via the phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent sugar:phosphotransferase system. Xylitol toxicity assays indicated that the inducible fructose permease was responsible for xylitol transport.
Mortgage Credit Availability, Housing Starts and the Integration of Mortgage and Capital Markets: New Evidence Using Linear Feedback

This paper employs linear feedback measures to examine the relationship between housing starts and the availability of mortgage credit. Estimates are obtained using monthly data with samples ending with May 1978 and beginning with June 1978. The results indicate that mortgage credit availability contributed significantly to short-run cycles in housing starts in the earlier sample. Such feedback is considerably smaller, however, in the later sample. The results suggest the housing finance sector has become integrated with the overall capital market as the result of the deregulation of thrift deposit rates and the development of the securitized mortgage market.
Bovine serum albumin further enhances the effects of organic solvents on increased yield of polymerase chain reaction of GC-rich templates

While being a standard powerful molecular biology technique, applications of the PCR to the amplification of high GC-rich DNA samples still present challenges which include limited yield and poor specificity of the reaction. Organic solvents, including DMSO and formamide, have been often employed as additives to increase the efficiency of amplification of high GC content (GC > 60%) DNA sequences. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) has been used as an additive in several applications, including restriction enzyme digestions as well as in PCR amplification of templates from environmental samples that contain potential inhibitors such as phenolic compounds. Significant increase in PCR amplification yields of GC-rich DNA targets ranging in sizes from 0.4 kb to 7.1 kb were achieved by using BSA as a co-additive along with DMSO and formamide. Notably, enhancing effects of BSA occurs in the initial PCR cycles with BSA additions having no detrimental impact on PCR yield or specificity. When a PCR was set up such that the cycling parameters paused after every ten cycles to allow for supplementation of BSA, combining BSA and organic solvent produced significantly higher yields relative to conditions using the solvent alone. The co-enhancing effects of BSA in presence of organic solvents were also obtained in other PCR applications, including site-directed mutagenesis and overlap extension PCR. BSA significantly enhances PCR amplification yield when used in combination with organic solvents, DMSO or formamide. BSA enhancing effects were obtained in several PCR applications, with DNA templates of high GC content and spanning a broad size range. When added to the reaction buffer, promoting effects of BSA were seen in the first cycles of the PCR, regardless of the size of the DNA to amplify. The strategy outlined here provides a cost-effective alternative for increasing the efficiency of PCR amplification of GC-rich DNA targets over a broad size range.
Averaged models for passive mode-locking using nonlinear mode-coupling

An averaged mode-locking model is presented in which the nonlinear mode-coupling behavior in a wave-guide array, dual-core fiber, and/or fiber array is used to achieve stable and robust passive mode-locking. By using the discrete, nearest-neighbor spatial coupling of these nonlinear mode-coupling devices, low-intensity light can be transferred to the neighboring wave-guides and attenuated. In contrast, higher intensity light is self-focused in the launch wave-guide and remains largely unaffected. This nonlinear effect, which is described by linearly coupled nonlinear Schrodinger equations, leads to the temporal intensity discrimination required in the laser cavity for mode-locking. Computations of this pulse shaping mechanism show that stable and robust mode-locked soliton-like pulses can be produced in this master mode-locking model.
Conformational Flexibility and the Mechanism of Allosteric Transitions in Calmodulin

Conformational dynamics and flexibility is often essential to protein's function. Calmodulin (CaM) is a well-characterized calcium binding protein that takes functional advantage of its considerable intrinsic conformational flexibility. We investigate the allosteric open/close transition of the domains of CaM through simulations of a multiple basin, topology-based model. Our primary focus is to clarify how main chain flexibility influences the mechanism for allosteric transitions of flexible proteins. In particular, we compare the simulated transition mechanisms of the domains of CaM, which are topologically similar, but differ significantly in their conformational flexibility and dynamics. The simulated transition mechanisms are described at the residue level in terms of local structural order parameters that can be compared with predictions from a coarse grained variational model of allostery (Tripathi and Portman, J. Chem. Phys. 135 075104 (2011)).
Covariance problem in two-dimensional quantum chromodynamics

The problem of covariance in the field theory of a two-dimensional non-Abelian gauge field is considered. Since earlier work has shown that covariance fails (in charged sectors) for the Schwinger model, particular attention is given to an evaluation of the role played by the non-Abelian nature of the fields. In contrast to all earlier attempts at this problem, it is found that the potential covariance-breaking terms are identical to those found in the Abelian theory provided that one expresses them in terms of the total (i.e., conserved) current operator. The question of covariance is thus seen to reduce in all cases to a determination as to whether there exists a conserved global charge in the theory. Since the charge operator in the Schwinger model is conserved only in neutral sectors, one is thereby led to infer a probable failure of covariance in the non-Abelian theory, but one which is identical to that found for the U(1) case.
Group I mGluRs evoke K-ATP current by intracellular Ca2+ mobilization in rat subthalamus neurons

We reported previously that Ca2+ influx through N-methly-d-aspartate-gated channels evokes ATP-sensitive K+ (K-ATP) currents in rat subthalamic nucleus (STN) neurons. By using whole-cell patch clamp recordings in brain slices, we investigated the ability of (RS)-3,5-dihydroxyphenylglycine (DHPG), a group I metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) agonist, to evoke K-ATP currents. DHPG (20 µM) evoked outward current at −70 mV and was associated with a positive slope conductance of 2.7 nS. The sulfonylurea agent tolbutamide (100 µM) converted the positive slope to negative slope conductance, indicating mediation by K-ATP channels (ATP-sensitive K+ channels). Currents evoked by DHPG were significantly reduced by a combination of mGluR1 and mGluR5 negative allosteric modulators. DHPG-evoked outward current was blocked by cyclopiazonic acid and thapsigargin and mimicked by caffeine, suggesting mediation by release of intracellular Ca2+. DHPG outward current was also blocked by ryanodine and 2-aminoethoxydiphenylborane, suggesting mediation by ryanodine- and inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate-sensitive Ca2+ release. The nitric oxide synthase inhibitor NG-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester and inhibitors of protein kinase G activity also suppressed DHPG-induced outward current. Voltage recordings showed that tolbutamide prolonged depolarizing plateau potentials and increased the spontaneous firing rate of STN neurons recorded in the presence of DHPG. These results show that group I mGluR stimulation generates K-ATP current by a nitric oxide- and protein kinase G-dependent process that is mediated by release of Ca2+ from intracellular stores. Because burst firing is linked to symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, we suggest that K-ATP channels might provide a physiologically important inhibitory influence on STN neuronal activity.
Exposed intestines and contaminated cooks: Sex, stress, & satiation predict disgust sensitivity

Abstract An evolutionary perspective predicts that the intensity of the disgust response should depend on the ancestral costs and benefits of coming into contact with disease vectors. Previous research advanced the compensatory behavioral prophylaxis hypothesis: progesterone-induced immunosuppression should be accompanied by increased disgust and contaminant-avoidance. However, extant data do not address whether factors other than progesterone-induced immunosuppression also trigger heightened disgust. The current study delineates two competing prophylaxis hypotheses and adjudicates between them by testing whether stress and satiation, which shift the costs and benefits of prophylactic behavior but are unrelated to progesterone-induced immunosuppression, predict disgust sensitivity. Results revealed a sex–stress–satiation interaction in predicting Disgust Scale-Revised (DS-R) scores. This study provides evidence of a broader system of compensatory prophylaxis, illuminates the functional basis of facultative shifts in disgust, and presents conceptual and statistical analyses for more cleanly cleaving the psychology of disgust at its natural joints.
A Molecular Communication System Model Based on Biological Circuits

Molecular Communication (MC), i.e., the exchange of information through the emission, propagation, and reception of molecules, is a promising paradigm for the interconnection of autonomous nanoscale devices, known as nanomachines. Synthetic biology techniques, and in particular the engineering of biological circuits, are enabling research towards the programming of functions within biological cells, thus paving the way for the realization of biological nanomachines. The design of MC systems built upon biological circuits is particularly interesting since cells naturally employ the MC paradigm in their interactions, and possess many of the elements required to realize this type of communication. This paper focuses on the identification and systems-theoretic modeling of a minimal subset of biological circuit elements necessary to be included in an MC system design where the message-bearing molecules are propagated via free diffusion between two cells. The system-theoretic models are here detailed in terms of transfer functions, from which analytical expressions are derived for the attenuation and the delay experienced by an information signal through the MC system. Numerical results are presented to evaluate the attenuation and delay expressions as functions of realistic biological parameters.
More Favorable Outcomes with Peptic Ulcer Bleeding Due to Helicobacter Pylori

Abstract Background Acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding is a common complication of peptic ulcer disease, often caused by Helicobacter pylori and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the cause and biologic behavior of ulcers associated with acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding might lead to divergent patient outcomes. Methods In this Institutional Review Board-approved study, we compared clinical features and outcomes of patients with acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding due to ulcers categorized into 4 groups: Helicobacter pylori positive or negative combined with NSAID usage positive or negative. Likelihood chi-squared analyses were utilized for group comparisons and stepwise multiple logistic regression models were utilized to determine which factors were related to bleeding outcomes. Results Of 2242 patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding, 575 (26%) had gastroduodenal ulcer disease, and of those with appropriate diagnostic testing, approximately half (228, 10% overall) had evidence of Helicobacter pylori infection and half (216, 10% overall) had no evidence of Helicobacter pylori infection. Patients without Helicobacter pylori infection had significantly more comorbid conditions than those with Helicobacter pylori and higher Charlson Index comorbidity scores (2.6 ± 2.6 [mean and SD] vs 1.9 ± 2.3, P = .003). Hospital length of stay was significantly longer for Helicobacter pylori -negative patients (mean 11.4 ± 21.7 vs 6 ± 8.5 days and median 5.5 vs 3 days, P Helicobacter pylori -negative patients than Helicobacter pylori -positive patients (11% vs 5%, P = .009). Rebleeding was most frequent in patients without Helicobacter pylori and with no reported use of NSAIDS (18%, P = .01). Conclusions Helicobacter pylori -negative ulcers were associated with poorer outcomes regardless of use of NSAIDs. Patients with ulcers negative for Helicobacter pylori and no history of NSAID use had the worst outcomes and had more severe systemic disease.
Efficacy of combined intravitreal bevacizumab and triamcinolone for branch retinal vein occlusion.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of combined treatment with intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) and triamcinolone acetate (IVT) for patients with macular edema secondary to branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO). Materials and Methods: Retrospective analysis of 20 eyes injected with 1.25 mg IVB and 2 mg IVT for clinically identified BRVO within 8 weeks of onset. All patients lacked concomitant ocular pathology and completed 6 months' follow-up. Clinical examination including LogMAR visual acuity (VA) and central macular thickness (CMT) by spectralis optical coherence tomography (OCT) was performed preoperatively and at 1, 3 and 6 months post-operatively. Results : Mean patient age was 61.3 years with a mean BRVO diagnosis time of 3 weeks at presentation. VA improved from logMAR 1.08 preoperatively to Mean logMAR VA of 0.55 ± 0.17 at 1 month (P < 0.001), 0.56 ± 0.21 at 3 months (P < 0.001), and 0.38 ± 0.1 at 6 months (P < 0.001) Mean CMT improved from 482 ± 107 μm preoperatively to 319 ± 53 μm at 1 month (P < 0.001), 344 ± 89 μm at 3 months (P < 0.001), and 241 ± 29 μm at 6 months (P < 0.001). Mean IOP preoperatively was 16.5 mmHg, 21 mmHg at 1 month, and 15 mmHg at 6 months. Six out of 20 patients (30%) were re-injected with IVB and IVT at 3 months. Conclusions: Early combined treatment with IVB and IVT is effective in improving anatomic and functional outcomes in patients with macular edema secondary to BRVO.
Ypt1 and COPII vesicles act in autophagosome biogenesis and the early secretory pathway

The GTPase Ypt1, Rab1 in mammals functions on multiple intracellular trafficking pathways. Ypt1 has an established role on the early secretory pathway in targeting coat protein complex II (COPII) coated vesicles to the cis-Golgi. Additionally, Ypt1 functions during the initial stages of macroautophagy, a process of cellular degradation induced during periods of cell stress. In the present study, we discuss the role of Ypt1 and other secretory machinery during macroautophagy, highlighting commonalities between these two pathways.
Molecular pathogenesis of core binding factor leukemia: current knowledge and future prospects

Core binding factor (CBF) acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the most common cytogenetic subtype of AML, defined by the presence of t(8;21) or inv(16)/t(16;16). The chromosomal aberrations create AML1-ETO and CBFβ-MYH11 fusion genes that disrupt the functions of CBF, an essential transcription factor in hematopoiesis. Despite the relatively good outcome of patients with CBF-AML, only approximately half of the patients are cured with current therapy, indicating the need for improved therapeutic strategies. In this review, we summarize current knowledge regarding altered transcriptional regulation, aberrant signaling pathways, and cooperating genetic events in CBF leukemia, and discuss challenges ahead for translating these findings into the clinic.
Effects of long-acting thyroid stimulator and prostaglandin antagonists on adenyl cyclase activity in isolated bovine thyroid cells.

Abstract We studied the effects of long-acting thyroid stimulator [LATS] and two unrelated compounds reported to be prostaglandin antagonists, 7-oxa-13-prostynoic acid [PY1] and polyphloretin phosphate [PPP] on adenyl cyclase activity in isolated bovine thyroid cells [ITC]. LATS-IgG stimulated ITC adenyl cyclase in a dose-related manner; the time-course of LATS-induced cyclase activation was comparable to that observed with thyrotropin [TSH] [onset at 5 min, maximal at 7.5 to 10 min]. PY1, 5 μg/ml [≌ 1.4 × 10−5M] and PPP, 5 μg/ml [≌ 3.3 × 10−8M], significantly inhibited the stimulatory effects of prostaglandin E2, TSH and LATS on ITC adenyl cyclase but did not modify basal cyclase activity. PPP, 0.5 mg, inhibited the effects of both TSH and LATS on mouse thyroid radioiodine release in vivo in an apparently competitive manner but did not modify dibutyryl cyclic AMP effects thereon. These studies suggest that activation of a prostaglandin receptor site may be an early step in the action of both LATS and TSH on thyroid.
The future of information systems and design of communication

We traverse two knowledge domains between communication and technology expertise. Our tendency has been to assume that our strength is as communication specialists and that we therefore need to invest our energy in learning new technologies. But information systems and communication designers may be as challenged by transformational changes in the way we need to communicate as we are by rapidly developing 21st-century technologies. The presentation outlines strategies for operating effectively as rhetorically-sensitive multi-communicators in ill-structured design situations working with audiences who are frequently overwhelmed by information overload, have numerous information types competing for their limited attention, and communicate across multiple media devices.
Visual field staging systems in glaucoma and the activities of daily living.

Purpose To compare 8 clinically relevant methods of staging visual field (VF) damage in glaucoma with a performance-based measure of the activities of daily living and self-reported quality of life. Design Prospective cross-sectional study. Methods One hundred ninety-two patients with various types of glaucoma were evaluated at the Wills Eye Institute using standard monocular and binocular VF testing, as well as an objective, performance-based measure of visual function (the Assessment of Disability Related to Vision), and a subjective, standardized measure of quality of life (the 25-item National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire). Binocular VFs were scored according to the Esterman and Integrated VF Systems. Monocular VFs were scored according to the mean defect, pattern standard deviation, Hodapp-Parrish-Anderson method, glaucoma staging system, glaucoma staging system 2, and the field damage likelihood scale. Partial Spearman correlations between VF staging systems, Assessment of Disability Related to Vision scores, and 25-item National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire scores were calculated. Results Assessment of Disability Related to Vision scores and 25-item National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire scores were associated most closely with the VF score in the better eye and the binocular VF scoring systems. Conclusions The amount of binocular VF loss and the status of the better eye most accurately predict functional ability and quality of life in glaucoma.
Estimated effects of potential interventions to prevent decreases in self-rated health among breast cancer survivors.

Purpose To estimate the effect of hypothetical changes in modifiable predictors on the incidence of fair-to-poor self-rated health (SRH) in breast cancer survivors. Methods In 2007–2008, we interviewed 832 breast cancer survivors 1 year after diagnosis (baseline) and 1 year later. First, multivariable logistic regression models estimated the association between the predictors (sociodemographic factors, access to medical care, comorbid conditions, psychosocial factors, perceived neighborhood conditions, cancer-related behaviors, clinical factors) and SRH. Second, we estimated the probabilities of fair-to-poor SRH for values of the predictors for each breast cancer survivor. Third, we estimated the population-wide effect of potential changes in modifiable predictors on the incidence of fair-to-poor SRH. Results A total of 7.6% of participants (92.4% white; mean age, 58.0 years) whose SRH was rated good-to-excellent at baseline reported fair-to-poor SRH 1 year later. The largest potential reduction in incidence of fair-to-poor SRH could be obtained by eliminating surgical side effects (27.8% reduction) and comorbidity (21.8% reduction) and by engaging in any physical activity (19.6% reduction). Conclusions A significant portion of the decline in SRH can be avoided by reducing surgical side effects, preventing comorbidity, and improving physical activity with the use of evidence-based strategies.
The Road Ahead for Metamaterials: Improved material Building Blocks

New plasmonic materials such as transparent conducting oxides and transition-metal nitrides could replace conventional silver and gold in optical metamaterials and offer many advantages including low loss, compatibility with standard semiconductor nanofabrication processes, and tunability.
Profound nephrotic syndrome in a patient with ovarian teratoma

The nephrotic syndrome (NS) has been associated with a variety of malignancies in a number of reports in the literature, but has been reported in only nine cases associated with ovarian neoplasms. Membranous nephropathy is the most common glomerular pathology causing the NS in patients with solid tumors. There has been only one report of an ovarian neoplasm associated with minimal change disease (MCD). We describe the case of a 36-year-old woman who presented with the NS secondary to biopsy-proven MCD, likely secondary to mature ovarian teratoma. Treatment by tumor removal and prednisone led to remission of the NS. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of an ovarian teratoma and the second report of an ovarian neoplasm associated with MCD.
Spatial methods for plot-based sampling of wildlife populations

Classical sampling methods can be used to estimate the mean of a finite or infinite population. Block kriging also estimates the mean, but of an infinite population in a continuous spatial domain. In this paper, I consider a finite population version of block kri- ging (FPBK) for plot-based sampling. The data are assumed to come from a spatial stochastic process. Minimizing mean-squared-prediction errors yields best linear unbiased predictions that are a finite population version of block kriging. FPBK has versions comparable to simple random sampling and stratified sampling, and includes the general linear model. This method has been tested for several years for moose surveys in Alaska, and an example is given where results are compared to stratified random sampling. In general, assuming a spatial model gives three main advantages over classical sampling: (1) FPBK is usually more precise than simple or stratified random sampling, (2) FPBK allows small area estimation, and (3) FPBK allows nonrandom sampling designs.
Development of in vivo cecal and colonic calcium fluxes in growing rats.

SummarySmall intestinal calcium transport correlates with body growth rates and declines with increasing age, but effects of age on calcium transport by large intestine have not been examined. We studied groups of rats at mean ages of 4, 7, and 10 weeks. Cecal and colonic net calcium absorption and unidirectional fluxes were measured by in situ luminal perfusion of 1.6 mM Ca. Rates/g dry tissue declined with age in both segments, except for colonic plasma-to-lumen flux. Rates per segment reflected progressive tissue growth; lumen-to-plasma fluxes and cecal net absorption increased slightly, colonic net absorption was maintained, and colonic plasma-to-lumen flux doubled. Thus, in contrast to small intestine, total contribution of cecum to calcium homeostasis increases slightly with age; the colon may be responsible for the increasing loss of fecal endogenous calcium with decreasing body growth reported by isotopic studies.
A Population of Langerin-Positive Dendritic Cells in Murine Peyer's Patches Involved in Sampling β-Glucan Microparticles

Glucan particles (GPs) are 2–4 μm hollow, porous shells composed of 1,3-β-D-glucan that have been effectively used for oral targeted–delivery of a wide range of payloads, including small molecules, siRNA, DNA, and protein antigens. While it has been demonstrated that the transepithelial transport of GPs is mediated by Peyer's patch M cells, the fate of the GPs once within gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) is not known. Here we report that fluorescently labeled GPs administered to mice by gavage accumulate in CD11c+ DCs situated in Peyer's patch sub-epithelial dome (SED) regions. GPs appeared in DCs within minutes after gavage and remained within the SED for days afterwards. The co-administration or sequential administration of GPs with differentially labeled GPs or poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles demonstrated that the SED DC subpopulation in question was capable of internalizing particles of different sizes and material compositions. Phenotypic analysis identified the GP-containing DCs as being CD8α- and CD11blo/-, suggesting they are the so-called myeloid and/or double negative (DN) subset(s) of PP DCs. A survey of C-type lectin receptors (CLRs) known to be expressed by leukocytes within the intestinal mucosa revealed that GP-containing SED DCs were positive for Langerin (CD207), a CLR with specificity for β-D-glucan and that has been shown to mediate the internalization of a wide range of microbial pathogens, including bacteria, viruses and fungi. The presence of Langerin+ DCs in the SED as determined by immunofluorescence was confirmed using Langerin E-GFP transgenic mice. In summary, our results demonstrate that following M cell-mediated transepithelial transport, GPs (and other micro/nanoparticles) are sampled by a population of SED DCs distinguished from other Peyer's patch DC subsets by their expression of Langerin. Future studies will be aimed at defining the role of Langerin in antigen sampling and antigen presentation within the context of the GALT.
Phonon scattering in magnesium fluoride

Abstract The thermal conductivity of monocrystalline magnesium fluoride has been measured between 1.4 and 77°K for directions parallel to and perpendicular to the c-axis. Anisotropy in the thermal conductivity has been observed and correlated with anisotropic features of the phonon spectrum and phonon-phonon umklapp scattering using a modified Callaway model.
Responses of rat cuproenzymes to variable dietary copper

Abstract Weanling, 19-day-old, male Sprague-Dawley rats were offered a basal diet low in copper (Cu), 0.40 mg/kg (6.3 nmol/g), and drinking water containing 0, 0.5, 1, or 10 (Cu-adequate) mg Cu/L. After 30 days, plasma and heart cuproenzymes were assayed. Body weight and hemoglobin were equivalent among groups. Rats drinking I mg Cu/L did not have elevated heart/body weight, lower liver Cu, or higher liver Fe compared with Cu-adequate rats. However, activity of two blood enzymes (plasma ceruloplasmin and serum peptidylglycine α-amidating monooxygenase (PAM)) and three heart enzymes (cytochrome c oxidase, Cu, Zn-superoxide dismutase, and PAM) were lower compared with rats supplemented with 10 mg Cu/L. Groups drinking 0.5 mg Cu/L or deionized water had even lower activities including that of heart dopamine-β-monooxygenase. Serum and heart PAM activities patterned one another, suggesting that serum PAM may be a suitable marker of tissue Cu status. Addition of CuSO4 to the PAM assay increased the apparent activity in a manner inversely related to dietary Cu intake in both heart and serum samples. The Cu stimulation index (activity with added Cu/activity with basal Cu) may also be a useful tool to assess Cu status.
Science review: searching for gene candidates in acute lung injury.

Acute lung injury (ALI) is a complex and devastating illness, often occurring within the setting of sepsis, and carries an annual mortality rate of 30–50%. Although the genetic basis of ALI has not been fully established, an increasing body of evidence suggests that genetic predisposition contributes to disease susceptibility and severity. Significant difficulty exists, however, in defining the exact nature of these genetic factors, including large phenotypic variance, incomplete penetrance, complex gene–environment interactions, and strong potential for locus heterogeneity. We utilized the candidate gene approach and an ortholog gene database to provide relevant gene ontologies and insights into the genetic basis of ALI. We employed a Medline search of selected basic and clinical studies in the English literature and studies sponsored by the HopGene National Institutes of Health sponsored Program in Genomic Applications. Extensive gene expression profiling studies in animal models of ALI (rat, murine, canine), as well as in humans, were performed to identify potential candidate genes http://www.hopkins-genomics.org/. We identified a number of candidate genes for ALI, with blood coagulation and inflammation gene ontologies being the most highly represented. The candidate gene approach coupled with extensive gene profiling and novel bioinformatics approaches is a valuable way to identify genes that are involved in ALI.