cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Schönlein-Henoch nephritis and IgA nephropathy in children.

When Schonlein-Henoch nephritis presents with more than just microhematuria, only 72% of cases go on to complete recovery. Evidence of renal disease may reappear after apparent complete recovery. Schonlein-Henoch nephritis may be the single commonest form of crescentic glomerulonephritis, accounting for 30% of cases. Prednisone for 2 weeks may prevent Schonlein-Henoch nephritis in children who do not already have it when first seen. IgA nephropathy was found in 8% of children with isolated proteinuria and has been reported with human immunodeficiency virus infection. Heavy proteinuria at onset, focal sclerotic and tubulointerstitial changes, and crescents and capsular adhesions are poor prognostic indicators. The prognostic significance of hypertension and of the absence of gross hematuria remains uncertain. After a follow-up of at least 8 years, 53% of patients are clinically in remission. In a short-term double-blind, crossover trial, prednisone had no effect on IgA nephropathy. Recent advances do not yet lead to a unifying concept of the pathogenesis of Schonlein-Henoch nephritis or IgA nephropathy.
Anomalous Electron-Ion Energy Transfer in a Relativistic-Electron-Beam-Heated Plasma

Studies at Cornell University show experimental evidence for an anomalous electron-ion energy transfer in a relativistic-electron-beam-heated plasma that is ${10}^{3}$ times faster than can be predicted by classical processes. Electron cooling, ion heating, and a constant total plasma perpendicular energy on a time scale of \ensuremath{\sim}1 \ensuremath{\mu}sec after electron-beam injection are consistent with an empirically derived electron-ion energy equipartion time in the presence of current-driven instabilities.
ADHD Medication Vacations and Parent–Child Interactions by Gender:

Objective: The purpose of the current study was to examine medication vacations among children with ADHD according to parent–child dyads (e.g., mother–son, father–daughter, mother–daughter, and father–son). Method: In a survey study of 259 parents of children with ADHD, the use of medication vacations according to parent–child sex dyads was examined. Results: Results of the current study suggest that fathers seem to report endorsing medication vacations more with their sons with ADHD as opposed to their daughters with ADHD. There did not seem to be any significant differences among mothers. Conclusion: Results of the current study conclude with directions for future research and practice.
Effect of OKY-046, a selective thromboxane inhibitor, on prostaglandin production and function of pregnant rat uteri and platelets.

Abstract The effect of OKY-046 (ONO, Japan), a selective TX inhibitor, was studied for its effect on uterine and platelet activity. On day 21 of pregnancy, rats were injected with either 0, 1, or 5 mg/kg OKY-046 via the tail vein. One hour following injections, in vitro activity of uteri and platelets was assessed. A decrease (P 2 production (measured by RIA) occurred with increasing OKY-046 dose ( 104 ± 31 vs 44 ± 6 vs 24 ± 2 ng TXB 2 /g tissue/45 min). OKY-046 treatment had no effect on other prostanoids. Contractile activity was not affected by OKY-046. The amount of TXB 2 produced in platelets from OKY-046 (5 mg/Kg) treated rats was 45.5% less than that from controls (P 2 without altering other prostanoids, or affecting uterine contractions. In contrast, both platelet TXB 2 production and platelet function (aggregation) was decreased.
Building up the inactive X chromosome1

The compensation of the different level of transcripts of X-linked genes in male and female mammals is achieved through X chromosome inactivation, a complex process that differentially regulates the sex chromosomes of female cells. This mechanism has been dissected at evolutionary, genetic and molecular levels: here, we discuss some of the latest examples that illustrate better these intricate connections, focusing particularly on the emerging role of spatial and three-dimensional chromatin arrangements in the building of this special chromosome, the inactive X chromosome.
The concept of “partial” clinical tolerance

Abstract The status of “partial” tolerance to organ allografts versus the status of complete tolerance is the main topic of this paper. Progress made in immunosuppression, particularly by use of various lymphocyte depleting agents for “induction therapy”, seems to favor the subsequent development of T cells with suppressor/regulatory properties. The effective deletion of alloreactive T helper and cytotoxic cells in conjunction with the expansion of antigen-specific suppressor (CD8+CD28− FOXP3+) and regulatory (CD4+CD25+ FOXP3+) T cells creates a milieu in which the graft is well tolerated under an “umbrella” of low dosage immunosuppression. The most effective induction treatment is Campath-1H, although ATGAM at high dosage is also widely used. Total lymphoid irradiation (TLI) is another very effective pretreatment strategy in spite of the risks which are associated with it. The induction of “partial” tolerance is a step in the right direction for exploring strategies that may lead to the induction of complete tolerance. It is safe for the patients and can prolong significantly the function of the graft, preventing the onset of chronic rejection.
Server Heat Load Based CRAC Fan Controller Paired With Rear Door Heat Exchanger

This paper discusses the preliminary design of a controller for the cooling air conditioning units (CRAC) fan speed based on server loads. The CRAC is paired with a rear door heat exchanger. The main purpose in implementing this controller is the reduce energy consumption and to have finer control in the provision of cooling within a data center. Tools that will be essential for developing this controller are CRACs with variable frequency drives (VFD), BCMS power monitoring, data archiving software (PI from OSISOFT) and MATLAB. For this experiment, the zone of interest in the data center consists of 10 racks of IBM Blade Centers with a maximum electrical load of approximately 24 kW each and a total of 3360 nodes. Results are compared with the conventional cooling method to quantify energy savings and corresponding chiller coefficient of performance (COP).Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Instability of restraint among clinical binge eaters: a methodological note

The Three Factor Eating Questionnaire was administered to 47 clinical binge eaters at the end of days on which they had and had not binged. Scores on each of the subscales of the questionnaire differed significantly for binge versus nonbinge days. Implications for methodological improvements in future studies are suggested.
Comparison of Three Theoretical Models of Substance Use among Urban Minority High School Students

ABSTRACT Objective This study compares the relative explanatory power of three theoretical models of substance use among urban minority high school students. Method A substance use survey was administered in the spring of 1991 to a randomly selected sample of classrooms in the ninth through twelfth grades of three public academic high schools in a New York City borough. Survey participants (N = 919) were 59% black and 34% Hispanic; the mean age was 16.4 years. Results Substantial proportions of this sample of students reported experimental or occasional alcohol and cigarette use in the past year, and approximately one-tenth reported frequent use of these substances. Only small proportions of students reported past-year marijuana use, and few or no students reported past-year use of cocaine, crack or intravenous heroin. The socialization model of substance use was much more powerful than either the stress/strain or disaffiliation models in explaining past-year use of alcohol, cigarettes, and marijuana. However, certain variables derived from the stress/strain and disaffiliation models were important risk factors for the frequent use of these substances. Conclusions These findings suggest that the further elucidation of the social influence process among adolescents, and the development, implementation, and evaluation of especially intensive programs aimed at high-risk youths, should become adolescent substance use prevention research priorities.
Thermal and spectral studies of some divalent metal chelates of lawsone and juglone

Abstract The thermal and spectral properties of chelates of lawsone and juglone with divalent copper, zinc, copper, nickel and lead have been investigated. The properties of these chelates are compared with the previously studied polymeric chelates of 2,5-dihydroxy- p -benzoquinone and naphthazarin. Several unsuccessful attempts were made to prepare beryllium chelates of these ligands.
Urinary calculus associated with female genital cutting.

Female genital cutting is a cultural practice seen in parts of Africa and Asia. Women who have undergone type III female genital cutting (excising the external genitalia and suturing the remnant tissue to cover the urethra and part of the introitus) can suffer various long-term complications. Defibulation a procedure that opens the overlying scar can alleviate or resolve symptoms. A 32-year-old Somali woman presenting with type III female genital cutting complained of infertility dyspareunia dysmenorrhea and exquisite pain upon sitting. She underwent a defibulation procedure to create neolabia majora. Intraoperatively a 0.8 cm urinary calculus was found beneath the urethra. Postoperatively all of her symptoms resolved. Infibulated scars create a favorable environment for stagnant urine to crystallize and become a urinary calculus. (authors)
Investigation of a precise static leach test for the testing of simulated nuclear waste materials

Abstract The precision of the nuclear waste static leach test was evaluated using controlled experimental conditions and homogeneous glass materials. The majority of the leachate components were subjected to simultaneous multielement DCP analysis. The overall precision of the static leach test is determined by the summation of random effects caused by: 1. variance in the experimental conditions of the leaching procedure; 2. inhomogeneity of the material to be leached; and 3. variance of the analytical techniques used to determine elemental concentrations in the leachate. In this study, strict control of key experimental parameters was employed to reduce the first source of variance. In addition, special attention to the preparation of glass samples to be tested assured a high degree of homogeneity. Described here are the details of the reduction of these two sources of variance to a point where the overall test precision is limited by that of the analysis step. Of the elements determined-B, Ba, Ca, Cs, Mo, Na, Si, Sr, and Zn-only Ca and Zn exhibited replicate imprecision significantly greater than that observed in the analysis of the leachate solutions. The imprecision in the Zn was partially attributed to the nonreproducible adsorption onto the leach vessel walls during the 28 day test period. None of the other elements exhibited this behavior.
Gist reasoning training in cognitively normal seniors

Objective Cognitive impairment is a key factor that threatens functionality and quality of life in seniors. Given the projection that the population of individuals 65 years of age and older will double within the next 25 years, a critical need exists to identify and test effectiveness of protocols that target higher-order cognitive skills such as gist reasoning to maximize cognitive capacity in later life. Methods: This study examined the effects of eight hours of gist reasoning training in 26 cognitively normal seniors between the ages of 64-85 years (M = 74.23, SD = 6.67). Results Findings suggest that top-down strategy-based gist reasoning training significantly improved abstraction ability, a skill relevant to everyday life, as well as generalized to untrained measures of executive function including concept abstraction, cognitive switching, and verbal fluency. Individuals with lower baseline ability to abstract gist showed the greatest gain in the target domain trained. Conclusions These findings highlight the potential value of engaging in cognitively challenging activities that involve gist reasoning, to strengthen and preserve cognitive capacity with aging. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A Randomized Trial to Assess Anti-HIV Activity in Female Genital Tract Secretions and Soluble Mucosal Immunity Following Application of 1% Tenofovir Gel

Background: Preclinical and early phase clinical microbicide studies have not consistently predicted the outcome of efficacy trials. To address this gap, candidate biomarkers of microbicide pharmacodynamics and safety were evaluated in a doubleblind, placebo-controlled trial of tenofovir gel, the first microbicide to demonstrate significant protection against HIV acquisition. Methods: 30 women were randomized to apply a single daily dose of tenofovir or placebo gel for 14 consecutive days. AntiHIV activity was measured in cervicovaginal lavage (CVL) on Days 0, 3, 7, 14 and 21 by luciferase assay as a surrogate marker of pharmacodynamics. Endogenous activity against E. coli and HSV-2 and concentrations of immune mediators were quantified in CVL as candidate biomarkers of safety. Tenofovir levels were measured in CVL and blood. Results: A significant increase in anti-HIV activity was detected in CVL from women who applied tenofovir gel compared to their endogenous anti-HIV activity in genital tract secretions on Day 0 and compared to activity in CVL from women in the placebo group. The activity correlated significantly with CVL concentration of tenofovir (r=0.6, p,0.001) and fit a sigmoid Emax pharmacodynamic model. Anti-HIV activity in CVL from women who applied tenofovir persisted when virus was introduced in semen, whereas endogenous anti-HIV activity decreased. Tenofovir did not trigger an inflammatory response or induce sustained loss in endogenous antimicrobial activity or immune mediators. Conclusions: Tenofovir gel had no deleterious impact on soluble mucosal immunity. The increased anti-HIV activity in CVL, which persisted in the presence of semen and correlated with tenofovir concentration, is consistent with the efficacy observed in a recent clinical trial. These results promote quantified CVL anti-HIV activity as a surrogate of tissue pharmacodynamics and as a potential biomarker of adherence to product. This simple, feasible and inexpensive bioassay may promote the development of models more predictive of microbicide efficacy.
Alternative splicing in disease and therapy

Alternative splicing is the major source of proteome diversity in humans and thus is highly relevant to disease and therapy. For example, recent work suggests that the long-sought-after target of the analgesic acetaminophen is a neural-specific, alternatively spliced isoform of cyclooxygenase 1 (COX-1). Several important diseases, such as cystic fibrosis, have been linked with mutations or variations in either cis-acting elements or trans-acting factors that lead to aberrant splicing and abnormal protein production. Correction of erroneous splicing is thus an important goal of molecular therapies. Recent experiments have used modified oligonucleotides to inhibit cryptic exons or to activate exons weakened by mutations, suggesting that these reagents could eventually lead to effective therapies.
Space and Soviet military planning

Abstract Most of the recent discussions concerning Soviet space activities focus on the new systems and emerging technologies, particularly those with military application. How the military capabilities of these systems and technologies will be used is equally important. Their employment will be guided by current Soviet thinking and policy concerning military actions in space. This policy has its origins in Soviet military doctrine which emphasizes offensive systems. Although the Soviet space programme denies having any military objectives, it is guided by a historical link with the Soviet military and directed by decisions made within the framework of Soviet doctrine. Additional insights into Soviet thinking concerning the militarization of space can be gained from recent treaties which the Soviets have signed concerning military space activities.
Photosynthate Transport Using Tritiated Water

The exchange of HTO with aerial portions of the soybean was studied under a variety of conditions. When fed to a lone leaf or leaflet in a saturated air atmosphere (all other leaves and the growing point having been excised), the HTO profile virtually ceases at a distance of 2 cm from the feeding chamber in the photosynthetic plant, but is greater and more extensive in the unilluminated plant. The differences are accentuated when roots are excised. Under these latter conditions the photosynthetic T-fixed gradient virtually disappears.HTO was exchanged with darkened petioles. When the rest of the shoot was kept in the light (the leaf being in a saturated H(2)O-vapor atmosphere) atmosphere) almost half the activity moves acropetally, and under these conditions (35 min, room temp) over 8% may be found in the leaf. Approximately one-tenth moves basipetally, with none being found in the stem. When the leaf is dark, no movement occurs out of the petiolar feeding chamber.An attempt was made to distinguish between sucrose transport by diffusion and mass flow of water by means of 2 mathematical models. In Model I, self-diffusion of HTO, Fick's Law was used, with the water and photosynthate moving independently. Model I consisted of an equilibrated, single pool of constant specific activity, generating a radioactive profile as a result of self-diffusion. In Model II, mass flow, water exchanged freely between the phloem and the surrounding tissues. The conducting bundle, 7790 micron(2), (0.25% of the total cross-section) was an average phloem. The numerical solution for the second model was obtained by Fortran programming on a digital computer and compared with experimental data. Comparison of these models with the experimental results suggest that mass flow is not a dominant process in soybean photosynthate translocation.
The orphanin FQ/nociceptin knockout mouse: A behavioral model for stress responses

Transgenic mice lacking expression of the OFQ/N precursor protein have provided exciting insights in the physiological functions of this neuropeptide system. While injection of OFQ/N or selective synthetic agonists produces anxiolytic effects in rodents, OFQ/N knockout mice display increased anxiety and impaired adaptation to repeated stress. On the other hand, mice lacking the cognate OFQ/N receptor, ORL1, show improved spatial attention and memory but appear to have normal anxiety and stress behavior. Availability of a selective small molecule OFQ/N antagonist might help clarify this discrepancy.
AnchorMF: towards effective event context identification

Online social networks (OSNs) such as Twitter provide a good platform for event discussions. Recent research [26][25] as shown that event discussions in OSNs are diverse and innovative and encourage public engagement in events. Although much research has been conducted in OSNs to track and detect events, there has been limited research on detecting or understanding the event context. Event context helps to better predict users' participation in events, identify relations among events, and recommend friends who share similar event context.In this work, we have developed AnchorMF, a matrix factorization based technique that aims to identify event context by leveraging a prevalent feature in OSNs, the anchor information. Our AnchorMF work makes three key contributions: (1) a formal definition of the event context identification problem; (2) anchor selection and incorporation into the matrix factorization process for effective event context identification; and (3) demonstration of applying event context for user-event participation prediction, relevant events retrieval, and friendship recommendation. Evaluation based on 1.1 million Twitter users over a one-month data collection period shows that AnchorMF achieves a 20.0% improvement in terms of user-event participation prediction.
Information Representation in Visual Images.

Abstract How information is represented in visual images was explored in five experiments where subjects judged whether or not various properties were appropriate for given animals. It took more time to evaluate an animal when the subjective image of it was small, whether size was manipulated directly or indirectly (e.g., by having a target animal imaged at the correct relative size next to an elephant or a fly). More time also was required if the animal was imaged in a relatively “complex” environment (next to 4 vs. 2 digits painted on an imaginary wall, or next to a 16 cell vs. 4 cell matrix). Finally, subjectively larger images required more time to evoke than smaller images. These results support a constructivist notion of imagery, and the idea that images may act as ‘analogues’ to percepts.
Task-induced differential cortical activation pattern

Measures of task-dependent cortical activation were assessed by bilateral EEG recordings from frontal, temporal, parietal and occipital areas. Two pictorial tests, the Raven Advanced Progressive Matrices and the Space Relations Test were used for verbal and spatial conditions, respectively. Recordings were obtained for 20 trials of each task from 22 right-handed adult males and 16 s. trial epochs were subjected to Fast Fourier analyses. Averaged intensity values for the alpha band were compared between verbal and spatial tasks for all subjects and between subgroups of verbalizers and visualizers, allotted on the basis of subject's performance index, derived from response speed and accuracy on the two tasks. The results were as follows: (1) The most pronounced EEG discriminators between the two performance subgroups are the left and right parietal and the right frontal area; (2) The left parietal zone provides the most pronounced discrimination between two groups; (3) There were significant interactions between the left parietal and the right frontal region; (4) The two parietal areas show characteristic frequency shifts in opposite directions for the task conditions. The findings imply complex interplay among the two parietal and right frontal areas, associated with sequential and holistic strategies. The results urge researchers to take into consideration subjectively preferred cognitive strategy, which along with objective task demands influences the process of problem solving and accompanying physiological changes.
Non-operative anti-caries agents and dental caries increment among adults at high caries risk: a retrospective cohort study

Consensus guidelines support non-operative preventives for dental caries management; yet, their use in practice is far from universal. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of non-operative anti-caries agents in caries prevention among high caries risk adults at a university clinic where risk-based caries management is emphasized. This retrospective observational study drew data from the electronic patient records of non-edentulous adult patients deemed to be at high risk for dental caries during baseline oral evaluations that were completed between July 1, 2007 and December 31, 2012 at a dental university in the United States. We calculated and compared adjusted mean estimates for the number of new decayed or restored teeth (DFT increment) from baseline to the next completed oral evaluation (N = 2,724 patients with follow-up) across three categories of delivery of non-operative anti-caries agents (e.g., high-concentration fluoride toothpaste, chlorhexidine rinse, xylitol products): never, at a single appointment, or at ≥2 appointments ≥4 weeks apart. Estimates were adjusted for patient and provider characteristics, baseline dental status, losses-to-follow-up, and follow-up time. Approximately half the patients did not receive any form of non-operative anti-caries agent. Most that received anti-caries agents were given more than one type of product in combination. One-time delivery of anti-caries agents was associated with a similar DFT increment as receiving no such therapy (difference in increment: -0.04; 95 % CI: -0.28, 0.21). However, repeated, spaced delivery of anti-caries agents was associated with approximately one decayed or restored tooth prevented over 18 months for every three patients treated (difference in increment: -0.35; 95 % CI: -0.65, -0.08). These results lend evidence that repeatedly receiving anti-caries agents can reduce tooth decay among high-risk patients engaged in regular dental care.
Selection and Recreation Demand

Increased use of on-site and user-group surveys to estimate travel cost demand models (e.g., Caulkins, Bishop, and Bowes; Smith and Desvousges) has raised inevitable questions about the significance of relying on demand estimates derived solely from surveys of users. Many of the questions relate to selection effects, that is, the potential for specification errors (and bias) caused by an inability to reflect the decisions of nonusers with these types of surveys. This issue has received some attention in the recreation literature (Brown et al., Bockstael and McConnell), but specific empirical evidence on the implications of alternative approaches for estimating demand models from on-site surveys does not exist. This article reports the first such evidence, using a data set based on a general population sample to compare five methods for estimating travel cost demand models with microdata. The findings suggest that the differences in the demand and in the benefit estimates raised by treating the problem using models with either single (Heckman) or double selection (Catsiapis and Robinson, Ham, Poirier) effects are small. However, the effects of using alternative estimators for site demands are not. These findings are limited because they apply to only one site. Nonetheless, they do highlight the importance of the assumptions used to consider the behavior of nonusers. Consequently, they provide direct motivation for more detailed conceptual and empirical work on the choice processes underlying recreation decisions.
The interpretive research group as an alternative to the interpersonal process recording.

In the spirit of trying something new, we abandoned the traditional interpersonal process recording for an entirely new way to teach students about communication-an interpretive research group. We propose the interpretive research group as a strategy for teaching communication and analysis that encourages active student-faculty participation, provides for more egalitarian student-teacher relationships, and creates a liberating learning environment.
SAR detection of wires using image phase signatures

Analyses of high resolution UHF synthetic aperture radar images have uncovered a deterministic phase signature of a long wire. Given k/sub 0/ as the wave number and R as the range of a focused image pixel to the phase center of the SAR aperture, a factor exp(-j2k/sub 0/R) is imbedded in the complex target image signal return. This linear image phase variation results in a long, narrow wire spectrum in the spatial frequency domain orthogonal to the wire in orientation and is frequency shifted from the origin of the spectral coordinates. This spectral feature enables coherent processing such as spatial filtering and integration to improve significantly the signal-to-clutter ratio of a wire and its detectability in the clutter environment.
Increasing distributed storage survivability with a stackable RAID-like file system

We have designed a stackable file system called Redundant Array of Independent Filesystems (RAIF). It combines the data survivability properties and performance benefits of traditional RAIDs with the unprecedented flexibility of composition, improved security, and ease of development of stackable file systems. RAIF can be mounted on top of any combination of other file systems including network, distributed, disk-based, and memory-based file systems. Existing encryption, compression, antivirus, and consistency checking stackable file systems can be mounted above and below RAIF, to efficiently cope up with slow or unsecure branches. Individual files can be distributed across branches, replicated, stored with parity, or stored with erasure correction coding to recover from failures on multiple branches. Per-file incremental recovery, storage type migration, and load-balancing are especially well suited for grid storages. In this paper, we describe the current RAIF design, provide preliminary performance results and discuss current status and future directions.
A new approach to the measurement of resolution and sampling on a positron emission tomograph

Two technical difficulties underlie the accurate determination of spatial resolution in positron emission tomography (PET): (1) measuring the full-width half-maximum (FWHM) and full-width tenth-maximum (FWTM) from undersampled profiles; (2) measuring axial resolution from multiple reconstructed data sets. To address the first problem, a technique that involves a quadratic estimation of the peak of the profile distribution was developed. This method was compared with the standard technique of Gaussian fitting and was found to be as accurate for constant background distributions. For axial resolution, a second method involving a single scan and imaging of line sources oriented 45 degrees to the axis of the scanner was proposed. Axial FWHM estimations were achieved by deconvolving the values obtained with line spread functions from sources placed parallel to the axis of the scanner. This technique was validated by comparing the results with those obtained by others using a multiple-scan technique on a similar machine. >
Evidence-based medicine and the physician-patient dyad.

As the current debates throughout the US attest, there are wide disagreements about the shape of future US health care delivery. Nevertheless, a general consensus has emerged about the need for more efficient interventions that are based on reliable scientific evidence. This need has been filled by evidence-based medicine (EBM), which employs meta-analyses and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to examine the effectiveness of interventions on large populations. These findings are reviewed by the Cochrane Collaboration, a group of volunteers from around the globe who publish their findings quarterly in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.1,2 Although it seems difficult to deny the efficacy of statistically robust research, medical practitioners, especially those involved in primary care, are often skeptical about EBM, fearing that the physician–patient encounter will be undermined, and with it, the most appropriate mechanism to determine a diagnosis and treatment.3,4 These physicians are sometimes portrayed as representing an older, more traditional segment of the profession, but their hesitancy also represents more than fear of change. Increasingly sensitive to this resistance, advocates continue to reassure practitioners that EBM will not subvert the physician–patient encounter but instead will integrate “the values and preferences of the informed patient.”5 Certainly before EBM becomes legislated by agencies and insurance companies alike, it deserves the same careful examination that it claims to have made of specific conditions. Although the RCT gold standard requires prospective studies, EBM is best evaluated through retrospective analysis—that is, in historical perspective. I argue that EBM must be closely evaluated and critically appraised because it is subject to its own set of defects. Such a revised EBM would be best implemented in a context that maintains sensitivity to individuality and to physician–patient interactions.
Current-mode preamplifier for response measurement of semiconductor scintillator

A design of front-end preamplifier for measurement of optical response of photo-detector registering light produced by semiconductor scintillator is presented. The designed preamplifier is based on a current mode, regulated cascode (RGC) structure. A comparison with a previously reported common gate (CG) structure is provided. The experimental prototype was designed in 0.5 mum CMOS process. With a 5 V power supply, total power consumption of a chip is 7.5 mW. With 50 pF input capacitance and 100 nA leakage current of interfaced photo-detector, the equivalent noise charge (ENC) is 8000.
Genetic algorithm for logistics scheduling problem

This paper introduces a method to solve logistics scheduling problems with constraints by using genetic algorithms (GAs). The GA is reviewed first. Then the scheduling problem is introduced. The methods and mathematical model for this problem are presented. Four methods for crossover and two methods for mutation are used. Finally, the scheduling results are given.
Expression and activation of αvβ3 integrins by SDF‐1/CXC12 increases the aggressiveness of prostate cancer cells

BACKGROUND. Stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1 or CXCL12) and CXCR4 are key elements in the metastasis of prostate cancer cells to bone—but the mechanisms as to how it localizes to the marrow remains unclear. METHODS. Prostate cancer cell lines were stimulated with SDF-1 and evaluated for alterations in the expression of adhesion molecules using microarrays, FACs, and Western blotting to identify avb3 receptors. Cell–cell adhesion and invasion assays were used to verify that activation of the receptor is responsive to SDF-1. RESULTS. We demonstrate that SDF-1 transiently regulates the number and affinity of avb3 receptors by prostate cancer cells to enhance their metastatic behavior by increasing adhesiveness and invasiveness. SDF-1 transiently increased the expression of b3 receptor subunit and increased its phosphorylation in metastatic but not nonmetastatic cells. CONCLUSIONS. The transition from a locally invasive phenotype to a metastatic phenotype may be primed by the elevated expression of avb3 receptors. Activation and increased expression of avb3 within SDF-1-rich organs may participate in metastatic localization. Prostate
A biological measure of stress levels in patients with functional movement disorders

Introduction While the presence of co-existing psychological stressors has historically been used as a supportive factor in the diagnosis of functional neurological disorders, many patients with functional neurological disorders deny the presence of these stressors. The stress response circuitry in these patients remains largely unexplored.
Methadone disposition in oral fluid during pharmacotherapy for opioid-dependence

Abstract Introduction Oral fluid testing is widely used for detecting drug exposure, but data describing methadone and metabolites in oral fluid during pharmacotherapy for opioid-dependence are relatively limited. Methods 414 oral fluid specimens from 16 opioid-dependent pregnant women receiving daily methadone were analyzed for methadone, 2-ethylidene-1,5-dimethyl-3,3-diphenylpyrrolidine (EDDP), and methadol by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Results All oral fluid specimens contained methadone greater than 1 ng/mL; 88% were positive for EDDP and 12% for methadol. Over 95% of oral fluid specimens exceeded the 20 ng/mL methadone cutoff set by the European Driving Under the Influence of Drugs, Alcohol and Medicines (DRUID) study. Methadone and EDDP oral fluid concentrations were highly variable within and between participants, did not predict methadone dose, but were negatively correlated with pH. Conclusion Methadone was readily identified in oral fluid at concentrations greater than 20 ng/mL following daily 30–110 mg/day methadone pharmacotherapy. As no specimens contained only EDDP or methadol, there was no advantage to including these analytes for identification of methadone exposure. As nearly all oral fluid specimens from methadone-maintained patients exceeded the DRUID guideline, the 20 ng/mL cutoff appears to be sensitive enough to detect daily methadone exposure; however, additional indicators of behavioral and/or motor impairment would be necessary to provide evidence of driving impairment.
Comparison of saturable transport and extracellular pathways in the passage of interleukin-1 α across the blood-brain barrier

Abstract Blood-borne cytokines enter the brain by transport across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) or by leakage through extracellular pathways at sites, such as circurnventricular organs (CVOs), whithout a BBB. We used radioactively labeled albumin (T-Alb) to differentiate the relative contribution of transport and extracellular pathways to the passage of interleukin-1 α ([125I]IL-1 α) across the BBB. The major mechanism of entry for [125I]IL-1α after intravenous (i.v.) injection was a saturable transport system with extracellular pathways accounting for only a small fraction of entry into brain. CVOs concentrated blood-borne [125I]IL-1α in a saturable manner to a much greater extent than did the cerebral cortex and cerebellum, but accounted for less that 5% of total brain uptake. After intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection, [125I]IL-1α and T-Alb were concentrated in the CVOs, especially the median eminence, although CVOs contained less that 1% of the substances injected. Distribution after i.c.v. injection was largely due to diffusion and leakage through extracellular pathways. We conclude that after i.c.v. injection, leakage across extracellular pathways accounts for the small but concentrated amount of [125I]IL-1α found in CVOs. After i.v. injection, transport across the BBB accounts for the majority of [125I]IL-1 α in brain.
Evolution of phase-conjugate waves in stimulated photorefractive backscattering

Stimulated photorefractive backscattering produces a phase-conjugate wave under some conditions. Numerical solutions to the time-dependent wave equation for the backscattered field are obtained that indicate what conditions are required. The key parameters that control conjugation fidelity are the product of the photorefractive coupling coefficient and the length of the crystal; the ratio of the absorption coefficient to the coupling coefficient; the ratio of pump irradiance to dark irradiance; and the Fresnel number, defined by the angular extent of the pump beam and the inverse of the coupling coefficient. Backseeding with randomly phased plane waves whose amplitudes are proportional to the amplitudes of the pump plane-wave-expansion coefficients results in greatly improved conjugation fidelity if the backseeding intensity exceeds the intensity scattered from noise.
Early operative intervention after thrombolytic therapy for acute myocardial infarction

Abstract Thrombolytic therapy effectively interrupts acute myocardial infarction but does not correct the underlying plaque causing acute thrombosis. Early operation and treatment of the residual coronary artery disease has therefore been evaluated. Over 29 months, 184 patients with acute myocardial infarction of
The RESPECT approach to tailored telephone education

Objective The objective of the RESPECT approach to tailored telephone education (TTE) is described. This approach was shown to be highly effective through a randomized intervention trial for increasing the rate of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening.Methods At the conclusion of the trial, the investigators identified the main principles that exemplified the TTE. This was accomplished through a review of chart notes and discussion.Results The concept underlying our TTE approach was RESPECT for the audience, and was based on: (1) Rapport; (2) Educate, but don't overwhelm; (3) Start with people where they are; (4) Philosophical orientation based on a humanistic approach to education; (5) Engagement; (6) Care and show empathy; and (7) Trust.Conclusions An advantage of using principles of practice is that it may be more feasible to apply general principles than specific activities because they can be adapted to different social contexts and audiences.
A Novel Adaptive Distributed Cooperative Relaying MAC Protocol for Vehicular Networks

Explosive growth in Information Technology has enabled many innovative application areas such as large-scale outdoor vehicular networks for vehicle-to-vehicle communications. By providing time-sensitive and location-aware information, vehicular networks can contribute to a safer and more efficient driving experience. However, the performance of vehicular networks requires robust and real-time data communications and is impacted by high mobility, intermittent connectivity, and unreliability of the wireless channel. In this paper, a novel adaptive distributed cooperative medium access control (ADC-MAC) protocol is proposed in order to address the inherent problems in the IEEE 802.11 standard when employed in vehicular networks. ADC-MAC exploits spatial diversities to maximize the system throughput as well as the service range of vehicular networks. This is accomplished through adaptively selecting the most suitable helper and transmission mode for transmit/receive pairs among direct transmission (DT), cooperative relay (CR) transmission and two-hop relay (TR) transmission, in accordance with the channel quality and the positioning of relay nodes. Both our Markov Chain modeling based theoretical analysis and ns-2 simulation experiments show that our ADC-MAC protocol outperforms existing schemes under the same network scenarios and maximizes the achieved system throughput and service distance.
Liver Transplantation for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Past, Present and Future

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents one of the most common neoplasms worldwide. Liver trasnplantation (LT) is the treatment of choice for selected group of patients with HCC. LT is actually a consolidated therapeutic option for HCC because it cures both tumor and underlying cirrhosis. In 1996, the publication of a pivotal prospective study on less than 50 patients, transplanted for HCC under predefined criteria (single HCC ≤ 5 cm or 3 HCC ≤ 3 cm each), the so called “Milan criteria”, showed a 4-year survival of 75%. However, the indication of LT for HCC treatment has evolved over recent years. The possibility of an extension of Milan criteria as indication for LT is already a debated issue. Living donor LT (LDLT) is an alternative option if waiting list is long and offers the possibility of a LT after a short time. In this review, the current indications and results of liver transplantion for HCC have been dsicusssed.
CHEMICALLY MEDIATED PREDATOR-FREE SPACE: HERBIVORES CAN SYNERGIZE INTRASPECIFIC COMMUNICATION WITHOUT INCREASING RISK OF PREDATION

Natural enemies of herbivores often locate cryptic insects by responding to volatiles associated with the prey's feeding and mating. For example, predators of bark beetles (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) exploit the aggregation pheromones that their prey use to attract mates and secure hosts. Bark beetles are cryptic insects that feed and develop in the subcortical tissues of trees and spend all but a portion of their life history within this habitat. The pine engraver, Ips pini, produces the pheromone ipsdienol throughout its transcontinental range. Predators of I. pini exploit this chemical as a kairomonal cue. Eastern and Midwestern I. pini populations also produce lanierone, which synergizes their attraction to ipsdienol. We evaluated the effects of varying amounts of lanierone, in combination with a constant amount of racemic ipsdienol, on the relative attraction of I. pini and its major predators in Wisconsin. Higher numbers of I. pini were captured with increasing release rates of lanierone. In contrast, the numbers of the major predators, such as Thanasimus dubius, Enoclerus nigrifrons, Platysoma cylindrica, and P. parallelum, did not differ among different lanierone release rates. The response of I. pini but not their predators to lanierone at ecologically realistic release rates may be part of a coevolving interaction between predators and prey and offers new strategies for semiochemically based pest management by selectively removing pests and leaving predators.
Immediate effects of anticipatory coarticulation in spoken-word recognition

Two visual-world experiments examined listeners' use of pre word-onset anticipatory coarticulation in spoken-word recognition. Experiment 1 established the shortest lag with which information in the speech signal influences eye-movement control, using stimuli such as "The … ladder is the target". With a neutral token of the definite article preceding the target word, saccades to the referent were not more likely than saccades to an unrelated distractor until 200-240 ms after the onset of the target word. In Experiment 2, utterances contained definite articles which contained natural anticipatory coarticulation pertaining to the onset of the target word (" The ladder … is the target"). A simple Gaussian classifier was able to predict the initial sound of the upcoming target word from formant information from the first few pitch periods of the article's vowel. With these stimuli, effects of speech on eye-movement control began about 70 ms earlier than in Experiment 1, suggesting rapid use of anticipatory coarticulation. The results are interpreted as support for "data explanation" approaches to spoken-word recognition. Methodological implications for visual-world studies are also discussed.
Calcium-dependence of the interaction between calmodulin and anthrax edema factor

Edema factor (EF), a toxin from Bacillus anthracis (anthrax), possesses adenylyl cyclase activity and requires the ubiquitous Ca2+-sensor calmodulin (CaM) for activity. CaM can exist in three major structural states: an apo state with no Ca2+ bound, a two Ca2+ state with its C-terminal domain Ca2+-loaded, and a four Ca2+ state in which the lower Ca2+ affinity N-terminal domain is also ligated. Here, the interaction of EF with the three Ca2+ states of CaM has been examined by NMR spectroscopy and changes in the Ca2+ affinity of CaM in the presence of EF have been determined by flow dialysis. Backbone chemical shift perturbations of CaM show that EF interacts weakly with the N-terminal domain of apoCaM. The C-terminal CaM domain only engages in the interaction upon Ca2+ ligation, rendering the overall interaction much tighter. In the presence of EF, the C-terminal domain binds Ca2+ with higher affinity, but loses binding cooperativity, whereas the N-terminal domain exhibits strongly reduced Ca2+ affinity. As judged by chemical shift differences, the N-terminal CaM domain remains bound to EF upon subsequent Ca2+ ligation. This Ca2+ dependence of the EF-CaM interaction differs from that observed for most other CaM targets, which normally interact only with the Ca2+-bound CaM domains and become active following the transition to the four Ca2+ state.
Evaluation of Corn Fermentation Solubles as a Feed Ingredient for Laying Hens

Abstract Diets containing 0, 2.5, 5, 10, and 20% corn fermentation solubles (CFS) were fed to laying hens in two experiments for 4 and 6 months. No significant differences in rate of egg production or egg weight were found in either experiment. Birds fed the 20% CFS in Experiment 1 lost body weight (.65% lysine) while those fed the other diets gained weight (≥.72% lysine). No significant differences in body weight change were observed in the second experiment (lysine ≥.72%). Shell quality, as measured by deformation, was not significantly affected by dietary treatments, but interior egg quality was significantly improved with 10% or more CFS in Experiment 1. Liver lipid content was significantly decreased with 20% CFS in Experiment 1 and with 5% or more CFS in Experiment 2. Determination of the metabolizable energy (ME) content of CFS showed it to be higher for laying hens than for growing chicks. Values of 2.0 kcal nitrogen-corrected ME and 2.1 kcal nitrogen-corrected true ME for CFS appear to be reasonable ones to use in formulating diets for laying hens.