cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Peptide-Based Viscoelastic Matrices for Drug Delivery and Tissue Repair

Molecular self-assembly has paved the way to create novel, supramolecular, functional biomaterials. Peptide-based biomaterials are gaining interest as a result of their programability, biodegradability, and bioresorbability. Further, unlike polymeric materials, peptides can be made monodisperse with precise control over sequence, chain length, and stereochemistry. Peptide-based viscoelastic matrices have been designed and characterized for various biomedical applications, such as tissue engineering scaffolds or drug delivery vehicles. The ‘holy grail’ in designing an ideal tissue engineering scaffold lies in mimicking the cues of the tissue’s natural extracellular matrix (ECM). Some of the key elements of ECM that are incorporated into these peptide scaffolds include cell-adhesive and protease-sensitive sequences for enhanced cell-cell and cell-biomaterial interactions. Peptide-based viscoelastic matrices can also be engineered with drug carrying protease-sensitive sequences for controlled and site-specific drug delivery. Molecular-level engineering of simple oligopeptide modules can be used to control the position and density of the bio-mimetic functionalities in the supramolecular structures, which demonstrates the power of the ‘bottom-up’ approach in self-assembly.
Talk Is Cheap: Ethnography and the Attitudinal Fallacy

This article examines the methodological implications of the fact that what people say is often a poor predictor of what they do. We argue that many interview and survey researchers routinely conflate self-reports with behavior and assume a consistency between attitudes and action. We call this erroneous inference of situated behavior from verbal accounts the attitudinal fallacy. Though interviewing and ethnography are often lumped together as “qualitative methods,” by juxtaposing studies of “culture in action” based on verbal accounts with ethnographic investigations, we show that the latter routinely attempts to explain the “attitude–behavior problem” while the former regularly ignores it. Because meaning and action are collectively negotiated and context-dependent, we contend that self-reports of attitudes and behaviors are of limited value in explaining what people actually do because they are overly individualistic and abstracted from lived experience.
Working towards conceptual consistency in discussing “diaspora” and “diaspora strategies”: Ethnicity and affinity in the case of Japan

Abstract The terms “diaspora” and “diaspora strategies” are both used in inconsistent, and often, conflicting ways. Who encompasses “the diaspora” and what are “diaspora strategies”? What roles do ethnicity and affinity play in conceptualizing relationships between diasporas and homeland governments? This paper extrapolates from programs and organizations that link overseas coethnic and former resident non-coethnic populations to Japan to offer clarity and consistency in usage by bringing together concepts not typically put in conversation with each other and introducing new terms that conceptualize more specific aspects of who we are referring to as “diaspora” and what we are referring to as “diaspora strategies”. Conceptualizations of diaspora often gloss over internal differences, including whether or not people deemed members of a diaspora actually demonstrate a homeland orientation. Focusing on the difference between ethnicity-based and affinity-based definitions of diaspora, I distinguish between three types of diaspora strategies: “diaspora-connecting”, “diaspora-cultivating”, and “diaspora-creating strategies”. Finally, as a way to discuss the potential contributions of both overseas coethnic and non-coethnic populations to a given nation, I conclude by considering Joseph Nye’s notion of “soft power” in relation to diaspora strategies. By engaging these concepts together, the paper highlights the tensions between considering ethnicity and affinity as factors for deciding who to target for diaspora strategies, and demonstrates how diaspora strategies can also target non-coethnics.
USE OF DISH SOAP AS AN EMETIC IN THE OUTPATIENT MANAGEMENT OF ACCIDENTAL POISONINGS

Top of pageAbstract Emesis was induced in 47 patients using commercial liquid dish washing soap (30 cc plus fluid). Patients entered in the study met the following criteria: 1) emesis indicated by nature of exposure, 2) 10 mos. old, 3) no contradictions to emesis, 4) ipecac not available and patient 30 minutes from a likely source, 5) continued telephone contact possible or patient referred to medical facility. A consecutive group of patients (74) in whom ipecac was used to induce emesis served as the control group. All subjects were followed for two days to determine effectiveness and adverse reactions Emesis occurred in 39 (83%) of the study group and 72 (97%) of the control group. Emesis occurred in 5 min in 21 (54%) of the study group and none of the ipecac group. In 30 (77%) of the study group and 30 (42%) of the control group emesis occurred in 20 min. In the study group 67% of the subjects had 1 episode of emesis compared to 86% in the control group. In the study group the return on emesis was judged good in 44%, moderate in 44%, poor in 7%, and unknown in 5%. In the ipecac group return was good in 72%, moderate in 26%, and unknown in 2%. No significant side effects were observed, but, nausea tended to be more prolonged in the ipecac group. Liquid dish soap appears to be a safe and effective method for inducing emesis when ipecac is not available.
Age Differences in Speech Motor Performance on a Novel Speech Task

Purpose The study was aimed at characterizing age-related changes in speech motor performance on a nonword repetition task as a function of practice and nonword length and complexity. Method Nonwor...
Candidate genetic analysis of plasma high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol and severity of coronary atherosclerosis

Plasma level of high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), a heritable trait, is an important determinant of susceptibility to atherosclerosis. Non-synonymous and regulatory single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes implicated in HDL-C synthesis and metabolism are likely to influence plasma HDL-C, apolipoprotein A-I (apo A-I) levels and severity of coronary atherosclerosis. We genotyped 784 unrelated Caucasian individuals from two sets of populations (Lipoprotein and Coronary Atherosclerosis Study- LCAS, N = 333 and TexGen, N = 451) for 94 SNPs in 42 candidate genes by 5' nuclease assays. We tested the distribution of the phenotypes by the Shapiro-Wilk normality test. We used Box-Cox regression to analyze associations of the non-normally distributed phenotypes (plasma HDL-C and apo A-I levels) with the genotypes. We included sex, age, body mass index (BMI), diabetes mellitus (DM), and cigarette smoking as covariates. We calculated the q values as indicators of the false positive discovery rate (FDR). Plasma HDL-C levels were associated with sex (higher in females), BMI (inversely), smoking (lower in smokers), DM (lower in those with DM) and SNPs in APOA5, APOC2, CETP, LPL and LIPC (each q ≤0.01). Likewise, plasma apo A-I levels, available in the LCAS subset, were associated with SNPs in CETP, APOA5, and APOC2 as well as with BMI, sex and age (all q values ≤0.03). The APOA5 variant S19W was also associated with minimal lumen diameter (MLD) of coronary atherosclerotic lesions, a quantitative index of severity of coronary atherosclerosis (q = 0.018); mean number of coronary artery occlusions (p = 0.034) at the baseline and progression of coronary atherosclerosis, as indicated by the loss of MLD. Putatively functional variants of APOA2, APOA5, APOC2, CETP, LPL, LIPC and SOAT2 are independent genetic determinants of plasma HDL-C levels. The non-synonymous S19W SNP in APOA5 is also an independent determinant of plasma apo A-I level, severity of coronary atherosclerosis and its progression.
Validity of parental report of influenza vaccination in children 6 to 59 months of age.

Objective The objective of this study was to assess the validity of parental report of influenza vaccinations. Patients and methods A cross-sectional study of children who were 6 to 59 months of age and presented to a large, pediatric residency clinic from February through April 2005 was performed. A standardized, parental questionnaire ascertained the influenza vaccination status of children during the 2004-2005 influenza season and was compared with the medical chart, the criterion standard. Children were classified as being at high risk when they had a specific influenza vaccine recommendation in 2004-2005 by age (6-23 months of age) or by chronic medical condition. Results Of 218 parents approached in the pediatric residency clinic, 198 (95%) children who were 6 to 59 months of age were enrolled, and 84 (42%) were vaccinated according to the medical chart. More children who were 6 to 23 months than those who were 24 to 59 months of age were vaccinated (63% vs 21%). Children with chronic medical conditions were more likely to be vaccinated than healthy children who were 24 to 59 months of age (57% vs 11%), but no difference was observed for children who were 6 to 23 months of age (79% vs 60%). In comparison with the medical chart, parental report of influenza vaccination had a sensitivity of 88%, a specificity of 90%, and a kappa coefficient of 0.78. For children who were 6 to 23 months of age or had a chronic medical condition (n = 123), parental report had a sensitivity of 89%, a specificity of 81%, and a kappa coefficient of 0.71. Conclusions Parental report of influenza vaccination among children who were 6 to 59 months of age had reasonable sensitivity, specificity, and reliability as compared with the medical chart in this study population.
Diallyl trisulfide inhibits estrogen receptor-α activity in human breast cancer cells

Organosulfur compounds from garlic effectively inhibit growth of transplanted as well as spontaneous cancers in preclinical animal models without any adverse side effects. However, the mechanisms underlying anticancer effect of this class of compounds are not fully understood. This study reports, for the first time, that garlic organosulfide diallyl trisulfide (DATS) inhibits estrogen receptor-α (ER-α) activity in human breast cancer cells. Exposure of MCF-7 and T47D cells to DATS resulted in downregulation of ER-α protein, which peaked between 12- and 24-h post-treatment. DATS was relatively more effective in suppressing ER-α protein expression compared with its mono and disulfide analogs. The 17β-estradiol (E2)-induced expression of pS2 and cyclin D1, ER-α target gene products, was also decreased in the presence of DATS. Downregulation of ER-α protein expression resulting from DATS treatment was accompanied by a decrease in nuclear levels of ER-α protein, ER-α mRNA suppression, and inhibition of ERE2e1b-luciferase reporter activity. DATS-mediated inhibition of cell viability and apoptosis induction were not affected in the presence of E2. In agreement with these results, ectopic expression of ER-α in MDA-MB-231 cell line failed to confer any protection against cell proliferation inhibition or apoptosis induction resulting from DATS exposure. DATS treatment caused a decrease in protein levels of peptidyl-prolyl cis–trans isomerase (Pin1), and overexpression of Pin1 partially attenuated ER-α downregulation by DATS. DATS-induced apoptosis was modestly but significantly augmented by overexpression of Pin1. In conclusion, this study identifies ER-α as a novel target of DATS in mammary cancer cells.
Acquired nystagmus in early childhood: a presenting sign of intracranial tumor.

This study is a multicenter, retrospective report of 10 infants in whom acquired nystagmus was the initial sign of chiasmal/ parachiasmal glioma. Nine patients presented before the age of 10 months. The nystagmus, primarily described as pendular and asymmetric, was difficult to differentiate from and therefore most often diagnosed as spasmus nutans . On average in the ten patients, the intracranial glioma was not recognized for 8.6 months after the onset of nystagmus. In the five diagnosed as spasmus nutans , the mean delay in recognizing the tumor was 14.5 months. Three associated clinical findings were present or developed in these patients to distinguish this entity from spasmus nutans : optic atrophy in all ten patients, poor feeding due to diencephalic syndrome in 5 of 10, and increased intracranial pressure with hydrocephalus in 3 of 10. The acquired nystagmus in these infants was evidence of a life-threatening chiasmal/ parachiasmal glioma.
Distributed Connectionist Models in Social Psychology

Distributed connectionist models of mental representation (also termed PDP or parallel distributed processing, or ANN or artificial neural networks) constitute a fundamental alternative to the associative or schematic models that have been much more prevalent in social psychology. A connectionist model is made up of a large number of very simple processing units, richly interconnected and able to send signals to each other depending on their momentary activation levels. No individual processing unit represents a meaningful concept; instead, overall patterns of activation hold representational meaning. This article emphasizes the novel properties of connectionist representation that might appeal to theorists and researchers in social psychology, including their context sensitivity and flexibility, ability to represent prototypes and exemplars within a single network, and ability to determine whether a stimulus is familiar even before the stimulus can be identified or categorized. Virtually every theory in social psychology makes reference to mental representations, including beliefs, attitudes, stereotypes, person impressions, autobiographical memories, or the self-concept. Therefore, the assumed properties of mental representations fundamentally influence the predictions that will be made by our theories. Social psychologists have often unquestioningly adopted a standard set of assumptions about the nature of representations (such as associative network or schema models; Smith, 1998), assumptions that are pleasantly straightforward, familiar, and intuitive. This article describes an alternative, distributed connectionist models of representation, and discusses some of their less intuitive properties, with the goal of encouraging social psychologists to explore the implications of these models for their theories. As I will argue, connectionist models can explode misleading dichotomies, unify seemingly distinct types of processing, and naturally generate properties (such as the flexible, contextsensitive nature of representations) that are often found in social psychological research. The properties of connectionist models (also termed PDP or parallel distributed processing, or ANN or artificial neural networks) are explored
Extended Stratification: Immigrant and Native Differences in Individual and Family Labor.

This article outlines a theoretical system of extended stratification in order to account for differences between immigrants and natives in (1) the amount of time individuals devote to paid work an...
Comparing Outcomes of a Web-based MSW Course to Face-to-Face Class Outcomes: Implications for Social Work Education

The aim of this study was to assess students' confidence in their ability to diagnose mental illness in a second year Masters-level Psychosocial Pathology course. Overall final grade was also evaluated as an outcome measure. One hundred and ten (98 completed both the pre- and post-tests) Master in Social Work students were enrolled in one of three sections of the course Psychosocial Pathology. Two sections were delivered in a fully face-to-face mode and one section was delivered in a fully web-based mode. Statistically significant differences were found in change scores between the ‘online’ and ‘face-to-face’ groups. Statistically significant differences were also found in class composition and student characteristics suggesting that student characteristics, as well as teaching/learning modes, may moderate classroom outcomes. Recommendations for developing ‘best practices’ for advising students deciding between face-to-face and web-based courses are delineated.
Possible influence of the quasiparticle-pair interference term on the current-voltage characteristics of oxide barrier Josephson junctions

Abstract The coefficients σ 0 , σ 1 and j 1 of the current-phase relation of a planar oxide barrier Josephson junction are evaluated in the BCS theory as a function of voltage and gap energy. Since σ 1 /σ 0 is ⪆ - 1 for small voltages, and ⪅ 1 above the gap voltage, σ 1 may have some observable consequence on the current-voltage characteristics.
A patient presenting with a pelvic mass, elevated CA-125, and fever.

Abstract Background. Tuberculous peritonitis is a rare event which can mimic advanced stage ovarian cancer. A pelvic mass and an elevated CA-125 is suggestive of an ovarian malignancy; however, benign conditions may be discovered, especially in the premenopausal patient. Case. A patient with a pelvic mass, ascites, and an elevated CA-125 underwent an exploratory laparotomy for presumed ovarian cancer. Final pathology revealed pelvic tuberculosis without any pulmonary involvement. Acid-fast bacilli were confirmed with polymerase chain reaction in the surgical specimen. Discussion. Pelvic tuberculosis is an uncommon gynecologic condition that presents with ascites, a pelvic mass, and fever. An elevated CA-125 is not specific for ovarian malignancy.
Ultrasound Biomicroscopy of the Aging Rhesus Monkey Ciliary Region

Ultrasound biomicroscopy of the living rhesus monkey ocular ciliary region was undertaken to identify age-dependent changes that might relate to the progression of presbyopia. Monkeys were anesthetized and pharmacologically cyclopleged, the eyelids were held open with a lid speculum, and sutures were placed beneath the medial and lateral rectus muscles. Ultrasound biomicroscopy imaging of the nasal and temporal quadrants of the eye were performed, and the live images were recorded to videotape. Subsequent image analysis was performed to obtain objective morphometric measurements of the ciliary body region. The ciliary body inner radius of curvature, outer radius of curvature, inner arc length, area, thickness, perimeter, zonular fiber length, and circumlental space were measured. Zonular space was calculated. The circumlental space decreased with increasing age in the temporal quadrant. The other morphologic measurements were not significantly correlated with age or body weight. Most morphologic measurements were significantly different comparing temporal vs. nasal quadrants. Bifurcation of the posterior zonular fibers was frequently observed. Although temporal circumlental space was the only measurement found to change with age, ultrasound biomicroscopy of the living rhesus ciliary region did identify distinct nasal vs. temporal asymmetries, which may reflect anatomical requirements for convergence-associated accommodation.
Qualitative Study on the Role of Nurses as Health Case Managers of Children in Foster Care in California

This qualitative study on nurses who provide health case management for children in foster care examined their vision for the care needed to improve health outcomes. A purposive sample of eight public health nurses was selected to participate in semistructured interviews. Data were analyzed using content analysis to formulate a narrative description of the nurses' vision. Two themes emerged from the data: (1) the desire to give holistic care with an emphasis on mental health care and (2) the difficulty with providing preventive care as a result of multiple causes of health problems.
Dyslexia: Evolution of a concept

It was recognized at a relatively early stage of medical history that injury or disease of the brain in adult patients could cause a loss of a specific cognitive skill such as the ability to name objects or the ability to read. Indeed observations of this type were often employed as an argument in favor of localization of function in the brain. Thus specific anomia or "loss of memory for words" was clearly described in the 16th century and the syndrome of alexia without agraphia was identified in the 17th century. But neither physicians nor educators were as quick to recognize that children might also suffer from specific cognitive disabilities as a consequence of congenital or early acquired disease. It was only in 1853 that the Dublin otologist, William Wilde, published his observations on children who were "dumb, but not deaf," i.e., suffering from specific language disability. As we know, developmental dyslexia went unrecognized until the end of the 19th century when Morgan published his famous case report. As so often happens, once the attention of physicians was called to the condition, they immediately observed it in their practice and a steady stream of papers on dyslexia appeared in the English and German medical literature between 1900 and 1910. Somewhat later, clinical psychologists recognized dyslexia as a distinctive condition and attempted to relate its occurrence to more basic defects in visualization, auditory perception and associational processes. On the other hand, educators were less ready to accept the real existence of "congenital wordblindness" as a clinical entity.
Phenol-directed enantioselective allylation of aldimines and ketimines.

Phenols are effective directing and activating groups for our allylchlorosilane reagents, allowing the highly enantioselective allylation of a range of 2-aminophenol-derived aldimines. When the phenol is incorporated into the substrate ketimines may be allylated highly enantioselectively, leading to the experimentally simple synthesis of a range of tertiary carbinamine structures.
Cell Fusion Studies Identified Multiple Cellular Factors Involved in Mouse Hepatitis Virus Entry

We have previously reported that certain murine cell lines are susceptible to mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) A59 strain infection but resistant to JHM strain, despite the expression of the viral receptor for both strains. This restriction on viral infection has been shown to occur at the virus entry level (Yokomori et al., Virology 196, 45-56, 1993). To study whether JHM resistance of these cell lines is due to a defective cellular factor necessary for JHM virus entry, or due to the presence of an inhibitor, hybrid cells were obtained by polyethylene glycol (PEG)-mediated fusion between two resistant cell lines, i.e., a Balb/c mouse-derived cell line, BC10 cells, which are resistant to JHM infection but express a viral receptor, and the simian cell line COS cells, which are resistant to JHM because of the absence of the viral receptor. JHM could replicate in the hybrid BC10-COS cells, indicating that the restriction of viral infection in BC10 cells could be complemented by COS cells. This result indicates that the resistance of BC10 cells to JHM infection is due to the defectiveness of a cellular factor rather than the presence of an inhibitor. JHM virus-binding and penetration into BC10 cells appeared to be normal. However, JHM internalization into BC10 cells by PEG-induced virus-cell fusion did not lead to viral replication, suggesting that the restriction of JHM infection in BC10 cells is at the level of viral uncoating. This restriction could be complemented by PEG-mediated fusion with other murine cell lines which have the virion-uncoating activity, but not by cell lines which lack this activity. Furthermore, the viral resistance of most of other murine cell lines, which express MHV receptors, could not be overcome by fusion with COS cells, suggesting that different murine cell lines are defective in different viral entry functions. Therefore, we conclude that JHM viral entry process requires multiple cellular factors secondary to the viral receptor.
NICU Nursing for the 21st Century

The role of the neonatal nurse continues to evolve. Earlier identified as technicians, contracted clinicians, advocates, and surrogate parents, today9s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) nurse plays a much larger role as a key part of the health-care team. Nursing budgets in many NICUs account for 25% to 30% of costs, which has forced nursing staff to clarify their role in the NICU and justify their value at the bedside. Despite years of debate, confusion still exists about the role of nursing, which rarely is defined clearly by job descriptions. This article explores the role of the NICU nurse as part of an interdisciplinary team.
Percutaneous feeding tubes in patients with head and neck cancer: rethinking prophylactic placement for patients undergoing chemoradiation.

Abstract Objectives Although intensified therapy has contributed to improved outcomes for patients with head and neck cancer, acute toxicity has increased as well. To lessen the severity of nutritional compromise in these patients, our institutional protocol has been to routinely place feeding tubes before the initiation of therapy. This investigation details the toxicities associated with feeding tube placement and predictors for duration of tube dependence. Materials and methods The records of the Radiation Oncology Department at Emory Clinic were reviewed for patients receiving definitive radiotherapy between 6/1/2003 and 6/1/2006. The records of the subset of patients with feeding tube placement before the initiation of therapy were then reviewed for toxicities as well as length of time of tube dependence. Results There were 102 eligible patients. Radiotherapy was delivered with concomitant chemotherapy in all. Median time with feeding tube in place for all patients was 4.4 months (range, 0.2–28.9 months). For 82 patients with eventual tube removal, the median time of tube dependence was 3.8 months (range, 1.4–28.9 months). Risk factors for prolonged tube dependence are analyzed; on multivariate analysis, patient age, T stage, and nodal status remained significant. The most common complication was tube replacement, with 11.8% of all tubes requiring replacement. Infection and pain occurred in 8.8% and 5.9% of patients, respectively. Conclusion Feeding tubes are required for more than 2 months after combined modality treatment of head and neck cancer. They are generally well tolerated, but toxicities are not trivial: more than 10% require replacement and more than 8% of patients develop infection at the insertion site. We are assessing their routine placement in light of these data.
Water balance responses to dehydration and neurohypophysial peptides in the salamander, Notophthalmus viridescens

Abstract Both terrestrial efts and aquatic newts of Notophthalmus viridescens gain weight rapidly and to the same extent, following dehydration or treatment with neurohypophysial peptides. Newts respond to arginine vasopressin by an increase in water uptake, a decrease in urinary water loss, an increase in bladder resorption and a decrease in glomerular filtration rate. Arginine vasopressin (AVP) doses of 0.4, 4.0, 40.0, and 80.0 mU/g increased body weight in efts at 2 hr by 5.5, 9.4, 14.6 and 15.0%, respectively, but 0.04 mU/g had no effect. In newts, AVP (40 mU/g) increased body weight by 24% in 2 hr, compared to an increase of 11% in response to oxytocin (40 mU/g). Solute loading (1 M NaCl and 2 M sucrose) in newts caused a rapid increase in body weight (16% in the first hour). Urine production was decreased by AVP from 65 to 32 μl/g/hr, and water uptake was increased from 80 to 120 μl/g/hr. The increase in water uptake is assumed to occur across the skin since no drinking could be demonstrated either with phenol red or inulin 14 C. Inulin clearance rate (glomerular filtration rate) was decreased from 155 to 89 μl/g/hr by AVP. The water permeability of isolated bladder preparations, but not isolated skin preparations, increased with AVP treatment. Comparison of rehydration rates of urodeles and anurans reveals that N. viridescens can regain its lost water at rates comparable to terrestrial anurans.
Development of the Communication Complexity Scale

Purpose Accurate description of an individual’s communication status is critical in both research and practice. Describing the communication status of individuals with severe intellectual and developmental disabilities is difficult because these individuals often communicate with presymbolic means that may not be readily recognized. Our goal was to design a communication scale and summary score for interpretation that could be applied across populations of children and adults with limited (often presymbolic) communication forms. Method The Communication Complexity Scale (CCS) was developed by a team of researchers and tested with 178 participants with varying levels of presymbolic and early symbolic communication skills. Correlations between standardized and informant measures were completed, and expert opinions were obtained regarding the CCS. Results CCS scores were within expected ranges for the populations studied, and interrater reliability was high. Comparison across other measures indicated signifi...
Proton magnetic resonance studies of some group VIII-polypyridine complexes

Abstract The p.m.r. spectra of 2,2′-bipyridine, tris(2,2′-bipyridine)ruthenium(II) dichloride, dichloro-bis(2,2′-bipyridine)ruthenium(II), ethylenediamine-bis(2,2′-bipyridine)ruthenium(II)dichloride, 2,2′,2″-terpyridine,bis(2,2′,2″-terpyridine)ruthenium-(II) diiodide and bis(2,2′,2″terpyridine)osmium(II) dichloride have been reported and analyzed. From the p.m.r. data, the symmetry of the complex and the geometry of the ligand within the complex are predicted. In some cases, attempts to explain anomalous luminescence behavior are made on the basis of the structural analysis.
Ku80 is required but not sufficient for Gα13-mediated endodermal differentiation in P19 embryonic carcinoma cells

Abstract We have shown that a constitutively active Gα13 (Gα13Q226L) induces differentiation in P19 embryonic carcinoma cells to an endodermal phenotype. In this report, we demonstrate that Ku, a heterodimer of p80 (Ku80) and p70 (Ku70), is upregulated in P19 cells overexpressing Gα13Q226L. Ku is the regulatory subunit of the DNA-dependent protein kinase and is primarily involved in DNA repair and recombination. Ku80 also is a somatostatin receptor. We show that while overexpression of Ku80 drastically reduced P19 cell proliferation, it was not sufficient to induce endodermal differentiation. However, coexpression of Gα13Q226L and an antisense Ku80 abrogated the retarded growth rate and endodermal differentiation observed in cells expressing only Gα13Q226L. Overexpression of Gα13Q226L or Ku80 downregulated RNA polymerase I-mediated transcriptional activity and overexpression of antisense Ku80 restored the activity to control level. These results suggest that Ku80 is required for Gα13-mediated endodermal differentiation in P19 cells.
Bovine NAD+-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase: alternative splicing and tissue-dependent expression of subunit 1.

NAD+-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH), a key regulatory enzyme in the Krebs cycle, is a multi-tetrameric enzyme. At least three of the subunits in the core tetramer of mammals are unique gene products. Subunits 1/β and 2/γ are considered to be regulatory, while subunits 3,4/α, comprising half the tetramer, are catalytic. The full sequence was obtained for the major subunit 1 cDNA in bovine heart, IDH 1-A. A second cDNA, rare in heart, was also identified (IDH 1-B). Differences in the two were confined to the 3‘-region, suggesting alternative splicing. Screening of brain, kidney, and liver RNA showed the presence of IDH 1-A and 1-B and a third major species, IDH 1-C. Amplification of bovine genomic DNA by PCR across the regions of difference produced a single product. Comparison of the genomic and mRNA sequences showed that IDH 1-A resulted from splicing of exon W to exon Y, eliminating intron w, exon X, and intron x. IDH 1-B was formed by splice junctions between exon W, exon X, and exon Y. IDH 1-...
Solvability of the super KP equation and a generalization of the Birkhoff decomposition.

The unique solvability of the initial value problem for the total hierarchy of the super Kadomtsev-Petviashvili system is established. To prove the existence we use a generalization of the Birkhoff decomposition which is obtained by replacing the loop variable and loop groups in the original setting by a super derivation operator and groups of infinite order super micro- (i.e. pseudo-) differential operators. To show the uniqueness we generalize the fact that every flat connection admits horizontal sections to the case of an infinite dimensional super algebra bundle defined over an infinite dimensional super space. The usual KP system with non-commutative coefficients is also studied. The KP system is obtained from the super KP system by reduction modulo odd variables. On the other hand, the first modified KP equation can be obtained from the super KP system by elimination of odd variables. Thus the super KP system is a natural unification of the KP system and the modified KP systems.
The evolution of the SUS.

GOOD MORNING. I would like to welcome everyone to the Annual Meeting of the Society of University Surgeons (SUS) and the 4th Annual Meeting of the Academic Surgical Congress (ASC). It is my distinct pleasure to have had the opportunity to serve as the President of the SUS this year and as a member of the Executive Council for the last 6 years. Most of you probably do not know that I am not the first Simeone to serve on the Executive Council of the SUS. Dr Fiorindo Simeone, my grandfather’s cousin, served as the Chair of the Publications Committee in 1946 and from 1950 to 1952 (Fig 1). Fiorindo came to the United States from Italy as a small boy and went on to have a distinguished career in academic surgery. He did groundbreaking work in improving our understanding the management of vascular trauma, and he is credited by many as setting up one of the first vascular research laboratories in the country. It seemed fitting to pay tribute to his work, and let you know how honored I am to have followed in his footsteps a half a century later. I would like to thank my family for attending and for all their support. I would like to acknowledge my wonderful husband Ted, an accomplished surgeon in his own right, and my 2 children: Sam, who is 10, and Amelia, who is 5. I feel so lucky to have such a terrific and supportive family that gives me incredible joy every day. My parents are also here today, Bill and Pauline Simeone. I would like to thank them for always encouraging me and making me feel there were no limits to what I could accomplish if I put my heart into it. I appreciate their love and support.
COMPUTER-ASSISTED COMPILATION AND DRAFTING / PLANNING FOR THE GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN AREA STREET MAP

Computer-assistance has aided in the production of a wide range of cartographic products. For the 1983 edition of the Green Bay (Wisconsin) Area Street Map, the Chamber of Commerce elected to have the map prepared using digital techniques. With modest equipment and custom tailored software for the generation of required point, line, and area symbols, the map was prepared in far less time, and at far lower cost than would have been the case under manual methods. The data file has also proven useful in subsequent editions of the map. This paper describes the automation process and the software developed for this mapping project. L'ordinateur a aide a la production d'un grand eventail des produits cartographiques. Pour son edition 1983 de la carte Green Bay (Wisconsin) Area Street Map, la Chambre de Commerce decida d'utiliser les techniques numeriques. A l'aide d'un equipement simple et d'un logiciel specifique pour la production des points, lignes et symboles de surface, on a pu preparer la carte en beaucou...
Characteristics of those offended by organ procurement alternatives

Although Adams, Barnett and Kaserman (ABK), ["Markets For Organs: The Question of Supply," Contemporary Economic Policy, 17:2, 1999] have found that financial incentives have the potential to completely eliminate the organ shortage, 12 percent of the individuals in their survey indicated that they would be offended, and withdraw altogether from the donation process, if such a system were implemented. It is this offended segment of the population that is the focus of this paper. The data for the model come from a stLrvey, independent of ABK's, of 101 randomly selected individuals in a metropolitan area of the southeastern U.S. having a median age of 36 years, closely mirroring the national population [35.5 years, U.S. Statistical Abstract, 2000]. The survey instrument consists of the following questions: 1) possession of a drivers LICENSE, 2) MARRIED, 3) AGE, 4) GENDER, 5) religious affiliation (CATHOLIC, BAPTIST, PROTESTANT other affiliations are the baseline category), 6) CHILDREN and 7) annual income level (15001-30000, 30001-45000, 45000UP the baseline category is 15000 and below). The remaining questions focus on different methods of organ procurement. PREFERRED indicates an individual favoring a law giving organ donors first consideration if the donor at some point needed to be an organ recipient. PRESUMED indicates an individual favors a law that presumes everyone is a donor unless they opt out formally with the appropriate legal authority. FINANCIAL indicates an individual's willingness to donate a family member's organ(s) if offered a financial incentive. The dependent variable OFFENDED is qualitative in nature with a 1 indicating that an individual would withdraw HIS organs altogether from the market in the face of a law allowing financial incentives for cadaveric organ procurement. Using these data, one can estimate the following logit model:
Extraction forces and tissue changes during explant of CWRU-type intramuscular electrodes from rat gastrocnemius

Intramuscular electrodes are currently in use for clinically implementing several electrotherapeutic and neuroprosthetic protocols. A decrease in motor recruitment is often reported in these systems due to movement of the electrode tip from the initial implant site. In the study reported here, multistrand intramuscular electrodes of the CWRU design were implanted aseptically in the gastrocnemii of adult rats under anesthesia. These electrodes were explanted immediately after implant in one group and after periods of 1 and 4 hr; 1, 3, and 5 days; 1 week; 10 days; and 2 and 4 weeks in others. Force as a function of displacement was recorded during explantation. Analysis of the results showed that there was a significant increase in the force required to dislodge the electrode tip between 5 and 7 days of implant. Electrodes seemed to be vulnerable to movement in the first 5 days when the barb provided the only fixation. Histology of muscles from which electrodes had been explanted did not show any increase in the area of tissue changes, compared with control muscles in which the electrode remainedin situ. These results indicated that electrode removal occurred within the encapsulation tissues, and the surrounding muscle was mainly unaffected by the explant process.
Multimodality imaging in the assessment of myocardial viability

The prevalence of heart failure due to coronary artery disease continues to increase, and it portends a worse prognosis than non-ischemic cardiomyopathy. Revascularization improves prognosis in these high-risk patients who have evidence of viability; therefore, optimal assessment of myocardial viability remains essential. Multiple imaging modalities exist for differentiating viable myocardium from scar in territories with contractile dysfunction. Given the multiple modalities available, choosing the best modality for a specific patient can be a daunting task. In this review, the physiology of myocardial hibernation and stunning will be reviewed. All the current methods available for assessing viability including echocardiography, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, nuclear imaging with single photon emission tomography and positron emission tomography imaging and cardiac computed tomography will be reviewed. The effectiveness of the various techniques will be compared, and the limitations of the current literature will be discussed.
Diet and physical activity behaviors among Americans trying to lose weight: 2000 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.

Objective To examine the prevalence and correlates of trying to lose weight among U.S. adults, describe weight loss strategies, and assess attainment of recommendations for weight control (eating fewer calories and physical activity). Research methods and procedures This study used the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, a state-based telephone survey of adults > or =18 years of age (N = 184,450) conducted in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico in 2000. Results The prevalence of trying to lose weight was 46% (women) and 33% (men). Women reported trying to lose weight at a lower BMI than did men; 60% of overweight women were trying to lose weight, but men did not reach this level until they were obese. Adults who had a routine physician checkup in the previous year and reported medical advice to lose weight vs. checkup and no medical advice to lose weight had a higher prevalence of trying to lose weight (81% women and 77% men vs. 41% women and 28% men, respectively). The odds of trying to lose weight increased as years of education increased. Among respondents who were trying to lose weight, approximately 19% of women and 22% of men reported using fewer calories and > or =150 min/wk leisure-time physical activity. Discussion A higher percentage of women than men were trying to lose weight; both sexes used similar weight loss strategies. Education and medical advice to lose weight were strongly associated with trying to lose weight. Most persons trying to lose weight were not using minimum recommended weight loss strategies.
A graphical service system with variable syntax

Man-machine interaction in many fields of endeavor should be greatly facilitated in the near future through the use of interactive graphical languages. To provide a variety of display scope communication procedures, a Graphic Service System which functions as a generalized graphical language translator, is being developed to aid the definition as well as the use of new graphical languages.
The Prevalence and Characteristics of Blacks Having a Successful Marital Reconciliation

This study, using 1987-88 National Survey of Families and Households data, has provided some insight as to the prevalence and characteristics of black women who had a successful reconciliation in their first marriage. Approximately one-fourth of the women attempting a marital reconciliation are still married more than one year after the reconciliation began. Logistic regrcssion analysis shows that age at separation and premarital fertility are significantly related to the success of an attempted reconciliation. The results of this study are considered in the context of previous research on marital dissolution thus increasing our understanding of the process of marital dissolution.
Tax resistance, economy and state transformation in China and Europe

This article considers the distinct ways in which Chinese and European governments have historically approached taxation. The similarities of popular resistance in both regions to taxation deemed illegitimate contrast with the diverse solutions to tax collection put forward under varied political systems. Differences in state relations with elites, the intensity of demands for revenues and the kinds of strategies developed to secure additional funding contribute to the definition of distinct patterns of political change. Tax operations can therefore serve as a useful diagnostic for comparing broader economic and political developments in China and Europe over the past several centuries.
Neutral Mesons Arising in the Photoproduction of Pion Pairs

The cross sections for neutrons obtained in the photoproduction of pion pairs have been computed using the Wick-Chew-Low formalism. It is found that in the case of neutral mesons, one must consider the contributions obtained from terms giving rise to two $P$-wave mesons. The latter arise chiefly from the anomalous magnetic moment interaction, and alter the results obtained from terms giving rise to one $S$- and one $P$-wave meson by a factor of about 50% for neutral mesons. The results for charged mesons obtained by Zachariasen and Cutkosky are not altered appreciably. The model so obtained has many features of the model for single meson photoproduction as given by Chew and Low.
Vegetation composition and structure of woody plant communities along urban interstate corridors in Louisville, KY, U.S.A.

Urban forests adjacent to interstate corridors are understudied ecosystems across cities. Despite their small area, these forests may be strategically located to provide large ecosystem services due to their ability to act as a barrier against air pollutants and noise as well as to provide flood control. The woody vegetation composition and structure of forests adjacent to urban interstates is an important determinant of their ability to provide these services. However, these forest communities may be particularly susceptible to the introduction of exotic invasive species via the interstate and the surrounding city that can potentially alter current and future forest composition. The purpose of this study was to investigate the distribution of native and exotic woody vegetation and tree regeneration in forests along three interstate corridors in Louisville, KY, and to determine potential factors (e.g., traffic density) that are correlated with patterns in the woody vegetation community. We found the most important determinants of vegetation composition along these interstate corridors were the distance from the city center and the presence of an exotic invasive shrub, Amur honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii). Compared with forested plots within 10 km of the city center, plots further from the city center had 81% lower stem density of Amur honeysuckle, 96% higher tree seedling regeneration, and 51% greater woody plant species richness. The primarily native species composition of adult trees in forests alongside urban interstates in Louisville and the regeneration of native tree species provide optimism that these forests can maintain native species while experiencing multiple impacts from the interstate as well as from the surrounding city, emphasizing their important potential for maintaining natural forest functions across the urban landscape.
Measuring path divergence in the Internet

Path divergence refers to a situation where a path from source to an intermediate router on a source to destination path may not be a prefix of the source to destination path. Studying path divergence helps us understand various operational characteristics of the underlying network. In this paper, we perform an active measurement study to observe the magnitude, causes, and types of path divergence in the Internet. We observe that most path divergence cases occur due to load balancing routers but policy-based inter domain routing practices also contribute to divergence. We also observe that most routers causing path divergence are positioned in the backbone of the network but routers closer to the sources are causing more number of divergences. Our study combined with peering relationship data between neighboring domains can also point out potential routing anomaly cases in the inter domain routing process in the Internet. Finally, our techniques to trace to intermediate routers can explore new IP addresses, routers, Autonomous Systems (ASes) which can potentially help enrich topology mapping procedure and infer new peering relationships among ASes.
Heparin neutralization of PGI2: effects upon platelets

Heparin neutralizes the inhibitory effect of prostacyclin (PGI2) on platelet aggregation. The PGI2-induced enhancement of platelet cyclic adenosine monophosphate levels is also inhibited. The mechanism appears to involve a direct interaction in which heparin neutralizes the inhibitory effects of PGI2 on platelet aggregation but, at the same time, does not lose its own anticoagulant activity. These findings may explain instances in which heparin infusions have been reported to produce hyperaggregation of platelets, thrombotic episodes, and thrombocytopenia in patients.