cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Carotid endarterectomy with contralateral carotid occlusion: is shunting necessary?

Background Controversy exists about the effect of contralateral carotid stenosis on the perioperative risks of carotid endarterectomy (CEA). Despite increased perioperative risk, the long-term outcome is improved in patients who undergo ipsilateral CEA with significant contralateral carotid stenosis. Traditionally, this involved shunting the ipsilateral carotid artery during the procedure. It was believed that this minimized the risk for cerebral ischemia. We believe selective shunting can be employed while still avoiding cerebral ischemia. This requires a reliable method of monitoring for ischemia. Intraoperative EEG monitoring has been proven to be a reliable method for monitoring for ischemic changes during a case. Methods A standard operative technique involving continuous EEG monitoring was used. We reviewed the records of carotid endarterectomies in the past 3 years. We present a series of 8 cases of CEA with contralateral occlusion in which shunting was selective based on EEG. Results Of eight patients, seven (87.5%) tolerated the procedure without EEG changes and thus did not requiring intraluminal shunting. There were no long-term complications in our series of patients. Conclusion We found that intraluminal carotid shunting during CEA with contralateral occlusion is not mandatory but neuroprotection methods need to be added to the operative procedure to ensure safety.
Toward collaboration sensing: applying network analysis techniques to collaborative eye-tracking data

In this paper we describe preliminary applications of network analysis techniques to eye-tracking data. In a previous study, the first author conducted a collaborative learning experiment in which subjects had access (or not) to a gaze-awareness tool: their task was to learn from neuroscience diagrams in a remote collaboration. In the treatment group, they could see the gaze of their partner displayed on the screen in real-time. In the control group, they could not. Dyads in the treatment group achieved a higher quality of collaboration and a higher learning gain. In this paper, we describe how network analysis techniques can further illuminate these results, and contribute to the development of 'collaboration sensing'. More specifically, we describe two contributions: first, one can use networks to visualize and explore eye-tracking data. Second, network metrics can be computed to interpret the properties of the graph. We conclude with comments on implementing this approach for formal learning environments.
A critical analysis of mid-century impression techniques for full dentures.

Abstract Impression techniques in use at the middle of the twentieth century vary not only in the plan of the technique, but with the use of the plan by each operator as well. Evaluation can be made only by an analysis of the resultant impression, area by area, in relation to the part of the mouth to which that part of the impression is adapted. The supporting structures have equal importance with the limiting structures in this analysis. The value of the procedures used will depend upon the recognition of possibilities and limitations of anatomic form and structure of the mouth, and the characteristics of the impression materials selected. Arbitrary impression techniques do not meet the requirements of an impression technique.
Selective disruption of neurotransmission by acetylcholinesterase antibodies in sympathetic ganglia examined with intracellular microelectrodes

Antibodies to acetylcholinesterase (AChE) induce adrenergic dysfunction in rats by selective, complement-mediated destruction of preganglionic sympathetic nerve terminals. To analyze this phenomenon at the neuronal level, monoclonal antibodies to AChE (1.6 mg) were injected via the tail vein, and superior cervical ganglia (SCG) or inferior mesenteric ganglia (IMG) were studied in vitro. In control SCG, all impaled neurons generated action potentials during direct injection of depolarizing current or indirect stimulation through the preganglionic nerve. Current injection remained effective in ganglia from treated rats, but preganglionic stimulation was greatly impaired: at 12 h and 3 d, less than 10% of the neurons responded, even to a maximal stimulus (150 V); at 9 d, only 25% responded. By contrast, in IMG, synaptic transmission was much less affected by antibody exposure: 60% or more of examined neurons responded to preganglionic stimulation. Differences in antibody access did not explain differing sensitivities of SCG and IMG since immunohistochemistry showed rapid accumulation of IgG deposits in both ganglia. These results are believed to reflect widespread but subtotal preganglionic sympathectomy by AChE antibodies. Current information indicates that paravertebral ganglia are all antibody-sensitive, but some prevertebral ganglia are resistant, suggesting immunochemical differences between them.
In vivo selection of inflammation markers on leukocytes in ischemic hearts

Loss of function of endothelial cells promotes an inflammation reaction, which induces the expression of inflammation-specific surface proteins. Adhesion molecules and chemotactic factors mediate the entry of leukocytes into the artery wall. Here, we attempt to identify genes expressing cell surface markers involved in the reaction of endothelial cells to injury. For this purpose, we have generated a T7 phage display cDNA library from maturated bone marrow cells containing about 25% monocytes taken from healthy human donors. It has been shown previously that during myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury the myocardium and endothelium undergo an inflammatory-like response. Thus, as a model we used Langendorff preparations of isolated mouse hearts that are subjected to ischemic stopped-flow conditions followed by reperfusion. After several rounds of binding of the phage display library to ischemic and healthy hearts we successfully enriched for phages, which bind specifically to ischemic hearts. The selected phages have been isolated and several clones of both known and novel genes have been identified. Conclusion Identifying novel leukocyte inflammation markers as well as their binding partners on endothelial cells should provide insight into the mechanisms of interaction between leukocytes and endothelial cells during inflammation reactions. This might lead to the development of drugs preventing ischemic reperfusion injury. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2005) 77, P65–P65; doi: 10.1016/j.clpt.2004.12.139
Spindle cell sarcoma of scrotum

Sarcomas of paratesticular origin are rare tumors. They usually manifest themselves as a scrotal mass that should be differentiated from testicular tumors. There are problems regarding their pathologic diagnosis and treatment. We report a case of spindle cell sarcoma of the gubernaculum testis in a young patient. Electron microscopy was used in the histogenetic typing of this tumor.
Changing patterns of psychiatric inpatient care for children and adolescents in general hospitals, 1988-1995.

Results: During the study period, there was a 36% increase in hospital discharges and a 44% decline in mean length of stay, resulting in a 23% decline in the number of bed-days, from more than 3 million to about 2.5 million. The number of nonpsychotic major depressive disorders increased significantly. Discharges from public hospitals have declined, and those from proprietary hospitals have risen. Concurrently, the role of private insurance declined and the role of Medicaid increased. During the period of study, the mean and median length of stay declined most for children and adolescents who were hospitalized in private facilities and those covered by private insurance. Across the United States, the mean length of stay declined significantly; this decline was almost 60% in the West. Discharges also declined in the West, in contrast to the Midwest and the South, where they significantly increased. Conclusions: Increased numbers of discharges and decreased length of stay may reflect evolving market forces and characteristics of hospitals. Further penetration by managed care into the public insurance system or modifications in existing Medicaid policy could have a profound impact on the availability of inpatient resources.
Opportunity cost in the evaluation of surgical innovations: a case study of laparoscopic versus open colectomy.

Opportunity cost is the value of an activity forgone for participation in some other activity. With respect to surgery, an innovation incurs an opportunity cost when it uses additional operating time that could otherwise be used in a productive way. This report describes an example of assessing opportunity cost in the transition from open to laparoscopic colectomy using pooled analysis data from the surgical literature and hospital financial data. A MEDLINE literature search was performed between the years 1998 and 2008. Data were pooled from the identified studies used for the statistical analysis of cost and operating room time differences between laparoscopic versus open colectomy. The analysis identified five commonly performed, elective general surgery procedures. The profit margins of these procedures then were determined and divided by their average surgical time to calculate a range of opportunity cost multipliers. Finally, these opportunity cost multipliers were applied to the additional time required for performance of laparoscopic colectomy to demonstrate that procedure’s true overall cost. Seven comparative studies were identified. The pooled analysis showed that the operating time was longer for a laparoscopic colectomy by 27.08 min (p < 0.0001). Additionally, laparoscopic colectomies had slightly higher total costs ($104.67 difference), but this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.28). The five commonly performed, elective procedures chosen were laparoscopic cholecystectomy, laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair, breast biopsy, partial mastectomy, and total thyroidectomy, and their opportunity cost multipliers ranged from $9 to $26 per minute. Depending on the opportunity cost multiplier used, the opportunity cost of an additional 27.08 min required to perform laparoscopic colectomy ranges from $243.72 to $704.08, which is approximately two to six times greater than the point estimate of the difference in total costs based on published studies. Although frequently overlooked, opportunity cost is a potentially very important element in assessing the true costs of surgical innovation.
Evaluating MapReduce for Multi-core and Multiprocessor Systems

This paper evaluates the suitability of the MapReduce model for multi-core and multi-processor systems. MapReduce was created by Google for application development on data-centers with thousands of servers. It allows programmers to write functional-style code that is automatically parallelized and scheduled in a distributed system. We describe Phoenix, an implementation of MapReduce for shared-memory systems that includes a programming API and an efficient runtime system. The Phoenix runtime automatically manages thread creation, dynamic task scheduling, data partitioning, and fault tolerance across processor nodes. We study Phoenix with multi-core and symmetric multiprocessor systems and evaluate its performance potential and error recovery features. We also compare MapReduce code to code written in lower-level APIs such as P-threads. Overall, we establish that, given a careful implementation, MapReduce is a promising model for scalable performance on shared-memory systems with simple parallel code
Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of 2,3-Diazabicyclo[2.2.l]heptane Derivatives as Prostaglandin Endoperoxide Analogs

Three prostaglandin endoperoxide analogs that possess the 2,3-diazabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane skeleton were synthesized and evaluated for activity in human platelets and in the rat fundus. All three compounds were inactive in inhibiting or stimulating platelet aggregation. One compound possessed weak contracting activity on the rat fundus.
What are debates about qualia really about

What�s really at issue in the debate between the transparency theorist and the qualia realist? To answer this question it will be useful to start off with Tye�s clear and, I think, representative ways of defining these views. What is qualia realism? Tye glosses the view as the claim that �Experiences have intrinsic features that are non-intentional and of which we can be directly aware via introspection.� Tye (2013, p. 4). Unless otherwise noted, all references to Tye�s work in what follows are to this paper. That is: Qualia Realism: There are features which: 1.are features of experiences; 2.are intrinsic properties of experiences; 3.are non-intentional; 4.are such that we can be directly aware of them via introspection. He also suggests that at least many qualia realists will hold that �the phenomenal character of an experience is one and the same as the cluster of such intrinsic features.� It will be useful have a label for this stronger view.
Eco-Labeling and Market Equilibria with Noisy Certification Tests

An intriguing alternative to traditional methods for regulating externalities is the provision of information about firms’ environmental attributes. An increasingly important example of this approach is “eco-labeling,” where a third party certifies firms’ products. Such schemes are currently used in a variety of countries. This paper investigates the equilibria that may occur with eco-labeling, and the attendant welfare effects. I model certification as a noisy test, subject to both type I and type II errors, but where green firms more likely to pass than brown firms. While it commonly leads to an increase in the fraction of green units in the market, the introduction of an eco-label can either increase or decrease welfare.
Current mismatch due to local dopant fluctuations in MOSFET channel

A microscopic multitransistor model is developed to analyze the impact of local dopant fluctuation on the intrinsic mismatch of long-channel MOSFET. A closed analytical formula for current mismatch is derived to show a nonscaled and self-consistent form /spl sim/[4+Log(L/L/sub min/)]/WL. This is in contrast to the global fluctuation model, in which the current mismatch has a universal scaling form /spl sim/1/WL but is not self-consistent if a MOSFET is modeled as an equivalent two-transistor system. The weak violation of scaling law results from the local fluctuation that has more impact on longer channel devices than on shorter ones. Our new model is consistent with recent experimental observation and can explain the discrepancies between the experimental data and the existing models. The analysis indicates that the local dopant fluctuation is the major cause and accounts for about 60% to 80% of total current mismatch when operated at lower gate voltage, a usual regime for higher output impedance.
Comment on “Childhood Memories”

The possibilities of our age have transformed dramatically in recent years. Many of us have wide access to the immediate gratification of our desires. We roam across daunting distances and complex cultural boundaries. We live out multiple identities so as to be there now. But the benefits come at a steep cost. Gaps between the wealthy and the poor have widened, and relationships between who and what we are, as well as structures through which our experiences become constituted, have transformed, mainly in the service of corporate advantage, such that our identities and sense of agency have been spread out across the various landscapes that we inhabit-with no common understanding of oppression, no common vocabulary for naming it, and few collective strategies for challenging it. Those not engineering the new capitalist voraciousness lie squarely in the way of modes of production that, in acting on behalf of the most privileged groups, produce widespread exploitation, marginalization, urban and industrial pollution, and cultural and linguistic demise. The situation of American Indian languages and cultures gives witness to the extent of the chaos. Of some five hundred aboriginal languages and cultures, fewer than twenty can be considered healthy. In Alaska, where a generation ago there were some two dozen languages, only three are expected to survive the new decade, and only one is predicted to last into the next generation. Where I currently teach, Dine language and ways of life are deeply imperiled. The shift from Navajo to English, explained away in some quarters by the devil's own survival-of-the-fittest cultural Darwinism, is taking place with astonishing speed. What we need desperately within the Navajo Nation-and everywhere else I can think of-is a new kind of cultural worker who is capable of exercising a politics of difference that will enable us to analyze how our dreams and desires are organized by the categories, narratives, and imperatives of consumerism. We need cultural workers who can help understand and reinvent the received structures of consumer society that blindly serve the status quo and inequitable distribution of power and wealth. We need a new kind of cultural activism centered on a commitment to difference, equity, and social justice. Lourdes Diaz Soto addresses these needs in terms of concrete teaching practice. She shows how the analysis of memory offers a window into the social, cultural, linguistic, and ideological dimensions of where we have been, who we are, and what is going on around us as a step toward
Convergence and Pattern-Stabilization in the Boltzmann Machine

The Boltzmann Machine has been introduced as a means to perform global optimization for multimodal objective functions using the principles of simulated annealing. In this paper we consider its utility as a spurious-free content-addressable memory, and provide bounds on its performance in this context. We show how to exploit the machine's ability to escape local minima, in order to use it, at a constant temperature, for unambiguous associative pattern-retrieval in noisy environments. An association rule, which creates a sphere of influence around each stored pattern, is used along with the Machine's dynamics to match the machine's noisy input with one of the pre-stored patterns. Spurious fixed points, whose regions of attraction are not recognized by the rule, are skipped, due to the Machine's finite probability to escape from any state. The results apply to the Boltzmann machine and to the asynchronous net of binary threshold elements ('Hopfield model'). They provide the network designer with worst-case and best-case bounds for the network's performance, and allow polynomial-time tradeoff studies of design parameters.
In Support of Medical Sumerians

The United States and the developed world are facing massive increases in healthcare cost at time when the global economy and that of many individual nations is floundering. On the other hand, medical research and development (R&D) has improved human health more in the last century than in previously recorded history. Consider that an American born today will have an average life expectancy >30 years longer than someone born in 1900. In this context, it is useful to consider the future of innovation and technology development in science and medicine. Understanding the genesis and consequences of paradigm-shifting technology in medicine is important to inform how we promote the development of life-saving, cost-effective new therapies and diagnostics. Making the correct decisions about incentives and investment in science and technology has profound implications for the public and economic health of nations involved in this endeavor. Article see p 743 The work by Xu et al1 using the coronary artery stents as a test case provide a number of interesting …
Statistical analysis of optimal culture conditions for Gluconacetobacter hansenii cellulose production.

Aim: The purpose of this study was to analyse the effects of different culture parameters on Gluconacetobacter hansenii (ATCC 10821) to determine which conditions provided optimum cellulose growth. Methods and Results: Five culture factors were investigated: carbon source, addition of ethanol, inoculation ratio, pH and temperature. jmp Software (SAS, Cary, NC, USA) was used to design this experiment using a fractional factorial design. After 22 days of static culture, the cellulose produced by the bacteria was harvested, purified and dried to compare the cellulose yields. The results were analysed by fitting the data to a first-order model with two-factor interactions. Conclusions: The study confirmed that carbon source, addition of ethanol, and temperature were significant factors in the production of cellulose of this G. hansenii strain. While pH alone does not significantly affect average cellulose production, cellulose yields are affected by pH interaction with the carbon source. Culturing the bacteria on glucose at pH 6·5 produces more cellulose than at pH 5·5, while using mannitol at pH 5·5 produces more cellulose than at pH 6·5. The bacteria produced the most cellulose when cultured on mannitol, at pH 5·5, without ethanol, at 20°C. Inoculation ratio was not found to be a significant factor or involved in any significant two-factor interaction. Significance and Impact of the Study: These findings give insight into the conditions necessary to maximize cellulose production from this G. hansenii strain. In addition, this work demonstrates how the fractional factorial design can be used to test a large number of factors using an abbreviated set of experiments. Fitting a statistical model determined the significant factors as well as the significant two-factor interactions.
Perforin Is Required for Innate and Adaptive Immunity Induced by Heat Shock Protein Gp96

Tumor-secreted gp96-Ig is highly immunogenic and triggers CD8 T cell-mediated tumor rejection. In vivo secreted gp96-Ig and gp96-myc cause NK activation and clonal expansion of specific CD8(+) CTL in wild-type and in Fas-ligand-deficient (gld) mice but not in perforin- (PKO) or IFN-gamma-deficient (GKO) mice. Transfer of perforin-competent NK cells restores the ability of PKO mice to clonally expand CD8 CTL in response to gp96-Ig. The data demonstrate an essential role for perforin-mediated functions in the activation of innate and adaptive immunity by heat shock protein gp96-peptide complexes. Crosspresentation of antigens by heat shock proteins seems to require a perforin-dependent positive feedback loop between NK and DC for both sustained NK activation and clonal CTL expansion. The studies also explain how depressed NK activity in patients with tumors or after viral infections could diminish CTL responses.
WSN14-6: Minimizing Wireless Connection BER through the Dynamic Distribution of Budgeted Power

We develop a new dynamic scheme which continuously redistributes a fixed power budget among the wireless nodes participating in a multi-hop wireless connection, with the objective of minimizing the end-to-end wireless connection bit error rate (BER). We compare the efficacy of our scheme with two static schemes: one that distributes power uniformly, and one that distributes it proportionally to the square of inter-hop distances. In our experiments we observed that the dynamic allocation scheme achieved superior performance, reducing BER by using its ability to distribute the power budget. We quantified the sensitivity of this performance improvement to various environmental parameters, including power budget size, geographic distance, and the number of hops.
dbRIP: A highly integrated database of retrotransposon insertion polymorphisms in humans

Retrotransposons constitute over 40% of the human genome and play important roles in the evolution of the genome. Since certain types of retrotransposons, particularly members of the Alu, L1, and SVA families, are still active, their recent and ongoing propagation generates a unique and important class of human genomic diversity/polymorphism (for the presence and absence of an insertion) with some elements known to cause genetic diseases. So far, over 2,300, 500, and 80 Alu, L1, and SVA insertions, respectively, have been reported to be polymorphic and many more are yet to be discovered. We present here the Database of Retrotransposon Insertion Polymorphisms (dbRIP; http://falcon.roswellpark.org:9090), a highly integrated and interactive database of human retrotransposon insertion polymorphisms (RIPs). dbRIP currently contains a nonredundant list of 1,625, 407, and 63 polymorphic Alu, L1, and SVA elements, respectively, or a total of 2,095 RIPs. In dbRIP, we deploy the utilities and annotated data of the genome browser developed at the University of California at Santa Cruz (UCSC) for user-friendly queries and integrative browsing of RIPs along with all other genome annotation information. Users can query the database by a variety of means and have access to the detailed information related to a RIP, including detailed insertion sequences and genotype data. dbRIP represents the first database providing comprehensive, integrative, and interactive compilation of RIP data, and it will be a useful resource for researchers working in the area of human genetics.
Mutation of YMYL in the Nipah Virus Matrix Protein Abrogates Budding and Alters Subcellular Localization

Matrix (M) proteins reportedly direct the budding of paramyxoviruses from infected cells. In order to begin to characterize the assembly process for the highly lethal, emerging paramyxovirus Nipah virus (NiV), we have examined the budding of NiV M. We demonstrated that expression of the NiV M protein is sufficient to produce budding virus-like particles (VLPs) that are physically and morphologically similar to NiV. We identified in NiV M a sequence, YMYL, with similarity to the YPDL late domain found in the equine infectious anemia virus Gag protein. When the YMYL within NiV M was mutated, VLP release was abolished and M was relocalized to the nucleus, but the mutant M proteins retained oligomerization activity. When YMYL was fused to a late-domain mutant of the Ebola virus VP40 matrix protein, VP40 budding was restored. These results suggest that the YMYL sequence may act as a trafficking signal and a late domain for NiV M.
Dual-mode of insulin action controls GLUT4 vesicle exocytosis

Insulin stimulates translocation of GLUT4 storage vesicles (GSVs) to the surface of adipocytes, but precisely where insulin acts is controversial. Here we quantify the size, dynamics, and frequency of single vesicle exocytosis in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. We use a new GSV reporter, VAMP2-pHluorin, and bypass insulin signaling by disrupting the GLUT4-retention protein TUG. Remarkably, in unstimulated TUG-depleted cells, the exocytic rate is similar to that in insulin-stimulated control cells. In TUG-depleted cells, insulin triggers a transient, twofold burst of exocytosis. Surprisingly, insulin promotes fusion pore expansion, blocked by acute perturbation of phospholipase D, which reflects both properties intrinsic to the mobilized vesicles and a novel regulatory site at the fusion pore itself. Prolonged stimulation causes cargo to switch from ∼60 nm GSVs to larger exocytic vesicles characteristic of endosomes. Our results support a model whereby insulin promotes exocytic flux primarily by releasing an intracellular brake, but also by accelerating plasma membrane fusion and switching vesicle traffic between two distinct circuits.
A Drosophila gene expressed in the embryonic CNS shares one conserved domain with the mammalian GAP-43

By cross hybridization with the mammalian growth-related protein, GAP-43, we have isolated several Drosophila cDNAs and genomic sequences. These sequences correspond to a single copy gene that encodes two developmentally regulated transcripts 2.4 and 2.0 kb in length. The predicted protein sequence from the cDNAs contains a stretch of 20 amino acids closely related to the mammalian GAP-43 protein. These residues are also highly conserved in a cDNA isolated from the nematode C. elegans. Prior to dorsal closure, expression of the Drosophila gene is observed in non-neuronal tissues, especially in the mesectoderm and presumptive epidermis, both in a metameric pattern. After dorsal closure, expression becomes restricted to sets of cells that are segmentally reiterated along the periphery of the nervous system. These cells appear to include at least one specific set of glia that may establish scaffolding for the development of the longitudinal neuropile.
Food insecurity among people who inject drugs in Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Objective We estimated the prevalence of food insecurity among people who inject drugs (PWID) in Los Angeles and San Francisco and explored correlates of food insecurity. Design A cross-sectional study that measured 30 d food insecurity using the US Adult Food Security Survey ten-item Module developed by the US Department of Agriculture. Food insecurity was defined as including low and very low food security. Setting Two cities in the state of California, USA. Subjects Male and female active PWID ( n 777). Results Among participants, 58 % reported food insecurity and 41 % reported very low food security. Food-insecure PWID were more likely to report being homeless (prevalence ratio (PR)=1·20; 95 % CI 1·05, 1·37), chest pain in the past 12 months (PR=1·19; CI 1·06, 1·35), acquiring syringes from someone who goes to a syringe exchange programme (PR=1·27; 95 % CI 1·13, 1·43) and feeling at risk for arrest for possession of drug paraphernalia (PR=1·30; 95 % CI 1·15, 1·46). Conclusions Current food insecurity was common among PWID in these two cities, yet few factors were independently associated with food insecurity. These data suggest that broad strategies to improve food access for this high-risk population are urgently needed.
MUC1 stimulates EGFR expression and function in endometrial cancer

The current standard of care for endometrial cancer patients involves hysterectomy with adjuvant radiation and chemotherapy, with no effective treatment for advanced and metastatic disease. MUC1 is a large, heavily glycosylated transmembrane protein that lubricates and protects cell surfaces and increases cellular signaling through the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). We show for the first time that MUC1 stimulates EGFR expression and function in endometrial cancer. siRNA knockdown and CRISPR/Cas knockout of MUC1 reduced EGFR gene expression, mRNA, protein levels and signaling. MUC1 bound strongly to two regions of the EGFR promoter: -627/-511 and -172/-64. MUC1 knockout also reduced EGFR-dependent proliferation in two dimensional culture, as well as growth and survival in three dimensional spheroid cultures. MUC1 knockout cells were more sensitive to the EGFR inhibitor, lapatinib. Finally, MUC1 and EGFR co-expression was associated with increased cellular proliferation in human endometrial tumors. These data demonstrate the importance of MUC1-driven EGFR expression and signaling and suggest dual-targeted therapies may provide improved response for endometrial tumors.
Molecular allelokaryotyping of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemias by high resolution single nucleotide polymorphism oligonucleotide microarray.

AACR Annual Meeting-- Apr 14-18, 2007; Los Angeles, CA 389 Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most frequent malignant disease in childhood. Over 80% of children with this disease can be cured by chemotherapy either alone or in combination with cranial irradiation. Although several non-random recurrent gross genetic aberrations, including chromosomal translocations (e.g., ETV6/RUNX1 , BCR/ABL , MLL/AF4 ) and numerical imbalances (e.g., hyperdiploidy), only a few small systematic genomic characterization approaches have been performed in ALL. Leukemic samples from 399 consecutive pediatric ALL patients were examined by high resolution single-nucleotide polymorphism microarray (SNP-Chip) technique to detect genomic abnormalities. Three common genetic alterations were found: deletion of ETV6 , deletion of P16INK4A and hyperdiploidy. A number of novel recurrent genetic alterations were also detected including deletions at 3p14.2, 3q26.3 and Xp21.2. Uniparental disomy (UPD) was a frequent event in ALL, especially affecting chromosome 9. Children with hyperdiploid ALL without gain of chromosomes 17 and 18 had a poor prognosis. A novel tumor suppressor candidate gene for ALL, SNAP91 on 6q, was frequently inactivated by deletion and/or methylation in ALL. SNP-Chip is a powerful tool to identify small genetic abnormalities which are not detectable by standard techniques, and provides the opportunity for further refining the subclassification and determining the prognosis of childhood ALL.
Design of the Space Charge Measurement System for Solid Dielectrics

The measurement principal and system of the pulsed electro-acoustic (PEA) method used for measuring the space charge in sheet samples are introduced.The hardware structure and some key parameters of the system are presented.The system takes adwantages as follows:compact structure,highly measurement precision,and can being used to measure the space charge of the thick sample.The system can measure the space charge distribution in PE very well.
Effects of New Heat Treatment Process on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Low Carbon Nb-Ti Micro-alloyed Steels

The test steels were quenched to room temperature using a new heat treatment process,and the effects of the reheating temperature and relaxation-quenching process on microstructure and mechanical properties of low carbon Nb-Ti micro-alloyed steels were investigated. The results showed that the number of precipitates decreased,while the mean size increased with the size distribution getting even nonuniform. The martensitic lath bundle size growed and the size of each martensitic lath decreased with the increase of the reheating temperature. Compared with the sample quenched directly,the number of precipitates in the sample reduced,which was reheated to 850 ℃and then relaxed by slowly cooling to 700 ℃ before quenching. Its mean diameter increased and the size distribution was more uneven. When the sample was reheated to 900 ℃ and also relaxed by slowly cooling to 700 ℃ before quenching,( Nb,Ti)x( CN)y continued to precipitate on the surface of intrinsic granular precipitates. The best reheating temperature was 900 ℃. Moreover,the tensile strength of the sample which was air-cooled about 20 s increasesd 24 MPa and reached its maximum value.
Tpa-induced maturation in secretory human B-leukemic cells in vitro: DNA synthesis, antigenic changes, and immunoglobulin secretion.

The maturation of malignant cells in response to differentiating agents is interesting as a model of normal differentiation. The response of a freshly explanted neoplastic population of phenotypically well- characterized lymphosarcoma cell leukemia blasts was studied after incubation with the differentiating agent TPA (12–0-tetradecanoyl- phorbol-13-acetate). Terminal differentiation was assessed by measuring the immunoglobulin secreted in culture supernatants and the production of intracytoplasmic immunoglobulins. Activation of the cells was studied using fluorescein-labeled monoclonal antibodies to various antigens in a flow cytometer (fluorescence-activated cell sorter) and 3H-thymidine (3H-Tdr) incorporation was evaluated to measure DNA synthesis in cells grown in complete medium and TPA-supplemented medium. The events induced by TPA were characteristic of B cell maturation and included morphological changes to plasmacytoid cells, reduction in surface immunoglobulins (sIgM, sIgD, and K), enhancement of cytoplasmic immunoglobulin, and amplification of immunoglobulin secretion. Surface antigen changes were accompanied by increased 3H-Tdr incorporation. Cell proliferation and differentiation appeared to be coupled and both were amplified by TPA treatment. These observations indicate that TPA can promote maturation of malignant secretory B cells to a terminal differentiation stage. The significance of these findings to normal B cell differentiation and their potential clinical utility is discussed.
Studies of glucose, insulin, and lipid metabolism in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and other neuromuscular disorders

Abstract Inpatients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and with other various neuromascular (NM) diseases were compared in their responses to the intravenous glucose tolerance test (GTT), the insulin tolerance test (ITT), and the tolbutamide tolerance test: (TTT). Patients with neuromuscular diseases other than ALS (NM control group) responded for all studies within the normal range. Higher fasting serum lipid levels but no significant differences in fasting serum glucose, insulin, or human growth hormone (HGH) were noted in the ALS group. Lower rates of glucose utilization and higher post-glucose insulin levels during the intravenous GTT were observed in the ALS group. These and similar results from the TTT were interpreted as resistance to endogenous insulin in ALS. The ITT studies showed a similar resistance to exogenous insulin among the ALS patients. There was no relationships among the metabolic abnormalities and clinical state of the ALS patients. These data show that ALS patients have insulin resistance and decreased glucose utilization which cannot be explained purely by muscular dysfunction, other adventitious factors secondary to this motor neuron disease, or pancreatic dysfunction. These metabolic abnormalities associated with ALS are differentiated from those of late-onset diabetes, obesity, inanition, and myotonic dystrophy but not from those of severe depression.
Seed germination energy of various rice varieties and its connection with shoot generation

The seed germination energy of different rice varieties at low temperature and its relation to the seed germination rate and morphological traits of seedlings have been studied. According to the obtained results, rice varieties significantly differ in the seed germination energy at 14°C; under these conditions, this parameter is closely connected with the shoot density and weight of seedlings.
Padé Approximation of a Stationary Single-Channel Ca2+ Nanodomain

We consider the stationary solution for the Ca2+ concentration near a point Ca2+ source describing a single-channel Ca2+ nanodomain, in the presence of a single mobile buffer with one-to-one Ca2+ binding stoichiometry. Previously, a number of Ca2+ nanodomains approximations have been developed, for instance the excess buffer approximation (EBA), the rapid buffering approximation (RBA), and the linear approximation (LIN), each valid for appropriate buffering conditions. Apart from providing a simple method of estimating Ca2+ and buffer concentrations without resorting to computationally expensive numerical solution of reaction-diffusion equations, such approximations proved useful in revealing the dependence of nanodomain Ca2+ distribution on crucial parameters such as buffer mobility and its Ca2+ binding properties. In this study, we present a different form of analytic approximation, which is based on matching the short-range Taylor series of the nanodomain concentration with the long-range asymptotic series expressed in inverse powers of distance from channel location. Namely, we use a "dual" Pade rational function approximation to simultaneously match terms in the short- and the long-range series, and we show that this provides an accurate approximation to the nanodomain Ca2+ and buffer concentrations. We compare this approximation with the previously obtained approximations and show that it yields a better estimate of the free buffer concentration for a wide range of buffering conditions. The drawback of our method is that it has a complex algebraic form for any order higher than the lowest bilinear order, and cannot be readily extended to multiple Ca2+ channels. However, it may be possible to extend the Pade method to estimate Ca2+ nanodomains in the presence of cooperative Ca2+ buffers with two Ca2+ binding sites, the case that existing methods do not address.
Role of cellular non-protein thiols in oxygen consumption and peroxide reduction.

This study, and the study of Donahue et al., presented in the same volume (1), are continuations of our investigations into use of the Clark oxidase electrode (2) to monitor response of mammalian cells to peroxide and peroxide-producing drugs (3–5).
Out-of-cell measurements of H2-H2O effective binary diffusivity in the porous anode of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs)

Abstract The effective binary diffusivity of H 2 and H 2 O in a Ni and yittria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) anode of the solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) was measured between 650 and 800 °C using an electrochemical cell consisting of an oxygen pump, an oxygen sensor, and a porous SOFC anode pellet. The effective binary diffusivity was obtained from the relationship between the current density across the oxygen pump, and the H 2 partial pressure gradient across the anode sample measured using the oxygen sensor. The anode limiting current density and concentration polarization were estimated using the experimental results.
Normal stress effects in the gravity driven flow of granular materials

Abstract In this paper, we study the fully developed gravity-driven flow of granular materials between two inclined plates. We assume that the granular materials can be represented by a modified form of the second grade fluid where the viscosity depends on the shear rate and volume fraction and the normal stress coefficients depend on the volume fraction. We also propose a new isotropic (spherical) part of the stress tensor which can be related to the compactness of the (rigid) particles. This new term ensures that the rigid solid particles cannot be compacted beyond a point, namely when the volume fraction has reached the critical/maximum packing value. The numerical results indicate that the newly proposed stress tensor has obvious and physically meaningful effects on both the velocity and the volume fraction fields.
The lived experience of nurse practitioners practicing within the Transformational Advanced Professional Practice Model: A phenomenological study.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to describe the lived experiences of nurse practitioners (NPs) practicing within the Transformational Advanced Professional Practice (TAPP) Model, a professional practice model (PPM). Data sources A descriptive phenomenological analysis using semistructured interviews of 11 NPs across multiple inpatient and outpatient clinical areas at Texas Children's Hospital. Member checking and theming data occurred using Colaizzi's Method concurrently with Mind Mapping technique. Conclusions Main themes included: (a) transforming professional practice, (b) cultivating the inner self, and (c) mentoring professional transitions. Implications for practice The findings of this study provide qualitative evidence that the TAPP Model influences role transition and professional development. Transforming NP practice within organizations and within the nursing profession itself will take mindfulness with an intentional approach to design PPMs specifically for NPs.
Cotreatment as a Vehicle for Interprofessional Collaborative Practice: Physical Therapists and Speech-Language Pathologists Collaborating in the Care of Children With Severe Disabilities

Purpose This article defines interprofessional collaborative practice and links its key features with accepted practice conceptualizations of physical therapy. Cotreatment with speech-language path...
Simulations of recently observed shear shock wave physics amplify local brain accelerations by a factor of 40 in head drop experiments – future implications for concussion

Objective Shear waves that travel in the brain are highly nonlinear and can develop into shock waves. This newly observed phenomenon could have implications for concussion. Our objective was to determine the effect of the brain’s nonlinear shear wave propagation behaviour on laboratory acquired head impact kinematics through numerical simulations. Design Head impact kinematics, obtained from controlled laboratory drops to cadaveric human heads, provided inputs to a one dimensional simulation of a cubically nonlinear shear wave equation solved with a piecewise parabolic method. Of the 292 drops, 125 caused significant motion about one axis. We assumed this would provide optimal conditions to create shears waves. The nonlinear and attenuation properties for the simulation were experimentally measured in fresh porcine brains with high frame-rate ultrasound. Setting Labratory. Subjects None. Intervention Independent variable – Nonlinear and attenuating properties of the brain. Outcome measures Peak Linear Tangential Acceleration (PLTA) measured at the skull was compared to the max PLTA acquired from the simulation for each of the 125 trials. Results There were 17 cases where nonlinearity overcame attenuation and resulted in the PLTA amplifying as high as 40 times the initial PLTA at the skull. Conclusions Our models of previously unobserved shear shock wave physics strongly suggest that nonlinearity is a first order parameter in brain kinematics and may have a fundamental influence on brain injury. Expanding these nonlinear simulations to three dimensions could better link head impact kinematics collected in the field with concussion risk and other head injuries. Competing interests Head drop data were obtained in collaboration with Drs. Cameron “Dale” Bass and Jason F. Luck (Duke University, USA) and Dr. David B. Camarillo (Stanford University, USA) None.
“He seemed so normal”: Single tactic perpetrators of sexual violence are similar to non-violent men using the DSM-5's hybrid personality disorder model

Abstract The corpus of sexual violence literature contains numerous studies comparing perpetrators to non-perpetrators, but less is known about differences between those using different tactics (i.e., physical/aggressive, non-physical/coercive, or both/polytactic). Similarly, specific personality traits are often measured in sexual violence research, but personality disorder studies are less common. This research addresses these gaps by investigating potential personality disorder diagnoses in aggressive, coercive, and polytactic perpetrators using the DSM-5's hybrid model of personality disorders. A nationwide sample of adult men (N = 672) completed a survey measuring personality traits and sexually violent experiences. Men reporting sexual violence were expected to generate higher levels of maladaptive personality trait scores, leading to higher prevalence rates of Antisocial and Narcissistic Personality Disorders, than non-violent men. Aggressive and coercive men's personality trait scores were statistically similar to those of non-violent men. Polytactic men were significantly more maladaptive than study counterparts, and were at greater risk of being classified as personality disordered. These findings have implications for models predicting sexual violence and for intervention and prevention efforts.