cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ultrasonography aids decision-making in children with abdominal pain

INTRODUCTION Although regular clinical assessment of the acute abdomen is considered best practice, ultrasonography confirming the presence of appendicitis will add to the decision-making process. The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy of ultrasonography and its usefulness in diagnosing acute appendicitis in a regional paediatric surgical institution. METHODS Retrospectively and in this order, radiology, theatre and histopathology databases were searched for patients who had presented with acute abdominal pain, patients who had undergone an appendicectomy and all appendix specimens over a two-year period. The databases were cross-referenced against each other. RESULTS A total of 273 non-incidental appendicectomies were performed over the study period. The negative appendicectomy rate was 16.5% and the perforation rate 23.7%. Thirty-nine per cent of children undergoing an appendicectomy had at least one pre-operative ultrasound scan. Ultrasonography as a diagnostic tool for acute appendicitis in children had a sensitivity of 83.3%, a specificity of 97.4 %, a positive predictive value of 92.1% and a negative predictive value of 94.0%. CONCLUSIONS Ultrasonography is used liberally to aid in the decision making process of equivocal and complicated cases of acute appendicitis and it achieves good measures of accuracy. As a diagnostic tool it is unique in its ability to positively predict as well as exclude. A high negative predictive value suggests that more patients could be managed on an outpatient basis following a negative scan.
A Discriminant Functions Analysis of Sunfish (Lepomis) Food Habits and Feeding Niche Segregation in the Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana Estuary

Abstract The food habits of four species of sunfish, Lepomis macrochirus, L. microlophus, L. punctatus, and L. gulosus were studied in the Lake Pontchartrain estuary. Forty estuarine food items were identified from stomach samples. Although the food items were different from those of Lepomis spp. in fresh water, specific feeding patterns in regard to prey size and space partitioning were comparable. A discriminant functions analysis was used to objectively compare specific differences in stomach content data. Differences in discriminant function scores appeared to be due to interspecific feeding niche segregation.
An angiocardiographic sign for the evaluation of the stenotic mitral valve

Abstract A new angiographic sign allowing a more accurate evaluation of a stenotic mitral valve is described. This is an area of negative contrast or pseudofilling defect appearing at the end of left atrial systole but absent during the remaining part of the cardiac cycle. Open heart surgery in 24 of 25 patients has confirmed that this is due to the protrusion or the aortic leaflet of a stenotic, but pliable and soft mitral valve that can easily and adequately be opened by commissurotomy. The type of surgery (commissurotomy vs. prosthetic replacement) can be predicted from the presence or absence of this angiographic sign. This sign was present in 25 cases of mitral stenosis and absent in 56. The latter had a stiff stenotic mitral valve at operation.
THEORY OF SUPERCONDUCTIVITY. II. PROPERTIES OF THE MODIFIED ELECTRON- LATTICE STATES OF LOW ENERGY

In addition to causing electron-phonon scattering, the electron-lattice interaction, considered in a previous paper, also modifies the structure of the stationary states, which become mixtures of the states considered in the adiabatic or Born-Oppenheimer approximation. The modified phonon and electron energies and electric current density are calculated. When a criterion depending on band structure is satisfied, the modified electronic configuration of lowest energy can be qualitatively different from the Fermi distribution of a normal metal, due to an effective interaction between electrons and holes of the same spin on each energy shell that arises from the electron-lattice interaction. Below a critical temperature there are two independent states of stationary free energy. The upper state has normal conductivity and heat capacity. The lower state has associated with it an electric current density that appears to have no dissipative resistance and that exhibits a Meissner effect with a resonance phenomenon at certain frequencies in an oscillatory field. In zero field the phase transition between these states is of second order, with a discontinuity in heat capacity at the transition temperature. An energy gap can occur, but it is not required in deriving the properties of the electric current density and of the phase transition between the two states. Various quantities calculated from the present theory for a simple model (effective mass, spherical Fermi surface, single conduction band) are in reasonable agreement with experimental values. Energies are generally an order of magnitude smaller than in the earlier theory of Fr\"ohlich.
Local modes, anomalous infrared absorption, and symmetry

Abstract For molecules possessing a center of symmetry, a group theoretical criterion is proposed to determine the local or collective nature of vibrational excitation in overtone progressions. The analysis for CH stretching spectra of benzene gives direct evidence for local excitation.
Suppression of colon inflammation by CD80 blockade: Evaluation in two murine models of inflammatory bowel disease

Background: Human inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic condition mediated by aberrant immune responses to the luminal antigens by activated CD4+ T cells. The CD80/CD86: CD28/CD152 costimulatory pathways transmit signals critical for T cell activation and suppression. Macrophages and epithelial cells are the chief antigen-presenting cells in the gut. Macrophages from the IBD colon express significantly elevated levels of CD80 and CD86 costimulatory molecules. The CD28-CD80 interaction primarily participates in breaking the tolerance and inducing the immune response in murine models of colitis. Blockade of CD80-costimulatory axis is an attractive strategy in the treatment of IBD. Methods: Incorporating the structural information of the CD80: CD152 complex together with the preferences of interface residues to form polyproline type II helix, we designed novel peptide agents that selectively blocked CD80 receptor interactions. Results: Administration of CD80 blocking agent at the time of adoptive transfer prevented the SCID mice from CD4+CD45Rbhigh T-cell mediated colitis. Significantly, CD80-CAP (competitive antagonist peptide) treatment suppressed established inflammation in TNBS-induced colitis, a model for Th1-mediated Crohn's disease. The colons of the mice receiving the CD80 blocking agent appeared unaffected macroscopically and exhibited negligible microscopic inflammation. The CD80-CAP treatment was associated with significantly reduced Th1 cytokines in the colon. Conclusions: The CD80 blocking peptide appeared to mediate protection against colitis by inducing Th2 skewing of the cytokine response. Copyright © 2008 Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America, Inc.
The role of organizational leaders in employee emotion management: A theoretical model ☆

Abstract The actions of organizational leaders are important determinants of the emergence, management, and consequences of employee emotional experience. However, the nature and dimensionality of leader emotion management and the behaviors that constitute such management are largely unknown. The authors present a comprehensive, theoretically-derived model of leader emotion management which clarifies the nature of emotion management and its role in leadership. This model also delineates the knowledge and skill-based antecedents of emotion management and the consequences of such management. Specifically, we propose linkages between particular KSAOs and specific emotion management dimensions and between those dimensions and particular individual and organizational outcomes. The model is meant to serve as a framework to guide empirical efforts in investigating the nature and correlates of leader emotion management.
Novel peptides prevent alcohol-induced spatial learning deficits and proinflammatory cytokine release in a mouse model of fetal alcohol syndrome.

Objective Previously, the novel peptides NAPVSIPQ and SALLRSIPA were shown to prevent alcohol-induced fetal death and growth abnormalities in a mouse model of fetal alcohol syndrome. This study evaluated whether these peptides could prevent long-term alcohol-induced learning abnormalities. In addition, because specific cytokines are known to effect long-term potentiation, a model of learning at the molecular level, we studied the effect of these novel peptides on tumor necrosis factor–α, interleukin-6, and interferon-γ levels. Study design We used a well-characterized mouse model of fetal alcohol syndrome. Pregnant mice were injected on day 8 with alcohol (0.03 mL/kg) or placebo. Pretreatment with NAPVSIPQ+SALLRSIPA (20 μg) or placebo was given 30 minutes before alcohol. Embryos were removed after 6 hours, at which time cytokine, tumor necrosis factor–α, interleukin-6, and interferon-γ levels were measured with enzyme-linked immunoassays. To test spatial learning, adult offspring from litters that were treated with alcohol, control, NAPVSIPQ+SALLRSIPA then alcohol, or NAPVSIPQ+SALLRSIPA alone were evaluated for latency to find a hidden platform in the Morris water maze. Results Alcohol treatment increased tumor necrosis factor–α levels versus control levels (50.0 ± 3.5 pg/mL vs 32.7 ± 2.4 pg/mL; P P ≤ .01), with levels similar to control ( P =.1). Similarly, alcohol increased interleukin-6 levels versus control levels (22.6 ± 1.4 pg/mL vs 17.3 ± 0.6 pg/mL; P P ≤ .02), with levels similar to control levels ( P =.2). Interferon-γ levels were not different among the 3 groups (alcohol, 14.6 ± 4.9 pg/mL; control, 17.9 ± 6.6 pg/mL; alcohol+NAPVSIPQ+SALLRSIPA, 13.6 ± 4.9 pg/mL; P =.2). In the Morris water maze, alcohol-treated groups did not learn over the 7-day trial compared with the control group ( P =.001). Groups that were pretreated with NAPVSIPQ+SALLRSIPA then alcohol learned significantly, which was similar to the control group. Groups that were treated with only NAPVSIPQ+SALLRSIPA learned significantly earlier, with the shortest latency once learning commenced. Conclusion The peptides, NAPVSIPQ+SALLRSIPA, prevented the alcohol-induced spatial learning deficits and attenuated alcohol-induced proinflammatory cytokine increase in a model of fetal alcohol syndrome. This study demonstrates the peptides' significant in vivo efficacy with long-lasting effects obtained after prenatal administration.
Photochemical reaction of hydrogen with germanosilicate glass initiated by 3.4–5.4-eV ultraviolet light

By measuring the photosensitivity of Ge-doped silica fibers over the 3.4-5.4-eV spectral range and from T=95 K to T=375 K , we demonstrate that different physical mechanisms take place depending on whether H(2) is present. Without H(2) the principal photosensitivity pathway involves excitation of a germanium oxygen-deficient center to its triplet state. In H(2) -loaded fibers the UV light excites the regular Ge-O bond, which then reacts with H(2) to produce Si-OH or Ge-OH and a GeE(') center.
GPS – Global Positioning System

Das GPS (global positioning system) ist ein satellitenbasiertes Positionsbestimmungssystem. Es gestattet weltweit mit etwa 400 DM teuren handlichen Endgeraeten den GPS-Empfaengern, eine kontinuierliche Echtzeit-Orts- und damit auch Geschwindigkeitsbestimmung zum Nulltarif. Das GPS-System besteht aus drei Komponenten: 24 GPS-Satelliten, die den fuer die terrestrische Ortsbestimmung wichtigen zeitabhaengigen Code abstrahlen, einigen bodengebundenen Satelliten-Beobachtungsstationen und den GPS-Empfaengern beliebig vieler Benutzer. Der Beitrag beschreibt die Funktionsweise des Ortungssystems.
Genetic control of intrachromosomal recombination

Intrachromosomal recombination between direct repeats can occur either as gene conversion events, which maintain exactly the number of repeat units, or as deletions, which reduce the number of repeat units. Gene conversions are classical recombination events that utilize the standard chromosome recombination machinery. Spontaneous deletions between direct repeats are generally recA-independent in E. coli and RAD52-independent in S. cerevisiae. This independence from the major recombination genes does not mean that deletions form through a nonrecombinational process. Deletions have been suggested to result from sister chromatid exchange at the replication fork in a recA-independent process. The same type of exchange is proposed to be RAD52-independent in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. RAD52-dependent events encompass all events that involve the initial steps of a recombination reaction, which include strand invasion to form a heteroduplex intermediate.
A microprocessor oriented data acquisition and control system for power system control

The advent of microcomputer systems with their inherent cost/performance advantages had precipitated a reassessment of known application areas that heretofore were not considered candidates for digital systems solution. Described in this paper is a MICRO processor oriented Data Acquisition and Control system referred to as MICRODAC which is capable of monitoring high voltage perturbations (via transducers), accepting and issuing control commands, performing format changes and error encoding/decoding, performing system self checks, and transmitting data to supervisory computers. This system performs a very necessary function in power system data acquisition and control at low cost, high reliability, and low power consumptions.
Anti-tubulin antibodies in a sensorimotor neuropathy patient alter tubulin polymerization.

The effect of anti-tubulin antibodies present in the serum of a patient with a progressive sensorimotor neuropathy on microtubule assembly was examined. The patient’s serum was reactive on immunoblots with a single band of proteins of 55-kDa from homogenates of neural tissues. Tubulin was identified as the quantitatively major component of these 55-kDa proteins. Polymerization of tubulin in vitro was significantly enhanced by the patient’s serum. A monoclonal antibody to nerve-specific class III β-tubulin precisely duplicated the immunoreactive profile of the patient’s serum, while an antibody to class (I + II) β-tubulins also reacted with tubulins in non-neural tissues. The results indicate for the first time that human antisera reactive with nerve specific β-tubulin can alter tubulin polymerization-depolymerization dynamics.
Spatial sparsity based emitter localization

In classical TDOA/FDOA emitter location methods, pairs of sensors share the received data to compute the CAF and extract the ML estimates of TDOA/FDOA. The TDOA/FDOA estimates are then transmitted to a common site where they are used to estimate the emitter location. However, the two-stage method is not necessarily optimal because in the first stage of these methods, the TDOA and FDOA are estimated by ignoring the fact that all measurements should be consistent with a single emitter location. In this paper, we derive a one-stage localization method based on spatial sparsity of the grid plane. In this method, we directly estimate the location of the emitter without going through the intermediate stage of TDOA/FDOA estimation. The Monte Carlo simulation results show that the proposed method has better performance compared to two-stage classic method and also to another available one-stage method named Direct Position Determination (DPD). We will show that the proposed method is also a very effective and beneficial solution to deal with multipath scenarios.
Radon-222 in groundwater of the Long Valley caldera, California

In the Long Valley caldera, where seismicity has continued essentially uninterrupted since mid-1980 and uplift is documented, samples of water from hot, warm, and cold springs have been collected since September, 1982, and their222Rn concentrations analyzed. Concurrently, rocks encompassing the hydrologic systems feeding the springs were analyzed for their radioelement contents, because their uranium is the ultimate source of the222Rn in the water.
Surgical technique for suture fixation of an acrylic intraocular lens in the absence of capsule support

We present a technique for suture fixation of an intraocular lens (IOL) in the absence of capsule support. This technique is useful for the treatment of aphakia and the management of IOL complications or cataract surgery when all capsule support is lost.
Single‐fiber PCR in MELAS3243 patients: Correlations between intratissue distribution and phenotypic expression of the mtDNAA3243G genotype

We performed morphological, biochemical, and genetic studies, including single-fiber PCR (sf PCR), on muscle biopsies obtained from a mother and daughter with MELAS syndrome due to the A3243G transition of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). The severity of muscle involvement appeared quite distinct, in spite of the fact that both patients segregated similar mutant mtDNA levels on total muscle DNA. The daughter did not show any clinical muscle involvement: muscle biopsy revealed many ragged red fibers (RRFs) mostly positive for cytochrome-c oxidase (COX) activity. In contrast, her mother had developed a generalized myopathy without progressive external ophthalmoplegia (PEO), morphologically characterized by many COX-negative RRFs. Single-muscle fiber PCR demonstrated in both patients significantly higher percentages of wild-type mtDNA in normal fibers (daughter: 23.25 +/- 15.22; mother: 43.13 +/- 26.11) than in COX-positive RRFs (daughter: 11.25 +/- 5.22, P < 0.005; mother: 9.12 +/- 5.9, P < 0.001) and in COX-negative RRFs (daughter: 8.9 +/- 4.2, P < 0.001 mother: 4.8 +/- 2.8, P < 0.001). Wild-type mtDNA levels resulted higher also in COX-positive vs. COX-negative RRFs (daughter: P < 0.05; mother: P < 0.001). Our data confirm a direct correlation between A3243G levels and impairment of COX function at the single-muscle fiber level. Moreover, the evidence of a clinical myopathy in the patient with higher amounts of COX-negative RRFs bolsters the concept that a differential distribution of mutant mtDNAs at the cellular level may have effects on the clinical involvement of individual tissues. However, the occurrence of a similar morphological and biochemical muscle phenotype also in PEO(3243) patients suggests that other genetic factors involved in the interaction between mitochondrial and nuclear DNA, rather than the stochastic distribution of mtDNA genomes during embryogenesis, are primarily implicated in determining the various clinical expressions of the A3243G of mtDNA.
SOOT PARTICLE MEASUREMENTS IN DIFFUSION FLAMES

Abstract The formation and growth of soot particles in a coannular diffusion flame have been studied using a laser extinction/scattering technique for particle size measurement. Measurements have been obtained with ethene as the fuel for various fuel flow rates. The results reveal that the flame can be broadly divided into two regions. The first is characterized as a region of growth where soot formation processes dominate, while in the second region oxidation processes are dominant. Measurements show that soot is first observed to form low in the flame in an annular region inside the main reaction zone. At higher locatikons this annular region widens until the entire flame is observed to contain paricles. The spatial distributions of particle volume fraction, mean particle size, and particle number concentration are mapped throughout the flame using the Rayleigh theory for the scattering of light by absorbing particles. Measurements of depolarized scattered light and fluorescence have also been obtained and indicate a correlation between the species responsible for these processes and soot growth. Results indicate that the particle formation region obeys closely the Burke-Schumann scaling for flow rate dependence, whereas substantial differences occur in the oxidation region. Measurements have also been obtained using ethane as the fuel for an initial comparison of fuel structure effects.
Effects of monovalent cations on the (Mg2+ + Ca2+)-dependent ATPase of the red cell membrane

1. 1. Stimulatory effects of monovalent cations on the (Mg2+ + Ca2+)-dependent ATPase of the human red cell membrane are described. 2. 2. This activity was significantly increased by Na+, K+, and Rb+. There was no effect with Cs+ or Li+. The cationic specificity of this effect eliminates ionic strength as its source. 3. 3. Stimulation by Na+ and K+ followed saturation kinetics, with a concentration of about 10 mM giving a half-maximal effect. 4. 4. Na+ and K+ did not alter the apparent affinity of the enzyme for Ca2+ but approximately doubled the rate at saturating concentrations of Ca2+. 5. 5. The extra activity appearing in the presence of monovalent cations could be associated either with the (Mg2+ + Ca2+)-dependent ATPase known to be a part of the Ca2+ pump, or with a different (Mg2+ + Ca2+)-dependent ATPase whose function remains to be established.
Phospholipase A and the mechanism of action of aldosterone.

ALDOSTERONE stimulates Na transport across the renal tubule and this effect is also seen in ‘model’ epithelia such as amphibian urinary bladder, skin and colon1–3. This hormone is thought to act by inducing the formation of proteins through nuclear transcription4. Their nature and actions are unknown but it has been suggested that one such protein may act like a ‘permease’ and increase the permeability of the apical side of the epithelial cells or they could stimulate the activity of the Na transport pump. Goodman et al.5, have suggested that “some key enzyme” which increases the turnover of fatty acids may be involved and this could be phospholipase. We report here the identification of phospholipase A in toad bladder and frog skin epithelial cells and in their incubation media. Mepacrine, an inhibitor of phospholipase A, blocked the response to aldosterone on Na transport.
Eye movements and vestibular-nerve responses produced in the squirrel monkey by rotations about an earth-horizontal axis.

The eye movements produced by constant-speed rotations about an earth-horizontal axis (EHA) are similar in the alert squirrel monkey to those observed in other species. During EHA rotations, there are persistent eye movements, including a nonreversing nystagmus at lower rotation speeds and either a direction-reversing nystagmus or sinusoidal eye movements at higher rotation speeds. Horizontal eye movements are produced by “barbecuespit” (yaw) rotations, vertical eye movements by “head-over-heels” (pitch) rotations. The responses can be viewed as composed of a bias component, reflected in the nonreversing nature of the nystagmus, and a cyclic component, reflected in the periodic modulation of slow-phase eye velocity as head position varies. Vestibular-nerve recordings in the barbiturate-anesthetized monkey indicate that neither semicircular-canal nor otolith afferents give rise to a directionally specific dc signal which can account for the bias component. Apparently the appropriate dc signal has to be constructed centrally from a sinusoidal or ac peripheral input. The otolith organs are a likely source of this peripheral input, although contributions from the semicircular canals and from somatosensory receptors must also be considered. Our results suggest that the directional information required to distinguish rotation direction, rather than being contained in the discharge of individual otolith afferents, is encoded across a population of afferents. Possible sources of such information are the phase differences in the sinusoidal responses of otolith afferents differing in their functional polarization vectors.
Acquiring new information while retaining old ethics

Scientific medical ethics are founded on the moral principles and stan? dards of reason that are a part of ethics generally, and on the cumulative wisdom and experience of scientific knowledge and practice (/). Scien? tists of every persuasion, ethicists, philosophers, lawyers, sociologists, economists, and representatives from all walks of life play a role in the shaping of these ethics (7). Ethics is that branch of philosophy relating to human conduct, to the lightness and wrongness of certain actions, and to the good and bad of the motives and ends of such actions. Silverman, in his article on retrolental fibroplasia (2) points out that this epidemic of blindness in infants has a moral, not only for medical experimentation on human beings [(see (3, 4)], but also for self-experimentation by the public such as that with laetrile (amygda lin), and with megavitamin therapy, with increased reports of toxicity (5, 6). As Silverman points out (2), it is an irony of medicine that the retrolental fibroplasia stemmed from the efforts of physicians to in? crease the premature baby's chances of survival in good health. After about 12 years of intensive investigation of this epidemic of blindness, the cause was found, and the disease was virtually eradicated. The entire episode sharply presents the painful questions that surround experimentation with human beings, and particularly with newborn infants. When this epidemic appeared, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) was tried because of its effect on fibrous tissue formation, since the formation of such tissue behind the lens of the eye appeared to be the proximate cause of the blindness in these infants. It seemed curative in three-quarters of the infants on whom it was tried, and was hailed as a therapy for this epidemic. We now know that this disease relates to the oxygen-rich environment that was then standard treat? ment for premature infants, and that approximately three-fourths of the infants with early eye changes will return spontaneously to normal,
Hepatocystis in Formosan Mammals with a Description of a New Species

SYNOPSIS. Hepatocystis has been found extremely common in a number of species of Formosan mammals, notably the large leafnosed bat (Hipposideros armiger terasensis), the Formosan macaque (Macaca cyclopis), and various subspecies of the red-bellied tree squirrel (Callosciurus erythraeus). Less often infected were the long-winged bat (Miniopterus schreibersii) and the Formosan giant flying squirrel (Petaurista grandis). The species occurring in H. a. terasensis is believed to be new, and is named Hepatocystis hipposideri. It causes considerable enlargement (but not other changes) of the host cell, is often amoeboid, and usually has numerous fine pigment granules.
Brain natriuretic peptide is not reno-protective during renal ischemia-reperfusion injury in the rat.

Background Acute kidney injury (AKI) occurs in 30% of patients undergoing complex cardiovascular surgery, and renal ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury is often a contributing factor. A recent meta-analysis observed that perioperative natriuretic peptide administration was associated with a reduction in AKI requiring dialysis in cardiovascular surgery patients. This study was designed to further clarify the potential reno-protective effect of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) using an established rat model of renal I/R injury. Methods The study comprised three groups ( n = 10 kidneys each): (1) control (no injury); (2) I/R injury (45 min of bilateral renal ischemia followed by 3 h of reperfusion); and (3) BNP (I/R injury plus rat-BNP pretreatment at 0.01 μg/kg/min). Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and a biomarker of AKI, urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (uNGAL), were measured at baseline and at 30 minute intervals post-ischemia. Groups were compared using two-way repeated measures analysis of variance (mean ± SD, significance P Results Baseline GFR measurements for control, I/R, and BNP groups were 1.07 ± 0.55, 0.88 ± 0.51, and 1.03 ± 0.59 mL/min ( P = 0.90), respectively. Post-ischemia, GFR was significantly lower in I/R and BNP compared with controls at 30 min, 1.29 ± 0.97, 0.08 ± 0.04, and 0.06 ± 0.05 mL/min ( P P versus 516 ± 259 ng/mL, P = 0.87) or 2 h (1073 ± 589 versus 989 ± 218 ng/mL, P = 0.79) between I/R and BNP. Conclusions BNP does not reduce the renal injury biomarker, urinary NGAL, or preserve GFR in acute renal ischemia-reperfusion injury.
Follicular dendritic cells and presentation of antigen and costimulatory signals to B cells

Summary: This review focuses on how immunogens trapped by FDC In the form of Ag-Ab complexes productively signal B cells. In vitro, Ag-Ab complexes are poorly immunogenic but m vivo immune complexes elk ii potent recall responses. FDC trap Ag-Ab complexes and make immune complex mated bodies or “iccosomes”. B cells endocytose iccosomes, the Ag is processed, and T-cell help is elicited. In vitro, addition of FDC bearing appropriate Ag-Ab complex to memory T and B cells provoke potent recall responses (IgG and IgE). FDC also provide nonspecific costimulatory signals which augment B-cell proliferation and Ab production. B cell-FDC contact is important and interference with ICAM-1-LFA-1 interactions reduces FDC-mediated costimulation. Preliminary data suggest that a costimulatory signal may be delivered via CRZL on FDC binding CR2 on B cells. FDC can also stimulate B cells to become chemotactically active and can protect lymphocytes from apoptosis. FDC also appear to be rich in that groups and may replace reducing compounds such as 2 mercaptoethanol in cultures. In short, FDC-Ag specifically signals B cells through BCR, and FDC provide B cells with iccosomal-Ag necessary for processing to elicit T i ell help. In addition, FDC provide nonspecific signals that are important to promote B-cell proliferation, maintain viability, and induce chemotactic responsiveness.
Analysis of sputum taken from wheezy and asthmatic infants and children, with special reference to respiratory infections.

Children who are destined to develop asthma are considered to be susceptible to a variety of respiratory pathogens. To elucidate respiratory inflammation among these children, we measured the levels of eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) and tryptase in sputum taken from three different groups of wheezy infants and young children: those with a first wheeze (n = 15); those with recurrent wheeze (n = 27); and those with recurrent wheeze with respiratory distress, namely asthma (n = 56). The numbers of eosinophils or metachromatic cells determined by microscopic analysis of sputum samples were also evaluated in combination with the ECP and tryptase levels. Although neither sputum ECP nor tryptase was a clear discriminative marker that differentiated the three different types of wheezy disease, ECP levels in sputum from the asthma group were significantly higher (2,269.2 +/- 6,216.8 ng/g) than those in the recurrent wheezy group (440.3 +/- 1,199.8 ng/g) or in the first-wheeze group (209.0 +/- 172.9 ng/g). A similar trend was observed with tryptase levels in sputum, but there were no significant differences among the three groups. Sputum taken from asthmatic children showed a marked accumulation of eosinophils. However, an accumulation of eosinophils in sputum (even in the presence of an elevated level of sputum ECP) was not identified in the asthmatic infants 1 year old and thereafter the eosinophils rapidly increased in number until the children reached 5 years of age. It was noteworthy that sputa positive for pathogenic bacteria, taken from the 1- and 2-year-old asthmatic infants, had a tendency to show high levels of ECP but a reduced number of eosinophils. Along with the wheezy episodes induced by viral infection, primarily and occasionally in combination with secondary bacterial infection, eosinophil activation and infiltration may develop. These predestined immune reactions to various pathogens might be associated with triggering the onset of asthma.
Body Mass Index Differences in Pseudohypoparathyroidism Type 1a Versus Pseudopseudohypoparathyroidism May Implicate Paternal Imprinting of Gαs in the Development of Human Obesity

Context: Obesity is a prominent feature of Albright hereditary osteodystrophy (AHO), a disorder caused by heterozygous GNAS mutations that disrupt the stimulatory G protein α-subunit Gαs. Because Gαs is paternally imprinted in certain hormone target tissues, maternal inheritance of AHO leads to multihormone resistance [pseudohypoparathyroidism type 1a (PHP1a)], whereas paternal inheritance leads to AHO alone [pseudopseudohypoparathyroidism (pseudoPHP)]. Classically, the obesity in AHO is described as occurring similarly in both conditions. Setting: This observational study was conducted at the General Clinical Research Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; National Institutes of Health. Patients: Fifty-three patients with AHO (40 with PHP1a and 13 with pseudoPHP) and two with progressive osseous heteroplasia were studied. Main Outcome Measures: Main outcome measures were weight and height sd score (SDS), body mass index (BMI) percentiles, and BMI z-scores. Results: Patients with PHP1a had s...
Cyclotron production of 68Ga using a solution target

434 Objectives To develop an efficient method for the production of 68Ga with a solution target using a medium energy cyclotron. Methods A solution target was designed and constructed with dual foils of Al (0.20 mm) and Havar (0.038 mm) separated by helium cooling to degrade the PETtrace cyclotron proton energy to ~14 MeV. The solution target insert (1.6 mL) was made of Ta and designed with enhanced heat exchange. The target was operated as a closed system. 68Zn (99.23% isotopic enrichment) was dissolved in concentrated nitric acid, evaporated to dryness, and reconstituted with dilute nitric acid to form 1.7 M 68Zn nitrate in 0.2N nitric acid as target solution. After 30 min of proton irradiation at 20 μA, the target solution was passed through a cation exchange column (AG-50W-X8, 1.3 g), which efficiently trapped both 68Zn and 68Ga. 68Zn was subsequently eluted with 30 mL of 0.5M-HBr in 80% acetone without any measurable loss of 68Ga. The AG column was rinsed with 5 mL water to remove the HBr-acetone solution. 68Ga was eluted with 7 mL of 3N HCl solution with > 96 % elution efficiency. The radionuclidic purity was determined on an HPGe detector. Additionally, a Dionex HPLC system with post-column addition of 4-(2- pyridylazo) resorcinol and UV-detection was employed to analyze for non-radioactive metal contaminants. Results The product yield was 1.98-2.10 GBq (53.4-56.8 mCi) decay-corrected at EOB with processing time of ~30 min. The radionuclidic purity of 68Ga was found to be >99.9%, with the predominant contaminant being 67Ga. The HPLC analysis showed Fe, Cu and Zn concentrations Conclusions A simple and efficient method of 68Ga production was developed using a medium energy cyclotron and a solution target. The developed methodology offers a cost effective alternative route to 68Ga in comparison with 68Ge-based 68Ga generators. Research Support This work was supported by DOE (DE-SC0008947).
Comparative Efficacy of NaF and SMFP Dentifrices in Caries Prevention: A Meta-Analytic Overview

An overview was conducted of all randomized, controlled studies comparing NaF to SMFP dentifrices in the prevention of caries development. Data from these separate trials were subjected to a pooling procedure, or meta-analysis, in order to obtain a more stable estimate of comparative treatment efficacy and to aid in interpreting the generalizability of results. Based on a pool of studies involving over 7,000 subjects, NaF was associated with a significantly greater reduction in caries development compared to SMFP. The increment in D(M)FS was reduced an average of 0.28 (95% confidence limits 0.10 to 0.46) with the use of NaF as compared to SMFP over a 2- to 3-year follow-up period. This difference represents a 6.4% reduction in the rate of caries development observed with SMFP. The numerical advantage conferred by NaF over SMFP in caries risk reduction must be judged clinically as to its public health implications. Alternative analytic techniques and rules for including studies in the pooling process yielded consistent conclusions. A similar analysis of data from dual-active studies indicated that NaF in combination with SMFP provides greater lowering of the D(M)FS increment (approx. 0.16 over 2-3 years) compared to SMFP at the same total fluoride dose, whereas the dual-active product demonstrated no advantage over NaF alone.
Clinical experience of natalizumab in Crohn's disease patients in a restricted distribution program

Background Natalizumab (NAT) is a humanized monoclonal antibody against α4-integrin initially approved for the treatment of multiple sclerosis, and then withdrawn from the market in 2005 due to the risk of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. NAT was approved for the treatment of Crohn’s disease in the United States in 2008 under a restricted distribution program. There has been limited data on NAT since then. The purpose of this study was to review the experience with NAT in Crohn’s disease patients at a tertiary inflammatory bowel disease center. Methods A retrospective chart review was performed on all patients who received NAT for treatment of refractory Crohn’s disease from January 2008 to August 2010 at Washington University Medical Center in St. Louis. Results A total of 20 patients were identified and included in our study. Four patients did not complete induction therapy. Seven patients had a clinical response, with 5 patients continuing treatment up to 2012. Four patients had a partial response, 3 had adverse events, and 2 experienced loss of response. Two patients were pregnant while on NAT, and neither had significant adverse pregnancy outcomes. One patient dependent on total parenteral nutrition developed recurrent line sepsis while on NAT. Of the 5 patients on long-term maintenance therapy, 4 have a positive anti-JC virus antibody. No patients developed progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy or other neurological complications.
The dirichlet problem for the bergman laplacian. I

(1983). The dirichlet problem for the bergman laplacian. I. Communications in Partial Differential Equations: Vol. 8, No. 5, pp. 305-317.
DNA homologies among Eikenella corrodens strains.

Deoxyribonucleic acids were extracted from 22 Eikenella corrodens strains of human oral origin. The DNA's were compared by determination of their base contents (mol % G + C), and by DNA hybridization on membrane filters and in solution using Sl nuclease. DNA was radioactively labeled in vitro by use of DNA polymerase and labeled triphosphate bases. On membrane filters, DNAs hybridized at least 70 % with labeled strains. Mean base contents were between 55.7 and 57.2 mol % G + C with an overall mean of 56.3. It was found that the labeled DNA was somewhat sensitive to Sl nuclease and this produced variations in hybridization when the Sl method was used although no heterogeneities were apparent. The strains had similar biochemical properties. They produced only slight amounts of acetic acid in Todd-Hewitt broth. These human oral strains appeared to be a biochemically and genetically homogenous group.
A sample design for globally consistent biomass estimation using lidar data from the Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS)

Lidar height data collected by the Geosciences Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) from 2002 to 2008 has the potential to form the basis of a globally consistent sample-based inventory of forest biomass. GLAS lidar return data were collected globally in spatially discrete full waveform “shots,” which have been shown to be strongly correlated with aboveground forest biomass. Relationships observed at spatially coincident field plots may be used to model biomass at all GLAS shots, and well-established methods of model-based inference may then be used to estimate biomass and variance for specific spatial domains. However, the spatial pattern of GLAS acquisition is neither random across the surface of the earth nor is it identifiable with any particular systematic design. Undefined sample properties therefore hinder the use of GLAS in global forest sampling. We propose a method of identifying a subset of the GLAS data which can justifiably be treated as a simple random sample in model-based biomass estimation. The relatively uniform spatial distribution and locally arbitrary positioning of the resulting sample is similar to the design used by the US national forest inventory (NFI). We demonstrated model-based estimation using a sample of GLAS data in the US state of California, where our estimate of biomass (211 Mg/hectare) was within the 1.4% standard error of the design-based estimate supplied by the US NFI. The standard error of the GLAS-based estimate was significantly higher than the NFI estimate, although the cost of the GLAS estimate (excluding costs for the satellite itself) was almost nothing, compared to at least US$ 10.5 million for the NFI estimate. Global application of model-based estimation using GLAS, while demanding significant consolidation of training data, would improve inter-comparability of international biomass estimates by imposing consistent methods and a globally coherent sample frame. The methods presented here constitute a globally extensible approach for generating a simple random sample from the global GLAS dataset, enabling its use in forest inventory activities.
Quantitative structure-activity relationships for predicting soil-sediment sorption coefficients for organic chemicals

Sorption coefficients are used to describe the equilibrium distribution of a chemical between a soil or sediment and the aqueous phase that it is in contact with. Although sorption coefficients for a particular organic chemical vary greatly from soil to soil, the observation has been made that sorption generally increases as the organic carbon content of the soil and the hydrophobicity of the chemical increases. This general observation resulted in the acceptance of organic carbon normalized sorption coefficients (KOC) as unique properties or constants of organic chemicals. In turn, KOC values have been estimated by quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSARs) developed by correlation with a variety of physical or chemical properties and structural descriptors related to the hydrophobicity of the chemical such as octanol-water partition coefficients, aqueous solubilities, molecularconnectivity indices, molecular weight, molecular surface area, and reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography retention times. The selection and application of the most appropriate QSAR for predicting KOC depend on several factors, including the availability of required input, the appropriateness of model to chemical of interest, and the methodology for calculating the necessary topological or structural information. A review of the existing QSARs for predicting KOC and the limitations of using the KOC approach to estimate sorption coefficients will be presented.
Eight-Membered and Larger Rings

Abstract The review covers work published in the calendar year 2011. New syntheses, chemical reactions, and applications of eight-membered and larger ring heterocycles are reviewed, with an emphasis on new structures and material science relevance.
Variance reduction for likelihood-ratio method

The likelihood-ratio (LR) method is a powerful method for sensitivity analysis of stochastic system performance because of its wide applicability. However, the variance of the estimate from the LR increases linearly with the length of the segment path, which makes the steady-state performance sensitivity estimation difficult. To overcome this difficulty, regenerative simulation is used. However, the mean length of regenerative cycles for a queuing network usually grows combinatorially with the size of the network. Thus, the LR method in its current stage is impractical for queuing networks. The authors propose using segments defined by an embedded ergodic Markov chain to cut the regenerative segments into shorter segments to reduce the variance. Applications are illustrated by examples. >
Plasma 17-hydroxycorticosteroid levels in patients with abnormal glucose tolerance during pregnancy.

A study has been made of plasma 17-hydroxycorticosteroid (17-OHCS) levels in 120 women during pregnancy, at delivery, and postpartum, including analyses on umbilical cord blood. In 83, there was abnormal tolerance to oral glucose during pregnancy, but there were no clinical manifestations of diabetes mellitus and these women were not known to have been diabetic previously. Forty-one of them were treated with 15 units of NPH insulin daily. No difference in plasma levels of 17-OHCS was found between the controls, the patients with abnormal glucose tolerance who were untreated, and those with abnormal glucose tolerance who were treated with insulin, at any of the various stages in which assays were made, before and after delivery. It was concluded that there is no relationship between plasma levels of 17-OHCS and the presence of abnormal glucose tolerance during pregnancy, and that insulin has no effect on plasma 17-OHCS concentration either in the mother’s blood or in the umbilical cord blood at delivery. T...
Modeling CaMKII-mediated regulation of L-type Ca(2+) channels and ryanodine receptors in the heart.

Excitation-contraction coupling (ECC) in the cardiac myocyte is mediated by a number of highly integrated mechanisms of intracellular Ca2+ transport. Voltage- and Ca2+-dependent L-type Ca2+ channels (LCCs) allow for Ca2+ entry into the myocyte, which then binds to nearby ryanodine receptors (RyRs) and triggers Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum in a process known as Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release. The highly coordinated Ca2+-mediated interaction between LCCs and RyRs is further regulated by the cardiac isoform of the Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaMKII). Because CaMKII targets and modulates the function of many ECC proteins, elucidation of its role in ECC and integrative cellular function is challenging and much insight has been gained through the use of detailed computational models. Multiscale models that can both reconstruct the detailed nature of local signaling events within the cardiac dyad and predict their functional consequences at the level of the whole cell have played an important role in advancing our understanding of CaMKII function in ECC. Here, we review experimentally based models of CaMKII function with a focus on LCC and RyR regulation, and the mechanistic insights that have been gained through their application.
Predicting the transition from anxiety to depressive symptoms in early adolescence: Negative anxiety response style as a moderator of sequential comorbidity.

Abstract Background Anxiety often precedes depression. The anxiety response styles theory of comorbidity suggests anxious individuals with a tendency to ruminate or make hopeless attributions about anxiety symptoms (negative anxiety response styles [NARS]) are more vulnerable to subsequent depressive symptoms. However, this theory has never been tested in adolescence, when the anxiety-depression transition may frequently occur, or using an extended (one-year) follow-up period. Method 128 early adolescent girls (M=12.39 years) participated with caregivers in a one-year longitudinal study. At baseline and follow-up, participants completed diagnostic interviews and self-report measures assessing child NARS and brooding rumination. Results T1 NARS predicted longitudinal elevations in depressive symptoms and increased associations between T1 anxiety and T2 depressive symptoms. Limitations This study examines anxiety and depression comorbidity using a community sample. The sample is relatively low on sociodemographic diversity. Conclusions Results support the anxiety response styles theory, with potential implications for early identification of anxious youth at risk for later development of comorbid depression.
Self and identity in adolescent foreign language learning, by Taylor, F.

Reviewed by Mark B. PachecoVanderbilt Universitymark.b.pacheco@vanderbilt.eduAny careful look at identity and the adolescent learner in the foreign-language classroom demands a willingness to put u...
U.S. Donor Heart Allocation Bias for Men Over Women?: A Closer Look∗

In this issue of JACC: Heart Failure , Hsich et al. [(1)][1] review the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR) database between 2000 and 2010 and find a greater waitlist mortality for women than for men for status 1A patients. They conclude that the United Network for Organ Sharing (