cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Additional Treatment after Collagenase Injections and Needle Fasciotomy for Dupuytren’s Disease: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Introduction The aim of this study was to assess the rate of additional treatment after collagenase injection and needle fasciotomy, and what factors are associated with additional procedures for recurrence. Materials and Methods We retrospectively identified 201 adult patients who underwent collagenase injection and 19 patients who underwent needle fasciotomy for Dupuytren’s disease from 2012 to 2014. Outcomes included additional treatment of the same ray for either recurrence or persistence of contracture. To evaluate associated factors, we performed a bivariate analysis. Results Additional treatment after collagenase injection for recurrence was performed in 24% of fingers at a median of 23 months (interquartile range [IQR]: 10.8–36.1) and was associated with bilateral disease (p = 0.008). Additional treatment for persistence was performed in 5.6% at a median of 1.9 months (IQR: 1.1–3.2). Additional treatment for recurrence after needle fasciotomy was performed in 13% of fingers at a median of 28.2 months (IQR: 27.5–28.2) and 4.2% for persistence at 1.1 months. Fingers treated with needle fasciotomy were more likely to undergo secondary open fasciectomy (13% vs. 5.1%, p = 0.022). Conclusion Additional treatment after collagenase injections was performed in 29% of fingers, mostly another collagenase injection, and was associated with bilateral disease. After needle fasciotomy, 17% of patients underwent additional treatment, primarily open partial fasciectomy.
Cultivating Cultural Competence: How Are Hospice Staff Being Educated to Engage Racially and Ethnically Diverse Patients?

Background:Compared to Whites, racial/ethnic minorities are less likely to enroll in hospice and if they enroll, more likely to experience poor quality care. Building cultural competence (CC) among...
The Strategy of Predator Evasion in Response to a Visual Looming Stimulus in Zebrafish ( Danio rerio)

A diversity of animals survive encounters with predators by escaping from a looming visual stimulus. Despite the importance of this behavior, it is generally unclear how visual cues facilitate a prey's survival from predation. Therefore, the aim of this study was to understand how the visual angle subtended on the eye of the prey by the predator affects the distance of adult zebrafish (Danio rerio) from predators. We performed experiments to measure the threshold visual angle and mathematically modeled the kinematics of predator and prey. We analyzed the responses to the artificial stimulus with a novel approach that calculated relationships between hypothetical values for a threshold-stimulus angle and the latency between stimulus and response. These relationships were verified against the kinematic responses of zebrafish to a live fish predator (Herichthys cyanoguttatus). The predictions of our model suggest that the measured threshold visual angle facilitates escape when the predator's approach is slower than approximately twice the prey's escape speed. These results demonstrate the capacity and limits to how the visual angle provides a prey with the means to escape a predator.
Upregulation of METTL3 expression and m6A RNA methylation in placental trophoblasts in preeclampsia.

Abstract Introduction N6-methyladenosine (m6A) has been recognized as one of the most abundant and functionally relevant modifications of RNAs and plays critical roles in biological and pathological processes. Placental trophoblast dysfunction significantly contributes to the pathogenesis of preeclampsia. The present study aimed to determine if altered m6A expression occurs in placental trophoblasts in preeclampsia. Expression of m6A methyltransferase (methyltransferase like 3 (METTL3)), m6A demethylases (fat mass and obesity-associated protein (FTO) and AlkB homolog 5 (ALKBH5)), and m6A reader protein, heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein C1/C2 (hnRNPC1/C2), were also examined. Methods A total of 43 placentas (20 normal term, 5 normotensive preterm, and 18 preeclamptic) were used in the study. Expression of m6A, METTL3, FTO, ALKBH5, and hnRNPC1/C2 were examined by immunostaining in villous tissue sections and/or by Western blot of total cellular protein in trophoblasts isolated from normotensive and preeclamptic placentas. Total RNA extracted from trophoblasts was used to measure m6A RNA methylation. Effects of METTL3 on m6A RNA methylation and hnRNPC1/C2 expression were assessed by transfection of METTL3 siRNA in trophoblasts from preeclamptic placentas. Results Expression of m6A and m6A RNA methylation were significantly increased in trophoblasts from preeclamptic vs. normotensive placentas, p Conclusion The finding of increased METTL3 expression and m6A RNA methylation associated with increased hnRNPC1/C2 expression provides a new posttranscriptional mechanism that aberrant m6A modification may contribute to trophoblast dysfunction in preeclampsia.
Membrane Protein Structure and Folding

Seminal structural and biochemical studies demonstrated that proteins are organized by specific structural elements and that the information necessary to form these ordered structures is encoded in the polypeptide chain. Questions related to the mechanisms of protein folding for both soluble and transmembrane proteins remain a large field of research utilizing a combination of biochemical, biophysical, genetic, and large-scale computational approaches. Understanding these processes has broad implications for the functional identification of unknown and putative proteins found in sequenced genomes, the characterization of disease-causing mutations identified in genetic studies, and for rational design and protein engineering efforts to introduce novel biological function. This chapter will provide an overview of transmembrane protein structure determination and provide a survey of studies on CFTR folding and structure.
Quality of opioid prescribing in older adults with or without Alzheimer disease and related dementia

Pain is common among individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD), and use of opioids has been increasing over the last decade. Yet, it is unclear to what extent opioids are appropriately prescribed for patients with ADRD and whether the appropriateness of opioid prescribing differs by ADRD status. The objective of this study is to compare the quality of opioid prescribing among patients with or without ADRD who have chronic noncancer pain. A nationally representative cohort study of Medicare beneficiaries aged 50 years or older who had chronic pain but who had no cancer, hospice, or palliative care from 2011 to 2015. Four indicators of potentially inappropriate opioid prescribing were measured in patients residing in communities (75,258 patients with and 435,870 patients without ADRD); five indicators were assessed in patients in nursing homes (NHs) (37,117 patients with and 5128 patients without ADRD). Each indicator was calculated as the proportion of eligible patients with inappropriate opioid prescribing in the year after a chronic pain diagnosis. Differences in proportions between ADRD and non-ADRD groups were estimated using a generalized linear model adjusting for covariates through inverse probability weighting. Patients with ADRD versus those without had higher concurrent use of opioids and central nervous system–active drugs (community 44.1% vs 33.3%; NH 58.8% vs 54.1%, both P < 0.001) and no opioids or scheduled pain medications for moderate or severe pain (NH 60.1% vs 52.5%, P < 0.001). The ADRD versus non-ADRD group had higher use of long-term opioids for treating neuropathic pain in communities (21.7% vs 19.5%, P = 0.003) but lower use in NHs (26.9% vs 36.0%, P < 0.001). Use of strong or high-dose opioids when naive to opioids (community 1.5% vs 2.8%; NH 2.5% vs 3.5%) and use of contraindicated opioids (community 0.08% vs 0.12%; NH 0.05% vs 0.21%) were rare for either group. Potential inappropriate opioid prescribing in 2 areas of pain care was more common among patients with ADRD than among patients without ADRD in community or NH settings. Further studies aimed at understanding the factors and effects associated with opioid prescribing patterns that deviate from guidelines are warranted.
Creative and Innovative Teams

Innovation does not happen alone. Building a creative and innovative work team increases the likelihood of successful innovation in sport organizations. When innovation is the goal, these elements need to be considered: leader-member exchange, participative safety, vision and goal clarity, support for innovation, task orientation, diversity of thought, social interaction, and resources, such as time and rewards. Innovation in a sport organization can include positive changes to process or structure, as well as new products. The process of innovation has been theorized as a three-stage process: idea initiation, idea adoption decision, and idea implementation. In that process, identifying and supporting an innovation champion has been shown to increase the likelihood of an idea’s success in an organization.
Menstruation and Secondary Amenorrhea

Secondary amenorrhea occurs in 3–5% of women and is defined as the absence of menses for three cycles or 3–6 months in previously menstruating women. After excluding pregnancy, the most common causes include hypothalamic suppression, polycystic ovary syndrome, primary ovarian insufficiency, hyperprolactinemia, and thyroid dysfunction. All women presenting to primary care with secondary amenorrhea should be evaluated with a history and physical exam targeted to potential physiologic, anatomical, gynecologic, and endocrine causes of their symptoms. A first-line workup should include pregnancy testing along with serum FSH, TSH, and prolactin. Additional testing, including a progestin withdrawal challenge, androgens, and imaging, should be based upon suspected etiology. Treatment centers on addressing the underlying condition with involvement of specialists for medical, procedural, or surgical management as appropriate.
The Need for Policy Focused Finance Research

A shift in the focus of finance research is needed so that it can benefit society. Practitioner-oriented journals should take the lead by proactively asking academics and practitioners to identify topics that address nascent challenges facing the financial system and invite them and policy-makers to submit articles that shed light on the issues and recommend solutions. A proposal worth considering is to tie senior management compensation to the need for financial infusions by taxpayers in the event of systemic failures induced by excessive and fraudulent risk-taking. In such cases, the penalties imposed on management would involve a clawback of past and present compensation.
Long-term Follow-up of Lisfranc Injuries Treated With Open Reduction Internal Fixation Patient-Reported Outcomes

Background:There remains a paucity of data regarding long-term patient-reported outcomes following Lisfranc injuries. We sought to collect long-term clinical outcome data following Lisfranc injurie...
Computer-Aided Support for Water Resources Research and Planning

This paper presents a brief and incomplete overview of some of the current developments in decision support system technology and its application to water resources problems. It was prepared to stimulate the preparation of additional papers by others and to provide a basis for some of the discussions at the Advanced Research Workshop. The paper identifies some future needs with respect to decision support system hardware, software and implementation.
Syphilis in obstetrics

Abstract Syphilis is an obstetric problem of considerable significance among patients in the lower economic groups, even in a predominately rural state such as Iowa, where most of the people are native born whites. The fate of the offspring of syphilitic women appears to depend less upon the duration of the infection at the time of conception and previous antisyphilitic therapy than upon the character and extent of treatment during pregnancy. The best results are obtained when treatment during pregnancy follows anteconceptional therapy. None of the diagnostic measures available makes possible the determination of the syphilitic status of the child of a syphilitic woman during the neonatal period. Standard serologic tests are practically pathognomonic at the age of two or three months and are alone to be depended upon. The syphilitic pregnant woman appears especially likely to develop treatment reactions to the arsenical antisyphilitic drugs, which should, therefore, be used with caution.
Inflammatory mediators regulate cathepsin S in macrophages and microglia: A role in attenuating heparan sulfate interactions.

Cathepsin S is a member of the family of cysteine lysosomal proteases. The distribution of cathepsin S is restricted to cells from the mononuclear lineage both in the brain and in the periphery. Also, its protease activity is uniquely stable at neutral pH. We compared the expression of cathepsin S, B, and L mRNAs in various undifferentiated and differentiated cells of mononuclear origin, and examined the modulation of these mRNAs by inflammatory mediators (lipopolysaccharide and various cytokines). In addition, the effect of these agents on cathepsin S protein levels and protease activity was also determined. Lastly, the ability of cathepsin S to process basement membrane components such as heparan sulfate proteoglycans in vitro and in vivo was assessed. Cathepsin S, B, and L mRNAs are expressed in mature macrophages and microglial cells and not in undifferentiated monocytes. Activators of macrophages negatively regulate all three transcripts. Consistent with this, treatment with these agents leads to a decrease in intracellular cathepsin S protein levels and activity. However, the same treatments result in stimulation of secreted cathepsin S activity. Cathepsin S is capable of degrading heparan sulfate proteoglycans in vitro. Also, when expressed in endothelial cells, cathepsin S autocrinely attenuates the basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF)-mediated binding of FGF receptor containing cells to endothelial cells, by acting on basement membrane proteoglycans. Taken together, these data imply that cathepsin S is a regulatable cysteine protease that plays a role in the degradation of extracellular proteins, whose secretion from macrophages and microglia is increased by signals that lead to activation of these cells, and may be important in regulating extracellular matrix interactions.
The Lawyer's Role in a Contemporary Democracy, Foreword

In 2008, participants in a Symposium at Fordham Law School1 were invited to discuss “the lawyer’s role in a contemporary democracy.” This book of the Fordham Law Review contains participants’ writings on this theme. It captures the richness of the Symposium and suggests possibilities for continuing and enlarging the discussion in the future. The contributions are wide-ranging, owing to the theme’s breadth no less than the authors’ diverse perspectives. As Fred Zacharias observes,2 the Symposium can be interpreted variously as “a call to discuss the nature of democracy itself,” to explore lawyers’ role in promoting freedoms associated with liberal democracies, or to consider lawyers’ contribution to law reform, “enhancing individual rights and open, representative government.”3 As Rakesh Anand notes, responses will also differ depending on whether or not one focuses on liberal democracies and, as did
Bridging the Theory-Practice Gap in Business Marketing: Lessons from the Field—The JBBM at 21

ABSTRACTPurpose: The purpose of this article is to first examine the distinctive role that Journal of Business-to-Business Marketing (JBBM) assumes in the marketing discipline, explore its heritage and notable accomplishments, and highlight the opportunities and challenges that specialized business journals confront across functional areas. Next, the authors explored the academic-practitioner divide and propose action steps that can be followed to craft corporate research partnerships to address business marketing problems.Methodology/approach: The authors drew on research experience gained across more than a dozen empirical studies that have been used in a collaborative approach with a partner firm from the business-to-business sector to examine a core marketing problem.Findings: High levels of engagement and support from the partner organization appear to be most likely to occur when members of the partnering firm were actively involved in framing the research question.Research implications: A set of ac...
Mammary mechanisms for lactoferrin: interactions with IGFBP-3

Mecanismes d’action de la lactoferrine au niveau mammaire : interactions avec l’IGFBP-3La lactoferrine (Lf) est une proteine de liaison du fer trouvee en concentrations elevees dans les secretions mammaires mais synthetisees egalement par de nombreux autres tissus. Les tissus mammaires bovins secretent dans le lait des quantites de Lf a des concentrations de l’ordre du μg/ml alors que pendant les periodes d’involution et pre-partum, ces concentrations fluctuent entre 20 et 80 mg/ml. Bien qu’un certain nombre de fonctions biologiques de la Lf ont ete decrites, seules les activites antimicrobiennes et lymphocitaires ont ete clairement demontrees experimentalement. Nous decrivons une nouvelle propriete de la Lf laquelle se lierait uniquement a la proteine de liaison 3 de l’insulin-like growth factor-I (IGFBP-3) et non aux autres proteines de liaison de l’IGF-I secretees par la glande mammaire (IGFBP-2, -4 & -5). Par ailleurs, la lactoferrine bovine se fixe aux membranes des cellules de la glande mammaire. Nous avons demontre que la Lf bovine (bLf) entre en competition avec l’IGF pour la liaison avec l’IGFBP-3 avec un ED50 de competition de 3 μg/ml et un deplacement de 1 mg/ml de la bLf monomerique. La forme tetramerique dont l’obtention est favorisee par des concentrations elevees en Lf et en calcium, ne parait pas se lier a l’IGFBP-3. Tant l’IGFBP-3 que la Lf presentent dans leurs sequences des signaux de translocation dans le noyau qui militent en faveur d’une localisation nucleaire de ces proteines. Nous avons demontre que l’IGFBP-3 extracellulaire se fixe a la Lf de membranes et que la Lf joue un role central dans l’internalisation de l’IGFBP-3 dans le noyau des cellules mammaires. De plus, nous avons observe que l’internalisation de la Lf necessite la presence de retinoides lesquels induisent aussi bien la synthese d’IGFBP-3 que de Lf par les cellules epitheliales mammaires placees en culture primaire. En conclusion, nous formulons l’hypothese d’un nouveau role de la Lf dans la regulation et l’integration du systeme IGF.
A Balanced Information Diet, Not Selective Exposure: Evidence from Erie to Arbitron

Do citizens seek out political information in a biased and selective manner, that is do they primarily watch, listen and read information supporting their side? Or, are they balanced- information seekers, giving equal time to both sides of the argument? To adjudicate between these competing models of political exposure, I measure political exposure bias across two media environments using novel individual level longitudinal datasets. First, I attempt to replicate the large selective exposure effects found in Lazarsfeld’s 1940 panel study – designed to extensively measure voter’s exposure to the universe of campaign communications – political speeches, newspaper stories, radio newscasts, editorials, columns, magazine articles over the course of the 1940 U.S. presidential election. The second study leverages new behavioral data measuring selective exposure to TV and Radio newscasts during the 2006 Midterm Election. These data combine survey measures of political views with media tracking data that continuously and automatically log panelists’ 24/7 exposure to all radio and television programming over a 90 day period – (panelists’ cell phones pick up radio and TV sound which is matched against a database of programming) – resulting in 541, 892 observations for 920 panelists. Results are clear across media environment and platform: less than 5% of the electorate has a tendency to read, listen or watch to one’s own side. Rather the vast majority of citizens, consume centrist media, while tuning out news from ideological sources altogether. Of those who do turn to ideological sources, most have a balanced information diet – in that they consume news programming from both ends of the political spectrum. Contrary to recent claims depicting an electorate where powerful partisan loyalties bind citizens to their preferred ideological news sources, there is little evidence that selective exposure occurs on a sufficiently broad scale to affect deliberative democracy or contribute to mass polarization.
Compact integration factor methods for complex domains and adaptive mesh refinement

Implicit integration factor (IIF) method, a class of efficient semi-implicit temporal scheme, was introduced recently for stiff reaction-diffusion equations. To reduce cost of IIF, compact implicit integration factor (cIIF) method was later developed for efficient storage and calculation of exponential matrices associated with the diffusion operators in two and three spatial dimensions for Cartesian coordinates with regular meshes. Unlike IIF, cIIF cannot be directly extended to other curvilinear coordinates, such as polar and spherical coordinates, due to the compact representation for the diffusion terms in cIIF. In this paper, we present a method to generalize cIIF for other curvilinear coordinates through examples of polar and spherical coordinates. The new cIIF method in polar and spherical coordinates has similar computational efficiency and stability properties as the cIIF in Cartesian coordinate. In addition, we present a method for integrating cIIF with adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) to take advantage of the excellent stability condition for cIIF. Because the second order cIIF is unconditionally stable, it allows large time steps for AMR, unlike a typical explicit temporal scheme whose time step is severely restricted by the smallest mesh size in the entire spatial domain. Finally, we apply those methods to simulating a cell signaling system described by a system of stiff reaction-diffusion equations in both two and three spatial dimensions using AMR, curvilinear and Cartesian coordinates. Excellent performance of the new methods is observed.
The Impact of Gary Becker's Work on Sociology

The awarding of the 1992 Nobel Pnze for Economics to Gary Becker draws attention to Becker's outstanding work in economics. At the same time, it draws attention to a new phenomenon, for which Becke...
Why perform randomized clinical trials for sentinel node surgery for breast cancer

Long-term outcome of sentinel node surgery without axillary dissection has not been established. To that extent the therapeutic outcome of sentinel node surgery is unknown. Two important clinical trials are under way that are designed to compare sentinel node surgery without axillary dissection to axillary dissection. In partnership with the University of Vermont, the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project is conducting a trial that will primarily compare node negative breast cancer cases. The American College of Surgeons Clinical Oncology Group is conducting a trial that randomizes node positive breast cancer patients. The primary endpoints of these clinical trials are survival, long-term regional control, and morbidity. At the conclusion of these trials it will be established within a narrow confidence interval whether sentinel node surgery alone provides the same important therapeutic benefits as axillary surgery but without the morbidity associated with axillary surgery.
Performance of a real-time pseudodynamic test system considering nonlinear structural response

This paper presents the implementation details of a real-time pseudodynamic test system that adopts an implicit time integration scheme. The basic configuration of the system is presented. Physical tests were conducted to evaluate the performance of the system and validate a theoretical system model that incorporates the dynamics and nonlinearity of a test structure and servo-hydraulic actuators, control algorithm, actuator delay compensation methods, and the flexibility of an actuator reaction system. The robustness and accuracy of the computational scheme under displacement control errors and severe structural softening are examined with numerical simulations using the model. Different delay compensation schemes have been implemented and compared. One of the schemes also compensates for the deformation of an actuator reaction system. It has been shown that the test method is able to attain a good performance in terms of numerical stability and accuracy. However, it has been shown that test results obtained with this method can underestimate the inelastic displacement drift when severe strain softening develops in a test structure. This can be attributed to the fact that the numerical damping effect introduced by convergence errors becomes more significant as a structure softens. In a real-time test, a significant portion of the convergence errors is caused by the time delay in actuator response. Hence, a softening structure demands higher precision in displacement control. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Metabolism of carbon monoxide

Abstract Carbon monoxide is the most abundant atmospheric pollutant released by our technological society. The gas is also a natural by-product of different mammalian, plant and bacterial cell systems. This review describes a few of these cellular CO-evolving activities as part of a natural biological cycle, which ultimately depends upon certain bacteria to oxidize CO to carbon dioxide. Most microbes oxidize CO adventitiously, or accidentally, but one cell can use the gas as its sole energy substrate for growth. The ability of this microorganism to form efficiently both H 2 and CO 2 from CO released by industrial coal gasification procedures is suggested.
Realistic synaptic inputs for model neural networks

An expression is derived relating the input current for a single neuron in a neural network to the firing rates of excitatory and inhibitory inputs synapsing on the dendritic tree of the neuron. Any dendritic geometry and any pattern of synaptic connections can be treated using the techniques presented. The input currents calculated, combined with known firing rate functions, allow the effects of synaptic conductance changes along dendritic cables to be included in a mean-field description of network behaviour. The shunting effects of inhibitory synaptic conductances provide a solution to the high firing rate problem in neutral network models.
Silver Halide X-Ray Film For High-Light-Level Handling

A new silver halide material, 3M Company's Type HL film, for clinical x-ray imaging either with or without an intensifying screen, can be handled under relatively high room-illumination levels and therefore requires no dark-room. Evaluation of this new film in comparison to 3M Company's conventional Type R film shows Type HL to be equivalent or superior: The relative speeds are approximately the same, and the resolution and MTF of Type HL are slightly better than of Type R. Type HL is sensitive to the same wavelengths as the spectral emission of the intensifying screens but is insensitive to the wave-length emission region of present x-ray darkroom safe-lights or the new high-light-level filters supplied by 3M. Although the evaluation discussed here is based on clinical uses, the film promises to be advantageous in industrial radiology.© (1972) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Simulations of {\cal N}=2 Super Yang-Mills Theory in Two Dimensions

We present results from lattice simulations of ${\cal N}=2$ super Yang-Mills theory in two dimensions. The lattice formulation we use was developed in \cite{2dpaper} and retains both gauge invariance and an exact (twisted) supersymmetry for any lattice spacing. Results for both U(2) and SU(2) gauge groups are given. We focus on supersymmetric Ward identities, the phase of the Pfaffian resulting from integration over the Grassmann fields and the nature of the quantum moduli space.
Alleviating fertilizer policy constraints to increased fertilizer use and increased food production in West Africa

In sub-Saharan Africa, sustainable economic growth and development, food security, and fair income distribution are possible only if there is sustained growth in agricultural production. The influx of commercially imported or donated foodgrains has helped many governments to maintain a policy of low food prices, usually for the benefit of the vocal urban dwellers. Such practices tend to kill the incentive for increased local production of foodgrains or for the increase in the use of inputs needed to improve the productivity of the farming systems.
Conscience as a deterrent to free riding

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is threefold: conceptually, to demonstrate that ethical behavior is rational; theoretically, to illustrate that conscience can be readily incorporated into an expected utility framework; and empirically, to investigate whether conscience is an effective and economically important deterrent to free riding.Design/methodology/approach – An analogy to risk aversion demonstrates the rationality of ethical behavior. An expected utility model of tax evasion is then augmented by a conscience parameter and calibrated using recent empirical data from a transition economy.Findings – Taxpayers in Moldova are estimated to have engaged in roughly 10‐33 percent as much tax evasion as predicted by a model of amoral preferences. The difference amounts to between $11 million and $19.6 million in government revenues annually between 1997 and 2000.Research limitations/implications – The model is calibrated with aggregate data and consequently the empirical results are approximate. Replicat...
Expression and function of CD4 in a murine T-cell hybridoma.

The CD4 (T4) antigen was originally described as a phenotypic marker specific for helper T cells, and has recently been shown to be the receptor for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)1–4. Functional studies using monoclonal antibodies directed at CD4 and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecules led to the suggestion that CD4 binds to the MHC class II molecules expressed on stimulator cells, enhancing T-cell responsiveness by increasing the avidity of T cell-stimulator cell interaction and/or by transmitting a positive intracellular signal5–11. But recent evidence that antibodies to CD4 inhibit T-cell responsiveness in the absence of any putative ligand for CD4 has been interpreted as suggesting that antibody-mediated inhibition may involve the transmission of a negative signal via the CD4 molecule instead12–14. We have infected a murine T-cell hybridoma that produces inter-leu kin 2 (IL-2) in response to human class II HLA-DR antigens with a retroviral vector containing CD4 cDNA. The resulting CD4-expressing hybridoma cell lines produce 6- to 20-fold more IL-2 in response to HLA-DR antigens than control cell lines. Furthermore, when antigen levels are suboptimal, the response of the cell lines is entirely CD4-dependent. The data presented here clearly demonstrate that CD4 can enhance T-cell responsiveness and may be crucial in the response to suboptimal levels of antigen.
Dopaminergic Regulation of a-Subunit Secretion and Messenger Ribonucleic Acid Levels in a-Secreting Pituitary Tumors*

Glycoprotein hormone and/or subunit secretion has been increasingly recognized in patients with pituitary nonsecretory adenomas and alpha-subunit secretion has been reported to occur in 5-10% of all pituitary tumors. We investigated the dopaminergic regulation of alpha-subunit secretion in four patients with alpha-subunit secreting pituitary adenomas documented by serum and immunocytochemical studies. In three of the four patients there was a significant decrease in serum alpha-subunit concentrations during 6 weeks of bromocriptine administration. Tumor size decreased in two patients. In pituitary tumor cells from one patient cultured in vitro, dopamine caused a highly significant decrease in media alpha-subunit concentrations. To investigate whether dopaminergic regulation of alpha-subunit secretion occurs at a pre- or posttranslational level, messenger RNA (mRNA) from cultured tumor cells from one patient was analyzed by Northern blot techniques. A decrease in alpha-subunit mRNA occurred in cells incubated with 10(-10), 10(-8), and 10(-6) M dopamine. We conclude that dopamine suppressed pituitary tumor alpha-subunit secretion and mRNA levels. Dopamine agonists may be of benefit in the therapy of patients with such tumors.
Psychometric properties of the Illness Attitudes Scale in psychiatric patients.

This study assessed the factorial structure of the 29-item Illness Attitudes Scale in a population of 82 psychiatric patients hospitalized for gastrointestinal complaints. Factor analysis yielded three factors of the Illness Attitudes Scale in these patients, which have been interpreted Health Anxiety, Illness Behavior, and Health Habits. The internal consistency of these factors, estimated by Cronbach α, were .86, .80, and .58, respectively. The Health Anxiety and Illness Behavior scores were significantly intercorrelated .43, but scores on Health Habits were not significantly correlated with either Health Anxiety (r = .19) or Illness Behavior (r = .14). These findings are consistent with previous reports that two factors of the Illness Attitudes Scale possess reliable psychometric properties. Cross-validation with other patient populations is required to confirm the validity of the Illness Attitudes Scale factor structure testing at least 5 participants per item of the scale.
Numerical approximation of convection--diffusion equations in a channel using boundary layer elements

Our aim in this article is to show how one can improve the numerical solution of singularly perturbed problems involving boundary layers. By incorporating the structures of boundary layers into finite element spaces, when this structure is available, we can improve the accuracy of approximate solutions and this results in significant simplifications. In this article we discuss singularly perturbed convection-diffusion equations in a channel producing ordinary boundary layers.
Courtship songs of Drosophila pseudoobscura and D. persimilis: analysis of variation.

Abstract Differences in Drosophila courtship song elements are thought to confer species sexual isolation because of the low levels of variation within species, the large differences often seen between closely related species, and the results of experiments using synthetic songs in two species groups. In this study, we reanalyse the courtship song elements of D. pseudoobscura and D. persimilis . We confirmed the differences between these species in high-rate repetition song interpulse interval (IPI) and intrapulse frequency and in the amount of low-rate repetition song produced. We found that both X-chromosome and autosomal loci contribute to the differences between D. pseudoobscura and D. persimilis in their IPI and intrapulse frequency. No association was detected between IPI and hybrid male mating success to females of either species, although frequency was associated with mating success to D. persimilis females. Additionally, we found evidence of IPI periodicity in the song of D. persimilis , demonstrated differences in mean IPI between D. pseudoobscura populations, and showed a significant influence of temperature on IPI and intrapulse frequency. Such environmental effects may have obscured tests for population differentiation in courtship song parameters in other species, and we suggest the possibility that differences between Drosophila species in mean courtship song IPI might only rarely affect their sexual isolation.
Increased incidence of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, leukemia, and myeloma in patients with diabetes mellitus type 2: a meta-analysis of observational studies.

Hematologic malignancies are a heterogeneous group of conditions with an unclear etiology. We hypothesized that diabetes mellitus type 2 is associated with increased risk of developing lymphoma, leukemia, and myeloma. A literature search identified 26 studies (13 case-control and 13 cohort studies) evaluating such an association. Outcome was calculated as the odds ratio (OR) using a random effects model. Heterogeneity and publication bias were evaluated using the I2 index and the trim-and-fill analysis, respectively. Quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. The OR for non-Hodgkin lymphoma was increased at 1.22 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.07-1.39; P < .01) but the OR for Hodgkin lymphoma was not. There was an increased OR for peripheral T-cell lymphoma (OR = 2.42, 95% CI, 1.24-4.72; P = .009) but not for other non-Hodgkin lymphoma subtypes. The OR for leukemia was 1.22 (95% CI, 1.03-1.44; P = .02) and the OR for myeloma was 1.22 (95% CI, 0.98-1.53; P = .08). Although diabetes mellitus type 2 seems to increase the risk of developing lymphoma, leukemia, and myeloma, future studies should focus on evaluating other potential confounders such as obesity, dietary habits, physical activity, and/or antidiabetic therapy.
Two-phase flows: Constitutive equations for lift and Brownian motion and some basic flows

Constitutive relations for the lift force on the particulate phase and the effect of Brownian motion are presented. These constitutive relations are derived subject to three new principles of constitutive equations. The effects of lift and Brownian motion in basic parallel flows are considered in order to determine the importance and the consequences of these effects. The relation of the Brownian motion model involving momentum balance to the diffusive model of particle motions is studied. Dimensional and scaling arguments are given.
Effects of Feedback and Mandatory Practice on Learning to Spell during Computer-Assisted Instruction:

College students were given a computer-assisted instruction lesson in psychology. The lesson required the use of 30 words difficult to spell in responding to questions presented throughout the lesson. Feedback to students' responses took one of three forms: (1) No feedback for misspellings of otherwise correct answers, (2) Feedback about the correct spelling of incorrectly spelled words, and (3) Feedback with practice in which students engaged in mandatory practice of an incorrectly spelled word until the word was spelled correctly. There were no significant differences across treatments on an unanticipated spelling test over the difficult words given after a 3- to 6-day interval. However, students in the no-feedback and feedback groups were over-confident about the accuracy of their spellings, while the feedback-with-practice students were under-confident, with this difference being statistically significant. A possible advantage of feedback and practice over feedback alone is discussed.
Subordination, Self-Similarity, and Option Pricing

We use additive processes to price options on the Standard and Poor's 500 index (SPX) for the sake of comparison of pricing performance across both model class and family of time-one distribution. Each of the additive processes in this study is defined using one of the following: subordination, Sato's (2002) construction of self-similar additive processes from self-decomposable distributions, or both. We find that during the year 2005: (1) for a given family of time-one distributions, four-parameter self-similar additive models consistently yielded lower pricing errors than those of four-parameter subordinated, and time-inhomogeneous additive models, (2) for a given class of additive models, the time-one marginal given by the normal inverse Gaussian distribution consistently yielded lower pricing errors than those of the variance gamma distribution. Market and model benchmarks for the additive models under consideration are obtained via the bid-ask spreads of the options and Levy stochastic volatility model prices, respectively.
Electroless Deposition and Characterization of Pd Thin Films on Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon

Electroless palladium thin films have been successfully deposited on hydrogenated amorphous Si from a palladium-ammine bath. The d.c. magnetron reactive sputtered 18% hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) possessed a hydrogen passivated surface, using an activation step prior to the electroless deposition to obtain a film with good uniformity. The specially prepared hypophosphite-based dilute metal ion bath exhibited good stability at low operating temperatures of 35–50 °C. The morphology and microstructure of the Pd aggregates were characterized by scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX), while the Pd aggregates and as-deposited films from the citrate and NH 3 /NH 4 Cl baths were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Marked differences in morphology and distribution of the Pd aggregates on activated a-Si:H and c-Si substrates were observed and discussed. The as-deposited films with higher coverage from the NH 3 /NH 4 Cl bath were typically more uniform and crack-free, while those from the citrate bath suffered from incorporated hydrogen, resulting in bare spots, microcracks and local a-Si film peeling. Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES) revealed a higher amount of co-deposited phosphorus in NH 3 /NH 4 Cl bath films than citrate bath films.
The Influence of Intrathoracic Pressure on Fluid and Electrolyte Balance

s modem respiratory intensive care becomes A increasingly well defined as a subspecialty, it is important to critically evaluate the effect of various types of ventilatory support on the patient as a whole. One aspect of the general care of the respiratory patient with which the physician must deal is fluid and electrolyte balance. The original report of Sladen et al,' suggesting that sodium and fluid retention are associated with positive pressure ventilation, has been followed by other studies with similar findings.*s3 The magnitude of the clinical problems presented in these studies points out the potential importance of this association, but the existing clinical literature does little more than document the phenomenon in a retrospective fashion and does little to elucidate the mechanism in humans. On the other hand, the physiologic literature on the influence of intrathoracic pressure on fluid and electrolyte balance is replete with studies on the mechanism of this influence. Unfortunately, it is at the same time more confusing and often contradictory. The purpose of this article is to briefly review the literature in this field and point out how the thinking has shifted in recent years. It is the author's hope that such a review may crystallize the physiologic aspects of this topic and give some direction to future investigations into the clinical aspects. Until recently the role of the left atrial stretch reflex, as first described by Henry, Gauer and Reeves in 1956: was the cornerstone of physiologic thinking regarding the influence of the chest on urine output. Recently, as will be discussed in detail below, the physiologic importance of left atrial
Spectral parameters of inherent optical property models: method for satellite retrieval by matrix inversion of an oceanic radiance model

Inherent optical property (IOP) spectral models for the phytoplankton absorption coefficient, chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) absorption coefficient, and total constituent backscattering (TCB) coefficient are linear in the reference wavelength IOP and nonlinear in the spectral parameters. For example, the CDOM absorption coefficient IOP aCDOM(λi) = aCDOM(λref)exp[-S(λi - λref)] is linear in aCDOM(λref) and nonlinear in S. Upon linearization by Taylor’s series expansion, it is shown that spectral model parameters, such as S, can be concurrently accommodated within the same conventional linear matrix formalism used to retrieve the reference wavelength IOP’s. Iteration is used to adjust for errors caused by truncation of the Taylor’s series expansion. Employing an iterative linear matrix inversion of a water-leaving radiance model, computer simulations using synthetic data suggest that (a) no instabilities or singularities are introduced by the linearization and subsequent matrix inversion procedures, (b) convergence to the correct value can be expected only if starting values for a model parameter are within certain specific ranges, (c) accurate retrievals of the CDOM slope S (or the phytoplankton Gaussian width g) are generally reached in 3–20 iterations, (d) iterative retrieval of the exponent n of the TCB wavelength ratio spectral model is not recommended because the starting values must be within ∼±5% of the correct value to achieve accurate convergence, and (e) concurrent retrieval of S and g (simultaneously with the phytoplankton, CDOM, and TCB coefficient IOP’s) can be accomplished in a 5 × 5 iterative matrix inversion if the starting values for S and g are carefully chosen to be slightly higher than the expected final retrieved values.
Magnesium ion-dependent activation of the RecA protein involves the C terminus.

Abstract Optimal conditions for RecA protein-mediated DNA strand exchange include 6–8 mm Mg2+ in excess of that required to form complexes with ATP. We provide evidence that the free magnesium ion is required to mediate a conformational change in the RecA protein C terminus that activates RecA-mediated DNA strand exchange. In particular, a “closed” (low Mg2+) conformation of a RecA nucleoprotein filament restricts DNA pairing by incoming duplex DNA, although single-stranded overhangs at the ends of a duplex allow limited DNA pairing to occur. The addition of excess Mg2+ results in an “open” conformation, which can promote efficient DNA pairing and strand exchange regardless of DNA end structure. The removal of 17 amino acid residues at theEscherichia coli RecA C terminus eliminates a measurable requirement for excess Mg2+ and permits efficient DNA pairing and exchange similar to that seen with the wild-type protein at high Mg2+ levels. Thus, the RecA C terminus imposes the need for the high magnesium ion concentrations requisite in RecA reactions in vitro. We propose that the C terminus acts as a regulatory switch, modulating the access of double-stranded DNA to the presynaptic filament and thereby inhibiting homologous DNA pairing and strand exchange at low magnesium ion concentrations.
A parkinson-like neurologic deficit in primates is caused by a novel 4-substituted piperidine

A neurologic deficit characterized by hypokinesia, postural flexion, and to a lesser extent, rigidity, tremor and myoclonus, has been observed in cynomolgus monkeys following administration of 1-methyl-4-(1-methylpyrrol-2-yl)-4-piperidinol (MMPP), a novel 4-substituted piperdine. The syndrome, similar to that described for 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP), developed within 3–7 days after oral or i.v. dosing, and was accompanied by lesions in the substantia nigra. The behavioral syndrome was seen to a lesser extent in dogs but not in rats. MMPP contains a hydroxyl group on the 4-position of the pyridine ring; the corresponding dehydration product was inactive.