cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Li-Fraumeni Syndrome and Whole-Body MRI Screening: Screening Guidelines, Imaging Features, and Impact on Patient Management.

OBJECTIVE. Li-Fraumeni syndrome (LFS) is a rare autosomal-dominant inherited syndrome containing a germline mutation in the TP53 gene, which predisposes to oncogenesis. Leukemia and tumors of the b...
Nanoscale Interfacial Smoothing and Dissolution during Unconventional Reservoir Stimulation: Implications for Hydrocarbon Mobilization and Transport.

Hydraulic fracturing of low-permeability rocks significantly enhances hydrocarbon production from unconventional reservoirs. However, fluid transport through low-permeability rocks and the influenc...
Humeral Head Morphology Influences Outcomes of Arthroscopic Interposition Glenoid Patch Allograft for Glenohumeral Arthritis.

Purpose To determine short- to midterm patient-reported outcomes of arthroscopic soft-tissue interposition arthroplasty using acellular dermal allograft with a minimum follow-up of 1 year and to assess outcomes in patients with and without flattening of the humeral head. Methods Patients with a diagnosis of primary glenohumeral arthritis who underwent arthroscopic soft-tissue interposition arthroplasty with an acellular dermal allograft from July 2010 to November 2019 were retrospectively enrolled. Inclusion criteria were a primary diagnosis of glenohumeral arthritis and Outerbridge 4 full-thickness cartilage loss of ≥50% of the glenoid articular surface. Patients underwent arthroscopic debridement, microfracture, and biological arthroscopic soft-tissue interposition arthroplasty with an acellular dermal matrix. Postoperative outcomes included American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeon (ASES) score, Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation (SANE) score, Penn Shoulder Score (PSS), numeric rating scale (NRS) pain score, analgesic use, and conversion to total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA). Results were stratified according to humeral head morphology on preoperative radiographs. Results A total of 25 patients were included, with a mean age of 56.0 years (range 19.2 to 74.8) and a mean follow-up of 3.36 years (range 1.03 to 8.98). The mean postoperative ASES score was 64.1 (range 11.7 to 100.0), SANE score was 62% (range 5% to 100%), and PSS was 61.2 (range 10.6 to 97.9). Additionally, 56% of patients rated their shoulder function as improved or much improved, and 36% of patients converted to TSA at a mean of 2.35 years. Patients with and without humeral flattening had similar postoperative ASES scores (P = .44), SANE scores (P = .90), PSS (P = .73), and conversions to TSA (P = .83). Patients with humeral flattening were more likely to have shoulder pain at night (83.3% versus 28.6%, P = .02). Conclusion Arthroscopic soft-tissue interposition arthroplasty with an acellular dermal allograft resulted in satisfactory short- to mid-term postoperative outcomes for younger patients with glenohumeral arthritis but demonstrated a TSA conversion rate of 36%. Patients with humeral head flattening also had satisfactory shoulder function but were more likely to experience shoulder pain at night. Level of Evidence Level IV, therapeutic case series
Delivering “Store and Forward” Teledermatology to Rural Primary Care Practices: An Efficient Approach to Provision of Rural Skin Care

There are several forms of teledermatology, i.e., store-and-forward (SAF), real-time (RT), and hybrid models, all of which offer the potential to increase access to care in rural areas. Outside the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, a time in which the RT model was used extensively, SAF teledermatology has gained the greatest popularity among dermatologists. Teledermatology can be useful to clinicians in rural areas, or areas that lack access to a dermatologist. This chapter highlights the advantages and disadvantages of using SAF, and presents an academic dermatology department’s experience in Mississippi to serve as a model demonstrating the value of SAF teledermatology in treating rural patients.
CREEP OF SAND-ICE SYSTEM

Unconfined uniaxial creep tests were conducted at -8.5 degree C on sand-ice samples with an average wet density of 124 pcf (1,986 kg/m3). The samples were 94% water saturated, on the average, prior to freezing. Thus the data represent the behavior of slightly undersaturated frozen sands. Stress-strain data for different durations of loading were obtained by replotting the creep data. Values of the stress characterizing the change in stress-strain relations are confirmed by creep rate-stress data. It is shown that use of a single continuous stress function to represent stress-strain data in models must be limited to either stresses greater than, or less than, the limiting long-term strength. A single continous stress function cannot represent realistically the entire stress range. /ASCE/
Cerebral toxoplasmosis in AIDS

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the epidemiology—both in developed and developing countries—pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and treatment of central nervous system (CNS) toxoplasmosis in HIV-infected individuals. Toxoplasma gondii , an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite in human beings, has the potential to cause disease in both immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals. Cerebral toxoplasmosis is a frequent cause of neurological pathology in HIV-infected patients. Toxoplasmic encephalitis (TE) is a life-threatening CNS infection observed in advanced HIV infection, particularly in patients with CD 4 cell counts of 100 cells/mm 3 or fewer. Cerebral toxoplasmosis in immunocompromised hosts most likely occurs as a result of the reactivation of latent infection. It is characterized pathologically by the necrosis and thrombosis of involved vessels with perivascular inflammation, and with frank vasculitis in extreme cases. There may be a microglial response with the formation of nodules, and tachyzoites or toxoplasmic antigens have been associated with these nodules.
Report on the Invited Lecture by Pat Hanrahan, Titled “On Being in the Right Space”

The invited lecturer Pat Hanrahan is a professor at the Computer Science Department of Stanford University, Stanford CA 94305-9025, USA.
Cytotoxic Effects of Antigen- and Mitogen-Induced T Cells on Various Targets

Mitogen-induced cytotoxicity was studied by culturing mouse spleen cells with an optimum mitogenic dose of concanavalin A (Con A) for 2 days and, after washing, assessing their ability to lyse tumor targets. We show that rapid lysis occurs only when the correct concentration of an agglutinating mitogen (phytohemagglutinin P (PHA) or Con A) is present in the assay. PHA is more efficient than Con A in revealing the cytotoxic effect. The Con A-induced effector cytotoxic cell is shown to be sensitive to anti-theta serum and complement. Cytotoxic T cells were also induced by H-2 different allo-immunization. These effector cells specifically lyse targets which bear the immunizing H-2 antigens in the absence of PHA. When PHA is present in the assay, they will also lyse syngeneic tumor targets nonspecifically. Since not all dividing T cells (e.g., T lymphomas, and T blasts induced by M locus different, H-2 similar mixed lymphocyte culture) lyse PHA-P815, we propose that this assay measures only a subset of effector T cells, namely, cytotoxic T cells, regardless of their antigen specificity. The tumor cells, P815 and EL4, are sensitive both to antigen-specific T cell-mediated lysis in the absence of PHA and to nonspecific, PHA-revealed lysis. Small lymphocytes, T cell blasts, and B cell blasts are sensitive to lysis by T cells which are directed against H-2 antigens on their surface, but are not very susceptible to nonspecific T cell lysis in the presence of PHA. The reason for this difference in susceptibility of tumor and normal cells to PHA-revealed nonspecific T cell lysis is not known but may have some relevance to in vivo tumor rejection.
A new hydrogen calorimeter

Abstract We have constructed a new calorimeter for the measurement of heats of hydrogenation of liquid olefins on palladium black catalyst in acetic acid or cyclohexane solution. The principal advantages of the calorimeter described here are that it requires samples of only 10–40μl, it permits repetitive sample injection and it operates under conditions for which reactions times are very short; all those reported here were complete in less than one minute. We have determined the heats of hydrogenation of sixteen allylic. vinylic, ethylidene and other olefins some of which are known from previous work and some of which are new. Comparison is made with known heats of hydrogenation and new results are interpreted in terms of strain energies. The strain energies of hexamethyldewarbenzene and its hydrogenation product are discussed. Both have remarkably low strain energies and both are probably rather flexible molecules which distort easily to relieve strain and crowding of their pendant Me groups.
A Block-Parallel Newton Method via Overlapping Epsilon Decompositions

The purpose of this paper is to present a block-parallel Newton method for solving large nonlinear systems. A graph-theoretic decomposition algorithm is first used to partition the Jacobian into weakly coupled, possibly overlapping blocks. It is then shown that it suffices to invert only the diagonal blocks to carry out the Newton iterates. A rigorous justification of this practice is provided by using a convergence result of Kantorovich in the expanded space of the iterates, where overlapping blocks appear as disjoint. The individual blocks, or a group of blocks, can be inverted by a dedicated processor, making the new block-diagonal Newton method ideally suited for parallel processing. Applications to the power flow problems are presented, and parallelization issues are discussed briefly.
A glycogen phosphorylase inhibitor selectively enhances local rates of glucose utilization in brain during sensory stimulation of conscious rats: implications for glycogen turnover.

Glycogen is degraded during brain activation but its role and contribution to functional energetics in normal activated brain have not been established. In the present study, glycogen utilization in brain of normal conscious rats during sensory stimulation was assessed by three approaches, change in concentration, release of 14C from pre-labeled glycogen and compensatory increase in utilization of blood glucose (CMRglc) evoked by treatment with a glycogen phosphorylase inhibitor. Glycogen level fell in cortex, 14C release increased in three structures and inhibitor treatment caused regionally selective compensatory increases in CMRglc over and above the activation-induced rise in vehicle-treated rats. The compensatory rise in CMRglc was highest in sensory-parietal cortex where it corresponded to about half of the stimulus-induced rise in CMRglcf in vehicle-treated rats; this response did not correlate with metabolic rate, stimulus-induced rise in CMRglc or sequential station in sensory pathway. Thus, glycogen is an active fuel for specific structures in normal activated brain, not simply an emergency fuel depot and flux-generated pyruvate greatly exceeded net accumulation of lactate or net consumption of glycogen during activation. The metabolic fate of glycogen is unknown, but adding glycogen to the fuel consumed during activation would contribute to a fall in CMRO2/CMRglc ratio.
Unsettling Assumptions: Tradition, Gender, Drag

Aiming to ‘unsettle assumptions about culture and its study’ (1), this engaging collection of essays will stimulate lively and productive conversation, both in college classes and among scholars an...
Farewell to Surgical Mitral Commissurotomy for Many Patients

Percutaneous mitral balloon valvotomy (PMV) has been accepted as an alternative to surgical mitral commissurotomy in the treatment of patients with symptomatic rheumatic mitral stenosis. Previous studies have demonstrated that PMV produces good immediate and long-term follow-up results in a selected group of patients with mitral stenosis.1 2 3 4 Hemodynamic and clinical improvement is achieved in the majority of patients with rheumatic mitral stenosis. PMV resulted in a significant decrease in mitral gradient and an increase in mitral valve area with minimal morbidity and mortality. The majority of patients have a marked clinical improvement, and the hemodynamic and clinical improvement produced by PMV persist at long-term follow-up.2 3 4 On the other hand, surgical mitral commissurotomy has been used successfully for many years to treat patients with mitral stenosis. The results of closed or open surgical mitral commissurotomy have demonstrated favorable immediate and long-term hemodynamic and symptomatic improvement in selected patients with rheumatic mitral stenosis. Interpretation of long-term clinical follow-up of patients undergoing percutaneous mitral balloon valvuloplasty as well as their comparison with surgical commissurotomy series are confounded by heterogeneity in the patient population. Only few randomized studies have compared the results of PMV with those of surgical commissurotomy. In this issue of the journal, Farhat et al5 reported the results of a randomized trial designed to compare the immediate and long-term results of double-balloon PMV versus those of open and closed surgical mitral commissurotomy in a cohort of patients with severe rheumatic mitral stenosis. These patients were, from the clinical and morphological point of view, optimal candidates for both PMV and surgical commissurotomy (closed or open) procedures as demonstrated by a mean age of <30 years, absence of mitral valve calcification on fluoroscopy and two-dimensional echocardiography, and an echocardiographic score ≤8 in all patients. Their …
AUTONOMOUS NAVIGATION FLIGHT DEMONSTRATION RESULTS FOR THE NEW MILLENNIUM PROGRAM EO-1 MISSION

The New Millennium Program's Earth Orbiter-1 (EO-1) spacecraft was launched on 21 November 2000. EO-1 flys in a one minute trailing formation with the Landsat 7 spacecraft to validate an advanced land-imaging instrument. Autonomous onboard navigation was also flight validated to demonstrate possible reductions in mission operations resources. Navigation here is defined as the process of determining and controlling the orbit of a spacecraft. Orbit determination was provided by an onboard Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver; while, a simple empirical approach was used to provide orbit control. Flight results and lessons learned are presented.
France during World War II: From Defeat to Liberation – By Thomas T. Christofferson and Michael S. Christofferson

The authors have produced not original research, but an excellent synthesis of the controversies and scholarly literature in English and French that surround the defeat of France in 1940 and the su...
Divided loyalties for physicians: social context and moral problems.

An examination of the notion of divided loyalties dilemmas in medicine, situated within their social contexts, yields insight into the contemporary social and moral position of medicine in the United States. In a review of the literature, the author identifies four concepts important to gaining an understanding of the position that divided loyalties play in medicine and the physician-patient relationship. After describing some of the situations in which these dilemmas affect physicians' responses to patients' health care needs, interests, and choices, the author argues that divided loyalties dilemmas are not rare, and will probably increase with the changes in U.S. medicine. Candor and awareness of the importance of the public belief in physician loyalty are seen as necessary in preventing these changes from becoming destructive of the physician-patient relationship.
Heterogeneous nucleation of calcium oxalate crystals in the presence of membrane vesicles

Abstract Membrane-assisted crystallization of calcium oxalate was studied in vitro, using constant composition methodology. Rat renal tubular brush border membrane vesicles were incubated in supersaturated solution of calcium oxalate. Calcium and oxalate depletion started much earlier in the presence of the vesicles than in their absence; within 8, 32, or 258 min of the incubation of vesicles in calcium oxalate solutions of relative supersaturation of 12, 10 or 6 respectively. Thin plate-like crystals with jagged edges formed in association with the membrane vesicles. Since crystal nucleation in the presence of membrane vesicles started within 8 min at a relative supersaturation as low as 12, it will start significantly earlier in the urine of stone formers which is known to have higher relative supersaturation with respect to calcium oxalate. These results demonstrate that cellular membranes can efficiently induce nucleation of calcium oxalate crystals from a metastable solution in an vitro system. Similar membrane induced heterogeneous nucleation of calcium oxalate in vivo within the renal tubules is a distinct possibility.
Correlation of age-specific phenylalanine levels with intellectual outcome in patients with phenylketonuria

Patients with treated phenylketonuria (PKU) can have subtle deficits in intellect, academic skills, and executive functioning. This study evaluates the relationship between intellectual outcome and concentration/variation in blood phenylalanine (Phe) during specific developmental periods (0–6 years, 7–12 years, >12 years) in our patients with PKU. Verbal comprehension, perceptual reasoning, and processing speed were used as measures of intelligence. Data were collected from 55 patients receiving treatment at the University of Utah Metabolic Clinic. Yearly median Phe levels increased and mean number of blood Phe samples decreased as patients aged. Yearly median blood Phe from 0–6 and 7–12 years were inversely associated with perceptual reasoning abilities using linear regression. Additionally, increased blood Phe concentration negatively impacted specific areas of verbal comprehension abilities for those 0–6 years of age (p = 0.001). Variation of Phe levels around the mean (assessed as standard deviation) in each patient was associated with diagnostic (highest pretreatment) Phe levels and yearly median Phe levels (p < 0.001 for both), but did not significantly impact intelligence in our group of patients. Frequent blood Phe monitoring from 7–12 years significantly reduced the probability of yearly median Phe exceeding 360 μM (p = 0.005). Our data show that compliance with treatment in patients with PKU affects both the concentration and variation of blood Phe levels, and may have a greater impact on verbal comprehension and perceptual reasoning skills during the first 12 years of life when compared the influence beyond 12 years.
Political Warfare in Helsinki: American Covert Strategy and the Union of Free Eastern European Sportsmen

When a group of East European exiles named the Union of Free Eastern European Sportsmen (UFEES) attempted to enter stateless athletes into the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, they executed a deliberate anti-communist manoeuvre. Perhaps more significantly, the UFEES was secretly funded by the U.S. government, a fact which serves to demonstrate the remarkable range of ways in which Washington was able to fund and work with private organisations and individuals in a ‘state-private network’ known only to those who were permitted access to it. This clandestine strategy of ‘political warfare’ was used to wage the Cold War at home and abroad, part of a veritable crusade against the perceived enemy of Soviet-style communism. Academics and contemporary onlookers have tended to view Helsinki as a forum for the Soviet Union's relentless campaign of propaganda which disparaged the West and elevated the Marxism of the East. This article endeavours to paint a different picture of the Helsinki Games, and argues that the U.S. go...
Liquid Crystal Purification by Zone Refining

Abstract A series of nematic liquid crystals which had been solvent recrystallized was further purified by use of the technique of zone refining. In all cases purity increased. Purity was determined using differential scanning calorimetry. Purity differences when the zone refiner was used at mesophase temperatures and isotropic liquid temperatures were studied. A comparison of the results from this study with those of other investigators is given, and the implications concerning thermodynamic measurements on liquid crystals are discussed.
Recent developments in lasers and the treatment of birthmarks.

Despite rapid advances during the past two decades there are still unanswered questions There have been numerous advances during the past two decades in the treatment of birthmarks, concerning both efficacy and safety. Although initial results of laser treatment for portwine stains are encouraging, there remain unanswered questions about the long term benefits. The response of other birthmarks to laser therapy is variable, and much work still remains to be done. Laser treatment has become the standard of care for the management of portwine stains. The past two decades have witnessed the progression of these devices from crude, non-selective forms of treatment to highly sophisticated lasers capable of selective photothermolysis. In spite of this, the results of treatment leave much to be desired. Although the vast majority of portwine stains lighten significantly with treatment, only 15–20% clear completely.1 Moreover, a recent disturbing report revealed what many of us had suspected for some time: portwine stains can recur after treatment.1 The implications of this are yet to be determined. These findings lead to several important questions: why are we not able to clear more lesions and have there been any recent developments to improve our results? ### Vessel depth Two of the most important considerations are the depth of the vessels and their diameter. For some time, we have known that there is a significant variation in the depth of the vessels in portwine stains. Given the limited depth of penetration of yellow light (1–2 mm at 585 nm), our inability to effectively treat the full thickness of some of the lesions seemed inevitable. Recent work has shown that there is indeed a correlation between the depth of the vessels and the response to laser treatment.2 In lesions where the mean depth of the vessels is greater than 1030 μm, the …
Mitral Annular Calcification Mimicking an Intracardiac Mass

We present two patients with atypical mitral annular calcification. In both instances, the annular calcification presented as a mass localized to the atrioventricular junction. In one instance, there was a mobile element of the mass which resulted in an embolic stroke. In conclusion, atypical mitral annular calcification can mimic an intracardiac mass. It is usually recognized by its typical location and echocardiographic characteristics.
Incidence and development of zygotes exhibiting abnormal pronuclear disposition after identification of two pronuclei at the fertilization check

Objective To determine the incidence, developmental potential, and clinical implications of embryos having one pronucleus (1PN) or three pronuclei (3PN) at early cleavage, despite exhibiting 2PN at the fertilization check. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Hospital-based academic medical center. Patient(s) All IVF cycles from January 2006 through May 2008 having 2PN zygotes that subsequently transitioned to 1PN or 3PN before cleavage, matched to cycles having 2PN zygotes progressing to cleavage without intervening abnormal pronuclear disposition. Intervention(s) Standard IVF protocol. Main Outcome Measure(s) Incidence, day 3 development, and implantation rates of 2PN zygotes transitioning to 1PN and 3PN states before cleavage, compared with normal embryos. Result(s) The incidences of 1PN and 3PN zygotes were 2.9% and 0.4%, respectively. Both types of abnormal zygote showed slower day 3 cleavage, although only the 1PNs exhibited higher fragmentation and asymmetry compared with controls. The 1PN zygotes had a 6.4% implantation rate and viable pregnancy rate of 1.3%. Of the nine 3PN zygotes transferred, none implanted. Conclusion(s) Two-pronuclear zygotes transitioning through 1PN or 3PN states tend to develop into poorer-quality embryos than 2PN control zygotes. Patients should be counseled regarding the very low likelihood of viable pregnancy after transfer of these abnormally developing zygotes.
Determination of sodium in high purity silica by activation analysis

Abstract High purity fused silica samples and NBS standards were irradiated in the Sandia Reactor Facility for 2 hr at a thermal flux of 10 10 neutrons/cm 2 /sec. 24 Na was produced by the reaction 23 Na(n, γ) 24 Na (14.9 hr half-life, α = 0.5 barn), and decayed with emission of 1.37 and 2.75 MeV γ-rays. With the stated flux and irradiation time, sodium at the 3 ppm level has been determined with a standard deviation of 0.2 ppm. Values obtained by thermal neutron-activation analysis agree well with results obtained by emission spectrography and flame spectrophotometric methods.
Synthesis of the C10-C34 segment of the immunosuppressant FK506

Abstract The biocatalytic strategy used in the synthesis of the C20-C34 fragment, 2, and the methodology for its attachment to 1 to generate the C10-C34 moiety of FK506 is disclosed.
Authenticating spatial skyline queries with low communication overhead

With the emergence of cloud computing and location-based services, owners of spatial data (e.g., collections of geo-tagged photos, social network location check-ins, etc.) have the option to outsource services such as storage and query processing to a cloud service provider. However, providers of such services are not trusted to properly execute queries, so clients must be given assurance that the results are trustworthy. Therefore, authentication of database queries is needed to ensure correctness and completeness of the results provided by the cloud provider. One type of spatial query that is prominent in practice is the spatial skyline query (SSQ), which allows clients to retrieve results according to specific preferences. In this paper, we propose a solution for authenticating spatial skyline queries that focuses on reducing communication cost compared to existing solutions (MR-Trees). By using a flexible partitioning of the domain coupled with an efficient heuristic, we obtain communication costs that are up to three times lower than existing state-of-the-art.
Electron-impact dissociation cross sections for CHF3 and C3F8

Absolute total dissociation cross sections, σt,diss, by electron-impact are reported for CHF3 and C3F8 from 10 to 300 eV using the chemical gettering technique described by Winters and Inokuti (1982 Phys. Rev. A 25 1420). Data are concentrated in the near-threshold region (10–30 eV). The thresholds for dissociation of CHF3 and C3F8 are determined to be 10.4 eV and 11.9 eV, respectively. Ionization thresholds occur at 16 eV for CHF3 and 16.2 eV for C3F8. Neutral dissociation cross sections of both CHF3 and C3F8 are obtained by subtracting the ionization cross sections, σt,ion, from the total dissociation cross sections, σt,diss.
Reflex Barrier: A Scalable Network-Based Synchronization Barrier

High-performance computing is witnessing the proliferation of multi-core processors in parallel architectures, and the trend is expected to increase further with the emerging many-core technology, leading to hundreds of processing cores within each compute node in the near future. Along side with this trend, it is also clear that total number of cores within the whole system is increasing. To be able to harvest the fruits of this massive parallelism, inter-process synchronization and communication should be as lightweight as they can be, and should be relying on as limited involvement as possible of the participating processors/cores. The synchronization algorithms that target shared memory processors are expected not to be able to scale on many-cores as they rely on atomics, locks, and/or cache coherence protocols, which all should be very costly operations on many-cores. In the same time, some many core architectures provide user space networks on chip (NoCs) that operate similar to regular networks. In this paper, we are introducing the Reflex barrier, a new synchronization barrier algorithm that relies on fundamental networking concepts. As the barrier relies on the characteristics of the network, it requires very little intervention from the participating processors/cores. The algorithm can also be implemented as split phase, which furnish an opportunity to reduce the synchronization cost. We implemented the algorithm using Unified Parallel C (UPC), MPI and pThreads. We tested our implementation on TILE64, a 64-core processor. The performance of the Reflex barrier is also analyzed and compared to other algorithms using performance models.
Interlayer coupling in high temperature superconductors

Abstract We consider the high temperature superconductors such as YBaCuO as a stack of planar superconductors. The interlayer Josephson coupling deduced from the perpendicular penetration depth is of order 10 8 A/cm 2 for YBaCuO, and some evidence supports a similar conclusion in BiSrCaCuO. Comparison with resistivities of YBaCuO and BiSrCaCuO crystals indicates clean limit behavior for in-plane supercurrents but dirty limit behavior for perpendicular supercurrents. The much lower values of transport critical current density J c reported so far are understood in terms of weak pinning for the interplanar vortices as they slide between the planes.
Nevi with site‐related atypia: a review of melanocytic nevi with atypical histologic features based on anatomic site

A subset of melanocytic nevi share features with melanoma and nevi with architectural disorder but are biologically inert and to date do not appear to portend an increased risk for the development of malignancy. These benign nevi with certain atypical histologic features cluster among specific anatomic sites and are thus designated nevi with site-related atypia. We categorize these lesions into four main groups: acral, genital, special site and conjunctival, based on anatomy and relative prevalence of specific atypical histologic features. As the literature and our recognition of these lesions continue to grow, our understanding of their biology has not kept pace.
Gambling behavior in two-outcome multistage betting games

Abstract In a favorable multistage gambling process, a biased coin with the probability of “heads” p > 1 2 is tossed repeatedly. Before each toss, a gambler is required to bet a fraction of his capital on “heads”. His problem is to choose a betting policy that is optimal with respect to some criterion. A model yielding a proportional stationary Markov betting policy is presented and generalized. The sensitivity of the model to departures from optimality is investigated. Fifty-one subjects participated individually in a multistage gambling experiment. While most subjects performed efficiently in terms of the model, the model was not strictly supported, since both the current amount of capital and the pattern of previous outcomes affected subjects' betting decisions.
ATM Is Activated in Response toN-Methyl-N′-nitro- N-nitrosoguanidine-induced DNA Alkylation

p53 plays an important role in response to ionizing radiation by regulating cell cycle progression and triggering apoptosis. These activities are controlled, in part, by the phosphorylation of p53 by the protein kinase ATM. Recent evidence indicates that the monofunctional DNA alkylating agentN-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) also triggers up-regulation and phosphorylation of p53; however, the mechanism(s) responsible for this are unknown. We observed that in MNNG-treated normal human fibroblasts, up-regulation and phosphorylation of p53 was sensitive to the ATM kinase inhibitor wortmannin. ATM-deficient fibroblasts exhibited a delay in p53 up-regulation indicating a role for ATM in triggering the MNNG-induced response. Likewise, a mismatch repair (MMR)-deficient colorectal tumor line failed to show rapid up-regulation of p53. However, unlike ATM-deficient cells, these MMR-deficient cells displayed rapid phosphorylation of the p53 residue serine 15 after MNNG. In vitro kinase assays indicate that ATM is rapidly activated in both normal and MMR-deficient cells in response to MNNG. Using a number of morphological and biochemical approaches, we failed to observe MNNG-induced apoptosis in normal human fibroblasts, suggesting that apoptosis-induced DNA strand breaks are not required for the activation of ATM in response to MNNG. Comet assays indicated that strand breaks accumulated, and p53 up-regulation/phosphorylation occurred quite rapidly (within 30 min) after MNNG treatment, suggesting that DNA strand breaks that arise during the repair process activate ATM. These findings indicate that ATM activation is not limited to the ionizing radiation-induced response and potentially plays an important role in response to DNA alkylation.
Patients are more than their illnesses: the use of story in medical education.

[W]hen a poet's mind is perfectly equipped for its work, it is constantly amalgamating disparate experiences; the ordinary man's experience is chaotic, irregular, fragmentary. The latter falls in love, or reads Spinoza and these experiences have nothing to do with each other, or with the noise of the type-writer or the smell of cooking; in the mind of the poet these experiences are always forming new wholes. —T.S. Eliot
Size does matter

From Nanoarchaeum equitans , a microbe barely measuring 400 nm across, to Balaenoptera musculus , the blue whale that often exceeds 30 m in length, one of the most distinguishing characteristics of an organism is its size. Animal size is determined by total cell number, which is achieved through cell proliferation. Proliferation in turn depends on cell growth, a process regulated by both genetic and environmental factors.
Synthesis, air sintering and properties of lanthanum and yttrium chromites and manganites

Abstract A new combustion process, the Glycine-Nitrate Process (GNP), is used for synthesizing ultra-fine, single- or multi-phase electrically conducting oxide powders. The resulting powders are crystalline, homogenous, softly agglomerated, and vary in size between 1 and 100 nm depending upon composition and synthesis parameters. The process is simple, rapid, low-cost and environmentally compatible. GNP synthesized yttrium and lanthanum chromite powders can be air-sintered to high density below 1550°C. The air-sintering mechanism are functions of alkaline-earth concentration, cation ratio, vapor loss and liquid-phase formation. Sintered densities increase with increasing alkaline-earth substitution and with increasing (La+Sr)/Cr and (Y+Ca)/Cr ratios. Large changes in air sinterability can occur with small changes in these cation ratios. Vaporization of Cr appears to be a major influence in La 1− x Sr x CrO 3 air-sintering. Liquid-phase sintering appears to be a major factor in the sintering of Y 1− x Ca x CrO 3 . The electrical conductivity and thermal expansion also increase with ncreasing alkaline-earth substitution for the lanthanum or yttrium chromites and manganites. In addition, the electrical, thermal and structural properties of these perovskite materials are also influenced by the synthesis and processing conditions as well as by thermal cycling and heat treatment in air.
Quantitative Characterization of Epicardial Wave Fronts During Regional Ischemia and Elevated Extracellular Potassium Ion Concentration

This study applied zero-delay wave number spectral estimation as a means of quantifying the changes in activation and recovery sequences of propagating plane waves on the epicardial surface of in situ porcine hearts during regional hyperkalemia and ischemia. Unipolar electrograms (104) were recorded from the left ventricular surface of nine hearts using a plaque electrode array with 1 mm spatial sampling intervals. The objectives were (1) to define a set of parameters capable of quantifying the spatial and temporal changes in measured extracellular potentials associated with localized ischemia prior to the onset of conduction block; (2) to elevate regional levels of extracellular potassium ion concentration and quantify potential changes due to this known physiologic manipulation; and (3) to use quantitative parameters to make statistical comparisons in order to distinguish wave fronts during normal, ischemic and hyperkalemic conditions. Results showed that the parameters of wave number and average temporal frequency and the associated power, as determined from the wave number spectrum, provided statistically significant (p < 0.05) quantification of changes in wave front features during normal and ischemic or hyperkalemic conditions. The results were consistent with results obtained from conventional time–space domain methods like isochronal mapping and electrograms, with the advantage of a quantitative result enabling simple comparisons and trend analysis for large numbers of heart beats. © 1998 Biomedical Engineering Society. PAC98: 8759Wc, 8722Fy, 8780+s
Interpreting von neumann model prices as marginal values

Abstract The “prices” of goods in a generalized von Neumann model are shown to have the economic interpretation they naturally should have: the price of a good is, save mathematical niceties, the marginal rate at which the growth rate decreases as the consumption of that good increases.
Gene expression during fracture healing in rats comparing intramedullary fixation to plate fixation by DNA microarray.

Objective:This study was designed to compare mRNA gene expression in healing diaphyseal femoral fractures between those injuries treated with intramedullary nails and those treated with internal plate fixation.Design:RNA gene expression was measured at 1 day, 3 days, and 1, 2, 4, and 6 weeks after s
Normal anatomic relationships in prepubescent female external genitalia

Abstract Objective Female congenital abnormalities and concomitant ambiguous genitalia constitute the primary reason for female genital reconstruction, however, objective data describing normal female anatomy is lacking. The aim of this study is to describe the normal anatomical relationships and size of the external genital structures in prepubescent females. Materials and methods Data were collected prospectively from consecutive Tanner stage 1 females undergoing surgery unrelated to the genitalia. Recorded measurements included: clitoris length and width, length from clitoris to anus, clitoris to urethra, clitoris to posterior labia majora, mucosa behind vagina or posterior fourchette, and radius to labia minora at vagina. Patients were stratified by age into four age groups: 11 years. Results Fifty-six patients met inclusion criteria. Clitoral width was similar in all age groups. The regression plots for the remaining measurements modeled on age all show a significant linear growth distribution. Conclusions The average clitoral width was 3.8 mm, which remained constant between age groups. Clitoral length, length from clitoris to anus, clitoris to posterior labia majora, clitoris to urethra and posterior fourchette length increased across age groups. This study provides insight into the dimensions of normal external genitalia in tanner stage 1 females.
Atrial fibrillation ablation: reaching the mainstream.

Introduction and Aims: Ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) has evolved rapidly in the decade since its inception. We aimed to review the results of this evolution as reflected in the published literature. Methods: Publications through 2005 were reviewed, and data included if there was information on the technique used, and follow-up of at least 6 months. Results: More than 23,000 patients met criteria for inclusion. There has been a steady improvement in reported outcomes (P < 0.001). Variations on radiofrequency catheter ablation for pulmonary vein isolation result in apparent elimination (“cure”) or improvement of AF in 75%, and surgical techniques are even better. Conclusions: Catheter ablation of AF is now a mainstream procedure. Continuing technical advances are needed to achieve better results with more uniformity and reduced procedure times.
The Cochlear CRF Signaling Systems and their Mechanisms of Action in Modulating Cochlear Sensitivity and Protection Against Trauma

A key requirement for encoding the auditory environment is the ability to dynamically alter cochlear sensitivity. However, merely attaining a steady state of maximal sensitivity is not a viable solution since the sensory cells and ganglion cells of the cochlea are prone to damage following exposure to loud sound. Most often, such damage is via initial metabolic insult that can lead to cellular death. Thus, establishing the highest sensitivity must be balanced with protection against cellular metabolic damage that can lead to loss of hair cells and ganglion cells, resulting in loss of frequency representation. While feedback mechanisms are known to exist in the cochlea that alter sensitivity, they respond only after stimulus encoding, allowing potentially damaging sounds to impact the inner ear at times coincident with increased sensitivity. Thus, questions remain concerning the endogenous signaling systems involved in dynamic modulation of cochlear sensitivity and protection against metabolic stress. Understanding endogenous signaling systems involved in cochlear protection may lead to new strategies and therapies for prevention of cochlear damage and consequent hearing loss. We have recently discovered a novel cochlear signaling system that is molecularly equivalent to the classic hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis. This cochlear HPA-equivalent system functions to balance auditory sensitivity and susceptibility to noise-induced hearing loss, and also protects against cellular metabolic insults resulting from exposures to ototoxic drugs. We review the anatomy, physiology, and cellular signaling of this system, and compare it to similar signaling in other organs/tissues of the body.
Opioid modulation of feeding behavior following forced swimming exercise in male rats.

Adult male rats were subjected to an acute bout of swimming exercise for 50 min during the early morning or late afternoon. Compared to nonexercised controls, all exercised groups showed an initial approximately 2-hr period of increased feeding (period I hyperphagia). A 50-min period of sham swimming (wading in water) was followed by period I hyperphagia but not period II hypophagia. Opioid modulation of period I hyperphagia was indicated by the ability of naltrexone to antagonize, in a dose-dependent manner, the postexercise hyperphagia. Furthermore, plasma concentrations of immunoreactive B-endorphin (Ir-B-ep) were increased during period I following exercise. Opioid modulation of the period II hypophagia was equivocal. Plasma Ir-B-ep was not altered in period II, and naltrexone did not modify period II hypophagia. The ability of 2-deoxy-D-glucose to induce feeding was slightly depressed (p<0.05) during period II after exercise, and the ability of exogenous insulin to induce feeding was not changed. These differential feeding responses to 2-deoxy-D-glucose (opioid-mediated) and insulin (relatively opioid-independent) suggest that an opioid deficiency may exist during period II and contribute to the hypophagia.
Some Like It Sweet: Estimating Sweetness Preferences and Sucrose Intakes from Ethnographic and Experimental Data

ages preferred by individuals and households in a single community. The study was designed to answer the question: What sweetness levels are preferred and consumed in this community? The investigation also explored what might be some possible consequences of taste preferences for "very sweet" (beverages) in terms of (1) sucrose intakes as a percent of total daily caloric intake, and (2) sugar-related pathologies (see Yudkin, Edelman, and Hough 1972; Yudkin 1964, 1972). Additional ethnographic components of the study therefore estimated sugar intakes from beverages and recorded local beliefs about sugar, sweetness, and their relationship to disease. A final historical component considered what significance "sweet" tastes might have had for food selection, nutrition, and health in past diets in this locality. This report, with qualifications, proposes experimental, ethnographic, and historical procedures for the comparative study of sweetness in diets.
Role of juvenile hormone esterase and epoxide hydrolase in reproduction of the cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa zea

The role of juvenile hormone (JH) esterase (JHE) and epoxide hydrolase (EH) in reproduction of the cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa zea, was investigated. Peak emergence of male and female bollworm adults occurred early in the scotophase. Female adults were added to males in a 1:2 ratio, respectively, at the beginning of the first photophase after emergence (d0). The highest oviposition rates for mated females were noted on d 2-4. The in vitro JH III esterase and JH III EH activity was measured in whole body homogenates of virgin and mated females from d0 to d8 post-emergence. Maximal JHE activity for virgin females occurred on d2 (1.09+/-0.14(+/-1 SEM) nmol of JH III degraded/min/mg protein), which was approximately twice that of mated females on the same day. The same results were observed for EH where the activity peaked on d2 at 0.053+/-0.003 as compared to 0.033+/-0.003 nmol of JH III degraded/min/mg protein, respectively. By d4, both JHE and JH EH activities declined significantly in virgin and mated females and were the same through d7. The developmental changes and effects of mating on JH degradation were similar when measured per insect. The highest levels of JHE and JH EH activity/min/mg protein in d2 virgin and mated females was found in ovaries followed by the carcass and then haemolymph; no EH activity was found in haemolymph as expected. For ovary, the JHE and JH EH activity was highest in virgin compared to mated females. The role of both enzymes in the regulation of reproduction is discussed.
Amino acid replacements of the glutamic acid residue at position 48 in the tryptophan synthetase A protein of Escherichia coli.

Five independently isolated mutants have alterations of the glutamic acid codon specifying position 48 of the wild-type tryptophan synthetase A protein (Escherichia coli). Mutants A3 and A33 have replacements of the glutamic acid residue by valine and methionine, respectively, while A1 and A88 are both amber mutants. In mutant A11, the same glutamic acid residue is probably replaced by a glutamine residue. The introduction of the trp-linked amber suppressor from strain Ymel into mutant A88 leads to the insertion of tyrosine at position 48 in the A protein. The antipolar effect resulting from the presence of the A88 alteration is markedly reduced by the presence of the amber suppressor. The probable codon changes characteristic of mutants A1, A3, A11 and A88 are consistent with mutational events involving single base-pair changes. The replacement of glutamic acid by methionine in mutant A33 can only be accounted for by a change of two, adjacent, base pairs. Mutant A33 is exceptional in that it does not revert to prototrophy. Marked differences in recombination frequencies are observed when these mutants, altered in the same codon, are crossed with other A gene mutants.
Variation of complex structures and variation of Lie algebras

Given a family of complex projective hypersurfaces in CP", the Torelli problem studied by P. Griffiths and his school asks whether the period map is injective on that family, i.e., whether the family of complex hypersurfaces can be distinguished by means of their Hodge structures. A complex projective hypersurface in CP" can be viewed as a complex hypersurface with isolated singularity in C "+ t. Let V= {z~C "+1 : f(z)=O} be a complex hypersurface with isolated singularity at the origin. The moduli algebra of (V, 0) is A(V)