cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quantification of bronchial circulation perfusion in rats

The bronchial circulation is thought to be the primary blood supply for pulmonary carcinomas. Thus, we have developed a method for imaging and quantifying changes in perfusion in the rat lung due to development of the bronchial circulation. A dual-modality micro-CT/SPECT system was used to detect change in perfusion in two groups of rats: controls and those with a surgically occluded left pulmonary artery. Both groups were imaged following injections on separate days i) 2mCi of Tc99m labeled macroaggregated albumin (MAA) into the left carotid artery (IA) and ii) a similar injection into the femoral vein (IV). The IA injection resulted in Tc99m accumulation in capillaries of the systemic circulation including the bronchial circulation, whereas the IV resulted in Tc99m accumulation in the pulmonary capillaries. Ordered subset expectation maximization (OSEM) was used to reconstruct the SPECT image volumes and a Feldkamp algorithm was used to reconstruct the micro-CT image volumes. The micro-CT and SPECT volumes were registered, the SPECT image volume was segmented using the right and left lung boundaries defined from the micro-CT volume, and the ratio of IA radioactivity accumulation in the left lung to IV radioactivity accumulation in both lungs was used as a measure of left lung flow via the bronchial circulation. This ratio was ~0.02 for the untreated rats compared to the treated animals that had an increased flow ratio of ~0.21 40 days after left pulmonary artery occlusion. This increase in flow to the occluded left lung via the bronchial circulation suggests this will be a useful model for further investigating antiangiogenic treatments.
Effects of waxy wheat flour and water on frozen dough and bread properties

The quality of bread made from frozen dough is diminished by changes that occur during freezing. New cultivars of waxy wheat flour (WWF), containing less than 2% amylose, offer unique properties for the production of baked products. In this study, dough properties and bread quality were investigated at various levels of WWF (0% to 45% flour weight) and water (55% to 65%). Dough stickiness increased with higher levels of WWF and water. During frozen storage, dough with greater WWF and lower water had less change in stickiness. Maximum resistance to extension (MRE) decreased with higher WWF and water. Dough with greater WWF and less water had less change in extensibility after frozen storage. Dough with greater WWF and water was more extensible. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies showed that frozen dough with higher WWF content had lower transverse relaxation (T(2)) time of 9 to 11ms. After frozen storage, dough with higher WWF still showed lower T(2). Dough with 15% WWF had higher yeast activity. Bread made from 15% and 30% WWF had higher volume in bread made from unfrozen and frozen dough. Bread firmness decreased with higher amounts of WWF and water. This research demonstrated that specific combinations of WWF and water produced a better quality of frozen dough and bread.
Teaching Negotiation Skills within an Accounting Curriculum

ABSTRACT: The purpose of this article is to expose accounting faculty to an accounting negotiation course to inspire them to consider teaching such a course. Professional standards recognize the auditor's dual responsibility to detect material misstatements and to ensure their appropriate resolution. However, accounting education has focused primarily on the first responsibility of designing and performing appropriate audit procedures to detect material misstatements, and not on negotiation skills to ensure their proper resolution (Trotman et al. 2005). This article provides a detailed overview of the author's half-semester graduate elective accounting negotiation course that may become a required course in the near future. Data Availability: Interested parties can obtain copies of all course materials by contacting the author.
Integrating Forest Carbon Sequestration Into a Cap-and-Trade Program to Reduce Net CO2 Emissions

Problem: Most research on planning to mitigate climate change has focused on reducing CO2 emissions from coal-fired power plants or the transportation sector. The contribution of forests to lowering net CO2 emissions has largely been overlooked. U.S. forests already offset about one eighth of the nation's annual CO2 emissions and have the potential to offset more, all at a relatively low cost. It will not be easy to integrate forest carbon sequestration into a cap-and-trade program to reduce net CO2 emissions, however. Purpose: I explore what forest land use planning, forestry management practices, and land preservation strategies would be required to integrate forest carbon seques-tration into a cap-and- trade program, and explain the role planning and planners can play in promoting forest carbon seques-tration. Methods: The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative is a 10-state cap-and-trade program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fired power plants in the northeastern United States. It provides ...
HIV disease: mucocutaneous fungal infections in HIV disease.

Cutaneous and mucosal fungal infections are very common in HIV-infected individuals. Superficial fungal infections or dermatomycoses usually represent overgrowth of fungi that colonize epithelial sites. Invasive cutaneous fungal infections can arise at an epithelial site by extension of focal infection, but more commonly they represent hematogenous dissemination of fungal infection from the lung. The majority of invasive fungal infections occur when latent pulmonary infection such as cryptococcosis is reactivated and is associated with a decline in cell-mediated immunity. In reviewing the literature on mucocutaneous fungal infection in HIV disease, the following factors, which alter the natural history of fungal infection, should be kept in mind:
Effects of laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass on glucose-6 phosphate dehydrogenase activity in obese type 2 diabetics

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) is the rate-limiting enzyme of the pentose phosphate pathway that provides the majority of NADPH required for lipid biosynthesis. G6PD overexpression has been implicated in insulin resistance, hyperlipidemia, and increased oxidative stress in animals. This study examines G6PD expression in obese diabetic and nondiabetic subjects pre- and post-laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB). Patients undergoing LRYGB were recruited for the IRB-approved study and placed in either the diabetic (n = 11) or nondiabetic group (n = 16) (diabetic, HbA1c > 6.5%; nondiabetic, HbA1c < 6.0%). Blood samples were collected at baseline and throughout the first 3 postoperative months. Liver, adipose, and omental samples were taken during surgery. Results are expressed as mean ± SEM and were compared statistically using the Mann–Whitney test. The two groups were not significantly different at baseline except for fasting glucose and HbA1c. G6PD activity (nm/min/mg protein) was significantly higher in red blood cells (RBCs) (3.12 ± 1.39 vs. 0.67 ± 0.14) and liver (17.23 ± 2.40 vs. 9.74 ± 2.18) in diabetics compared to nondiabetics. There was good correlation between increased liver G6PD activity and the severity of diabetes as measured by HbA1c (r 2 = 0.525) and fasting glucose (r 2 = 0.542). No significant difference was found in the adipose or omental G6PD expression. Both groups experienced a significant increase in G6PD blood activity shortly following surgery (1 week) followed by a reduction 3 months after surgery. These results are the first ever seen in human subjects and demonstrate increased G6PD activity in diabetics compared to nondiabetics. These results suggest a correlation between G6PD activity and the severity of type 2 diabetes. The early increases in G6PD activity after LRYGB were unexpected and longer follow-up is needed to determine the effects of LRYGB on G6PD activity.
Total hip arthroplasty in nine canine hind limb amputees: a retrospective study.

Objective To determine the outcome of total hip arthroplasty in canine hindlimb amputees. Study Design Retrospective evaluation of clinical cases. Methods Data recorded from the medical records of nine dogs included patient signalment, indication for amputation and total hip arthroplasty (THA), interval between amputation and THA, and surgical complications. Radiographs were used to assess implant orientation and evidence of complications. Functional outcome was assessed using direct patient evaluation by one of the authors or primary surgeons, or through telephone interview between the primary author and the owner. Results Seven dogs ultimately had a good or excellent clinical results. Complications occurred in five dogs. Four dogs luxated the prosthetic joint without an obvious traumatic event within 9 weeks of the initial surgery. Revision surgeries resulted in successful coxofemoral reduction in three of four dogs. There were no clinical or radiographic findings suggestive of implant loosening or infection. Conclusion THA can be a successful salvage procedure in the canine hindlimb amputee with disabling, non-neoplastic, noninfectious coxofemoral disease. The risk of luxation in the early postoperative period is high and revision surgery is required for stabilization. Clinical Relevance THA is a successful procedure in the canine hindlimb amputee, however the incidence of complications is high.
Radioimmunoassay for the middle region of human parathyroid hormone: comparison of two radioiodinated synthetic peptides.

Abstract Two synthetic peptides were evaluated to develop radioligands for midregionspecific radioimmunoassay (RIA) of human parathyroid hormone (hPTH). Both contained the 44–68 sequence of hPTH (no tyrosine residues); one contained a tyrosine residue added to the amino-terminus, (Tyr43)hPTH(43–68). The purified radioligands showed similar chemical properties (stability to storage, efficient phase separation with dextran-coated charcoal, low adsorption to glassware). Both radioligands were tested using three anti-PTH sera of proven clinical utility. While each of these midregion-directed antisera showed unique specificity, they all reacted with high affinity with both radioligands and none of them discriminated significantly between the two synthetic midregion peptides.125 I-(Tyr43)hPTH(43–68) gave RIAs that were 15–50% more sensitive to hPTH(1–84) and the unlabelled synthetic midregion peptides than RIAs using 125I-hPTH(44–68) with all three antisera examined. 125I-(Tyr43)hPTH(43–68) was more susceptible than 125I-hPTH(44–68) to degradation from plasma or serum; this susceptibility was reduced by the peptidase inhibitor aprotinin (500 KIU/ml). Simultaneous RIAs of a series of patient plasmas using either of the two radioligands with antiserum NG5/5 produced indistinguishable discrimination between samples (r = 0.984). Analysis of data on the relation of serum calcium and hPTH midregion immunoreactivity showed a useful separation of groups (all nonazotemic) with primary hyperparathyroidism, secondary hyperparathyroidism, primary hypoparathyroidism and secondary hypoparathyroidism.
Single Molecule Characterization of Pre-mRNA Dynamics throughout Spliceosome Assembly and Catalysis

Spliceosomes are multi-megadalton ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes responsible for catalyzing the removal of noncoding introns from eukaryotic precursor messenger RNA (pre-mRNA) transcripts and ligating the flanking coding exon sequences to produce a mature messenger RNA (mRNA). Genetic and biochemical techniques have been the preferred tools utilized to identify and characterize splicing complexes throughout spliceosome assembly and catalysis. Unfortunately, these techniques fail to capture the inherent dynamic and heterogeneous nature of the process, a characteristic perhaps most exemplified by the fact that both chemical steps of splicing are reversible processes. In addition, these techniques often focus on the role of spliceosomal components and fail to capture the important information gained by directly observing the conformation of the pre-mRNA at the core of the spliceosome.In an effort to address these limitations, single molecule fluorescence microscopy has recently emerged as an alternative approach. Using a dual-labeled, fluorescent substrate we are able to observe time and ATP-dependent conformational rearrangements of single pre-mRNA molecules throughout spliceosome assembly and catalysis. In addition, substrate and extract mutations allow us to stall assembly at specific stages and enrich for the conformational behaviors characteristic to that stage of splicing. To help us understand the complex behaviors of thousands of molecules interconverting between multiple states with a variety of kinetic behaviors, we have developed a clustering analysis tool that allows us to first classify these diverse behaviors and then assign dynamics to specific complexes along the splicing pathway. This approach is vital to the single molecule field because it allows for an objective characterization of complex systems involving more than two or three states.
Postruminal Lysine and Methionine Infussion in Steers Fed a Urea-Supplemented Diet Adequate in Sulfur

Abstract Postruminal utilization of methionine by growing steer calves fed ground shelled corn, urea, and cottonseed hulls adequate in sulfur was studied by abomasal infusion of graded quantities of methionine with lysine adequate. A 6×6 Latin square of treatments was replicated in which infusions provided lysine and methionine in grams per day: A) 0,0; B) 24,0; C) 24,4; D) 24,8; E) 24,12; and F) 24,12 plus 140g sodium caseinate. Treatments were brought to volume in 2 liters of water and infused continuously over 24h. Responses measured were nitrogen retention, urea nitrogen in plasma, and concentrations of free amino acids. Retention of nitrogen was increased in steers abomasally infused with lysine or lysine in combination with graded quantities of methionine. Infusion of 4, 8, or 12 g/day of methionine with constant lysine (24 g/day) did not alter nitrogen retained from lysine infused alone. Infusion of a lysine-methionine-sodium caseinate positive control raised nitrogen retention compared with no caseinate. Lysine of plasma was higher in treatments in which lysine was infused compared with the negative control. Methionine increased linearly with infusion of incremental quantities. Methionine was not limiting when infused postruminally with adequate lysine to growing steers fed the urea-supplemented diet with sulfur adequate.
Comparison of Patterns of Pulmonary Venous Blood Flow in the Functional Single Ventricle Heart After Operative Aortopulmonary Shunt Versus Superior Cavopulmonary Shunt

In this study we investigated the patterns of pulmonary venous flow in children with functional single ventricles to obtain a better understanding of the determinants of transpulmonary blood flow. Sixty-eight patients with functional single ventricles and aortopulmonary shunt (n = 34, group I), or superior cavopulmonary connection (n = 34, group II) underwent transesophageal Doppler echocardiographic assessment of flow in the left upper pulmonary vein before undergoing the next stage of surgery. Twelve patients from group II also underwent simultaneous evaluation of superior vena caval flow. Biphasic forward pulmonary venous flow was noted in 62 patients in sinus rhythm (S wave in systole, D wave in diastole); in 6 patients with junctional rhythm, significant early systolic reversal of flow was present. Both the S- and D-wave velocity-time integrals (VTI) were greater in group I than in group II (S(VTI) 9.9 +/- 4.2 vs 8.0 +/- 2.6, p = 0.02; D(VTI) 8.0 +/- 3.5 vs 4.2 +/- 2.6, p <0.001). In both groups, pulmonary venous flow was predominantly systolic; however, the proportion of flow during ventricular systole was significantly greater in group II than in group I (S(VTI)/D(VTI) group II: 2.4 +/- 1.5; group I 1.4 +/- 0.5, p = 0.001; percent systolic fraction of pulmonary venous flow group II = 67%, group I = 56%, p <0.001). Analysis of superior vena caval flow in group II revealed a single predominant wave with onset at early systole and peak in late systole at a mean of 150 ms after the pulmonary venous S-wave peak. Our data suggest that ventricular systole (i.e., atrial relaxation, atrioventricular valve descent) asserts great influence on transpulmonary blood flow in the functional single ventricle.
Cloning and identification of autoantigens

Autoantigens are well-conserved, generally intracytoplasmic antigens that are recognized by autoantibodies and/or self-reactive T cells. Until relatively recently, the molecular identities of the autoantigens have remained elusive; the application of recombinant DNA technology has dramatically changed this picture. Here, we focus on two generic methodologies that have been used successfully to clone autoantigens: (1) hybridization screening of cDNA libraries by labeled DNA probes and (2) immunoscreening of expression cDNA libraries. The potential applications and usage of the polymerase chain reaction in the cloning of autoantigens are also discussed. The clones that have been studied are subsequently subcloned onto plasmid vectors and expressed in Escherichia coli. The biochemical identification of autoantigens has been based on nucleotide sequencing data, biochemical activities, and epitope mapping.
Cutaneous Monitoring of Systemic Pco2 on Patients in the Respiratory Intensive Care Unit being Weaned from the Ventilator

A procedure for measuring the partial pressure of CO2 in equilibrium with the epidermis was developed at Hewlett--Packard Laboratories. It consists of determining by infra-red absorption techniques the concentration of CO2 inside a small (50 microliter) chamber applied hermetically over and around an epidermal window (2.25 cm2) stripped of its stratum corneum or horny layer. We have applied the procedure to 25 patients in the Respiratory Intensive Care Unit at Stanford Hospital. Only patients scheduled for weaning from the ventilator were selected for the study. The epidermal windows were on the medial aspect of the forearm and were monitored for 3--6 h. Arterial blood samples were periodically withdrawn from the catheterized radial artery and were analysed by conventional means for subsequent comparison with the cutaneous measurements which were recorded in real time at the rate of one a minute. The range of arterial PCO2 values that were measured varied from 3.33 to 9.30 kPa (25 to 70 mmHg) and correlated well with the corresponding cutaneous PCO2 values that were typically higher than the arterial values by 0.7 kPa (5.2 mmHg) with a standard deviation of 0.2 kPa (1.5 mmHg). Some recordings of cutaneous PCO2 are shown and discussed.
The quality of demographic data for nonwhites

Demographic data for nonwhites in the United States are often assumed to be of low quality. Problems arise because of undercount and underregistration and because individuals included in the census do not always provide accurate information. This paper describes some of the major errors which confound data for nonwhites and attempts to measure the impact that these errors have for various demographic rates.
IL-25 Improves IgA Levels During Parenteral Nutrition Through the JAK-STAT Pathway

Introduction Parenteral nutrition (PN) impairs mucosal immunity and increases the risk of infection in part via lower IgA levels at mucosal surfaces. Transport of IgA across the mucosa to the gut lumen depends on the epithelial transport protein, polymeric immunoglobulin receptor (pIgR), which is reduced during PN. In vitro studies demonstrate that IL-4 up-regulates pIgR production via Janus Kinase/Signal Transducers and Activators of Transcription (JAK/STAT) signaling. Since IL-4 stimulates IgA and is reduced during PN, we hypothesized that the suppressed pIgR is a result of decreased JAK-1 and STAT-6 phosphorylation. Since IL-4 is mediated by IL-25, we also hypothesized that PN+IL-25 would restore luminal IgA by increasing phosphorylated JAK-1 and STAT-6, resulting in increased tissue pIgR and luminal IgA.
Sucralfate does not reduce the risk of acid aspiration pneumonitis.

OBJECTIVE: To study the pulmonary effects of aspirating a mixture of sucralfate in water and sucralfate in hydrochloric acid in an animal model of aspiration pneumonia. DESIGN: Prospective, randomized, controlled study with repeated measures. SETTING: University research laboratory. SUBJECTS: Thirty-two in situ, isolated, blood perfused porcine lung preparations. INTERVENTIONS: Five control preparations received no aspiration. Twenty-seven preparations received a standard aspiration of 1.5 mL/kg body of a) distilled water (n = 5), b) sucralfate in distilled water (n = 8), c) 1/10 normal hydrochloric acid (n = 6), and d) mixture of sucralfate in distilled water and hydrochloric acid (n = 8). MEASUREMENTS: The pH measurements were made of all aspirates. Lung weight, airway pressures, and pulmonary artery pressures were continuously monitored before and for 4 hrs after aspiration. Lung wet/dry weight ratio was measured at the completion of the study. RESULTS: The pH of sucralfate mixed with distilled water was 4.9, pH of 1/10 normal hydrochloric acid was 1.0, and pH of equal volumes of a sucralfate-water suspension mixed with hydrochloric acid was 1.5. Airway pressures and pulmonary arterial pressures increased in all aspirate groups over time compared with those values of control lungs. Control lungs gained 18 +/- 3 (SEM) g over 4 hrs and the wet/dry ratio was 4.951 +/- 0.310. Lungs aspirating distilled water gained 147 +/- 49 g and the wet/dry ratio was 5.198 +/- 0.120. Lungs aspirating sucralfate and distilled water increased their weight by 109 +/- 30 g and the wet/dry ratio was 5.380 +/- 0.076. Lungs aspirating a suspension of sucralfate and water and hydrochloric acid were similar to lungs aspirating hydrochloric acid alone with weight increases of 265 +/- 30 g and 346 +/- 81 g, and the wet/dry ratio of 7.011 +/- 0.273 and 7.230 +/- 0.390, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Sucralfate has minimal acid buffering effect. Aspiration of sucralfate mixed with distilled water causes lung edema similar to aspiration of water alone. Aspiration of a sucralfate-water suspension mixed with hydrochloric acid causes severe lung edema. These results suggest that patients given sucralfate prophylaxis for stress ulceration are at risk for acid aspiration.
The importance and implications of aseptic techniques during regional anesthesia

nfectious complications may occur with any re-gional anesthetic technique. However, those as-sociated with neuraxial anesthesia and analgesiaare of greatest concern because of their potentiallydevastating sequelae including meningitis, paraly-sis, and even death. Fortunately, the frequency ofsuch complications appears to be relatively low.Aromaa et al.
High School Course-Taking: Its Relationship to Achievement.

* This is the second of two articles examining the effect of the high school cirriculum on achievement. In an earlier paper, which appeared in Journal of Cirriculum Studies, 15, 2, pp. 167‐182, I examined the extent of the variability in high school course-taking.
Actomyosin of Human Vascular Smooth Muscle

ACTOMYOSIN of vascular smooth muscle appears to be similar in certain properties to actomyosin of uterine smooth muscle1. These properties include solubility, viscosity (ATP sensitivity), and ATPase activity. Needham2 first observed that uterine actomyosin showed an elevated ATPase activity when the potassium chloride concentration was raised from 0.1 M to 0.5 M. Filo et al.3 also observed this to be true for hog carotid artery actomyosin, and we have observed the potassium chloride-induced elevation of ATPase activity of actomyosin of cow carotid artery1. In extending our investigations of contractile proteins of vascular smooth muscle to human blood vessels, we find that in the properties of solubility and viscosity behaviour (ATP sensitivity) the actomyosin of human umbilical artery is similar to the contractile proteins of other vascular smooth muscles. However, with respect to the potassium chloride induced elevation of the ATPase activity, the actomyosin of the human umbilical artery differs from the contractile proteins of other vascular smooth muscles. This report presents data to show that, unlike the actomyosin ATPase enzymes of those smooth muscles studied to date, that of the human umbilical artery is not stimulated by high concentrations of potassium chloride (0.5–0.6 M).
Stretch-coil transition and transport of fibers in cellular flows.

It is shown that a slender elastic fiber moving in a Stokesian fluid can be susceptible to a buckling instability---termed the ``stretch-coil'' instability---when moving in the neighborhood of a hyperbolic stagnation point of the flow. When the stagnation point is part of an extended cellular flow, it is found that immersed fibers can move as random walkers across time-independent closed-streamline flow. It is also found that the flow is segregated into transport regions around hyperbolic stagnation points and their manifolds, and closed entrapment regions around elliptic points.
Bicyclo[3.1.0]hex-(1,5)-ene and bicyclo[4.1.0]hept-(1,6)-ene

Abstract The formation and trapping of bicyclo[3.1.0]hex-(1,5)-ene and bicyclo[4.1.0]hept-(1,6)-ene from the corresponding vicinal dibromides is described.
Multiple recurrence and almost sure convergence for weakly mixing dynamical systems

We prove the following: Let (X, β, μ,T) be a weakly mixing dynamical system such that the restriction ofT to its Pinsker algebra has singular spectrum, then for all positive integersH, for allf i ∈L ∞, 1≤i≤H, the averages $$\frac{1}{N}\sum\limits_{n = 1}^N {f_1 (T^n x)f_2 (T^{2n} x) \cdot \cdot \cdot f_H (T^{Hn} x)} converge a.e. to \prod\limits_{i = 1}^H {\int {f_i d\mu } } $$ .
Scanline Processing Approach To Robot Path Planning Using Overlapping Convex Free Regions

The problem of finding a path for a mobile robot in two dimensions among stationary obstacles is examined, using a free space graph representation of the robot's workspace. One problem with solutions of this type has been the time it takes to construct a graph from the image of the workspace. Our solution seeks to resolve this situation by constructing the graph representation "on the fly" in a scanline fashion by processing the image one line at a time from top to bottom. One module breaks the obstacles in the image into pseudo obstacles; another module analyzes the pseudo obstacles and locates maximal overlap regions (MOvs) of prime convex regions (PCRs) in the free space; a third constructs a graph representation utilizing the MOvs and PCRs as nodes and edges respectively. The modularity lends itself toward pipelined processing to reach the solution.© (1990) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Apple Jumper, Teacher Babe, and Bland Uniformer Teachers: Fashioning Feminine Teacher Bodies

A student teacher group's conversation about teacher clothing as reflective of certain kinds of reprehensible or desirable teacher identities provoked the writing of this article. I use a feminist poststructuralist analysis to explore the three categories of women teachers' dress suggested by the student teachers as signifiers of women teachers' subjectivities discursively produced within the contexts of schooling. The article also challenges the three categories as constructions produced by this student teacher group in their positionality as young, White, middle-class, heterosexual female novice teachers in the Southeast region of the United States. This inquiry highlights the limitations and constrictions of women teachers' institutionalized subjectivities and suggests ways in which these limitations and constrictions offer sites for resistance, specifically in relation to clothing choices that shape and reflect a feminine teacher body.
Up-regulation of Nucleolin mRNA and Protein in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells by Extracellular-regulated Kinase

The signal transduction pathways regulating nucleolin mRNA and protein production have yet to be elucidated. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells treated with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate showed steady state levels of nucleolin mRNA that were 2-2.5-fold greater than untreated control cells. The up-regulation of nucleolin mRNA was substantially repressed by U0126, a specific inhibitor that blocks phosphorylation of extracellular-regulated kinase (ERK). Calcium ionophores and ionomycin also activated ERK and substantially elevated nucleolin mRNA levels, demonstrating phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate and calcium signaling converge on ERK. Drugs that affected protein kinase C, protein kinase A, and phospholipase C signal transduction pathways did not alter nucleolin mRNA levels significantly. The half-life of nucleolin mRNA increased from 1.8 h in resting cells to 3.2 h with phorbol ester activation, suggesting ERK-mediated posttranscriptional regulation. Concomitantly, full-length nucleolin protein was increased. The higher levels of nucleolin protein were accompanied by increased binding of a 70-kDa nucleolin fragment to the 29-base instability element in the 3'-untranslated region of amyloid precursor protein (APP) mRNA in gel mobility shift assays. Supplementation of rabbit reticulocyte lysate with nucleolin decreased APP mRNA stability and protein production. These data suggest ERK up-regulates nucleolin posttranscriptionally thereby controlling APP production.
Multimodality Management of Urachal Carcinoma: The M. D. Anderson Cancer Center Experience

ABSTRACTPurpose: Enteric type adenocarcinomas arising in the dome of the bladder or along the urachal ligament are uncommon. To improve our understanding of urachal carcinoma and define outcome with current management, we performed a retrospective review of cases seen at the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.Materials and Methods: We reviewed the records of 42 patients with urachal carcinoma evaluated at our institution from 1985 to 2001. Specifically, we sought to evaluate the importance of extent of disease, surgical characteristics and systemic therapy on clinical outcome.Results: Of the 42 patients 7 had clinically evident metastases at diagnosis and 35 had resectable disease that was managed initially with surgery. Overall survival from diagnosis for all 42 patients was 46 months with 40% surviving at 5 years. Of the resected cases 16 (46%) remain disease-free (median followup 31 months). Covariates associated with long-term survival were negative surgical margins (p = 0.004) and absence of nodal involvem...
A sensor reduction technique using Bellman optimal estimates of target agent dynamics

Reducing the number of sensors in a sensor network is of great interest for a variety of surveillance and target tracking scenarios. The time and resources needed to process the data from additional sensors can delay reaction time to immediate threats and consume extra financial resources. There are many methods to reduce the number of sensors by considering hardware capabilities alone. However, by incorporating an estimate of environment and agent dynamics, sensor reduction for a given scenario may be achieved using Bellman optimality principles. We propose a method that determines the capture regions where sensors can be eliminated. A capture region is defined as a section of the surveillance field, where using a causal relationship to the other sensors, an event may be determined using fast marching semi-Lagrangian (FMSL) solution techniques. This method is applied to a crowded hallway scenario with two possible exits, one primary, and one alternate. It is desired to determine if a target deviates from the crowd and moves toward the alternate exit. A proximity sensor grid is placed above the crowd to record the number of people that pass through the hallway. Our result shows that the Bellman optimal approximation of the capture set for the alternate exit identifies the region of the surveillance field where sensors are needed, allowing the others to be removed.
Hints for the aspiring public health nurse.

The original article from which these excerpts were taken, "Some Hints to the Nurse Who Seeks to Become a Successful Partner in the Community Health Program," by Mary Margaret Muckley, was published the 1923 volume of the original Public Health Nursing journal. The paper listed practical pointers to nurses wanting to work in the area of public or community health nursing. The author's advice involved personal attributes, professional engagement, skills, effective organization, and community relations. Much of the original article contained sound advice for aspirants to nursing work in community settings, but some advice may be considered too idealistic even for this optimistic time period. While the particular references to organizations and agencies existing in Helena, Montana have been omitted, the nurse reading the paper in 1923 had a general guide to her key stakeholders. The excerpts from this paper may give contemporary readers an appreciation of the endurance of what Muckley terms the public health nurse's "Valuable Assets.".
Using large clinical data sets to infer pathogenicity for rare copy number variants in autism cohorts

Copy number variants (CNVs) have a major role in the etiology of autism spectrum disorders (ASD), and several of these have reached statistical significance in case-control analyses. Nevertheless, current ASD cohorts are not large enough to detect very rare CNVs that may be causative or contributory (that is, risk alleles). Here, we use a tiered approach, in which clinically significant CNVs are first identified in large clinical cohorts of neurodevelopmental disorders (including but not specific to ASD), after which these CNVs are then systematically identified within well-characterized ASD cohorts. We focused our initial analysis on 48 recurrent CNVs (segmental duplication-mediated 'hotspots') from 24 loci in 31 516 published clinical cases with neurodevelopmental disorders and 13 696 published controls, which yielded a total of 19 deletion CNVs and 11 duplication CNVs that reached statistical significance. We then investigated the overlap of these 30 CNVs in a combined sample of 3955 well-characterized ASD cases from three published studies. We identified 73 deleterious recurrent CNVs, including 36 deletions from 11 loci and 37 duplications from seven loci, for a frequency of 1 in 54; had we considered the ASD cohorts alone, only 58 CNVs from eight loci (24 deletions from three loci and 34 duplications from five loci) would have reached statistical significance. In conclusion, until there are sufficiently large ASD research cohorts with enough power to detect very rare causative or contributory CNVs, data from larger clinical cohorts can be used to infer the likely clinical significance of CNVs in ASD.
Agonist Dose-dependent Phosphorylation by Protein Kinase A and G Protein-coupled Receptor Kinase Regulates β2 Adrenoceptor Coupling to Gi Proteins in Cardiomyocytes

Adrenoceptors receptors (ARs) play a pivotal role in regulating cardiovascular response to catecholamines during stress. β2ARs, prototypical G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), expressed in animal hearts, display dual coupling to both Gs and Gi proteins to control the adenylyl cyclase-cAMP dependent protein kinase A (PKA) pathway to regulate contraction responses. Here, we showed that the β2AR coupling to Gi proteins was agonist dose-dependent and occurred only at high concentrations in mouse cardiac myocytes. Both the β2AR-induced PKA activity, measured by fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) imaging, and the increase in myocyte contraction rate displayed sensitivity to the Gi inhibitor pertussis toxin (PTX). Further studies revealed that activated β2ARs underwent PKA phosphorylation at a broad range of agonist concentrations. Disruption of the PKA phosphorylation sites on the β2AR blocked receptor/Gi coupling. However, a sufficient β2AR/Gi coupling was also dependent on the G protein-coupled receptor kinase (GRK)-mediated phosphorylation of the receptors, which only occurred at high concentrations of agonist (≥100 nm). Disruption of the GRK phosphorylation sites on the β2AR blocked receptor internalization and coupling to Gi proteins, probably by preventing the receptor's transportation to access Gi proteins. Furthermore, neither PKA nor GRK site mutated receptors displayed sensitivity to the Gi-specific inhibitor, GiCT. Together, our studies revealed distinct roles of PKA and GRK phosphorylation of the β2AR for agonist dose-dependent coupling to Gi proteins in cardiac myocytes, which may protect cells from overstimulation under high concentrations of catecholamines.
Torsade de pointes: an unusual manifestation of chloral hydrate poisoning.

Fig. 4. A, Photomicrograph of aortic cross-section at the level of the prior aortotomy (urroui) with accompanying insudative intimal thickening. (Movat stain; original magnification x4.1 B, Photomicrograph of aortitis with medial inflammatory mononuclear cell infiltrate, occasional multinucleated giant cell (arrowhead), and musculoelastic laminar necrosis. (Hematoxylin and eosin stain; original magnification x500.) C, Photomicrograph of abdominal aorta remote from aortotomy site with vasa vasora (arrow) and accompanying inflammatory infiltrate similar to B traversing the entire media. (Hematoxylin and eosin stain; original magnification X313.) Abbreviations: A = adventitia, I = intima; M = media.
Sex Differences in Attitudes toward Nuclear War

This research considers the enduring, cross-cultural belief that women oppose war more than men do and seeks to disentangle it from competing explanations of anti-war attitudes. Focusing on correlates of pessimism and optimism about the imminence and survivability of nuclear war, support is found for hypotheses concerning psychic numbing, attenuated future plans, and political orientations, but not for hypotheses concerning hedonism and various demographic and background characteristics. The strongest finding is that women are significantly and substantially more pessimistic in their nuclear war attitudes than men, and this finding cannot be 'explained away' statistically by the host of other variables considered in the analysis. Explanations of sex differences which refer to innate or socialized characteristics of women and men cannot be ruled out because data for direct tests are unavailable. But such explanations rely on women's unique childbearing capacity, and our best indicator of it - childbearing plans - is associated with nuclear war attitudes similarly for men as for women. A structural explanation of sex differences is offered; its advantages include greater promise for social change and parallels to other anti-war phenomena. An extensive literature review is included. Data come from sample surveys of university students in 1985 and 1987.
Schistosoma mansoni: pairing of male worms with artificial surrogate females.

Abstract To determine whether male worms provide any specific polypeptides to females, we produced extruded alginate fibers that resembled the size and shape of mature female worms. Males clasped these surrogate “female worms” and remained “paired” with them for long periods. On polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, fibers clasped for several days showed bands at approximately 40 and 46 kDa which were never found in fibers incubated in the same medium but not clasped by males. We believe that these may be substances transferred from male worms during normal pairing. Males biosynthetically labeled with [ 14 C]leucine were permitted to pair with fibers, which took up a broad range of polypeptides visualized on long autoradiographic exposure to gels.
Academic achievement of low birthweight children at age 11: the role of cognitive abilities at school entry.

We examine the extent to which deficits in academic achievement in low birthweight (LBW) children at age 11 are explained by deficits in cognitive abilities at school entry. Data come from a longitudinal study of a stratified sample of LBW and normal birthweight (NBW) children from an innercity and middle class suburbs in the Detroit area. Woodcock–Johnson Psychoeducational Battery—Revised was used to measure reading and math at age 11. WISC-R and specific neuropsychologic tests were administered at age 6. On reading, the LBW–NBW difference was −3.6 points (SE = 1.2). The difference was explained almost entirely by IQ at age 6. On math, the LBW–NBW difference was −6.1 points (SE = 1.1). The difference on math was trivial and not significant, when IQ and neuropsychological tests at age 6 were controlled. Level of LBW was unrelated to reading, but it had a gradient relationship with math, with birthweight ≤1,500 g associated with a greater deficit than heavier LBW. The results imply that most of the LBW–NBW gap in academic achievement at age 11 could be eliminated by eliminating differences in cognitive abilities at age 6. Interventions to improve academic performance of LBW children should focus on the preschool years.
Ru2(ap)4(σ-oligo(phenyleneethynyl)) Molecular Wires: Synthesis and Electronic Characterization

Reported in this contribution are the synthesis, characterization, and charge transport properties of wire-like Ru2(ap)4(OPEn), where ap is 2-anilinopyridinate and OPE is −(C⋮CC6H4)nSCH2CH2SiMe3 with n = 1 (1) and 2 (2). Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) measurements of compound 2 inserted into a SAM of C11 thiol reveal that molecule 2 exhibits (i) the stochastic switching characteristic of wire molecules embedded in insulating SAMs and (ii) higher conductivity than the C11 thiol SAM. More importantly, analysis of the molecular electronic decay constant (β) exhibits a decrease of at least 15% as compared to purely organic molecular analogues. Hence, the transport characteristics of molecules can be significantly improved for nanoscale electronics through the incorporation of a Ru2 fragment into conjugated backbone.
Use of Imugard IG500 Filters for Preparation of Leukocyte-Poor Blood for Cancer Patients

In order to determine the efficiency of Imugard IG500 filters in producing leukocyte-poor blood (LPB), 109 units of red cell concentrates were processed using cold (4 degrees C) or room temperature saline solution without the application of pressure to the blood bag. The results obtained in terms of red blood cell recovery, white blood cell removal, residual white blood cells, and free hemoglobin in the supernatant of the filtered units are comparable to those processed with the IBM 2991. LPB processed without pressure application to the blood bag and room temperature saline solution can be rapidly, efficiently and safely prepared in any size blood bank/transfusion service. This technique is definitely cost-saving in terms of equipment, software, space and personnel training.
Proximity of Paired Nations Reveals Correlation of Masculinity With Individualism

Hofstede measured four dimensions of national differences: Masculinity, Individualism, Uncertainty Avoidance, and Power Distance. The information was obtained from IBM employees in more than 60 nations. Correlations applied to the national scores were close to zero for Masculinity with each of the three other dimensions. Correlations can be misleading because of regional and other variations in a world sample of nations. Undesirable effects of regional variations can be minimized by correlating differences between paired nearby nations in their scores on the two dimensions. Differences between pair members revealed that the nation with a higher score on Masculinity usually had a higher score on Individualism. A wide range of quantitative scores enabled large differences between the pair members and minimized omissions of data because of the same score for both members on either of the correlated dimensions. National Masculinity is highly correlated with national Individualism when regional differences are...
Granular neural networks for numerical-linguistic data fusion and knowledge discovery

We present a neural-networks-based knowledge discovery and data mining (KDDM) methodology based on granular computing, neural computing, fuzzy computing, linguistic computing, and pattern recognition. The major issues include 1) how to make neural networks process both numerical and linguistic data in a database, 2) how to convert fuzzy linguistic data into related numerical features, 3) how to use neural networks to do numerical-linguistic data fusion, 4) how to use neural networks to discover granular knowledge from numerical-linguistic databases, and 5) how to use discovered granular knowledge to predict missing data. In order to answer the above concerns, a granular neural network (GNN) is designed to deal with numerical-linguistic data fusion and granular knowledge discovery in numerical-linguistic databases. From a data granulation point of view the GNN can process granular data in a database. From a data fusion point of view, the GNN makes decisions based on different kinds of granular data. From a KDDM point of view the GNN is able to learn internal granular relations between numerical-linguistic inputs and outputs, and predict new relations in a database. The GNN is also capable of greatly compressing low-level granular data to high-level granular knowledge with some compression error and a data compression rate. To do KDDM in huge databases, parallel GNN and distributed GNN will be investigated in the future.
Minority Rights and the Preservation of Languages

Do minority groups have a right to the preservation of their language? I argue that the rights of groups are always reducible to the rights of individuals. In that case, the question whether minorities have a right to the preservation of their language is a question of whether individuals have a right to it. I argue that, in the only relevant sense of ‘right’, they do not. They may have an interest in the preservation of their language, but, if so, that interest must be weighed against the costs of satisfying it, and, normally at least, we should expect that the costs will be quite out of proportion to the weight of the interests involved.
THz time-domain spectroscopy of multilayer filters

We present simulations, fabrication and characterization of multilayer filters for THz frequency applications. Cascaded layers of symmetrical and asymmetrical frequency selective filters were investigated. The proposed filters exhibited superior transmission characteristics when compared to conventional devices based on single layers.
Radiation effects on Si-JFET devices for front-end electronics

Low noise monolithic silicon junction field effect transistors (Si-JFETs) have been exposed to /sup 60/Co /spl gamma/-rays and to fast neutrons (1 MeV) to study radiation-induced effects on their dc characteristics and noise. The devices have been irradiated and measured at a stable cryogenic temperature (T/spl sim/90 K) up to an integrated 550 kGy (55 Mrad) dose of gamma radiation and to a total fluence of 4/spl times/10/sup 14/ n/cm/sup 2/. At cryogenic temperatures, a variation in some of the dc characteristics of the transistors has been observed as a result of the neutron-induced lattice damage. The pinch-off voltage and the maximum drain current I/sub DSS/ are the most affected de parameters. A noise increase induced by either the /spl gamma/-ray or neutron irradiation has also been observed. The activation energies of some of the radiation-induced defects have been extracted from noise measurements at different temperatures after irradiation. Annealing effects on both dc properties and noise have been observed while performing thermal cycles between cryogenic and room temperatures.
ANXIETY AND COGNITIVE DISSONANCE.

(1965). Anxiety and Cognitive Dissonance. The Journal of General Psychology: Vol. 73, No. 1, pp. 113-116.