cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reduction of infarct size by cell-permeable oxygen metabolite scavengers.

Abstract The timely restoration of blood flow to severely ischemic myocardium limits myocardial infarct size. However, experimental studies demonstrate that the myocardial salvage achieved is suboptimal because of additional injury that occurs during reperfusion, due in part to the generation of reactive oxygen metabolites. Initially, superoxide (O 2 − ) was considered to be the central mediator of reperfusion injury. While there are several potential pathways of O 2 − generation in reperfused myocardium, O 2 − is poorly reactive toward tissue biomolecules. However, O 2 − , in the presence of redox-active metals such as iron, generates . OH or hydroxyl-like species that are highly reactive with cell constituents. Thus, while O 2 − may initiate reaction sequences leading to myocardial injury, it may not be the actual injurious agent. In vitro studies suggest that oxygen metabolite injury occurs at intracellular sites and involves iron-catalyzed processes. Consistent with this mechanism, extracellular oxygen metabolite scavengers have not convincingly reduced infarct size. However, treatment around the time of reperfusion, after ischemia is well established, with cell-permeable scavengers of . OH reduce infarct size. Results with these cell-permeable agents suggest that in the intact animal during regional ischemia and reperfusion, oxygen metabolite injury also occurs at intracellular sites. Cell-permeable scavenger agents are a promising class of drugs for potential clinical use, though further experimental and toxicologic studies are required.
The crystal structure of the GCY1 protein from S. cerevisiae suggests a divergent aldo-keto reductase catalytic mechanism.

Abstract The crystal structure of the GCY1 gene product from Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been determined to 2.5 A and is being refined. The model includes two protein molecules, one apo and one holo, per asymmetric unit. Examination of the model reveals that the active site surface is somewhat flat when compared with the other aldo-keto reductase structures, possibly accommodating larger substrates. The K m for NADPH (28.5 μM) is higher than that seen for other family members. This can be explained structurally by the lack of the ‘safety belt’ of residues seen in other aldo-keto reductases with higher affinity for NADPH. Catalysis also differs from the other aldo-keto reductases. The tyrosine that acts as an acid in the reduction reaction is flipped out of the catalytic pocket. This implies that the protein must either undergo a conformational change before catalysis can take place or that there is an alternate acid moiety.
Agriculture of the future

Current technology will be insufficient to meet China's food demand in 2050. It is time to take action, says T. C. Tso.
Photosynthetic preparation and characterization of 13C-labeled carbohydrates in agmenellum quadruplicatum

Abstract The blue-green alga Agmenellum quadruplicatum (strain PR6) has been used to prepare photobiosynthetically 13 C-labeled d -glucose, 2- O -(α- d -glucopyranosyl)-glyceric acid (glucosylglycerate), 2-hydroxy-1-(hydroxymethyl)ethyl α- d -gluco-pyranoside (glucosylglycerol), and α- d -glueopyranosyl β- d -fructofuranoside (sucrose). When grown to a cell density of 4.4 g.L -1 (dry weight) under nitrate-nitrogen limiting growth conditions for 120 h, the algal cells contained 38% of the dry-cell weight as(1 → 4)-α- d -glucan (amylose). About 1% of the dry-cell weight was glucosylglycerol, glucosylglycerate, and sucrose. Glutamate was obtained, together with carbohydrates of low molecular weight, when the cells were extracted with chloroform-methanol; d -glucose was recovered from the extracted cells by acid hydrolysis of the starch. The algae were grown by using 20 mol% [ 13 C] carbon dioxide for preparation of labeled carbohydrates and for cellular component identification by whole-cell n.m.r. spectroscopy.
Mechanism of Loading the Escherichia coli DNA Polymerase III β Sliding Clamp on DNA BONA FIDE PRIMER/TEMPLATES PREFERENTIALLY TRIGGER THE γ COMPLEX TO HYDROLYZE ATP AND LOAD THE CLAMP

The Escherichia coli DNA polymerase III gamma complex clamp loader assembles the ring-shaped beta sliding clamp onto DNA. The core polymerase is tethered to the template by beta, enabling processive replication of the genome. Here we investigate the DNA substrate specificity of the clamp-loading reaction by measuring the pre-steady-state kinetics of DNA binding and ATP hydrolysis using elongation-proficient and deficient primer/template DNA. The ATP-bound clamp loader binds both elongation-proficient and deficient DNA substrates either in the presence or absence of beta. However, elongation-proficient DNA preferentially triggers gamma complex to release beta onto DNA with concomitant hydrolysis of ATP. Binding to elongation-proficient DNA converts the gamma complex from a high affinity ATP-bound state to an ADP-bound state having a 10(5)-fold lower affinity for DNA. Steady-state binding assays are misleading, suggesting that gamma complex binds much more avidly to non-extendable primer/template DNA because recycling to the high affinity binding state is rate-limiting. Pre-steady-state rotational anisotropy data reveal a dynamic association-dissociation of gamma complex with extendable primer/templates leading to the diametrically opposite conclusion. The strongly favored dynamic recognition of extendable DNA does not require the presence of beta. Thus, the gamma complex uses ATP binding and hydrolysis as a mechanism for modulating its interaction with DNA in which the ATP-bound form binds with high affinity to DNA but elongation-proficient DNA substrates preferentially trigger hydrolysis of ATP and conversion to a low affinity state.
Photoacoustic ultrasonography and its potential application in mammography

In this thesis, photoacoustic ultrasonography (PAUS) and its applicability in breast cancer detection were investigated. PAUS employs a short pulse of electromagnetic energy, at either near-infrared or microwave frequency, to heat breast tissue. Rapid heating, resulting from inhomogeneous absorption of the energy pulse, generatesultrasonic waves. The energy absorption patterns can be reconstructed from these pressure waves recorded at locations around the periphery of the tissue. This study concentrated on microwave-induced PAUS (434 MHz). The principle of the photoacoustic signalgeneration was analyzed, and the image reconstruction method was implemented and validated by imaging experiments. Extensive studies of microwave-induced PAUS demonstrated that an adequate absorption difference of microwaves at 434 MHz exists between benign and malignant breast tissues. Experiments suggest that adequate ultrasonic signals can be detected using proper instrumentation, which allow the microwave absorption patterns to be reconstructed. I conclude that microwave-induced PAUS is likely to be a useful imaging modality for breast screening.
Astrocytic proteins in the dorsal and ventral roots in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Werdnig-Hoffmann disease.

Abnormalities were detected by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis in the protein composition of both the dorsal and ventral roots of three of six patients who succumbed to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The abnormalities consisted of a cascade of acidic protein spots on silver-stained gels which were shown by immunoblotting to react with an antiserum to human glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). They were found distal to the normal central nervous system/peripheral nervous system (CNS/PNS) transition zone and were undetected in cervical and lumbar root segments taken at the same distances from the spinal cord of eight control patients. Similar changes were observed in the dorsal and ventral roots of one patient with Werdnig-Hoffinann disease (WHD), while a second patient with WHD had the changes in only the ventral roots. The abnormalities probably reflect the presence of radicular glial bundles, which are pathological extensions of glial cells into the spinal roots, indicating that subclinical changes occurred in the sensory nerves of the affected ALS and WHD patients. While no other qualitative abnormalities were noted on gels of ALS and WHD spinal roots, some quantitative changes may be present.
Synthesis, intracellular transport, and discharge of secretory proteins in stimulated pancreatic exocrine cells.

Our previous observations on the synthesis and transport of secretory proteins in the pancreatic exocrine cell were made on pancreatic slices from starved guinea pigs and accordingly apply to the resting, unstimulated cell. Normally, however, the gland functions in cycles during which zymogen granules accumulate in the cell and are subsequently discharged from it in response to secretogogues. The present experiments were undertaken to determine if secretory stimuli applied in vitro result in adjustments in the rates of protein synthesis and/or of intracellular transport. To this intent pancreatic slices from starved animals were stimulated in vitro for 3 hr with 0.01 mM carbamylcholine. During the first hour of treatment the acinar lumen profile is markedly enlarged due to insertion of zymogen granule membranes into the apical plasmalemma accompanying exocytosis of the granule content. Between 2 and 3 hr of stimulation the luminal profile reverts to unstimulated dimensions while depletion of the granule population nears completion. The acinar cells in 3-hr stimulated slices are characterized by the virtual complete absence of typical condensing vacuoles and zymogen granules, contain a markedly enlarged Golgi complex consisting of numerous stacked cisternae and electron-opaque vesicles, and possess many small pleomorphic storage granules. Slices in this condition were pulse labeled with leucine-3H and the route and timetable of intracellular transport assessed during chase incubation by cell fractionation, electron microscope radioautography, and a discharge assay covering the entire secretory pathway. The results showed that the rate of protein synthesis, the rate of drainage of the rough-surfaced endoplasmic reticulum (RER) compartment, and the over-all transit time of secretory proteins through the cells was not accelerated by the secretogogue. Secretory stimulation did not lead to a rerouting of secretory proteins through the cell sap. In the resting cell, the secretory product is concentrated in condensing vacuoles and stored as a relatively homogeneous population of spherical zymogen granules. By contrast, in the stimulated cell, secretory proteins are initially concentrated in the flattened saccules of the enlarged Golgi complex and subsequently stored in numerous small storage granules before release. The results suggest that secretory stimuli applied in vitro primarily affect the discharge of secretory proteins and do not, directly or indirectly, influence their rates of synthesis and intracellular transport.
Optimal Terminal Rendezvous as a Stochastic Differential Game Problem

The optimal terminal rendezvous of two satellites in orbit about the Earth is studied using a stochastic model and formulating the rendezvous as a game problem. Each satellite has noise-corrupted output measurements and uses a Kalman filter to generate the best estimate of the states describing the rendezvous. The optimal control for the satellites is determined. A comparison is made in terms of dimensionality and complexity to a deterministic solution of the rendezvous problem.
Cerebrospinal fluid-related complications with autologous duraplasty and arachnoid sparing in type I Chiari malformation.

Objective Although there is a current consensus that Type I Chiari malformations (CM-I) should be treated only in the setting of symptomatic disease, significant controversy surrounds the most appropriate surgical procedure. Recent enthusiasm for osseous decompression without duraplasty is supported by the purportedly lower morbidity of this approach. Precise rates of morbidity with duraplasty, however, have not been reported. This study is intended to assess the cerebrospinal fluid-related morbidity associated with a patient population treated uniformly with autologous duraplasty for symptomatic CM-I. Methods A review of one surgeon's practice (MMS) from 1997 to 2007 identified patients treated for symptomatic CM-I with osseous decompression and autologous duraplasty. A retrospective chart review was then performed for these patients with an emphasis on cerebrospinal fluid-related complications. Results Forty patients were treated for CM-I with decompression and autologous duraplasty. Twenty-four patients presented with a preoperative syrinx. The mean age was 13.3 years, and the median age was 12.9 years (range, 3.3-45.8 yr). The mean follow-up period was 11.4 months (range, 1-101 mo). There was no mortality associated with the procedure. Clinical response was observed in 91.8% of patients, with 70.2% experiencing complete symptomatic resolution and 21.6% experiencing partial improvement. Two patients (5.4%) had persistent symptomatic syringomyelia requiring syringosubarachnoid shunting. There was an overall morbidity rate of 2.5% due to one pseudomeningocele treated with a single percutaneous tap. There were no incidences of cerebrospinal fluid leak, meningitis, or postoperative hydrocephalus. Conclusion The cerebrospinal fluid-related morbidity associated with autologous duraplasty for CM-I in a uniformly treated population is negligible. These results challenge the current rationale for a less aggressive surgical approach to CM-I.
History and physical examination of the hip: the basics

The history and physical examination of the hip is the key component for evaluation of patients presenting with hip pain. As our understanding of the anatomy and biomechanics of the normal hip vs the pathologic hip advances, the physical examination progresses as well. As with the shoulder and knee examinations, there are critical steps that form the basis of the examination of the hip joint. This hip examination contains 21 steps, which compares well with the shoulder 20 step exam and the knee 33 step exam. Consideration should be given for the hip as comprised of 4 layers: the osseous, capsulolabral, musculotendinous, and neurovascular. The hip represents the link between the upper body and lower body, therefore the fifth layer, the kinematic chain, plays an essential role in treatment recommendations. A clinical evaluation of the hip that incorporates this multifactor thought process will lead to an accurate diagnosis in a timely manner. This paper is a description of the 21 core examinations of a standardized clinical evaluation of the hip.
Effects of temporal separation and masker level on binaural analysis in forward masking.

In the present study detection under diotic (NoSo) and dichotic (NoSπ) listening conditions in a forward masking paradigm was investigated. Both the level of a noise masker and the temporal separation between the masker and a 250‐Hz tone burst served as independent variables. Results showed that most of the variance in the data could be accounted for by the amount of masking in the NoSo condition, independent of the value of the temporal parameter, which itself accounted for only 1.4% of the variance that remained. Once the data were corrected for NoSo masking effectiveness, the MLD was found to decrease by only 1.4 dB as temporal separation increased from 5–100 ms, which is consistent with a very long time constant for the binaural system. Consistent with this finding, it was shown that slope changes of the growth of masking functions, for simultaneous as compared to forward masking, were similar for both the NoSo and NoSπ conditions.
Abstract A249: Potent protein kinase inhibitors block Pim kinase‐mediated increase in prostate epithelial cell migration, regulation of p27 protein half‐life, and secretion of hepatocyte growth factor

Pim‐1 proto‐oncogene encodes a serine/threonine protein kinase that regulates apoptosis, cell cycle progression, and transcription. The expression of this protein kinase is elevated in both prostate intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) and prostatic adenocarcinoma, suggesting an important role for Pim‐1 kinase in prostate cancer development and growth. To investigate the role of Pim‐1 in controlling tumor growth we have synthesized novel benzylidene‐thiazolidine2, 4‐dione (J. Med. Chem. (2009) 52:74) inhibitors of this kinase. The most potent members of this chemotype have IC50s of 13 nM for Pim‐1. To examine the activity of these agents in prostate cancer we have first set out to define the biochemical activity of Pim‐1 in epithelial cells. We have expressed Pim‐1 in a mouse prostate epithelial cell (MPECs) line that demonstrates stem cell characteristics. We find that Pim‐1 expressing cells produce and secrete markedly increased levels of hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor (HGF/SF), and this protein kinase stimulates increases in HGF/SF mRNA. Additionally, expression of Pim‐1 markedly increases HGF/SF induced migration of MPECs. The contribution of Pim‐1 kinase to this biochemical pathway is confirmed in murine embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) that are deficient for all three Pim protein kinases (TKO) and evidence reduced level of HGF mRNA in TKO versus wild type MEFs. The Pim‐1‐stimulated migration of MPECs is inhibited by two benzylidene‐thiazolidine‐2, 4‐diones, SMI‐4a and 16a, as well as known inhibitors of the HGF receptor, c‐Met. HGF treatment of MPECs induced p27 upregulation that could be inhibited by the expression of Pim‐1, thus allowing cell cycle progression. Further studies showed that expression of Pim‐1 did not alter the mRNA level of p27, but enhanced the cell cycle‐dependent degradation and thus decreased the half‐life of the p27 protein. Consistent with this finding, p27 ubiquitination assays showed that Pim‐1 increases this modification in vivo. We found that the Pim‐1‐mediated ubiquitination is regulated by complex formation between Pim‐1 and Skp2, a protein component of the SCF complex, which is known to regulate the ubiquitination and degradation of p27. Pim‐1 does not affect Skp29s E3 ligase activity, but appears to inhibit the degradation of Skp2 through phosphorylation. Incubation of these cells with the Pim protein kinase inhibitor, SMI‐4a, decreased Skp2 expression and increased p27 and cyclin E expression. Together our data demonstrates the complex pathway by which Pim‐1 protein kinase regulates HGF/SF and p27 levels, thus controlling cell migration, proliferation, and potentially transformation. Potent Pim kinase inhibitors block these two signaling pathways thus inhibiting prostate epithelial cell migration and growth. Citation Information: Mol Cancer Ther 2009;8(12 Suppl):A249.
Effects of acculturation on the reporting of depressive symptoms among Hispanic pregnant women.

Background: Significant differences have been reported in the prevalence of depression between Mexicans and Mexican Americans. Whether the differences in prevalence are real or are the results of cultural bias in instrumentation is not known. Objectives: To examine the association between acculturation and the responses to the individual depressive symptom item of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Methods: The CES-D was administered to 395 Hispanic women during their 22-24 weeks' pregnancy clinic visit. Acculturation was defined by a subject's language preference of English or Spanish when completing the CES-D. Those who preferred English belong to the acculturated group and those who preferred Spanish are considered nonacculturated. Logistic regression was used to conduct differential item functioning (DIF) analysis for each of the 20 CES-D items to determine whether they operated differently between the acculturated Hispanic group and the nonacculturated Hispanic group. Results: Reliability of the CES-D total score was .86 and .88 for the nonacculturated and acculturated groups, respectively. None of the items of the Depressed Affect Subscale showed DIF. However, DIF was found in four out of the seven items in the Somatic Activity Subscale and in three out of the four items in the Positive Affect Subscale. Discussion: The results suggest that even within a homogenous Hispanic group of mostly Mexican Americans, responses to the CES-D differ by acculturation. The nonacculturated group are less likely to endorse somatic symptoms but more likely to endorse positive items than the acculturated group. Depression screening in this population needs to account for acculturation differences within the Hispanic group.
Bcl-xL Deamidation Is a Critical Switch in the Regulation of the Response to DNA Damage

The therapeutic value of DNA-damaging antineoplastic agents is dependent upon their ability to induce tumor cell apoptosis while sparing most normal tissues. Here, we show that a component of the apoptotic response to these agents in several different types of tumor cells is the deamidation of two asparagines in the unstructured loop of Bcl-xL, and we demonstrate that deamidation of these asparagines imports susceptibility to apoptosis by disrupting the ability of Bcl-xL to block the proapoptotic activity of BH3 domain-only proteins. Conversely, Bcl-xL deamidation is actively suppressed in fibroblasts, and suppression of deamidation is an essential component of their resistance to DNA damage-induced apoptosis. Our results suggest that the regulation of Bcl-xL deamidation has a critical role in the tumor-specific activity of DNA-damaging antineoplastic agents.
Novalis and the Absolute of Attraction

In the opening fragment of Bluthenstaub, Novalis writes, “Wir suchen uberall das Unbedingte, und finden immer nur Dinge” (2: 413). The absolute, or that which is without condition and without limit, is first and foremost a point of attraction: a non-thing that organizes the relationship of the human being to things, to other human beings, indeed to the manifold world of differences. Any critical project that still considers it worthwhile to inquire into the status of the absolute must therefore approach this idea not according to what it is, or what it is not, but according to what it does and to the particular movements it generates in the order of thought and discourse. The fascination with the absolute generates a paradoxical effect: as a pure plenitude of being that is semiotically equivalent to a void in the order of representations – as an identity incommensurable with differentiation and therefore excluded from all differential systems – the absolute resists all forms of codification, and yet, in its very withdrawal from representation, it never ceases to generate representations, acts of speech, multiple forms of reflection. It is generally assumed that some conception of the absolute as pure, undifferentiated identity conditions Romantic poetics and the specific subject that this discourse presupposes and calls into being. Manfred Frank – who has undertaken perhaps the most extensive, well-documented, and persuasive account of early Romantic philosophy – notes that such a conception of the absolute cannot be represented in reflective acts of consciousness: “Die Erfahrung, die das Bewustsein mit seinem eigenen Unvermogen macht, geschieht ganz immanent; und das transzendente Sein erwirbt den Charakter einer regulativen Idee: also eines Gedankens, auf den ich nicht verzichten kann, will ich die Einsichtigkeit einer Grundtatsache des Bewustseins nicht gefahrden” (Einfuhrung 261). According to Frank, the absolute, strictly speaking, as an undifferentiated absolute of identity that precedes both subject and object and yet makes their appearance possible, is unavailable to consciousness; consciousness is thus always striving for – but never cognizing – the ground of its own experience. A cursory glance at Novalis’s writings after the Fichte-Studien (1795–96) suggests that the concept of the absolute becomes less central to his later intellectual and poetic projects. This impression would be mistaken; the gestures produced by Novalis’s attempts to grapple with the absolute are taken up and absorbed as internal organizing and disorganizing patterns at work in many of Novalis’s texts, whether in Die Lehrlinge zu Sais, Heinrich von Ofterdingen, or the Geistliche Lieder, to name a few examples. Nor does the absolute, as it
Postoperative computed tomographic control of 38 patients with craniopharyngioma

Abstract Computed tomography scanning was performed on 38 patients 1–12 years after surgery for craniopharyngioma. Recurrence of the tumor had appeared in nine patients. Thirteen patients had a residual tumor, and 16 were tumor-free after primary surgery. In addition, one patient became tumor-free after total removal of the recurrent tumor. After partial removal, the rate of recurrence was high and the quality of life was impaired.
Ioversol for intravenous urography: a comparison study.

A new nonionic, low-osmolar iodinated contrast media, ioversol, was compared with another low-osmolar, nonionic contrast media, iohexol, in 80 patients undergoing intravenous urography. There were 40 patients in each contrast group. Patients were assessed for changes in vital signs, patient tolerance (heat and pain), and other adverse effects. Double-blind evaluation was also performed for comparison of the urogram image quality. There were no severe, life-threatening reactions for either contrast group. Ten patients (25%) receiving ioversol and seven (17.5%) receiving iohexol perceived body heat related to the injection of contrast material. Two patients (5%) in each group experienced mild nausea. Two patients (5%) of the ioversol group noted unpleasant taste, and two patients (5%) of the iohexol group complained of headache. Vital signs remained stable without significant change in both groups, and image quality was considered equivalent. The results indicate that the two contrast agents are equivalent in image quality, safety, and incidence of adverse effects.
DEEP: Design-Oriented Evaluation of Perceived Usability

Existing perceived usability questionnaires detect the appearance of usability issues rather than the underlying design generating those issues. This limits the capability of existing instruments to directly inform design recommendations. To address this problem, a usability questionnaire structured around the analytical composition of the design was created and validated. A four-stage process was followed. First, 3 usability experts refined 54 questions from highly cited usability questionnaires and structured them around 6 design dimensions. Second, 12 raters scored the questions by their relevance to assess usability. Third, questions and dimensions were then improved through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis (N = 196) and, fourth, further enhanced through confirmatory factor analysis (N = 362). The result is DEEP, a 19-question usability questionnaire based on 5 main design dimensions (content, information architecture, navigation, layout, and visual guidance). DEEP can be used to capture d...
Progression From Precursor Disease to Multiple Myeloma

subgroup of acute myeloid leukemia with a distinctive gene expression profile that is uniquely associated with a favorable outcome. Blood. 2009;113(13):30883091. 4. Metzeler KH, Hummel M, Bloomfield CD, et al; Cancer and Leukemia Group B; German AML Cooperative Group. An 86-probe-set gene-expression signature predicts survival in cytogenetically normal acute myeloid leukemia. Blood. 2008; 112(10):4193-4201.
Significance of low peripheral blood CD34+ cell numbers prior to leukapheresis: what should the threshold required for apheresis be?

The pre-apheresis peripheral blood CD34+ cell count (PBCD34) is the strongest predictor of the number of stem cells collected. It is common practice to apherese only when PBCD34 is >or=5/microl to avoid poor yields. However, in patients with compromised marrow function, the only way to get enough cells is to collect small numbers daily several times. Another pitfall with this practice is not accounting for weight. We studied 285 autologous collections performed with PBCD34 or=0.3 x 10(6) CD34+ cells per kg ideal body weight (IBW) was considered acceptable as this daily yield over a week could total >or=2 x 10(6)/kg-enough for an autograft. Two hundred and four harvests (72%) had yields of >or=0.3; with 59% being >or=0.4, 47% being >or=0.5 and 36% being >or=0.6. There were 23 patients whose harvests done when PBCD34 was low totaled >or=2 x 10(6)/kg. Assuming a 20-l apheresis with 70% collection efficiency, we suggest harvesting if 14 n/w >or=0.3, where n=PBCD34 and w=IBW. This approach is more logical than using an absolute threshold, and will ensure that patients are not deprived of the opportunity of stem cell collection and autotransplantation.
The cochlear nuclei of snakes.

The cochlear nuclei of three burrowing snakes (Xenopeltis unicolor, Cylindrophis rufus, and Eryx johni) and three non-burrowing snakes (Epicrates cenchris, Natrix sipedon, and Pituophis catenifer) were studied. The posterior branch of the statoacoustic nerve and its posterior ganglion were destroyed and the degenerated nerve fibers and terminals traced to primary cochlear nuclei in 13 specimens of Pituophis catenifer. All these snake species possess three primary and one secondary cochlear nuclei. The primary cochlear nuclei consist of a small nucleus angularis located at the cerebello-medullary junction and a fairly large nucleus magnocellularis forming a dorsal cap over the cephalic end of the alar eminence. Nucleus magnocellularis may be subdivided into a medially placed group of rounder cells, nucleus magnocellularis medialis, and a laterally placed group of more ovate and paler-staining cells, nucleus magnocellularis lateralis. A small but well-defined secondary nucleus which showed no degenerated nerve terminals after nerve root section, nucleus laminaris, underlies the cephalic part of both nucleus magnocellularis medialis and nucleus magnocellularis lateralis. Larger and better-developed cochlear nuclei were found in burrowing species than in non-burrowing species of snakes. Of the three burrowing species studied, Xenopeltis showed the greatest development of cochlear nuclei; Eryx cochlear nuclei were not quite as large but were better differentiated than in Xenopeltis; and Cylindrophis cochlear nuclei were fairly large but not as well developed nor as well differentiated as in either Xenopeltis or Eryx. The cochlear nuclei of the three non-burrowing snakes, Epicrates, Natrix, and Pituophis, Were not as large nor as well developed as those of the burrowing snakes. There is some, but not complete, correlation between cochlear development and papilla basilaris length and number of hair cells. Thus, Xenopeltis and Eryx, with well-developed cochlear nuclei, have relatively long papillae basilares; but the boid, Epicrates, with less well-developed cochlear nuclei, has a fairly well-developed papilla basilaris. Cylindrophis, a burrowing species, shows only a moderate degree of cochlear nuclei, have relatively long papillae basilares; but the boid, Epicrates, with less well-developed cochlear nuclei, has a fairly well-developed papilla basilaris. Cylindrophis, a burrowing species, shows only a moderate degree of cochlear nuclei and papilla basilaris development. The non-burrowers, Natrix and Pituophis, have both small cochlear nuclei and relatively short papillae basilares.
An Ontology for PACS Integration

An ontology describes a set of classes and the relationships among them. We explored the use of an ontology to integrate picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) with other information systems in the clinical enterprise. We created an ontological model of thoracic radiology that contained knowledge of anatomy, imaging procedures, and performed procedure steps. We explored the use of the model in two use cases: (1) to determine examination completeness and (2) to identify reference (comparison) images obtained in the same imaging projection. The model incorporated a total of 138 classes, including radiology orderables, procedures, procedure steps, imaging modalities, patient positions, and imaging planes. Radiological knowledge was encoded as relationships among these classes. The ontology successfully met the information requirements of the two use-case scenarios. Ontologies can represent radiological and clinical knowledge to integrate PACS with the clinical enterprise and to support the radiology interpretation process.
Stability of B-Complex Vitamins in Extruded Catfish Feeds

The stability of the B-complex vitamins thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, pyridoxine hydrochloride, niacin, and pantothenic acid was determined during extrusion processing and drying of catfish feed. Riboflavin, pantothenic acid, and niacin had retention values of l00%, l00%, and 96.3%. respectively, under conditions typical of that for processing catfish feed. Thiamin mononitrate and pyridoxine hydrochloride were relatively stable, having retention values of 65.1% and 70.3%, respectively. Results from this study should be usefhl in modifying catfish vitamin premixes.
Preferred sites of strand scission in DNA modified by andi-diol epoxide of benzo[a]pyrene

The sites of DNA modification by the anti-diol epoxide of benzo[a]pyrene were investigated with the use of a DNA substrate of defined sequence. The modified DNA was labile to strand scission at alk...
Development of acetylcholine sensitivity during myogenesis.

Abstract The development of acetylcholine (ACh) sensitivity during myogenesis has been studied by iontophoretic application of ACh and intracellular recording from myogenic cells from rat forelimbs cultured in vitro. The fine structure of the cells was then examined by electron microscopy. The development of ACh sensitivity is correlated with the appearance of thick and thin filaments and precedes myofibril formation. All myotubes are sensitive to ACh. Myogenic cells arising by cell division in vitro can become sensitive to ACh and construct myofibrils without cell fusion. When cell fusion is inhibited by calcium ion deficiency or when cell division is blocked by FUdR, many mononucleate, striated, ACh-sensitive cells appear in culture. While ACh sensitivity appears at the onset of muscle differentiation, ACh receptors seem to play no role in the early events of myogenesis, as evidenced by the failure of receptor block or of desensitization to interfere with myogenesis. The concurrent appearance of myofilaments and ACh sensitivity is discussed in relation to the early events and control mechanisms of myogenesis.
Bulk Nanolayered Composites: Interfacial Influence on Microstructural Evolution at Large Plastic Strains

Conclusions are: (1) As-processed ARB material has similar morphology, chemistry as PVD, but different interfacial structure; (2) Density of interfaces AND interfacial structure play a role in determining hardness, an example is twinning in Cu at the {l_brace}112{r_brace}Cu//{l_brace}112{r_brace}Nb interface and higher strength, no twinning in Cu in the {l_brace}111{r_brace}Cu//{l_brace}110{r_brace}Nb interface; and (3) Need to understand effects of processing history to predict the effects on the interfaces we produce - Amount of strain, Strain Path, Annealing.
The Hope of a Critical Ethics: Teachers and Learners

The basic question of this essay is what motivates a person to act on behalf of the “ethical good”? Critical theorists (such as Max Horkheimer, Paulo Freire, and Sharon Welch) have proposed the educational development of critical rationality as the answer to this question, with Freire adding the notion of love and Welch adding the notion of “dangerous memory.” These positions are both critiqued and used as a starting place for proposing a critical ethics with three bases: (1) Emmanuel Levinas's notion of ethical infinity (that is, a person is more than any category can reveal and categories entrap and harm the person), (2) the notion of creating a community based on “relational authority,” and (3) the development of moral imagination. Descriptions of specific classroom situations ground the discussion in education.
Temperature controlled microwave ring radiator for hyperthermia therapy

The authors have constructed a dual therapy plaque applicator for simultaneous thermoradiotherapy of small tissue volumes requiring a high degree of treatment localization. The applicator consists of a 1-cm diameter copper tubing ring which is embedded in dielectric potting resin inside a top-hat-shaped copper plaque. The ring is driven with a 10-W 2450-MHz power source while at the same time water is circulated in the tubing to adjust heating at the tissue surface relative to that at depth. Temperature distributions from the plaque applicator were characterized with 2-mm incremental mapping in two different tissue volumes, one with high and one with low blood perfusion. The results show that tissue regions up to 8-10 mm in depth can be heated to 42.5-45.0 degrees C while surface temperatures are maintained below 42.5 degrees C. >
Flow Heterogeneity over 3D Cluster Microform: Laboratory and Numerical Investigation

The present study examines the flow around a self-occurring cluster bed form and the use of general computation fluid dynamics methods for hydraulic and geophysical flow applications. This is accomplished through a comprehensive experimental/numerical investigation. In the laboratory, cluster bed forms are first formed from movable sediment, and laser Doppler velocimeter measurements of two-dimensional fluid velocity are then taken around a formed cluster. A three-dimensional (3D) Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes simulation of the physical cluster and flow conditions is then conducted using near-wall, shear stress transport (SST) turbulence modeling with the inclusion of hydraulic roughness, ks ( R=31,150 , ks ∕h=0.1 , ks+ =274 , i.e., in the fully rough regime). SST near-wall modeling is advantageous compared to the more widely used wall functions approach for flows with significant roughness and flow separation because the model equations can be integrated down to the wall. Therefore, SST near-wall model...
Will PI3K pathway inhibitors be effective as single agents in patients with cancer

Joan T. Garrett 1 , Anindita Chakrabarty 1 and Carlos L. Arteaga 1-3 1 Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA 2 Department of Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA 3 Breast Cancer Research Program, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA Received: November 23, 2011; Accepted: November 31, 2011; Published: December 31, 2011; Keywords: cancer, combination therapy, mTOR, PI3K, receptor tyrosine kinases, oncotarget Correspondence: Carlos L. Arteaga, email: // // Abstract The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) axis regulates essential cellular functions including cell survival, proliferation, metabolism, migration, and angiogenesis. The PI3K pathway is activated in human cancers by mutation, amplification, and deletion of genes encoding components of this pathway. The critical role of PI3K in cancer has led to the development of drugs targeting the effector mechanisms of this signaling network. Recent studies have shown that inhibition at multiple levels of the PI3K pathway results in FOXO-dependent feedback reactivation of several receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) which, in turn, limit the sustained inhibition of this pathway and attenuates the action of therapeutic antagonists. This suggests that if used as single agents, PI3K pathway inhibitors may have limited clinical activity. We propose herein that to successfully target the output of the PI3K pathway in cancer cells, combination therapies that hinder these compensatory mechanisms should be used. Thus, combination therapies that target RTKs, PI3K, and mTOR activities may be required to maximize the clinical benefit derived from treatment with these inhibitors.
The Role of Vasopressin in the Treatment of Vasodilation in Shock States

OBJECTIVE:To review the role of vasopressin in the treatment of vasodilatory shock.DATA SOURCES:A MEDLINE search on published reports (1966–April 1999) was conducted.STUDY SELECTION:English-language studies and case reports were selected and evaluated based on quality of review of vasopressin in the treatment of vasodilatory shock.DATA SYNTHESIS:In patients with end-stage vasodilatory shock, baroreceptor reflex is impaired and vasopressin stores are depleted. Persistent elevation of catecholamines may lead to down-regulation of β-adrenergic receptors and reduces smooth-muscle response to catecholamines, leading to inability of maintaining organ perfusion. Small-scale studies and case reports have demonstrated vasopressin's efficacy in maintaining blood pressure in patients with septic shock, cardiac arrest, and end-stage heart failure, refractory to other vasopressor therapies.CONCLUSIONS:Vasopressin may be a reasonable alternative for patients in vasodilatory shock. However, larger-scale controlled clini...
Use of soft tissue radiographs for assessing impending airway obstruction in head and neck infections: report of cases

Three patients with airway obstruction subsequent to head and neck infection are presented, and the usefulness of soft tissue radiographs of the region in determining the location of the problem is discussed.
Antagonism of Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Signaling by 6,2′,4′-Trimethoxyflavone

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) is regarded as an important homeostatic transcriptional regulator within physiological and pathophysiological processes, including xenobiotic metabolism, endocrine function, immunity, and cancer. Agonist activation of the AHR is considered deleterious based on toxicological evidence obtained with environmental pollutants, which mediate toxic effects through AHR. However, a multitude of plant-derived constituents, e.g., polyphenols that exhibit beneficial properties, have also been described as ligands for the AHR. It is conceivable that some of the positive aspects of such compounds can be attributed to suppression of AHR activity through antagonism. Therefore, we conducted a dioxin response element reporter-based screen to assess the AHR activity associated with a range of flavonoid compounds. Our screen identified two flavonoids (5-methoxyflavone and 7,4'-dimethoxyisoflavone) with previously unidentified AHR agonist potential. In addition, we have identified and characterized 6,2',4'-trimethoxyflavone (TMF) as an AHR ligand that possesses the characteristics of an antagonist having the capacity to compete with agonists, such as 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin and benzo[a]pyrene, thus effectively inhibiting AHR-mediated transactivation of a heterologous reporter and endogenous targets, e.g., CYP1A1, independent of cell lineage or species. Furthermore, TMF displays superior action by virtue of having no partial agonist activity, in contrast to other documented antagonists, e.g., alpha-napthoflavone, which are partial weak agonists. TMF also exhibits no species or promoter dependence with regard to AHR antagonism. TMF therefore represents an improved tool allowing for more precise dissection of AHR function in the absence of any conflicting agonist activity.
Nostalgia and Redemption in Joseph Kanon's The Good German

This article explores Joseph Kanon's depiction and challenge in The Good German to two prevailing American memories about World War II, that of a beneficent American occupation and of a universal German guilt. The article describes these deeply held memories as metanarratives that fashion identities within the setting of the novel by establishing who needs to be redeemed and who does not. The novel provides a ready example of the way postmodern nostalgia can be used not only to save oneself through memory but also condemn the other who is the object of the metanarrative but nevertheless hidden by it.
In situ fabricated porous filter - characterization and biological applications

Porous filter was fabricated inside a microchannel by phase separation photo-polymerization. The porosity of the filter varies with the composition of the prepolymer mixture. Four different filter compositions varying in water and crosslinker concentration was characterized using confocal microscopy and resistance measurements. Preliminary studies showed that the porous filter can separate blood cells from whole blood and the large surface area can be utilized for protein detection assays.
Intraoperative Evaluation of the First Flat Interface Nerve Electrode for a Standing Neuroprosthesis: A Case Report

Functional electrical stimulation (FES) can produce coordinated contractions of paralyzed muscles through activation of the peripheral motor nerves to partially restore the functional movements lost due to spinal cord injury (SCI). The long-term goal of our research is to restore standing and stepping function using a flat interface nerve electrode (FINE) via selective activation of target muscles innervated by the femoral nerve. The data presented here come from the first intraoperative experiment ever conducted using a FINE on a human volunteer. Implantation and explantation of the FINE were accomplished successfully and without complications or need for special surgical instruments. Selective and graded stimulation of muscles occurred when using an 8 channel FINE.
A Prospective Evaluation of Ventilator-Associated Conditions and Infection-Related Ventilator-Associated Conditions

BACKGROUND The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has shifted policy away from using ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) and toward using ventilator-associated conditions (VACs) as a marker of ICU quality. To date, limited prospective data regarding the incidence of VAC among medical and surgical ICU patients, the ability of VAC criteria to capture patients with VAP, and the potential clinical preventability of VACs are available. METHODS This study was a prospective 12-month cohort study (January 2013 to December 2013). RESULTS We prospectively surveyed 1,209 patients ventilated for ≥ 2 calendar days. Sixty-seven VACs were identified (5.5%), of which 34 (50.7%) were classified as an infection-related VAC (IVAC) with corresponding rates of 7.0 and 3.6 per 1,000 ventilator days, respectively. The mortality rate of patients having a VAC was significantly greater than that of patients without a VAC (65.7% vs 14.4%, P CONCLUSIONS Although relatively uncommon, VACs are associated with greater mortality and morbidity when they occur. Most VACs represent nonpreventable events, and the VAC criteria capture a minority of VAP episodes.
Vertical transport of mean zonal kinetic energy from five years of hemispheric data

Vertical transports of the kinetic energy of the mean zonal flow across arbitrary horizontal surfaces which span the northern hemisphere are evaluated. The vertical processes involved are not directly measured but rather are obtained from observed horizontal motions through use of continuity requirements. It is found that vertical eddies can accomplish significant transports through horizontal boundary stress actions. A noteworthy feature is the downward eddy transport into the surface boundary layer. DOI: 10.1111/j.2153-3490.1971.tb00576.x
A frequency-dependent FDTD method for induced-current calculations for a heterogeneous model of the human body

A weakness of the FDTD (finite-difference, time-domain) method is that dispersion of the dielectric properties of the scattering/absorption body is often ignored and frequency-independent properties are generally taken. While this is not a disadvantage for continuous-wave or narrowband irradiation, the results thus obtained may be higher erroneous for short pulses where ultrawide bandwidths are involved. A differential equation approach was developed. It can be used for general dispersive media for which in *( omega ) and mu *( omega ) may be expressible in terms of ration functions, or for human tissues where multiterm Debye relaxation equations must generally be used. The method is illustrated by means of one- and three-dimensional examples of media for which in *( omega ) is given by a multiterm Debye equation and for a dispersive model of the human body. >