cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
P2Y2 Nucleotide Receptor Activation Up-regulates Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecular-1 Expression and Enhances Lymphocyte Adherence to a Human Submandibular Gland Cell Line

Sjogren's syndrome (SS) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease that causes salivary and lacrimal gland tissue destruction resulting in impaired secretory function. Although lymphocytic infiltration of salivary epithelium is associated with SS, the mechanisms involved have not been adequately elucidated. Our previous studies have shown that the G protein-coupled P2Y2 nucleotide receptor (P2Y2R) is up-regulated in response to damage or stress of salivary gland epithelium, and in salivary glands of the NOD.B10 mouse model of SS-like autoimmune exocrinopathy. Additionally, we have shown that P2Y2R activation up-regulates vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) expression in endothelial cells leading to the binding of monocytes. The present study demonstrates that activation of the P2Y2R in dispersed cell aggregates from rat submandibular gland (SMG) and in human submandibular gland ductal cells (HSG) up-regulates the expression of VCAM-1. Furthermore, P2Y2R activation mediated the up-regulation of VCAM-1 expression in HSG cells leading to increased adherence of lymphocytic cells. Inhibitors of EGFR phosphorylation and metalloprotease activity abolished P2Y2R-mediated VCAM-1 expression and decreased lymphocyte binding to HSG cells. Moreover, silencing of EGFR expression abolished UTP-induced VCAM-1 up-regulation in HSG cells. These results suggest that P2Y2R activation in salivary gland cells increases the EGFR-dependent expression of VCAM-1 and the binding of lymphocytes, a pathway relevant to inflammation associated with SS.
Pulmonary vascular resistance in neonatal swine: Response to right pulmonary artery occlusion, isoproterenol, and prostaglandin E1

The pulmonary physiological response of adults to unilateral pulmonary artery (PA) occlusion has been well-characterized as resulting in a decrease in the pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR), in order to maintain the same PA pressure and accommodate the entire cardiac output (CO). We evaluated the response of the neonate to unilateral PA occlusion and how this response is altered by infusions of Isoproterenol (Isuprel) and prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) in the neonatal swine model. Twenty farm piglets (five at 1 day, three at 5 days, seven at 14 days, and five at 60 days as controls) underwent left lateral thoracotomy and measurement of PA and left atrial (LA) pressures, CO, and PVR with the right PA open and occluded. To determine if neonatal PVR could be influenced by a vasodilator (indicating the vascular capacity is not fixed) or by an inotrope (indicating the lung is not maximally recruited) this experiment was then repeated with infusions of PGE1 (a vasodilator) at doses of 0.1, 0.5, and 1.0 micrograms/kg/min and subsequently with Isuprel (an inotrope and vasodilator) at doses of 0.1, 0.5, 1.0 micrograms/kg/min. Control measurements taken without unilateral PA occlusion showed that PVR is high at 1 day of age but progressively decreases to a level 89% lower by 60 days of age. The vascular capacity of the neonatal lung is fixed and responds to unilateral PA occlusion with a dramatic increase in PVR. This response cannot be altered by either a vasodilator (PGE1) or an inotrope (Isuprel) thereby limiting the utility of these drugs in treating neonatal pulmonary hypertension.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The Maintenance of Professional Authority: Acupuncture and the American Physician

This paper examines the response of the medical profession to a situation in which its cultural authority was potentially challenged: the sudden, large-scale importation of acupuncture into the United States in the early 1970s. I describe how the medical profession coped with a therapeutic modality that could not be explained by the biomedical model. Various tactics were used to limit the practice of acupuncture to physicians, thereby mitigating the threat of the growing popularity of lay practitioners. Once it was securely under the control of the medical profession, the practice of acupuncture was severely restricted, and an effective but enigmatic modality was removed from the medical regimen.
Abstract 3253: Bone morphogenetic proteins increase hepcidin in breast cancer cells

Hepcidin is a systemic peptide hormone produced in the liver that regulates iron absorption and recirculation. Induction of hepcidin by inflammatory cytokines has been suggested to contribute to the anemia of inflammation and cancer. Our previous work has shown that synthesis of hepcidin is not confined to the liver, but is also observed in other tissues. In particular, we found that hepcidin is produced in mammary epithelial cells. Further, hepcidin levels increase in a subset of breast cancers, and increased synthesis of hepcidin is associated with poor prognoses in some breast cancer patients (Pinnix et al., 2010). In this work we sought to understand mechanisms regulating hepcidin synthesis in breast cancer, as well as the consequences of hepcidin upregulation. We demonstrate that treatment with bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) 2, 4, 6, or 7 results in hepcidin upregulation and concomitant Smad phosphorylation in breast cancer cells. The BMP7-induced hepcidin increase can be diminished by co-treatment of breast cancer cells with the BMP inhibitors, Wise or Noggin. We next assessed the consequence of hepcidin induction. Systemic hepcidin regulates iron by affecting the levels of the iron export protein, ferroportin. Extracellular hepcidin binds to ferroportin on the cell surface, initiating the internalization and degradation of ferroportin. This, in turn, decreases the ferroportin available to facilitate iron export, preventing iron efflux from the cell and increasing cellular iron retention. To test the functionality of this regulatory pathway in breast cancer, we used a hepcidin-specific antibody to deplete cultured breast cancer cells of extracellular hepcidin. We found that antibody-induced hepcidin depletion increased ferroportin protein levels, suggesting that hepcidin-mediated ferroportin regulation occurs in breast cancer cells. Consistent with this finding, we observed that breast cancer cells have increased hepcidin and decreased ferroportin relative to normal mammary epithelial cells. In all, these results raise the possibility that BMP signaling may control hepcidin expression in breast cells, decreasing ferroportin and increasing intracellular iron. The potential for hepcidin to alter iron availability to breast cancer cells on a paracrine level is a novel function for this key systemic iron regulator. Reference Z. K. Pinnix, L. D. Miller, W. Wang, R. D9Agostino Jr., T. Kute, M. C. Willingham, H. Hatcher, L. Tesfay, G. Sui, X. Di, S. V. Torti, F. M. Torti, Ferroportin and Iron Regulation in Breast Cancer Progression and Prognosis. Sci. Transl. Med. 2, 43ra56 (2010). Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3253. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-3253
Impacts of the use of institutional controls on risk assessments for U.S. Department of Energy facilities

Abstract This paper summarizes some of the major issues related to the use of institutional controls at hazardous waste sites under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy Field Office, Oak Ridge/Environmental Restoration Division (DOE-OR/ERD). In particular, the impacts that assumptions regarding institutional controls have on the results and interpretation of the risk assessment, both in the Remedial Investigation (RI) and the Feasibility Study (FS) are addressed. The approaches and assumptions relating to institutional controls focus on the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), since it is the regulatory driver for hazardous waste sites at Department of Energy (DOE) facilities. In order to provide a contrast to approaches adopted under CERCLA, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and radiation regulatory authorities (i.e., Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regulations/guidance, DOE orders, and U.S. Environmental Pro- tection Agency (EPA) standards) are briefly outlined. To demonstrate the implications of the use of institutional controls at DOE facilities, the approaches and results of a recent baseline risk assessment for Solid Waste Storage Area 6 at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) are summarized.
Stochastic analysis of a redundant system with two types of failure

Abstract This paper deals with the analysis of a system model consisting of two units, in which one is operative and the other is on cold standby. The failure of an operative unit may be caused by a machine as well as by random shocks which occur after a certain interval of time. Using the regenerative point technique in Markov renewal processes, several effective measures of reliability are obtained.
Assessment of a Novel Flow Visualization Technique Using Photodissociation Spectroscopy

The study of complicated flows continuously calls for new nonintrusive flow diagnostics. A novel flow visualization technique based on photodissociation spectroscopy (PDS) is described, demonstrated, and assessed in this paper. This technique is centered around the creative use of photodissociation (PD). A PD precursor is seeded in the flow of interest, either passive or reactive. A laser pulse is then generated to completely and rapidly photodissociate both the precursor and the products formed from the precursor (if it reacts) into photofragments. A target photofragment is then imaged to obtain multidimensional information about the flow. An analytical methodology was developed to assess the feasibility of the PDS-based technique. This analytical method was applied to the case where molecular iodine was used as an example PD precursor, and the results were validated by experimental data. Both the analytical and experimental findings provided a promising outlook for this new technique as a practical flow visualization technique. With a properly chosen PD precursor, the PDS-based technique provides an attractive alternative for imaging several critical flow properties, including the mixture fraction and temperature field. This technique shares some key advantages with established techniques, e.g., a high spatial and temporal resolution comparable to the planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) technique. Meanwhile, this technique offers several unique advantages to overcome the limitations of existing techniques, including enhancing the signal level and simplifying the interpretation of the signal.
Popularising purity: Gender, sexuality and nationalism in HIV/AIDS prevention for South Korean youths

Abstract: This paper examines how HIV/AIDS gains its social meanings at the intersection of discourses about gender, sexuality and nationalism in Korea. It examines how a major Korean NGO reinforces media and government construction of HIV/AIDS as a national threat, and mobilises ‘purity’ as an indigenous value to resist the global onslaught. This Purity Campaign successfully draws on pre-existing narratives about Korean society and national development, constituting itself as a site for both the negotiation of meanings around HIV/AIDS as well as the impact of globalisation on Korea. The meaning of purity in the Campaign is expanded to connote a state of moral being beyond mere chastity to reinforce the nation's defence against foreign corruption. Changing gender relations and sexual expressions become targets of purification, with women shouldering a disproportionate burden of blame and responsibility. The Campaign relies heavily on universalising family rhetorics and national essence to popularise purity as the Korean way to build an AIDS-free society. Although purity becomes a symbol of moral order and national health, AIDS serves as a metaphor of foreign contamination and domestic anxieties. The discussion interweaves texts, interviews and ethnography, and draws on anthropological and cultural studies.
An efficient algorithm for image segmentation, Markov random fields and related problems

Problems of statistical inference involve the adjustment of sample observations so they fit some a priori rank requirements, or order constraints. In such problems, the objective is to minimize the deviation cost function that depends on the distance between the observed value and the modify value. In Markov random field problems, there is also a pairwise relationship between the objects. The objective in Markov random field problem is to minimize the sum of the deviation cost function and a penalty function that grows with the distance between the values of related pairs---separation function.We discuss Markov random fields problems in the context of a representative application---the image segmentation problem. In this problem, the goal is to modify color shades assigned to pixels of an image so that the penalty function consisting of one term due to the deviation from the initial color shade and a second term that penalizes differences in assigned values to neighboring pixels is minimized. We present here an algorithm that solves the problem in polynomial time when the deviation function is convex and separation function is linear; and in strongly polynomial time when the deviation cost function is linear, quadratic or piecewise linear convex with few pieces (where “few” means a number exponential in a polynomial function of the number of variables and constraints). The complexity of the algorithm for a problem on n pixels or variables, m adjacency relations or constraints, and range of variable values (colors) U, is O(T(n,m) + n log U) where T(n,m) is the complexity of solving the minimum s, t cut problem on a graph with n nodes and m arcs. Furthermore, other algorithms are shown to solve the problem with convex deviation and convex separation in running time O(mn log n log nU) and the problem with nonconvex deviation and convex separation in running time O(T(nU, mU). The nonconvex separation problem is NP-hard even for fixed value of U.For the family of problems with convex deviation functions and linear separation function, the algorithm described here runs in polynomial time which is demonstrated to be fastest possible.
Examining the joint impact of moderating and nonlinear peer effects on the sex gap in violent crime

This article uses data from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN) to investigate the sex gap in violent crime. We posit that the sex gap decreases at higher levels of exposure to violent peers, and we test two competing explanations for this possibility. The first hypothesis, based on previous research using the PHDCN, suggests that there is a stronger nonlinear relationship between exposure to violent peers and respondent violence for females than for males. The second hypothesis points to sex differences in the shape of the nonlinear relationship between peer violence and respondent violence. We find that a decrease in the sex gap at higher levels of peer violence is due to (a) a stronger effect of peer violence exposure on individual violence for females than for males, and (b) a nonlinear peer violence/respondent violence relationship in the form of a decelerating curve that is consistent across the sexes. Keywords: Juvenile justice Language: en
Using environmental accounts to promote sustainable development: Experience in southern Africa

Environmental accounts bring together economic and environmental information in a common framework to measure the contribution of the environment to the economy and the impact of the economy on the environment. They enable governments to set priorities, monitor economic policies more precisely, enact more effective environmental regulations and resource management strategies, and design more efficient market instruments for environmental policies. This article uses examples from the regional environmental accounting programme in southern Africa to demonstrate the usefulness of environmental accounts to policy-making and natural resource management. The examples address the contribution of natural capital endowments (minerals and fisheries) to sustainable development in Botswana and Namibia; the economic importance of non-market forest goods and services in South Africa; and the socio-economic impact of current water allocation and pricing policies in Botswana, Namibia and South Africa. While there are many additional policy applications, these few provide a powerful argument for the use of environmental accounts in all countries.
Control of nonlinear processes using functional expansion models

Functional expansion (FEx) models are a subclass of the general block-oriented model structure for nonlinear process systems. Controller design in this context uses the internal model control (IMC) paradigm, and one can show that the resulting controllers are easily implementable. The primary advantage arises from the fact that inverting the nonlinear dynamic operator is avoided by taking advantage of the partitioned model inverse due to the special structure of FEx models. The robust stability and performance of the closed-loop system can be analyzed by expressing the FEx model as a linear uncertain system and using the structured singular value framework. We present a case study of a polymerization reactor and, for this SISO system, analyze nominal and robust stability and performance conditions as a function of the closed-loop filter constants for a given range of the input variable.
A comparative evaluation of the coastal internal boundary-layer height equations

A parabolic shaped Thermal Internal Boundary Layer (TIBL) develops at the coast because of the temperature discontinuity between land and water. The TIBL is shown to play a significant role in determining where a coastal elevated plume fumigates to the ground. Six TIBL models available in the literature were identified and statistically compared. Two data bases obtained from the TIBL experiments, one at eastern Long Island, the other at the Kashimaura area of Japan, were used for statistical comparisons. Statistical methods of t, F and R were used to determine bias, scatter and correlation. The data were also classified according to wind speed (low and high) and stability (unstable, neutral, isothermal and stable onshore flow) to determine whether some models worked better under certain conditions. These limited data indicated that a formulation which included heat flux and wind speed together with overwater lapse rate, all raised to the half power, performed the best. Classifications according to wind speed and thermal stability also showed that the heat flux type of equation worked reasonably well.
Erosion-crop productivity relationships for soils of Africa

Soil erosion and land degradation are severe problems in Africa. Some quantitative information on the magnitude of soil erosion for different soils and ecoregions is available. However, quantitative data on effects of erosion on crop yields under different systems of management are available only for a few sites. The objective of this review is to use existing data on erosion rates and productivity relationships to estimate losses in crop yield due to past erosion at the continental level. The available information is also used to predict losses during the next 30 yr. Analyses of the available data indicate that yield reductions due to past erosion may range from 2 to 40%, with a mean of 8.2% for the continent and 6.2% for sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). If accelerated erosion continues unabated, yield reductions by the year 2020 may be 16.5% for the continent and 14.5% for SSA. Annual reduction in total production for 1989 due to accelerated erosion in the continent was estimated at 8.2 million Mg for cereals, 9.2 million Mg for roots and tubers, and 0.6 million Mg for pulses. The reduction in total production in 1989 for SSA was estimated at 3.6 million Mg for cereals, 6.5 million Mg for roots and tubers, and 0.36 million Mg for pulses.
Wormholes and baby universes in scalar-tensor gravity

Abstract The existence of euclidean wormhole solutions is demonstrated in two types of scalar-tensor theories of gravity, Brans-Dicke and induced gravity, for the case when the scalar field ψ has a U(1) charge. In both theories the scalar field equations of motion for the modulus φ are independent of the wormhole charge Q so that for constant φ consistent solutions are obtained for arbitrary Q. In Brans-Dicke, when φ varies across the wormhole throat, “lopsided” wormholes result which attach two spaces with different values of the gravitational constant. In induced gravity, wormhole and baby universe solutions are found with φ interpolating between the symmetric and broken phases. These can have finite (through cutoff dependent) action or infinite actiob and can display non-trivial structure for small values of the radial variable.
A characterization of the full wreath product

A groupoid [3, 17] is a set Q endowed with a binary product, that is, a map from Q × Q to Q. In his 1964 paper [7], Bernd Fischer studied distributive quasigroups, which by definition are groupoids Q for which right multiplication by any fixed element gives an automorphism of Q as does left multiplication. Fischer proved that the right multiplication group R(Q) of a finite distributive quasigroup Q is solvable. He did this by showing that, for a minimal counterexample, the right multiplications T = {μa : g 7→ ga | a ∈ Q } are a generating conjugacy class of involutions in R(Q) ≤ Aut(Q) with the additional property that |tr| = 3 for distinct t and r from T . He then proved that this property forces finite R(Q) to have a normal 3-group of index 2. This led Fischer to consider [8, 9, 10] the extent to which finite symmetric groups can be characterized through being generated by a conjugacy class of involutions with all products of order 1, 2, or 3—a class of 3-transpositions, since the model is the transposition (2-cycle) class of Sym(Ω), the symmetric group on the set Ω. In a landmark theorem [10], Fischer found all finite 3transposition groups with no nontrivial solvable normal subgroups, discovering three new sporadic simple groups along the way. At the same time that Fischer was considering distributive quasigroups, George Glauberman was working on certain special groupoids, called Bruck loops. Glauberman [13] proved that finite Bruck and finite Moufang loops of odd order are solvable. His approach was similar to Fischer’s. He constructed a canonical conjugacy class T of involutory loop permutations with the additional property that |tr| was always odd for t and r from T . In his famous Z∗-theorem [14], Glauberman then proved that a finite group generated by such a class T has a normal subgroup of odd order and index 2 (a result also proved by Fischer [7] in the special case where all orders |tr| are powers of some fixed odd prime). Fischer’s and Glauberman’s work on finite quasigroups and loops had a profound effect on the theory of finite simple groups. For a normal set of involutions
Heparin-Binding EGF-Like Growth Factor (HB-EGF): Can We Add this to Breast Milk in the Future to Prevent Necrotizing Enterocolitis

Heparin-Binding EGF-Like Growth Factor (HB-EGF): Can We Add this to Breast Milk in the Future to Prevent Necrotizing Enterocolitis
EST-SSR markers reveal synonymies, homonymies and relationships inconsistent with putative pedigrees in chestnut cultivars

Over the last two centuries, chestnut breeding programs in Europe and Asia have generated an array of chestnut interspecific hybrids, primarily of European (Castanea sativa), Japanese (C. crenata) and Chinese (C. mollissima) ancestry. During this same period, Europeans colonizing North America imported hybrid chestnuts and made interspecific hybrids with native chestnuts, primarily American chestnut (C. dentata). The importation of Chinese chestnut into the United States in the late 19th century also introduced chestnut blight, which triggered an additional interspecific hybridization effort in an attempt to develop blight resistant American chestnuts. Chestnut cultivars used for nut production in the United States and Canada have arisen against this background of non-native introductions and extensive hybridizing. The development of regionally adapted nut producing trees with dependable crops of high quality nuts requires sorting out the identities of existing cultivars. We chose 11 EST-SSR markers from C. mollissima for the initial task of genotyping 65 chestnut cultivars that grow well in the central United States. Many of these cultivars have interspecific pedigrees involving two or more species. We found extensive homonymies and synonymies, genetic groups inconsistent with published pedigrees, contradictory pedigrees and evidence for incorrect species assignments. Accurate inference of the interspecific ancestries of cultivars grown in the United States and Canada will require genotyping of species reference sets for C. sativa, C. crenata, C. mollissima, C. dentata and possibly C. pumila (the Ozark and Allegheny chinquapins).
Contextualizing Pattern Drills: The “German Circle Games“

ABSTRACT Organizing the foreign language class into small groups provides the learners with more opportunities to speak the target language, a measure of autonomy, and a more relaxed atmosphere. One of the interesting ways to give such a group activity structure and direction is through games which combine rigorous grammar with theatrical techniques. The “German circle games” turn grammatical exercises into meaningful communicative activity by introducing pantomime, props, and pictures as a means of providing contexts. Students, working independently in small groups, drill specific grammatical features while communicating real information. This contextualization of pattern drills, in which sight, touch, and movement enhance the meaning of linguistic forms, makes both grammar and vocabulary more memorable.
Relaxation kinetics of E coli ribosomes: evidence for the reaction of 30S . IF3 complex with 50S ribosomal subunits

Addition of initiation factor IF3 to solutions of E.coli ribosomes dramatically alters their behavior in pressure-jump relaxation kinetic experiments in which 90 degrees light-scattering is used to monitor the macromolecular reaction. The effect of IF3 on relaxation processes attributed to "tight" couples is strongly dependent on the Mg2+ concentration. At 2.5 mM Mg2+, addition of 1 molar equivalent of IF3 decreases the relaxation amplitude by a factor of 3 relative to ribosome solutions without IF3. However, at 5.0 mM Mg2+, addition of 1 molar equivalent of IF3 produces a marked increase in the relaxation amplitude, by a factor of 2-8 fold relative to ribosomes in the absence of IF3. IF3 has no effect on the relaxation process attributed to "loose" couples at 10 mM Mg2+. While we are unable to propose a precise mechanism for IF3 action with the data on hand, our results require that the 30S . IF3 complex either reacts with the 50S subunit, forming a 70S . IF3 intermediate, or acts as a pool of reactive 30S subunit. Further kinetic evidence is required to distinguish between these possible pathways.
In Situ SAXS Studies of Structural Relaxation of an Ordered Block Copolymer Melt Following Cessation of Uniaxial Extensional Flow

A hexagonally ordered styrene–ethylene-co-butylene–styrene triblock copolymer melt is studied during and immediately following uniaxial extensional flow using small-angle X-ray scattering. Strips of polymer melt are stretched between counter-rotating drums inside an oven designed for in situ synchrotron studies. Previous study of this sample demonstrated deformation and reorientation of PS microdomains and identified a critical Hencky strain ∼0.2 at which the structure is dramatically disrupted. To further probe microstructural dynamics, we study relaxation behavior of structure and stress in samples stretched in the melt to various Hencky strains. Upon cessation of stretching below the critical strain, structural relaxation is strongly retarded; stretching to higher strain leads to more rapid relaxation. At all strains, microdomain orientation relaxation following flow is slower than relaxation of flow-induced deformation and mechanical stress. The extension rate dependence of the sample’s response is al...
Assessing post-induction cellular response in a recombinant E. coli lactose-inducible system by monitoring β-galactosidase levels

A synthetic lactose-inducible promoter was chosen to study host cell responses to the over-expression of heterologous genes. Fermentations were conducted to compare the effect of induction strategies on the synthesis of β-galactosidase versus the production of recombinant protein. The levels of lactose, IPTG and glucose during induction were manipulated to adjust the utilization of lactose as the inducer and/or the carbon source. In addition, the involvement of the gal operon in lactose metabolism was also explored in order to optimize lactose transport and utilization during induction.
Maternal smoking and respiratory distress syndrome among triplets.

Studies on prenatal smoking and its association with infant respiratory distress syndrome are sparse. In a study by Curet et al. w1x the investigators found that the incidence of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) among infants of nonsmoking gravidas was higher than among neonates of smoking mothers. Similar results were documented by other authors w2x. However, all these studies were conducted on singletons, and to our knowledge, there are as yet no data on multiples. This study explores the relationship between maternal smoking during pregnancy and the incidence of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) among triplets in the United States during a period (1995–1997) when the use of steroids and surfactant therapy has become an established practice among preterm births. The current epidemic of multiple births, most remarkable among triplet gestations, coupled with the fact that 90% of triplets are born preterm w3x motivated us to undertake this study. The data for this analysis were from the ‘matched multiple birth file’ assembled by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) cov-
Prognosis for children with neuroblastoma presenting with paralysis

Abstract Since 1947, we have treated 19 children with neuroblastoma whose first symptoms were paralysis or weakness of an extremity, and/or incontinence due to tumor in the spinal canal. In 18 patients, the spine tumor was part of a dumbbell tumor which was present in the adjacent paravertebral area and in one, no extra-spinal tumor was found. Aggressive treatment was employed for all. In 17 children, the intraspinal tumor was treated by laminectomy and irradiation with and without chemotherapy. Radiation and chemotherapy were used for two. The extraspinal tumor was excised totally in six and partially in six. All 12 children received postoperative radiation and chemotherapy. In 6 children, the extraspinal tumor was treated only with radiation and chemotherapy. Nine of 19 children are alive without evidence of neuroblastoma. Thirteen patients showed either partial (6) or full (7) neurologic recovery. Survival was related to the child's age at diagnosis and the extent of disease. While 8 of 9 children under 1 yr of age survived, only 1 of 10 children over 1 yr survived. None of the 5 children with Stage IV disease at diagnosis could be saved. The degree and frequency of neurologic recovery were greatest in children whose neurologic symptoms had been present the shortest times and were equal among those who survived and those who died. The outlook for children who become paralyzed by neuroblastoma is not hopeless; therapy aimed at saving life or neurologic function is both worthwhile and rewarding.
Effect of permeability on steady flow in a dendrite layer

We consider the problem of nonlinear steady convective flow in a horizontal dendrite layer during alloy solidification. We analyze the effect of permeability of the layer on the stationary modes of convection in the form of two-dimensional rolls and threedimensional patterns. Under a near-eutectic approximation and the limit of large far-field temperature, we determine the twoand three-dimensional solutions to the weakly nonlinear problem by using a perturbation technique, and the stability of these solutions are investigated with respect to arbitrary three-dimensional disturbances. An inverse form of the permeability function introduces two non-negative non-dimensional parameters K1 and K2 that are significant in the present problem. The results of the analyses in particular range of values of the magnitude |e| of the amplitude of convection indicate, in particular, that the effects of K1 and K2 on the flow pattern are destabilizing and stabilizing, respectively, and different types of flow pattern can be stable for particular values of these parameters. For sufficiently small and non-zero values of |e| and K1, the steady flow pattern in the form of subcritical hexagons can stable. For |e| beyond some value and depending on the values of the parameters of the problem, supercritical rolls, squares or rectangles can be stable. For K1=0.0, the only stable flow pattern is that due to steady rolls.
CLIMATE IMPACTS ON URBAN WATER RESOURCES IN THE SOUTHWES THE IMPORTANCE OF CONTEXT1

: Stresses on water resources in the Southwest take many forms and emanate from many different sources, among which are complex institutional arrangements, significant areal and temporal climatic variability, and high urban growth rates. Further challenges to managing supply and demand in this water-scarce region are posed by environmental, social, and legal differences within and between the individual urban areas. Analysis of the sensitivity of the urban water sector in the Southwest to climatic variability requires careful consideration of these factors. Such analysis, in turn, provides an essential foundation for effective evaluation of the region's sensitivity to longer term climate change.
A Naturalistic Approach to the Study of Parenting

SYNOPSIS We study parenting within the context of the family—its natural environment—using direct observations and repeated sampling, to describe the real-time unfolding of situations and responses to them. Longitudinal studies attempt to model the long-term impact that different styles of parenting have on the psychological and physical development of offspring. But behavioral, emotional, and biological responses to parenting occur in the moment, with an immediate impact on the child. We are interested in how those short-term responses come to influence developmental and health processes that play out over longer time spans. Our approach, which integrates measures of neuroendocrine and immune system function, has implications for researchers and practitioners.
Selective autonomic blockade of conditioned and unconditioned heart rate changes in rabbits

Abstract Autonomic blockades were used to examine relationships between heart rate conditioned responses (CRs) and unconditioned responses (URs) during differential classical conditioning in rabbits. Electrical stimulation of septal region or hypothalamus through chronically implanted electrodes was the unconditioned stimulus (US); conditioned stimuli (CSs) were intracranial stimulation of left and right lateral geniculate nuclei. Cholinergic blockade by atropine methylnitrate abolished bradycardia URs and CRs; whereas, beta-adrenergic blockade by propranolol did not diminish these responses. This indicates that autonomic mediation of the bradycardia responses consisted of increases in vagal tone. Alpha-adrenergic blockade by phentolamine abolished bradycardia URs, but not CRs, indicating that different central mechanisms mediated these responses. In a second experiment, one group of rabbits was injected with saline and another group was injected with phentolamine before each of six acquisition sessions. Both groups developed bradycardia CRs although phentolamine abolished the blood pressure URs and converted the cardiodecelerative UR to cardioacceleration.
Low-Temperature Synthesis of Dolomite from Aragonite

Fine-grained natural dolomite incongruently dissolves to form aragonite in artificial sea-water solutions, the amount of aragonite produced being a function of the concentration of the sea water. While some aragonite was produced in dilute solutions, maximum yields occurred in solutions ranging from normal salinity to about 2.5 times the normal salinity. In solutions with higher salinities, the yield decreased. Reaction time was relatively short, with detectable aragonite produced in less than 1 day. This aragonite is very fine grained and, since it is newly crystallized, has no strain from the grinding process which might exist in aragonite ground to such a fine-size fraction. By using this aragonite, a study of a dolomitization reaction could be made. Solutions in contact with aragonitized dolomite were allowed to slowly evaporate to near dryness for 7 wk. The solids were then filtered, dried, and analyzed. It was observed that the amount of dolomite increased with respect to aragonite. It is postulated from evidence from electron microprobe, x-ray diffraction, and staining techniques that the aragonite was converted to ordered dolomite.
Death-Defying Yeast Identify Novel Apoptosis Genes

The requirement for the F0F1-ATPase in Bax-induced death of yeast cells suggests that yeast may contain additional conserved components of an apoptotic pathway. Reports in the literature suggest that death of either budding or fission yeast in response to overexpression of Bak or mutation of the budding yeast CDC48 gene result in chromatin condensation, DNA degradation and membrane blebbing—cellular features that are hallmarks of metazoan apoptosis (2xInk, B, Zoring, M, Baum, B, Hajimagheri, N, James, C, Chittenden, T, and Evan, G. Mol. Cell. Biol. 1997; 17: 2468–2474PubMedSee all References, 6xMadeo, F, Frohlich, E, and Frohlich, K.-U. J. Cell Biol. 1997; 139: 729–734Crossref | PubMed | Scopus (502)See all References). In addition, Bcl-2 has been reported to improve viability of yeast mutants defective in SOD1 under some growth conditions. SOD1 codes for the cytoplasmic Cu-Zn superoxide dismutase, which functions in detoxifying free radicals. These results are similar to those in mammalian cells and suggest that Bcl-2 might have antioxidant properties (Long et al., 1997). It is thus possible that molecular pathways leading to certain subphenotypes of apoptotic cells are present in yeast cells. Conservation of a number of functional modules between yeast and mammals is certainly striking. Yeast cells harbor modules such as MAP kinase cascades, GTPases and their exchange factors, and G proteins and their regulators, which have shed light on analogous mammalian processes even though the components may be used in different functional contexts. Similar modules might exist in metazoan apoptotic pathways.Even though yeast does not contain obvious homologs of known metazoan cell-death regulators, there are a variety of strategies that could be used to look for yeast products involved in yeast cell death. Proteins that inhibit cell death (BI-1 analogs) could be identified by looking for yeast genes whose overexpression inhibits Bax-mediated killing. Such proteins could also be discovered by looking for genes whose inactivation results in lethality that is suppressed by expression of a metazoan death inhibitor such as Bcl-2. Conserved components of a cell death pathway (Bax analogs) could also be identified by screening for yeast genes whose expression kills yeast cells in an F0F1-ATPase-dependent manner. Finally, experiments similar to those described in Xu and Reed 1998xXu, Q and Reed, J.C. Mol. Cell. 1998; 1: 337–346Abstract | Full Text | Full Text PDF | PubMedSee all ReferencesXu and Reed 1998 and Matsuyama et al. 1998xMatsuyama, S, Xu, Q, Velours, J, and Reed, J.C. Mol. Cell. 1998; 1: 327–336Abstract | Full Text | Full Text PDF | PubMedSee all ReferencesMatsuyama et al. 1998 could be carried out on yeast cells induced to die by expression of metazoan death promoters other than Bax.The current picture of apoptosis has been developed from studies of a variety of organisms—nematodes, flies, and animal cells. The papers reviewed here suggest that using yeast to study apoptosis might be richly rewarding. Studying metazoan cell death in yeast may thus turn into a major growth (death) industry.
Placement of electrodes in the hypothalamus of goats.

Abstract A technique is described that makes possible the stimulation of hypothalamic centers in goats. Since stereotaxic atlases are not available for the larger domestic animals, probes must be functionally placed. A Plexiglass plate containing 102 guide cannulas in a 2.0- by 2.5-cm area is surgically placed on the skull in such a way that the center block of the guide plate rests on the dura. Postoperatively in the unanesthetized goats, probes can be inserted through the cannulas. By means of the one surgical operation, various responses can be induced by the required functional placement of probes. Some of the responses of hypothalamic stimulation and other uses of the preparation are discussed.
Correlation of viral RNA, alanine aminotransferase, and histopathology in hepatitis C virus-associated hepatitis.

Background : Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is usually monitored by the level of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and histopathological changes in liver biopsy specimens. However, accumulating data indicate these parameters are not always correlated with disease progression or the response of HCV infection to therapy. Materials and Methods : Using the Amplicor PCR Monitor Test Kit (Roche Diagnostic Systems, Branchburg, NJ), HCV RNA level was measured in 38 patients with positive anti-HCV antibodies and in 21 of those patients after interferon treatment. The grade and stage of histological changes on hematoxylin and cosinstained sections of liver biopsy specimens were evaluated on a scale of 1 to 4. In each case, the HCV RNA level was compared with the histological grade or stage and level of ALT and statistically analyzed by Student's t -test. Results : ALT level did not correlate with pretreatment and posttreatment levels of HCV RNA or histopathological changes. However, there was a statistically significant correlation between HCV RNA and histological grade ( P Conclusion : HCV RNA measurement is a better means of determining and monitoring HCV infection than either ALT level or histopathological characteristics and may provide insight into hepatic injury caused by HCV infection even without an invasive liver biopsy.
Outburst Properties of V1504 Cyg and V344 Lyr

I begin by reviewing dwarf novae and the disk instability theory, and then present an overview of three ideas for producing superoutbursts in the SU UMa stars − the thermal tidal instability, irradiation-induced secondary mass overflow, and the plain vanilla disk limit cycle instability. I discuss the properties of the outbursts in two SU UMa systems observed by Kepler in the context of the three theories. I conclude with a look beyond the SU UMa systems.
Singlet oxygen oxidation of lipids resulting from photochemical sensitizers in the presence of antioxidants

Singlet oxygen produced by photochemical sensitizers may play an important role in the oxidation of lipids in foods. Therefore, we studied the singlet oxygen oxidation of lipids and the scavenging ability of antioxidants. Singlet oxygen was generated using the photosensitizer rose bengal. The oxidation products of lipids and antioxidants were separated by high-performance liquid chromatography and monitored using post-column chemiluminescence and/or iodometric detection. The competitive reaction rates of various antioxidants and lipids were studied to elucidate the roles played by antioxidants in the prevention of food oxidation by singlet oxygen.
Modeling of Selected Ceramic Processing Parameters Employed in the Fabrication of 238PuO2 Fuel Pellets

Abstract Recent deep space missions utilize the thermal output of the radioisotope plutonium-238 as the fuel in the thermal to electrical power system. Since the application of plutonium in its elemental state has several disadvantages, the fuel employed in these deep space power systems is typically in the oxide form such as plutonium-238 dioxide (238PuO2). As an oxide, the processing of the plutonium dioxide into fuel pellets is performed via “classical” ceramic processing unit operations such as sieving of the powder, pressing, sintering, etc. Modeling of these unit operations can be beneficial in the understanding and control of processing parameters with the goal of further enhancing the desired characteristics of the 238PuO2 fuel pellets. A finite element model has been used to help identify the time-temperature-stress profile within a pellet during a furnace operation taking into account that 238PuO2 itself has a significant thermal output. Results of the modeling efforts will be discussed.
At the heart of the matter: the exceptional case of coronary artery disease in a young man.

Causes of coronary artery vasculitis in young adults, asreported in the literature, are mainly systemic inﬂamma-tory diseases like Takayasu disease (1), systemic lupuserythematosus (2), rheumatoid arthritis (3), polyarteritisnodosa (4), and Churg-Strauss syndrome (5). Other re-ported causes of arteriopathy in young persons includeBehc¸et’s disease (6), sarcoidosis (7), drugs (8), and infec-tions (9). In older persons, coronary arteritis may occur inassociation with giant cell arteritis (GCA) (10). Diagnosisof coronary arteritis may be elusive when initially evalu-ating patients with large- or medium-vessel vasculitis. It iseven more unusual to diagnose vasculitis localized specif-ically to a vascular bed such as the coronary and internalmammary arteries in the absence of a systemic inﬂamma-tory disorder. Here, we report a case of a patient withcoronary ischemia who had coronary angiographic ﬁnd-ings of premature atherosclerosis and in whom lympho-plasmacytic arteritis was found, affecting the coronary andinternal mammary vessels. To our knowledge, this is theﬁrst report of medium-vessel vasculitis clinically limitedto the coronary and internal mammary arteries with noassociated systemic inﬂammatory disease.
Risk factors associated with endometriosis: importance of study population for characterizing disease in the ENDO Study

Objective We sought to identify risk factors for endometriosis and their consistency across study populations in the Endometriosis: Natural History, Diagnosis, and Outcomes (ENDO) Study. Study Design In this prospective matched, exposure cohort design, 495 women aged 18-44 years undergoing pelvic surgery (exposed to surgery, operative cohort) were compared to an age- and residence-matched population cohort of 131 women (unexposed to surgery, population cohort). Endometriosis was diagnosed visually at laparoscopy/laparotomy or by pelvic magnetic resonance imaging in the operative and population cohorts, respectively. Logistic regression estimated the adjusted odds ratios (AORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for each cohort. Results The incidence of visualized endometriosis was 40% in the operative cohort (11.8% stage 3-4 by revised criteria from the American Society for Reproductive Medicine), and 11% stage 3-4 in the population cohort by magnetic resonance imaging. An infertility history increased the odds of an endometriosis diagnosis in both the operative (AOR, 2.43; 95% CI, 1.57−3.76) and population (AOR, 7.91; 95% CI, 1.69−37.2) cohorts. In the operative cohort only, dysmenorrhea (AOR, 2.46; 95% CI, 1.28−4.72) and pelvic pain (AOR, 3.67; 95% CI, 2.44−5.50) increased the odds of diagnosis, while gravidity (AOR, 0.49; 95% CI, 0.32−0.75), parity (AOR, 0.42; 95% CI, 0.28−0.64), and body mass index (AOR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.93−0.98) decreased the odds of diagnosis. In all sensitivity analyses for different diagnostic subgroups, infertility history remained a strong risk factor. Conclusion An infertility history was a consistent risk factor for endometriosis in both the operative and population cohorts of the ENDO Study. Additionally, identified risk factors for endometriosis vary based upon cohort selection and diagnostic accuracy. Finally, endometriosis in the population may be more common than recognized.