cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Experience with universal bacterial culturing to detect contamination of apheresis platelet units in a hospital transfusion service.

BACKGROUND: Bacterial contamination of platelet units poses one of the greatest risks of morbidity and mortality to platelet transfusion recipients. A routine culture of all units (WBC-reduced apheresis platelet units) was instituted on Day 2 over a 2-year period to reduce this risk. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A sterile connecting device was used to attach a small transfer pack on the morning of Day 2 after collection, and 10 mL of the unit were transferred to the small bag. After disconnection from the unit, about half of this volume was transferred to an aerobic culture bottle of an automated bacterial detection system. Units were maintained in available inventory until and unless a report was received of growth in the sample. When available, the unit or a retained aliquot was recultured if the initial sample was positive. Units were held up to 2 days beyond their 5-day outdate and used for transfusion if no other suitable units were available to meet the clinical need or were evaluated with in vitro testing on Day 8. RESULTS: Of 2678 units cultured, 16 (0.6%) were positive on initial culture. Thirteen could be recultured, and all of these samples were negative. Shortly after the 2-year period of the study, two units (split from the same collection) were documented as growing coagulase-negative Staphylococci 12 hours after sampling. Units transfused on Day 6 or 7 (n = 40) yielded expected clinical responses, and CCI available on 21 recipients 10 to 60 minutes after transfusion demonstrated acceptable results (mean, 14,400 ± 8800; median, 12,191; 90% > 7500). More than 96 percent of units tested on Day 8 had pH greater than 6.2 and continued to demonstrate swirling. CONCLUSIONS: Routine culturing of apheresis platelet units is feasible, can be accomplished with a low rate of false positivity, and can detect contaminated units. The cost of such a protocol could be mitigated with extension of the storage period, and clinical experience with units held for 6 or 7 days was satisfactory.
Gold-stud bump bonding for HEP applications

Methods involved in gold-stud bump bonding of VLSI chips to solid state sensors are described. Applicability and limitations of the techniques are discussed in the context of pad size and pitch of the detection elements on the sensors. Recommendations are made for preferred surface preparation of bonding pads.
Braid Orientations and Bundles with Flat Connections

represented by a manifold whose stable normal bundle has a flat connection in a very particular way. That is, the structure group of the bundle "reduces" to Artin's braid group. This "reduction" is made precise in Section 1. The results here raise the natural question as to which manifolds admit a "reduction" of the stable normal bundle to the braid group. We give partial information in this direction by way of examples obtained from solvmanifolds, and Bieberbach groups. The conjecture that a Bieberbach manifold is a boundary
Creating Deviance Rules: A Macroscopic Model*

In this paper we propose a macrolevel model for analyzing the creation of deviance rules. We begin by placing the phenomenon within the context of the social factist and social definitionist sociological traditions, identifying the insights and difficulties the social problems literature presents for explaining deviance rule creation. We suggest that the theoretical difficulties can be resolved by placing the process within a sociology of knowledge framework. The consequent dialectical model of deviance designation is based on the assumption that society is composed of a number of general interests in varying degrees of conflict with prevailing definitions of deviance representing outcomes of previous contests. This balance or accommodation becomes vulnerable with the introduction or increase in strain which is a potential resource for interest groups desiring a new definition. The outcome of the ensuing conflict is seen as dependent on the ability of the combatants to employ resources in the battle. We conclude by identifying the advantages the model has for studying the deviance rule creation process.
Linear Response Functions of a Cumulus Ensemble to Temperature and Moisture Perturbations and Implications for the Dynamics of Convectively Coupled Waves

Abstract An approach is presented for the construction of linear response functions of a cumulus ensemble to large-scale temperature and moisture perturbations using a cloud system–resolving model (CSRM). A set of time-invariant, horizontally homogeneous, anomalous temperature and moisture tendencies is added, one at a time, to the forcing of the CSRM. By recording the departure of the equilibrium domain-averaged temperature and moisture profiles from those of a control experiment and through a matrix inversion, a sufficiently complete and accurate set of linear response functions is constructed for use as a parameterization of the cumulus ensemble around the reference mean state represented by the control experiment. This approach is applied to two different mean state conditions in which the CSRM, when coupled with 2D gravity waves, exhibits interestingly different behaviors. With a more strongly convecting mean state forced by the large-scale vertical velocity profile taken from the Tropical Ocean and ...
A bio-inspired polymeric gradient refractive index (GRIN) human eye lens

A synthetic polymeric lens was designed and fabricated based on a bio-inspired, "Age=5" human eye lens design by utilizing a nanolayered polymer film-based technique. The internal refractive index distribution of an anterior and posterior GRIN lens were characterized and confirmed against design by µATR-FTIR. 3D surface topography of the fabricated aspheric anterior and posterior lenses was measured by placido-cone topography and exhibited confirmation of the desired aspheric surface shape. Furthermore, the wavefronts of aspheric posterior GRIN and PMMA lenses were measured and simulated by interferometry and Zemax software, respectively. Their results show that the gradient index distribution reduces the overall wavefront error as compared a homogenous PMMA lens of an identical geometry. Finally, the anterior and posterior GRIN lenses were assembled into a bio-inspired GRIN human eye lens through which a clear imaging was possible.
Processing new and repeated names: Effects of coreference on repetition priming with speech and fast RSVP

Previous research has shown that the process of establishing coreference with a repeated name can affect basic repetition priming. Specifically, repetition priming on some measures can be eliminated for repeated names that corefer with an entity that is prominent in the discourse model. However, the exact nature and timing of this modulating effect of discourse are not yet understood. Here, we present two ERP studies that further probe the nature of repeated name coreference by using naturally produced connected speech and fast-rate RSVP methods of presentation. With speech we found that repetition priming was eliminated for repeated names that coreferred with a prominent antecedent. In contrast, with fast-rate RSVP, we found a main effect of repetition that did not interact with sentence context. This indicates that the creation of a discourse model during comprehension can affect repetition priming, but the nature of this effect may depend on input speed.
Image Processing Techniques For Illumination Correction

Basic image processing operations such as thresholding are often difficult to use in industrial settings because of nonuniformities in scene illumination. However, these illumination variations can be reduced or eliminated entirely if appropriate image processing techniques are applied prior to level-sensitive processing. Useful procedures for reducing the effects of illumination variations are covered in this paper including background subtraction, high-pass filtering and the use of homomorphic filters. Hardware considerations for performing these operations in real-time systems are also discussed.
Compensation through rosette formation : the response of scarlet gilia (Ipomopsis aggregata: Polemoniaceae) to mammalian herbivory

Plants could potentially compensate for floral herbivory by regrowing flowering stalks and by forming additional vegetative stems. Because scarlet gilia (Ipomopsis aggregata (Pursh) V. Grant) is described as monocarpic, its ability to regrow multiple flowering stalks following the removal of its primary inflorescence has been cited as the species’ primary means of compensating for herbivory. However, ancillary rosette formation could also contribute to compensation in subsequent years. To determine if herbivory induces ancillary rosette formation and whether energy diverted to vegetative regrowth reduces reproductive output, we analyzed the response of scarlet gilia to elk herbivory in the Wenatchee National Forest of Washington State. Control plants were protected from herbivory by wire enclosures; clipped plants were hand-cut to simulate herbivory; and grazed plants were left vulnerable to elk herbivory. Ninety percent of plants that lost inflorescences regrew multiple flowering stalks; these plants pro...
Exposure to the common food additive carrageenan leads to glucose intolerance, insulin resistance and inhibition of insulin signalling in HepG2 cells and C57BL/6J mice.

Aims/hypothesis The aim of this study was to determine the impact of the common food additive carrageenan (E407) on glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity and insulin signalling in a mouse model and human hepatic cells, since carrageenan is known to cause inflammation through interaction with toll-like receptor (TLR)4, which is associated with inflammation in diabetes.
Cardiovascular Health and Fitness After Stroke

Stroke patients have profound cardiovascular and muscular deconditioning, with metabolic fitness levels that are about half those found in age-matched sedentary controls. Physical deconditioning, along with elevated energy demands of hemiparetic gait, define a detrimental combination termed diminished physiological fitness reserve that can greatly limit that can greatly limit performance of activities of daily living. The physiological features that underlie worsening metabolic fitness in the chronic phase of stroke include gross muscular atrophy, altered muscle molecular phenotype, increased intramuscular area fat, elevated tissue inflammatory markers, and diminished peripheral blood flow dynamics. Epidemiological evidence further suggests that the reduced cardiovascular fitness and secondary biological changes in muscle may propagate components of the metabolic syndrome, conferring added morbidity and mortality risk. This article reviews some of the consequences of poor fitness in chronic stroke and the potential biological underpinnings that support a rationale for more aggressive approaches to exercise therapy in this population.
A Novel Method for Measuring Nonuniformities in Metallization Temperatures of an Operating Integrated Circuit

A nonuniform temperature distribution was observed along the metallization and on the top surface of an integrated circuit. Very small latex SEM calibration spheres were distributed over the circuit, and their changes of shape and contrast, due to melting, allowed us to discern hotter and cooler regions on the chip. Much of what was observed seemed to indicate that electromigration can take place at a relatively low temperature, around 113°C or less. Further discussion of the thermal calibration of the spheres, effects of the surface, and the effects of the vacuum is also given. Various difficulties involved with the technique and some proposals to overcome them are given as well.
Private Corporate Justice: Store Police, Shoplifters, and Civil Recovery

Among the ways corporations use their enormous wealth is to support private justice systems complete with investigative, adjudicatory, and sentencing powers. The present paper advances a sociological analysis of a private corporate justice system and the private police who run it. Our research setting is a full line store of one of the nation's largest corporations. Our focus is private justice for shoplifters in a civil recovery state. Analysis reveals that retail value of the item taken, neighborhood social class, and physical resistance are among the factors determining private corporate justice for shoplifters in a civil recovery state. The findings suggest the part played by private justice systems in shaping public images of crime and criminals.
Fundamentals of feedback control applied to microcomputer instrumentation design.

Feedback control is widely used in applications which range from simple control of room temperature to very sophisticated control of space flight. This paper describes some fundamentals of feedback control as they apply specifically to microcomputer based medical devices. A classical controller is described in its analog and digital implementations. Reference is made to methods for adjusting or tuning the controller for specific applications. Successful applications of adaptive or self-tuning control are discussed. Examples of feedback control include systems to control arterial blood pressure by the infusion of sodium nitropruside, systems to control arterial carbon dioxide concentration by mechanical ventilation and systems to control depth of anesthesia by controlled anesthesia delivery.
Subversion of interleukin-1-mediated host defence by a nasal carrier strain of Staphylococcus aureus

Staphylococcus aureus, a major source of nosocomial and community-acquired infections, has a nasal carriage rate exceeding 25% in the human population. To elucidate host-pathogen interactions pertaining to nasal carriage, we examined the role of interleukin-1 (IL-1) in the colonization of human nasal epithelial cells (NEC) by a nasal carrier strain and a non-carrier strain of S. aureus. Using an organotypic model of the nasal epithelium, we observed that inoculation with a non-carrier strain of S. aureus induced production of IL-1 from NEC, but the expression of this cytokine was significantly reduced when NEC were inoculated with a carrier strain. Moreover, both IL-1alpha and IL-1beta significantly decreased the growth of the nasal carrier strain of S. aureus (P < 0.001, n = 17 to n = 25); however the growth of the non-carrier strain was unaffected. Interestingly, it was found that several nasal carrier strains of S. aureus form quorum-dependent biofilms, which can be partially inhibited when preincubated with IL-1alpha. Taken together these data suggest that, although nasal carrier strains of S. aureus are sensitive to IL-1, they display a significant colonization advantage by both preventing the host from expressing IL-1 and elaborating a protective biofilm.
Cartan homotopy formulae and the bivariant Hochschild complex

Abstract The formula L D = [ e D + E D , b ¯ + B ¯ ] (see Goodwillie [Cyclic homology, derivations, and the free loopspace, Topology 24 (2) (1985) 187–215]) on the normalized Hochschild complex is the standard replacement in noncommutative geometry for the classical Cartan homotopy formula. Our purpose is to extend this formula to the normalized bivariant Hochschild complex. To cite this article: A. Banerjee, C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Ser. I 347 (2009).
Measurement of GFAP in Hepatic Encephalopathy by ELISA and Transblots

Basal ganglia, cerebral cortex and subcortical white matter were studied for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in four cases of hepatic encephalopathy (HE) with Alzheimer II gliosis and five age-matched controls. GFAP was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and reflectance densitometry of immunoperoxidase-stained western blots. Both methods revealed a 70% decrease in the average amount of GFAP in the cerebral cortex and a 60% decrease in the basal ganglia in HE cases. GFAP in white matter was not significantly changed. In contrast to GFAP, the average protein content was not significantly different for HE and controls. These findings support the view that HE is a neurological disease in which there is a selective loss of GFAP from the grey matter.
A Note on the Estimation of the Location Parameter of the Cauchy Distribution

Abstract Recently Professors T. J. Rothenberg, F. M. Fisher, and C. B. Tilanus published a paper proposing the class of trimmed means as estimators of the location parameter of the Cauchy distribution [5]. They showed that the asymptotic sampling variance of the estimators in this class is essentially minimized by using the middle 24% of the sample order statistics. The corresponding estimate has an asymptotic relative efficiency to the best estimator for complete samples (A.R.E.) of .87796 as compared to an A.R.E. of .81057 for the sample median. In this paper a few “quick estimators” are considered as estimators for the location parameter of the Cauchy Distribution. A “quick estimate” is a linear combination (a weighted average) of one or more order statistics. Our goal is to find a simple estimator, i.e. an estimator based on only a few order statistics, which has an A.R.E. of at least 90%. We found an estimator based on five order statistics which is considerably better than the optimum trimmed mean (...
Review: atypical antipsychotics may be useful in treating behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia but cause adverse effects.

Lee PE, Gill SS, Freedman M, et al . Atypical antipsychotic drugs in the treatment of behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia: systematic review. BMJ 2004;329:75–8. [OpenUrl][1][Abstract/FREE Full Text][2] Q Do atypical antipsychotic drugs attenuate behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia in elderly people? ### ![Graphic][3] Design: Systematic review. ### ![Graphic][4] Data sources: MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library databases (searched to September 2003) plus hand searches and contact with experts. ### ![Graphic][5] Study selection and analysis: Double blind randomised controlled trials assessing atypical antipsychotic drugs for behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) (clozapine, risperidone, olanzapine, and quetiapine). Two reviewers independently assessed quality and abstracted information on participant demographics, duration, dosage, efficacy, and adverse events. ### ![Graphic][6] Outcomes: Efficacy was measured using the Behavioural Pathology in Alzheimer’s Disease Score (BEHAVE-AD), the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory (CMAI) or the Neuropsychiatric Inventory - Nursing Home version (NPI-NH), or combinations of the above. Adverse events were noted, particularly extrapyramidal symptoms (Extrapyramidal Symptom Rating scale and the Simpson-Angus scale). Participant characteristics, study length, and dosage were also recorded. Five trials met inclusion criteria (n = 1570; … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DBMJ%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1136%252Fbmj.38125.465579.55%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F15194601%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/ijlink?linkType=ABST&journalCode=bmj&resid=329/7457/75&atom=%2Febmental%2F8%2F1%2F16.atom [3]: /embed/inline-graphic-1.gif [4]: /embed/inline-graphic-2.gif [5]: /embed/inline-graphic-3.gif [6]: /embed/inline-graphic-4.gif
Arthrotomography of the wrist: An experimental and preliminary clinical study

Experimental arthrotomography including posteroanterior and lateral projections was completed in 18 fresh-frozen wrists from cadavers with an average age of 65 years at death. Arthrotomographic findings were correlated with anatomic dissections. Three types of defects of the triangular fibrocartilage complex were clearly defined in 38% of wrists. Chondromalacia was present in 24% of wrists, in all cases on the ulnar half of the proximal surface of the Innate bone. The palmar radiocarpal ligaments (radiocapitate and radiotriquetral) were visible in all specimens. Experimental arthrotomography appears to be useful in defining the nature and location of soft tissue pathology in clinical practice. Clinical arthrotomography was performed in 16 patients, all with a syndrome of chronic wrist pain. Pathologic findings were observed in 11 wrists, including four perforations of the triangular fibrocartilage complex, two cases of chondromalacia of the lunate, one tear in each of the scapholunate and lunotriquetral ligaments, three occult palmar ganglia, and one recurrent dorsal ganglion. The soft tissues in five wrists were normal. The preliminary clinical experience with wrist arthrotomography has yielded results that have significantly affected the care of patients, including the planning of operative treatment and patient counseling.
Conventional Resistance of Experimental Maize Lines to Corn Earworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), Fall Armyworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), Southwestern Corn Borer (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), and Sugarcane Borer (Lepidoptera: Crambidae)

Plant resistance is a useful component of integrated pest management for several insects that are economically damaging to maize, Zea mays L. In this study, 15 experimental lines of maize derived from a backcross breeding program were evaluated for resistance to corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie); fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith); southwestern corn borer, Diatraea grandiosella Dyar; and sugarcane borer, Diatraea saccharalis (F.). Experimental line 100-R-3 was resistant in the field to leaf feeding by fall armyworm and line 116-B-10 was resistant in the field to leaf feeding by fall armyworm and leaf and stalk feeding by southwestern corn borer. When corn earworm larvae were fed field harvested silks from experimental line 81-9-B in the laboratory, their pupal weights were significantly lower than the pupal weights of larvae that were fed silks from the resistant control, Zapalote Chico. Maysin levels lower than those commonly associated with corn earworm resistance were present in the resistant experimental line, 107-8-7, indicating a new basis confers resistance to corn earworm in this line. These resistant experimental lines will provide plant breeders with new sources of resistance to lepidopterous insects for the development of improved maize breeding populations.
Radiopharmaceuticals for single-photon emission computed tomography brain imaging

In the past 10 years, significant progress on the development of new brain-imaging agents for single-photon emission computed tomography has been made. Most of the new radiopharmaceuticals are designed to bind specific neurotransmitter receptor or transporter sites in the central nervous system. Most of the site-specific brain radiopharmaceuticals are labeled with 123 I. Results from imaging of benzodiazepine (γ-aminobutyric acid) receptors by 123 Iiomazenil are useful in identifying epileptic seizure foci and changes of this receptor in psychiatric disorders. Imaging of dopamine D2/D3 receptors ([ 123 I]iodobenzamide and [ 123 I]epidepride) and transporters [ 123 I]CIT (2-beta-carboxymethoxy-3-beta(4-iodophenyl)tropane) and [ 123 I]FP-β-CIT ( N -propyl-2-beta-carboxymethoxy-3-beta(4-iodophenyl)-nortropane has proven to be a simple but powerful tool for differential diagnosis of Parkinson's and other neurodegenerative diseases. A 99m Tc-labeled agent, [ 99m Tc]TRODAT (technetium, 2-[[2-[[[3-(4-chlorophenyl)-8-methyl-8-azabicyclo [3, 2, 1]oct-2-yl]methyl](2-mercaptoethyl)amino]ethyl]amino] ethanethiolato(3-)]oxo-[1 R -(exo-exo)]-), for imaging dopamine transporters in the brain has been successfully applied in the diagnosis of Parkinson's disease. Despite the fact that 123 I radiopharmaceuticals have been widely used in Japan and in Europe, clinical application of 123 I-labeled brain radiopharmaceuticals in the United States is limited because of the difficulties in supplying such agents. Development of 99m Tc agents will likely extend the application of site-specific brain radiopharmaceuticals for routine applications in aiding the diagnosis and monitoring treatments of various neurologic and psychiatric disorders.
The quality of life in U.S. metropolitan areas in the 1990s

This paper develops a quality–of–life index (QLI) for 129 U.S. Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas in terms of their geographic amenity and disamenity characteristics. This study takes a general equilibrium approach to quality–of–life rankings by simultaneously considering the locational choices of consumers and producers. This approach yielded implicit equilibrium prices that simultaneously cleared the housing and labor markets permitting metropolitan area rankings based on consumer and producer choices over amenities and disamenities bundles. Finally, the study utilized principal component analysis to overcome the problem of multicollinearity between and among "weather normal" indicators, which were used to generate quality–of–life rankings of metropolitan areas for which a consistent data was available.
Sequence comparison of wild-type and cold-adapted B/Ann Arbor/1/66 influenza virus genes

Abstract Consensus sequences for both wt and ca B/Ann Arbor/1 /66 viral PB2, PB1, PA, NP, M, and NS genes were directly determined from vRNA using a combination of chemical and chain-termination sequencing methods. There were 105 sites of difference between the wt and ca sets of these six RNA genes. The differences resulted in 26 amino acid substitutions distributed over the six proteins. The sequence changes were compared to the sequences of other known influenza type B wt viruses to pinpoint those changes that were unique to the ca B/Ann Arbor/1/66 virus. Of the 26 amino acid differences, only 11 were unique to the cold-adapted virus. These unique sites were distributed among five of the six genes. The NS protein had no amino acid substitutions. The sequence changes are discussed in terms of their probable mode of origin and selection, and in terms of their importance to the cold-adapted, temperature-sensitive, and attenuation phenotypes of ca B/AA/1 /66 virus. The sequence and organization of the PB2 gene and predicted protein are also given. The PB2 gene was 2396 nucleotides long, and it encoded a predicted protein of 770 amino acids with a molecular weight of 88,035 Da for the wt virus and 88,072 Da for the ca virus. Both proteins were predominantly hydrophilic, and each had an overall charge of +24.5 at pH 7.0.
Initial Sites of One Electron Attachment in DNA

Chemical alterations in DNA, due to the direct effects of ionizing radiation, are initiated by three possible actions: excitation, electron abstraction, or electron addition. It is generally assumed, but unproved, that excitation events are negligible and that 50% of the damage stems from one-electron reduction and 50% stems from one-electron oxidation (Bernhard, 1981). Here the focus will be on the one-electron reduction of DNA, specifically the initial sites of attachment by unsolvated electrons. Ideally the initial distribution of electron attachment should be measured at very short times (<10–12 s) under physiological conditions. Instead, we use low temperatures (<4K) to freeze out highly unstable events. This affords the advantage of giving ample time to make measurements but, of course, leaves uncertainties because low temperatures do not necessarily capture the short lived events of high temperatures.
Hepatitis B Virus-Mediated Changes of Apolipoprotein mRNA Abundance in Cultured Hepatoma Cells

An inverse correlation between hepatitis B virus (HBV) and steady-state levels of apolipoprotein AI and CIII mRNAs was observed in two hepatoma cell lines. Analysis of a third line containing an inducible viral genome implicated viral pregenomic RNA in apolipoprotein mRNA reduction. We conclude that HBV alters infected cells despite the absence of overt cytopathogenicity.
The relationship between intracellular and plasma levels of folate and metabolites in the methionine cycle: A model

Folate status and the status of the methionine cycle are typically assessed by measuring folate and metabolites in the plasma. It is assumed that plasma metabolite levels are proportional to their levels in tissues, but there is little information to support this assumption. We developed a mathematical model, based on known kinetics of the methionine cycle in the liver and tissues and transport kinetics of metabolites into and out of the plasma. The model accurately reproduces measured metabolite values pre and post folate fortification. The model allows us to study, in silico, the relationships between metabolite values in tissues and plasma, and how these vary with methionine and B vitamin input, and with mutations in the genes for enzymes in the methionine cycle. We explore the relationship between folate status and metabolite values in the plasma, the relationships between metabolite values and methylation capacity, the response to a methionine load, and the half-life of folate in plasma and tissues. The model shows that a high acute intake of folate remains largely restricted to the plasma and is rapidly excreted. We use the model to study the effects of Down syndrome and oxidative stress on metabolite values in plasma and tissues.
Induction of GADD Gene Expression by Phenethylisothiocyanate in Human Colon Adenocarcinoma Cells

Phenethylisothiocyanate (PEITC), a potential cancer chemopreventive agent, induces colon cancer cell death, but the mechanism is not entirely clear. Therefore, the aim of this study was to further clarify the molecular effects of PEITC in causing death of human colon adenocarcinoma cells. When incubated with PEITC, HCT-116 colonocytes showed morphological features characteristic of apoptosis, such as irregular cell shape, translocation of plasma membrane phosphatidylserine, and also chromatin condensation and fragmentation. These changes occurred after single-strand breaks in DNA were detected, suggesting that PEITC induced irreparable DNA damage, which in turn triggered the process of apoptosis. DNA macroarray analysis of a selected small cluster of apoptosis-related genes revealed noticeably higher expression of only GADD45, which was confirmed by gene-specific relative RT-PCR analysis. This led to investigation of other GADD gene members possibly affected by PEITC. Whereas GADD34 mRNA expression increased just slightly, there was an appreciable elevation of the mRNA for GADD153, which is recognized as a pro-apoptotic gene. The effect of PEITC on GADD153 was attenuated by either actinomycin D or N-acetylcysteine, suggesting that PEITC-induced upregulation of GADD153 mRNA expression was partly at the level of transcriptional activation involving reactive oxygen species. Additionally, PEITC-induced upregulation of GADD153 mRNA expression did not appear to require p53, based on the observation that PEITC also increased GADD153 mRNA expression in HCT-15 colonocytes, which are known to express mutant p53. These findings suggest that PEITC creates an oxidative cellular environment that induces DNA damage and GADD153 gene activation, which in turn helps trigger apoptosis.
A multi-temporal analysis approach for land cover mapping in support of nuclear incident response

Remote sensing can be used to rapidly generate land use maps for assisting emergency response personnel with resource deployment decisions and impact assessments. In this study we focus on constructing accurate land cover maps to map the impacted area in the case of a nuclear material release. The proposed methodology involves integration of results from two different approaches to increase classification accuracy. The data used included RapidEye scenes over Nine Mile Point Nuclear Power Station (Oswego, NY). The first step was building a coarse-scale land cover map from freely available, high temporal resolution, MODIS data using a time-series approach. In the case of a nuclear accident, high spatial resolution commercial satellites such as RapidEye or IKONOS can acquire images of the affected area. Land use maps from the two image sources were integrated using a probability-based approach. Classification results were obtained for four land classes - forest, urban, water and vegetation - using Euclidean and Mahalanobis distances as metrics. Despite the coarse resolution of MODIS pixels, acceptable accuracies were obtained using time series features. The overall accuracies using the fusion based approach were in the neighborhood of 80%, when compared with GIS data sets from New York State. The classifications were augmented using this fused approach, with few supplementary advantages such as correction for cloud cover and independence from time of year. We concluded that this method would generate highly accurate land maps, using coarse spatial resolution time series satellite imagery and a single date, high spatial resolution, multi-spectral image.
The use of remote sensing and GIS in watershed level analyses of non-point source pollution problems

Abstract Basin characteristics such as land use/land cover, slope, and soil attributes affect water quality by regulating sediment and chemical concentration. Among these characteristics, land use/land cover can be manipulated to gain improvements in water quality. These land use/land cover types can serve as nutrient detention media or as nutrient transformers as dissolved or suspended nutrients move towards the stream. This study examines a methodology to determine nitrate pollution ‘contributing zones’ within a given basin based on basin characteristics. In this process, land use/land cover types were classified and basins and ‘contributing zones’ were delineated using geographic information system (GIS) and remote sensing (RS) analysis tools. A ‘land use/land cover-nutrient-linkage-model’ was developed which suggests that forests act as a sink, and as the proportion of forest inside a contributing zone increases (or agricultural land decreases), nitrate levels downstream will decrease. In the model, the residential/urban/built-up areas have been identified as strong contributors of nitrate. Other contributors were orchards; and row crops and other agricultural activities.
Red Cell Substitutes

Oxygen-carrying plasma expanders (blood substitutes) have been sought for over a century. Development of current products is a result of evolution in the understanding of proteins in general, of hemoglobin in particular, and of how cell-free hemoglobin interacts with the control of local blood flow to ensure adequate tissue oxygenation. Hemoglobin-based products are considered in four "generations" corresponding to major improvements. First-generation products consisted of hemoglobin, freed of red cell membranes (stroma-free hemoglobin [SFH]), which was renal toxic and vasoactive. Second-generation products were polymerized with aldehyde reagents to reduce or eliminate the renal toxicity, but the products were heterogeneous and still vasoactive. Third-generation products employed more specific intramolecular crosslinking to eliminate polymerization and promote homogeneity, but they also remained vasoactive. Fourth-generation products are based on a new understanding of the way in which microvascular blood flow is controlled and the influence of O(2) delivery to vascular walls. After more than a century of research, one of these new solutions should find use as an alternative to red cells for transfusion in certain clinical settings.
Hypothesis testing in semiparametric additive mixed models

We consider testing whether the nonparametric function in a semiparametric additive mixed model is a simple fixed degree polynomial, for example, a simple linear function. This test provides a goodness-of-fit test for checking parametric models against nonparametric models. It is based on the mixed-model representation of the smoothing spline estimator of the nonparametric function and the variance component score test by treating the inverse of the smoothing parameter as an extra variance component. We also consider testing the equivalence of two nonparametric functions in semiparametric additive mixed models for two groups, such as treatment and placebo groups. The proposed tests are applied to data from an epidemiological study and a clinical trial and their performance is evaluated through simulations.
Rejection Elicits Emotional Reactions but Neither Causes Immediate Distress nor Lowers Self-Esteem: A Meta-Analytic Review of 192 Studies on Social Exclusion

Competing predictions about the effect of social exclusion were tested by meta-analyzing findings from studies of interpersonal rejection, ostracism, and similar procedures. Rejection appears to cause a significant shift toward a more negative emotional state. Typically, however, the result was an emotionally neutral state marked by low levels of both positive and negative affect. Acceptance caused a slight increase in positive mood and a moderate increase in self-esteem. Self-esteem among rejected persons was no different from neutral controls. These findings are discussed in terms of belongingness motivation, sociometer theory, affective numbing, and self-esteem defenses.
Cultures of Moderation and Expression: Emotional Experience, Behavior, and Physiology in Chinese Americans and Mexican Americans

Ethnographic accounts suggest that emotions are moderated in Chinese cultures and expressed openly in Mexican cultures. The authors tested this notion by comparing subjective, behavioral, and physiological aspects of emotional responses to 3 (warned, unwarned, instructed to inhibit responding) aversive acoustic startle stimuli in 95 Chinese Americans and 64 Mexican Americans. Subjective reports were consistent with ethnographic accounts; Chinese Americans reported experiencing significantly less emotion than Mexican Americans across all 3 startle conditions. Evidence from a nonemotional task suggested that these differences were not artifacts of cultural differences in the use of rating scales. Few cultural differences were found in emotional behavior or physiology, suggesting that these aspects of emotion are less susceptible to cultural influence.
The clinical utility of a published nomogram to predict aminoglycoside nephrotoxicity.

Moore and colleagues recently published a nomogram for predicting the risk of aminoglycoside nephrotoxicity. This study was undertaken to evaluate the clinical usefulness of this nomogram. The nephrotoxicity risk scores of 61 patients were determined using parameters suggested by Moore et al. Thirteen patients (21%) could not be scored because their initial creatinine clearances exceeded the upper limit of the nomogram. Six patients (9.8%) developed nephrotoxicity (defined as a ≥50% decrease in creatinine clearance). In five of these patients in whom risk scores could be determined, the scores were estimated at 14% or less. Twenty patients had risk scores of 10% or more (four patients, ≥50%) without developing nephrotoxicity. These results demonstrate that this nomogram may have limited clinical application in predicting patients likely to develop aminoglycoside nephrotoxicity. (JAMA1986;255:639-642)
Impact of Community-Based Oral Health Experiences on Dental Students' Attitudes Towards Caring for the Underserved

Dental students' attitudes towards access to dental care for the underserved may be impacted by participation in community oral health promotion programs that target individuals in underserved communities. At the University of Southern California School of Dentistry, freshman dental students provide classroom oral health promotion and preventive dental care programs to underserved elementary school children. One hundred forty-four freshman dental students were surveyed three times during their freshman year-before, during, and after participation in these programs. The students' attitudes about societal expectations, health professionals' responsibility, access to care, and students' personal efficacy to positively impact the need for expanded oral health care services for segments of the population were measured. Students reported positive attitudes in all categories throughout the study period. The students' attitudes about societal expectations to care for the oral health of the underserved remained stable over the study period, but they became more uncertain of who should be responsible for fulfilling that obligation, who should receive that care, and their capability to provide this care while in dental school. These changes in attitude may reflect the students' greater understanding of the complexity of the determinants of oral health as a consequence of their community education experiences.
Perceptions and Preventive War

Why Leaders Choose War: The Psychology of Prevention. By Jonathan Renshon. Westport: Praeger Security International, 2006. 240 pp., $49.95 (ISBN: 0-275-99085-0). The publication of the National Security Strategy of the United States of America in 2002 (White House 2002) turned both academic and popular attention to the meaning of preemptive military action and its implications for international norms regarding the use of force. The Bush Doctrine, of which the policy of preemption is one component, asserted that the United States must be willing to take action against threats “before they are fully formed” (White House 2002). But as commentators readily pointed out after the publication of the Doctrine, the Bush administration had not in fact enunciated a policy of “preemption,” but rather a policy of “prevention” (Jervis 2003). The difference between the two concepts, as presented by Jonathan Renshon in Why Leaders Choose War: The Psychology of Prevention , is that preemption is a type of action taken in the face of an imminent threat, whereas preventive action is designed to “forestall a grave national threat … that lies in the future” (p. 4). The Bush policy elicited a host of questions regarding the utility of preventive action for the United States in the post-September 11 environment, but it also raised questions regarding the historical precedent and legality of this type of war (Walt 2002; Gardner 2003; Sapiro 2003; Taft and Buchwald 2003; Pauly 2004; Daalder and Lindsey 2005; Joffe 2006). As a contribution to this broader discussion, Renshon addresses the factors at the individual level of analysis that influence the decision to engage in preventive military action. Eschewing a rational-structural approach, Renshon focuses on individual leadership, which places his research within the foreign policy analysis tradition of explaining foreign policy behavior on the basis of psychological motivations and perceptions (Barber 1972; Shapiro and Bonham 1973; Jervis 1976, 2003; Etheredge 1978 …
Resolution improvements in in vivo 1H NMR spectra with increased magnetic field strength.

The measurement of cerebral metabolites using highly homologous localization techniques and similar shimming methods was performed in the human brain at 1.5 and 4 T as well as in the dog and rat brain at 9.4 T. In rat brain, improved resolution was achieved by shimming all first- and second-order shim coils using a fully adiabatic FASTMAP sequence. The spectra showed a clear improvement in spectral resolution for all metabolite resonances with increased field strength. Changes in cerebral glutamine content were clearly observed at 4 T compared to 1.5 T in patients with hepatic encephalopathy. At 9.4 T, glutamine H4 at 2.46 ppm was fully resolved from glutamate H4 at 2.37 ppm, as was the potential resonance from gamma-amino-butyric acid at 2.30 ppm and N-acetyl-aspartyl-glutamate at 2.05 ppm. Singlet linewidths were found to be as low as 6 Hz (0.015 ppm) at 9.4 T, indicating a substantial decrease in ppm linewidth with field strength. Furthermore, the methylene peak of creatine was partially resolved from phosphocreatine, indicating a close to 1:1 relationship in gray matter. We conclude that increasing the magnetic field strength increases spectral resolution also for 1H NMR, which can lead to more than linear sensitivity gains.
On minorities and outliers: The case for making Big Data small

In this essay, I make the case for choosing to examine small subsets of Big Data datasets—making big data small. Big Data allows us to produce summaries of human behavior at a scale never before possible. But in the push to produce these summaries, we risk losing sight of a secondary but equally important advantage of Big Data—the plentiful representation of minorities. Women, minorities and statistical outliers have historically been omitted from the scientific record, with problematic consequences. Big Data affords the opportunity to remedy those omissions. However, to do so, Big Data researchers must choose to examine very small subsets of otherwise large datasets. I encourage researchers to embrace an ethical, empirical and epistemological stance on Big Data that includes minorities and outliers as reference categories, rather than the exceptions to statistical norms.
An Integrated Port Camera and Display System for Laparoscopy

In this paper, we built and tested the port camera, a novel, inexpensive, portable, and battery-powered laparoscopic tool that integrates the components of a vision system with a cannula port. This new device 1) minimizes the invasiveness of laparoscopic surgery by combining a camera port and tool port; 2) reduces the cost of laparoscopic vision systems by integrating an inexpensive CMOS sensor and LED light source; and 3) enhances laparoscopic surgical procedures by mechanically coupling the camera, tool port, and liquid crystal display (LCD) screen to provide an on-patient visual display. The port camera video system was compared to two laparoscopic video systems: a standard resolution unit from Karl Storz (model 22220130) and a high definition unit from Stryker (model 1188HD). Brightness, contrast, hue, colorfulness, and sharpness were compared. The port camera video is superior to the Storz scope and approximately equivalent to the Stryker scope. An ex vivo study was conducted to measure the operative performance of the port camera. The results suggest that simulated tissue identification and biopsy acquisition with the port camera is as efficient as with a traditional laparoscopic system. The port camera was successfully used by a laparoscopic surgeon for exploratory surgery and liver biopsy during a porcine surgery, demonstrating initial surgical feasibility.
Severity of Cortical Thinning Correlates With Schizophrenia Spectrum Symptoms

Objective This study investigated the relationship between regional cortical gray matter thinning and symptoms of schizophrenia spectrum personality disorders (PDs) in siblings of patients with childhood-onset schizophrenia (COS). Method A total of 66 siblings of patients with COS were assessed for symptoms of schizophrenia spectrum PDs (avoidant, paranoid, schizoid, schizotypal). Structural magnetic resonance images were obtained at approximately 2-year intervals from the siblings and from 62 healthy volunteers matched for age, sex, ethnicity, and handedness. Cortical thickness measures were extracted. Mixed effect regression models were used to test the relationship between symptoms and cortical gray matter thickness in siblings. Cortical thinning was also tested longitudinally in healthy volunteers and siblings. Results Cortical thinning was found to correlate with symptoms of schizotypal and, to a lesser extent, schizoid PDs. Thinning was most pronounced in the left temporal and parietal lobes and right frontal and parietal regions. Gray matter loss was found to be continuous with that measured in COS. Longitudinal thinning trajectories were found not to differ between siblings and healthy volunteers. Conclusion The present investigation of cortical thinning in siblings of patients with COS indicates that symptoms of schizophrenia spectrum PDs correlate with regional gray matter loss. This finding supports the idea of cortical thinning as a schizophrenia endophenotype.