Plant Tissue Parenchyma and Vascular Bundles Selectively Regulate Stem Cell Mechanosensing and Differentiation.

Introduction: Plant tissues are plentiful, diverse, and due to convergent evolution are structurally similar to many animal tissues. Decellularized plant tissues feature microtopographies that resemble cancellous bone (porous parenchyma) and skeletal muscle (fibrous vascular bundles). However, the use of plant tissues as an inexpensive and abundant biomaterial for controlling stem cell behavior has not been widely explored.

Genome evolution by matrix algorithms: cellular automata approach to population genetics.

Mammalian genomes are replete with millions of polymorphic sites, among which those genetic variants that are colocated on the same chromosome and exist close to one another form blocks of closely linked mutations known as haplotypes. The linkage within haplotypes is constantly disrupted due to meiotic recombination events. Whole ensembles of such numerous haplotypes are subjected to evolutionary pressure, where mutations influence each other and should be considered as a whole entity-a gigantic matrix, unique for each individual genome.

Exploiting mid-range DNA patterns for sequence classification: binary abstraction Markov models.

Messenger RNA sequences possess specific nucleotide patterns distinguishing them from non-coding genomic sequences. In this study, we explore the utilization of modified Markov models to analyze sequences up to 44 bp, far beyond the 8-bp limit of conventional Markov models, for exon/intron discrimination. In order to analyze nucleotide sequences of this length, their information content is first reduced by conversion into shorter binary patterns via the application of numerous abstraction schemes.

Critical association of ncRNA with introns.

It has been widely acknowledged that non-coding RNAs are master-regulators of genomic functions. However, the significance of the presence of ncRNA within introns has not received proper attention. ncRNA within introns are commonly produced through the post-splicing process and are specific signals of gene transcription events, impacting many other genes and modulating their expression.

Board certification in clinical neuropsychology: a response to Rohling et al.

Board certification is intended to protect the public by identifying practitioners that have met minimum standards for education and training in their specialty or discipline. For varied reasons, clinical neuropsychology, like professional psychology as a whole, has struggled to achieve levels of board certification comparable to the medical profession. Rohling, Lees-Haley, Langhinrichsen-Rohling, & Williamson (2003) have recently published a critique of the board certification process in clinical neuropsychology as it is conducted by American Board of Clinical Neuropsychology (ABCN), arguing that one reason for this failure is the overly restrictive nature of the process.

Health-related quality-of-life assessment in medical care.

The concept of assessing health-related quality of life has a brief and vibrant history. In this monograph, theoretical issues related to the term and the reasons assessment of quality of life is important are discussed. There is a great deal of ambiguity surrounding definitions of the concept.

Progressive neuropsychologic impairment and hypoxemia. Relationship in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

In previous work we showed that patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) suffered decrements in neuropsychologic functioning suggestive of organic mental disturbance. This study combined data from two multicenter clinical trials to explore the nature and possible determinants of such neuropsychologic change. Three groups of patients with COPD whose hypoxemia was mild (N = 86), moderate (N = 155), or severe (N = 61) were compared with age- and education-matched nonpatients (N = 99).

Neuropsychological deficits and real-world dysfunction in cerebral revascularization candidates.

An assessment strategy using multiple levels of observation permitted description of problems in everyday living experienced by cerebral revascularization candidates. We contrasted the neuropsychological deficits and real-world dysfunction displayed by candidates for cerebral revascularization with that manifested by patients with severe spinal complaints. Correlations between selected neuropsychological scores and life quality measures were modest.

Relationship of neuropsychological status to everyday functioning in healthy and chronically ill persons.

Three hundred and three patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and concomitant neuropsychological impairment plus 99 healthy control subjects matched on the basis of socio-demographic variables were administered an expanded version of the Halstead-Reitan Battery and a battery of instruments measuring the quality of everyday-life functioning. The results indicated that neuropsychological measures can be used to predict everyday-life functioning in impaired persons, but few significant relationships were observed in the normals. Neuropsychological status was more consistently related to activities of daily living and basic social role performance than to emotional status.

Psychologic effects of continuous and nocturnal oxygen therapy in hypoxemic chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The Nocturnal Oxygen Therapy Trial (NOTT) showed previously that patients with hypoxemic chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) frequently suffered from neuropsychologic deficit and experienced disturbed mood, personality, and life quality. The present study has followed up 150 NOTT patients six months after they were randomized to continuous oxygen treatment (COT) or nocturnal oxygen treatment (NOT). Tested off oxygen, 42% showed modest neuropsychologic improvement after six months of therapy, and the rates for COT and NOT were comparable.

Neuropsychologic findings in hypoxemic chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

As part of a six-center clinical trial of the effectiveness of continuous v nocturnal oxygen in the management of hypoxemic chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), we performed detailed neuropsychologic assessments of these patients prior to their beginning treatment. The 203 patients (age, 65 years; Pao2, 51 mm Hg; forced expiratory volume in 1 s, 0.74 L) performed significantly worse than controls on virtually all neuropsychologic tests.

Life quality of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Two hundred three patients with hypoxemic chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and 73 healthy control subjects matched for age, sex, race, and neighborhood of residence were administered three self-report inventories concerned with the following four dimensions of life quality: emotional functioning, social-role functioning, activities of daily living, and recreational pastimes. An additional inventory was administered to a spouse or another close relative of each patient. The life quality of patients with COPD was found to be impaired relative to healthy subjects on all dimensions.

Nursing home care for mental patients: descriptive data and some propositions.

Nursing homes play an important role in the community-based care of chronic mental patients, yet there is little research in that setting. The present study gathered and analyzed descriptive data on 20 nursing homes in a large urban area, including data about structure, staffing, policy, treatment, residents, discharge, psychosocial climate, and neighborhood characteristics. Results suggested a clear difference between skilled nursing versus intermediate care facilities, with the latter playing a larger role in caring for mental patients.

Randomized field experiments for program planning, development, and evaluation: an illustrative bibliography.

This bibliography lists references to over 300 field experiments undertaken in schools, hospitals, prisons, and other social settings, mainly in the U.S. The list is divided into 10 major categories corresponding to the type of program under examination.

Effects of response cost on the behavior of a million persons: charging for directory assistance in Cincinnati.

An interrupted time-series analysis of local directory-assistance calls in the Cincinnati area from 1962 to 1976 revealed a significant reduction in the daily frequency of calls after charges were introduced in 1974. No reductions occurred in the daily frequency of long-distance directory-assistance calls, which remained free. The results attest to the efficacy of response-cost procedures with large subject populations in the natural environment.