Indeterminate Research Articles

Elasticity of factorizations in R 0 + X R1 + … + X lRl [X

For an atomic domain R the elasticity ρ(R) is defined by ρ(R) = sup{m/n ¦ u1 … um = v1 … vn where ui, vi∈ R are irreducible}. Let R0 ⊂ … ⊂ Rl be an ascending chain of domains which are finitely generated over ℤ and assume that Rl is integral over R0. Let X be an indeterminate. In this paper we characterize all domains D of the form D = R0 + XR1 + … + XlRl[X] whose elasticity ρ(D) is finite.

Anti-Trypanosoma cruzi immunoglobulin G1 can be a useful tool for diagnosis and prognosis of human Chagas' disease.

Two functionally distinct antibodies, categorized as conventional serology antibodies (CSA) and lytic antibodies (LA) have been described in Chagas' disease, based on their ability to bind to fixed epimastigotes (EPI) or live trypomastigotes (TRYPO), respectively. In this study, the profile of immunoglobulin G (IgG) subclasses of CSA and LA were analyzed by flow cytometry using serum samples from chronic chagasic patients with the indeterminate (IND), cardiac (CARD), and digestive (DIG) clinical forms of the disease. The results were expressed as percentage of positive fluorescent parasites (PPFP) for each sample. CSA showed a higher PPFP than LA for all samples. At serum dilutions between 1:256 and 1:2,048, IgG1 anti-EPI was able to distinguish chagasic from nonchagasic individuals. Different profiles of IgG subclasses were observed for CSA and LA. IgG1 and IgG2 were the main subclasses in CSA, whereas IgG1 and IgG3 were the predominant ones in LA. The reactivity of IgG2 anti-EPI was greater in IND and CARD than in DIG patients. Furthermore, a low level of IgG1 and IgG3 LA was associated with most of the CARD patients. On the other hand, a high level of IgG1 LA was associated with most of the IND patients. In summary, our findings indicate the potential of IgG1 anti-EPI for serological diagnosis of Chagas' disease, providing further evidence for a protective role of LA, and show that IgG1 anti-live Trypanosoma cruzi TRYPO may be used to predict the risk of cardiac damage in Chagas' disease.

Are African American stroke patients receiving appropriate carotid ultrasound exams?

P211 Background: Previous studies have suggested that carotid ultrasound (CUS) tests are less likely to be utilized in African American (AA) patients with stroke or TIA compared to whites ( Stroke 1999; 30: 1350). Whether the localization of the cerebral ischemic event or the stroke subtype influences the ordering of carotid imaging tests is unclear. Objective: To determine the patterns of CUS utilization in a large cohort of AA stroke patients. Methods: The African American Antiplatelet Stroke Prevention Study database was used for this analysis. Stroke localization was evaluated and stroke subtype was also recorded. CUS utilization was analyzed for the various stroke subgroups and statistical significance was determined by chi square testing. To ensure that site variation in CUS use did not explain any observed differences, the Mantel-Haenszel test was applied using the sites as strata. Results: As of 7/99, 1087 patients were entered in the database. In 67 patients, the stroke localization was uncertain, leaving 1020 patients for analysis. Using the stroke localization and subtype information available, 479 patients were classified as carotid (CAR) territory, 278 as vertebrobasilar (VB), 139 as indeterminate (IND), and 124 as both territories (BOTH). CAR strokes were further subdivided into lacunar and nonlacunar events. There was a statistically significant difference in the CUS utilization among the five groups. CUS exams were obtained in 56% of VB patients, compared to 75 to 81% in the other groups (p<0.001). For the other groups, CUS was performed in CAR nonlacunar (75.6%), CAR lacunar (76.5%), IND (80.2%), and BOTH (80.8%). There was no difference in CUS use in patients with a lacunar vs. nonlacunar presentation (p=0.816). An adjustment stratified by center among sites with at least 20 patients produced the same statistical significance (p<0.001). Conclusions: There appears to be an underutilization of CUS exams in AA patients with carotid territory strokes, especially for patients with a nonlacunar mechanism. This may lead to decreased performance of potentially valuable stroke prevention measures such as carotid endarterectomy in symptomatic AA patients.

Three notes on coprime packedness

We characterise coprimely packed rings ideal theoretically and relate the concept of coprimely packedness of R to that of R(X), where R is a ring and X an indeterminate over R.

Predicting Metastatic Risk of Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors: Role of Cell Proliferation and Cell Cycle Regulatory Proteins.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) are a heterogeneous group of neoplasms whose biologic behavior is difficult to predict. The aim of this study is to evaluate the prognostic value in GIST of some oncoproteins involved in regulation of cell proliferation. Tumor size, mitosis, necrosis, and p53, c-myc, and bcl-2 protein expression of 32 GIST were studied. Proliferative index was assessed with Ki67. The 32 cases were grouped into the following clinical categories: (1) clinically benign (BN) were defined as disease-free survival greater than 3 years (n=10); (2) clinically malignant (MN) in which local recurrence or metastasis occurred regardless of the follow-up time (n=15); and (3) clinically indeterminate (ID) owing to follow-up <3 years without metastasis or local recurrence (n=seven). Discriminant analysis was used to allocate any tumor to one of the two prognostic groups (BN or MN). In univariate analysis all six factors studied above proved to be of significant prognostic value. Using a multivariate stepwise discriminant analysis to take into account the interrelationship between factors, we found that c-myc expression was the most important prognostic factor, followed, in order of statistical weight, by size and Ki67. These were combined to define a discriminant score ([10.75 x c-myc]+[0.39 x size]+[0.078 x Ki67]-15.54=score), which was capable of correctly identifying tumors in our series whose known clinical behavior was BN or MN in 92% of the cases. The classification score was applied subsequently to the seven clinically ID cases: Three (42.9%) were predicted as BN, and four (57.1%) were predicted as MN. Both expression of oncoprotein c-myc and the proliferative index provide prognostic information in GIST, in addition to morphologically established prognostic factors such as size. These factors in a discriminant analysis proved to be useful for the clinical classification of GIST into BN or MN and to predict the clinical outcome of clinically ID tumors. Int J Surg Pathol 8(2):133-144, 2000

Michel Serres: Philosophy as an Indeterminate Essence to be Invented

Michel Serres: Philosophy as an Indeterminate Essence to be Invented

Are African American stroke patients receiving appropriate carotid ultrasound exams

P211 Background: Previous studies have suggested that carotid ultrasound (CUS) tests are less likely to be utilized in African American (AA) patients with stroke or TIA compared to whites ( Stroke 1999; 30: 1350). Whether the localization of the cerebral ischemic event or the stroke subtype influences the ordering of carotid imaging tests is unclear. Objective: To determine the patterns of CUS utilization in a large cohort of AA stroke patients. Methods: The African American Antiplatelet Stroke Prevention Study database was used for this analysis. Stroke localization was evaluated and stroke subtype was also recorded. CUS utilization was analyzed for the various stroke subgroups and statistical significance was determined by chi square testing. To ensure that site variation in CUS use did not explain any observed differences, the Mantel-Haenszel test was applied using the sites as strata. Results: As of 7/99, 1087 patients were entered in the database. In 67 patients, the stroke localization was uncertain, leaving 1020 patients for analysis. Using the stroke localization and subtype information available, 479 patients were classified as carotid (CAR) territory, 278 as vertebrobasilar (VB), 139 as indeterminate (IND), and 124 as both territories (BOTH). CAR strokes were further subdivided into lacunar and nonlacunar events. There was a statistically significant difference in the CUS utilization among the five groups. CUS exams were obtained in 56% of VB patients, compared to 75 to 81% in the other groups (p Conclusions: There appears to be an underutilization of CUS exams in AA patients with carotid territory strokes, especially for patients with a nonlacunar mechanism. This may lead to decreased performance of potentially valuable stroke prevention measures such as carotid endarterectomy in symptomatic AA patients.

VERTICAL OR HORIZONTAL TRANSMISSION OF HTLV-I/II: A CROSS SECTIONAL FAMILY STUDY IN MINAS GERAIS, BRAZIL.

P088 HTLV-I/II prevalence studies have been performed among relatives of TSP/HAM and ATL patients. The aim of this study was: (1) To evaluate the seroprevalence among sexual partners, mothers, siblings and breastfed children within the blood donor group with abnormal serology for the virus, but without HTLV related symptoms, and (2) determine which mode of transmission was more significant in this population. A cross sectional family study was conducted among 139 relatives and sexual partners, as part of a ongoing prospective study of 249 blood donors whose serology (EIA and WB) is positive (POS), n=115, or indeterminate (IND), n=134, for HTLV-I/II. (Tables)TABLE 1: Results among relatives of HTLV-I POS blood donors TABLE 2: Results among relatives of HTLV-I IND blood donors The HTLV-I/II serology points towards sexual transmission as the main mode of HTLV-I/II infection in this population. A molecular approach may be used in the future to further test the breastfed children.

Comparison of Determinate and Indeterminate Soybean Near‐Isolines and Their Response to Row Spacing and Planting Date

Determinate (DET) and indeterminate (IND) soybeans [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] differ in growth habit and have responded differently to planting date and row spacing. The purpose of this study was to compare DET and IND near‐isolines for phenoiogical and agronomic traits and to determine similarity of response of the isolines to planting date and row width. Thirty‐eight F5‐derived DET and IND near‐isolines were randomly selected from six soybean populations. The lines were evaluated in three replications of a split (planting date), split (row spacing), split (isoline) plot design over a 2‐yr period. Data were recorded on the days to first flowering, days to maturity, length of the reproductive period, and on plant height, lodging, and seed yield. Lines within growth habits responded similarly to row spacing, but the interactions of planting dates with lines within growth habits were significant for all traits measured. The DET lines were very similar to their IND isoline counterparts for phenological traits measured at two planting dates (r = 0.84** and 0.90**), less similar for plant height (r = 0.71**), and even less similar for plant lodging (r = 0.53** and 0.64**). There was no association between DET and IND isolines for seed yield at the early planting date and a weak association at the late planting date. This suggests that the two plant types responded differently to environmental factors that affect seed yield. However, the highest yielding DET and IND isolines averaged over both years, planting dates, and row spacings were derived from the same F5 plant, providing evidence that loci affecting superior seed yield could be expressed in either plant type.

The indeterminate abdominal sonogram in multisystem blunt trauma.

North American trauma centers are beginning to note the limitations of emergent torso sonography. The purpose of this prospective study was to evaluate the frequency, causes, associations, and sequelae of indeterminate (IND) sonograms in blunt trauma. Among adult blunt trauma patients assessed with screening torso sonography, clinician sonographers recorded the abdominal sonogram as positive, negative, or IND for free fluid. Patients with IND sonograms were further investigated with repeat sonography, computed tomography, or diagnostic peritoneal lavage. Among 417 patients with blunt trauma (mean Injury Severity Score = 21) managed with sonography, there were 28 (6.7%) IND and 389 (93.3%) non-IND sonograms. Sonograms were IND because of patient factors in 71% (20 of 28) and because of operator factors in 29% (8 of 28). None of the 28 patients were managed with repeat sonography alone. All 4 diagnostic peritoneal lavage examinations gave negative results, whereas 8 of 23 computed tomographic scans were abnormal (6 of 8 patients underwent laparotomy). The mean time required for diagnostic workup was 117 minutes in the IND group and 48 minutes in the non-IND group (p < 0.001 in both cases). This prospective study has demonstrated that IND sonograms are not common at our center (6.7%), are usually attributable to patient factors, and are associated with greater diagnostic time. Patients with IND sonograms require further investigation because they often have injuries requiring laparotomy.

Can We Believe What We Do Not Understand?

Abstract: In a series of papers, Sperber provides the following analysis of the phenomenon of ill‐understood belief (or ‘quasi‐belief’, as I call it): (i) the quasi‐believer has a validating meta‐belief, to the effect that a certain representation is true; yet (ii) that representation does not give rise to a plain belief, because it is ‘semi‐propositional’. In this paper I discuss several aspects of this treatment. In particular, I deny that the representation accepted by the quasi‐believer is semantically indeterminate, and I reject Sperber's claim that quasi‐belief is a credal attitude distinct from plain belief.

Anti-Trypanosoma cruzi antibody isotype profiles in patients with different clinical manifestations of Chagas' disease.

Chagas' disease results from infection with the protozoan hemoflagellate Trypanosoma cruzi. Patients in the chronic phase of infection can be categorized into four groups based on the presence of cardiac abnormalities (CARD), gastrointestinal involvement (DIGEST), a combination of both presentations (BOTH), or indeterminate (IND) if Chagas' related pathology is not apparent. Previous studies have indicated that parasite-specific antibody production is important in both resistance to and pathogenesis of disease. The anti-T. cruzi epimastigote stage antibody isotype profiles in the sera of Brazilian patients from each clinical category, as well as from uninfected individuals (UNINF) from the same endemic area were analyzed. Anti-epimastigote immunoglobulin G (IgG)1 and IgG3 levels were strikingly high with titers > or = 1:100,000. Sera from patients in the CARD group had higher levels of IgM than either UNINF or IND individuals, which is consistent with the theory that autoimmunity may contribute to chagasic cardiomyopathy. The IgA levels were higher in sera from patients with gastrointestinal involvement when compared with individuals from any of the other clinical categories as well as from uninfected controls. Interestingly, patients with both digestive and cardiac involvement did not express high serum levels of IgA. However, like patients with cardiac involvement alone, persons with both clinical manifestations produced elevated levels of IgG2 compared with the IND or UNINF groups. These data suggest the presence of complex immunoregulatory processes, most likely related to differential cytokine involvement, which can influence the expression of antibody isotypes and possibly the course of disease.

Indeterminate leprosy: a seroimmunological and histochemical evaluation.

An effort was made to differentiate indeterminate (IND) leprosy from other types of the paucibacillary (PB) group of leprosy and to identify among indeterminate leprosy cases those which may evolve to multibacillary (MB) leprosy, using serological, immunological and histochemical parameters. A total of 92 untreated, histologically classified (TT-19, BT-30, IND-32) patients, including 11 cases diagnosed as nonspecific dermatitis (NSD), which were clinically strongly suspected to be leprotic, were screened for antibodies against PGL-I, 35-kDa and LAM antigens. Lepromin tests and antigen demonstration in tissue by indirect immunoperoxidase staining were also carried out. Though a qualitative analysis did not differentiate, a quantitative analysis in terms of a cumulative index (CI) showed a higher antibody level amongst the indeterminate group of patients than the other groups included in PB leprosy. Also, the lepromin negative indeterminate group patients showed a higher CI than the lepromin positive cases, indicating that perhaps these may be the cases which may develop into MB leprosy. Thus, the semiquantification of antibody levels in the form of a CI may be a useful parameter to predict the possible evolution of a given case of indeterminate leprosy. Interestingly 64% of NSD cases had either antigen or antibody which indicated that they were probably cases of leprosy.

Interrelationship of Plant Architecture and Yield Components in the Pinto Bean Ideotype

Ideotype breeding in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) has emphasized the selection of modified morphological traits that include upright, Type II (indeterminate) growth habit. Progress in the medium‐seeded (⊄40 g/100 seed) pinto bean appeared to have been limited by negative linkages between small seed size (⊄20 g/100 seed) and desired architectural traits. The objectives of this study were to determine the inheritance of seed weight and plant architecture, evaluate the genetic relationships among both traits, and to define a pinto bean ideotype for the humid midwestern USA. The genetic associations among three specific architectural traits, seed weight, and upright plant architecture were investigated in F2 and F2:3 generations at E. Lansing, MI, in 1990 and 1991, respectively. Upright plant architecture was estimated to be moderately heritable with narrow‐sense estimates ranging from HNS = 0.42 to 0.62. F2 data from 1206 individuals indicated that plant architecture and seed weight are not linked (r = 0.05, P = 0.08). Directional selection for high (&gt;30 g/100 seed) or low (&lt;24 g/100 seed) seed weight resulted in significant differences in the average number of seeds per pod and the average number of seeds per plant. These directional selection results provide evidence that a pinto bean ideotype will differ from the small‐seeded navy bean ideotype by having fewer pods per plant and fewer seeds per pod. Selection for medium‐seeded, upright (Type II) genotypes in other commercial classes would be greatly facilitated through the use of the pinto bean ideotype as a genetic bridge.

Antibodies to Trypanosoma cruzi express idiotypic patterns that can differentiate between patients with asymptomatic or severe Chagas' disease.

Immunization of rabbits with pools of immunoaffinity-purified anti-Trypanosoma cruzi epimastigote antibodies derived from patients with different clinical forms of Chagas' disease induces antiidiotypic sera that can distinguish between anti-epimastigote antibodies from patients with asymptomatic (indeterminate (IND)) or severe (cardiac (CARD)) Chagas' disease. These idiotypically different anti-EPI antibodies from patients with the different clinical forms do not differ in their anti-epimastigote activities or isotypes. Analysis of immunoaffinity purified antibodies from individual chagasic patients by specific competitive ELISA generally confirms that Id-specific rabbit antisera can differentiate the clinical forms of the source of the antibodies. Based on these data, immunoaffinity-purified antibodies from patients share many Id with those from IND patients, although antibodies from IND patients express much lower levels of the distinctive Id characteristic of CARD patients. Reduction and alkylation of antibodies from IND patients reduces somewhat, but does not abolish, the ability of their Id to be recognized idiotypically, and to effectively inhibit in competitive ELISA. In contrast, reduction and alkylation of antibodies from CARD patients almost completely eliminates the ability of their predominant Id to be either recognized by, or inhibit, the appropriate systems. These data imply that the expression of the major Id that define CARD patients by these serologic anti-Id systems is largely dependent on the tertiary conformation of the Ig molecule. This agrees with our earlier studies on the respective differential abilities of CARD vs IND Id to stimulate anti-Id T cells by direct stimulation vs processing and presentation mechanisms.

Elastase causes secretory discharge in bronchi of hamsters with elastase-induced secretory cell metaplasia.

A single intratracheal instillation of human neutrophil elastase (HNE) into hamsters causes granule discharge from bronchial secretory cells followed by marked accumulation of granules, visible by light microscopy at 21 days and persisting through 18 months. To determine whether persistence of this secretory cell metaplasia (SCM) is due to inability of the metaplastic secretory cells to secrete their granules, hamsters having HNE-induced SCM were challenged with the potent secretagogue HNE. Four groups of 10 hamsters each received 300 micrograms HNE intratracheally. Twenty-one days later, hamsters were intratracheally treated with HNE or saline; the groups were designated HNE-HNE and HNE-SAL, respectively. Hamsters were killed 2 h or 21 days following the second treatment. Using light microscopy, nucleated epithelial cells were counted in plastic sections of the left main intrapulmonary bronchus. Cells were classified as ciliated (C), basal (B), indeterminate (IN), or secretory. Secretory cells were subcategorized as S0 (0 granules), S1 (1-4 granules), S2 (> or = 5 granules with intervening cytoplasm), and S3 (abundant granules completely filling the cytoplasm). At 2 h, S3 cell frequency in the HNE-HNE group was 13.0 +/- 2.2 (% mean +/- SE), significantly lower than in the 2 h HNE-SAL group (31.1 +/- 4.5). Concomitantly, higher cell frequencies were seen in the other secretory categories of the HNE-HNE group compared to the HNE-SAL group; S2 17.1 +/- 1.9 compared to 9.4 +/- 1.9, S1 2.4 +/- 0.4 compared to 1.1 +/- 0.5, and S0 2.4 +/- 0.5 compared to 1.1 +/- 0.5, respectively. The S3 cell frequency of the 21-day HNE-HNE group was 25.4 +/- 4.7, increased significantly compared to the 2 h HNE-HNE group; this change was concomitant with significant decrease in the frequency of the S0 secretory cells. Cell frequencies of C, B, and IN were not affected by treatment or time. It is concluded that metaplastic secretory cells discharge their granules in response to HNE; SCM returns to its original state after HNE rechallenge; persistent SCM is not due to the inability of metaplastic secretory cells to discharge their granules.

Inheritance of Growth Habit in Pigeonpea

Determinate (DT) pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.] has a production advantage but the genetics of this trait and indeterminate (IDT)and semideterminate (SDT) growth habits are not well defined. Inheritance of DT, SDT, and IDT growth habits in short duration pigeonpea was studied in F1, F2, and BC1F1 generations of 15 crosses involving six parents (two of each growth habit) grown in the field in 1986. The segregation pattern in the crosses involving IDT and DT parents indicates that IDT growth habit is governed by a single dominant allele. Smilarly, crosses between SDT and DT parents showed that the SDT trait also is controlled by a single dominant allele. the F2 population of the crosses between IDT and SDT parents segregated in the ratio of 12 IDT to 3 SDT to 1 DT, suggesting that the expression of the SDT allele (Dt2a) was masked by the presence of the IDT allele (Dt1) and that the homozygous recessive genotype for both genes (dt1dt1dt2dt2) has the DT phenotype. The results obtained in BC1F1 with both parents also supported the F2 data. The desirable determinate phenotype can be obtained from crosses of different phenotypes, including IDT ✕ SDT, provided the IDT parent has the Dt1___dt2dt2a genotype.

Row Width and Seeding Rate Performance of Indeterminate, Semideterminate, and Determinate Soybean

In the northern-soybean [Glycine max. (L.) Merr.]-producing areas of the USA and Canada, indeterminate (IND) soybean cultivars predominate. Over the last several years, soybean cultivars with semideterminate (SDT) or determinate (DET) stem termination type have been developed, however, basic agronomic information is limited for these types in the Maturity Group I to II soybean growing areas of southern Ontario. For this study, six cultivars (two per stem type) were seeded at 10-, 20-, and 30-in.-row widths and 160 000, 240 000 and 320 000 seeds/acre seeding rates in 1983,1984, and 1985. Yield increased when row width decreased from 30 in. to 10 in. on average, 14, 20, and 23% for the IND, SDT, and DET stem type, respectively. These results indicate a disadvantage for wide row production for all three stem termination types, although differences between cultivars within a stem type were not consistent each year. Seeding rate had no effect on yield of the IND stem type, or on yield of the SDT stem type in either 1984 or 1985. Yield, however, was reduced for the SDT stem type in 1983 when seeding rates were increased above 160 000 seeds/acre. Optimal yields for the DET stem type occurred at 240 000 seeds/acre. Plant height varied only with the year and cultivar. The SDT and DET cultivars were more lodging resistant than the IND cultivar Harcor each year, but did not differ from the other IND cultivar, Premier. The overall results suggest that although all stem types were capable of producing high yields, less flexibility exists in southern Ontario in choice of both row width and seeding rate for Maturity Group II cultivars with either a DET and SDT stem type than with cultivars having the IND stem type.

Indeterminate Forms Revisited

Indeterminate Forms Revisited

Indeterminate Forms Revisited

Indeterminate Forms Revisited