cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inventing Social Justice: SSSP and the Twenty-First Century

I would like to start with a question that I have borrowed from colleagues in the Humanities who are interested in the history of science (de Santillana 1959). What was Galileo’s crime? Most responses to this question would focus on his revolutionary discoveries about the movement of the planets around the sun. Another view of his crime, however, was that he chose to communicate his ndings about the earth and the sun, not in Latin, the medium of the educated elite, but in Italian, the public vernacular, parola del popolo. My address today is a call to the Society for the Study of Social Problems to build on its legacy and move toward committing Galileo’s crime. I will examine different approaches to making the knowledge generated by scholars in SSSP available to a public outside of the academy and our professional community. I believe that a search for this new direction has benets not only for inventing social justice, but also for reinventing and energizing the sociological enterprise. Let us begin with a brief look backward. As we all know, the founding of SSSP in 1951 was grounded in its opposition to the American Sociological Society’s commitment to a “pure science” model of sociology, and the belief that sociology had lost sight of humanistic goals (Galliher and Galliher 1995; Skura 1976). The early opposition to ASS was often grounded in personal animosities, but there was also the concern that ASS was not democratic and was dominated by an “Eastern establishment” not very open to the aspirations of younger sociologists. But SSSP was not alone in its emergence as an alternative or oppositional movement. At least a decade before the founding of SSSP, some of the newest generation of professional psychologists were concerned about the narrow professionalism of their eld and in 1936, they formed the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI). These early opposition movements looked like attempts to reform the larger and more dominant professional associations of their disciplines. It was not until the early 1960s that SSSP set in motion the beginnings of a critique of mainstream sociology that went to core issues of epistemology and methodology—How do we know what we know? And what is the role of the sociologist in the process of creating new knowledge? In 1961, Alvin Gouldner’s presidential address to SSSP examined the doctrine of a value-free sociology and judged it to be a group myth that, among other things, served to marginalize the role of sociologist as critical intellectual and to elevate to center stage the sociologist as value-free professional.
Higher Levels of Psychopathy Predict Poorer Motor Control: Implications for Understanding the Psychopathy Construct

A review of the literature suggests that higher levels of psychopathy may be linked to less effective behavioral control. However, several commentators have urged caution in making statements of this type in the absence of direct evidence. In two studies (total N = 142), moment-to-moment accuracy in a motor control task was examined as a function of dimensional variations in psychopathy in an undergraduate population. As hypothesized, motor control was distinctively worse at higher levels of psychopathy relative to lower levels, both as a function of primary and secondary psychopathy and particularly their shared variance. These novel findings provide support for the idea that motor control systematically varies by psychopathy, in a basic manner, consistent with views of psychopathy emphasizing lesser control.
Alzheimer's disease: Moving towards a vaccine

An agent that clears disease-associated amyloid aggregates from the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease does not alleviate disease progression. Yet this disappointing news should not rule out such potential therapies.
The Impact of Treatment Choice for Localized Prostate Cancer on Response to Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors

Purpose: We determined whether the impact of phosphodiesterase inhibitors on sexual function and sexual bother is different after radical prostatectomy vs radiation therapy for localized prostate cancer.Materials and Methods: We analyzed data from 1,087 men treated for localized prostate cancer with radical prostatectomy or radiation therapy, who had at least 2 years of health related quality of life followup and who reported using a phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor after prostate cancer treatment. Sexual function and bother were assessed over time using the UCLA Prostate Cancer Index. Mixed model analysis was used to examine sexual function and sexual bother over time after initiation of treatment with a phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor. Response rates were then determined using the criterion of an increase in score of at least half the standard deviation in baseline scores, and multivariate logistic regression was used to identify predictors of improved sexual function and sexual bother in response ...
A theory for distortion studies of lung parenchyma based on alveolar membrane properties.

Abstract A finite element model reprensenting the microscopic structure of the lungs is presented. Analysis of the model yields information on the mechanical properties of the lung parenchyma. The micro-properties upon which the model is based are computed by extrapolating uniaxial data calculated from experimentally obtained pressure-volume relationships of excised lungs. Macro-properties are subsequently found by assembling the micro-elements into a parenchymal structure of the lung, and analyzing its responses to non-uniformly applied forces. Experimental information regarding the mechanical properties of lungs is lacking and this mathematical model which is based on the known pressure-volume relationships can fill a need in mechanical studies of the lungs. In particular, it provides the complete information for the element stiffness relationship in finite element analysis. Comparison of the model properties with recently conducted macro-level distortion experiments indicates very good correlation.
A convenient Method for rearing large Cockroaches.

Cockroaches are reared in various ways for use in insect physiology and toxicology. Piquett & Fales (1952) have summarized the literature pertinent to and described their methods for rearing several species of cockroaches, including the American and German cockroaches ( Periplaneta americana (L.) and Blattella germanica (L.)).
A vanadium and iron cluster accumulates on VnfX during iron-vanadium-cofactor synthesis for the vanadium nitrogenase in Azotobacter vinelandii.

The vnf-encoded nitrogenase fromAzotobacter vinelandii contains an iron-vanadium cofactor (FeV-co) in its active site. Little is known about the synthesis pathway of FeV-co, other than that some of the gene products required are also involved in the synthesis of the iron-molybdenum cofactor (FeMo-co) of the widely studied molybdenum-dinitrogenase. We have found that VnfX, the gene product of one of the genes contained in thevnf-regulon, accumulates iron and vanadium in a novel V-Fe cluster during synthesis of FeV-co. The electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and metal analyses of the V-Fe cluster accumulated on VnfX are consistent with a VFe7–8Sx precursor of FeV-co. The EPR spectrum of VnfX with the V-Fe cluster bound strongly resembles that of isolated FeV-co and a model VFe3S4 compound. The V-Fe cluster accumulating on VnfX does not contain homocitrate. No accumulation of V-Fe cluster on VnfX was observed in strains with deletions in genes known to be involved in the early steps of FeV-co synthesis, suggesting that it corresponds to a precursor of FeV-co. VnfX purified from anifB strain incapable of FeV-co synthesis has a different electrophoretic mobility in native anoxic gels than does VnfX, which has the V-Fe cluster bound. NifB-co, the Fe and S precursor of FeMo-co (and presumably FeV-co), binds to VnfX purified from thenifB strain, producing a shift in its electrophoretic mobility on anoxic native gels. The data suggest that a precursor of FeV-co that contains vanadium and iron accumulates on VnfX, and thus, VnfX is involved in the synthesis of FeV-co.
Impact of personality and intelligence on job satisfaction of assembly line and bench work - an industrial study.

Abstract A study of the impact of machine-paced (M/P) and self-paced (S/P) work on job satisfaction of 28 female industrial assembly workers was evaluated in which M/P work was confounded with simplified work and the S/P job was confounded with enriched tasks. Results indicated the following: 1. 1. Over three-quarters of workers were more satisfied in S/P jobs, while only less than one-quarter were more satisfied in M/P jobs. 2. 2. The 16PF personality test effectively predicts (0·88 multiple correlation) the satisfaction ratios of M/P to S/P jobs.
Insights into Allostery from the Local Elastic Constants of a Protein

Allostery connects subtle changes in a protein's potential energy surface (induced by perturbations such as ligand-binding) to significant changes in its function. Understanding this phenomenon and predicting its occurrence are major goals of current research on biophysics and molecular biology. Here we introduce a novel approach for studying complex structural transformations such as those typical for allostery. We show that the calculation and analysis of atomic elastic constants of a known allosterically regulated protein, lac repressor, highlights regions that are particularly prone to suffer structural deformation and are experimentally linked to allosteric function. The calculations are based on a high resolution, all-atom description of the protein, but are computationally inexpensive when compared to currently used methods that employ the same resolution. We also show that, for the present system, lower resolution models yield qualitatively different results, indicating the importance of adequately describing the local environment surrounding the different parts of the protein.
A Cardiovascular Pharmacotherapy Elective Course to Enhance Pharmacy Students' Literature Evaluation Skills and Ability to Apply Clinical Evidence

Objectives. To design and implement a cardiovascular pharmacotherapy elective course to enhance pharmacy students’ ability to evaluate medical literature and apply clinical evidence. Design. In weekly class sessions, students were provided an overview of the important literature supporting therapeutic guidelines for the management of major cardiovascular diseases. Students worked in groups to complete outside-of-class assignments involving a patient case and then discussed the case in class. During the semester, each student also independently completed a literature search on an assigned topic, summarized the studies found in table format, and presented 1 of the studies to the class. Assessment. Students’ grades on weekly patient case assignments steadily increased over the semester. Also, the average grade on the final examination was higher than the grade on the midterm take-home examination. On the course evaluation, students rated the course favorably in terms of improvement of confidence in evaluating the primary literature and applying it to practice. Conclusion. Completion of the cardiovascular pharmacotherapy elective increased pharmacy students’ level of confidence in evaluating literature and applying clinical evidence in making patient care decisions.
Sexual selection, adaptation, and ornamental traits: the advantage of seeming fitter.

Abstract This paper describes a type of fitness indicating trait which is particularly likely to be exaggerated because of sexual selection on fitness-faking modifier genes, describes the selection process which tends to exaggerate such traits, and indicates by citing examples from different taxa the wide range of traits which can be explained as resulting from this type of selection.
Development of a rapid screening technique for organochlorine pesticides using solvent microextraction (SME) and fast gas chromatography (GC)

A novel, fast screening method for organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in water samples has been developed. Total analysis time was less than 9 min, allowing 11 samples to be screened per hour. The relatively new technique of solvent microextraction (SME) was used to extract and preconcentrate the pesticides into a single drop of hexane. The use of a conventional carbon dioxide cryotrap was investigated for introduction of the extract onto a micro-bore (0.1 mm) capillary column for fast GC analysis. A pulsed-discharge electron capture detector was used which yielded selective and sensitive measurement of the pesticide peaks. Fast GC conditions were optimised and tested with the previously developed SME procedure. Calibration curves yielded good linearity and concentrations down to 0.25 ng mL−1 were detectable with RSD values ranging from 12.0 to 28% and LOD for most OCPs at 0.25 ng mL−1. Spiked river water samples were tested and using the developed screen we were able to differentiate between spiked samples and samples containing no OCPs.
Nuclear Medicine Organ Image Transmission

The results of Nuclear Medicine organ imaging examinations are commonly displayed in pictorial form, either as transparencies, on x-ray film or 35 or 70 mm negatives, or as photographs usually utilizing Polaroid film. The ability to transmit this pictorial information to remote locations for consultation, interpretation and study is extremely useful in clinical diagnostic facilities, educational programs and research. Conventional television installations are prohibitively expensive for most of these applications. Furthermore, most organ images are stationary and do not require "real time" television. Slow scan or compressed video television systems are suitable for the transmission of stationary images over standard telephone circuits. This report relates our experience with two commercially available systems over a period of approximately three years in Nuclear Medicine diagnostic units in a University Health Science Center and a two hundred thirty bed private community hospital.© (1974) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
2′-Fluoro modified nucleic acids: Polymerase-directed synthesis, properties and stability to analysis by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry

Fragmentation is a major factor limiting mass range and resolution in the analysis of DNA by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS). Protonation of the nucleobase leads to base loss and backbone cleavage by a mechanism similar to the depurination reactions employed in the chemical degradation method of DNA sequencing. In a previous study [Tang,W., Zhu,L. and Smith,L.M. (1997) Anal. Chem ., 69, 302-312], the stabilizing effect of substituting the 24 hydrogen with an electronegative group such as hydroxyl or fluorine was investigated. These 24 substitutions stabilized the N-glycosidic linkage, blocking base loss and subsequent backbone cleavage. For such chemical modifications to be of practical significance, it would be useful to be able to employ the corresponding 24-modified nucleoside triphosphates in the polymerase-directed synthesis of DNA. This would provide an avenue to the preparation of 24-modified PCR fragments and dideoxy sequencing ladders stabilized for MALDI analysis. In this paper methods are described for the polymerase-directed synthesis of 24-fluoro modified DNA, using commercially available 24-fluoronucleoside triphosphates. The ability of a number of DNA and RNA polymerases to incorporate the 24-fluoro analogs was tested. Four thermostable DNA polymerases [Pfu (exo-), Vent (exo-), Deep Vent (exo-) and UlTma] were found that were able to incorporate 24-fluoronucleotides with reasonable efficiency. In order to perform Sanger sequencing reactions, the enzymes' ability to incorporate dideoxy terminators in conjunction with the 24-fluoronucleotides was evaluated. UlTma DNA polymerase was found to be the best of the enzymes tested for this purpose. MALDI analysis of enzymatically produced 24-fluoro modified DNA using the matrix 2,5-dihydroxy benzoic acid showed no base loss or backbone fragmentation, in contrast to the extensive fragmentation evident with unmodified DNA of the same sequence.
Application of the rotated dropping mercury electrode to the analysis of mixtures of electroactive substances

Abstract The use of poylacrylamide is recommended instead of gelatin as an ideal maximum suppressor to be employed with both the rotated dropping mercury electrode (RODE) and conventional dropping electrode (DME). It is retained at the mercury surface over the entire potential range and does not combine with heavy metals. Reproducibility of the measurement of the residual current and that of the limiting current at the RDME were studied, and it was found that accurate determinations of a single constituent (±2%) are possible at concentrations as low as 1 to 2.10-5M. The variation of the limiting current with potential is much greater at the RDME than at the DME. This effect must be considered in the analysis of a mixture of electroactive species at the RDME. Method have been discussed for making the proper correction for a preceding wave when a limiting current of a mixture of constituents is measured. Because of its high sensitivity and good reproducibility of results, the RDME is recommended for the analysis of solutions containing one or more electroactive species at concentrations less than 10-4M.
Partnering for change in dance higher education

This case study evaluated the long-term viability of the community partnerships within the Program in Dance at Kennesaw State University (KSU). Data gathered from more than 40 university and community stakeholders was synthesized to gain an understanding of how these partnerships can be developed and sustained in the future. Strategic recommendations to support the future growth of the community dance partnerships at KSU were developed based on participant responses and multiple source data triangulation. The intrinsic nature of this study was rooted in an interpretivist perspective, as the researcher entered the world of the social subjects, not as a generator of data, but rather as an analyst, developing recommendations in support of future community engagement practice.
Scintigraphic methods in the diagnosis of myopericarditis

A noninvasive tool for the diagnosis of human myopericardial inflammation is desirable so that the need for endomyocardial biopsy may be decreased. Gallium-67 citrate (67Ga), an inflammation-avid radioisotope, was studied in an effort to define its role in the evaluation of patients with inflammatory heart disease. Following a preliminary report in which four patients with pericarditis showed 67Ga avidity, 16 patients with postpericardiotomy syndrome were studied following cardiac surgery. In each of the patients in whom this syndrome was present for more than 2 weeks following the surgical procedure, there was active uptake of 67Ga over the myocardium. Gallium-67 was also studied in the context of myocardial inflammation in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy. In these studies, a subset of patients who showed 67Ga uptake over the myocardium responded to immunosuppressive therapy; the presence of67Ga uptake over the myocardium improved the yield of biopsy in the diagnosis of myocarditis from 8 to 36%. Definitive conclusions on the role of scintigraphic techniques in myopericardial inflammation await the results of a multicentre myocarditis study.
Chemical composition of newborn larvae, muscle larvae and adult Trichinella spiralis.

Abstract Chemical composition of newborn larvae, muscle larvae and adult Trichinella spiralis. International Journal for Parasitology 16: 455–460. The chemical composition of newborn larvae (NBL), muscle larvae (ML) and 4-day-old and 7-day-old adult Trichinella spiralis were compared. Total protein constituted 44.1% of the dry wt of ML, 36.9% of NBL and 30.3% of 7-day-old adult worms. Glycogen content was 16.1% of worm dry wt in ML and 7.8% in NBL and 7.2% of worm dry wt in adults. Trehalose content was 5.2% in NBL, 8.3% in ML and 8.7% in 7-day-old adult worms. Significantly lower levels of trehalose and glycogen were found in 4-day-old worms than were present in 7-day-old worms. Free glucose amounted to 0.1% of dry wt in ML, 0.37% in NBL and 0.87% in 7-day-old adults. RNA accounted for 3.5% of the dry wt of ML, 3.2% of the dry wt of 7-day-old adults and 1.1% of the dry wt of NBL. The DNA content of NBL was 0.23% of worm dry wt, in ML 0.48% of worm dry wt and 0.51% of worm dry wt in 7-day-old adults. The three parasite stages examined agreed closely with regard to types of amino acids in the free pool. Exceptions were as follows: NBL lacked taurine which both adults and ML contained; adults lacked methionine which both ML and NBL contained; and, trace amounts of cysteine were present in ML but absent from the other two stages.
Localization in a random phase-conjugating medium

We theoretically study reflection and transmission of light in a one-dimensional disordered phase-conjugating medium. Using an invariant imbedding approach a Fokker-Planck equation for the distribution of the probe light reflectance and expressions for the average probabilities of reflection and transmission are derived. A new crossover length scale for localization of light is found, which depends on the competition between phase conjugation and disorder. For weak disorder, our analytical results are in good agreement with numerical simulations.
Reducing the Burden of Postoperative ileus: Evaluating and Implementing an Evidence-based Strategy

Background Postoperative ileus remains a significant clinical and economic burden to the health care system. Over the last decade, several advances in both medical and surgical therapies have been made to reduce the incidence and severity of postoperative ileus. Despite these advances, though, the incidence of ileus remains high. This narrative review focuses on interventions aimed to prevent and treat postoperative ileus while presenting a step-by-step process for implementation of an evidenced-based strategy.
Climatological Assessment of Natural Precipitation Characteristics for Use in Weather Modification.

Abstract A study has been made of the climatological characteristics of storm precipitation on a point and areal basis through the use of two sets of data. One is from a 12-year operation of a dense raingage network on 400 mi2 in central Illinois, and the other is the long-term point rainfall records of daily precipitation from U. S. Weather Bureau climatic stations throughout the state. The detailed network data were used to investigate effects of storm intensity and duration, precipitation type, synoptic weather type, wet and dry periods, and other factors upon storm distribution characteristics. Frequency distributions of both rainfall depth and number of storms were determined for various classifications, and these distributions were evaluated with respect to implications in weather modification during the critical growing season (May-September) and the water-supply replenishment period (October-April). Nomograms were developed from the climatological distributions to facilitate the evaluations. By re...
The europium anomaly of seawater: implications for fluvial versus hydrothermal REE inputs to the oceans

Olivarez, A.M. and Owen, R.M., 1991. The europium anomaly of seawater: implications for fluvial versus hydrothcrmal REE inputs to the oceans. Chem. Geol., 92: 317-328. Seafloor hydrothermal vent fluids are characterized by rare earth element (REE) enrichments and large positive Eu anomalies: however, this input is not recorded by seawater. Hydrothermal sediments from the southeast Pacific ( DSDP Site 598 ) were examined to address this discrepancy between the observed and predicted REE pattern of seawater. "'Scavenging indices", which reflect long-term REE scavenging by iron-rich hydrothermal precipitates, were calculated for each of eight REE's. Comparisons between these indices and the REE content of seawater indicate that the intensity of REE scavenging by hydrothermal precipitates is proportional to the concentration of REE's in the fluid phase. We predict that REE's are rapidly scavenged from hydrothermal solutions, and that Eu is removed disproportionately faster relative to its neighbors. Eu-anomaly values for Site 598 and other hydrothermal sediments support this prediction: a vent signature is recorded in sediments closest to the ridge axis and the Eu-anomaly values become more seawater-like with increasing distance and scavenging. This implies that the REE content of seawater cannot be used to constrain hydrothermal versus fluvial fluxes to the oceans.
Role of BMP-4 and Its Signaling Pathways in Cultured Human Melanocytes

Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMP-4) was shown to down-regulate melanogenesis, in part, by decreasing the level of tyrosinase [Yaar et al. (2006) JBC:281]. Results presented here show that BMP-4 down-regulated the protein levels of TRP-1, PKC-beta, and MCI-R. When paired cultures of human melanocytes were treated with vehicle or BMP-4 (25 ng/ml), MAPK/ERK were phosphorylated within one hour of BMP-4 treatment. Then the activated MAPK/ERK caused an acute phosphorylation of MITF, followed by proteosome-mediated degradation of MITF, the key transcription factor for melanogenic proteins [Wu et al. (2000) Gene & Development:14]. However, prolonged exposure of melanocytes to BMP-4 (up to 48 hours) caused a decrease in the level of MITF-M transcript. In addition, BMP-4 decreased the intracellular level of cAMP, the key regulator of MITF expression. These results demonstrate that BMP-4 activates MAPK/ERK signaling pathway to transiently activate MITF; however, chronic treatment of BMP-4 to melanocytes causes a down-regulation of the expression of MITF, possibly in a cAMP-dependent pathway.
Basolateral Amygdala Is Involved in Modulating Consolidation of Memory for Classical Fear Conditioning

Previous findings indicate that the basolateral amygdala complex of nuclei (BLC) is involved in modulating (i.e., enhancing or impairing) memory consolidation for aversive training such as inhibitory avoidance. The present study examined whether the BLC also modulates the consolidation of memory for classical fear conditioning in which a specific context is paired with footshock. Adult male rats with bilateral cannulae targeting the BLC were allowed, first, to habituate in a Y maze that had differently shaped and textured arms. On the next day the rats were placed in one maze arm (shock arm), and they received four unsignaled footshocks. In Experiment 1, immediately after the training some rats received BLC inactivation with lidocaine (10 microgram/0.2 microliter per side), and control rats received buffered saline. In Experiment 2, rats received immediate post-training intra-BLC infusions of the muscarinic receptor agonist oxotremorine (10 ng/0.2 microliter per side) or saline. On a 24 hr retention test each rat was placed in a "safe" arm of the maze and allowed to access all maze arms. Lidocaine-treated rats had impaired memory for the classical fear conditioning when they were compared with the saline-treated controls: they spent less time freezing, entered the shock arm more readily and more often, and spent more time in it. In contrast, oxotremorine-treated rats had a stronger memory for the context-footshock association as assessed by all measures of memory. Thus, post-training treatments affecting BLC function modulate memory for Pavlovian contextual fear conditioning in a manner similar to that found with other types of training.
Exploring the limits of the ALS triple bend lattice

The triple bend achromat cell of the ALS has been shown to be very flexible and compact. It has been operated in a low emittance mode and a low momentum compaction mode. In fact the lattice can be operated in a large range of different stable modes. Until recently most of these recently discovered modes had not been explored or even known about. Many of these modes have potentially attractive features as compared with the present operational mode. In this paper we take a step back and look at the general stability limits of the lattice. We employ a technique we call GLASS that allows us to rapidly scan and find all possible stable modes and then characterize their associated properties. In this paper we illustrate how the GLASS technique gives a global and comprehensive vision of the capabilities of the lattice.
Adsorption and thermal chemistry of acrolein and crotonaldehyde on Pt(111) surfaces

Abstract The surface chemistry of acrolein and of crotonaldehyde on Pt(111) single-crystal surfaces was investigated under vacuum by temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) and reflection-absorption infrared (RAIRS) spectroscopies. The main thermal decomposition path seen for both compounds was the expected decarbonylation of the unsaturated aldehyde to carbon monoxide and the corresponding olefin (ethene and propene, respectively), but small amounts of propene and ketene were detected in the case of acrolein as well. The RAIRS data indicate that while acrolein initially adsorbs with its plane parallel to the surface and interacts mainly via the carbonyl group, crotonaldehyde adopts a more complex geometry where the main interaction to the metal is via a rehybridization of the CC double bond. It is suggested here that the changes in adsorption geometry induced by substitutions in the CC double bond may be responsible for the observed changes in the subsequent reactivity of the adsorbed unsaturated aldehydes.
Interleukin-2: Clinical applications

Interleukin-2 (IL-2) is a promising immunotherapeutic agent for the treatment of metastatic melanoma, acute myelogenous leukemia, and metastatic renal cell carcinoma. While high-dose IL-2 regimens have shown clinical benefit in the treatment of melanoma and renal cell carcinoma, serious dose-limiting toxicities have limited their clinical use in a broader group of patients. Low-dose IL-2 therapy has produced disappointing clinical response rates in melanoma. While the response rates to low-dose IL-2 have been better in renal cell carcinoma, the quality of these responses relative to those seen with high-dose IL-2 therapy remains a concern. The addition of IL-2 to chemotherapeutic regimens (biochemotherapy) has been associated with overall response rates of up to 60% in patients with metastatic melanoma, but this has yet to be translated into a confirmed improvement in survival. It remains to be determined whether further modifications of IL-2-based regimens or the addition of newer agents to IL-2 will produce better tumor response and survival.
Decision based uncertainty propagation using adaptive Gaussian mixtures

Given a decision process based on the approximate probability density function returned by a data assimilation algorithm, an interaction level between the decision making level and the data assimilation level is designed to incorporate the information held by the decision maker into the data assimilation process. Here the information held by the decision maker is a loss function at a decision time which maps the state space onto real numbers which represent the threat associated with different possible outcomes or states. The new probability density function obtained will address the region of interest, the area in the state space with the highest threat, and will provide overall a better approximation to the true conditional probability density function within it. The approximation used for the probability density function is a Gaussian mixture and a numerical example is presented to illustrate the concept.
On modeling and personal dosimetry of cellular telephone helical antennas with the FDTD code

A novel method to model helical antennas working in the normal mode, as well as helix-monopole antennas with finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) code is presented. This method is particularly useful to model antennas used for personal wireless communication handsets, where the fairly small dimensions of the helical antennas with respect to wavelength and the grid cell size do not allow an appropriate description of the antennas by the use of metal wires. By observing that a helix working in the normal mode is equivalent to a sequence of loops and dipoles, it is possible to model the helix as a stack of electric and magnetic sources with relative weights calculated using information obtained from analytical expressions for the far fields. Dosimetry associated with wireless telephones using helical antennas is then considered by calculating the specific absorption rates (SARs) induced by two actual devices in a 1.974/spl times/1.974/spl times/3.0-mm resolution model of the human head based on MRI scans of a male volunteer. Comparison of the computed results with experimental measurements in the near field, the far field, and the induced SARs shows good agreement.
Updating formulae and a pairwise algorithm for computing sample variances

A general formula is presented for computing the simple variance for a sample of size m + n given the means and variances for two subsamples of sizes m and n. This formula is used in the construction of a pairwise algorithm for computing the variance. Other applications are discussed as well, including the use of updating formulae in a parallel computing environnment. We present numerical results and rounding error analyses for several numerical schemes.
Lipoate prevents glucose-induced protein modifications.

Nonenzymatic glycation has been found to increase in a variety of proteins in diabetic patients. The present study examined a possibility of preventing glycation and subsequent structural modifications of proteins by α-lipoic acid (thioctic acid) as lipoate, a substance which has gained attention as a potential therapeutic agent for diabetes-induced complications. Incubation of bovine serum albumin (BSA) at 2 mg/ml with glucose (500 mM) in a sterile condition at 37°C for seven days caused glycation and structural modifications of BSA observed by SDS-PAGE, near UV absorption, tryptophan and nontryptophan fluorescence, and fluorescence of an extrinsic probe, TNS (6-(p-toluidinyl) naphthalene-2-sulfonate). When BSA and glucose were incubated in the presence of lipoate (20 mM), glycation and structural modifications of BSA were significantly prevented. Glycation and inactivation of lysozyme were also prevented by lipoate. These results suggest a potential for the therapeutic use of lipoic acid against diabete...
A 23:1 bandwidth ratio balun on multilayer organic substrate

We present the design and development of a novel, super wide bandwidth balun on a multilayer organic Liquid Crystal Polymer (LCP) substrate. The balun has a measured bandwidth ratio of 23:1, from 80 MHz to 1860 MHz. Within the operating bandwidth, the balun achieves an input return loss of better than 10 dB, an insertion loss of better than 1 dB, an amplitude imbalance of better than 0.4 dB and a phase imbalance of better than 10 degree. The size of the balun is 40.64 mm × 40.64 mm or 0.22 λg × 0.22 λg, where λg is guided-wavelength at the center frequency of 970 MHz. This balun achieves the largest bandwidth ratio reported to date on a multi-layered printed circuit board.
Phase II placebo-controlled randomized discontinuation trial of sorafenib in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma

Purpose This phase II randomized discontinuation trial evaluated the effects of sorafenib (BAY 43-9006), an oral multikinase inhibitor targeting the tumor and vasculature, on tumor growth in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Patients and Methods Patients initially received oral sorafenib 400 mg twice daily during the initial run-in period. After 12 weeks, patients with changes in bidimensional tumor measurements that were less than 25% from baseline were randomly assigned to sorafenib or placebo for an additional 12 weeks; patients with ≥ 25% tumor shrinkage continued open-label sorafenib; patients with ≥ 25% tumor growth discontinued treatment. The primary end point was the percentage of randomly assigned patients remaining progression free at 24 weeks after the initiation of sorafenib. Results Of 202 patients treated during the run-in period, 73 patients had tumor shrinkage of ≥ 25%. Sixty-five patients with stable disease at 12 weeks were randomly assigned to sorafenib (n = 32) or placebo ...
Inferring rule-based strategies in dynamic judgment tasks: toward a noncompensatory formulation of the lens model

Performers in time-stressed, information-rich tasks develop rule-based, simplification strategies to cope with the severe cognitive demands imposed by judgment and decision making. Linear regression modeling, proven useful for describing judgment in a wide range of static tasks, may provide misleading accounts of these heuristics. That approach assumes cue-weighting and cue-integration are well described by compensatory strategies. In contrast, evidence suggests that heuristic strategies in dynamic tasks may instead reflect rule-based, noncompensatory cue usage. We therefore, present a technique called genetics-based policy capturing (GBPC) for inferring noncompensatory rule-based heuristics from judgment data as an alternative to regression. In GBPC, rule-base representation and search uses a genetic algorithm, and fitting the model to data using multiobjective optimization to maximize fit on three dimensions: completeness (all human judgments are represented); specificity (maximal concreteness); and parsimony (no unnecessary rules are used). GBPC is illustrated using data from the highest and lowest scoring participants in a simulated dynamic, combat information center (CIC) task. GBPC inferred rule-bases for these two performers that shed light on both skill and error. We compare the GBPC results with regression-based lens modeling of the same data set, and discuss how the GBPC results allowed us to interpret the high scoring performer's highly significant use of unmodeled knowledge (C=1) revealed by lens model analysis. The GBPC findings also allow us to now interpret a similarly high use of unmodeled knowledge (C=1)in a previously published lens model analysis of a different data set collected in the same experimental task. We conclude by discussing training implications, and also prospects for the development of integrated GBPC models of both human judgment and the task environment, thus providing a noncompensatory formulation of the lens model (a genetics-based lens model, or GBLM) of the integrated human-environment system.
Src Homology 2–containing 5-Inositol Phosphatase (SHIP) Suppresses an Early Stage of Lymphoid Cell Development through Elevated Interleukin-6 Production by Myeloid Cells in Bone Marrow

The Src homology (SH)2–containing inositol 5-phosphatase (SHIP) negatively regulates a variety of immune responses through inhibitory immune receptors. In SHIP−/− animals, we found that the number of early lymphoid progenitors in the bone marrow was significantly reduced and accompanied by expansion of myeloid cells. We exploited an in vitro system using hematopoietic progenitors that reproduced the in vivo phenotype of SHIP−/− mice. Lineage-negative marrow (Lin−) cells isolated from wild-type mice failed to differentiate into B cells when cocultured with those of SHIP−/− mice. Furthermore, culture supernatants of SHIP−/− Lin− cells suppressed the B lineage expansion of wild-type lineage-negative cells, suggesting the presence of a suppressive cytokine. SHIP−/− Lin− cells contained more IL-6 transcripts than wild-type Lin− cells, and neutralizing anti–IL-6 antibody rescued the B lineage expansion suppressed by the supernatants of SHIP−/− Lin− cells. Finally, we found that addition of recombinant IL-6 to cultures of wild-type Lin− bone marrow cells reproduced the phenotype of SHIP−/− bone marrow cultures: suppression of B cell development and expansion of myeloid cells. The results identify IL-6 as an important regulatory cytokine that can suppress B lineage differentiation and drive excessive myeloid development in bone marrow.
Novel substrate-independent broadband micromachined antennas for mm-wave cognitive radio applications

In this paper, novel U-slot and Yagi-Uda micromachined patch antennas were designed based on the "micromachined elevation " technique to improve the performance of mm-wave cognitive radios in terms of gain, weight and bandwidth. The elevated antennas were fed with a micromachined probe connected to a CPW line on top of a high - substrate. By elevating the antenna from the highr substrate, high-performance antenna designs can coexist with compact feed networks in 3D module configurations. A lOdB impedance bandwidth of 31%> and 25% were obtained for the U-slot and Yagi designs, respectively.
Semiclassical Monte-Carlo approach for modelling non-adiabatic dynamics in extended molecules

Modelling of non-adiabatic dynamics in extended molecular systems and solids is a next frontier of atomistic electronic structure theory. The underlying numerical algorithms should operate only with a few quantities (that can be efficiently obtained from quantum chemistry), provide a controlled approximation (which can be systematically improved) and capture important phenomena such as branching (multiple products), detailed balance and evolution of electronic coherences. Here we propose a new algorithm based on Monte-Carlo sampling of classical trajectories, which satisfies the above requirements and provides a general framework for existing surface hopping methods for non-adiabatic dynamics simulations. In particular, our algorithm can be viewed as a post-processing technique for analysing numerical results obtained from the conventional surface hopping approaches. Presented numerical tests for several model problems demonstrate efficiency and accuracy of the new method.
Atomic-Scale Templates Patterned by Ultrahigh Vacuum Scanning Tunneling Microscopy on Silicon

The ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) scanning tunneling microscope (STM) enables patterning and characterization of the physical, chemical, and electronic properties of nanostructures on surfaces with atomic precision. On hydrogen-passivated Si(100) surfaces, selective nanopatterning with the STM probe allows the creation of atomic-scale templates of dangling bonds surrounded by a robust hydrogen resist. Feedback-controlled lithography, which can remove a single hydrogen atom from the Si(100):H surface, demonstrates high-resolution nanopatterning. The resulting patterns can be used as templates for a variety of materials to form hybrid silicon nanostructures while maintaining a pristine background resist. The versatility of this UHV-STM nanolithography approach has led to its use on a variety of other substrates, including alternative hydrogen-passivated semiconductor surfaces, molecular resists, and native oxide resists. This review discusses the mechanisms of STM-induced hydrogen desorption, the postpatterning de...
Helical Conformations of Conducting Polymers

Helical conformations of polymers occur due to a variety of factors, some of which are electronic in origin. We briefly review the situations in which there is an electronic driving force towards a helix including a case that might be called a helical Peierls distortion. Energetics and geometries of helical conformations of polythiophene and polypyrrole are also analyzed.
Gifted: The End of a Tail

Special education in the United States services a diverse population, including those students whose academic performance falls at the ends of the normal distribution. This article challenges the assumption that a continuum of learning opportunities appropriate for exceptional persons is possible when the concept of the normal distribution is used. An alternate model, a bull's-eye, is suggested to accommodate the openended potential for the gifted population.
Aromatase: a key molecule in the pathophysiology of endometriosis and a therapeutic target.

Abstract Objective: To provide a clinically useful model illustrating the molecular aberrations affecting estrogen biosynthesis and metabolism in endometriosis and to discuss the therapeutic role of aromatase inhibitors. Design: Literature review. Result(s): Several molecular aberrations were found in endometriotic lesions (in contrast to eutopic endometrium) that favor increased local concentrations of E 2 . Endometriotic stromal cells aberrantly express aromatase, which converts C 19 steroids to estrogens. Aromatase activity in these cells is stimulated by prostaglandin (PG)E 2 . Estrogen stimulates cyclooxygenase-2, giving rise to increased PGE 2 formation. Thus, this positive feedback loop produces increasing quantities of E 2 and PGE 2 in endometriosis. The lack of aromatase expression in eutopic endometrium is maintained by binding of an inhibitory transcription factor, COUP-TF, to the aromatase promoter. In endometriosis, however, an aberrantly expressed factor, SF-1, displaces COUP-TF to bind to this same promoter and activates aromatase expression and thus local estrogen biosynthesis. Additionally, endometriotic glandular cells are deficient in 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2, which converts E 2 to estrone in the eutopic endometrium in response to P. Deficiency of this enzyme in endometriosis impairs the inactivation of E 2 and may be a consequence of insensitivity to P. Conclusion(s): Molecular aberrations that increase local E 2 concentrations may be important in the etiology of endometriosis. These molecules may be targeted to develop novel therapeutic strategies. The clinical relevance of aromatase expression in endometriosis was shown recently by the successful treatment of an unusually aggressive case of postmenopausal endometriosis with use of an aromatase inhibitor.
Analyzing a Work Incentive: The Plan for Achieving Self-Support and School-To-Work Transition

The Plan for Achieving Self-Support (PASS) is an empowering tool that complements the transition planning process required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. This article examined utilization of the PASS work incentive, which is available for persons receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI). For persons with disabilities who are eligible, the SSI program offers cash assistance, health insurance, and various work incentives such as the PASS. In this article, Social Security Administration program data was used to analyze demographic factors, disability status, occupational goals, PASS preparers, and requested items and services for 103 newly approved PASSes. These findings demonstrate that few transition-age students used PASSes, and the total number of PASSes has reduced substantially in light of recent administrative changes. The findings also demonstrate that persons with mental illness are more likely to use PASSes, education and transportation are the most frequently requested ser...