cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fine-needle aspiration biopsy of skeletal versus extraskeletal osteosarcoma.

Background Although fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) of primary skeletal osteosarcoma (OS) has been described adequately, to the authors' knowledge, cytologic descriptions of extraskeletal OS appear limited to only rare case reports. Methods In an attempt to analyze the utility and accuracy of FNAB in a diagnosis of skeletal versus extraskeletal OS, the authors retrospectively reviewed their 5-year experience. The study sample included 15 skeletal OS specimens (13 primary, 1 local recurrence, and 1 pulmonary metastasis) in 14 patients ages 10-58 years (mean, 27 years; median, 25 years) and 5 extraskeletal OS specimens (3 primary and 2 metastatic) in 4 patients ages 36, 37, 65, and 79 years, respectively. Based on accepted clinical criteria, two patients (a mother with extraskeletal OS and a daughter with skeletal OS) had Li-Fraumeni syndrome. Results Of the adequate primary skeletal OS cases analyzed by FNAB, 10 of 12 (83%) were diagnosed correctly and subsequently treated according to a disease specific protocol. One case was considered unsatisfactory. One tumor initially was diagnosed as a giant cell tumor and another was referred to nonspecifically as "spindle-cell neoplasm." On histologic examination, the former case demonstrated a high grade fibroblastic OS arising within a giant cell tumor. None of the primary extraskeletal OS cases analyzed by FNAB was recognized as OS. One was diagnosed nonspecifically as "sarcoma" and the other was referred to simply as "atypical mesenchymal cells." A third case was comprised of scant fragments of adipose tissue, fibrous tissue, and cartilage and was considered unsatisfactory. Both examples of metastatic extraskeletal OS were recognized by FNAB. Conclusions With appropriate clinicoradiologic correlation, skeletal OS generally is easily diagnosed by FNAB. Because of the older age of most patients with extraskeletal OS and the rather nonspecific radiographic findings (e.g., soft tissue mass), extraskeletal OS may not be recognized easily by FNAB and most likely requires incisional biopsy to establish a definitive diagnosis in most cases. Additional larger series will be required before drawing definite conclusions.
58 GROWTH HORMONE DEFICIENCY: INTERLEUKIN 2 (IL2) AND IMMUNE FUNCTION

IL2 production in response to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) was measured in 5 patients with growth hormone deficiency (GHD) (ages 7.8-14.5). In 3 patients IL2 was determined before and 24 hrs after the first dose (2 units) of human growth hormone (HGH) administration. In 2 patients IL2 was measured after 1 and 16 months of HGH treatment. At no time could IL2 production be identified in these patients. In contrast 1 patient (age 14) with short stature and normal GH responses to standard stimulatory tests on treatment with exogenous HGH for 6 months did produce IL2 normally. We have previously presented data (Society Pediatric Research 1984) demonstrating that continuous treatment with HGH for 1 year resulted in transient decrease in % B cells, T helper/suppressor (T H/S) ratio and PHA responsiveness in 8 GHD patients. When treatment was interrupted for 1-2 month intervals, restarting HGH resulted in a fall in % B cells in 5/7 patients, mean 17.6% (range 12-20) to 7.8% (range 6-11) and a fall in T H/S ratio in 4/7 patients, mean 1.83 (range 1.5-2.0) to 1.20 (range 1.0-1.4) after 1-2 months of treatment. Serum immunoglobulins and poly-morphonuclear leukocyte function was not affected by HGH treatment for up to 24 months in any patient. In conclusion Interleukin 2 production, unlike other immune parameters, is impaired in growth hormone deficient patients and is unaffected by human growth hormone treatment.
On the distribution of the general irreversible -compartmental model having time-dependent transition probabilities

The cumulant generating function and first two moments are derived for the stochastic distribution of units in a general irreversiblen-compartment model with time-dependent transition probabilities. In this model, a unit in the first compartment can transfer to any one of the remainingn−1 compartments and a unit in the second compartment can transfer to any of the remainingn−2 compartments and so on. In addition, a unit can enter or leave the system through any compartment. The work is related to previous research and a numerical example is given.
Self-diffusion in body-centered cubic titanium-vanadium alloys

Diffusion coefficients for 44Ti and 48V in titanium-vanadium alloys were determined at 10wt.% increments in the temperature range of 900°C to within about 50°C of the melting points. The data are adequately described by continuously curved lines on Arrhenius-type plots.
Considerations in Treatment Planning for Esophageal Cancer

Radiation therapy is an important component of the multidisciplinary management of esophageal cancer. In this article, we review the current approaches to achieving the desired dose to the esophagus and regional lymph nodes, with an emphasis on the dose constraints to adjacent normal structures, particularly the heart and lungs. The application of newer technologies such as positron-emission tomography/computed tomography scanning and intensity-modulated radiation therapy is also explored.
A General Implementation of TMLE for Longitudinal Data Applied to Causal Inference in Survival Analysis

In many randomized controlled trials the outcome of interest is a time to event, and one measures on each subject baseline covariates and time-dependent covariates until the subject either drops-out, the time to event is observed, or the end of study is reached. The goal of such a study is to assess the causal effect of the treatment on the survival curve. We present a targeted maximum likelihood estimator of the causal effect of treatment on survival fully utilizing all the available covariate information, resulting in a double robust locally efficient substitution estimator that will be consistent and asymptotically linear if either the censoring mechanism is consistently estimated, or if the maximum likelihood based estimator is already consistent. In particular, under the independent censoring assumption assumed by current methods, this TMLE is always consistent and asymptotically linear so that it provides valid confidence intervals and tests. Furthermore, we show that when both the censoring mechanism and the initial maximum likelihood based estimator are mis-specified, and thus inconsistent, the TMLE exhibits stability when inverse probability weighted estimators and double robust estimating equation based methods break down The TMLE is used to analyze the Tshepo study, a study designed to evaluate the efficacy, tolerability, and development of drug resistance of six different first-line antiretroviral therapies. Most importantly this paper presents a general algorithm that may be used to create targeted maximum likelihood estimators of a large class of parameters of interest for general longitudinal data structures.
Research methodology for the Internet: external validity (generalizability)

The burgeoning use of the Internet for nursing research calls for a need to examine characteristics of electronic populations, and how they can be conceptualized relative to their physically based counterparts. The 1963 work of Campbell and Stanley, now 40 years old, is revisited in relation to external validity, and its applicability to today's world of quantitative and qualitative research. Internal and external differences in Internet populations are outlined, and a new threat to external validity is proposed: the threat of Networked Effects, which is composed of 4 subfactors: Co-occurring Interferences to Testing, Self-selection Mechanisms, Electronic Group Environments, and Cultural Differences. These Internet threats must be well understood when formulating research methodology.
Relative body weight and self-esteem among African Americans in four nationally representative samples.

FAITH, MYLES S., ELIZABETH MANIBAY, MEREDYTH KRAVITZ, JOHN GRIFFITH, DAVID B. ALLISON. Relative body weight and self-esteem among African Americans in four nationally representative samples. Obes. Res. 1998;6:430–437. Objective: Obesity is an increasingly common health problem among African Americans, especially women, in the United States. However, limited data are available on the psychological correlates of obesity in this population. This study examined the association between self-esteem and relative body weight (RBW) in four large nationally representative samples of African American individuals. Research Methods and Procedures: Data from The Adolescent Health Care Evaluation Study, The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, The High School and Beyond, and The National Survey of Black Americans were analyzed. Within each database, regression analyses tested the association between RBW and self-esteem while adjusting for age and sex. Results: In three of the four databases, there was no significant association between RBW and self-esteem. In the only database detecting a statistically significant effect, the magnitude of the effect was small. The combined effects of RBW and its interaction with age and sex accounted for <2% of the variance in self-esteem across databases. Discussion: Results suggest that elevated RBW is not associated with a poorer general self-concept, on average, among African American individuals.
Late-onset dysphagia lusoria assessed by 3-dimensional computed tomography of an aortic arch abnormality.

SUMMARY. Symptomatic vascular rings causing late-onset dysphagia (dysphagia lusoria) are quite unusual in adults. We present a 42-year-old woman with a 1-year history of dysphagia from a right-sided aortic arch with an aberrant left subclavian artery and left-sided ligamentum arteriosum. Using a helical CT scan of the chest and a three-dimensional reconstruction software, her anatomic abnormality was completely delineated. Arch aortogram confirmed the anomaly. The patient underwent a left posteriolateral thoracotomy. Intraoperative findings correlated precisely with the preoperative reconstruction data. Division of the ligamentum resulted in a complete decompression of the esophagus and resolution of the patient's symptoms.
Echocardiography in acquired cardiac and pericardial disease.

E CHOCARDIOGRAPHIC DIAGNOSIS depends on identification of cardiac structures and evaluation of structure size, position, configuration, motion pattern, and the intensity of echo returns. Every ultrasonic examination of the heart should depict the four valves, the anterior and posterior cardiac walls, the thickness of the septal and left ventricular walls, and the size of the ventricles and left atrium. These are usually accomplished by stationary beam examinations, but it is also valuable to survey the heart with the moving beam.
Kinematic hardening in a dispersion strengthened aluminum alloy: experiment and modeling

The hardening behavior of a dispersion strengthened aluminum alloy, 8009, is characterized experimentally and shown to be primarily kinematic in nature. Although the alloy contains 0.25 volume fraction of dispersoid, the microstructure is analogous to that of a material cycled to saturation in fully reversed loading fatigue in that it consists of essentially dislocation and dispersoid free grain interiors with a grain diameter of less than 0.5 μm. The high dispersoid volume fraction is associated with the grain boundaries. An attempt is made to model the hardening behavior of the alloy using the micro-mechanic model known as the generalized method of cells (GMC). Good correspondence between the model response and the actual material behavior is obtained; however, matching of flow stresses between model outputs and actual alloy behavior requires assignment of unrealistically high material properties to some model subcells. Explanations for the limited modeling success are tendered and suggestions for improvement of the physical realism of the GMC model are proposed.
The Denial of Citizenship: “barbaric” Buenos Aires and the middle-class imaginary

This essay explores how, in the Buenos Aires of neoliberalism, middle-class residents strove to make sense of their own impoverishment and their disenfranchisement by generating a consensus on how this city's modernity was being eroded by the presence of a mestizo lower class. Through an analysis of the discourse that constructed the urban poor as barbaric (i.e., dangerous, polluting, and foreign), I suggest that this representation not only sought to reinforce the fading social difference between the middle- and the lower class, but it also contributed to denying the latter its citizenship in a Buenos Aires that struggled to be modern.
Perpendicular Proton Heating Due to Energy Cascade of Fast Magnetosonic Waves in the Solar Corona

Observational data and theoretical models suggest that the wave spectrum in the solar wind and corona may contain a fast magnetosonic mode component. This paper presents two-dimensional hybrid simulations of the energy cascade among the fast waves in the vicinity of the proton inertial scale. The initial spectrum consists of modes propagating in the positive direction, defined by the mean magnetic field, and is allowed to evolve freely in time. The plasma beta is set to low values typical of the solar corona. The cascade proceeds from lower to higher wavenumbers and mostly in the direction across the magnetic field. The highly oblique fast waves are strongly dissipated on the protons. The resulting proton heating is preferentially perpendicular to the magnetic field. If the wave intensity is constrained by the observed density spectra in the corona, the heating is fast enough to generate the solar wind.
WE-E-217A-04: Training and QA Procedures for Using CAD Systems.

Computer‐aided detection/diagnosis (CAD) devices for radiology are becoming increasingly available for clinical use. To achieve the highest possible benefit from CAD systems, best practices are required for clinical implementation and use of CAD. This lecture will discuss four areas of interest to the medical physics community pertaining to CAD best practices: off‐label use and pitfalls, user training, QA of CAD use, and academic opportunities for quality assurance (QA) research. Financial Disclosure: Patent royalties from and research agreement with iCAD; software license to Translational Sciences Corporation. Learning Objectives: 1. Understand benefits of PACS integration of CAD. 2. Identify potential issues with off‐label use of CAD. 3. Understand the importance of user training relating to CAD devices. 4. Learn potential QA procedures to assure proper use of CAD as designed. 5. Learn about areas of CAD user training and QA that could benefit from further research.
Bonded to whom? Social interactions in a high-amenity rural setting

Beginning with Kasarda and Janowitz, several dimensions of community attachment have been theorized. The local social bonds or the interpersonal dimension of community attachment is reflected in so...
Biographical Sketch: Thomas Callaway, FRCS (1822–1869)

This biographical sketch on Thomas Callaway corresponds to the historic text, The Classic: A Dissertation Upon Dislocations and Fractures of the Clavicle and Shoulder-Joint (1849) available at DOI 10.1007/s11999-011-2098-1.
Low probability of intercept (LPI) techniques and implementations for radar systems

After a brief overview of optimal low-probability of intercept (LPI) radar design criteria, it is shown that for a given radar signal code length, many more codes are available by using higher-order Galois fields; that is, polyphase coding will supply the required diversity. Various aspects of polyphase coding are described because Doppler compensation of the returned signal is a polyphase process. It is shown that radiated spectral components are minimized if the code modulation is restricted to codes that have two-level autocorrelation functions. In addition, polyphase code modulation assignments allow the peak correlation sidelobes to be minimized in contrast to biphase coding that relies only on the best choice for the starting code element. The RMS sidelobe values are likewise reduced, so clutter rejection is actually improved with polyphase coding. >
Fabrication of New Multilayer Heterostructures Based on Self-Assembled Layers of Poly(amic acid) with Various Electroactive Polymers

Self-assembled films of pyromellitic dianhydride oxydianiline (PMDA-ODA) were fabricated through the alternate adsorption of poly(amic acid) and various polycations including poly(allyl amine) (PAH), polyaniline (PAni), and the tetrahydrothiophene precursor of poly(p-phenylene vinylene) (PPV). In all cases, a linear build-up in thickness with increasing number of bilayers was observed with a high sensitivity of the average bilayer thickness to the ionic strength of the poly(amic acid) solution. By controlling the ionic strength of the PAA solution, the bilayer thickness could be varied from 10 to 100 A, depending on the polycation used. Examination of the self-assembled films of poly(amic acid) and PAni showed that a conductivity of 0.5 S/cm could be achieved prior to conversion of the polyimide, but that the conductivity was drastically reduced when either the ionic strength of the poly(amic acid) solution was increased or when the poly(amic acid) was converted to polyimide. The self-assembly of poly(amic acid) with precursor PPV demonstrated that it was possible to produce a film which can be self-assembled as two ionic precursor polymers and then thermally converted into a film composed of two non- ionic polymers. Advancing sessile water drop contact angle measurements revealed that very hydrophobic surfaces can be generated upon conversion of the PAA/precursor PPV films.
DSSTox chemical-index files for exposure-related experiments in ArrayExpress and Gene Expression Omnibus

Summary: The Distributed Structure-Searchable Toxicity (DSSTox) ARYEXP and GEOGSE files are newly published, structure-annotated files of the chemical-associated and chemical exposure-related summary experimental content contained in the ArrayExpress Repository and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) Series (based on data extracted on September 20, 2008). ARYEXP and GEOGSE contain 887 and 1064 unique chemical substances mapped to 1835 and 2381 chemical exposure-related experiment accession IDs, respectively. The standardized files allow one to assess, compare and search the chemical content in each resource, in the context of the larger DSSTox toxicology data network, as well as across large public cheminformatics resources such as PubChem ( http://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). Availability: Data files and documentation may be accessed online at http://epa.gov/ncct/dsstox/. Contact: williams.clarlynda@epa.gov Supplementary information:Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Biomarkers in early breast neoplasia

Early breast neoplasia may be defined in many ways. Any non-invasive or invasive but nonmetastatic breast cancer qualifies as early neoplasia in the sense that they are non-lethal. Before we can prevent lethal breast cancer, we must gain a better understanding of the biological abnormalities underlying its development and progression. Many studies into the mechanisms of breast cancer evolution have evaluated potential precursor lesions (e.g., proliferative disease without atypia [PDWA], atypical ductal hyperplasia [ADH], and ductal carcinoma in situ [DCIS]) for genetic alterations known to occur in fully developed invasive carcinomas. This approach has shed some light on events which may be important in early malignant transformation, including the observations that overexpression of the c-erbB-2 oncogene and mutations of the p53 tumor suppressor gene are present in significant subsets of DCIS, but not PDWA or ADH. This approach is limited by our incomplete knowledge of cancer genetics. However, there is more to learn by evaluating known cancer-associated genes in potential precursor lesions using established techniques such as immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. Until recently, technology could not detect unknown genetic abnormalities in microscopic lesions such as PDWA, ADH, or DCIS. Now, PCR-based techniques have the theoretical ability to detect novel tumor promoter and suppressor genes in clinical samples of these very small lesions. For example, suppressor-type genes may be detected using comprehensive mapping probes to identify loss of heterozygosity in PCR-amplified DNA extracted from a few hundred cells microdissected from either fresh or archival tissue.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
A Mitochondrial-Targeted Coenzyme Q Analog Prevents Weight Gain and Ameliorates Hepatic Dysfunction in High-Fat–Fed Mice

We hypothesized that the mitochondrial-targeted antioxidant, mitoquinone (mitoQ), known to have mitochondrial uncoupling properties, might prevent the development of obesity and mitigate liver dysfunction by increasing energy expenditure, as opposed to reducing energy intake. We administered mitoQ or vehicle (ethanol) to obesity-prone C57BL/6 mice fed high-fat (HF) or normal-fat (NF) diets. MitoQ (500 µM) or vehicle (ethanol) was added to the drinking water for 28 weeks. MitoQ significantly reduced total body mass and fat mass in the HF-fed mice but had no effect on these parameters in NF mice. Food intake was reduced by mitoQ in the HF-fed but not in the NF-fed mice. Average daily water intake was reduced by mitoQ in both the NF- and HF-fed mice. Hypothalamic expression of neuropeptide Y, agouti-related peptide, and the long form of the leptin receptor were reduced in the HF but not in the NF mice. Hepatic total fat and triglyceride content did not differ between the mitoQ-treated and control HF-fed mice. However, mitoQ markedly reduced hepatic lipid hydroperoxides and reduced circulating alanine aminotransferase, a marker of liver function. MitoQ did not alter whole-body oxygen consumption or liver mitochondrial oxygen utilization, membrane potential, ATP production, or production of reactive oxygen species. In summary, mitoQ added to drinking water mitigated the development of obesity. Contrary to our hypothesis, the mechanism involved decreased energy intake likely mediated at the hypothalamic level. MitoQ also ameliorated HF-induced liver dysfunction by virtue of its antioxidant properties without altering liver fat or mitochondrial bioenergetics.
Isolated cleft palate in mice after transportation during gestation.

Subjecting pregnant mice to a 48-hour transportation process during the 5 days of gestation prior to embryonic palate closure increased the frequency of isolated cleft palate (CP) in the fetuses examined just before delivery. The increase in CP rate was dependent on the mouse strain and the time of gestation during which transportation was carried out. Fourteen litters of A/J mice shipped on day 13 had 27% CP and 15% when shipment was made as early as day 10. In 14 litters of DBA/2J shipped day 13 there was 3% CP whereas ten litters of C57BL/6J and five litters of CBA/J shipped on day 13 had no CP. In ten litters of C3H/J shipped on day 12 there was one CP and none in ten litters shipped on days 13 or 14. The rank of relative CP susceptibility in the strains was the same as that produced by cortisone injection. This relation is interpreted in terms of interaction between variable maternal blood corticosterone levels in response to “stress” and variable fetal teratologic responsiveness.
Thermal imaging for anxiety detection

We propose a revolutionary concept for detecting suspects engaged in illegal and potentially harmful activities in or around critical military or civilian installations. We investigate the use of thermal image analysis to detect at a distance facial patterns of anxiety, alertness, and/or fearfulness. This is a totally novel approach to the problem of biometric identification. Instead of focusing on the question "who are you" we focus instead on the question "what are you about to do". Documented preliminary results clearly indicate the feasibility of the idea.
A 220-kilodalton glycoprotein in yeast extract inhibits Staphylococcus aureus adherence to human endothelial cells

Abstract A 220-kDa glycoprotein from yeast extract causes a twofold decrease in S. aureus adherence to human endothelial cells in vitro. Medium constituents can have a significant effect on bacterial adherence interactions.
DRAM technology trend and prospect

With the successful development of 64 Mbit DRAMs, the pursuit for high density DRAMs continues. This talk discusses the DRAM technology trend primarily from device and circuit points of view, and examines the feasibility and requirements for the next generation 256 Mbit DRAMs. >
Comparison between eigenfaces and Fisherfaces for estimating driver pose

In this paper, we discuss the problem of estimating the pose of an automobile driver from video of the driver as he or she drives the vehicle. The results reported are a follow-on to those presented in the IEEE Intelligent Transportation Systems Conference 2000 by the same authors. The previous results pertained to pose classification using a non-parametric eigenface approach. Although the eigenface approach yielded impressive results, there were certain types of mis-classification errors that could be eliminated perhaps by using a different approach. In this paper, classification results obtained by another non-parametric approach, namely Fisherfaces, are compared with the eigenface approach. These results show that Fisherfaces outperform eigenfaces.
Image background search: combining object detection techniques with content-based image retrieval (CBIR) systems

A framework for combining object detection techniques with a content based image retrieval (CBIR) system is discussed. As an example, a special CBIR system which focuses on human faces as foreground and decides the similarity of images based on background features is presented. This system may be useful in automatically generating albums from consumer photos.
Surgery of the Pons

Tumors of the brainstem make up 10–20 % of all tumors of the central nervous system in the pediatric population. In the United States, there are 150–300 annual cases each year. The average age of diagnosis is 7–9 years old and both males and females are equally affected. The term “brainstem tumor” in the pediatric population refers to a heterogeneous group of tumors that arise in the midbrain, pons, and medulla. Diffuse gliomas make up to 75 % of all brainstem tumors. In the pons, diffuse gliomas are the most common tumor type, although focal tumors are also seen. Diffuse brainstem gliomas have a poor prognosis and their natural history is similar to that of glioblastoma multiforme. Focal tumors, on the other hand, comprise approximately 25 % of brainstem tumors and have a much better prognosis (Fig. 1).
The Prostate Health Index: Its Utility in Prostate Cancer Detection

The Prostate Health Index is a Food and Drug Administration-approved blood test combining total, free, and [-2]pro prostate-specific antigen with greater specificity than free and total prostate-specific antigen for clinically significant prostate cancer. This article reviews the evidence on the performance of the Prostate Health Index to predict prostate biopsy outcome, its incorporation into multivariable risk-assessment tools, and its ability to predict prognosis after conservative management or prostate cancer treatment.
The Drucker Vision: Corporations, Managers, Markets, and Innovation

This is the second of two essays on the influences of Peter Drucker’s exposure to proponents of the Austrian School of economics on his writing and philosophical views. In the first essay, “On the Foundations of the Drucker Vision,” I review the major influences that appear to have shaped much of his thinking, focusing mainly on post-World War I European history and the development of the Austrian School. In this essay, I review Drucker’s writing with the objective of tracing the how his views have been shaped by these influences. I focus, in particular on Drucker’s views of classical economics, the profit motive, corporate purpose, the value imperative, corporate social responsibility, managerial ethics, corporate purpose, innovation, pension funds, and the market for corporate control. The over-arching objective of both essays is to provide clearer interpretation of the meaning of some of Drucker’s most important and frequently misunderstood contributions.
Alternatives for Providing Additional State Funding to New York City Schools

The author looks at ways that New York state can provide additional funding for New York City schools; she considers how Michigan, New Hampshire, and Texas have funded their schools. She concludes that New York should consider adopting a statewide property tax.
Improving multiset canonical correlation analysis in high dimensional sample deficient settings

We consider the problem of inferring and learning latent correlations present in multiple noisy matrix-valued datasets using multiset canonical correlation analysis (MCCA). We show that empirical MCCA will provably fail to infer the presence of latent correlations when the sample size is less than a threshold that is completely specified by the dimensionality of the datasets. For the setting where the individual noisy data matrices are structured as low-rank-plus-noise, we propose a simple modification of MCCA, which we label Informative MCCA (IMCCA). We show, on both synthetic and real-world datasets, that IMCCA reliably infers and learns latent correlations.
Relationship of Root Ratings, Root Size, and Root Regrowth to Yield of Corn Injured by Western Corn Rootworm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Root damage ratings are a major method of assessing larval injury to corn roots by corn rootworms. This 2-yr study was conducted to examine the relationships between root ratings, root size, root regrowth, and grain yield. Treatments included several nitrogen, plant density, and western corn rootworm infestation levels. Root ratings were not consistent predictors of yield over both years of this study. Yields of plants having root injury were highly variable when agronomic and environmental conditions were favorable for plant growth. Root biomass was a more consistent predictor of grain yield with R2 of 0.52 and 0.61 in 1984 and 1985, respectively. Root growth (regrowth in infested plants) was quantified in 1985 by subtracting root weights in early July from average weights sampled after regrowth had occurred. During this time period, root growth of noninfested plants was not statistically different than regrowth of infested plants. The interaction between infestation and nitrogen was significant, which indicated that regrowth of damaged roots increased greatly with the application of nitrogen. Regrowth of injured roots also was enhanced in the moderate plant density (63,000 plants per ha) treatment. Grain yields were related to regrowth of injured plants (R2 of 0.65 and 0.60 at the moderate and high infestation levels, respectively). These results suggest that an index for regrowth should be used when relating root damage to grain yield.
Limits of Political Engagement in Antebellum America: A New Look at the Golden Age of Participatory Democracy

The expansion of democracy during the decades preceding the Civil War has long been a central theme of American historical literature, and in recent years political historians have vastly increased our knowledge of emerging democratic institutions and processes by examining the partisan battles of that era. Virtually all historians agree that political engagement, which went well beyond voting, was both widespread and deeply felt within the electorate. Jean H. Baker observes "that nineteenth-century Americans gave closer attention to politics than is the case today, thereby guaranteeing a broader, deeper understanding of issues. . . . party rallies were better attended than Sunday services or even meetings of itinerant preachers," and elections "became secular holy days." Politics and, especially, partisan commitment colored many other aspects of American life. "More than in any subsequent era," writes William E. Gienapp, "political life formed the very essence of the pre-Civil War generation's experience." The political party, according to Michael E. McGerr, was not merely an institution for formulating public policy and organizing election campaigns, but "a natural lens through which to view the world." "Politics seem to enter into everything," complained a nonpartisan editor during the heat of the 1860 presidential campaign, and a generation of historians has in effect concurred in Gienapp's approving use of this phrase as the title of his seminal essay on northern American political culture and behavior in the antebellum era. '
Brief Note Lymphocyte RNA Synthesis in Infectious Mononucleosis: The Response to Phytohemagglutinin in Vitro

Circulating lymphocytes were isolated from normal individuals and from patients with IM. IM lymphocytes synthesized RNA at 10 times the rate of normal lymphocytes. A 1-hour exposure to PHA did not result in the stimulation of 4 to 30S RNA synthesis which occurs in a similarly treated normal lymphocyte. RNA synthesis in IM lymphocytes actually appeared to be depressed by this short exposure to PHA.
Inter-Industry Variation in the Relation between Abnormal Accruals & Audit Engagement Life Expectancy

Lustgarten and Shon (2011) exploit a hazard model to examine the determinants of the expected remaining length (i.e. life expectancy) of audit engagements. Their main finding is that the life expectancies of audit engagements decrease when firms make relatively large positive or large negative abnormal accruals, but such life expectancies increase with relatively modest abnormal accruals. In this study, I examine the inter-industry variation in this relation across 48 different industry classifications (Fama and French, 1997). Audit engagement life expectancies for six industries (Apparel, Automobiles and Trucks, Electrical Equipment, Miscellaneous, Pharmaceutical Products, Retail) are found to be particularly sensitive to large negative abnormal accruals Similarly, five industries (Banking, Fabricated Products, Real Estate, Rubber and Plastic Products, Wholesale) are sensitive to large positive abnormal accruals. Lastly, three industries (Communication, Precious Metals, Transportation) are sensitive to both negative and positive accruals. These findings help inform auditors, client firms and industry regulators that are more susceptible to contentious disagreements that may arise during audit engagements.
Effect of Functional Beverages of Rhodiola on Ability of Anti-Fatigue and Anoxia Endurance in Mice

Objective To study the effect of functional beverages of rhodiola on the ability of anti-fatigue and anoxia endurance in mice. Methods Functional beverages of rhodiola was consecutively orally given to mice with the doses of 160,80 and 40 ml / kg for 30 days respectively. Test of burdened swimming,and urea,hepatic glycogen and lactic acid determination were used to assess the function of anti-fatigue of mice. Tests of anoxia endurance under normal pressure,sodium nitrite poisoning and acute cerebral ischemia( decapitation) were used to assess the function of anoxia endurance of mice. Results Compared with control group,the mice in the high and middle dose groups showed a longer burdened swimming time( P 0. 05); The serum urea content of mice decreased significantly( P 0. 05),but the hepatic glycogen content increased in the high dose group( P 0. 05). The area under curve of blood lactic acid all decreased in the three dose groups( P 0. 05). The mice in the high and middle dose groups showed a longer survival time under anoxia condition and a longer survival time after being poisoned by sodium nitrite( P 0. 05). The mice in the high dose group showed a longer breathing time after decapitation( P 0. 01). Conclusion Functional beverages of rhodiola can contribute to imporve the function of anti-fatigue and anoxia endurance in mice.
Responses of grain filling characteristics of winter wheat cultivars released in different decades to water deficit in North China Plain

Six cultivars,namely:Bima 1,Jinan 2,Taishan 1,Jimai 26,Jimai 38 and Jimai 22 released in the 1950s,1960s,1970s,1980s,1990s and 2000s,were grown under both irrigated and rain-fed conditions in two successive growing seasons from 2010 to 2012.The 1000-grain weight and grain filling characteristics were monitored and compared among cultivars to water conditions.The results indicated that the current cultivar(Jimai 22) was characterized by remarkable increase in 1000-grain weight,grain filling duration,average filling rate,especially grain filling duration and rate during the quickly increasing stage along with the cultivar evolvement.Under rain-fed condition,the 1000-grain weight and the grain filling duration and rate values of all cultivars during the quickly increasing stage were lower than those under irrigated condition.The fact that larger reduction for Jimai 22 compared to other cultivars indicates it is more vulnerable to water deficiency.Therefore,future research should focus on the grain filling characteristics and their adaptation to water deficit during the quickly increasing stage in winter wheat.
Data-Driven Stochastic Pricing and Application to Electricity Market

This paper develops a novel approach to computation of the probability integrals encountered in derivative pricing using stochastic models estimated from historical data. First, nonparametric probability distribution models are built directly from the data as a solution of a convex optimization problem scalable to very big datasets. Second, these models are used for numerical calculus of probability integrals, where the quadrature includes long tails of the probability distributions. The application example is the procurement contract in the day-ahead bulk market for electricity. The data for PJM utility loads and prices in the day-ahead and spot markets were used to estimate the risk and to price the contract. The data-driven forward contract pricing allows to optimize the contract cost and reduce it by 2% compared to the baseline; this corresponds to about $0.6B/year in potential utility savings.
Ventricular Arrhythmias: Medical Therapy, Device Treatment, and Indications for Electrophysiologic Study

Sustained ventricular arrhythmias commonly occur in post-myocardial infarction patients. Electrophysiology studies have greatly contributed to understanding the mechanisms of these arrhythmias and in guiding therapy. In addition to pharmacologic therapy, new treatment modalities-which include arrhythmia surgery, device therapy, and percutaneous catheter ablation-have resulted in a significantly improved outcome in patients with malignant ventricular arrhythmias
Morphology, root conductivity, and mineral accumulation of Northwest U.S. tree species in response to acid deposition in artificial soil

The mechanisms of long-term acid rain effects on tree growth have been difficult to elucidate due to the complexity of altered soil processes under acid stress. A solid rooting medium was developed for studying plant responses to Al and pH interactions with other soil factors. The growing medium consisted of a mixture of quartz sand and Al-hydroxy montmorillonite. The Al-hydroxy montmorillonite was synthesized by precipitating Al(OH)3 on the clay particles. One year old nursery stock of Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga mensiesii [Mirb.] Franco), western larch (Larix occidentalis Nutt.), and Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii Parry) were grown in the medium for 2 months and watered with nutrient solutions adjusted to 3 pH levels. Estimated Al3+ activities in the leachate of the 2.5, 3.5, and 5.5 pH treatments ranged from 13 to 605, 3.1 to 0.75, and 3.8 to 0.03 × 10−6, respectively. Root lengths decreased 14% as pH was reduced from 5.5 to 2.5, while tissue [Al] increased from 0.24 to 0.70 mg Al g−1in the leaves and from 2.52 to 10.44 mg Al g−1 in the roots. Shoot and root biomass were not affected by pH treatments. Root conductivity of western larch and Engelmann spruce, measured by bulk water flow, was 83% greater in the pH 2.5 treatment than in the 5.5 treatment. Calcium and magnesium concentrations in newly formed lateral branches of the shoot were significantly lower in all species grown in the pH 2.5 treatment relative to the 5.5 treatment. This growth medium should enable the study of Al interactions with soil variables such as water stress, organic matter and mycorrhiza, that are difficult or impossible to study in solution culture.
Why are you Learning Zulu?: What I Learned About My History When I Learned Zulu

The efforts of non-native speakers to learn the Zulu language in South Africa reveal a great deal about the dynamics of colonialism and the formations that succeeded it. Drawing insight from his own attempts to learn Zulu, the author deciphers this little-documented history.
A scientific note on seasonal levels of pesticide residues in honey bee worker tissues

Honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) provide essential pollination services for agricultural production worldwide. Recent declines in honey bee populations have been attributed to a multitude of potential stressors, such as pest pressure, nutritional stress, and exposure to pesticides (vanEngelsdorp et al. 2009b). One possible explanation for bee decline is the accumulation of pesticide residues in honey bee brood comb, resulting in chronic exposure to a suite of agrochemicals which may detrimentally influence honey bee health. Wu et al. (2011) demonstrated that bees reared in brood comb containing high levels of pesticide residues exhibit increased brood mortality and shorter adult longevity.
Layer-type Problems. Partial Differential Equations

We have seen in Chapter II that even restricting ourselves to a few relatively simple-looking ordinary differential equations we get a great variety of types of expansions when applying singular perturbation techniques. Also, as seen in Chapter II, Section 4, replacing the middle term in eu″ + u x — u = 0 by the quasi-linear term uu x greatly increases the variety of solutions for two-point boundary value problems. Obviously, we expect the variety of solutions and the techniques necessary to be very large when we consider partial differential equations.
Open-source, Small-Animal Magnetic Resonance-Guided Focused Ultrasound System

MR-guided focused ultrasound or high-intensity focused ultrasound (MRgFUS/MRgHIFU) is a non-invasive therapeutic modality with many potential applications in areas such as cancer therapy, drug delivery, and blood-brain barrier opening. However, the large financial costs involved in developing preclinical MRgFUS systems represent a barrier to research groups interested in developing new techniques and applications. We aim to mitigate these challenges by detailing a validated, open-source preclinical MRgFUS system capable of delivering thermal and mechanical FUS in a quantifiable and repeatable manner under real-time MRI guidance. A hardware and software package was developed that includes closed-loop feedback controlled thermometry code and CAD drawings for a therapy table designed for a preclinical MRI scanner. For thermal treatments, the modular software uses a proportional integral derivative controller to maintain a precise focal temperature rise in the target given input from MR phase images obtained concurrently. The software computes the required voltage output and transmits it to a FUS transducer that is embedded in the delivery table within the magnet bore. The delivery table holds the FUS transducer, a small animal and its monitoring equipment, and a transmit/receive RF coil. The transducer is coupled to the animal via a water bath and is translatable in two dimensions from outside the magnet. The transducer is driven by a waveform generator and amplifier controlled by real-time software in Matlab. MR acoustic radiation force imaging is also implemented to confirm the position of the focus for mechanical and thermal treatments. The system was validated in tissue-mimicking phantoms and in vivo during murine tumor hyperthermia treatments. Sonications were successfully controlled over a range of temperatures and thermal doses for up to 20 min with minimal temperature overshoot. MR thermometry was validated with an optical temperature probe, and focus visualization was achieved with acoustic radiation force imaging. We developed an MRgFUS platform for small-animal treatments that robustly delivers accurate, precise, and controllable sonications over extended time periods. This system is an open source and could increase the availability of low-cost small-animal systems to interdisciplinary researchers seeking to develop new MRgFUS applications and technology.
On Wave Propagation in Large Waveguides Containing Random Media

Propagation of time harmonic waves, either generated by random sources or scattered by smooth deterministic scatterers, is considered in large perfectly conducting waveguides which contain random media differing slightly from homogeneous media. Emphasis is given to computation of the mean values of wave motions and their physical interpretation. By perturbation theory, the original stochastic problem is first reduced to an equivalent deterministic boundary value problem, correct through terms of order e2, where e measures the deviation of the medium from homogeneity. then the equivalent problem is solved by methods of separation of variables and eigenfunction expansion. Upon utilizing the method of scattering amplitude, the obtained solutions are transformed into new representations, which not only provide excellent physical interpretation, but also play a key role in a new approximation technique for calculating the scattered waves in waveguides. Finally, the case of scattering by a small perfectly conducting sphere in a random rectangular waveguide is solved as a simple illustration.
Cost comparison of initial lobectomy versus fine-needle aspiration for diagnostic workup of thyroid nodules in children.

Abstract Background Though uncommon in children, pediatric thyroid nodules carry a higher risk of malignancy than adult nodules. While fine-needle aspiration (FNA) has been well established as the initial diagnostic test in adults, it has been more slowly adopted in children. The purpose of this study was to examine the comparative cost of FNA versus initial diagnostic lobectomy (DL) in the pediatric patient with an ultrasound-confirmed thyroid nodule. Methods A decision tree model was created using an adolescent with an asymptomatic thyroid nodule as the reference case. Probabilities were defined based on review of the pediatric and adult literature. Costs were determined from previous literature and the publicly available Medicare physician fee schedule. Tornado plot and sensitivity analyses were performed to assess sources of cost variation. Results Using decision analysis, FNA was less costly than DL with an estimated cost of $2529 vs. $5680. Tornado analysis demonstrated that the probability of an initial indeterminate FNA result contributed most to cost variation. On sensitivity analysis, when probability of an indeterminate FNA result was increased to 35%, the maximum value found in the literature, FNA remained less costly. In Monte Carlo simulation set to 10,000 iterations, FNA was superior to DL in 74% of cases. Conclusions In this theoretical model based on available literature and costs, FNA is less costly than DL for initial diagnostic workup of thyroid nodules in children. Securing resources to offer FNA in the work-up of thyroid nodules may be financially beneficial to hospitals and patients. Level of evidence Level 1 cost effectiveness study - using reasonable costs and alternatives used in study with values obtained from many studies, study used multi-way sensitivity analysis.