cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Recognition and signal transduction in the expression of Phytophthora resistance in soybean (Glycine max (L) Merr)

Phytophthora sojae, a hemibiotrophic oomycete, is the causal pathogen of stem and root rot disease of soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr). The annual soybean yield loss suffered from this disease is valued at about 300 million dollars. A series of single Rps genes protect soybean from the root and stem rot disease. In the last two decades Rps1-k has been the most stable and widely used Phytophthora resistance gene in the major soybean-producing regions of the United States. Two classes of CC-NB-LRR-type Rps1-k genes were isolated from the Rps1-k locus. Representative members from each gene class were expressed in transgenic soybean plants. Analyses of independent Ro, R1, RR2 and R3 progeny populations suggested that both gene classes confer Phytophthora resistance in soybean. Sequence of the entire Rps1-k locus indicates that it is composed of mostly repetitive sequences, including simple repeat sequences, tandem repeats and retroelements. Gene content in the Rsp1-k region appears to be very poor, with only a few full-length genes including the Rps1-k genes. A yeast two-hybrid system was applied in identifying signal transduction factors involved in the expression of Phytophthora resistance. Various baits derived from Rps1-k-2 were applied in the yeast two-hybrid screens. Thirteen putative Rps1-k-2-interacting proteins (RIP) were identified based on in vivo interactions in yeast and in vitro pull down assays. In vivo interactions in soybean cells determined by FRET analysis and preliminary RNA interference (RNAi) experiments in transformed cotyledons further confirmed that several candidate Rps1-k-2-interactors including a 26S proteasome AAA-ATPase subunit RPT5a, a receptor kinase, an unknown expressed protein and a type II metacaspase are promising Rps1-k-2-interactors. We further characterized RIP13, the type II metacaspase that showed to
Gender and Sexuality in Modern Chinese History: Introduction: The cloistered lady and the bare stick

When a family wanted to know more about a girl who had been suggested for a daughter-in-law and asked what kind of a girl she was, the neighbors would answer, “We do not know. We have never seen her.” And that was praise. Ning Lao T’ai-t’ai (Pruitt 1945:29) If a man plots to have illicit sex in broad daylight, it is usually when he happens to encounter a woman in some lonely village or remote empty place.…If he encounters a young girl of fifteen sui or under, then he may be able to “join by means of coercion”; but if she is over sixteen sui , then it is unlikely that the rape will be consummated.…But women who walk alone without any company are rarely chaste. Magistrate's handbook, early nineteenth century (Sommer 2000:108) The strict boundaries around young women that were supposed to keep them chaste and pure were the same boundaries that upheld the honor of the family in nineteenth-century China. These boundaries were as salient in the laws of the eighteenth century as they were in the upbringing of respectable women at the turn of the twentieth century, as Ning Lao T’ai-t’ai could testify. Tensions surrounding this ideal of female purity were thoroughly explored in early Chinese texts, one of the most widely read being the classic “Tale of Yingying.” Here is a synopsis of that story, written by a Tang scholar named Yuan Zhen (779–831): Yingying is a fair seventeen-year-old when her mother introduces her to the comely scholar Zhang, to whom the mother owes a favor. He falls in love at first sight and attempts to approach Yingying through her maid, Hongniang. Hongniang persuades Zhang to write love poems to Yingying to seduce her. This works so well that Yingying, after an initial display of outrage, climbs over the wall of her compound to Zhang's bed and sleeps with him. For the next month, he joins her secretly every night in the western wing of her home, where they make love. In the end, though, Zhang abandons Yingying for the capital, where he sits for the exams and rebuffs her tender letters. Stories of the affair spread throughout the capital, many of them richly sensual and romantic, some cruel and hurtful. Yingying ultimately marries another man, and Zhang another woman.
Narratives of participatory governance: Social science and democracy in mark bevirʼs a theory of governance

Mark Bevirʼs A Theory of Governance proposes a Copernican revolution in the way we understand the role of social science in public administration. Conventional accounts assign social science the role of instructing public administrators how to steer its machinery towards the public interest, based on social scienceʼs alleged ability to explain how people act and what they need. Bevir offers a vision of public administration in which ordinary people take a leading role by engaging in dialogues in which they articulate their needs. In this vision, the role of social science is to facilitate those public dialogues. This essay offers a sympathetic critical evaluation of Bevirʼs exploration of what it means to understand social science as a facilitator.
Phase I study of neoadjuvant 5-fluorouracil (5FU) chemoradiation (CRT) and trametinib in patients with locally advanced rectal cancers (LARC).

685Background: RAS/BRAF mutations constitutively activate the MAPK pathway in colorectal cancer, and may promote resistance to CRT. We propose that trametinib, a MEK1/2 inhibitor, in combination with 5FU CRT for patients with LARC will improve outcome. Methods: Phase I study with standard 3+3 design in patients with Stage II/III rectal cancer with 3 dose levels of trametinib: 0.5, 1, and 2mg daily with 5FU 225mg/m2/day and 50.4 Gy. Trametinib was given over a 5-day lead-in and continued through the course of CRT. Patients undergo surgery 6-10 weeks after the completion of CRT. An expansion cohort at the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) with 12 patients is ongoing. Tumor tissue is collected prior to therapy, at day 4/5 of trametinib, and at surgery. The primary endpoint is to determine the MTD of trametinib with CRT. Results: 15 patients (10 males, 5 females) have been enrolled and 14 patients are evaluable for toxicities to date. Median age is 53 years (range 35-74). Patients have completed enrollment to all ...
German-American Landscapes

Germans are the most numerous European group to settle the United States, more numerous than the English or the French, yet they were a diverse group whose influence upon the cultural landscape varied from the 17th through the 20th Century. The earliest German immigrants evolved into the Pennsylvania Dutch, whose cultural landscape and history differed from the ethnic landscapes within communities established by Germans who immigrated between 1845 and 1880 into the American heartland. The chapter describes the numerous contributions of German ethnics in shaping the generic American landscape and notes the profound impact of the two World Wars in diminishing the cultural distinctiveness of German-American communities. This chapter focuses upon German settlements, ranging from rural farming villages to urban centers, in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Missouri, and Texas as examples. In addition, the far earlier settlement of Germans into Pennsylvania is described, as is the recent spread of the rapidly growing Amish, a splinter group of German-Swiss Anabaptists, from Pennsylvania into the Midwest. The Swiss ethnic landscape is also reviewed.
Angiotensin II AT2 Receptors Contribute to Regulate the Sympathoadrenal and Hormonal Reaction to Stress Stimuli.

Angiotensin II, through AT1 receptor stimulation, mediates multiple cardiovascular, metabolic, and behavioral functions including the response to stressors. Conversely, the function of Angiotensin II AT2 receptors has not been totally clarified. In adult rodents, AT2 receptor distribution is very limited but it is particularly high in the adrenal medulla. Recent results strongly indicate that AT2 receptors contribute to the regulation of the response to stress stimuli. This occurs in association with AT1 receptors, both receptor types reciprocally influencing their expression and therefore their function. AT2 receptors appear to influence the response to many types of stressors and in all components of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis. The molecular mechanisms involved in AT2 receptor activation, the complex interactions with AT1 receptors, and additional factors participating in the control of AT2 receptor regulation and activity in response to stressors are only partially understood. Further research is necessary to close this knowledge gap and to clarify whether AT2 receptor activation may carry the potential of a major translational advance.
Evaluation of the Landsat 8 collection-1 data product radiometric consistency across the sensor focal plane module boundaries using Earth imagery

The Operational Land Imager (OLI) and Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS) routinely acquire earth science datasets, which are processed to orthorectified geometrically registered products by the USGS Landsat Product Generation System (LPGS). This paper will discuss the radiometric response uniformity of these products and its stability over time. Highlighted is the data analysis methodology that enables assessment of each focal plane’s sensor chip arrays’ (or modules’) response variability at levels under 0.5%. Specifically, the technique takes advantage of the overlapping FOV’s of the adjacent sensor chips. The analysis enables tracking the stability of the chip-to-chip response variation over the mission lifetime, and detection of residual non-linearity.
From the Ashes of the Lawyer-Statesman Rises the Lawyer-Democrat: Practical Legal Wisdom From the Ground Up

Approximately two decades ago, former Yale Law School Dean Anthony Kronman rattled the sensibilities of the legal profession with his widely read, cited, and discussed 1993 book, "The Lost Lawyer: Failing Ideals of the Legal Profession. As the book’s title suggested, Kronman saw nothing short of the loss of the legal profession’s very soul at stake in a number of trends and developments in the legal academy, law firms, and courts that he detailed at great length in the book. Kronman proposed that unrelenting change in the legal profession imperiled the lawyer’s consummate role as a “lawyer-statesman” who applied "practical wisdom" to both client representation and advancement of the public good.This article proposes that, although permanent change in the law practice environment may well have consigned Kronman’s lawyer-statesman to history, a new lawyer archetype, what this article calls the "lawyer-democrat," is in position to develop and dispense the practical wisdom that Kronman so highly valued.
Elongation of Model Prebiotic Proto-Peptides by Continuous Monomer Feeding

Mixtures of amino acids with hydroxy acids allow for the formation of peptide bonds in a plausible prebiotic scenario via ester bond formation followed by ester–amide exchange. Here, we investigate the ability of the ester-mediated reaction pathway to form even longer polymers with peptide backbones based on the specific details of the reaction protocol. Fresh monomers were fed to the polymer/monomer mixture periodically by an automated “day–night machine” that was designed to simulate wet–dry cycles that would have been common on the prebiotic Earth. Quantitative analysis of peptide bond formation in the complex oligomer mixture was enabled by a simple hydrolysis treatment. In the ester-mediated peptide elongation process, new monomers add to one end of the chain step-by-step without termination. The feed composition (hydroxy acids and/or amino acids) was found to determine the final oligomer distribution. Production of longer oligomers enriched in peptide bonds was more efficient when only amino acids w...
A novel compact microstrip bandstop filter (BSF) using spurline & stepped-impedance resonator (SIR)

This paper presents a novel microstrip design to increase the bandwidth of spurline bandstop filter (BSF). This design combines between conventional spurline section and stepped impedance resonator (SIR) in one filter. The compact structure of bandstop filter is designed by using microstrip transmission lines at 2.4 GHz. The proposed filter has a better and wider bandwidth with S21 from 2.1 GHz to 2.64 GHz at −20 dB rejection band while the conventional spurline has a bandwidth from 2.3 GHz to 2.4 GHz. The performance of the proposed filter is simulated by Agilent ADS with a good rejection band at −80 dB.
Potential for EPR Oximetry to Guide Treatment Planning for Tumors

A major contributing factor in the failure of solid tumors to be locally controlled by radiation therapy (RT) is the relative radiation resistance of hypoxic cells of tumors compared to well-oxygenated cells. Recently clinical studies have established the presence of hypoxic regions in human tumors (1,2). Further studies confirmed that relatively high tissue pO2 in human tumors correlated with positive outcomes of radiation therapy and that poor outcomes were associated with tumors with low pO2 (3–6). As a result of available studies, the conclusion has been drawn that the effective level of oxygenation in individuals could not be predicted based on tumor type, histology, staging, or even size, but had to be measured (7). With the development of methods to measure the pO2 in tumors (8), it now seems feasible to determine if this parameter, which can be of crucial importance in radiation therapy, can be used to improve treatment by permitting individualized optimization of therapy on the basis of the pO2 in the tumor.
Bethanechol Supersensitivity Test, Rhabdosphincter Electromyography and Bulbocavernosus Reflex Latency in the Diagnosis of Neuropathic Detrusor Areflexia

AbstractA total of 57 patients with neuropathic or nonneuropathic detrusor areflexia was studied with the bethanechol supersensitivity test, electromyography of the urethral rhabdosphincter and bulbocavernosus reflex latency. The sensitivity of these tests in detecting neuropathic areflexia was 90, 87.5 and 78.1 per cent, respectively, and the specificity was 95.6, 76 and 80 per cent, respectively. When all 3 tests were performed together the combined accuracy approached 100 per cent. These combined tests are useful in the diagnosis of patients with equivocal bladder neuropathic conditions and in those with subtle neurological lesions.
THE USE OF PEREMPTORY CHALLENGES IN JURY SELECTION

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses a criminal case that is to be tried by a jury in a courtroom in the United States. It describes the general procedure of jury selection, discuss the concepts of challenges for cause and peremptory challenges, and indicate the wide variety of different methods of jury selection that are used in state and federal courts. The history of juries is reviewed and the Supreme Court decisions in regard to jury size, unanimous verdicts, and the use of peremptory challenges are considered. The chapter also discusses the optimal strategies for the exercise of peremptory challenges by the prosecution and the defense, and also presents some of the irregularities that can arise in this context. The numbers of peremptory challenges that are available to each side depend on the severity of the crime; however, the actual numbers vary from state to state, and the methods for exercising these challenges may actually vary from courtroom to courtroom. The questioning of the persons in the venire to determine whether they will be accepted on the jury or challenged is called the voir dire. In the chapter the Canadian system of jury selection is compared with that of the United States.
The Consequences of Crime in Company: Co-Offending, Victim-Offender Relationship, and Quality of Violence.

Peers influence offending, both directly through co-offending and indirectly through information and advice. Despite such findings, there has been only limited research into the ways in which the presence of other offenders (i.e., accomplices) may impact criminal behavior, especially violence. Drawing on research on small group behavior, this study explores the relationship between the presence of co-offenders and offense severity, focusing on weapon use and victim injury. More specifically, this research hypothesizes that, owing to a diffusion of responsibility and other group processes, crimes committed by groups are more severe than crimes committed by a single offender and that crimes committed by large co-offending groups are particularly severe. This research also proposes that anonymity is an important mechanism behind this relationship and tests the hypothesis that the relationship between groups and offense severity varies according to the victim–offender relationship. Using National Incident-Bas...
Acute Drug-Induced Hepatic Injury

The field of hepatotoxicity owes much to the contributions of Dr. Hyman J. Zimmerman. The publication of his monograph, Hepatotoxicity: The Adverse Effects of Drugs and Other Chemicals on the Liver in 1978 was eagerly awaited. Affectionately known as the Bible of hepatotoxicity, it represented nearly three decades of study and observations on every clinical and experimental aspect of drug-induced hepatic injury. Virtually all classes of medicinal agents and a multitude of chemicals and environmental toxins are capable of causing acute injury to the liver. The spectrum of hepatic lesions produced by these drugs and chemicals is diverse, mimicking most infectious, inflammatory, vascular, and neoplastic disorders. While a discussion of the hepatotoxicity of each agent is beyond the scope of this chapter, I nevertheless endeavor to provide an overview of various aspects of acute drug-induced liver disease. For information on particular agents, the reader is urged to consult Dr. Zimmerman’s textbook1 or any number of reference works.2–4
Connective Tissue Disease and Vasculitis-Associated Interstitial Lung Disease

Connective tissue diseases (CTDs) remain among the most difficult causes of interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) to correctly diagnose and treat. Part of the difficulty occurs because the symptoms of cough, dyspnea, and exercise limitation are common to all of the ILDs. Therefore, consideration of other factors that define the systemic illness becomes important. Unfortunately, CTDs can involve every organ in the body; therefore, a working knowledge of all of internal medicine becomes important in this set of diseases. All of the CTDs are characterized by evidence of vascular injury, autoimmunity, tissue inflammation, and organ dysfunction. Some of these diseases have more inflammatory vascular disease than others. In this chapter, we will discuss the CTDs that have prominent pulmonary presentations, and separately discuss the antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitides Wegener’s granulomatosis and microscopic polyangiitis. A comprehensive discussion of the lung vasculature is not included in this chapter.
Implementation of a two-point pharmacokinetic AUC-based vancomycin therapeutic drug monitoring approach in patients with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia.

ABSTRACT Limited evidence exists evaluating pharmacokinetic thresholds for vancomycin efficacy and nephrotoxicity using non-Bayesian methods. The objective of this study was to evaluate the 24-h steady-state vancomycin area under the concentration–time curve (AUC24) thresholds for efficacy and nephrotoxicity in patients with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia (MRSA-B) after implementing two-point pharmacokinetic therapeutic drug monitoring. A single-centre, retrospective cohort study was performed including adult patients admitted between 1 June 2016 and 1 January 2018 with MRSA-B treated with vancomycin for ≥72 h. The AUC24 was calculated using peak and trough vancomycin serum concentrations. Clinical success was defined as defervescence and blood culture sterilisation by Day 7. Nephrotoxicity was defined as an increase in serum creatinine of >0.5 mg/dL (or ≥50%) from baseline. Classification and regression tree (CART) analyses were performed to identify AUC24 thresholds for efficacy and nephrotoxicity. Forty-six patients were included in the study. Clinical success and nephrotoxicity were observed in 81.8% and 13.0%, respectively. The CART-derived vancomycin AUC24 thresholds for clinical success and nephrotoxicity were ≥297 mg·h/L and ≥710 mg·h/L, respectively. Patients with an AUC24 ≥297 mg·h/L had a >2.7-fold increase in clinical success compared with those who did not (89.5% vs. 33.3%, respectively; P = 0.01), and patients with an AUC24 ≥710 mg·h/L had a >7-fold increase in nephrotoxicity compared with those with an AUC24
Acute Appendicitis During Pregnancy

Approximately 1 in 500 pregnant women requires surgery, and the most common non-obstetric surgical condition during pregnancy is acute appendicitis. Complications of acute appendicitis usually arise from the delays in treatment. Therefore, quick diagnosis and intervention are important to minimize maternal and fetal risks. The diagnosis of appendicitis may be challenging during pregnancy since many symptoms may be confused with normal pregnancy complaints, but the most reliable symptom is right lower quadrant pain. Abdominal imaging studies, such as ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging, and computed tomography, can be used to increase diagnostic accuracy in addition to a detailed history and physical exam. Once the diagnosis is made, the inflamed appendix should be removed surgically either by laparotomy or laparoscopy. A close working relationship between various specialties is crucial to achieve the best outcome for the mother and fetus. This chapter highlights special considerations in the diagnosis and treatment of appendicitis during pregnancy.
The Effects of Tai Chi on Physical Functioning in Older Adults with Parkinson's Disease

This brief review of the literature summarizes the findings of several studies examining the effect of tai chi interventions on the physical functioning of older adults diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. A Knowledge Translation Plan (KTP) that describes how the presented findings can be used by recreation therapists to develop evidence-based interventions is provided in both text and graphic format.
Analytic Factors of Power Series

The object of this chapter is to justify the main step in the proof of Theorem 18.7. It may also be useful in explaining the analyticity of the canonical lifting in the proof of Theorem 13.3. The notation is independent of those chapters.
Comment on "Semileptonic meson decays in the quark model: An update"

The usefulness of this quark model is uncertain because it seriously underestimates the transition rate to excited states in semileptonic {ital B} decays. The Isgur-Wise form factor which fits experiment suppresses the decay rate to {ital D} plus {ital D}{asterisk} by about 40{percent} but only about 7{percent} out of 40{percent} is restored via decays to excited states. Experiment and a heavy-quark theory analysis by Falk, Luke, and Savage suggest that much more should show up in excited states. {copyright} {ital 1996 The American Physical Society.}
Design, methodology and baseline characteristics of the Women's Ischemia Syndrome Evaluation-Coronary Vascular Dysfunction (WISE-CVD).

Background A significant number of women with signs and symptoms of ischemia with no obstructive coronary artery disease (INOCA) have coronary vascular dysfunction detected by invasive coronary reactivity testing (CRT). However, the noninvasive assessment of coronary vascular dysfunction has been limited. Methods The Women's Ischemia Syndrome Evaluation–Coronary Vascular Dysfunction (WISE-CVD) was a prospective study of women with suspected INOCA aimed to investigate whether (1) cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI) abnormalities in left ventricular morphology and function and myocardial perfusion predict CRT measured coronary microvascular dysfunction, (2) these persistent CMRI abnormalities at 1-year follow-up predict persistent symptoms of ischemia, and (3) these CMRI abnormalities predict cardiovascular outcomes. By design, a sample size of 375 women undergoing clinically indicated invasive coronary angiography for suspected INOCA was projected to complete baseline CMRI, a priori subgroup of 200 clinically indicated CRTs, and a priori subgroup of 200 repeat 1-year follow-up CMRIs. Results A total of 437 women enrolled between 2008 and 2015, 374 completed baseline CMRI, 279 completed CRT, and 214 completed 1-year follow-up CMRI. Mean age was 55± 11 years, 93% had 20%-50% coronary stenosis, and 7% had Conclusions The WISE-CVD study investigates the utility of noninvasive CMRI to predict coronary vascular dysfunction in comparison to invasive CRT, and the prognostic value of CMRI abnormalities for persistent symptoms of ischemia and cardiovascular outcomes in women with INOCA. WISE-CVD will provide new understanding of a noninvasive imaging modality for future clinical trials.
Outcomes of Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation in Elderly Multiple Myeloma Patients - a Single Network Experience.

Introduction Determining eligibility for autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (Auto-HCT) is considered standard of care for patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (MM). In addition to comorbidity score, age >65 years is still a commonly used criterion to deem patients ineligible for transplant. Here we report the outcomes of patients ³ 65 years with MM who underwent Auto-HCT following risk stratification using HCT-CI along with other eligibility criteria. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of 102 patients, who underwent Auto-HCT between 1/1/1999 and 12/31/2018 at Allegheny Health Network Cancer Institute. Ninety two patients (90%) received conditioning with Melphalan 200 mg/m2. Median overall survival (OS) was estimated at day+100, day+180, 1, 2, 3 and 5 years post Auto-HCT. Non-relapse mortality (NRM) was assessed at day 100 post Auto-HCT. Results For a cohort of 102 patients, a total of 119 Auto-HCT were performed. Median age at transplantation for the entire cohort was 69.2 years (65.1 - 79.4 years). Thirty five (34.3%) patients were aged ³70 years. Median HCT-CI score was 3 (range: 0-8). Median time to Auto-HCT following diagnosis was 9.1 months (range: 4.7- 176.7 months). Median time to ANC500 and PLT20 was 13 days (range: 10-15) and 18.4 days (range:8-42) respectively. Median OS by Kaplan-Meier analysis for the entire cohort vs patients ³ 70 years at day+100, day+180, 1, 2, 3, and 5 years post Auto-HCT was 97.1%, 95.1%, 91.2%, 83.3%, 78.4%, and 63.7% respectively vs 100%, 100%, 97.1%, 82.9%, 77.1% and 68.6% respectively. Median OS in months for patients Conclusion Auto-HCT in patients with MM aged ³65 years is safe, effective and should be offered to all patients with a reasonably good performance status. A fully integrated approach is required to accomplish the needs of elderly patients including consideration for quality of life.
On energy accommodation coefficient of gas molecules on metal surface at high temperatures

Abstract The electron-relating energy transfer on the interface between a gas and metal and its contribution to the energy accommodation coefficient (EAC) is discussed. The semi-empirical approach is utilized to highlight effects that are responsible for the EAC. The Coulomb blockage of a free electron motion due to the particle charging by the thermionic emission is suggested as a mechanism, which leads to the EAC drop at high temperatures. The numerical estimate shows that the EAC decrease by a couple of orders of magnitude is possible.
Robotic-Assisted Laparoscopic Ileocystoplasty and Mitrofanoff Appendicovesicostomy: Technique and Updated Experience

Application of minimally invasive surgery with robotic technology has been well accepted for certain pediatric urologic procedures. The benefits of 3-D view with magnification, motion scaling, and tremor filtering have been advantageous for some upper and lower tract reconstructive procedures.
Physiology of Human Nutrition: Starvation and Obesity

In this chapter, we discuss the remarkable capacity of the body to adapt to differing levels of food supply and the way that this makes it difficult to define ideal nutrient requirement levels for the maintenance of health and organ function. Particular emphasis is placed on our ability to survive periods of starvation through reductions in metabolic expenditure and through the mobilization of body stores. This will allow us to better understand the urgency of providing nutritional support in patients who cannot eat and how this changes in the nutritionally depleted and obese. We also discuss the changes in metabolism and organ function during starvation and the effect these changes have on nutritional requirements. It discusses the critical importance of body stores in survival and emphasized the differences in the depth of stores we have for different components of the diet, which explain the variability in our ability to go without water, electrolytes, minerals, vitamins, and finally the macronutrients protein, fat, and carbohydrate. An understanding of these physiological principles is essential to the understanding of the urgency of feeding hospitalized patients.
Indications for Initial Biopsy: Is the PSA Threshold ERA Over?

Traditionally, men have been selected for prostate biopsy based on a specific PSA threshold. Recent studies show that prostate cancer can be found at all PSA levels, and at autopsy, many men have histological evidence of prostate cancer that was of no clinical significance. These findings and the low specificity of total PSA level in discriminating cancer from benign disease have spurred debate about how best to select men for initial biopsy. Lower PSA thresholds, particularly in younger men, are advocated by some. PSA velocity measures may assist in the identification of those most likely to harbor cancer and may be a marker of more aggressive disease. With the development of numerous nomograms to predict the probability of a positive biopsy or the likelihood of high-grade cancer, a more individualized approach may be used. While nearly all nomograms show a greater predictive accuracy than PSA alone, there are several limitations to these tools that must be taken into consideration. This chapter will outline the arguments for and against using a PSA threshold or PSA velocity measure alone and explore the use of predictive nomograms to select men for initial prostate biopsy.
Age-related changes in synaptic phosphorylation and dephosphorylation

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the age-related changes in synaptic phosphorylation and dephosphorylation. Post-translational modification of proteins through phosphorylation provides a rapid and relatively long-term mechanism for modifying physiological function. The rapid switching of protein function is observed for nearly all cellular processes including regulation of neuronal properties that are important for information processing. An array of serine/threonine and tyrosine kinases and phosphatases are expressed in the brain and many are enriched at synaptic sites. The decrease in synaptic transmission with aging is associated with a shift in the balance of phosphatase/kinase activity, favoring phosphatases. Overall, the deficit does not appear to be because of a change in enzyme expression, rather the difficulty appears to result from an impairment of mechanisms for the stimulation of kinase activity. Impairment in the activation of phosphorylation mechanisms would limit the functional plasticity of the presynaptic and postsynaptic elements. In addition, changes in Ca 2+ regulation may promote increased basal calcineurin (CaN) activity and the activation of phosphatase cascades involving protein phosphatases (PP1). The findings suggest that a shift in enzyme activity underlies age-related changes in synaptic transmission and synaptic plasticity, the state of phosphoproteins involved in transmission is largely unknown.
Conditions restricting allosteric transitions in carp hemoglobin.

Abstract Below pH 5.6, in the presence of endogenous polyphosphates, carp hemoglobin has a very low ligand affinity, and ligand binding is noncooperative, the values of n in the Hill equation being 0.75 and 1.0 for oxygen and carbon monoxide, respectively (Tan, A. L., De Young, A., and Noble, R. W. (1972) J. Biol. Chem. 247, 2493–2498). It has been postulated that under these conditions the molecule remains in the low affinity "deoxy" conformation even when liganded. Raising the pH above 5.6 or removing the organic phosphates converts carp hemoglobin to a molecule that exhibits the usual cooperative ligand binding. Ligand affinity and the degree of cooperativity are phosphate- and pH-dependent. Above pH 8.2 in the presence of organic phosphates and above pH 7.5 in their absence, the ligand-binding properties approach those characteristic of a molecule that again remains in a single conformation, only this time with a high ligand affinity. Whenever ligand binding was cooperative, the rate of CO recombination with partially liganded hemoglobin produced by partial flash photolysis was faster than that with fully unliganded hemoglobin produced by full flash photolysis. Under conditions when the molecule was thought to remain in one structure, the rates of CO recombination upon full and partial flash photolysis were equal. The time course of the conformation change in carp hemoglobin relative to ligand binding has been examined by measuring the rate of release of a fluorescent polyphosphate analogue during CO binding. At low pH there was a marked lag between dye release and CO binding. This lag decreased and was finally reversed with increased pH in agreement with our other results. Kinetic studies of CO combination at wave lengths near the Soret isosbestic point revealed a difference in the rate of CO binding to α and β chains of carp hemoglobin. Although our results for the most part can be explained on the basis of a simple two-state model of hemoglobin, computer fits of the time course of the CO combination reaction could not be achieved with such a simplified scheme, but rather required intra-dimer interactions.
GILSON AND RÉMI BRAGUE ON MEDIEVAL ARABIC PHILOSOPHY

Etienne Gilson, a humanist! Horrors! Gilson, a Renaissance humanist! Not to be, nor could he sign the Humanist Manifesto II promulgated by Paul Kurtz, Sidney Hook, and others such as B. F. Skinner and Francis Crick in 1973. “Humanism” has become a synonym for atheism, or maybe a euphemism or polite way in which atheists speak of themselves to disarm the innocent. Granted that Jacques Maritain speaks of “true humanism,” and that Gilson could be called a true humanist in that sense, I prefer to think of Gilson as an historian of medieval philosophy whose research led him to an appreciation of St. Thomas and to the eventual espousal of the metaphysics of the Angelic Doctor. That, however, did not prevent Gilson from exploring other avenues of thought. His students have said of him that he was willing to do research on any topic at the drop of a hat. Thus we have Choir of Muses, Heloise and Abelard, From Aristotle to Darwin and Back, and Painting and Reality. When I was a student, I was privileged to hear the five lectures that Gilson delivered at the National Gallery of Art, lectures which became Painting and Reality. The earthy Gilson was something of a treat after the ethereal Maritain, who had given the Mellon Lectures, alas to dwindling audiences only a few years before.
First-trimester fetal chromosomal diagnosis using endocervical lavage: A negative evaluation

Abstract A report in the literature indicated that fetal cells could be obtained by endocervical lavage during the first trimester of pregnancy and successfully cultured. This would allow prenatal diagnosis earlier in pregnancy than is currently possible with second-trimester amniocentesis. Therefore, we attempted to confirm these findings. Our results indicated that the cultured cells were maternal in origin. We disagree with interpretations of the data given in the initial report and conclude that first-trimester prenatal diagnosis is not feasible at this time.
A comparison of three algorithms for blind equalization based on the constant modulus error criterion

Three constant modulus algorithms (CMA), the fast quasi-Newton CMA, the transform domain CMA, and the genetic search based CMA are proposed in this paper. The performances of these three algorithms are compared with each other via computer simulation. It is shown that the fast quasi-Newton CMA and the transform domain CMA achieve much faster convergence rate than the constant modulus algorithm based on the LMS algorithm. This fact shows that the whitening technique is not only useful but also necessary for the CMA.
Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell Constructed with Titanium Mesh and 3-D Array of TiO2 Nanotubes†

We have designed and constructed dye sensitized solar cells based on new, 3-D configurations of TiO2 nanotubes. The overall efficiency of our best cells is 5.0% under standard air mass 1.5 global (AM 1.5 G) solar conditions, and the incident photon-to-current efficiency exceeds 60% over a broad part of the visible spectrum. Unlike prior nanotube-based cells where tubes are grown vertically in a 2-D array, the anodes of the present cells consist of tubes that extend radially in a 3-D array from a grid of fine titanium wires. The nanotubes are tens of micrometers in length, and the radial nature of the anode allows the photon absorption path length to exceed the electron transport distance (nanotube length). The cells are front-illuminated and do not require a transparent conductive oxide substrate at either the anode or cathode. The use of 3-D configured nanotubes and low-resistance titanium metal substrates are expected to enhance the performance and simplify the construction of large area dye-sensitized ...
“Who Kills Whom” Revisited A Sociological Study of Variation in the Sex Ratio of Spouse Killings

This article addresses the extraordinarily high ratio of females to males who kill domestic partners in the United States. Using a theoretical perspective conceptualizing violence between intimates as a form of self-help social control and as involving a pattern of sex-specific motives, the authors developed an explanatory model of variance in the rates of female and male spouse killing and thereby, in the spousal sex ratio of killing (SROK). Applied to cities in the United States with populations of 100,000 or more, the model predicted a significant proportion of variance in the rates of female and male killers (1984-1996) and in the SROK. Examination of the net differences in effects on sex-specific rates allowed for the interpretation of why the SROK varies so dramatically across communities and what factors contribute to the high spousal SROK in the United States. Directions for further sociological investigation of this question are discussed.
Muramidase in myeloproliferative disorders terminating in acute leukemia.

During serial studies of serum muramidase activity (SMA) over a 4-year period on 168 patients with leukemia and myeloproliferative disorders (MPD) eight patients—one with polycythemia vera (PCV), one with agnogenic myeloid metaplasia, three with atypical myeloid metaplasia, and three with chronic myelogenous leukemia—developed acute myeloblastic or acute myelomonocytic leukemia (AMML). Onset of leukemia occurred early during the course of the disease and was associated with striking elevation of SMA in all six patients with AMML. Three patients studied in detail had significant hypokalemia possibly related to toxic effects of an excess of muramidase on renal tubules. Seven of the eight patients received therapy, consisting of splenic irradiation, alkylating agents, or both. Rapid rise of SMA in patients with MPD may herald the onset of acute leukemic metamorphosis.
Transverse coupled-bunch instabilities in damping rings of high-energy linear colliders.

In this paper we present methods for studying and controlling transverse coupled-bunch instabilities. Our primary motivation is the study of damping rings for next-generation linear colliders in which many bunches are damped in the same ring simultaneously; however, the methods presented are also applicable to other situations. The theory developed here treats the motion of the bunch centroids, since the coherent dipole modes of coupled-bunch oscillation are expected to be strongly dominant. A formalism to obtain the {ital n} normal modes of oscillation of {ital n} bunches is developed. The imaginary part of the frequency of each normal mode determines its stability. However, not only the long-term stability of each oscillation mode, but also the transient behavior of the bunches just after injection, must be considered in damping rings. Two methods of studying the transient behavior are presented: (1) A Laplace-transform method, using the eigenmodes and corresponding eigenfrequencies found by the normal-modes formalism, and (2) computer tracking, using a localized-kick approximation. Examples are given for damping-ring designs appropriate to a linear collider of about 0.5--1.0 TeV center-of-mass energy.
AO observations of three powerful radio galaxies

The host galaxies of powerful radio sources are ideal laboratories to study active galactic nuclei (AGN). The galaxies themselves are among the most massive systems in the universe, and are believed to harbor supermassive black holes (SMBH). If large galaxies are formed in a hierarchical way by multiple merger events, radio galaxies at low redshift represent the end-products of this process. However, it is not clear why some of these massive ellipticals have associated radio emission, while others do not. Both are thought to contain SMBHs, with masses proportional to the total luminous mass in the bulge. It either implies every SMBH has recurrent radio-loud phases, and the radio-quiet galaxies happen to be in the "low" state, or that the radio galaxy nuclei are physically different from radio-quiet ones, i.e. by having a more massive SMBH for a given bulge mass. Here we present the first results from our adaptive optics imaging and spectroscopy pilot program on three nearby powerful radio galaxies. Initiating a larger, more systematic AO survey of radio galaxies (preferentially with Laser Guide Star equipped AO systems) has the potential of furthering our understanding of the physical properties of radio sources, their triggering, and their subsequent evolution.
On 'nothing to distinguish' Schleiermacher and Otto: reply to Smith

Responding to my claims in 'Schleiermacher and Otto on religion', A. D. Smith has argued that there is 'nothing to distinguish' Schleiermacher and Otto on the topics of the naturalistic explanation of religion and divine intervention in the natural order. There are respects in which Smith seems not to have understood my arguments, and his most significant challenge to my claims about Schleiermacher rests on a conflation of two different questions at issue in Schleiermacher's discussion of the incarnation. Further, Smith's correct observation that I have misinterpreted Otto on an important matter is itself coupled with a similar misreading on his part. Smith's arguments prompt me to revise my view of Otto, but not to abandon the idea that he and Schleiermacher assumed different positions on the topics at issue.
A new interpolation technique for orthogonal sets of tomographic medical images

A spatially iterated multidimensional Fourier interpolation method (SIMFI) is presented. The method interpolates a multidimensional object from one or sets of parallel biplanes. It may be applied in medical tomographic imaging where a full-resolution, three-dimensional reconstruction is desired, but, due to time and radiation constraints, the data acquired from the scanner are limited to one or more sets of planar slices with large interspatial domain information. The data sets of parallel hyperplanes are used to compute an estimate of the Fourier domain of the object being reconstructed. After inverting the Fourier domain estimate into the spatial domain, the principle of projections onto convex sets (POCS) is used to further improve the reconstruction. This method is applied to a three-dimensional phantom and to a two-dimensional MRI image of the brain. The Fourier interpolation provides a good initial estimate for the iterative POCS technique. >
RATIONALITY AND ACHIEVEMENT: A COMPARISON OF THE ATKINSON‐McCLELLAND AND KOGAN‐WALLACH FORMULATIONS

This comparison concerns the prediction of (1) success at complex tasks and (2) the presence of unusual shifts in aspiration level following success or failure. The Kogan-Wallach formulation generates predictions concerning these dependent variables without recourse to a concept of the need for achievement. These predictions, furthermore, both yield empirical results that account for significantly more variance (p < .05) in the responses of a sample of 96 high school boys than do comparable predictions from need achievement theory. The interpretation stresses a distinction between merely trying hard and learning from one's mistakes.
Pupillary responses during a joint attention task are associated with nonverbal cognitive abilities and sub-clinical symptoms of autism

Measures of pupillary dilation provide a temporally sensitive, quantitative indicator of cognitive resource allocation. The current study included 39 typically developing children between 3 and 9 years of age. Children completed a free-viewing task designed to elicit gaze following, a core deficit of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Results revealed a negative association between children's pupil dilation and a standardized measure of nonverbal intelligence, suggesting that children with lower intelligence allocated more cognitive resources than children with higher intelligence. In addition, the results revealed a negative association between pupil dilation and a parent-report measure of sub-clinical symptoms of ASD, suggesting that children with fewer ASD-related symptoms allocated more cognitive resources than children who showed more sub-clinical symptoms of ASD. Both associations were independent of each other and could not be explained by variation in chronological age. These findings extend previous research demonstrating associations between basic aspects of visual processing and intelligence. In addition, these findings comport with recent theories of ASD that emphasize reduced sensitivity to the reward value of social situations. When confronted with social ambiguity, children with more ASD-related symptoms allocated fewer cognitive resources to resolving this ambiguity than children who showed fewer sub-clinical symptoms of ASD.
System-level effects of integrating a promising treatment into juvenile drug courts.

Abstract This study examined the system-level effects of implementing a promising treatment for adolescent substance abuse in juvenile drug courts (JDCs). Six JDCs were randomized to receive training in the experimental intervention (contingency management–family engagement [CM-FAM]) or to continue their usual services (US). Participants were 104 families served by the courts, 51 therapists, and 74 JDC stakeholders (e.g., judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys). Assessments included repeated measurements of CM-FAM implementation by therapists and therapist and stakeholder perceptions of incentive-based interventions and organizational characteristics. Results revealed greater use of CM and family engagement techniques among CM-FAM relative to US therapists. In addition, therapists and stakeholders in the CM-FAM condition reported more favorable attitudes toward the use of incentives and greater improvement on several domains of organizational functioning relative to US counterparts. Taken together, these findings suggest that JDC professionals are amenable to the adoption and implementation of a treatment model that holds promise for improving youth outcomes.