cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
MO‐D‐211‐01: Low Dose Molecular Breast Imaging

Background: Several new nuclear medicine‐based breast imaging techniques have emerged over the last few years. These include Positron Emission Mammography(PEM), Breast Specific Gamma Imaging (BSGI) and Molecular Breast Imaging (MBI). These techniques usually employ doses of ∼ 10 mCi F‐18 FDG in the case of PEM, or 20–30 mCi Tc‐99m sestamibi in the cases of BSGI or MBI. In addition to their potential value as adjunct diagnostic tools, these techniques hold promise as potential adjuncts to screening mammography particularly for women with dense breast tissue where the sensitivity of mammography is known to be reduced. A previous study has shown MBI to have 2–3 times the sensitivity and equivalent specificity to screening mammography in women with dense breasts. However, the current administered doses employed in these techniques deliver effective radiation doses that are ∼10 times higher than mammography. From the BEIR VII tables, the lifetime associated risks from PEM, BSGI and MBI can be calculated and compared to that of screening mammography. These estimates indicate that in order to achieve a comparable radiation burden to mammography, the administered doses of F‐ 18 FDG and Tc‐99m sestamibi need to be reduced to less than 2 mCi F‐18 FDG and 4 mCi Tc‐99m sestamibi. This presentation will briefly review the clinical literature demonstrating the value of these new techniques in both diagnostic and screening applications, and will review the dosimetry and estimated lifetime associated risks from these technologies. It will then focus on one of these technologies — MBI, and will illustrate how we can optimize the physics of the collimation and detector to achieve a 5‐fold reduction in the required dose of Tc‐99m sestamibi for clinical studies. We will also review possible post‐acquisition processing techniques that may enable further reduction in dose, along with alternative radiopharmaceuticals that deliver low doses due to their biodistribution. A total of 4 dose reduction schemes will be discussed — a) development of optimized collimation for single‐photon imaging, b) improved utilization of the energy spectral characteristics of the gamma cameras, c) implementation of noise reduction and resolution recovery algorithms, and d) use of adaptive geometric mean algorithms for combination of images from opposing detectors. In addition we will consider alternative radiopharmaceuticals, such as Tc‐99m MDP that deliver a lower radiation burden than Tc‐99m sestamibi. We will demonstrate that image quality obtained with low‐dose MBI performed with 4 mCi Tc‐99m sestamibi matches that of standard MBI performed with 20 mCi dose. Low‐dose MBI presents radiation risks to the patient comparable to that of digital screening mammography, allowing its safe implementation as a screening technique.
Proceed with caution: vascular resection at pancreaticoduodenectomy.

Jennifer F. Tseng, MD, MPHDivision of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School,Boston, MAIn this issue of Annals of Surgical Oncology, Castleberryet al. publish an important manuscript analyzing the effectof use of vascular resection on perioperative outcomes afterpancreaticoduodenectomy. Their study, using the Ameri-can College of Surgeons National Surgical QualityImprovement Program (NSQIP) database, demonstratesthat 30-day outcomes for patients undergoing Whipple formalignant tumor at NSQIP hospitals are worse for patientsidentiﬁed as having Current Procedural Terminology(CPT) codes for direct repair of blood vessel or bypassgraft compared with those undergoing Whipple withoutsuch codes. This is the ﬁrst large-scale study to study thisimportant topic.As the authors comment, the results of this study differfrom published results from large single-center series, inwhich comparable short- and long-term outcomes havebeen demonstrated after vascular resection at pancreatico-duodenectomy.
Characterizing dissolved and particulate phosphorus in water with 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Management of aquatic ecosystems is hampered because current methodology limits characterization of phosphorus (P) forms. We developed a procedure to characterize dissolved (DP) and particulate (PP) P from river waters by solution 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, using 4-L samples, and tested this procedure with a spiking trial. Most P was orthophosphate. Organic P forms included phosphonates, myo-inositol hexakisphosphate, and orthophosphate diesters. This research represents an important technical advance to characterize DP and PP in natural waters. It is simple, uses samples small enough for routine collection, and puts PP and DP into the same chemical environment for direct comparison. The technique is sensitive, detecting changes in spectra from P additions as small as 2% of total P, and identifying differences from two points along the flow path of a single river. However, lyophilizing samples in NaOH−ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) may alter some P forms, which requires fur...
YIpDCE1 – an integrating plasmid for dual constitutive expression in yeast

Abstract YIpDCE1 (Dual Constitutive Expression), a novel Saccharomyces cerevisiae integrating plasmid, constitutively expresses two genes under the control of separate phosphoglycerate kinase promoters. YIpDCE1 contains the complete ADE2 gene which can be used as a marker for selecting integrants at mutant ade2 loci commonly present in laboratory yeast strains. The YIpDCE1 plasmid can be inserted into the ade2-101 locus of the HF7c strain used in two hybrid screens. Thus it could be useful for analysis of two hybrid interactions that occur in the context of additional protein components (e.g. modifying enzymes such as kinases or phosphatases, or multimeric complexes consisting of three or four distinct protein components). YIpDCE1 has been used to create strains simultaneously overexpressing the permease (ftr1) and oxidase (fet3) components of the yeast high-affinity iron uptake system. This confers constitutive high-affinity iron uptake on the transformed strains, bypassing the normal regulatory mechanisms.
Preliminary observations on steroid metabolism in isolated epithelium of guinea pig seminal vesicle.

Metabolism of 9 labeled steroids by epithelium of mature guinea pig seminal vesicles was analyzed by thin layer chromatography. Testosterone was rapidly converted to dihydrotestosterone and dihydrotestosterone to its major metabolite androstanediol. Androstenedione yielded androstanedione testosterone and dihydrotestosterone but produced little androstanediol. The epithelium made small amounts of androstenediol and androstanediol from dehydroepiandrosteone. Pregnenolone dehydroepiandrosterone and progesterone was metabolized to highly polar compounds. Progesterone was transformed to 5alpha-pregnane-3beta-ol-one and its 3 alpha-isomer. The major metabolites of 17-hydroxyprogesterone were androstanediol testosterone and an unknown with intermediate mobility and minor products were androstenedione and dihydrotestosterone. Immature and mature acute castrated guinea pigs showed significant androgen metabolism in small scale experiments although the tissues were not pure epithelium.
On irreducible weight representations of a newdeformation Uq(sl2) of U(sl2)

Starting from a Hecke R-matrix, Jing and Zhang constructed a new deformation Uq(sl2) of U(sl2) and studied its finite dimensional representations in [Pacific J. Math., 171 (1995), 437-454]. In this note, more irreducible representations for this algebra are constructed. At first, by using methods in noncommutative algebraic geometry the points of the spectrum of the category of representations over this new deformation are studied. The construction recovers all finite dimensional irreducible representations classified by Jing and Zhang, and yields new families of infinite dimensional irreducible weight representations.
Depressive Symptoms in Mild Cognitive Impairment Predict Greater Atrophy in Alzheimer’s Disease-Related Regions

Background Depression has been associated with higher conversion rates from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to Alzheimer's disease (AD) and may be a marker of prodromal AD that can be used to identify individuals with MCI who are most likely to progress to AD. Thus, we examined the neuroanatomical changes associated with depressive symptoms in MCI. Methods Two-hundred forty-three MCI subjects from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative who had brain magnetic resonance imaging scans at baseline and 2-year follow-up were classified into depressed ( n = 44), nondepressed with other neuropsychiatric symptoms ( n = 93), and no-symptom (NOSYMP; n = 106) groups based on the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire. Tensor-based morphometry was used to create individual three-dimensional maps of 2-year brain changes that were compared between groups. Results Depressed subjects had more frontal ( p = .024), parietal ( p = .030), and temporal ( p = .038) white matter atrophy than NOSYMP subjects. Those whose depressive symptoms persisted over 2 years also had higher conversion to AD and more decline on measures of global cognition, language, and executive functioning compared with stable NOSYMP subjects. Nondepressed with other neuropsychiatric symptoms and NOSYMP groups exhibited no differences in rates of atrophy. Conclusions Depressive symptoms were associated with greater atrophy in AD-affected regions, increased cognitive decline, and higher rates of conversion to AD. Depression in individuals with MCI may be associated with underlying neuropathological changes, including prodromal AD, and may be a potentially useful clinical marker in identifying MCI patients who are most likely to progress to AD.
Feline Infectious Peritonitis

Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) occurs most frequently in young animals from multicat households. Ocular manifestations of FIP are extremely common with the noneffusive form of the disease. All cats suspected of having FIP should undergo a thorough ophthalmic examination. Uveitis (inflarrunation of the iris, ciliary body, and choroid) is the primary clinical sign of ocular FIP. Treatment with anti-inflammatory medications is only supportive and aimed at disease palliation.
Cloning and Functional Expression of Novel N-type Ca2+ Channel Variants

Voltage-dependent Ca(2+) channels are structurally and functionally diverse. As Ca(2+) currents recorded from embryonic chick dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons differ significantly from their mammalian counterparts, information on the primary sequence of the chick channels will help define the structural underpinnings of Ca(2+) channel function. Here, we report the cloning and functional expression of full-length Ca(2+) channel alpha(1B) subunit cDNAs derived from chick DRGs. Two variable regions (A and B) have been identified in the cytoplasmic linker between repeats I and II; a third (C) in the carboxyl terminus extends the open reading frame by 525 nucleotides. The A and C inserts are absent, and the B insert is present in all other class B clones reported to date. The unique shorter channels appear to predominate in DRG neurons. Results represent a requisite first step in defining the structural elements that underlie variations in function and modulation of Ca(2+) channels.
Introducing PETE: computer support for teaching ethics

In this paper, we discuss the challenges in providing computer support for teaching professional ethics using a case-based approach. We describe our tutoring software, PETE, which helps students prepare cases for class discussion. PETE enables students to practice methods of moral reasoning. It also encourages them to compare their work to a range of other peer responses. We discuss how the program could incorporate AI techniques and how to evaluate its effectiveness.
XXIV. On the recent theories of electricity

(1911). XXIV. On the recent theories of electricity. The London, Edinburgh, and Dublin Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science: Vol. 21, No. 122, pp. 196-218.
The distribution of stress in the vicinity of a griffith crack in an elastic solid in which body forces are acting

Abstract In this paper the author uses the method of an earlier paper to derive formulae which enable him to find the spread criterion and to calculate the distribution of stress in the vicinity of a stress free crack in an elastic solid which is acted upon by a symmetric distribution of body forces. A number of particular examples are considered in detail.
Dehydroepiandrosterone Inhibits Glucose Flux Through the Pentose Phosphate Pathway in Human and Mouse Endometrial Stromal Cells, Preventing Decidualization and Implantation

Endometrial stromal cells (ESC) must undergo a hormone-driven differentiation to form decidual cells as a requirement of proper embryo implantation. Recent studies from our laboratory have demonstrated that decidualizing cells require glucose transporter 1 expression and an increase in glucose use to complete this step. The present study focuses on the glucose-dependent molecular and metabolic pathways, which are required by ESC for decidualization. Inhibition of glycolysis had no effect on decidualization. However, blockade of the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) with pharmacologic inhibitors 6-aminonicotinamide or dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), and short hairpin RNA-mediated knockdown of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, the rate-limiting step in the PPP, both led to strong decreases in decidual marker expression in vitro and decreased decidualization in vivo. Additionally, the studies demonstrate that inhibition is due, at least in part, to ribose-5-phosphate depletion, because exogenous nucleoside administration restored decidualization in these cells. The finding that PPP inhibition prevents decidualization of ESC is novel and clinically important, because DHEA is an endogenous hormone produced by the adrenal glands and elevated in a high proportion of women who have polycystic ovary syndrome, the most common endocrinopathy in reproductive age women. Together, this data suggest a mechanistic link between increased DHEA levels, use of glucose via the PPP, and pregnancy loss.
A survey of crowdsourcing as a means of collaboration and the implications of crowdsourcing for interaction design

Crowdsourcing has emerged as a new learning and online collaborative paradigm, in which “crowds” of people can collaborate and complete a specific task. In this paper, we provide a survey of crowdsourcing as a means of collaboration in three different contexts, namely academic, enterprise, and social. The survey also includes a short inventory of how different factors contribute to the development of crowdsourcing. Finally, we develop and outline open questions, insights, as well as a research agenda for enhancing crowdsourcing development in the perspective of HCI.
In search of strategy: Universalistic, contingent, and configurational adoption of volunteer management practices

The canon of volunteer administration contends that adoption of specified practices separates effective from ineffective programs. Alternatively, structural contingency and strategic human resource management theories suggest that managers make adoption decisions based on how organizational circumstances dictate the applicability or efficacy of particular practices. We test propositions that universalistic adoption of “best practices,” contingent adoption of practices, and configurational adoption of bundles of practices are associated with program outcomes of recruitment ease, retention of volunteers, and the net benefits that volunteers bring to organizational operations. With all sets of tests garnering limited empirical support, we conclude that human resource practice in volunteer administration is loosely coupled with outcomes, but that some organizations do—and many more should—manage according to the singular context of their institutional and external environments.
The effects of very-high resistance grounding on the selectivity of ground-fault relaying in high-voltage longwall power systems

With the advent of high-voltage (greater than 1 kV) utilization circuits on longwall mining equipment in the late 1980s, the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) initially required maximum ground-fault current limits of 3.75 A for 4160 V systems and 6.5 A for 2400 V systems. (It should be noted that the Code of Federal Regulations defines low voltage, medium voltage, and high voltage for mine power systems as 0-660 V, 661-1000 V, and greater than 1000 V, respectively.) Ground-fault relay pickup settings were not permitted to exceed 40% of the maximum ground-fault current. Shortly thereafter, the MSHA began, and presently continues, requiring a much lower maximum ground-fault current limit of 1.0 A, or even 0.5 A, with ground-trip settings of 100 mA. Shielded cables, which have significantly more capacitance than their unshielded counterparts, are required for high-voltage applications in the mining industry. In an earlier paper, the author showed that with the long cable runs of a high-voltage longwall system, capacitive charging currents could easily exceed grounding-resistor currents under ground-fault conditions. As a result, overvoltages from inductive-capacitive resonance effects can occur. Because of the large system capacitance and low ground-trip setting, the relay selectivity of the ground-fault protection system may also be compromised. Therefore, an analysis of a typical 4160-V longwall power system that utilizes very-high-resistance grounding (ground-resistor-current limit of 0.5 A) is performed to determine if potential problems exist with the selectivity of ground-fault relaying.
Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center and World Data Center for Atmospheric Trace Gases, Fiscal Year 2002 Annual Report

The Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center (CDIAC), which includes the World Data Center (WDC) for Atmospheric Trace Gases, is the primary global change data and information analysis center of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). More than just an archive of data sets and publications, CDIAC has, since its inception in 1982, enhanced the value of its holdings through intensive quality assurance, documentation, and integration. Whereas many traditional data centers are discipline-based (for example, meteorology or oceanography), CDIAC's scope includes potentially anything and everything that would be of value to users concerned with the greenhouse effect and global climate change, including atmospheric concentrations and atmospheric emissions of carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) and other radiatively active gases; the role of the terrestrial biosphere and the oceans in the biogeochemical cycles of greenhouse gases; long-term climate trends; the effects of elevated CO{sub 2} on vegetation; and the vulnerability of coastal areas to rising sea levels.
The role of the agency for toxic substances and disease registry under the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986

Abstract The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), 42 U.S.C. § 6901 et seq., as amended, and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), 42 U.S.C. § 9601 et seq., both parallel and potentially conflict with each other in several important respects. These similarities and differences can affect the hazardous waste enforcement program of the United States. This article discusses how EPA and the Justice Department must account for the overlaps and differences among RCRA and CERCLA in enforcing these acts, in order to give clear and consistent signals to the regulated community and thereby achieve an efficient and effective enforcement program. To place the discussion in context, the article briefly describes the history of each statute, focusing on the initially quite different purposes and contrasting approaches of the two laws. Next, the Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments of 1984 and the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 are discussed, particularly with regard to the ways in which several key changes are causing the missions of the two statutes to converge. The body of the discussion sets forth several explicit statutory overlaps between RCRA and CERCLA that can affect the negotiation and litigation of federal hazardous waste cases. The relationship between cleanup standards and requirements under RCRA and applicable or relevant and appropriate cleanup standards under CERCLA is one example of such an overlap. In addition, the article addresses several basic policy determinations that may affect enforcement, such as the RCRA/CERCLA listing policy and the procedural and substantive requirements, not yet established, for corrective action under RCRA. Finally, the article points out the need for increased coordination and cooperation not only between the federal government and the states, but between the program officials and their EPA and DOJ counsel. The existing, but limited, delegations of RCRA authority to the states will require the federal government and the states to work together with some degree of harmony; the increasing importance of scientific and technical issues under RCRA and CERCLA will lead federal enforcers both to influence and to seek program guidance at all stages of federal activity.
Design and operation of packet-switched networks with uncertain message requirements

An important concern when choosing the link design and message routes is the uncertainty regarding future average hourly message requirements between sources and destinations. A model is proposed for this problem which accounts for the uncertain average number of source-destination messages by representing them as random variables. The model also allows use of the public switched telephone network (PSTN) to accommodate some of the message requirements. This is especially important with the advent of ISDN, which will offer high-speed capacity on a universal basis. Most previous research on packet-switched network design and operation has assumed known average message requirements (although actual message requirements vary according to a Poisson process) and has focused exclusively on the use of leased lines without the availability of the PSTN. These leased lines have fixed monthly costs for specific point-to-point transmission, whereas PSTN lines can access any node from a given location. It is shown how to accelerate convergence of the flow-deviation algorithm for solving the model. Computational results are reported. >
Characterization of a mutation in the reduced folate carrier in a transport defective L1210 murine leukemia cell line.

This laboratory previously described an L1210 leukemia cell line (MTXrA) selected for resistance to methotrexate by virtue of impaired transport due to a functional defect in the translocation process. We now report on the sequence analysis of cDNAs encoding the reduced folate carrier from this line and identify a single mutation that results in the substitution of a proline for an alanine in a highly conserved transmembrane region of the protein. Transfection of the parental reduced folate carrier into MTXrA cells resulted in a cell line which exhibited a complete restoration of methotrexate uptake and an enhanced sensitivity to methotrexate. Northern analysis and specific [3H]MTX cell surface binding indicated that expression of the reduced folate carrier was elevated ~5-fold in the transfectant compared to parental and MTXrA cells. The MTX influx properties of the transfectant cell line were identical to those of the well characterized reduced folate carrier from parental L1210 cells in terms of: 1) patterns of sensitivity to competing folates, 2) sensitivity to the organic anion sulfobromophthalein, 3) lack of energy dependence, and 4) capacity for trans-stimulation. We also provide new data which suggests that the nucleotide sequence 5′ of the predicted ATG initiation codon may encode additional protein information in the form of a leader sequence. Finally, we demonstrate that the MTXrA line has both the mutant and the parental reduced folate carrier alleles but that expression appears to be restricted to the mutant allele. Thus, the methotrexate transport phenotype and resultant drug resistance in this cell line result from genetic/regulatory events at both alleles.
Activity of abundant antimicrobials of the human airway

Human airways produce several antimicrobial factors; the most abundant are lysozyme and lactoferrin. Despite their likely importance in preventing infection, and their possible key role in the pathogenesis of cystic fibrosis (CF), we know little about their antibacterial activity in the context of the CF airway. We found that abundant airway antimicrobial factors kill common CF pathogens, although Burkholderia was relatively resistant. To study the antibacterial activity, we developed a rapid, sensitive, and quantitative in vitro luminescence assay. Because NaCl concentrations may be elevated in CF airway surface liquid, we tested the effect of salt on antibacterial activity. Activity of individual factors and of airway lavage fluid was inhibited by high ionic strength, and it was particularly sensitive to divalent cations. However, it was not inhibited by nonionic osmolytes and thus did not require hypotonic liquid. The inhibition by ionic strength could be partially compensated by increased concentrations of antibacterial factors, thus there was no one unique salt concentration for inhibition. CF airway secretions also contain abundant mucin and elastase; however, these had no effect on antibacterial activity of lysozyme, lactoferrin, or airway lavage fluids. When studied at low NaCl concentrations, CF and non-CF airway lavage fluids contained similar levels of antibacterial activity. These results suggest approaches toward developing treatments aimed at preventing or reducing airway infections in individuals with CF.
The Coinhibitory Receptor CTLA-4 Controls B Cell Responses by Modulating T Follicular Helper, T Follicular Regulatory, and T Regulatory Cells

The receptor CTLA-4 has been implicated in controlling B cell responses, but the mechanisms by which CTLA-4 regulates antibody production are not known. Here we showed deletion of CTLA-4 in adult mice increased Tfh and Tfr cell numbers and augmented B cell responses. In the effector phase, loss of CTLA-4 on Tfh cells resulted in heightened B cell responses, whereas loss of CTLA-4 on Tfr cells resulted in defective suppression of antigen-specific antibody responses. We also found that non-Tfr Treg cells could suppress B cell responses through CTLA-4 and that Treg and/or Tfr cells might downregulate B7-2 on B cells outside germinal centers as a means of suppression. Within the germinal center, however, Tfr cells potently suppress B cells through CTLA-4, but with a mechanism independent of altering B7-1 or B7-2. Thus, we identify multifaceted regulatory roles for CTLA-4 in Tfh, Tfr, and Treg cells, which together control humoral immunity.
Fire in the Suburbs: Ecological Impacts of Prescribed Fire in Small Remnants of Longleaf Pine (Pinus palustris) Sandhill

Logging, fire suppression, and urbanization have all contributed to the serious decline and fragmentation of Pinus palustris (longleaf pine) ecosystems in the southeastern United States. Effective management of the remaining patches of these pyrogenic communities must incorporate periodic low-intensity fires, even where they are located on private lands in populated urban and suburban areas. To explore the effects of fire and its potential use for restoration and management of small fragments surrounded by suburban development, we conducted growing season prescribed fires in remnant longleaf pine sandhill patches in the suburbs of Gainesville, Florida. Density and composition of hardwoods were surveyed pre-burn and 1 and 9 months post-burn. Woody stem density decreased in the burn plots, predominantly in the smaller size classes. Flowering responses of forbs and small shrubs were surveyed six times post-burn for 1 year. Overall, the burns did not yield greater densities of flowering stems, but burn patches had higher species richness and diversity than control patches. In addition, there were consistently greater numbers of “showy flowered” sandhill species in flower in burn patches relative to controls. The results of this research demonstrate that prescribed fire can be used for restoration and management of small remnants of longleaf pine sandhill in suburban neighborhoods. It is also clear that although a single prescribed burn can be effective, it will take more than one burn to attain desired restoration goals in degraded longleaf remnants.
Click chemistry patents and their impact on drug discovery and chemical biology

First introduced by K Barry Sharpless in 2001, the term ‘click chemistry’ soon became a widely used description of chemical reactions that proceed rapidly, cleanly and in a manner that is often compatible with aqueous solutions. Click chemistry is frequently employed throughout the process of drug discovery, and greatly helps advance research programs in the pharmaceutical industry. It facilitates library synthesis to support medicinal chemistry optimization, helps identify the targets and off-targets of drug candidates, and can facilitate the determination of drug efficacy in clinical trials. In the last decade, a large number of patent applications covering the various types and utilities of click chemistry have been filed. In this review, we provide the first analysis of click chemistry applications.
At the Crossroads of Sexuality and Spirituality: The Sanctification of Sex by College Students.

This study examines the intersection between spirituality and premarital sexuality. College students from a Midwestern university (N = 151) completed measures of their beliefs about the sanctification of sexual intercourse in loving, nonmarital relationships. A subsample of 65 participants completed parallel measures regarding current sexual relationships. Greater sanctification was related to increased sexual satisfaction in this subgroup. Increased belief in the sanctification of sexual intercourse was related to increased sexual behavior in the total sample. Finally, the sanctification of sexual intercourse demonstrated incremental validity in the prediction of sexual behavior and satisfaction beyond the effects of attitudes toward premarital sex, dating status, and general religiousness. Overall, these results suggest that sanctification is a unique and useful way to examine the connection between sexuality and spirituality.
IL-17 Contributes to Angiogenesis in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Angiogenesis is an early and a critical event in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Neovascularization is dependent on endothelial cell activation, migration and proliferation, and inhibition of angiogenesis may provide a novel therapeutic approach in RA. In this study, we document a novel role of IL-17 in mediating angiogenesis. Local expression of IL-17 in mouse ankles increases vascularity. We further demonstrate that IL-17 is angiogenic by showing its ability to promote blood vessel growth in Matrigel plugs in vivo. Additionally, IL-17, in concentrations present in the RA joint, induces human lung microvascular endothelial cell (HMVEC) migration mediated through the PI3K/AKT1 pathway. Furthermore, suppression of the PI3K pathway markedly reduces IL-17-induced tube formation. We also show that both IL-17-induced HMVEC chemotaxis and tube formation are mediated primarily through IL-17 receptor C. Neutralization of either IL-17 in RA synovial fluids or IL-17 receptor C on HMVECs significantly reduces the induction of HMVEC migration by RA synovial fluid. Finally, RA synovial fluid immunoneutralized with anti-IL-17 and antivascular endothelial growth factor does not reduce HMVEC migration beyond the effect detected by immunodepleting each factor alone. These observations identify a novel function for IL-17 as an angiogenic mediator in RA, supporting IL-17 as a therapeutic target in RA.
Interdependence and the Duration of Militarized Conflict

Many researchers have reported empirical support for the liberal proposition that increased trade between states reduces their propensity to engage in militarized conflict. However, the literature has been less vocal on the effects of interdependence once actual conflict has started. The author, who builds on the opportunity-cost explanation for the commercial peace, first shows how that explanation can fit a bargaining framework of conflict. It is then argued that if trade reduces conflict by raising its opportunity costs prior to its onset, the prospective opportunity costs should remain high during conflict as well and decrease its observed duration, a prediction that can also be derived from a simple war-of-attrition game. The proposed inverse relationship between interdependence and conflict duration is evaluated empirically, using all militarized interstate disputes between 1950 and 1992. The author utilizes both continuous and discrete-time duration models and considers a number of alternative mode...
Comparison of feedforward and feedback neural network architectures for short term wind speed prediction

This paper compares three types of neural networks trained using particle swarm optimization (PSO) for use in the short term prediction of wind speed. The three types of neural networks compared are the multi-layer perceptron (MLP) neural network, Elman recurrent neural network, and simultaneous recurrent neural network (SRN). Each network is trained and tested using meteorological data of one week measured at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory National Wind Technology Center near Boulder, CO. Results show that while the recurrent neural networks outperform the MLP in the best and average case with a lower overall mean squared error, the MLP performance is comparable. The better performance of the feedback architectures is also shown using the mean absolute relative error. While the SRN performance is superior, the increase in required training time for the SRN over the other networks may be a constraint, depending on the application.
The rates of evaporation of sprays

This paper reports a computational study of the evaporation rates of sprays of pure liquid drops having negligible velocity with respect to the air, and for drop velocities great enough to affect the evaporation rate. The principle parameters considered were the mean diameter and distribution of drop sizes in the initial spray, ratio of air to spray, initial temperature difference between air and spray, initial drop velocity, and air velocity.
Integration of multispectral and ecological data for characterizing montane meadow communities in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

Six spectrally and ecologically distinct montane meadow community types were identified and mapped within the Gallatin National Forest of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem by analysis of Landsat Thematic Mapper data. A distinct xeric-to-hydric gradient among the meadow types was predicted by analysis of the satellite data. Thirty sites (six meadow types x five occurrences of each) were selected for intensive field sampling of plant, bird, and butterfly species. Species richness was highest for all taxa (including forbs, grasses, and shrubs) in mesic meadows. Spectral response curves indicate a progression from strongly photosynthetically active vegetation to a composite vegetation/soil response.
Lower head integrity under steam explosion loads

Lower head integrity under steam explosion loads in an AP600-like reactor design is considered. The assessment is the second part of an evaluation of the in-vessel retention idea as a severe accident management concept, the first part (DOE:ID-10460) dealing with thermal loads. The assessment is conducted in terms of the risk oriented accident analysis methodology (ROAAM), and includes the comprehensive evaluation of all relevant severe accident scenarios, melt conditions and timing of release from the core region, fully three-dimensional mixing and explosion wave dynamics, and lower head fragility under local, dynamic loading. All of these factors are brought together in a ROAAM probabilistic framework to evaluate failure likelihood. The conclusion is that failure is 'physically unreasonable'. © 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.
Vacuum applications of metal foams

Several vacuum applications of copper foams in the density range 2-5% and pore sizes of 0.5-0.7 mm are discussed, such as a foreline hydrocarbon trap in a mechanical vacuum pump, a molecular-flow resistor, a diffuser, and a water injector. Other suggested applications include the use of foam copper in the form of an externally heated plug to remove traces of oxygen from inert gases bled into a vacuum system through a stainless steel line and the use of the porous surface for minimizing release of secondary electrons from electrodes in the path of charged particle beams.
The Scholarly Database and its utility for scientometrics research

The Scholarly Database aims to serve researchers and practitioners interested in the analysis, modelling, and visualization of large-scale data sets. A specific focus of this database is to support macro-evolutionary studies of science and to communicate findings via knowledge-domain visualizations. Currently, the database provides access to about 18 million publications, patents, and grants. About 90% of the publications are available in full text. Except for some datasets with restricted access conditions, the data can be retrieved in raw or pre-processed formats using either a web-based or a relational database client. This paper motivates the need for the database from the perspective of bibliometric/scientometric research. It explains the database design, setup, etc., and reports the temporal, geographical, and topic coverage of data sets currently served via the database. Planned work and the potential for this database to become a global testbed for information science research are discussed at the end of the paper.
TOWARDS AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE MEANING OF NOMINAL TENSE

Paraguayan Guaranhas nominal inflectional suffixes with temporal meanings. I challenge the claim that they are nominal tenses (cf. Nordlinger and Sadler 2004), and analyze them as nominal aspects. I present evidence that points to crosslinguistic variation in the way in which noun phrases are temporally interpreted, and address the implications of the existence of languages with nominal temporal markers for theories of temporality and crosslinguistic temporal interpretation. Paraguayan Guaran´i (Tupi-Guaran´i language family) has two nominal suffixes -kue and -r˜
Practicing evidence-based Orthodontics: How to critically appraise a randomized controlled trial

An 11-year-old girl visited her general dentist for a routine check up. Upon clinical and radiographic examination, no signs of dental caries were observed, but the dentist noticed that her maxillary canines may have been impacted and referred the patient to the or -thodontist. After clinical and radiographic examina-tion, the orthodontist concluded that the teeth were palatally displaced and needed to make a decision for a course of action. The orthodontist suggested extracting the deciduous canines. The parents were hesitant and wanted to wait for the deciduous teeth to exfoliate and the permanent teeth to erupt. The or-thodontist then decided to look into published litera -ture for the best evidence available for the treatment of impacted canines. The orthodontist decided to use the five steps of Evidence-based practice: Ask, Ac-quire, Appraise, Apply and Assess (Table 1). » Ask a focused question: Use the PICOT (Popu-lation, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome, Time) acronym to create a focused question. The clinical question was: In an 11-year-old female patient with suspected palatally displaced maxillary canines, does the extraction of the deciduous canine, compared to no treatment or watchful waiting, result in successful eruption of canines after 4 years? » Acquire the evidence: The orthodontist performed a “Narrow scope” search in Pubmed Clinical Queries
Tracing Peculiarities: Vote Thresholds and Majority Clauses

Various sorts of vote thresholds are studied in detail. The minimum vote share and the maximum vote share that are compatible with a given number of seats are determined. Particular cases are the threshold of representation and the threshold of exclusion. Amendments are presented ensuring that a party with a straight majority of votes, however narrow, is guaranteed a straight majority of seats. A specific amendment, the majority-minority partition clause, applies to a majority of votes of a single party as well as to a majority of aggregated votes of a coalition of parties.
Social Media and HIV/AIDS: Implications for Social Work Education

AbstractSocial work educators and practitioners continue to grapple with the strengths and challenges that access to social media provides. This paper presents the use of a range of social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and Weibo in HIV/AIDS prevention and education with hard to reach populations in diverse settings. Lessons learned in the field are applied to areas in social work education with a particular emphasis on enhancing privacy and confidentiality through the use of firewalls and privacy settings on social media and content development with an emphasis on valuing cultural capital of social media users, respecting fellow users and recognizing the utility of social media in conducting research and disseminating research. The role of the professional in guiding and monitoring content and bridging the digital divide for those hard to reach populations are discussed.
Stimulation of Local Antibody Formation in Cornea by Grenz Rays

SummaryThe local formation of precipitins following the injection of purified egg-albumin into the rabbit's cornea was increased by exposure of the cornea to the dosages of Grenz ray used in these experiments. The effect was most marked when the exposures were made for several days prior to injection of antigen.
Effect of fulvic acid surface coatings on plutonium sorption and desorption kinetics on goethite.

The rates and extent of plutonium (Pu) sorption and desorption onto mineral surfaces are important parameters for predicting Pu mobility in subsurface environments. The presence of natural organic matter, such as fulvic acid (FA), may influence these parameters. We investigated the effects of FA on Pu(IV) sorption/desorption onto goethite in two scenarios: when FA was (1) initially present in solution or (2) found as organic coatings on the mineral surface. A low pH was used to maximize FA coatings on goethite. Experiments were combined with kinetic modeling and speciation calculations to interpret variations in Pu sorption rates in the presence of FA. Our results indicate that FA can change the rates and extent of Pu sorption onto goethite at pH 4. Differences in the kinetics of Pu sorption were observed as a function of the concentration and initial form of FA. The fraction of desorbed Pu decreased in the presence of FA, indicating that organic matter can stabilize sorbed Pu on goethite. These results s...
Relative influence of the LibQUAL+™ dimensions on satisfaction: A subgroup analysis

This research study investigates the influence of the identified LibQUAL+™ dimensions on various aspects of the user’s satisfaction with the Academic Library at Wayne State University. Multivariate regression analysis results show statistically significant impact of LibQUAL+™ dimensions on user satisfaction. Moderated regression analysis results show the moderating impact of various demographic variables on the relationships between LibQUAL+™ dimensions and user satisfaction. The results of this research can be used to alter resource allocation expenditures to improve user satisfaction.
Abstract 4973: Recurrent chimeric RNAs enriched in human prostate cancer identified by deep-sequencing

Chimeric transcripts unrelated to chromosomal rearrangement are primarily generated by two transcription-induced mechanisms: read-through/splicing and trans-splicing. Both mechanisms result in fused transcripts that possess sequences from both genes. Although the exact cause and regulation of chimeric transcripts are unknown, chimeric RNAs, like fusion genes, are expected to increase the proteomic diversity in cells through chimeric proteins or altered regulation of participating mRNAs. Despite its importance, few studies have reported on chimeric RNAs, especially regarding their presence and roles in human cancers. In this study, we took advantage of the analytical power of paired-end high throughput sequencing to characterize chimeric transcripts enriched in human prostate cancer. By deep-sequencing the transcribed mRNA (transcriptome) of 20 clinical prostate cancer tissues, in addition to 10 matched benign prostate tissues from the same patients, we obtained greater than 500 million useful sequence reads. This strategy combined with stringent bioinformatic criteria enabled the identification of 27 novel and highly recurrent chimeric RNAs that have never been described before. The novel chimeric transcripts were experimentally validated to be present in human prostate cancer samples in a recurrent manner. Further experimental analysis identify several chimeric transcripts are present in the human prostate cancer cell lines, but not in primary human prostate epithelium cells, implying their associations with cancer mechanisms. Importantly, one of these chimeras appeared to be highly cancer-enriched, as it is confirmed to be expressed at significantly higher levels in human prostate cancers but present at very low levels in non-cancer prostates. Our results suggest that chimeric RNAs are more abundant than previously estimated. The RNA fusion junctions of these novel recurrent chimeras, as determined experimentally, suggest that many of them would generate altered or aberrant protein sequences, potentially leading to abnormal functions in cancer. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4973. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-4973
The Hale Position for a "Third Method" for Specific Learning Disabilities Identification: A Legal Analysis.

This short article provides a legal analysis of the Hale et al. white paper on specific learning disabilities identification. The white paper presents a purported consensus of experts that an appro...
Effect of mercurial diuretics on maximal rate of renal glucose transport in man.

SummaryDepression of Tmg was not observed in 15 patients free of cardiovascular or renal dysfunction 2 hours after intravenous administration of Thiomerin (2 ml) or Mercuhydrin (3 ml/hr).
Model Reduction Using Iterative Solver for Burgers Equation

This article presents an iterative approach to solve Burgers equation based on predicted snapshots. No physical experiments or large-scale computation is required to obtain these snapshots. At the initial stage, the predicted snapshots are estimated by online computation in an artiflcial subspace. During each iteration cycle, updated snapshots are calculated in a low dimensional space and are served to generate reduced-order basis for the next cycle. Good correlation with results obtained from this approach and full order model can be achieved. Since this method does not need to construct a database based on precomputed snapshots, it is computationally inexpensive and stable with parameter changes. Although we focus on solving Burgers equation in this article, the method itself can be easily extended to many other dynamical problems.