cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 2764A: Elucidating the pharmacological effects of covalent microtubule stabilizing taccalonolides through functional tagging

Microtubule stabilizing taxanes are highly effective in the treatment of solid tumors and continue to be used as single agents and in combination with targeted therapies and immunotherapies. However, limitations of taxane therapy include acquired and inherent drug resistance. The taccalonolides are a novel class of microtubule stabilizers that circumvent clinically relevant forms of drug resistance to the taxanes in vitro and in vivo. The taccalonolides are efficacious in taxane-resistant models due to their distinct mechanism of microtubule stabilization that involves covalent binding to β-tubulin. Pharmacological studies of the taccalonolides have been complicated by their irreversible binding to tubulin. A functional tagged taccalonolide would facilitate a greater understanding of the pharmacological, cellular, and physiological effects of this novel drug class. We have generated and characterized a series of fluorescently tagged taccalonolides that retain microtubule binding and stabilizing activities to serve as functional pharmacological taccalonolide probes. Biochemical tubulin polymerization, live cell fluorescence, immunofluorescence imaging, and the sulforhodamine B cytotoxicity assay were conducted to evaluate the microtubule binding and stabilizing effects of these taccalonolide probes. We identified stable taccalonolide probes that retain the biological activities of untagged taccalonolides and facilitate their detection in live cells and in cell lysates. The rates of taccalonolide uptake and tubulin binding in cells, tumors, and normal tissues were determined. These studies have also allowed for an evaluation of the anatomical distribution of the taccalonolides in vivo, which can inform on their potential for antitumor efficacy in distinct tumor sites. Furthermore, we have generated a cellular model to evaluate the kinetics of taccalonolide binding to β-tubulin mutants that are predicted to influence drug binding based on the crystal structure. These studies have confirmed the covalent interaction between the taccalonolides and D224 on β-tubulin and informed on other residues critical for drug binding. The generation of a functional tagged taccalonolide will continue to be a valuable tool in evaluating the pharmacokinetics of these agents and inform on drug targeting strategies that will facilitate their clinical development. Citation Format: Samantha S. Yee, Lin Du, April L. Risinger. Elucidating the pharmacological effects of covalent microtubule stabilizing taccalonolides through functional tagging [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 2764A.
Correlational Study of Differences in Distress Following Relationship Education for Individuals With or Without Chronic Illness

Relationship quality contributes to favorable health; and conversely, chronic relational stress exacerbates symptoms of chronic illness (CI). Individual-oriented relationship education (RE) demonst...
Alter schützt vor Digitalisierung nicht

Die digitale Transformation der Firma Schindler gliedert sich in drei Etappen: In der ersten Phase (2010–2011) ging es um die Verbesserung der Effizienz der Informationstechnologie im Konzern. In der zweiten Phase (2011–2013) lag der Fokus auf der operationellen Effizienz und der Vereinheitlichung der Prozesse. In der letzten Phase (ab 2013) schliesslich geht es um das „Leading-Edge Digital Business“ und damit insbesondere darum, den Fokus der Digitalisierung auf die Kunden zu richten und sowohl Kunden wie auch Passagieren einen einzigartigen Nutzen zu bieten. Die Digitalisierung bei Schindler beruht auf vier Saulen, wovon die erste Saule die wichtigste Rolle spielt: den einzigartigen Nutzen (customer experience) fur die Kunden. Die neu entwickelten „smarten Produkte“ von Schindler bilden die zweite Saule der Transformation, die wiederum stark auf Saule drei, den smarten Mitarbeitern, basiert. Die smarten Prozesse schliesslich bilden die vierte und letzte Saule der digitalen Transformation bei Schindler. Die vier Saulen – und das ist wesentlich – sind nicht isoliert voneinander zu betrachten, sondern funktionieren nur im Verbund. Hierfur wesentlich ist die Bereitschaft, organisatorische Grenzen zu uberschreiten.
EVALUATION OF LDL-C REDUCTIONS BY SIRNA TREATMENT WITH INCLISIRAN IN PATIENTS WITH DIABETES MELLITUS, METABOLIC SYNDROME OR NEITHER

Patients with diabetes (DM) and metabolic syndrome (MS) have elevated risks for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Aggressive LDL-C lowering reduces risks. Inclisiran, a new siRNA, lowers LDL-C and was evaluated in patients with type 2 diabetes (DM), metabolic syndrome (MS) without DM or
Malpractice Litigation for Compartment syndrome

Abstract Background The aim of this study was to analyze litigation involving compartment syndrome to identify the causes and outcomes of such malpractice suits. A better understanding of such litigation may provide insight into areas where clinicians may make improvements in the delivery of care. Methods Jury verdict reviews from the Westlaw database from January 1, 2010 to January 1, 2018 were reviewed. The search term “compartment syndrome” was used to identify cases and extract data on the specialty of the physician defendant, the demographics of the plaintiff, the allegation, and the verdict. Results A total of 124 individual cases involving the diagnosis of compartment syndrome were identified. Medical centers or the hospital was included as a defendant in 51.6% of cases. The most frequent physician defendants were orthopedic surgeons (45.96%), and emergency medicine physicians (20.16%), followed by cardiothoracic/vascular surgeons (16.93%). Failure to diagnose was the most frequently cited claim (71.8% of cases). Majority of plaintiffs were males, with a mean age of 36.7 years, suffering injuries an average of 5 years prior to their verdict. Traumatic compartment syndrome of the lower extremity causing nerve damage was the most common complication attributed to failure to diagnose, leading to litigation. Forty cases (32.25%) were found for the plaintiff or settled, with an average award of $1,553,993.66. Conclusion Our study offers a brief overview of the most common defendants, plaintiffs, and injuries involved in legal disputes involving compartment syndrome. Orthopedic surgeons were most commonly named; however, vascular surgeons may also be involved in these cases due to the large number of cases with associated arterial involvement. A significant percentage of cases were plaintiff verdicts or settled cases. Failure to diagnosis or delay in treatment were the most common causes of malpractice litigation. Compartment syndrome is a clinical diagnosis and requires a high level of suspicion for a timely diagnosis. Lack of objective criteria for diagnosis increase the chances of medical errors and makes it an area vulnerable to litigation.
Attribution and attributional processes of organizations’ environmental messages:

This experimental study, guided by attribution theory, investigated the impact of the substantiation and specificity of organizations’ environmental messages on perceived communication motivation a...
Clustering and Analysis of Vulnerabilities Present in Different Robot Types.

Due to the new advancements in automation using Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and Internet of Things it has become crucial to pay attention to possible vulnerabilities in order to avoid cyber attack and hijacking that can occur which can be catastrophic. There have been many consequences of disasters due to vulnerabilities in Robotics, these vulnerabilities need to be analyzed to target the severe ones before they cause cataclysm. This paper aims to highlight the areas and severity of each type of vulnerability by analyzing issues categorized under the type of vulnerability. This we achieve by careful analysis of the data and application of information retrieval techniques like Term Frequency - Inverse Document Frequency, dimension reduction techniques like Principal Component Analysis and Clustering using Machine Learning techniques like K-means. By performing this analysis, the severity of robotic issues in different domains and the severity of the issue based on type of issue is detected.
Ring finger metacarpal fracture iatrogenic rotation using an ulnar gutter splint: A cadaveric study.

Abstract Study Design Cohort cadaveric study. Introduction Ring finger metacarpal fractures are often treated with ulnar gutter orthoses incorporating the ring and small fingers. Iatrogenic pronation of the distal metacarpal fragment may occur from overzealous orthotic “molding”, resulting in a crossover deformity of the ring finger over the small finger. Purpose of the Study The goal of this cadaveric study is to determine whether including the middle finger in an ulnar gutter orthotic could lessen the chances of iatrogenic ring finger metacarpal fracture rotation. Methods Transverse ring finger metacarpal shaft fractures were created in 24 cadaver hands. The ring and small fingers were then placed into an intrinsic plus position, simulating the application of an ulnar gutter orthotic. Weights of 2.5, 5, and 10 pounds were applied to the ring and small fingers to simulate iatrogenic-induced fracture pronation. The amount of rotational displacement at the fracture was measured, and the protocol was repeated, including the middle finger in the intrinsic plus position. Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon test was used for statistical analysis. Results There was an increase in distal fragment rotation with increasing weight. Fracture displacement was greater with the 2-finger position than the 3-finger at all weight levels; this reached statistical significance at 10 lbs (2.8 vs 1.8 mm). Conclusions Application of an ulnar gutter orthotic including only ring and small fingers can rotate the distal fragment of a ring finger metacarpal shaft fracture such that overlap could occur with the small finger. Including the middle finger in ulnar gutter splints will mitigate against the rotation of the ring finger metacarpal shaft fracture.
Classes of non-parity-time-symmetric optical potentials with exceptional-point-free phase transitions.

Paraxial linear propagation of light in an optical waveguide with material gain and loss is governed by a Schrodinger equation with a complex potential. In this Letter, new classes of non-parity-time (PT)-symmetric complex potentials featuring conjugate-pair eigenvalue symmetry are constructed by operator symmetry methods. Due to this eigenvalue symmetry, it is shown that the spectrum of these complex potentials is often all-real. Under parameter tuning in these potentials, a phase transition can also occur, where pairs of complex eigenvalues appear in the spectrum. A distinctive feature of the phase transition here is that the complex eigenvalues may bifurcate out from an interior continuous eigenvalue inside the continuous spectrum; hence, a phase transition takes place without going through an exceptional point. In one spatial dimension, this class of non-PT-symmetric complex potentials is of the form V(x)=h'(x)-h2(x), where h(x) is an arbitrary PT-symmetric complex function. These potentials in two spatial dimensions are also derived. Diffraction patterns in these complex potentials are further examined, and unidirectional propagation behaviors are demonstrated.
Callogenesis optimization of some globe artichoke [Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus (L.) Fiori] cultivars based on in vivo and in vitro leaf explants

Globe artichoke’s [Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus (L.) Fiori] leaves are rich in polyphenols and due to health-promoting properties artichoke growing has been gaining interest. Optimization and development of valuable bioactive components, which are not in the standard amount in raw material can be achieved and increased with the assistance of in vitro techniques such as callus and subsequently cell suspension cultures. Therefore, in the present study in vitro callogenesis optimization of three globe artichoke cultivars was studied by using 29 different media combinations, based on basic Gamborg B5 medium supplemented with various concentrations of 1-Naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), 6-Benzylaminopurine (BAP), 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), and Kinetin. Comparisons were made on the basis of using in vivo and in vitro leaves as explant material. In the experiment several parameters such as leaf explants development (%), callus formation (%), and callus weight (g) were assessed for each related cultivar. Results revealed that having auxin: cytokinin concentrations together at enough and well-balanced, having equal amounts or 10:1 concentrations of auxin: cytokinin, concentrations in media combinations are indispensable for stimulating the callogenesis in globe artichoke. The findings of the present study clearly revealed that, there were differences among cultivars regarding callus induction by using in vivo and in vitro leaf explants while in vivo leaf explants came into prominence regarding callus formation and weights. It is assumed that the findings of the present study may play a complementary and auxiliary role in several areas such as pharmaceutical engineering of globe artichoke.
Catalyst-Free Formation of Nitrile Oxides and Their Further Transformations to Diverse Heterocycles.

The formation of nitrile oxides with diazocarbonyl compounds by nitrosyl transfer from tert-butyl nitrite under mild conditions and without the use of a catalyst or an additive is reported. This tr...
Sustainability efforts, index recognition, and stock performance

We examine the long-term performance of stocks appearing in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index North America. We find that sustainability stocks exhibit abnormal returns for 12–30 months after the index listing, while those stocks generate no excess returns before the index listing. Moreover, sustainability stocks experience an increase in institutional ownership after the index listing. However, we find no evidence that short sellers increase their position to exploit a possible overpricing for sustainability stocks. Overall, our analysis suggests that sustainability efforts translate into a permanent increase in demand for stocks, leading to the superior performance.
Shining the light on women's work, this time brighter: Let's start at the top

Abstract As the percentage of women in the workforce grew over the past 50 years, so too began the slow assent of women into leadership roles, revealing a sharp trailing percentage of women from entry level to senior leadership positions. Although men's leadership has been studied extensively, women were largely overlooked in leadership theory and research until the late 1990s. In the context of the global pandemic, the threat to equity in women's work has enormously intensified, resulting in women leaving or considering leaving the workforce at rates that greatly exceed men. Modest gains in women achieving top leadership positions are at risk of being erased, as women face intense increased pressure at work and home. Persistent barriers and inequities in women's advancement to senior leadership are now in the spotlight during these unprecedented times, heightening the urgency to examine the current state and future direction of women's leadership. There is no better time to invest in diversity, equity and inclusion in leadership by turning attention to theory, research, and individual and organizational practices to drive women's advancement and success. This contribution to the 50th anniversary special issue addresses emerging leadership theories, women's leadership aspirations, and importantly, barriers to women's advancement to senior leadership.
The Application of the Difference-in-Differences Model in Strategic Management Research

Difference-in-differences (DD) models allow researchers to estimate changes between treatment and control groups after exogenous interventions or shocks. We reviewed research in strategic managemen...
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS ALONG AN ICEBERG TOW ROUTE IN THE INDIAN OCEAN

It is apparent from the environmental factors matrix that some factors are more forecastable than others, and that the environmental baseline is greater for some than others. It should be noted that this paper rates ocean eddies, surface waves, surface currents, and oceanic fronts as important factors about which our knowledge or forecasting ability or both are deficient. That this is the case is not surprising since these are small or medium scale features that routine oceanographic surveys do not delineate very well. Oceanographic surveys often have distances between stations of 100 km and a typical separation between lines of stations of 500 km. In order to get sufficient data for an analysis of the gross structure, data from many years may be combined. Such an approach makes it impossible to document mesoscale features, like eddies with horizontal dimensions of a few hundred kilometers.
Intrinsic neuronal physiology and the functions, dysfunctions and development of neocortex

Publisher Summary The intrinsic physiology of component neurons is often assumed to be constant and with mundane features at that, but neuronal properties are neither constant nor mundane. Because the complement of ion channels expressed by a particular class of neuron varies, intrinsic physiology varies, often dramatically. Physiology also changes with development. This chapter explores whether, and to what extent, variations in the intrinsic physiology of neurons contribute to normal brain development and function, and to neuropathological processes. The chapter focuses on cells of the cerebral neocortex because an extensive functional taxonomy of it has been compiled, because it is a good example of neurotaxonomy in need of unifying theories with supporting evidence. Studies have shown directly a relationship between a particular pattern of intrinsic physiology and the function of a brain circuit. It is also found that variations in intrinsic physiology are not haphazardly distributed among cortical neurons, but show a high degree of specificity. In general, adapting and bursting patterns of firing occur in the spiny cells of the cortex—in particular, the pyramidal cells.
Recurrent micropapillary serous ovarian carcinoma.

BACKGROUND The objectives of the current study were to: 1) characterize the clinical outcome of patients with recurrent micropapillary serous ovarian carcinoma (MPSC) and 2) evaluate the survival impact of secondary cytoreductive surgery and other prognostic variables. METHODS Twenty-six patients with recurrent MPSC were identified retrospectively from hospital and tumor registry databases. Survival curves were generated from the time of tumor recurrence using the Kaplan–Meier method and statistical comparisons were performed using the log-rank test, logistic regression analysis, and the Cox proportional hazards regression model. RESULTS The median age of the patients at the time of recurrence was 46 years. The mean progression-free interval was 31.6 months, and 92% of patients had advanced stage disease at the time of the initial diagnosis. Twenty-one patients underwent secondary cytoreductive surgery; tumor debulking was performed in 90.5% of cases and 52.4% of patients required an intestinal resection. Optimal resection (residual disease ≤ 1 cm) was achieved in 15 patients (71.4%). Patients undergoing optimal secondary cytoreduction had a median survival time of 61.2 months from the date of disease recurrence, compared with 25.5 months for those patients in whom suboptimal residual disease remained (P < 0.02) and 29.9 months for nonsurgical patients (P < 0.01). On multivariate analysis, optimal secondary cytoreduction was found to be the only independent predictor of survival. Salvage chemotherapy produced an objective response in 25% of patients with measurable disease. The administration of chemotherapy prior to surgical intervention was associated with a trend toward worse survival and a lower likelihood of optimal secondary cytoreduction. CONCLUSIONS Optimal secondary cytoreductive surgery is feasible in the majority of patients with recurrent MPSC and is an independent predictor of subsequent survival. Surgical intervention should be considered for those patients with recurrent MPSC. [See editorials on pages 675–6 and 677–80, this issue.] Cancer 2002;95:791–800. © 2002 American Cancer Society. DOI 10.1002/cncr.10789
Non-Rigid Shape Comparison of Plane Curves in Images

A mathematical theory for establishing correspondences between curves and for non-rigid shape comparison is developed in this paper. The proposed correspondences, called bimorphisms, are more general than those obtained from one-to-one functions. Their topology is investigated in detail. A new criterion for non-rigid shape comparison using bimorphisms is also proposed. The criterion avoids many of the mathematical problems of previous approaches by comparing shapes non-rigidly from the bimorphism. Geometric invariants are calculated for curves whose shapes can be exactly matched with a bimorphism. The invariants are related to the concave and convex segments of a curve and provide justification for parsing the curve into such segments.
Exponentially Stable Tracking Control for Multi-Joint Flexible-Link Manipulators

In this paper we describe a new tracking control law for multi-joint flexible-link manipulators. The scheme is a synthesis of the inverse dynamics solution for flexible manipulator developed by Bayo at UCSB and tracking control theory for rigid-link manipulators put forth by Bayard, Wen and others. We show that passive joint controllers, together with the feed-forward of nominal joint torques corresponding to a desired end-effector trajectory, results in exponentially stable tracking control. Stability is proved (local to the desired trajectory) for a large class of passive controllers which include proportional and derivative controllers, lead compensators. The proof is based on a simple Lyapunov analysis and the Positive-Real lemma.
Long-term effect of wedge resection on androgen production in a case of polycystic ovarian disease.

Abstract A 22-year-old woman with polycystic ovarian disease was evaluated to determine the source of excess androgens. Preoperative 17-ketosteroids ranged between 36 and 45 mg. per 24 hours. Plasma testosterone was 0.05 μg per 100 ml., normal for a woman. Plasma androstenedione was 0.64 μg per 100 ml., markedly elevated. Testosterone production rate was 0.87 mg. per 24 hours, elevated for a woman. Androstenedione production rate was 15 mg. per 24 hours, markedly elevated. Wedge resection of both ovaries resulted in a marked decrease in 17-ketosteroids, plasma androstenedione, and production rates of testosterone and androstenedione. These results suggest that ovarian tissue was a source of excess androgen in this patient with polycystic ovarian disease.
Integrating heterogeneous data sources for better freight flow analysis and planning

We present ongoing work on developing an automated integration system for freight flow analysis and planning. To overcome the limitations of current estimation methods for commodity flows, we use reliable secondary sources, such as employment data, and derive estimates in a principled way by means of a computational workflow. When available, we extract the data automatically from online sources, so that the system maintains the estimations continuously updated. This project will allow planners and policymakers to make more informed decisions by accessing the most recent data and enhance the ability to explore different scenarios.
Efficient pollination of alpine plants

Several studies have documented low levels of insect diversity, abundance and activity in alpine ecosystems around the world1,7. It has been hypothesized that these factors may limit pollination of alpine plants8,9. We have measured pollination of alpine and foothill populations of Campanula rotundifolia by calculating a corrected visitation rate that incorporated information on pollinator abundance, visitation rates, pollen deposition and duration of stigma receptivity. Although pollinator visitation rates were significantly lower in alpine populations, corrected visitation rates showed that more effective pollination, combined with a longer period of stigma receptivity, compensated for this, resulting in comparable levels of pollination in populations from high and low elevations.
Hollingworth, Leta S. (1886–1939)

Leta S. Hollingworth (1886–1939) is a figure of major importance in the history of clinical psychology, educational psychology, and the psychology of women. She was among the leaders of the movement to professionalize the field of clinical psychology, and greatly advanced society's understanding of intellectually gifted children. She was also a front-runner of the feminist movement in psychology, writing on social factors that shaped and limited women's lives and challenging what she viewed as scientific misconceptions about women's abilities and intellectual potential. Keywords: educational psychology; Leta Stetter Hollingworth; practice in clinical psychology; psychology of women; testing in psychology; giftedness; history of psychology
Survival Outcomes and Pathologic Features Among Breast Cancer Patients Who Have Developed a Contralateral Breast Cancer

Studies have shown that contralateral breast cancer (CBC) portends worse survival compared to unilateral breast cancer (UBC), but few studies have been conducted in the United States, and survival is usually examined from the time of CBC development. Utilizing the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database, we selected 83,001 newly diagnosed breast cancer patients from 1998 to 2005. The time interval between the initial cancer and CBC was used as a time-dependent variable in a Cox regression analysis to examine overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) between UBC and CBC. Overall, 2130 patients (2.6 %) developed a CBC, 47.2 % within 5 years and 52.8 % ≥5 years. Most stage I patients (61.9 %) developed a stage I CBC, and a majority of stage II patients (51.6 %) developed a stage I CBC (p < 0.001). There was a median follow-up of 8.7 years. After adjustment, patients who developed a CBC 4 years after their initial breast cancer had worse DSS compared to patients with UBC (hazard ratio 1.36, 95 % confidence interval 1.03–1.79). Those patients who developed their CBC 8 years after their initial breast cancer had improved DSS (hazard ratio 0.37, 95 % confidence interval 0.20–0.67). Similar trends were observed for OS. Similar trends for OS and DSS were observed for estrogen receptor–negative women and women <50 years old. Development of a CBC early is associated with worse survival, but CBC development later on is associated with improved survival. Future studies are needed that can assist physicians with how to predict whether a patient will develop a CBC early on.
Abstract 1148: Array comparative genomic hybridization of diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma samples obtained from formalin fixed paraffin embedded autopsy specimens

Proceedings: AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010‐‐ Apr 17‐21, 2010; Washington, DC We have recently optimized the method of formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissue processing for high resolution array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH). This will facilitate the copy number assessment of number archival clinical surgical pathology specimens as well as biopsies with debated utility. Molecular characterization of archival specimens can potentially clarify the biology of diseases with unclear etiology and poor prognosis such as diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG). In the case of DIPG, which is seldom biopsied, at present autopsy samples provide the only practical approach to studying this disorder. Here we performed aCGH on FFPE autopsy specimens obtained from children with DIPG. DNA was extracted from FFPE blocks obtained from autopsy on 14 pediatric DIPG patients using a modified Qiagen DNeasy kit. Non-enzymatic Universal Linkage System (ULS) chemical labeling was used to directly couple fluorescent dyes with the sample and reference DNAs (1ug each), which were then hybridized to 105k oligonucleotide CGH microarrays (Agilent). Arrays were scanned and data analyzed in Nexus Copy Number software. Twenty-one samples from 14 subjects were available for the study from which CGH was successfully performed on 18 samples representing 12 patients. All samples demonstrated DNA aberrations. Frequent DNA copy number changes included gain of 1q, 7p, and loss of 10q. High copy number amplification of known oncogenes was observed, including PDGFRA, EGFR, CCND1, and MYCN. Homozygous deletions of known tumor suppressor genes included PTEN and CDKN2A. Our tissue processing method demonstrates the feasibility of successfully using DNA derived from FFPE autopsy material for aCGH. The pediatric DIPG sample set was highly informative with the majority of specimens showing at least 1 abnormality related to a known cancer gene. Significant heterogeneity among DIPG patients as well as aberrations in candidate drug targets (KIT and EGFR) were observed. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1148.
An IDL/ENVI Implementation of the FFT Based Algorithm for Automatic Image Registration

Abstract Georeferencing images is a laborious process so schemes for automating this process have been under investigation for some time. Among the most promising automatic registration algorithms are those based on the fast Fourier transform (FFT). The displacement between two given images can be determined by computing the ratio F 1 conj(F 2 )/|F 1 F 2 | , and then applying the inverse Fourier transform. The result is an impulse-like function, which is approximately zero everywhere except at the displacement that is necessary to optimally register the images. Converting from rectangular coordinates to log-polar coordinates, shifts representing rotation and scaling can also determined to complete the georectification process. A FFT-based algorithm has been successfully implemented in Interactive Data Language (IDL) and added as two user functions to an image processing software package—ENvironment for Visualizing Images (ENVI) interface. ENVI handles all pre- and post-processing works such as input, output, display, filter, analysis, and file management. To test this implementation, several dozen tests were conducted on both simulated and “real world” images. The results of these tests show advantages and limitations of this algorithm. In particular, our tests show that the accuracy of the resulting registration is quite good compared to current manual methods.
Experimentally Evaluating the Impact of a School-Based African-Centered Emancipatory Intervention on the Ethnic Identity of African American Adolescents.

Ethnic identity, the extent to which one defines one’s self as a member of a particular ethnic group, has been found to be an important predictor of African American adolescents’ psychological and ...
Interactive consulting via natural language

Interactive programming systems often contain help commands to give the programmer on-line instruction regarding the use of the various systems commands. It is argued that it would be relatively easy to make these help commands significantly more helpful by having them accept requests in natural language. As a demonstration, Weizenbaum's ELIZA program has been provided with a script that turns it into a natural language system consultant.
Adjuvant activity of Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin and effect on the induction of oral tolerance in mice to unrelated protein antigens

The ability of Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin (LT) to influence the induction and maintenance of tolerance was examined in animals primed orally with a soluble protein antigen, ovalbumin (OVA), or in animals primed orally with two unrelated protein antigens administered simultaneously, OVA and bovine serum albumin (BSA). LT is immunologically and structurally related to the cholera enterotoxin (CT), which has been shown to be capable of abrogating oral tolerance to protein antigens when delivered simultaneously with the antigens. In this study, simultaneous administration of LT with OVA was shown to prevent the induction of tolerance to OVA and to increase the serum anti-OVA IgG response 30- to 90-fold over OVA-primed and PBS-primed animals, respectively. This effect was determined to be a function of the enzymatically active A subunit of the toxin since the B (binding) subunit alone was unable to influence tolerance induction. Animals fed LT with OVA after the initial OVA prime developed a significantly lower serum IgG and mucosal IgA anti-OVA response than those fed LT with OVA in the initial immunization, indicating that prior exposure to the antigen reduces the effectiveness of LT to influence tolerance and its ability to act as an adjuvant. LT was not able to abrogate tolerance once it had been established. Serum IgG and mucosal IgA responses in animals receiving LT on only a single occasion, that being upon first exposure to antigen, were equivalent to responses after three OVA/LT primes, indicating that commitment to responsiveness occurs early and upon first exposure to antigen.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Reachability analysis of a biodiesel production system using stochastic hybrid systems

Modeling and analysis of chemical reactions are critical problems because they can provide new insights into the complex interactions between systems of reactions and chemicals. One such set of chemical reactions defines the creation of biodiesel from soybean oil and methanol. Modeling and analyzing the biodiesel creation process is a challenging problem due to the highly-coupled chemical reactions that are involved. In this paper we model a biodiesel production system as a stochastic hybrid system, and we present a probabilistic verification method for reachability analysis. Our analysis can potentially provide useful insights into the complicated dynamics of the chemicals and assist in focusing experiments and tuning the production system for efficiency. The verification method employs dynamic programming based on a discretization of the state space and therefore suffers from the curse of dimensionality. To verify the biodiesel system model we have developed a parallel dynamic programming implementation that can handle large systems. Although scalability is a limiting factor, this work demonstrates that the technique is feasible for realistic biochemical systems.
Head-up movements as an indicator of sexual unreceptivity in female medaka, Oryzias latipes

Abstract Elevation of the forepart of the body, referred to as head-up movements (HUM), was more frequent in females during tests without spawning than in tests with spawning. The number of HUM per min increased immediately after spawning when females became unreceptive. The number of HUM per min provided a quantitative index of the degree of unreceptivity of females.
How Universal Are Preferences for Female Waist-to-Hip Ratios? Evidence from the Hadza of Tanzania

Abstract Female waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) has been proposed by evolutionary psychologists to be an important component of human male mate choice, because this trait is thought to provide a reliable cue to a woman's reproductive value. Based largely on work conducted in industrialized societies, the claim has been made that preferences for low WHR are culturally invariant. Presumably, the preferences evolved before the advent of agriculture, making foraging populations the best place to test the hypothesis. This was done with the Hadza of Tanzania, who were shown figures of females that varied by weight and waist-to-hip ratio. Low WHR was not preferred. Hadza men did not consider waist-to-hip ratio when expressing preferences for mates. Instead, they were most interested in the weight of potential partners. Research by others with subjects who practice swidden agriculture also revealed that low WHR was not preferred. The data from the Hadza coupled with the information derived from this horticultural group bring into question whether preferences for low WHR are culturally invariant.
Retrospective analysis of aspirin and ticlopidine in preventing recurrent stroke following an initial lacunar infarct.

Of 73 patients with initial lacunar stroke subsequently treated with aspirin, 13 (18%) developed recurrent stroke (11 lacunar infarcts and 2 nonlacunar infarcts), and 4 (5%) died within 1 year. Of the aspirin-treated lacunar infarct patients, 58 received 325 mg or lower-dose aspirin, and 15 received 600–1,300 mg of aspirin. Thirteen aspirin-treated patients who developed recurrent ischemic stroke received 80 mg or 325 mg of aspirin, whereas recurrent stroke did not occur in 15 patients treated with 600–1,300 mg of aspirin daily. Of 25 patients with lacunar stroke who were subsequently treated with 250 mg of ticlopidine twice daily, 1 patient (4%) developed recurrent lacunar infarct, and none died within 1 year. Of 10 patients who had an initial lacunar stroke and subsequently received no antiplatelet medication, 4 (40%) developed recurrent lacunar stroke, and 1 (10%) died within 1 year.
The Limestone Assimilation Hypothesis

In a recent communication describing the synthesis of feldspathoids by feldspar-carbonate reactions, R. D. Schuiling discussed the limestone-syntexis hypothesis, which proposes that rock-types under-saturated in silica can form from silica-over-saturated magmas by assimilation of limestone, and he stated that, from a physico-chemcial point of view, there was no essential difference between this process and one involving the assimilation of sialic material by a carbonatite magma. He remarked that: "Nobody, however, seems to have tried to verify experimentally such proposed processes". The purposes of this communication are: (1) to direct attention to an extensive series of experiments by Stansfield which were aimed directly at testing assimilation hypotheses, and which included investigation of the extent and products of assimilation of limestone by various igneous melts; (2) to outline some of our own experiments which are concerned with the origin of carbonatites and associated alkalic rocks and, inevitably therefore, with the limestone assimilation hypothesis as well; (3) to comment on some points of Schuiling's communication.
Selecting instructional design for introductory accounting based on the experiential learning model

Abstract Introductory accounting courses are usually taken by all business majors. The teacher is the manager of the instructional system and must select an instructional strategy from among the many combinations available. It is important for educators to recognize the diversity of learning styles of students in the introductory accounting class so the course can be a more enriching experience for both accounting and nonaccounting majors. The experiential learning model is discussed in association with the teaching modes available to accounting educators. Kolb's Learning Style Inventory (1985) was used to determine the learning preferences for a large group of introductory accounting students. The results of this inventory and direction for the instructional design of introductory accounting courses are presented in this study.
Gravity-Capillary Wave Curvature Spectrum and Mean-Square Slope Retrieved from Microwave Radiometric Measurements (Coastal Ocean Probing Experiment)

Abstract Brightness temperature of the sea surface is determined by surface waves of different scales. Polarimetric measurements collected by microwave radiometers at several viewing angles and frequencies give an opportunity to convert the observed brightness temperatures to the mean-square slope of long waves and curvature spectral density in the gravity–capillary interval without a priori assumptions about the shape of spectrum. Such an inversion was made using radiometric data collected during the Coastal Ocean Probing Experiment (COPE’95) from a blimp. It is shown that at low and moderate wind speed conditions typical for COPE’95 (4–7 m s−1) the curvature spectrum has a maximum at wavenumber of about 4.5 rad cm−1, slightly higher than the wavenumber of the phase velocity minimum. The maximum corresponds to the wavenumber with the highest initial growth rate as predicted by theory for the growth rate of wind-induced gravity–capillary waves based on the Orr– Sommerfeld equation. The author’s estimation...
Preparation and Structural Characterization of a Platinum Catecholate Complex Containing Two 3-Ethynylthiophene Groups

The reaction of 1,2-bis(tert-butyldimethylsiloxy)-3,4-bis(3-ethynylthiophene-yl)benzene (4) with Pt(P(Ph)3)2Cl2 and tetrabutylammonium fluoride produces a novel platinum catecholate complex.
Exciton splitting of absorption spectra in radical dimers

Abstract Splitting of UV absorption bands of the substituted pyridinyl radicals by formation of CT type dimers is discussed using an exciton model. From observed results and theoretical considerations a kind of twisted model is proposed in the dimer, where the two radicals lie one above the other in parallel planes, but are rotated from each other by a small angle around an axis perpendicular to the molecular planes. This twisted model may be ascribed to steric hindrance of bulky substituents to the dimer formation.
Functionalized DNA Nanostructures for Nanomedicine

DNA nanotechnology utilizes synthetic DNA strands as the building material to construct nanoscale devices, and the field has developed rapidly over the past decade. Recently, the use of DNA nanostructures for various applications, particularly biomedical ones, has drawn great interest. This review focuses on the most recent research directed at utilizing functionalized DNA devices for nanomedical applications and presents representative research progress in disease diagnosis, treatment and prevention. In addition, the safety and future clinical applications of DNA nanostructures are discussed.
Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Organic Cyclic Carbonates

Ethylene carbonate, a cyclic organic carbonate widely used industrially, is toxic when metabolically converted to ethylene glycol. A rat liver enzyme active in catalyzing the ring opening has been purified to electrophoretic homogeneity and found to be active in the hydrolysis of ethylene, vinylene, and propylene carbonates to CO2 and the respective glycols. Neither thiocarbonates nor open chain carbonates served as substrate nor did a variety of esters, lactams, lactones, and related heterocycles. The enzyme was active, however, with imides and appears to be identical to rat liver imidase. The identification was confirmed by copurification of enzyme activities, by similarities in the pattern of inhibition, and by the reactivity with a polyclonal antibody directed against the enzyme purified here.
MANY-CHANNEL UNITARITY CONDITION

Many useful relations concerning particle reaction problems are known to follow from the unitarity of the reaction matrix. Watson has shown that if there are oriy two channels open, the requirements of unitarity and time-reversal invariance imply that the phase of the inelastic amplitude is equal to the sum of the phase shifts for the two elastic processes. A useful generalization of this theorem to the case when many channels are open is derived and applied to the photoproduction of mesons at 600 Mev. (W.D.M.)
Effect of community educational interventions on rate of organ donation among Hispanic Americans.

Importance The need for suitable organs for transplantation is especially pronounced in minority populations such as Hispanic Americans owing to disproportionately high rates of diabetes mellitus and kidney disease. Considerable barriers exist for Hispanic Americans consent to donation, resulting in significantly lower donation rates compared with white individuals. Objective To investigate the effect of an aggressive outreach intervention during a 5-year period aimed at improving organ donation rates among Hispanic Americans. Design, Setting, and Participants Prospective longitudinal observation study of organ donors treated at a major metropolitan level I trauma center. The center provides most of the medical care to the 4 Southern California neighborhoods with a high percentage of Hispanic Americans that were included in the study. Interventions Television and radio media campaigns and culturally sensitive educational programs implemented at high schools, churches, and medical clinics in the target neighborhoods. Main Outcome and Measure Consent rate for organ donation recorded during the study. Results Outreach interventions started in 2007 and were completed by 2012. Of 268 potential donors, 155 total donors (106 Hispanic Americans) provided consent during this time. A significant increase in consent rate was noted among Hispanic Americans, from 56% in 2005 to 83% in 2011 (P = .004); this increase was not evident in the population that was not Hispanic (67% in 2005 and 79% in 2011;P = .21). Conclusions and Relevance Aggressive outreach programs can reduce the disparity between organ supply and demand by improving the consent rate among the target group.
Advances in Runx2 regulation and its isoforms

During the last 10 years, we have witnessed major progress in skeleton biology. Runx2 is an accepted transcription factor essential for osteoblast development from mesenchymal stem cells and maturation into osteocytes and organize crucial events during bone formation. Alternations in Runx2 expression levels are associated with skeletal diseases. In vitro and in vivo studies have reported that multiple integrated complex path ways (such as Wnt/LRP5/beta-catenin, BMP/Smads, 1, 25-(OH)2-vitaminD3/VDR/VDRE pathway, etc.) and several regulatory proteins (such as Msx2, Dlx5, Twists, etc.) play critical roles in modulating Runx2 gene expression, activity, and the subsequent bone formation. These findings provide novel insights through controlling osteoblast differentiation to treat osteoporosis or other bone diseases with altered bone mass by stimulating Runx2 expression. Further studies have shown that expression of RUNX2 is initiated from two promoters, the distal P1 promoter and the proximal P2 promoter. The alternative use of promoters gives rise to the genesis of two major protein isoforms with distinct amino termini, named as Runx2-TypeI and Runx2-TypeII. Here, we also review a complex spatio-temporal pattern of two major isoforms expressions and their possible function differences in skeleton development.