cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Combined Tibial Tubercle Osteotomy and Medial Patellofemoral Ligament Reconstruction for Recurrent Lateral Patellar Instability in Patients With Multiple Anatomic Risk Factors.

Purpose To report the outcomes for combined tibial tubercle osteotomy (TTO) and medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) reconstruction and assess for potential risk factors for recurrent instability and/or poor outcomes. Methods The medical record at our institution was reviewed for patients treated with MPFL reconstruction and TTO for recurrent lateral patellar instability from 1998 to 2014. Preoperative imaging was assessed for trochlear dysplasia according to the Dejour classification (high grade = B, C, D) and the presence of patella alta using the Caton-Deschamps ratio (>1.2). The indication for combined MPFL reconstruction and TTO was MPFL insufficiency and a lateralized tibial tubercle. Outcomes were determined by recurrent instability, return to sport, and Kujala and International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) scores. Results Thirty knees in 28 patients (14 M, 14 F) with a mean age of 22.6 ± 9.1 years (range, 13-51 years) were included with a mean follow-up of 48 ± 28 months (24-123 months). Seventy-three percent (22/30) had high-grade trochlear dysplasia, and 63% (19/30) had patella alta. One patient had a postoperative dislocation and 1 had a subluxation event. The Caton-Deschamps ratio decreased by a mean of 0.2 ( P = .001), leaving 30% with postoperative patella alta. The mean postoperative scores were as follows: Tegner = 5 ± 2, Kujala = 89 ± 16 (45-100), and IKDC = 85 ± 17 (44-100). Eighty-three percent (15/18) returned to their preoperative sport. Female gender was a risk factor for lower IKDC (77.3 vs. 92.6, P = .01) and Kujala (82.2 vs. 95.0, P = .03) scores. Medialization greater than 10 mm was directly correlated to lower IKDC ( P = .02) and Kujala ( P = .01) scores. Conclusions The combination of MPFL reconstruction and TTO in patients with trochlear dysplasia results in low recurrence of instability. Patients on average had good subjective outcomes and were able to return to sport. Female gender and tibial tubercle medialization greater than 10 mm were associated with worse outcomes. Level of Evidence Level IV, therapeutic case series.
Regional cortical perfusion on arterial spin labeling MRI in dementia with Lewy bodies: Associations with clinical severity, glucose metabolism and tau PET

Abstract Visually preserved metabolism in posterior cingulate cortex relative to hypometabolism in precuneus and cuneus, the cingulate island sign, is a feature of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) on FDG-PET. Lower cingulate island sign ratio (posterior cingulate cortex/cuneus+precuneus; FDG-CISr) values have been associated with a higher Braak neurofibrillary tangle stage in autopsied DLB. Using voxel-wise analysis, we assessed the patterns of regional cortical perfusion and metabolism, and using an atlas-based approach, we measured perfusion cingulate island sign ratio on arterial spin labeling MRI (ASL-CISr), and its associations with FDG-CISr, uptake on tau-PET and clinical severity in DLB. Our study sample (n = 114) included clinically probable DLB patients (n = 19), age-matched patients with probable Alzheimer's disease dementia (AD; n = 19) and matched controls (n = 76) who underwent MRI with 3-dimensional pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling, 18F-FDG-PET and 18F-AV-1451 tau PET. Patterns of cortical perfusion and metabolism were derived from quantitative maps using Statistical Parametric Mapping. DLB patients showed hypoperfusion on ASL-MRI in precuneus, cuneus and posterior parieto-occipital cortices, compared to controls, and relatively spared posterior cingulate gyrus, similar to pattern of hypometabolism on FDG-PET. DLB patients had higher ASL-CISr and FDG-CISr than AD patients (p
Transport synthetic acceleration with opposing reflecting boundary conditions

The transport synthetic acceleration (TSA) scheme is extended to problems with opposing reflecting boundary conditions. This synthetic method employs a simplified transport operator as its low-order approximation. A procedure is developed that allows the use of the conjugate gradient (CG) method to solve the resulting low-order system of equations. Several well-known transport iteration algorithms are cast in a linear algebraic form to show their equivalence to standard iterative techniques. Source iteration in the presence of opposing reflecting boundary conditions is shown to be equivalent to a (poorly) preconditioned stationary Richardson iteration, with the preconditioner defined by the method of iterating on the incident fluxes on the reflecting boundaries. The TSA method (and any synthetic method) amounts to a further preconditioning of the Richardson iteration. The presence of opposing reflecting boundary conditions requires special consideration when developing a procedure to realize the CG method for the proposed system of equations. The CG iteration may be applied only to symmetric positive definite matrices; this condition requires the algebraic elimination of the boundary angular corrections from the low-order equations. As a consequence of this elimination, evaluating the action of the resulting matrix on an arbitrary vector involves two transport sweeps and a transmission more » iteration. Results of applying the acceleration scheme to a simple test problem are presented. « less
Energy Storage Management Strategy Based on Dynamic Programming and Optimal Sizing of PV Panel-Storage Capacity for a Residential System

In this paper, control of solar energy storage in a residential household is presented using Dynamic Programming (DP) algorithm with the objective of minimizing the overall cost of daily household load demand. The DP algorithm is designed to optimally manage the charge/discharge cycles of the household energy storage unit and maximize homeowner benefit. Moreover, the Net Present Value (NPV) is calculated and used for optimal PV panel and energy storage capacity sizing while taking into account the household load demand for different seasons and the Time-of-Use (ToU) electricity price. The DP based control strategy has also been compared with a heuristic control strategy which shows the superior performance of the former.
What Have We Talked About

The SIGCSE-Members listserv has been archiving posts by the Computer Science Education community for the past 22 years. This paper characterizes the post collection, in order to better understand the nature of the community from a quantitative perspective. We apply a number of email mining techniques, including a topical analysis through N-grams. Threads, posters, and posts are characterized in terms of duration and temporally. We also demonstrate how emails from the listserv can be successfully classified using machine learning algorithms, and report on an unsuccessful attempt to predict thread popularity. All of the scripts we used to collect, process, and analyze the data are freely available in the hopes that other researchers will replicate, refine, and extend our results.
Equivalent Test Bed in PSCAD and PSLF for Studying Advanced Power Systems Controller Performance

With increasing popularity of sustainable energy resources, research on power electronic-based renewable generation modeling is gaining impetus to enhance reliability of electric grids with high penetrations of renewable energy. A set of generic and public models for renewable energy are available in commercial positive sequence power system simulation software. However, advanced controller models applicable for renewable resources are typically not included in these tools. To ensure the integrity of the newly developed controller models for renewables in positive sequence simulators for large power systems, it is necessary to validate the dynamic performance of the proposed model with detailed electromagnetic models. This paper creates an equivalent test bed in PSCAD and PSLF for validating the performance of advanced controllers associated with renewable energy sources. To demonstrate the usefulness of the test-bed, a user-defined synthetic inertia (SI) controller model was developed in PSLF and validated through the proposed test bed.
Dietary fat and breast cancer: testing interventions to reduce risks.

The presentation discusses the issue of testing dietary interventions in post-menopausal breast cancer prevention. The many dietary hypotheses that might be tested are very briefly summarized. For illustrative purposes, the progress made in feasibility studies of the Women’s Health Trial, a low-fat intervention study to decrease incidence of breast cancer in post-menopausal women at increased risk of cancer of the breast is used. Results of several other similar interventions to test the fat hypothesis are also reviewed, including the Nutrition Adjuvant Study, the WINS study, the Swedish breast cancer trial, a Canadian study conducted at the Ludwig Institute, and a possible study by the American Cancer Society. Some research questions that arise in testing dietary interventions are discussed. These include underlying assumptions about mechanisms, and controlling errors, particularly response errors. Practical issues such as how to measure adherence in the absence of a good biologic marker are also addressed. The review concludes with a section on future research and action directions.
Analysing the nanoparticle-protein corona for potential molecular target identification

When nanoparticles are introduced into biological systems, host proteins tend to associate on the particle surface to form a protein layer termed the "protein corona" (PC). Identifying the proteins that constitute the PC can yield useful information about nanoparticle processing, bio-distribution, toxicity and clearance. Similarly, characterizing and identifying proteins within the PC from patient samples provides opportunities to probe disease proteomes and identify molecules that influence the disease process. Thus, nanoparticles represent unique probing tools for discovery of molecular targets for diseases. Here, we report a first review on target identification using nanoparticles in biological samples based on analysing physico chemical interactions. We also summarize the evolution of the PC surrounding various nano-systems, comment on PC signature, address PC complexity in fluids, and outline challenges associated with analysing the PC. In addition, the influence on PC formation of various nanoparticle parameters is summarized; nanoparticle characteristics considered include size, charge, temperature, and surface modifications for both organic and inorganic nanomaterials. We also discuss the advantages of nanotechnology, over other more invasive and laborious methods, for identifying potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets.
Abstract P880: Assessing Measures of Patients Health Perceptions of Stroke Survivors as a Potential Tool for Health Care Disparities Research

Introduction: Patient centered research in stroke health care disparities is needed. Due to a call for the development of theory-based interventions for the reduction of stroke through behavior cha...
Gendered leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic: how democracy and representation moderate leadership effectiveness

This article investigates whether and how gendered leadership makes a difference in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. The country-level variances in the initial trajectories provide a unique comp...
Selective Sweeps and Polygenic Adaptation Drive Local Adaptation along Moisture and Temperature Gradients in Natural Populations of Coast Redwood and Giant Sequoia.

Dissecting the genomic basis of local adaptation is a major goal in evolutionary biology and conservation science. Rapid changes in the climate pose significant challenges to the survival of natural populations, and the genomic basis of long-generation plant species is still poorly understood. Here, we investigated genome-wide climate adaptation in giant sequoia and coast redwood, two iconic and ecologically important tree species. We used a combination of univariate and multivariate genotype–environment association methods and a selective sweep analysis using non-overlapping sliding windows. We identified genomic regions of potential adaptive importance, showing strong associations to moisture variables and mean annual temperature. Our results found a complex architecture of climate adaptation in the species, with genomic regions showing signatures of selective sweeps, polygenic adaptation, or a combination of both, suggesting recent or ongoing climate adaptation along moisture and temperature gradients in giant sequoia and coast redwood. The results of this study provide a first step toward identifying genomic regions of adaptive significance in the species and will provide information to guide management and conservation strategies that seek to maximize adaptive potential in the face of climate change.
Distinct roles for prefrontal dopamine D1 and D2 neurons in social hierarchy.

Neuronal activity in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) controls dominance hierarchies in groups of animals. Dopamine (DA) strongly modulates PFC activity mainly through D1 receptors (D1Rs) and D2 receptors (D2Rs). Still, it is unclear how these two subpopulations of DA receptor-expressing neurons in the PFC regulate social dominance hierarchy. Here, we demonstrate distinct roles for prefrontal D1R- and D2R-expressing neurons in establishing social hierarchy, with D1R+ neurons determining dominance whereas D2R+ neurons for the subordinate. Ex vivo whole-cell recordings revealed that the dominant status of male mice correlates with rectifying AMPA (α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid) receptor transmission and stronger excitatory synaptic strength onto D1R+ neurons in PFC pyramidal neurons. In contrast, the submissive status is associated with higher neuronal excitability in D2R+ neurons. Moreover, simultaneous manipulations of synaptic efficacy of D1R+ neurons in dominant male mice and neuronal excitability of D2R+ neurons of their male subordinates switch their dominant-subordinate relationship. These results reveal that prefrontal D1R+ and D2R+ neurons have distinct but synergistic functions in the dominance hierarchy, and DA-mediated regulation of synaptic strengths acts as a powerful behavioral determinant of intermale social rank.Significance StatementDominance hierarchy exists widely among animals who confront social conflict. Studies have indicated that social status largely relies on the neuronal activity in the prefrontal cortex, but how dopamine influences social hierarchy via subpopulation of prefrontal neurons is still elusive. Here, we explore the cell-type-specific role of dopamine receptor-expressing prefrontal neurons in the dominance-subordinate relationship. We found that the synaptic strength of D1 receptor-expressing neurons determines the dominant status, while hyperactive D2-expressing neurons are associated with the subordinate status. These findings highlight how social conflicts recruit distinct cortical microcircuits to drive different behaviors and reveal how D1- and D2-receptor enriched neurocircuits in the prefrontal cortex establish a social hierarchy.
Do Perceptions of An Organizing Vision Influence Physicians Assimilation of Electronic Medical Records

Heathcare policy makers look to information technologies (IT) to play a key role in addressing problematic issues such as access, cost, and quality. High expectations for solutions that IT might bring to healthcare along with government mandates, increased funding for IT initiatives, and dramatic expansion of IT capabilities are stimulating ambitious projects in a variety of settings, especially with electronic medical records (EMRs). Numerous intelligent foresights abound for applying EMRs, but uncertainties about benefits have also been raised. In this paper, we examine how a community-wide discourse affects the assimilation of EMRs. Using the theoretic concepts of an organizing vision (that distills insight, intuition, and knowledge) and organizational learning (that describes potential ability to perform) we conduct an analysis on a mailed survey of small independent physician practices to assess the scale of assimilation of EMRs based on perceptions of an organizing vision. Our research contributes to bridging the gap between theory and practice by examining how an organizing vision helps shape organizational implementation and adoption decisions of a complex health IT innovation.
NEW METHOD FOR THE DETERMINATION OF THERMAL CONDUCTIVITIES BETWEEN 1000 DEGREES AND 3000 C.

ABSTRACT The heat conduction equation has been solved for the case of a finite cylinder, heated by means of high frequency induction and losingheat only by radiation. In the steady state, the cylindrical surface is at a constant temperature, and the flat circular end surfaces exhibit a temperature gradient along the radius. This temperature gradient has been analytically correlated to the thermal conductivity. The thermal conductivity of molybdenum has been measured between 2100 and 2400 K and that of vanadium between 1600 and 1800 K; for molybdenum, k = −0.0191T +81.0, and for vanadium, k = 0.0320T − 41.4 in Btu/hr-ft-F.
The Truth About the Impact of Unskilled Immigrants in America

The question about the welfare of less skilled immigrants is the topic of this paper. This paper departs from previous work on immigrant cohorts and instead examines young native and legal immigrant adults (unskilled) who came to the U.S. with their parents. This paper will argue that for this sample, unskilled immigrants start off with very low wages compared to natives, but eventually pick up after acquiring U.S.specific skills. This is probably due to positive selection of immigrants and other factors discussed later in the paper. Therefore, it can be argued that unskilled immigrants are not a drain on the economy. This article is available in The Park Place Economist: http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/parkplace/vol10/iss1/18
Rheological studies on sterically stabilized dispersions of uniform colloidal spheres: I. Sample Preparation

Abstract A series of model colloidal dispersions was prepared in which uniform poly(methylmethacrylate) spheres of four different particle sizes were dispersed in heptane and in three different silicone oils. Polymerization was carried out in hexane, using as stabilizers well-characterized tri-block copolymers in which the end blocks were poly(dimethylsiloxane) and the central block was polystyrene. The dispersions were cleaned by successive centrifugations and decantations before redispersal in the silicone oils. Particle sizes were measured by both electron microscopy and photon correlation spectroscopy. Thickness of the adsorbed layer was determined from both intrinsic viscometry and as the difference between the hydrodynamic radius from photon correlation spectroscopy and the particle radius from electron microscopy.
The effect of exposure regimen and duration on benzene-induced bone-marrow damage in mice. I. Sex comparison in DBA/2 mice.

Abstract In the mouse, the concurrent evaluation of micronuclei frequencies in peripheral blood polychromatic erythrocytes (PCE) and normochromatic erythrocytes (NCE) permits an assessment of both recently-induced and chronically-accumulated bone-marrow damage. This assay system was used to evaluate on a weekly basis the effect of exposure duration (1–13 weeks, 6 h per day) and exposure regimen (Regimen 1:5 exposure days per week; Regimen 2:3 exposure days per week) on the ability of 300 ppm benzene to induce genotoxic damage in the bone marrow of male and female DBA/2 mice. In addition, an analysis of the percentage of PCE in peripheral blood was used to evaluate benzene-induced alterations in the rate of erythropoiesis. Exposure to benzene induced a marked increased in the frequency of micronucleated PCE (MN-PCE), an effect which was considerably greater in male mice than in female mice. In both sexes, the induction of MN-PCE was independent of exposure regiment and of exposure duration. Exposure to benzene also resulted in an exposure duration-dependent increase in the frequency of MN-PCE. The frequency of MN-NCE increased more slowly in female than in male mice and, within each sex, more slowly in Regimen 2 animals. Apparent steady-state conditions for MN-NCE frequencies were attained by about the fifth week of exposure in female mice exposed by either regimen and in male exposed by Regimen 2. Steady-state conditions for MN-NCE frequencies in male mice exposed to benzene by Regimen 1 did not occur during the duration of the study. An analysis of %PCE data revealed an initial severe depression in the rate of erythropoiesis in both sexes, with the return in the production of PCE to control levels being dependent on both sex and exposure regimen. Suppression of PCE production occurred throughout the course of the study in Regimen 2 males, while the percentage of PCE returned to control levels sporadically after 5 weeks in Regimen 1 males and within 5 weeks in females, regardless of regimen. Thus, while the sex-dependent induction of genotoxic damage by multiple exposures to benzene over a 13-week period was independent of exposure regimen and duration, the induction of cytotoxic damage was both sex- and regimen-dependent. The most severe depression of erythropoiesis occurred in male DBA/2 mice exposed to benzene by the more intermittent regimen (i.e., 3 days/week versus 5 days/week). The results of this study underscores the complexity of the peripheral blood micronucleus assay and emphasizes the utility of evaluating micronucleated PCE and micronucleated NCE frequencies and the percentage of PCE in the same animals across time in multiple exposure situations.
Mars gravity biosatellite : International student training and public outreach

Designed by students and other volunteers from three universities in the U.S. and Australia, the Mars Gravity Biosatellite Program plans a launch of a small, unmanned research platform to support ground-breaking investigations in partial gravity physiology. This spinning spacecraft will provide artificial gravity at 0.38-g, the surface gravity of Mars. Onboard life support systems will support a payload of fifteen mice for a total mission duration of five weeks, culminating in reentry at the Woomera Protected Area in Australia. We present this international, multi-disciplinary, multi-institute program as a new model for both aerospace workforce development and public outreach.
Multi-modal imaging of tumor cellularity and Tryptophan metabolism in human Gliomas

To assess gliomas using image-based estimation of cellularity, we utilized isotropic diffusion spectrum imaging (IDSI) on clinically feasible diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and compared it with amino acid uptake measured by α[11C]methyl-L-tryptophan positron emission tomography (AMT-PET). In 10 patients with a newly-diagnosed glioma, metabolically active tumor regions were defined in both FLAIR hyperintense areas and based on increased uptake on AMT-PET. A recently developed independent component analysis with a ball and stick model was extended to perform IDSI in clinical DTI data. In tumor regions, IDSI was used to define tumor cellularity which was compared between low and high grade glioma and correlated with the glioma proliferative index. The IDSI-derived cellularity values were elevated in both FLAIR and AMT-PET-derived regions of high-grade gliomas. ROC curve analysis found that the IDSI-derived cellularity can provide good differentiation of low-grade from high-grade gliomas (accuracy/sensitivity/specificity of 0.80/0.80/0.80). . Both apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and IDSI-derived cellularity showed a significant correlation with the glioma proliferative index (based on Ki-67 labeling; R = 0.95, p < 0.001), which was particularly strong when the tumor regions were confined to areas with high tryptophan uptake excluding areas with peritumoral edema. IDSI-MRI combined with AMT-PET may provide a multi-modal imaging tool to enhance pretreatment assessment of human gliomas by evaluating tumor cellularity and differentiate low-grade form high-grade gliomas.
Multi-criteria routing in pervasive environment with sensors

Interconnected computing nodes in pervasive systems demand efficient management to ensure longevity and effectiveness. This is particularly true when we consider wireless sensor networks, for which we propose a new scheme for adaptive route management. There have been numerous studies that have looked at the routing of data in sensor networks with the sole intention of reducing communication power. However there has been comparatively less prior art in the area of semantic and multi-criteria based routing. We look at routing in sensor networks from these perspectives and propose an adaptive multi-criteria routing protocol in the context of wireless sensor networks. Our experimental results show that our approach consistently outperforms the leading multi-criteria algorithm in its class that considers query semantics, in terms of network lifetime, network coverage and the survivability of critical nodes.
The frequency and distribution of methylatable DNA sequences in leguminous plant protein coding genes

Methylation of higher plant DNA occurs at up to 25% of all cytosines, primarily in the sequences CpG2 and CpNpG, both of which are over 80% methylated in wheat and tobacco (Gruenbaum, et al 1981). CpG and CpNpG frequencies and distributions in the known sequences of cloned genes of leguminous plants were analyzed. In this sample CpG occured at only 49% of the frequency expected if the bases were distributed at random. This lower frequency may be attributed to the fixation of mutations generated by a high rate of deamination of 5methylcytosine to thymine (Salser 1977). Consistent with this hypothesis, the product of CpG transitions, TpG and CpA, were significantly above their expected frequency. However CpNpG occured at approximately expeced levels and there was no significant increase in its transistion products CpNpA and TpNpG. Possible explanations for this phenomenon are discussed. An analysis of the distribution of di- and trinucleotides across functionally classified regions of genes showed CpG to be asymmetrically distributed. CpG was on average significantly enriched in the 3′ flanking regions compared to other regions. This may reflect a methylation-mediated regulatory role for this region in some legume genes.
Roadside intelligence for flow control in an intelligent vehicle and highway system

Abstract The paper reports a design of the flow control function of the highly automated Intelligent Vehicle Highway System that we call SmartIVHS. Work on the architecture, design, experiments, and performance evaluation of this system has been going on for several years. SmartIVHS achieves high throughput and safety through a three-layer control hierarchy distributed between vehicles and infrastructure. Previous work was devoted to the two lowest layers: automatic control of individual vehicles based on on-board sensor information, and coordination of maneuvers by neighboring vehicles. This paper considers the third or ‘link layer,’ which controls the vehicle stream based on aggregate traffic variables. The link layer controller is implemented by roadside computers. The two lowest layers are implemented by vehicle computers. The paper is divided into three parts. First, a structure of the link layer controller is proposed. Its objectives are to maximize throughput and to maintain smooth traffic flow despite disturbances, including lane-blocking incidents. The objectives are met by proper guidance of the speed and lane-changing behavior of vehicles. Second, a macroscopic flow model of SmartIVHS traffic is proposed. A novel feature is the explicit incorporation of the effects of lane changes, entrances, and exits. The program SmartLink simulates this model. Third, performance of the link layer controller is evaluated using SmartLink. The results suggest that the controller maximizes throughput and minimizes delay in the presence of disturbances and incidents.
Art 2: Self-Organization Of Stable Category Recognition Codes For Analog Input Patterns

Adaptive resonance architectures are neural networks that self-organize stable pattern recognition codes in real-time in response to arbitrary sequences of input patterns. This article introduces ART 2, a class of adaptive resonance architectures which rapidly self-organize pattern recognition categories in response to arbitrary sequences of either analog of binary input patterns. In order to cope with arbitrary sequences of analog input patterns, ART 2 architectures embody solutions to a number of design principles, such as the stability-plasticity tradeoff, the search-direct access tradeoff, and the match-reset tradeoff. In these architectures, top-down learned expectation and matching mechanisms are critical in self-stabilizing the code learning process. A parallel search scheme updates itself adaptively as the learning process unfolds, and realizes a form of real-time hypothesis discovery, testing, learning, and recognition. After learning self-stabilizes, the search process is automatically disengaged. Thereafter input patterns directly access their recognition codes without any search. Thus recognition time for familiar inputs does not increase with the complexity of the learned code. A novel input pattern can directly access a category if it shares invariant properties with the set of familiar exemplars of that category. A parameter called the attentional vigilance parameter determines how fine the categories will be. If vigilance increases (decreases) due to environmental feedback, then the system automatically searches for and learns finer (coarser) recognition categories. Gain control parameters enable the architecture to suppress noise up to a prescribed level. The architecture's global design enables it to learn effectively despite the high degree of nonlinearity of such mechanisms.
c-Myc target gene specificity is determined by a post-DNAbinding mechanism

Uncertainty as to which member of a family of DNA-binding transcription factors regulates a specific promoter in intact cells is a problem common to many investigators. Determining target gene specificity requires both an analysis of protein binding to the endogenous promoter as well as a characterization of the functional consequences of transcription factor binding. By using a formaldehyde crosslinking procedure and Gal4 fusion proteins, we have analyzed the timing and functional consequences of binding of Myc and upstream stimulatory factor (USF)1 to endogenous cellular genes. We demonstrate that the endogenous cad promoter can be immunoprecipitated with antibodies against Myc and USF1. We further demonstrate that although both Myc and USF1 can bind to cad, the cad promoter can respond only to the Myc transactivation domain. We also show that the amount of Myc bound to the cad promoter fluctuates in a growth-dependent manner. Thus, our data analyzing both DNA binding and promoter activity in intact cells suggest that cad is a Myc target gene. In addition, we show that Myc binding can occur at many sites in vivo but that the position of the binding site determines the functional consequences of this binding. Our data indicate that a post-DNA-binding mechanism determines Myc target gene specificity. Importantly, we have demonstrated the feasibility of analyzing the binding of site-specific transcription factors in vivo to single copy mammalian genes.
Finite element analysis of steadily moving contact fields

By introducing a moving updated Lagrangian observer, this paper develops traveling finite elements with the capacity to handle the global response resulting from steadily moving contact fields. The generality of the results is such that large deformation kinematics and kinetics as well as the full compliment of inertial fields can be handled. To streamline the handling of nonlinear behavior, an elliptically constrained solution algorithm is also developed. Employing this algorithm, the results of several numerical benchmarking studies are presented which illustrate the capacity of the moving updated Lagrangian formulation as well as the potential effects of nonlinearity.
Using the receiver operating characteristic curve to select pretreatment and pathologic predictors for early and late postprostatectomy PSA failure.

Abstract Objectives. Pretreatment prostate-specific antigen (PSA), prostatectomy Gleason score, margin status, and pathologic T stage are known explanatory variables for the postprostatectomy PSA outcome. We used the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve to select those factors that were optimal for predicting early and late postoperative PSA failure. Methods. We designed and implemented a clinical outcome prediction expert that performs, assesses, and optimizes the actuarial prediction on individual cases. A postprostatectomy database of 1022 patients was divided into 60% for training and 40% for validation. The ROC areas of the predictors were calculated over a range of cutoff time from 24 to 60 months. Results. Multivariate pathologic T stage/prostatectomy Gleason score/margin status had the highest ROC area of 0.900. Patients with Stage T disease less than T3, negative surgical margins, and Gleason score of 6 or less had a 90% probability to be PSA failure free at 4 years versus 36% otherwise. The pathologic T stage/margin status accurately predicted PSA failure at 24 months or less after prostatectomy with an ROC area of 0.800. Lower risk patients (less than Stage T3, negative surgical margins) had a 94% probability to be PSA failure free at 2 years versus 46% otherwise. Conclusions. A combination of actuarial analysis and ROC optimization accurately identified the individual patients at high risk of early and late postprostatectomy PSA failure.
Measurements of serum DHEA and DHEA sulphate levels improve the accuracy of the low-dose cosyntropin test in the diagnosis of central adrenal insufficiency.

Background and Objectives: The diagnosis of central adrenal insufficiency (AI) continues to be challenging, especially when it is partial. We have recently demonstrated the value of measuring serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) in establishing the diagnosis of central AI. The current investigation examined the added value of measuring serum dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) levels during low-dose (1 μg) cosyntropin (LDC) stimulation in patients suspected to have central AI. Methods: Baseline and LDC-stimulated cortisol, DHEA, and DHEA-S were measured preoperatively in 155 consecutive patients with pituitary masses and 63 healthy subjects. Hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal (HPA) function was normal (NL-HPA) in 97 of the patients and was impaired (impaired HPA) in 58 patients. Patients with NL-HPA underwent surgical removal of the sellar masses and received no glucocorticoids before, during, or after surgery. Results: Baseline and LDC-stimulated serum cortisol, DHEA, and DHEA-S in patients with NL-HPA we...
IMPACT OF ILLITERACY ON REHABILITATION OF COMMUNICATION DISORDERS: PRELIMINARY CONSIDERATIONS

The number of older illiterate adults seeking therapy for acquired communication disorders is increasing. Communication bias may place health‐care professionals at risk for providing appropriate services to these patients. There is a need to identify illiterate patients, and to study the impact of current diagnostic and rehabilitative procedures on them. Possible effects of illiteracy on hearing‐impaired, aphasic, and laryngectomy patients are discussed, and preliminary suggestions for providing comprehensive rehabilitative services to them are provided.
Multiple Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenase Deficiency (Glutaric Aciduria Type II) with Transient Hypersarcosinemia and Sarcosinuria; Possible Inherited Deficiency of an Electron Transfer Flavoprotein

When amino acids were infused at a rate of 4 g/kg/day, an infant with hypoglycemia, metabolic acidemia and chronic regurgitation showed hypersarcosinemia and excreted abnormal amounts of sarcosine, isovalerylglycine, isobutyrylglycine, alpha-methylbutyrylglycine, and beta-hydroxyisovaleric, glutaric, alpha-hydroxyglutaric, methylsuccinic, and alpha-hydroxyisobutyric acids in urine. On all other occasions, when protein intake was lower and lipid intake higher, urine organic acids were dominated by methylsuccinic, ethylmalonic, and alpha-hydroxyglutaric acids, and hypersarcosinemia was absent. Autopsy showed severe fatty changes in liver, kidneys, and skeletal muscle. A previous female sibling had died with similar autopsy findings at 4 days of age. While activity of glutaryl-CoA dehydrogenase was completely deficient in liver and almost completely so in kidney, it was normal in cultured fibroblasts in the presence of flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) and only marginally low in its absence. Incorporation of D-(2-14C) riboflavin into flavin mononucleotides (FMN) and FAD by kidney tissue was normal. The authors conclude that this disorder is not due to generalized deficiency of glutaryl-CoA dehydrogenase or to a defect in FAD synthesis. The amino and organic acid abnormalities noted are most consistent with a defect in the flavoprotein which transfers electrons from the FAD of sarcosine and acyl-CoA dehydrogenases into the respiratory chain, although a defect in intercompartmental transfer of C4--5 acyl CoA esters across cell membranes is not excluded. The variability of the organic aciduria, which possibly reflects changes in protein and fat intake, suggests that a previous name for this disorder, i.e., glutaric aciduria type II, is inappropriate and should be replaced, perhaps by "multiple acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency."
Successful and Rapid Verification of the Presence of a Phosphate Group in Synthetic Phosphopeptides Using the Conditions of Standard Dabs-Cl Amino Acid Analysis

Abstract The increased importance of phosphopeptides, and the currently used post-assembly phosphorylation protocol in synthetic peptide laboratories, requires a rapid and sensitive method to verify the presence of the phosphate group in synthetic phosphopeptides. A reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography protocol has been developed to verify the success of the phosphorylation reaction in synthetic phosphopeptides after hydrolysis and derivatization with 4-dimethylamino-azobenzene-4′-sulphonyl chloride. Phosphoamino acid standards and model phosphopeptides were used to study the optimal elution and hydrolysis conditions of phosphoamino acids. A 1.5-hour, gas-phase acidic hydrolysis condition liberated the phosphoamino acids from the phosphopeptides, and still did not destroy them. After hydrolysis, the dabsylated free phosphoamino acids were baseline separated from the other acidic amino acids and were eluted from the reversed-phase column in the following order: phosphoserine, phosphothreon...
Duration of fever and its relationship to bacteremia in febrile outpatients three to 36 months old. The Occult Bacteremia Study Group.

Objective: To determine the relationship between the duration of fever as reported by caregivers and the likelihood of occult bacteremia in highly febrile young children. Methods: This is a prospective cohort study performed as part of a prior, multicenter, randomized, interventional trial of oral versus intramuscular antibiotics in the prevention of complications of occult bacteremia in febrile children presenting to nine urban pediatric emergency departments at eight medical centers. Participants included children three to 36 months of age with a temperature of ≥39.0°C and a nonfocal illness (or uncomplicated otitis media) managed as outpatients. The outcome measure was the presence of bacteremia. Results: Of the 6680 randomized patients, 6619 (99.1%) had a culture of their blood and a valid reported duration of fever. The median duration of fever in patients with bacteremia (n = 192) and without bacteremia (n = 6427) was the same, one to two days, but the mean rank of patients with bacteremia was significantly lower than that of patients without bacteremia (P = 0.0009). A significantly greater proportion of patients with fever <1 day had bacteremia than patients with fever ≥1 day (P = 0.004), and a significantly greater proportion of patients with fever <2 days had bacteremia than patients with fever ≥2 days (P = 0.009). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of fever <1 day in detecting occult bacteremia were 40.1, 69.8, 3.8, and 97.5%, respectively. Conclusion : Children with occult bacteremia have significantly shorter durations of fever than patients without bacteremia, but this difference is small and not clinically useful.
The new product quality/NPD performance relationship as mediated by NPD entry strategies

This study focuses on an investigation of the relationships among important dimensions of new product quality, new product development (NPD) technical proficiency, and the mediating effects of NPD entry strategies. The use of various entry strategies for the development of new products has special significance from a global perspective in that they can provide organisations alternative ways to develop and commercialise new products. Our research data was obtained from NPD managers primarily employed by US firms. We received 131 completed survey instruments. We found that a number of new product quality dimensions were significantly associated with the proficiency with which major NPD technical activities were performed. Our research also suggests that there is no difference in new product quality for new products produced by the various NPD entry strategies investigated when evaluated using eight major dimensions of product quality. Our findings suggest several implications for NPD management and theory.
Characterizing crossover in genetic algorithms

We characterize crossover and schemata; crossover is a binary operator that preserves schemata and commutes with addition and projection. Moreover, for any setS of chromosomes and familyF of crossover operators, we fully characterize the reachable chromosomes.
Slavery, Emancipation, and Class Formation in Colonial and Early National New York City:

This article explores the centrality of slave labor and race to the development of class relations in colonial and early national New York City. Slave labor was central to New York’s colonial economy and to the survival of Europeans on the island—no part of the colonial North relied more heavily on slavery than Manhattan. This article will also discuss the lengthy process of emancipation in the city and state. From the time of the Revolutionary War, New Yorkers debated ending slavery, but it took almost fifty years for them to eradicate the institution completely. The legacy of slavery limited the political and economic equality of blacks long after slavery ended in New York.
Time trends of smoking cessation: A micro-population computer simulation model

The Micro-population model of Risk-group Dynamics (MRD) approaches smoking behavior at the level of the individual and integrates physiological and social factors to describe the evolution of behavior change in the population. MRD is innovative in several ways: (1) the model describes mathematically the interactions among these behavioral factors; (2) the model accounts for both the variability of these factors among different persons and the universality of basic rules describing these factors in all individuals; and (3) the model can be applied to various types of populations and a wide range of intervention strategies. MRD combines the physiological, psychological and social determinants into a hazard function for relapse to smoking. This hazard function is then organized into a three term expression incorporating: a baseline hazard characteristic to each individual, a decreasing term for the diminishing aspect of the initial hazard and an effect of external interventions. The model gives promising results when applied to the Multiple Risk Factors Intervention Trial (MRFIT) data using the assumptions of a Weibull distribution for the baseline hazard, a negative exponential for the decrease in the initial hazard and a constant intensity for the external intervention.
PRE within Ss: Conventional effect on differential speeds, reverse effect on choices

Rats were given equal experience with alternatives which were either continuously or partially reinforced. A reduction in the stimulus overlap between discriminanda increased the tendency toward a conventional PRE within Ss in terms of differential speeds; but on free-choice trials, all Ss more frequently chose the previously continuous-reinforcement alternative, and this was uniform across conditions.
Comparison of alternative pest and soil management strategies for Maine potato production systems

Potato acreage and total production in Maine have declined steadily since the 1960s. In 1991, a University of Maine research team established a large-scale, long-term, comparative study of three factors that form the foundation of productive potato cropping systems: soil management, pest management, and variety choice. This study, the Potato Ecosystem Project, included 96 main plots (5.8 ha total) and near-by “component studies.” The project contrasted amended vs. unamended soil management strategies; conventional vs. reduced-input vs. bio-intensive pest management strategies; and disease and stress susceptible vs. tolerant potato varieties. Given recent concerns over resistance to pesticides and increasing costs of agricultural chemical inputs, the reduced-input and bio-intensive pest management systems provided encouraging results. Weed growth was similar in the conventional and reduced-input systems. Colorado potato beetle thresholds were exceeded less often and their densities were lower in the bio-intensive system than in the reduced-input and conventional systems. Lady beetles, which are major aphid predators, were more abundant in the bio-intensive pest management system compared with the reduced-input and conventional systems in 5 of the 6 years. Tuber yield and quality were maintained at a high level in the reduced-input system, although difficulties with plant disease, nutrient and weed management contributed to significantly lower yields in the bio-intensive pest management system. Economic analysis indicated that from 1993 to 1996, the reduced-input system had a greater return over variable cost (avg. $578ha-1). The amended soil management system achieved rapid improvements in soil quality: soil organic matter, water stable aggregates, potassium, and soluble inorganic phosphorus contents increased while requirements for synthetic fertilizers were reduced. These improvements in soil quality enhanced late-season crop vigor, canopy duration and tuber quality, and increased yields by 13% and 30% over the unamended system in 1994 and 1995, respectively, but not in 1996. Improved crop vigor in the amended soil management system also benefited weed control efforts by encouraging a more weed-suppressive potato crop. In the biointensive pest management system, in which weeds were controlled mechanically, the amended soil management system had less weed biomass than the unamended soil management system in 1994 and 1995. Conversely, the amended soil management system consistently increased flea beetle populations and, in one of two years, the incidence of Rhizoctonia. The choice of potato variety also affected pest dynamics. Total aphid density (all aphid species considered together) and almost all disease ratings were higher on ‘Superior’ than ‘Atlantic’ potato.