cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A multiple‐pulse sequence for improved selective excitation in magnetic resonance imaging

A new framework for selective excitation that offers simpler design and better performance than conventional excitation methods is introduced. The guidelines for choosing the appropriate radiofrequency (rf) pulse envelope in a conventional selective excitation sequence often rely on Fourier analysis, leading to less than desirable results. Although providing useful insight, Fourier analysis of the rf pulse envelope determines the resultant slice shape accurately only for small flip-angle excitations, and not for larger flip-angle excitations owing to the generally nonlinear behavior of the spin system. In the new excitation framework, additional excitation pulses (typically one) are applied in sequence with the conventional pulse to improve the performance (in phase characteristics and slice definition) over that achieved by the conventional pulse alone. Given a desired spatial spin distribution and an associated rf pulse (e.g., Fourier transform pairs), the Bloch equation is solved backwards to yield the starting distribution required for the conventional pulse to give exactly the desired output. If this residual distribution is a small flip angle away from the actual starting distribution, then Fourier analysis of the residual distribution leads to the necessary "setup" pulse. A gradient of opposite polarity during the setup obviates a refocusing interval after the setup pulse. Computer simulations have verified the efficacy of the multiple-pulse excitation sequence for both 90 degrees and 180 degrees excitations.
Violent behavior in adolescents and young adults: A person and environment model

We explore a model that examines how personal and environmental variables explain violent behavior by adolescents. Repeated interviews with youths from 1984–1992 from 10 cities across the United States provided the data. These interviews first occurred with 2,787 youths when they were adolescents (1984–85 and 1986–87) and the interviews were repeated on a subsample of 602 youths when they were young adults (1989–90 and 1991–92). Longitudinal multivariate analyses showed that almost a third of the variance in adolescent violent behaviors was predicted by a combination of personal variables (gender, substance misuse) and environmental variables (history of child abuse, stressful events, traumatic events, and city rates of unemployment). Further, almost a third of the variance in change in violent behaviors from year to year was predicted by prior violent behavior and a combination of personal variables (gender, suicidality, and substance misuse) and environmental variables (stressful events).
Man on the Street: Anthropology, Citizenship and the Fight for Housing Rights in Hungary

Doing anthropology can be a powerful means of reclaiming citizenship, while exercising critical citizenship is essential for being a good (applied) anthropologist. Through research and advocacy for homeless rights in my native Hungary, I have realized that drawing boundaries between the roles of "anthropologist" and "citizen" are false and disempowering, as in fact the two both complement and reinforce each other. While this might not seem like a particularly striking statement in the United States, this recognition has a special significance in Hungary, where anthropology is a new academically oriented discipline that is not yet widely applied to understand and improve social problems. However, I learned that it can be, and that it is crucial for anthropologists to move beyond mere formal citizenship and simply reporting what they learn, and to actively use this knowledge as political participants. The citizen in me was awakened when I conducted research among homeless residents of Budapest, and saw firs...
X-ray measurement of the ionization balance in an electron beam ion trap

Abstract The charge-state abundances of bare, hydrogen-, helium-, lithium-, and beryllium-like iron in the Livermore electron beam ion trap have been measured with uncertainties ranging from 3 to 15% by monitoring the emitted X rays. The ionization balance is determined in two ways: (1) by observing radiative recombination photons with a solid-state detector, and (2) by observing line radiation with a Bragg crystal spectrometer. The results are in good agreement with an ionization balance model.
An analytic traffic model with adaptive QoS control in an unreliable wireless sensor network

An analytic traffic model is developed for an unreliable wireless sensor network. We model the dynamics of traffic flow from the source node through a set of intermediate nodes to the sink node by using single-server queues. These single-server queues with finite buffers are linked in tandem. To analyze the performance of the sensor network, we decompose the tandem queuing network into individual nodes with modified arrival and service processes and modified queue capacities. In the individual node modeling, we consider the impact of the unreliable transmissions, i.e., node/link failure events, by involving the immediate upstream node and downstream node of the separated node. The steady-state solutions of the individual nodes are determined iteratively. A performance metric source-to-sink delay is derived and selected for studying the quality of service (QoS) control. Adaptive QoS control schemes are developed and their performance is validated by simulation.
GENERALIZATION TO THE SUFFICIENT CONDITIONS FOR A DISCRETE RANDOM VARIABLE TO BE INFINITELY DIVISIBLE

The convenient sufficient conditions for the infinite divisibility of discrete distributions are generalized. A numerical example is presented. The role of infinitely divisible distributions in applications is discussed.
Estimating growth of the Florida spiny lobster, Panulirus argus, from molt frequency and size increment data derived from tag and recapture experiments

Abstract Molting schedules and growth per molt of Panulirus argus were deduced by gender from size at tag and recapture of 3481 females and 3330 males released off the Florida coast during 1967–2003. Functional relationships were estimated for the intermolt period from premolt carapace length (CL) and for growth increment from premolt and postmolt CL. Starting at 5 mm CL stepwise growth functions were derived by repeatedly applying these two functions in succession. Growth curves were simulated for each sex to 30 years maximum age. At maximum age females reach a CL of 151 mm and males reach 220 mm. Significant slowdown of growth is expressed by an abrupt change in the intermolt period at the onset of maturity, while there is no evidence of a change in slope of the postmolt and premolt functions at that time. The segmented growth characterizations differ very significantly from all of the von Bertalanffy-type functions estimated for the species from indirect ageing procedures.
Neural network classification of compound mixtures

This paper demonstrates the usefulness of neural networks in classifying environmental samples from compound mixture data. This problem was solved by careful determination of neural network learning parameters and forward sequential selection of input features. Finally, the fundamental limit of any classifier on this data was determined using Bayes error bounding.
American Geomorphology at the Dawn of the 20th Century

A geomorphologist, William Morris Davis, founded the Association of American Geographers in 1904. Today, a century later, it is timely to reflect on the nature of geomorphology so long ago, on paths taken and paths ignored. By 1904, the heroic age of American geomorphology, of the western explorations, had passed. Powell was dead, Dutton was retired and ill, and Gilbert seemed destined at the time for lonely retirement. In their stead, Davis strode the field like a colossus. His cycle of erosion, nurtured for 20 years, fit well into the evolutionary dogma of the age. With its emphasis on time, the perceived relevance of structure and process atrophied. While Earth's main relief features were still attributed mainly to a cooling and contracting planet, Dutton's isostasy and Taylor's mobilism received short shrift. In any case, depending on who one believed, Earth was only 20 to 400 million years old. Furthermore despite advances in mechanics and applied sciences, geomorphic processes were largely ignored. ...
An integrated active-parametric control approach for active-passive hybrid piezoelectric network with variable resistance

Previous studies have shown that piezoelectric materials can be used to provide passive damping by shunting them with an electrical network, such as a series RL circuit. This same configuration can...
Cold-Cathode Electron Field Emission of Boron Nitride Thin Film with a MEMS-based Gate for Space Applications

Cold-cathode electron field emission is a technology emerging as an appealing alternative to high power thermionic emitters and gas plasma contactors that use a consumable (Xe gas, typically) for space electrodynamic tether systems and other space electric propulsion systems requiring low-power neutralizers. Example cold-cathode electron field emission technologies include Spindt-type cathodes and gated carbon nanotubes, both of which emit electrons through quantum mechanical tunneling of electrons, instigated by a high electric field applied at the emitter surface. Research at the University of Michigan indicates that nanostructured Boron Nitride (BN) is an attractive material for cold-cathode electron emission due to its low work function, structural robustness, chemical inertness (Spindt -type cathodes with Mo tips are known to degrade in an oxygen environment), and favorable emission characteristics. To facilitate the acceleration of electrons away from the emission surface and toward the plasma anode (beyond the space charge limit), a MEMS -based gated structure has been developed in order to provide the high surface electric fields required for electron emission at the BN surface. This paper will describe the integrated device development for a gated BN emitter to be used in the student-designed Field Emission Get-Away-Special Investigation (FEGI) project- a test platform for low-earth demonstration of various coldcathode electron field emitter designs.
Lymphocytes Involved in Cell-Mediated Immune Responses and Methods to Assess Cell-Mediated Immunity

Abstract With increasing need for the development of vaccines against many poultry diseases, it is important to understand host immune mechanisms involved in protection against diseases. Because of increasing evidence suggesting a role of cell-mediated immunity in disease resistance against many poultry diseases, investigation of immune systems involved in cell-mediated immunity is crucial for the development of immunological control strategies. Recent advances in hybridoma technology and cellular immunology have facilitated the understanding of the ontogeny, structure, and function of the avian immune system. Isolation and flow cytometric analysis of single lymphoid cells now enables researchers to dissect various components of the avian immune system and to investigate the role of subpopulations of lymphocytes in disease processes. In vitro assays are used to assess the host cellular response based upon antigen-specific lymphoproliferation, specific cellular effector function, and lymphokine secretion. These various assays can be used to quantify and qualify host immune responses and to better understand host immunity.
Endovascular coil occlusion of a traumatic basilar-cavernous fistula: technical report.

OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE: We describe an unusual case of an 8-year-old male patient presenting with a traumatic basilar artery aneurysm associated with a basilar-cavernous fistula. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: The fistula occurred as the result of an accident involving a vehicle and a pedestrian. The patient originally presented in a coma and with a dense left hemiparesis. INTERVENTION: The traumatic basilar aneurysm and basilar-cavernous fistula were successfully occluded by endovascular coil embolization in two sessions. By 6 months after injury, the patient had made an excellent neurological recovery, requiring only a left leg brace for walking. CONCLUSION: Endovascular coil embolization provided an effective treatment option in the case of this complex and unusual arteriovenous fistula. We discuss the radiological and clinical features of related traumatic neurovascular lesions.
Reversible and irreversible cardiac dysfunction associated with trastuzumab in breast cancer

One of the newest agents used in the treatment of breast cancer is trastuzumab (Herceptin®), a new recombinant DNA-derived humanized monoclonal antibody against the proto-oncogene, HER-2/neu gene product. However, despite its proven clinical efficacy, serious adverse effects leading to trastuzumab-induced cardiomyopathy have been described in up to 27% of patients receiving combination therapy with anthracyclines [1]. There has been little published on the clinical syndrome of trastuzumab-induced cardiomyopathy. We describe three cases, of both reversible and irreversible cardiomyopathy, associated with the use of this novel and effective agent in HER-2 overexpressing breast cancer.
Effect of delta8-THC on alcohol-induced sleeping time in the rat.

The effect of acute and repeated δ 8-THC administration on alcohol-induced sleeping time was studied in male albino rats. We have observed that acute pretreatment with δ 8-THC markedly potentiates alcohol-induced sleeping time in a dose-related manner. This potentiation of the alcohol sleeping time is shortened significantly after repeated prior treatment with δ 8-THC and can be observed 72 hrs post-chronic treatment. The effect of δ 8-THC on alcohol-induced sleeping time is not associated with an altered alcohol metabolism rate.
Religious Conservatism and Women’s Market Behavior Following Marriage and Childbirth

This study explores the effect of religious conservatism on the labor force behavior of women who marry or add a new child to their household, using the 1988 - 1993 National Survey of Families and Households (N = 3,494). We model changes in labor supply, occupation, and wages as a function of either conservative denominational membership or conservative religious belief, holding other economic and demographic characteristics constant. Among Whites, conservative denomination did decrease labor supply following marriage or a marital birth, whereas conservative religious beliefs had larger influences on occupation choice and wages. Among Blacks, conservative denomination increased labor supply following marital births, but neither denomination nor belief affected occupation or wage growth. Results show the significance of religious ideology for understanding continuing gender inequality.
Sequence-Learning Algorithm Based on Backward Chaining

This article considers the problem of learning the correct temporal sequence of discrete behaviors from a finite behavior set that will lead to completion of a complex task, using only stochastic reinforcement from the environment. A trial-and-error learning algorithm is proposed that is inspired by backward chaining from the animal training discipline. The procedure is analytically formulated using a serial composition of finite action-set learning automata with delay. Simulation of the proposed algorithm shows that the algorithm does indeed lead to sequence learning. The effect of parametric variation in the magnitude and quality of reinforcement is investigated in both theory and simulation. It is shown that a fundamental tradeoff exists between quality and speed of learning. It is also shown that the algorithm has the ability to learn desirable action sequences among several feasible action sequences through the use of relative rewards, which may be interpreted using the Bellman principle of optimality.
Histology of melanic flank and opercular color pattern elements in the Firemouth Cichlid, Thorichthys meeki.

Dark melanic color pattern elements, such as bars, stripes, and spots, are common in the skin of fishes, and result from the differential distribution and activity of melanin-containing chromatophores (melanophores). We determined the histological basis of two melanic color pattern elements in the integument of the Firemouth Cichlid, Thorichthys meeki. Vertical bars on the flanks were formed by three layers of dermal melanophores, whereas opercular spots were formed by four layers (two lateral and two medial) in the integument surrounding the opercular bones. Pretreatment of opercular tissue with potassium and sodium salts effectively concentrated or dispersed intracellular melanosomes. Regional differences in epidermal structure, scale distribution, and connective tissues were also identified. J. Morphol. 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Washover Fan and Terrace Dynamics--A Stormy Year on Assateague Island, Virginia and Maryland: ABSTRACT

Five surveys of painted sand plugs were made between 1982 and 1983 at 7 washover sites on Assateague Island to observe sedimentologic and geomorphologic changes during overwash. The stormy 1982-83 period included a large extratropical storm in October 1982 that produced waves exceeded only by the March 1982 Ash Wednesday storm, 7 northeasters of moderate intensity, and a significant tropical storm. Our surveys suggest that eolian and washover processes are equally important in net sediment dynamics and morphology of washover fans. Strong storm winds caused erosion of fan surfaces and adjacent dunes. Eolian activity sealed the throats of 2 fans early in the October storm, preventing subsequent washover. Erosion dominated the early phases of washover events and was followed by accretion. For all storms studied, the net effect was accretion. The occurrence of storms of various magnitudes and frequency permits a comparison of their relative effectiveness in transporting sediment and causing geomorphologic change. The October storm deposited between 20 and 40 cm (8 and 16 in.) of horizontally bedded coarse sand and shell fragments on fans located along northeasterly trending shorelines. Fans along easterly trending shorelines were shielded from direct wave attack and experienced little change. The net effect of 7 subsequent northeasters of moderate intensity also resulted in net accretion, but their total sediment movement averaged less than the amount deposited by the October storm. Surfaces of recently overwashed fans exhibited upper flow regime bedforms and lacked relief. Eolian processes altered fan surfaces between was over events and established partially vegetated dunes on their surfaces in less than 6 months. End_of_Article - Last_Page 496------------
Bears ‘count’ too: quantity estimation and comparison in black bears, Ursus americanus

Studies of bear cognition are notably missing from the comparative record despite bears' large relative brain size and interesting status as generalist carnivores facing complex foraging challenges, but lacking complex social structures. We investigated the numerical abilities of three American black bears (Ursus Americanus) by presenting discrimination tasks on a touch-screen computer. One bear chose the larger of two arrays of dot stimuli, while two bears chose the smaller array of dots. On some trials the relative number of dots was congruent with the relative total area of the two arrays. On other trials number of dots was incongruent with area. All of the bears were above chance on trials of both types with static dots. Despite encountering greater difficulty with dots that moved within the arrays, one bear was able to discriminate numerically larger arrays of moving dots, and a subset of moving dots from within the larger array, even when area and number were incongruent. Thus, although the bears used area as a cue to guide responding, they were also able to use number as a cue. The pattern of performance was similar to that found previously with monkeys, and suggests that bears may also show other forms of sophisticated quantitative abilities.
The design of a history of computing course with a unique perspective

In this paper, we describe the design and implementation of a new history of computing course that includes personal and historical perspectives from faculty members to supplement the course material. Despite decreasing enrollments in our computer science courses, this new course has achieved significantly large enrollments and a wide audience due to this unique faculty perspective in addition to the approval of this course as a general education requirement that addresses the implications of science and technology on society.
Inorganic phosphorus stimulation of bacterioplankton production in a meso-eutrophic lake.

Experiments were conducted to determine whether production of heterotrophic bacterioplankton in a small meso-eutrophic lake was influenced by the dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP) supply. DIP may indirectly limit bacterial production by limiting phytoplankton, which in turn may limit the carbon available to bacteria. Direct DIP limitation of bacteria occurs where the availability of DIP for bacteria is insufficient to maintain growth. This work examined direct DIP limitation of bacteria by removing phytoplankton and incubating flasks with or without added P in the dark. Bacterial production was measured via the rate of incorporation of [3H]thymidine ([3H]TdR) into DNA. Bacterial abundance was followed with epifluorescent direct counts. Rates of [3H]TdR incorporation were significantly greater in flasks with added DIP, and changes in cell abundances generally paralleled increases in [3H]TdR incorporation. Even very small additions of P (0.05 μM) were sufficient to stimulate production. DIP addition to whole lakewater also stimulated [3H]TdR incorporation relative to that in zero-addition controls, but there was not a concurrent increase in bacterial cell numbers. The stimulation of [3H]TdR incorporation after DIP addition to whole lakewater was significantly less than the stimulation due to DIP addition to 1-μm-pore-size-filtered lakewater. In this study, addition of DIP caused as much as an eightfold stimulation of [3H]TdR incorporation.
Career Goals in the High Risk Adolescent

Possessing a career goal might serve as a protective factor for an adolescent's healthy development. This could be especially important in adolescents who engage in high risk behaviors. The relationship between high risk adolescents' future career goals and selected predictor variables were examined. Almost half (49%) the students indicated a career goal. Students who reported a job were 5.1-fold more likely to have listed a future career goal. Females, those aged 18 years, and those whose mothers were employed were twice as likely to have a career goal. Considerations for fostering career goals for high risk students are warranted.
REVIEW ARTICLE: What the Sperm Says and the Egg Hears – A Tale of Two Proteins and More

While considerable information exists regarding the early interactions of spermatozoon and egg that lead to successful fertilization, the molecular biology of events that result in the incorporation of the spermatozoon within the cortical ooplasm is largely undefined. There is circumstantial evidence suggesting that this process involves the interactions of specific oolemmal receptors and their ligands on sperm that bear similarities to mechanisms used in phagocytosis by macrophages. We have postulated that the egg may act as a ‘non-professional phagocyte’ during its association with the spermatozoon. This review surveys those events, provides an historical context, and creates a paradigm for further investigation.
Incorporating Gene Functions into Regression Analysis of DNA-Protein Binding Data and Gene Expression Data to Construct Transcriptional Networks

Useful information on transcriptional networks has been extracted by regression analyses of gene expression data and DNA-protein binding data. However, a potential limitation of these approaches is their assumption on the common and constant activity level of a transcription factor (TF) on all of the genes in any given experimental condition, for example, any TF is assumed to be either an activator or a repressor, but not both, whereas it is known that some TFs can be dual regulators. Rather than assuming a common linear regression model for all of the genes, we propose using separate regression models for various gene groups; the genes can be grouped based on their functions or some clustering results. Furthermore, to take advantage of the hierarchical structure of many existing gene function annotation systems such as gene ontology (GO), we propose a shrinkage method that borrows information from relevant gene groups. Applications to a yeast data set and simulations lend support to our proposed methods. In particular, we find that the shrinkage method consistently works well under various scenarios. We recommend the use of the shrinkage method as a useful alternative to the existing methods.
La ciudadanía árabe: la Primavera Árabe y sus consecuencias no intencionales

The wave of protests and revolts across North Africa and the Middle East occurring in the first half of 2011 has generated considerable academic and journalistic interest. Starting in Tunisia, the centre piece of these uprisings was the 25 January Revolution in Egypt resulting in the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak, the popular election of Mohamed Morsi, and the creation of a panel to develop a new constitution. A popular uprising in Libya resulted in the killing of Colonel Gaddafi and the arrest of his son. In the Yemen, the unstable relationship between the tribal North and the modernized South began to unravel. Despite the general enthusiasm for a peaceful transition to democracy, by the autumn of 2012 there was more realism if not cynicism about the prospects of lasting social change. I refer to this unanticipated development of the Arab Spring and associated popular uprisings as ‘the winter of our discontent’. There is widespread concern about what might come after the overthrow of the regimes in Yemen, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt, and even more anxiety about what, if anything, may come after the civil violence in Syria. Democratic elections in Tunisia and Egypt are producing governments and legal codes that are inspired more by conservative Islam than by secular versions of democracy. One indicator is the trend towards an erosion of the rights of women by new laws. I analyse these developments within the framework of Max Weber’s notion of the unintended consequences of action by arguing that these societies will struggle to create citizenship, viable civil societies and democratically transparent political institutions. Social movements are unlikely to survive without becoming embedded in local institutions and social groups. The growth of citizenship typically depends on a relatively well established and successful middle class – a social class that is largely absent in the region with the exception of Turkey. The Muslim Brotherhood gains strength from its long-term involvement at the village level, and hence its more conservative view of social transformation has slowly replaced more inclusive, secular components of the revolution.
Compound gravity receptor polarization vectors evidenced by linear vestibular evoked potentials

The utricle and saccule are gravity receptor organs of the vestibular system. These receptors rely on a high-density otoconial membrane to detect linear acceleration and the position of the cranium relative to Earth's gravitational vector. The linear vestibular evoked potential (VsEP) has been shown to be an effective non-invasive functional test specifically for otoconial gravity receptors (Jones et al., 1999). Moreover, there is some evidence that the VsEP can be used to independently test utricular and saccular function (Taylor et al., 1997; Jones et al., 1998). Here we characterize compound macular polarization vectors for the utricle and saccule in hatchling chickens. Pulsed linear acceleration stimuli were presented in two axes, the dorsoventral (DV, +/- Z axis) to isolate the saccule, and the interaural (IA, +/- Y axis) to isolate the utricle. Traditional signal averaging was used to resolve responses recorded from the surface of the skull. Latency and amplitude of eighth nerve components of the linear VsEP were measured. Gravity receptor responses exhibited clear preferences for one stimulus direction in each axis. With respect to each utricular macula, lateral translation in the IA axis produced maximum ipsilateral response amplitudes with substantially greater amplitude intensity (AI) slopes than medially directed movement. Downward caudal motions in the DV axis produced substantially larger response amplitudes and AI slopes. The results show that the macula lagena does not contribute to the VsEP compound polarization vectors of the sacculus and utricle. The findings suggest further that preferred compound vectors for the utricle depend on the pars externa (i.e. lateral hair cell field) whereas for the saccule they depend on pars interna (i.e. superior hair cell fields). These data provide evidence that maculae saccule and utricle can be selectively evaluated using the linear VsEP.
The Effect of Self-Control on Unit and Item Nonresponse in an Adolescent Sample

In A General Theory of Crime, Gottfredson and Hirschi dispute whether valid self-report data can be collected among respondents lacking self-control. This research tests this argument by examining two processes that undermine the validity of self-report data: unit and item nonresponse. Specifically, this research addresses two questions: Within a longitudinal self-report study, are respondents with lower self-control less likely to be retained in annual follow ups? And are respondents with lower self-control less likely to complete a self-report survey in its entirety? These questions are examined with an adolescent sample from the National Evaluation of the Gang Resistance and Education Training Program. Current findings reveal that, after adjusting for the influence of student sociodemographic characteristics, self-control is unrelated to sample retention during four annual waves of data, but current findings do reveal that lower-self-control adolescents are more likely to leave survey items unanswered....
Red noise and regime shifts

The analysis of interdecadal physical and biological variability is made challenging by the relative shortness of available time series. It has been suggested that rapid temporal changes of the most energetic empirical orthogonal function of North Pacific sea surface temperature (sometimes called the Pacific Decadal Oscillation or PDO) represents a ‘‘regime shift’’ between states with otherwise stable statistics. Using random independent time series generated to have the same frequency content as the PDO, we show that a composite analysis of climatic records recently used to identify regime shifts is likely to find them in Gaussian, red noise with stationary statistics. Detection of a shift by this procedure is not evidence of nonlinear processes leading to bi-stable behavior or any other meaningful regime shift. r 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Endothelium‐specific gene and stem cell‐based therapy for erectile dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction (ED) commonly results from endothelial dysfunction of the systemic vasculature. Although phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE-5) inhibitors are effective at treating most cases of ED, they must be taken routinely and are ineffectual for a meaningful number of men. In recent years gene and stem cell-based therapies targeted at the penile endothelium have been gaining momentum in preclinical studies. These early studies reveal that gene and stem cell-based therapies may be both enduring and efficacious, and may eventually lead to a cure for ED. The following review will highlight our current understanding of endothelial-specific gene and stem cell-based therapies performed to date in a number of experimental animal models.
Crossing The Medicaid–Private Insurance Divide: The Case Of EPSDT

Contained in the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 is a provision that could greatly affect Medicaid’s signature child health coverage standard, embodied since 1967 in the Early and Periodic Screening,...
Allergy to honeybee body components: distinction from bee venom sensitivity

Two patients with inhalant allergy to whole bee body components are described, documented by positive skin tests to whole bee body extract and the presence of serum bee body-specific IgE. Both had evidence of mild sensitivity to bee venom. RAST inhibition studies indicated that the IgE antibodies directed at whole bee body components and bee venom were distinct. These observations suggest that venom allergy from insect stings and bee body inhalant allergy are caused by different antigens.
Physician preferences in CME including insights into education versus promotion

This study examined the factors that physicians consider in deciding to attend Continuing Medical Education (CME) activities and evidence bearing on possible confusion they may experience in distinguishing between promotional and educational activities. In 1992, two randomly selected national samples of physicians examined pairs of CME activities and chose the member of each pair they would likely attend. Activities varied according to CME credit availability, topic importance, speakers' reputations, conflicting social obligations, travel time, facilities/activities for families, the organizer of the activity (e.g., industry), and financial support for the activity (e.g., industry). Equations relating the preceding attributes and doctors' demographics to attendance decisions were developed using data from the first sample; these equations were then used to predict selections made by members of the second sample. In the first sample, 645 physicians (44% of those sampled) responded as did 75 (40% of those sampled) in the second. A nonrespondent study indicated no important difference between responding and nonresponding physicians. Attributes related to CME activity choice included CME credit availability, topic imortance, speakers' reputations, confliting social/family obligation, and increased travel time. Attendance decisions were unrelated to demographics and were largely independent of acitivty sponsorship and funding source. These findings are explained by the adult learning theory that describes adults as addressing a variety of needs through education; being practical in orientation; and having multiple demands in their lives. The equations reflecting the study's fundings correctly predicted physician behavior on validation at rates ranging from 66 to 74%. Physicians' attendance choices reflected issues of practicality, multiple demands in their lives, and satisfying multiple needs through education. In addition, the essential independence of industry support and physicians' decision is evidence that physicians do not confuse education with promotion.
Genome amplification of single sperm using multiple displacement amplification

Sperm typing is an effective way to study recombination rate on a fine scale in regions of interest. There are two strategies for the amplification of single meiotic recombinants: repulsion-phase allele-specific PCR and whole genome amplification (WGA). The former can selectively amplify single recombinant molecules from a batch of sperm but is not scalable for high-throughput operation. Currently, primer extension pre-amplification is the only method used in WGA of single sperm, whereas it has limited capacity to produce high-coverage products enough for the analysis of local recombination rate in multiple large regions. Here, we applied for the first time a recently developed WGA method, multiple displacement amplification (MDA), to amplify single sperm DNA, and demonstrated its great potential for producing high-yield and high-coverage products. In a 50 mul reaction, 76 or 93% of loci can be amplified at least 2500- or 250-fold, respectively, from single sperm DNA, and second-round MDA can further offer >200-fold amplification. The MDA products are usable for a variety of genetic applications, including sequencing and microsatellite marker and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis. The use of MDA in single sperm amplification may open a new era for studies on local recombination rates.
Sensation Seeking as a Factor in Police Pursuit

The Sensation Seeking Scale was administered to 69 patrol officers of a suburban police department to investigate the relationship between sensation seeking and officers' tendencies lo engage in high-speed vehicular pursuit. Pursuit tendencies were measured by official departmental records, self-reports of previous pursuits, and responses to two hypothetical situations. The official records and self-report measures of pursuit were found to correlate significantly with sensation seeking. It was concluded that attention to personality differences may help supervisors implement a more predictable pursuit policy.
Toward a New Classification of Nonexperimental Quantitative Research

A substantial proportion of quantitative educational research is non-experimental because many important variables of interest are not manipulable. Because nonexperimental research is an important methodology employed by many researchers, it is important to use a classification system of nonexperimental methods that is highly descriptive of what we do and also allows us to communicate effectively in an interdisciplinary research environment. In this paper, the present treatment of nonexperimental methods is reviewed and critiqued, and a new, two-dimensional classification of nonexperimental quantitative research is proposed. The first dimension is based on the primary “research objective” (i.e., description, prediction, and explanation), and the second dimension is called the “time” dimension (i.e., cross-sectional, longitudinal, and retrospective).
Nitric Oxide Mechanisms in the Pathogenesis of Global Risk

Identification and management of cardiovascular risk factors, such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and dyslipidemia, is essential not only for prevention of cardiovascular disease, but also for slowing the progression of existing cardiovascular disease. A major underlying mechanism that links various cardiovascular risk factors and manifestations of cardiovascular disease is endothelial dysfunction, characterized by impaired nitric oxide bioactivity. Oxidative stress is an important cause of impaired nitric oxide bioactivity, and a major pathogenic mechanism of atherosclerosis. Several pharmacologic therapies, including angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, statins, and the vasodilating beta blocker nebivolol, have been shown to enhance nitric oxide bioactivity and improve endothelial function. This effect may help explain the cardioprotective benefits of these agents and may stimulate further use of nitric oxide modulation for the treatment of cardiovascular risk factors and manifestations of cardiovascular disease.
Provision of Testing Accommodations for Students With Disabilities on Statewide Assessments Statistical Links With Participation and Discipline Rates

Testing accommodations allow students with disabilities to both participate in and demonstrate their knowledge and abilities on statewide assessments. This article discusses accommodation-related research findings of a 3-year federally funded research study. The data analysis includes an examination of accommodation policies and discipline rates in all 50 states, participation rates in states for which data were available, and the relationships among these data as indicated by statistical correlations. Also, a detailed discussion of the proctor/scribe accommodation is included, because it correlated more strongly with higher participation rates than any other specific accommodation. Implications of these findings for students, parents, policymakers, and practitioners are discussed.
Causal Schemas and Multiple Hypotheses Evaluation: A General Framework

Determining the "root cause" or "root causes" of an observed anomaly is pervasive in everyday life and yet such inferences are difficult since potential causes may be represented in various ways such as mutually exclusive (single cause) or not-mutually exclusive (multiple causes) and as exhaustive (all causes are identified) and non-exhaustive (some potential causes are not yet determined). This study extends the literature by formally modeling the following important conditions present in many real-world settings, but not considered in prior research: uncertain effects, evidence that is not perfectly diagnostic and multiple hypotheses causing the observed anomaly. This article develops a general framework under probability theory to deal with these issues and, as such, may be used to guide future research and improve practice.
Using Eminent Domain to Write-Down Underwater Mortgages: An Economic Analysis

A handful of economically distressed cities and counties are considering using their power of eminent domain to write down the principal of underwater mortgage loans. In this paper, we review the l...
Lack of Translation of Density-Induced Morphological Polyphenism to Long-Duration Flight Behavior of Black Cutworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Larvae of black cutworm, Agrotis ipsilon (Hufnagel), reared under crowded conditions in the laboratory were darker and developed more slowly than larvae reared singly. Crowding reduced the length and weight of pupae, and the adults were correspondingly smaller than those from uncrowded populations. Rate of reproductive maturation of females was not influenced by larval density. Crowding had no significant effect on the crawling behavior of sixth instars and very little effect on the flight behavior of adults tethered to flight mills. No evidence that crowding leads to a distinct migratory phase or even to an increased propensity to initiate long-duration flight was found. To the contrary, the data suggest that moths from crowded populations may suffer a loss in migratory capacity because of their smaller size (and presumably smaller stores of flight fuel) and lower wing area:body size ratios, which may make flight energetically more expensive.
State-resolved three-dimensional electron-momentum correlation in nonsequential double ionization of benzene

We report state-resolved electron-momentum correlation measurement of strong-field nonsequential double ionization in benzene. With a novel coincidence detection apparatus, highly efficient triple coincidence (electron-electron dication) and quadruple coincidence (electron-electron-cation-cation) are used to resolve the final ionic states and to characterize three-dimensional (3D) electron-momentum correlation. The primary states associated with dissociative and nondissociative dications are assigned. A 3D momentum anticorrelation is observed for the electrons in coincidence with dissociative benzene dication states whereas such a correlation is absent for nondissociative dication states.
Recognition of MHC Class II Antigens by the CD4: T Cell Receptor Complex

T lymphocytes that express CD4 respond to foreign antigens presented in the context of syngeneic class II MHC molecules. T cells responding to allogeneic class II MHC molecules generally express CD4, but exceptions are observed. We show that the same receptor on a cloned T cell line recognizes both foreign antigen associated with self-class II MHC and nonself-class II MHC molecules. The role of CD4 in these recognition responses appears to be to bind to class II MHC molecules and, through association with the T cell receptor recognizing the same class II MHC molecule, to effectively activate the T cell. It is proposed on the basis of these two findings that the high ligand multiplicity of alloantigens recognized in unmodified form by high affinity anti-nonself-MHC receptors can explain the finding of CD8+ T cells responding to nonself-class II MHC molecules, as well as the inability of anti—CD4 to inhibit such nonself-class II MHC recognition completely. Finally, data will be presented to suggest that class II may also play a role in selecting the functional activity elicited in response to a protein antigen in vivo. These data show that the CD4:T cell receptor complex interaction with the complex of foreign antigen and self-MHC is the critical event in initiating most immune responses and may also play a role in controlling their functional outcome.
Kausalzusammenhang und Fahrlässigkeit

Palsgraf v. Long Island Railroad Company 1 ist vielleicht einer der meist gefeierten Falle aus dem Deliktsrecht. Sicher ist er einer der meist umstrittenen. Insgesamt dreizehn Richter haben uber den Sachverhalt entschieden; sieben von ihnen waren fur die Klagerin, zumindest insofern, als sie der Ansicht waren, das die Hauptfrage den Geschworenen zu uberlassen sei. Vier der ubrigen sechs Richter hatten als Mitglieder des Court of Appeals von New York das letzte Wort; sie haben den Spruch der Geschworenen zugunsten der Klagerin aufgehoben und die Klage abgewiesen 2.
Cancer of the Pancreas: The Whipple Procedure

Minimally invasive approaches to pancreatic resection are now feasible. Laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy (LPD) is perhaps the most complex of abdominal operations and is only recently gaining the interest of the medical community. This chapter presents the rational for LPD, its history, technique, and outcomes. The lack of large series or controlled trials limits our current assessment of this approach; however, early results are promising and appear comparable to open approaches. It is mandatory that sound oncologic principles of resection are maintained to assure optimal outcomes of patients with pancreatic cancer. Careful outcome assessment and adequate training will ultimately determine the safe, broad expansion of LPD.
Recent Advances in Understanding the Immunobiology of Gestational Trophoblastic Disease

Gestational trophoblastic disease, including hydatidiform mole, invasive mole, and choriocarcinoma, comprise a group of interrelated diseases which arise from pregnancy and have varying potentials for local invasion and distant spread. It is now well established that hydatidiform mole may precede the development of persistent gestational trophoblastic tumors including gestational choriocarcinoma (Bagshawe, 1969; Goldstein and Berkowitz, 1982). The results of clinical management of molar pregnancy and gestational trophoblastic tumors has improved considerably over the past three decades due to advances in understanding of the pathology, natural history, and endocrinology of these trophoblastic diseases. In 1956, Li et al. inaugurated a new era in the therapy of gestational choriocarcinoma when they reported curing three women with metastases by treatment with methotrexate. Gestational trophoblastic tumors are now known to be curable with chemotherapy even in the presence of widely metastatic disease. The effective treatment of trophoblastic tumors with chemotherapy represents one of the most dramatic successes in the management of human malignancy.