cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Voiding cystourethrography findings in elderly women with urge incontinence.

Purpose:: We report voiding cystourethrography findings associated with urge incontinence in elderly women.Materials and Methods:: Two observers jointly reviewed voiding cystourethrograms of 50 cognitively intact and mobile elderly female participants in a drug trial for urge incontinence and 19 continent volunteers. Multichannel urodynamic testing was performed in all subjects. Bladder wall trabeculation and diverticula, cystocele and vesicoureteral reflux were noted. Maximal bladder capacity, post-void residual, and history of bladder suspension and hysterectomy were obtained from clinical records.Results:: Of the incontinent women 35 (70%) had trabeculation, which was mild in 30 (60%) and moderate in 5 (10%), and 41 (82%) had cystocele, which was mild in 23 (46%), moderate in 15 (30%) and severe in 3 (6%). Maximal bladder capacity ranged from less than 100 to more than 900 cc, and was greater than 500 in 37 incontinent women (74%). Of the continent women 16 (84%) had smooth bladders, 2 had mild (11%) a...
A fast algorithm for calculating particle interactions in smooth particle hydrodynamic simulations

Abstract An algorithm is presented for the rapid calculation of kernel evaluations which occur in simulations using the smooth particle hydrodynamic (SPH) method. For a system of N particles, traditional methods require an amount of work of O (N2) to calculate the interaction of each particle with every other particle, unless sorting or linked-list schemes are used, in which case the amount of work is reduced to O (N). The algorithm described here has the same amount amount of work to evaluate particle interactions as the linked-list method, but unlike the linked-list scheme it readily vectorizes, making it considerably more practical for large-scale problems of current interest in climatology, plasma physics, fluid dynamics and celestial mechanics.
Integration of the physiological factors determining endurance performance ability.

This model is used to understand the interrelationships of the physiological factors determining endurance performance ability during prolonged exercise. Early studies found that marathon runners maintain a velocity in competition that corresponds to the intensity at which lactate begins to accumulate in blood and muscle [7, 8, 19]. From this observation, the concept developed that this blood lactate threshold (LT Vo2) reflects the degree of muscular stress, glycogenolysis and fatigue. However, it was not clear whether the lactate accumulation was a result of cardiovascular limitations linked to oxygen delivery, as reflected by Vo2max [54], as opposed to metabolic factors in the exercising muscle related to the extent to which mitochondrial respiration is disturbed to maintain a given rate of O2 consumption [29, 30]. Two studies were performed to determine whether LT Vo2 was tightly coupled to Vo2max. In one study, endurance-trained ischemic heart disease patients were observed to possess a Vo2max that was 18% below that of normal master athletes who followed the patient's training program and who displayed the same performance ability as the patients. Both the patients and the normal men displayed an identical LT Vo2 (i.e., 37 ml/kg/min) (Fig. 2.5). Therefore, performance was determined primarily by LT Vo2 instead of Vo2max in this situation, albeit with abnormal subjects. In a second study we assembled two groups of competitive cyclists who were identical in Vo2max but differed by having a high or low LT Vo2 (82% vs. 66% Vo2max) [13]. When cycling at 80-88% Vo2max, the low LT group displayed more than a 2-fold higher rate of muscle glycogen use and blood lactate concentration, and as a result were able to exercise only one-half as long as the high LT group. Performance time for a given Vo2 was clearly related to LT Vo2 instead of Vo2max (Fig. 2.6). This is not to say that Vo2max plays no role in determining LT Vo2, because as in heart disease patients, it clearly sets the upper limit. Indeed, we have seen that much of the variance (i.e., 31-72%) in LT Vo2 is related to Vo2max. (Fig. 2.11.) However, improvements in performance after the first 2-3 yr of intense training are associated with improvements in LT Vo2, whereas Vo2max generally increases very little thereafter (Table 2.3). The next question concerns the factors responsible for further increases in LT Vo2 and Performance. Another major factor determining LT Vo2 is the muscle's Aerobic Enzyme Activity or mitochondrial respiratory capacity, as discussed in previous reviews [29, 30].(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Etched Micro-structures for Control of Optical Mode Distribution for Improved Broad Area Laser Performance

Etching micro-structures into broad area diode lasers leads allows for independent control of the optical modes. Appropriately designed microstructures are found to lead to more uniform near field and increased power conversion efficiency.
The collagens of the developing bovine cornea

The morphology of the developing bovine eye has been examined and the collagens in fetal bovine eyes from three months' gestation to maturity have been solubilized by pepsin treatment and analyzed to determine the ratios of the predominant types of collagen. The type I collagen decreased, while the type V collagen increased with age. Type III collagen comprised less than 1% of all the corneas, except for the three-month fetal calf. The anterior to posterior thickness of the paraffin-embedded fetal calf cornea increased from the third to the seventh month, decreased from the seventh month to birth, and then increased after birth. Descemet's membrane increased in thickness with age. Analysis of dissected regions of the calf cornea showed a uniform distribution of the collagen populations from the center to the limbus (89% type I, 10% type V and less than 1% type III collagen) and uniformity through the depth of the stroma, except that type III was concentrated around Bowman's layer, and type IV in Descement's membrane. The localization of the different collagens was consistent with the immunofluorescent staining studies with anticollagen antibodies, but the ratios of the intensities of the fluorescence did not correspond to the quantitative analyses. These results are concordant with other studies that have shown that antibody binding may be masked or diminished in certain tissues and therefore immunofluorescence cannot be used reliably for quantitative measurements.
Coronary embolization with metallic mercury. A pathophysiological assessment of the lesion as a model of cardiogenic shock.

Mercury embolization of the circumflex coronary artery in the dog was reexamined as a model of cardiogenic shock. The cardiodynamic changes that accompany embolization were studied, and the resulting histopathology has been described. Forty dogs were studied. Injection of mercury into the coronary circulation was followed by marked haemodynamic deterioration in most animals. However, only five dogs developed cardiogenic shock, even though this state was loosely defined as a mean arterial pressure of 70 mm Hg or less and a cardiac output less than 50% of control, and even when the circumflex and anterior descending arteries were both embolized. Microscopic examination of the infarcted tissue revealed a combination of ischaemic and inflammatory reaction. We conclude that embolization of the coronary arteries with mercury consistently results in haemodynamic deterioration, but rarely cardiogenic shock. In addition, a major feature of the histopathology is reaction to the local toxic effects of mercury; myocardial ischaemia alone cannot account for all the findings.
Communication networks and their role in cooperative games

Abstract We consider cooperative games subordinated to communication networks, which indicate those players able to communicate directly as well as the strengths of their relationships. We develop an index of a player's ability to communicate with others and we also create a new game whose solution reflects this ability in conjunction with the economic capabilities described by the original game.
JTE Leading Educator Preparation Into the Future

It is my great pleasure to greet you as you open this inaugural issue of the Journal of Teacher Education (JTE), under the new editorial leadership of Pennsylvania State University. JTE is a source of great pride to the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE)--our sole journal, published in partnership with an editorial team from a member institution and with SAGE Publications, Inc. I would first like to congratulate Dean David Monk, Professor Stephanie Knight, and the talented faculty team at Penn State's College of Education for their winning proposal to assume editorial responsibility of the journal's content for the next 3 years. Their leadership will offer a broad-based, forward-thinking view of educator preparation that is essential in this time of fast-paced change. We look forward to enhancing the AACTE dissemination and professional development activities as research in our field illuminates new possibilities and promising practices. Since its beginning in 1950, JTE has acquired an impressive reputation among professional journals, now ranked in the top 25 education and education research journals. (1) Its purpose is to identify and showcase cutting-edge work in the field--that work which moves our profession forward in teaching those who will become education professionals. As we prepare for another year of significant opportunities and challenges in educator preparation, there has never been a more urgent time to employ JTE's extraordinary professional reputation to help us advance our practice and achieve higher levels of candidate capacity. Questions, both new and old, arise daily, on issues such as program admission standards, the value of a master's degree, effective ways to teach culturally and linguistically diverse learners, and the optimal length of clinical practice. Thus far, consensus on these questions has been elusive. A report released recently by the National Research Council (2010) concluded, "There is little definitive evidence that particular approaches to teacher preparation yield teachers whose students are more successful than others" (p. 62). The profession is increasingly challenged to do more, and often, with less. Today's classrooms include a wider range of learner characteristics than ever, and preparation programs must produce candidates who can make the curriculum accessible to every learner in their classrooms and achieve tangible results. We must hasten the day when consensus on matters of program quality and efficacy is research-based, clearly stated, and widely practiced. Our profession has openly accepted this challenge to reform and create a future that is quite unlike any that was previously experienced in educational service. …
The Intergenerational Transmission of Inspiration: Reflections on the Origin of a Peer-Mentoring Project

The author gives a personal account of his relationship with his graduate mentor, Allan Schnaiberg. He also describes a mentoring project that he created with a colleague. The mentoring project emerges as both a vehicle for and a window onto the intergenerational transmission of the mentoring disposition of Schnaiberg. It stands as but one of many branches of the expanding influence of Schnaiberg’s life as a scholar, professor, graduate mentor and man. The importance of holistic mentoring is explored, with particular attention to the critical value of its central, affective dimension. Mentoring is particularly important today for non-traditional students, who have a heightened need to feel that they belong in the academic setting. It is suggested that mentoring serves as the guidance function associated with the process by which any being goes through the challenging transition from one cycle, or level of experience, to the next.
Concurrent parent and child therapy groups for externalizing disorders: From the laboratory to the world of managed care.

As managed care organizations move from cost cutting to cost-effective treatment, greater emphasis will be placed on utilization of documented, effective psychotherapies. Externalizing disorders in children, including attention-deficit disorder and oppositional-defiant disorder, comprise the most frequent referrals to outpatient clinics. Of available psychosocial treatments, parent training and child social-skills training have established efficacy in research settings. But in community settings, these approaches are not often systematically used, and rarely have they been shown to be effective. In a hospital-affiliated child psychiatry clinic located in an upper-middle-class community, parent and child group programs were set up to be the standard initial treatment for these disorders for children ages 5 to 11. Using the Eyberg Checklist for pre- and postmeasures, 55 patients who completed treatment showed an average treatment effectiveness of 0.89 standard deviations on the intensity score, which is comparable to outcome data from research studies of efficacy. This would indicate that these programs have effectiveness in a standard clinic setting that is comparable to their efficacy in research intervention programs.
Degrees of nonlinearity in forbidden 0-1 matrix problems

A 0-1 matrix A is said to avoid a forbidden 0-1 matrix (or pattern) P if no submatrix of A matches P , where a 0 in P matches either 0 or 1 in A . The theory of forbidden matrices subsumes many extremal problems in combinatorics and graph theory such as bounding the length of Davenport-Schinzel sequences and their generalizations, Stanley and Wilf's permutation avoidance problem, and Turan-type subgraph avoidance problems. In addition, forbidden matrix theory has proved to be a powerful tool in discrete geometry and the analysis of both geometric and non-geometric algorithms.Clearly a 0-1 matrix can be interpreted as the incidence matrix of a bipartite graph in which vertices on each side of the partition are ordered. Furedi and Hajnal conjectured that if P corresponds to an acyclic graph then the maximum weight (number of 1s) in an n i? n matrix avoiding P is O ( n log n ) . In the first part of the article we refute of this conjecture. We exhibit n i? n matrices with weight ? ( n log n log log n ) that avoid a relatively small acyclic matrix. The matrices are constructed via two complementary composition operations for 0-1 matrices. In the second part of the article we simplify one aspect of Keszegh and Geneson's proof that there are infinitely many minimal nonlinear forbidden 0-1 matrices. In the last part of the article we investigate the relationship between 0-1 matrices and generalized Davenport-Schinzel sequences. We prove that all forbidden subsequences formed by concatenating two permutations have a linear extremal function. Highlights? A refutation of the Furedi-Hajnal conjecture on acyclic 0-1 matrices. ? A new class of forbidden subsequences with a linear extremal function. ? A simplified proof that there are infinitely many minimal nonlinear 0-1 matrices.
Cellular pharmacology of quinone bioreductive alkylating agents.

The cellular pharmacology of the mitomycin bioreductive alkylating agents is complex. This reflects in part the chemical characteristics of these quinones, which have multiple sites of reactivity and the capacity to produce a large number of different lesions of biological importance. Moreover, at least six different enzymes are capable of activating these compounds; the nature of the active species and the resultant biological lesions can vary with the activating enzyme. The relative activities of these reductases vary in different cell lines and can be modulated by pH and oxygenation. The effects of a quinone bioreductive alkylating agent therefore depend upon both the cell line and the microenvironment. DNA damage appears to be critical to the cytotoxic effects of these compounds. Both monoadducts and bis-adducts (forming interstrand and intrastrand crosslinks) have been identified in DNA from drug-treated cells. The pattern of adduct formation varies with the compound and the environment. Alkaline elution studies suggest a correlation between DNA cross-linking and cytotoxicity, both in air and in hypoxia. The rate of production of oxygen radicals and the importance of radical reactions in producing cytotoxic damage vary for different quinones and for different environments. While the potency of the bioreductive quinones varies with their redox potential, the direction and magnitude of the oxic/hypoxic differential cannot yet be predicted from the structures.
The strength of the tropical inversion and its response to climate change in 18 CMIP5 models

We examine the tropical inversion strength, measured by the estimated inversion strength (EIS), and its response to climate change in 18 models associated with phase 5 of the coupled model intercomparison project (CMIP5). While CMIP5 models generally capture the geographic distribution of observed EIS, they systematically underestimate it off the west coasts of continents, due to a warm bias in sea surface temperature. The negative EIS bias may contribute to the low bias in tropical low-cloud cover in the same models. Idealized perturbation experiments reveal that anthropogenic forcing leads directly to EIS increases, independent of “temperature-mediated” EIS increases associated with long-term oceanic warming. This fast EIS response to anthropogenic forcing is strongly impacted by nearly instantaneous continental warming. The temperature-mediated EIS change has contributions from both uniform and non-uniform oceanic warming. The substantial EIS increases in uniform oceanic warming simulations are due to warming with height exceeding the moist adiabatic lapse rate in tropical warm pools. EIS also increases in fully-coupled ocean–atmosphere simulations where $$\hbox {CO}_{2}$$ concentration is instantaneously quadrupled, due to both fast and temperature-mediated changes. The temperature-mediated EIS change varies with tropical warming in a nonlinear fashion: The EIS change per degree tropical warming is much larger in the early stage of the simulations than in the late stage, due to delayed warming in the eastern parts of the subtropical oceans. Given the importance of EIS in regulating tropical low-cloud cover, this suggests that the tropical low-cloud feedback may also be nonlinear .
Sparse representation and epoch estimation of voiced speech

Whereas most approaches to linear speech prediction fail to account for the quasi-periodic glottal flow, this paper incorporates a model for the glottal flow derivative (GFD) directly into the linear prediction problem. A linear model for the prediction error is obtained by constructing a dictionary of time-shifted GFD pulses. The pulses are constructed by applying glottal inverse filtering (GIF) to recorded speech. Minimizing the difference between the linear prediction residual and a sparse combination of the pulses in the dictionary leads to joint estimation of the linear predictor as well as a sparse representation for the prediction error that reveals the instants of vocal tract excitation (epochs). The method is applied to voiced segments extracted from the CMU Arctic dataset which also includes electro-glottograms. Results show that the proposed method is effective in estimating the parameters of interest and that GIF-based pulses more accurately model GFD pulses occurring in real speech than pulses computed using the mathematical models.
Regional myocardial contractile function: Multiparametric strain mapping

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with tissue tagging enables the quantification of multiple strain indices that can be combined through normalization into a single multiparametric index of regional myocardial contractile function. The aim of this study was to test the ability of multiparametric strain analysis to quantify regional differences in contractile function in an ovine model of myocardial injury. Regional variance in myocardial contractile function was induced in eight sheep by the ligation of the blood supply to the anterior and apical left ventricular (LV) myocardial walls. LV systolic strain was obtained from tissue tagged MRI images. A normal strain database (n=50) defines all parameters of systolic strain and allows normalization of regional function at 15,300 LV points by calculation of a z-score. Multiparametric systolic strain z-scores were therefore determined for 15,300 points in each injured sheep left ventricle. Multiparametric z-scores were found to vary significantly by region (P<0.001). z-Scores in regions remote to the infarct were found to be significantly smaller than those in the regions most likely to include infarcted myocardium. In this pre-clinical evaluation of MRI-based multiparametric strain analysis, it accurately quantified and visually defined regional differences in myocardial contractile function.
Retrieval of global magnetospheric ion distributions from high-energy neutral atom measurements made by the IMAGE/HENA instrument

[1] In this work we present a method for retrieving global magnetospheric ion distributions from energetic neutral atom measurements made by the IMAGE/HENA instrument. The technique itself is based on the well-established method of constrained linear inversion. In addition to presenting the technique itself, we present a self-consistent method for its optimization. The combination of the technique itself and the tuning process provides a direct measure of the fidelity of the resulting retrievals. We apply these techniques to a representative HENA image and show that the retrieval indeed quantifies the global magnetospheric ion distributions.
The application of digital and analog computers to thermal analysis

Abstract The applications of digital and analog computers to problems in thermal analysis are reviewed. All of the applications are of a passive type in which there is no significant computer control of the experiment. Techniques discussed include thermogravimetry (TG), differential thermal analysis (DTA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), gas evolution analysis (GEA), and mass spectrometric thermal analysis (MTA).
A multifactor extension of linear discriminant analysis for face recognition under varying pose and illumination

Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) and Multilinear Principal Component Analysis (MPCA) are leading subspace methods for achieving dimension reduction based on supervised learning. Both LDA and MPCA use class labels of data samples to calculate subspaces onto which these samples are projected. Furthermore, both methods have been successfully applied to face recognition. Although LDA and MPCA share common goals and methodologies, in previous research they have been applied separately and independently. In this paper, we propose an extension of LDA to multiple factor frameworks. Our proposed method, Multifactor Discriminant Analysis, aims to obtain multilinear projections that maximize the between-class scatter while minimizing the withinclass scatter, which is the same core fundamental objective of LDA. Moreover, Multifactor Discriminant Analysis (MDA), like MPCA, uses multifactor analysis and calculates subject parameters that represent the characteristics of subjects and are invariant to other changes, such as viewpoints or lighting conditions. In this way, our proposedMDA combines the best virtues of both LDA and MPCA for face recognition.
The Build-an-Organism Exercise: Introducing Biological Psychology to the Introductory Psychology Class

The biological side of psychology is an integral part of the field. However, high school courses generally touch on these areas only lightly and beginning students may have no initial interest in these areas nor see their relevance for the study of psychology. An interactive exercise is described that allows the introduction of the biological components of psychology in an interesting manner that clearly ties them to the survival of the organism. This exercise provides lead-ins for several later sections of the introductory course, including the structure of the brain and is evaluated positively by students.
A new surface-enhanced Raman scattering substrate based on silver nanoparticles in sol–gel

We report for the first time the development of a new surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-active silver chloride silica–glass substrate prepared by using in situ precipitation of silver chloride particles in sol–gel films as a precursor for nanoparticles of silver. The controlled precipitation of silver chloride was achieved by the reaction of silver nitrate with trichloroacetic acid, which leads to a slow release of chloride ions. Silver chloride particles were reduced to silver nanoparticles by FeSO4·7H2O. The sol–gel films prepared exhibit good optical properties and induce a strong SERS effect for several model compounds, including cresyl fast violet and brilliant cresyl blue. Optimization studies of substrate preparation and coating conditions were performed and are discussed in detail. The performance of this new substrate compares favorably with those of previously developed silver-coated alumina substrates. The SERS spectra of other compounds of environmental and biological interest, such as 1−aminonaphthalene, 2−aminopyrimidine, pyridine and p$-aminobenzoic acid, were investigated to illustrate the usefulness of this novel type of SERS substrate for use in chemical and biological analysis. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Adviser “client notice and consent” for principal trades and the impact of “real‐time” reporting

Broker/dealers and investment managers that trade municipal securities on behalf of their clients are preparing for the shift from “end‐of‐the‐day batch” trade reporting to “real‐time” transaction reporting. In January 2005, the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (“MSRB”) will be initiating its Real‐time Transaction Reporting System (the “RTRS”). Amended MSRB Rule G‐14 now requires dealers to report transactions in municipal securities within 15 minutes of the time of trade execution, instead of by midnight on trade date. Rule G‐12(f) was amended to require municipal securities dealers to submit inter‐dealer transactions to the Central Comparison System within the same time frame. Investment advisers that engage in principal transactions with their clients or that are dually‐registered as, or affiliated with, broker/dealers that trade securities as principals on behalf of investment adviser clients generally must comply with the client notice and consent requirements set forth under Section 206(3) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the “Advisers Act”). In light of the acceleration of the MSRB’s trade reporting requirement, investment advisers should consider the extent to which these new requirements impact their obligation to notify clients of the fact that a principal trade is being processed and to secure each client’s approval prior to the completion of each transaction. At the very least, the implementation of the RTRS should prompt advisers to confirm, in fulfillment of their best execution obligations, that each broker/dealer that is executing their municipal securities trades complies with the new 15‐minute reporting window.
Relaxation of polar orientational order in non-linear optical polymers by second harmonic generation

Abstract An investigation of the decay of the second harmonic generation (SHG) signals from a main chain accordion and a guest/host non-linear optical (NLO) polymer has been carried out. The shape of the decay of the SHG signal from the main chain polymer is stretched exponential with the width parameter, s, increasing with increasing temperature. The increase in s indicates a narrowing of the distribution of relaxation times. On the other hand, the SHG decay signal from the guest/host system polarized with contact electrode poling is found to be better described by the sum of two single exponential functions with the first short time component affected strongly by the surface charge effect and the second slow component associated with the relaxation of the macroscopic polarization. The time constant of the slow component is found to be successively increasing with the poling/decay cycle and reaches a steady-state value after several cycles. The relaxation time lengthening effect is obtained both above and below Tg. The effect is considered to be due to trapped charges that enhance the polar orientation correlation. The temperature dependence of the steady-state relaxation time over a 30°C temperature range can be satisfactorily described by either the Vogel-Fulcher-Tamman or the Arrhenius equation.
A novel synthesis of maleic anhydride‐1‐ and ‐2‐13C and its subsequent conversion to labeled maleic hydrazide

Maleic anhydride-1- and 2-13C were synthesized respectively from the available aspartic acid-4- and -3-13C by way of the corresponding bromosuccinic acids and their anhydrides. The maleic anhydrides were converted into 1,2-dihydro-3,6-pyrida-zinedione-3- and -4-13C on treatment with aqueous hydrazine sulfate. Nitrogen-15 labeled 1,2-dihydro-3,6-pyridazinedione was obtained from the latter reaction using hydrazine-15N sulfate.
Henry's constants and infinite dilution activity coefficients of propane, propene, butane, isobutane, 1-butene, isobutene, trans-2-butene, and 1,3-butadiene in isobutanol and tert-butanol

Abstract The Henry’s constants and the infinite dilution activity coefficients of propane, propene, butane, isobutane, 1-butene, isobutene, trans -2-butene and 1,3-butadiene in isobutanol at T = (250 to 330) K and tert -butanol at T = (300 to 330) K are measured by a gas stripping method. The rigorous formula for evaluating the Henry’s constants from the gas stripping measurements is used for data reduction of these highly volatile mixtures. The accuracy of the measurements is about 2% for Henry’s constants and 3% for the estimated infinite dilution activity coefficients. In the evaluations for the infinite dilution activity coefficients, the nonideality of the solute such as the fugacity coefficient and the Pointing correction is not negligible, especially at higher temperatures, and the estimation uncertainty in the infinite dilution activity coefficients includes 1% for nonideality.
Attitude Similarity and Parent-Child Attractiveness

Abstract This study sought to determine whether the relationship between attitude similarity and attractiveness could be applied to the interpersonal evaluations of parents and their adolescent offspring. Independent data were gathered from a sample of 85 mother-child dyads. Ss were asked to evaluate the other member of their dyad, and were questioned regarding their basic institutional values, as well as their estimate of the values of the other member of the dyad. Objective and subjective agreement measures of attitude similarity were thereby created. Analyses of variance of evaluation scores (2 × 2) yielded only partial support for the relationship between attitude similarity and attraction. While neither objective nor subjective agreement influenced the child's evaluation of the mother, only S agreement affected the mother's evaluation of the child. These findings suggest that interpersonal attachments found in natural settings may be more complex than their experimentally-induced counterparts.
Human Monoclonal Antibodies That Distinguish Cutaneous Malignant Melanomas from Benign Nevi in Fixed Tissue Sections

Human monoclonal antibodies were generated by fusing a nonsecretory variant of murine mycloma cells with lymphocytes obtained from the lymph nodes of patients with metastatic cutaneous malignant melanoma. Two human IgG monoclonal antibodies, designated 2-139-1 and 6-26-3, were extensively studied for their patterns of binding to cells in 64 specimens of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections. These comprised: (1) 23 cutaneous and 2 ocular melanomas; (2) 4 specimens of lentigo maligna; (3) 27 benign nevi; (4) 2 basal and 2 squamous cell neoplasms of the skin; and (5) 4 specimens of normal skin. A direct avidin-biotin-immunoperoxidase staining method was used. Under these conditions, the antibodies reacted with variable intensity to all 18 primary cutaneous malignant melanomas, 5 metastatic cutaneous melanomas, and both ocular melanomas. Antibody 2-139-1 reacted with 1 of 4 specimens and 6-26-3 with 3 of 4 specimens of lentigo maligna. Two of 5 dysplastic nevi reacted with both antibodies, each with a smaller proportion of cells than with melanomas. There was no reactivity with the 22 other nevi representing a spectrum of histologic types or with normal melanocytes. Basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas of the skin also were not stained. These human monoclonal antibodies appear to be useful in distinguishing malignant melanomas from benign nevi, with the exception of dysplastic nevi, and from basal and squamous cancers of the skin in routinely prepared tissue sections. They may also help to identify the cytoplasmic antigens that are immunogenic in humans.
Isolation and characterization of a specific receptor for biologically active phorbol and ingenol esters

A high-affinity, specific receptor for biologically active phorbol and ingenol esters has been purified to electrophoretic homogeneity from murine brains using ammonium sulfate fractionation, and DEAE-cellulose, Sephadex G-200, Affi-Gel Blue, and phenyl-Sepharose chromatographies. The receptor is a single-chain hydrophobic protein with a molecular weight (Mr) of 81,500, as estimated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The receptor has a sedimentation coefficient of 5.2 S and Stokes radius of 30.3 A. It has an isoelectric point (pI) of 5.5. The receptor is heat and acid labile. The receptor absolutely depends upon phosphatidylserine or phosphatidylinositol (optimum concentration approximately 4-8 micrograms/ml) for its activity. A variety of divalent cations stimulates the binding activity of the receptor. A molecule of receptor binds 1-2 molecules of phorbol-12, 13-dibutyrate (PDBu) with a Kd value of 4.2 nM. Those phorbol and ingenol esters which stimulate cell growth in culture and have tumor-promoting activity in vivo inhibit the binding of labeled PDBu to its homogeneous receptor, while the biologically inactive derivatives fail to do so. The homogeneous receptor protein contains a protein kinase activity.
Accurate and efficient image intensifier distortion correction algorithm for volume tomographic angiography

The recent advance in image intensifier based volume tomog- raphic angiography has stirred a significant interest in the development of accurate and efficient algorithms to correct image intensifier distor- tions. An algorithm and its calibration protocol are developed to correct the distortion caused by the image intensifier-CCD camera imaging chain in a single step regardless of distortion sources. This algorithm first partitions a distorted image into small quadrilateral regions, then maps each region individually to the corrected image using the corresponding bilinear functions. The general applicable parameters of these bilinear functions can be obtained using a specially designed grid phantom. The algorithm and the calibration protocol are tested using this grid phantom on a newly built image intensifier based volume tomographic angiogra- phy imaging system. The maximum distortion error is reduced from 5.96 mm before correction to 0.05 mm after correction. Further validation of the proposed algorithm is performed through three-dimensional tomog- raphic reconstructions of a vascular phantom and animal studies. The reconstruction results indicate that the accuracy of the algorithm and the calibration protocol is acceptable for volume tomographic angiography. This algorithm can also be applied to radiation therapy and stereosurgi- cal treatment planning where image intensifier distortions must be cor- rected. © 1998 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers. (S0091-3286(98)03603-4)
LIMB IMMOBILIZATION ALTERS MUSCLE ACTIVATION PATTERNS DURING A FATIGUING ISOMETRIC CONTRACTION

The purpose of the study was to determine the role of excitation-contraction coupling in the increased endurance time for low-force contractions after 4 weeks of elbow joint immobilization. Twelve subjects participated in a protocol that required immobilization of the elbow joint in a fiberglass cast for 4 weeks, and 4 subjects acted as controls. Measurements of muscle strength, contractile properties, and fatigability were performed before and after 4 weeks of limb immobilization, and after 4 weeks of recovery. The immobilization intervention produced significant reductions in the daily activity of the elbow flexor muscles, a 21% decline in the maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) force, and a 31% decrease in the maximum load that could be lifted once. Seven of the immobilized subjects exhibited an unusual pattern of muscle activity during the fatiguing contraction after immobilization, which was associated with an increase in the endurance time of the elbow flexor muscles (mean = 220%) in these subjects. The unusual pattern of muscle activity involved lower relative activity of the brachialis muscle, no increase in the amplitude of the electromyogram (EMG) for the elbow flexor muscles, and intermittent rather than continuous EMG. In contrast, the force-frequency relationship of biceps brachii was not altered by immobilization in these subjects, suggesting that adaptations in excitation-contraction coupling were not the primary cause of the prolonged endurance time after immobilization. Rather, the results suggest that the prolonged endurance time exhibited by some subjects after immobilization was largely due to adaptations within the nervous system.
Making a home in US rural towns: the significations of home for Chinese immigrants' work, family, and settlement in local communities

This paper provides a micro-ethnographic study of a group of Chinese immigrants’ experiences of homeownership as an indicator of their long-term settlement in three rural towns located in the central region of New York State, USA. Drawing upon 12 qualitative and in-depth interviews with recent homeowners, this study attempts to construct home as a semiotic sign that not only contains traditional Chinese values but also conveys specific significations for Chinese immigrants’ work, family, and settlement in US rural communities. The findings here may pose a contrast with some existing studies in that settlement for Chinese immigrants is not necessarily a quantitative measurement, but a subjective conceptualization externalized in the ownership of a house as a meaningful sign of work, family, and settlement.
THE TEACHING OF POETRY IN THE EARLY STAGES OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE STUDY

Why do we not teach more poetry to our students of modern foreign languages? And when we do, why do we select so often a type of poem calculated to turn the taste of all but the most determined away from it forever? I speak feelingly, because when I first tried to dip into the field of French poetry, I was given Lamartine's Le Lac, Hugo's Waterloo, and other long descriptive poems of the Romantic School. Anyone with a good memory can easily continue the list and know almost to a poem what I tried to read. I remember feeling vaguely the grandeur of Moise, and being frankly bored by Lamartine, an impression which has stayed with me to this day and remains a subor semi-conscious obstacle to my rendering due honor to the Great Romantics. Why is there always a passage of poetry of the dullest and heaviest variety in the Cp4 section of the College Board French examination? Does this indicate, as it seems to, that poetry is set as a last hurdle to be leaped before entering the promised land? And does it mean, as the samples appear to show, that only stately verse of the grandiose style is ever touched on? This is apparently chosen to show how difficult French can be. In case the student has attained some proficiency in prose, we say, "Wait, do not deceive yourself; there is another awful branch of French to be mastered-poetry. It is difficult and dull, but it is the test of your accomplishments." Then there is another extreme attitude, that of super simplification, represented by Osgood's book, Poesies Choisies pour la Jeunesse. The jeunesse would have to be very young indeed not to be turned away from French poetry with the impression that it consists largely of childish jingles and patriotic verses. And yet the editor is a secondary school teacher and according to the preface evidently intends the book for the High School age. A third treatment of French poetry that I have observed is utter silence. As this attitude is not represented by any texts, I can not criticise it in detail. Is there no other attitude possible but one of these three? Are there only jingles or Alexandrines to choose from? And is it fair to the student or to the language to give him well chosen plays and stories, and blind him completely to one of the oldest forms of
Non-polarizing thin film interference filters with FTIR

The theory of non-polarizing thin film interference filters operating at angles greater than the critical is described. Examples are given for a beam-splitter, a bandpass filter, a shortwave cut-off filter and a longwave cut-off filter.
Real-time endoscopic pathology assessment of colorectal polyps.

Determining the pathology of colorectal polyps in real-time has been the subject of many studies. Polyp pathology has been estimated using white light endoscopy, narrow band imaging with and without optical magnification, the Fujinon Intelligent Chromo Endoscopy system, the Pentax i-scan, confocal laser microscopy, autofluorescence, and the endocytoscopy system. Nearly all the technologies have had a substantial degree of success, with the largest number of studies performed using narrow band imaging. The persistent and nagging question is whether the use of these technologies can have an impact on everyday clinical practice, because, althoughtheyhavebeenavailableinsomecasesfor morethan a decade, they currently do not have a meaningful role in routine endoscopic practice. Numerous obstacles to the implementation of real-time pathology in practice are still present. These include lack of reimbursement, and consequently a lack of motivation for many endoscopists. Second, in many locations, all surgically removedtissuemustbesentforpathologicevaluation.Finally,
Characterization of the Interaction of Single Tryptophan Containing Mutants of IpaC from Shigella flexneri with Phospholipid Membranes

Shigella flexneri causes dysentery after invading the epithelial cells of the human colon. Enterocyte invasion is induced by the bacterial effector IpaC (invasion plasmid antigen C), which triggers Shigella entry into epithelial cells by a rather poorly understood mechanism. IpaC is also involved in pathogen escape into the host cell cytoplasm following uptake, and this property may be reflected in its ability to disrupt phospholipid vesicles in vitro. Purified recombinant IpaC interacts with liposome vesicles to cause the release of small molecules trapped inside. This interaction requires that the liposomes possess an acidic phospholipid component. To better understand the events involved in the disruption of liposomes by IpaC, single tryptophan mutants were generated to permit the use of intrinsic fluorescence, circular dichroism, and ultraviolet absorption spectroscopies to examine the effect that phospholipid membrane association has on IpaC structure and stability. These mutants were also used to determine how amino acid substitutions within specific regions of IpaC influence its activity in vivo. The outcomes of this study include findings that cholesterol greatly impacts IpaC association with phospholipid membranes, tryptophan incorporation into specific regions of IpaC (especially near the C-terminus) can greatly impact its in vivo activity, and interaction with phospholipid membranes causes differing degrees of change in the fluorescence of tryptophan residues introduced at specific sites within IpaC. These data, together with fluorescence quenching analyses, provide new functional and structural information concerning IpaC and its insertion into phospholipid membranes.
Magnetic properties of the intermediate valence compounds YbIn Au 2 and Yb Ni 2 Ge 2

Yb in YbIn${\mathrm{Au}}_{2}$ and Yb${\mathrm{Ni}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Ge}}_{2}$ is found via studies of magnetic susceptibility to be in a mixed-valence state. By including a diamagnetic susceptibility contribution and the effects of a small amount of trivalent impurity, an excellent fit of susceptibility versus temperature data can be obtained on a simple theoretical model. Thermal dependence of the activation parameters is found to be small.
Subacromial Corticosteroid Injection for Poststroke Shoulder Pain: A Retrospective Chart Review

Abstract Chae J, Wolf-Johnson T, Govil H. Subacromial corticosteroid injection for poststroke shoulder pain: a retrospective chart review. Objective To assess the effectiveness of subacromial corticosteroid injections for the treatment of poststroke shoulder pain. Design Retrospective chart review. Setting Ambulatory setting, university-affiliated hospital. Participants People (N=60) with stroke-associated hemiparesis and pain in the involved shoulder. Interventions Electronic medical records of stroke survivors with shoulder pain in the hemiparetic limb treated with a subacromial corticosteroid injection by a practitioner between January 1, 2005, and June 30, 2007, were reviewed. Patients who had a documented preinjection pain score on the day of injection by using a 0 to 10 numeric rating scale and a postinjection pain score within 16 weeks of injection were included. Main Outcome Measures Pre- and postinjection scores were compared by using the paired t test. Treatment success was defined as a minimum of 2-point absolute or 30% relative pain reduction. Linear and logistic regression analyses were used to identify predictors of pain reduction and treatment success, respectively. Results Patients experienced an absolute pain reduction of 2.6±3.7 (95% confidence interval, 1.7–3.6; P Conclusions Subacromial corticosteroid injection is associated with a significant reduction in poststroke shoulder pain. However, controlled trials are needed to show a cause-and-effect relationship and rule out spontaneous recovery, placebo effect, and other confounds.
Encapsulation and annealing studies of semi-insulating InP

Abstract Photoluminescence spectroscopy, secondary ion mass spectrometry and Hall profiling measurements are used to study the effects of encapsulation and annealing on semi-insulating (SI) InP. Control of both indium and phosphorus loss from the InP surface during annealing is necessary to prevent anomalous activation of shallow, low dose silicon implants in SI InP. Phosphorus vacancy-related complexes are detected for encapsulant deposition temperatures in excess of 300°C and their concentration increases with increased deposition temperatures. Indium out-diffusion is detected for furnace anneals at 750°C for 30 min of samples capped with oxygen-free silicon nitride (Si 3 N 4 ) or phosphosilicate glass (PSG), but substantially more indium is detected in the PSG film than in the Si 3 N 4 . Silicon indiffusion is greatest for PSG-capped InP grown by the liquid-encapsulated Czochralski method and least for Si 3 N 4 -capped material grown by liquid phase epitaxy. Conducting layers with sheet electron concentrations approaching 2×10 12 cm -2 are always formed in PSG-capped samples, but only occasionally in Si 3 N 4 -capped samples. Net doping is strongly correlated with indium out-diffusion and silicon in-diffusion, suggesting that under the anneal conditions studied here the supply of indium vacancies limits silicon in-diffusion from the cap and also plays a significant role in determining the amount of doping produced from the in-diffused silicon. Iron was observed to be gettered to the encapsulant-substrate interfacee and, in some Si 3 N 4 -capped samples, to be depleted from the near-surface region. These results point to the need for low temperature dielectric deposition processes and rapid thermal annealing for controllable low dose implant activation in SI InP.