cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 3871: Insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R) inhibitor BMS754807 is active against FLT3-ITD mutated acute myelogenous leukemia and activity is p53 dependent

Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL The Internal tandem mutation (ITD) in the FLT3 gene is associated with shorter remission duration, overall survival and relapse free survival in patients with normal karyotype acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). FLT3-ITD inhibitors are in clinical development but single agent clinical activity is of limited duration with activation of parallel signaling pathways potentially contributing to most relapses thus highlighting the need for new agents. Because common signaling pathways are activated downstream of FLT3 and IGF1R, we investigated the preclinical activity of IGF1R antagonist BMS754807 against AML cells with FLT3-ITD mutations. Results: BMS 754807 induced apoptosis (Annexin V binding by flow cytometry) in MOLM13 cells (AML cell line with FLT3-ITD mutation and wild type p53) at 48 hrs at submicromolar concentrations, while OCI AML3 cells (p53 and FLT3 wild type) were resistant. Similarly, murine BAF3 cells expressing human FLT3-ITD underwent prompt apoptosis with BMS 754807 while the same cells with human wt-FLT3 were resistant to BMS 754807(IC50s 2.5 μmol vs >10 μmol). Western blot analysis confirmed reduction in FLT3, Akt, ERK, S6 ribosomal protein and GSK3 beta phosphorylation and increase in p53 levels in MOLM13 cells. Interestingly, apoptosis induction was not associated with caspase activation. Moreover, apoptosis induction by BMS 754807 appeared to be p53 dependent as MOLM13 cells with stable expression of short hairpin RNA (sh-RNA) targeting p53 (p53-shRNA) were resistant, while MOLM13 cells expressing scramble sh-RNA underwent apoptosis comparable to parental MOLM13 cells. Surface expression of IGF1R was comparable among parental and p53-shRNA MOLM13 cells. Apoptosis induction by BMS 754807 in p53-WT and FLT3-ITD cells was associated with phosphorylation of p53 at serine 15. Conclusion: BMS 754807 has selective activity against AML cells with FLT3-ITD mutation and this activity is p53 dependent and associated with phosphorylation of p53 at serine 15. Results suggest that IGF1R inhibition has therapeutic potential as novel targeted therapy for AML with FLT3-ITD mutation. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3871. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-3871
Mandibular fractures that have healed are not weakened permanently: series of nine patients who sustained mandibular fractures at different sites on two separate occasions

Some patients are concerned that after satisfactory healing of a mandibular fracture the jaw will be weaker than it was before the injury, and will break readily at the same site after relatively minor injury. We aimed to find out if these concerns have any basis, and report the pattern of fracture in a series of nine patients who had sustained fractures of the jaw on two separate occasions. All fractures were at different sites from the original ones, and in only one case was the fracture adjacent to plates that had been placed previously. Once a mandibular fracture has healed, the bone at the fracture site is not obviously weaker from a clinical perspective than it was before the injury.
The Swedish studies of the adopted children of alcoholics

The authors of the widely cited studies analyzing the Swedish adoption records of the children of alcoholics have advanced the notion that there are three distinct paths for the inheritance of alcoholism. One path results in moderate alco- holism in men and a form of somatization but no alcoholism in women. A second path results in severe and mild alcoholism in men and alcoholism in women. The third path results in a particular variety of alcohol abuse in men and a particular variety of somatization in women. This article analyzes the authors' claims. It is argued that the data were improperly analyzed for the conclusions reached and alternative parsimo- nious explanations for the results are offered. Although the Swedish studies do not offer support for three distinct paths of inheritance of alcoholism, they do support the inheritability of alcoholism and suggest that alcoholism may be linked with somatization in women. Unfortunately, reasonable questions can be raised about the generalizability of the data base. (J. Stud. Alcohol 49: 491-499, 1988) HERE HAS BEEN little that is revolutionary in the thinking concerning the inheritance of alco- holism, with the exception of the conclusions reached in a set of studies by Cloninger, Bohman, Sigvardsson and von Knorring (cited in the appropriate contexts in this article). The authors report a number of adoption studies analyzing an extensive data base collected from the records of Swedish adoptees. They have reached the conclusion that there are three separate types of inheritance for alcoholism. Their thinking is based on detailed differences in family histories for some sets of alcoholics. The details are used in the development of a rather complex picture of genetic history for alcoholism that is not easy to follow critically. Because these authors have had
Bulk texture and transport properties of magnetic field/liquid assisted textured YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-x/ tape-cast films

Textured YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-x/ films (thickness=250 /spl mu/m) were fabricated by tape casting in an applied magnetic field (H=6 T). Platinum (1 wt.%) was incorporated to induce liquid phase-assisted densification in films fired on silver (Ag) foil to 935-942/spl deg/C under reduced pO/sub 2/(g) conditions. The transport critical current densities (J/sub ct/) of such films exhibited nearly field insensitive behavior between H=0-3 T (H/spl par/c-axis) at 77 K, with J/sub ct/>1000 A/cm/sup 2/ at H=0 T.
RAISED SERUM-IgE LEVELS AND DEFECTIVE NEUTROPHIL CHEMOTAXIS IN THREE CHILDREN WITH ECZEMA AND RECURRENT BACTERIAL INFECTIONS

Abstract Three children with chronic eczema and recurrent severe staphylococcal abscesses were investigated to determine if a basis for this undue susceptibility could be identified. Each patient had very high serum-IgE levels and a striking defect in neutrophil granulocyte chemotactic responsiveness. Neutrophil random migration, phagocytosis, and bactericidal activity were normal. Incubation of neutrophils from controls in the serum or plasma of the patients did not impair chemotactic responsiveness, but neutrophils incubated with histamine had defective chemotaxis similar to that of the patients. The recurrent bacterial infections in these patients may be related to defective neutrophil chemotaxis. Such abnormalities may in turn be secondary to chemical mediators released by the interaction of IgE with antigens or sensitised cells.
Molecular Dynamics Simulation of WSK-3, a Computationally Designed, Water-Soluble Variant of the Integral Membrane Protein KcsA

Poor solubility and low expression levels often make membrane proteins difficult to study. An alternative to the use of detergents to solubilize these aggregation-prone proteins is the partial redesign of the sequence so as to confer water solubility. Recently, computationally assisted membrane protein solubilization (CAMPS) has been reported, where exposed hydrophobic residues on a protein's surface are computationally redesigned. Herein, the structure and fluctuations of a designed, water-soluble variant of KcsA (WSK-3) were studied using molecular dynamics simulations. The root mean square deviation of the protein from its starting structure, where the backbone coordinates are those of KcsA, was 1.8 A. The structure of salt bridges involved in structural specificity and solubility were examined. The preferred configuration of ions and water in the selectivity filter of WSK-3 was consistent with the reported preferences for KcsA. The structure of the selectivity filter was maintained, which is consistent with WSK-3 having an affinity for agitoxin2 comparable to that of wild-type KcsA. In contrast to KcsA, the central cavity's side chains were observed to reorient, allowing water diffusion through the side of the cavity wall. These simulations provide an atomistic analysis of the CAMPS strategy and its implications for further investigations of membrane proteins.
Initiation of an Elevated Mesoscale Convective System Associated with Heavy Rainfall

Abstract A mesoscale convective system (MCS) developed during the morning hours of 6 June 1993 and moved across northern and central Missouri, resulting in a narrow swath of excessive rainfall (>150 mm). The MCS developed well north of a surface warm front above a cool, stable boundary layer and moved east–southeast across the state. Although some features of the synoptic environment agree with the frontal flash flood composite model, predicting the elevated thunderstorms that composed the MCS posed a unique forecasting challenge. This paper first describes the diagnostic parameters of the prestorm environment that would have been helpful to predict the initiation of the MCS and the resultant locally excessive precipitation. Attention is then drawn to the MCS itself via IR satellite and WSR-88D imagery. Finally, the similarities and differences of this episode to previous studies of flash flooding and elevated thunderstorms are noted, and a summary of key parameters useful in the anticipation of this type...
Metrology for characterization of wafer thickness uniformity during 3DS-IC processing

There is a constant desire to increase substrate size in order to improve cost effectiveness of semiconductor processes. As the wafer diameter has increased from 2” to 12”, the thickness has remained largely the same, resulting in a wafer form factor with inherently low stiffness. Gravity induced deformation becomes important when using traditional metrology tools and mounting strategies to characterize a wafer with such low stiffness. While there are strategies used to try to reduce the effects of deformation, gravitational sag provides a large source of error in measurements. Furthermore, glass is becoming an important material for substrates in semiconductor applications and metrology tools developed for use for characterizing silicon are inherently less suitable for glass. Using a novel mounting strategy and a measurement technique based on optical interference provides an opportunity to improve on the methodologies utilized to characterize wafer flatness (warp, bow) and total thickness variation (TTV). Not only can the accuracy of the measurement be improved, using an interference based technique allows for full wafer characterization with spatial resolution better than 1 mm, providing substantially more complete wafer characterization.
Metamorphic shortening of interganglionic connectives of Galleria mellonella (Lepidoptera) in vitro: stimulation by ecdysone analogues.

In the absence of other organ systems, β-ecdysone (0·05 to 0·10 μg/ml culture medium) stimulates the shortening of interganglionic connectives of Galleria mellonella that occurs during metamorphosis. There is a direct relations-ship between the amount of β-ecdysone in the medium and the fraction of the sample shortening to at least half the initial length. β-Ecdysone is ∼ 140 × more active than α-ecdysone in eliciting the response. When β-ecdysone and other ecdysone analogues are assayed on this system at uniform dosages (10 μg/ml tissue culture medium), the order of effectiveness (percentage sample shortening to at least half the initial length) is: cyasterone > ponasterone-A = β-ecdysone > inokosterone > α-ecdysone. 22-Iso-α-ecdysone is ineffective in stimulating shortening.
Estimation of 3D left ventricular deformation from echocardiography

The quantitative estimation of regional cardiac deformation from 3D image sequences has important clinical implications for the assessment of viability in the heart wall. Such estimates have so far been obtained almost exclusively from Magnetic Resonance (MR) images, specifically MR tagging. In this paper we describe a methodology for estimating cardiac deformations from 3D echocardiography (3DE). The images are segmented interactively and then initial correspondence is established using a shape-tracking approach. A dense motion field is then estimated using a transversely isotropic linear elastic model, which accounts for the fiber directions in the left ventricle. The dense motion field is in turn used to calculate the deformation of the heart wall in terms of strain in cardiac specific directions. The strains obtained using this approach in open-chest dogs before and after coronary occlusion, show good agreement with previously published results in the literature. They also exhibit a high correlation with strains produced in the same animals using implanted sonomicrometers. This proposed method provides quantitative regional 3D estimates of heart deformation from ultrasound images.
Benthic polychaete assemblages and their relationship to the sediment in Port Madison, Washington

Two indices of community association and a 3 dimensional ordination of stations were used to elucidate the relationship between small-scale changes in species, composition of polychaete assemblages and changes in the physical character of the sediment, at 9 stations along a 1.5 km subtidal transect. There were no faunal or physical discontinuities that might have been used to delineate boundaries of polychaete communities, except at a very shallow station where the effects of extreme fluctuations of temperature and salinity were evident. The degree of similarity between assemblages was related to the similarity of the sediments at the different stations. In particular, the changes in species composition appeared to correspond most clearly to differences in the clay content of the sediment.
Temporal Differences in the Ability of Ethanol to Modulate Endotoxin‐Induced Increases in Inflammatory Cytokines in Muscle Under In Vivo Conditions

Background: Acute alcohol (EtOH) intoxication may both antagonize and potentiate the ability of monocytes/macrophages to respond to endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide LPS). The suppressive effects of EtOH predominate when the duration between EtOH and LPS administration is relatively short, whereas sensitization is observed under conditions when there is a relatively longer delay between EtOH and LPS exposure. Striated muscle is now recognized to possess components of both the afferent and efferent limbs of the innate immune system. The aim of the present study was to determine whether the interval between EtOH and LPS administration differentially affects the mRNA content for selected elements of the innate immune response in skeletal and cardiac muscle and to compare such changes with those occurring in liver and spleen. Methods: The content of mRNA for interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and high-mobility group box (HMGB)-1, as well as toll-like receptors (TLRs)-2 and -4, were measured in gastrocnemius, heart, liver and spleen from rats orally gavaged with EtOH and then injected with LPS either two or 24 hr thereafter. Results: EtOH intoxication two hr before LPS acutely suppressed the increased IL-6 mRNA in all tissues and antagonized the increase in plasma and tissue IL-6 protein concentration. Similarly, EtOH blunted the LPS-induced increase in tissue mRNA expression of TNF-α and IL-1β. In contrast, when LPS was given 24 hr after EtOH, the increased IL-6 in striated muscle, but not in liver or spleen, was selectively potentiated. An enhanced LPS responsiveness was also observed for the late-phase cytokine HMGB1 in all tissues; however, the increased tissue expression of TNF-α and IL-1β induced by LPS was not augmented. TLR4 mRNA was decreased in both heart and spleen (but unaltered in skeletal muscle and liver) of rats injected with LPS, and this change was prevented by pretreatment with EtOH. In contrast, EtOH alone increased TLR-2 mRNA content of heart, liver, and spleen but not muscle. LPS also markedly increased TLR2 mRNA in the same three tissues under control conditions, but this increase was attenuated by EtOH administered either two or 24 hr before LPS. Conclusions: Under in vivo conditions, the interval between EtOH exposure and LPS differentially affected the synthesis of various cytokines. In this regard, EtOH administered within two hr of LPS generally suppressed IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α mRNAs in muscle, heart, liver, and spleen. Delaying the exposure of animals to LPS for 24 hr after EtOH, however, accentuated the increase in IL-6 and HMGB1, and for IL-6, this increased sensitivity appeared localized to striated muscle.
Cross-seasonal interactions in the evolution of sandpiper social systems

1. Evolutionary interpretations of breeding social systems normally focus on ecological factors operating within the breeding season. Yet for most temperate zone and arctic species, this season occupies only a small period within the annual cycle. The migration distances and breeding and wintering distributions of the calidridine sandpipers (Scolopacidae, Calidridinae) were analyzed in relation to their patterns of parental care and mating to test for the importance of cross-seasonal interactions in the evolution of breeding social systems. These species breed in the arctic and migrate to wintering grounds throughout the northern and southern temperate zones and tropics. 2. Two gradients can be identified in sandpiper breeding systems. First, with respect to parental care, they can be ranked from those with biparental care in which both adults remain with the young until fledging to cases of single-parent care where one adult plays no parental role beyond fertilization. Second, in mating systems, they range from strictly monogamous species to promiscuous, i.e., a gradient with increasing probability of reproduction with more than one member of the opposite sex during a given season. 3. These gradients in parental care and mating systems correlate with migration distance. Species in which one adult departs early and species deviating from monogamy are more likely to migrate farther. More promiscuous species also tend to breed farther north. Migration distance and wintering distribution are so tightly correlated that they cannot be separated. 4. These patterns are consistent with a hypothesis that through early departure an individual can decrease the risks of long-distance migration. Thus cross-seasonal effects may interact with intraseasonal parameters such as food and predation to determine the form of calidridine breeding social systems.
Development of a Handbook for Astrobee F Flight-Performance Predictions

AHANDBOOK for performance and stability analysis of he Astrobee F sounding rocket was developed.1 The handbook included sections on performance, stability, and roll rate. Parameters affecting vehicle performance were identified and their relative effects assessed. Predictions of several flights were made and compared to measured flight data. Predictive accuracy within 2% was consistently obtained. Next, a technique was developed to quickly determine if a given payload would yield a vehicle with adequate stability for flight, based on a rigid body static margin requirement. Finally, a simple technique was developed to estimate fin cant angles required to achieve a specified burnout roll rate. By following the method outlined in this paper, one could create a similar handbook for any sounding rocket series.
Effects of concentration and temperature on faradaic transients

Abstract Transient faradaic chronoamperograms, generated by potential “pseudo-scans” resulting from the decaying capacitive current in a single potential-step experiment, were recorded for a series of Cd 2+ depolarizer concentrations and at different temperatures. The concentration dependence of the transient faradaic peak current is found to be bilinear, with regions of distinctly different slope. The temperature study reveals a “switch temperature”, at which the slope of the current-temperature curve is reversed. The observations are qualitatively rationalized in terms of bulk and diffusion effects operative during the extremely rapid pseudo-scan.
A Double‐Blind, Dose Comparison Study of Topiramate for Prophylaxis of Basilar‐Type Migraine in Children: A Pilot Study

Background.— Basilar-type migraine (BM) is the most common migraine “variant,” representing 3-19% of migraine in children.BMis characterized by attacks of dizziness, vertigo, visual disturbances, ataxia, and/or diplopia, followed by migraine headache. Objective.— The objective of this study is to assess the efficacy and safety of topiramate for prophylaxis of BM in children and adolescents (6-18 years). Design.— Outpatient, double-blind, parallel-group, dose comparison study with 2 phases: prerandomization (screening/washout and 4-week prospective baseline) and 12-week double blind (titration and maintenance). Methods.— Following consent and assent, subjects with BMs, as defined by the International Classification of Headache Disorders (second edition), and ≥4 migraines/month were randomized to receive either 25 mg per day or 100 mg per day of topiramate in a 1 : 1 ratio. Results.— Fourteen children (4 boys, 10 girls) completed the double-blind phase (7 in the 25-mg group and 7 in the 100-mg group). During the prospective baseline, the mean headache frequency of the combined group “all migraines” per month was 4.5/month (25 mg) and 4.8/month (100 mg). Average duration of migraine was 5.5 hours (25 mg) and 5.0 hours (100 mg) and average mean pain (5-point faces scale) was 3.3 for both (25 mg 100 mg). The reduction in median monthly migraine rate during the double-blind treatment phase relative to baseline was 2.9 (64.4%) and 3.6 (75.0%) for the 25-mg and 100-mg topiramate-treated groups, respectively (P < .001). The reduction in median monthly BM rate during the double-blind treatment phase relative to baseline was 2.5 (74.24%) and 2.3 (82.8%) for the 25-mg and 100-mg topiramate-treated groups, respectively. The overall reduction in BM attacks reduced from 2.84/month to 0.59/month (79.2%; P < .0042). Overall, 86% of patients responded with a greater than 50% reduction in migraine frequency (100%, 25 mg and 71%, 100 mg). Mean reduction in migraine duration was 18 minutes (25 mg) and 89 minutes (100 mg). There was no significant difference in migraine severity between the 2 groups. Parent Global Assessment was “very much” or “much improved” in 6 of 7 (25 mg) and 3 of 7 (100 mg) patients. Migraine disability as measured by PedMidas© reduced from moderate to no disability (P < .001). There were no serious adverse events. Conclusions.— Preventive therapy with topiramate resulted in reducing the overall migraine frequency and the frequency of attacks of BM at both 25 mg and 100 mg doses relative to the historical baseline and prospective baseline periods. The 2 treatment groups resulted in comparable outcomes.
Everybody Eats: Using Hunger Banquets to Teach about Issues of Global Hunger and Inequality

Experiential and active learning exercises can benefit students in sociology courses, particularly, courses in which issues of inequality are central. In this paper, we describe using hunger banquets—an active learning exercise where participants are randomly stratified into three global classes and receive food based upon their class position—to enhance students’ knowledge of global hunger and inequality. The nonprofit Oxfam America has made hunger banquets popular, but they are usually large public events. We provide ways of simplifying these exercises so that they can be conducted in sociology classrooms and incorporate sociological concepts. Quantitative and qualitative analysis of students’ learning and engagement in three hunger banquets found that students had increases in perceived knowledge of the amount, severity, and causes of global hunger.
Visualization as a guide for composing

Visualization techniques involving the analysis of pictorial information (e.g., photographs, paintings, and geometric forms) are used to guide students' understanding of the composing process. For the first exploratory study sets of papers written by students enrolled in an introductory level composition course incorporating these techniques were compared with sets of papers written by students in another section of the same course to determine the effectiveness of visualization for understanding the process of revision. Students in a second study completed a questionnaire designed to assess students' memory for visualization techniques as well as their tendency to apply these techniques to new situations. The results suggest that visualization techniques were effective in guiding the revision process (Study 1). Further, results show that students remembered both specific details about the pictorial information used to guide the composing process (outlining, analyzing, revising) and the underlying principles informing these techniques (Study 2). Visualization techniques are discussed in terms of their potential usefulness in reducing the cognitive demands implicit in the composing process.
On a paper by Khan and Majumdar

Abstract In this paper we generalize two results of Khan and Majumdar on the weak sequential convergence of functions in the Lebesgue-Bochner space L X 1 (Ω) and on a Fatou-like convergence theorem.
Searches at the Tevatron

Results of searches performed by CDF and D0 are presented. Most of the results are based on data taken during the 1994-95 data taking period (Run I), but some preliminary results from the current data taking period (Run II) are included.
Fuel Used for Vehicle Air Conditioning: A State-by-State Thermal Comfort-Based Approach

How much fuel does vehicle air conditioning actually use? This study attempts to answer that question to determine the national and state-by-state fuel use impact seen by using air conditioning in light duty gasoline vehicles. The study used data from US cities, representative of averages over the past 30 years, 1X—see Definitions, the Toyota Prius, the Honda Insight, a 3X Hybrid, and a Fuel Cell Hybrid) with a varying auxiliary load. For a conventional 1X vehicle, using the AC increases fuel consumption by 35% (or drops fuel economy by 26%). For the Honda Insight, using the AC increases fuel consumption 46%. For a 3X Hybrid, using the AC increases fuel consumption 128%. whose temperature, incident radiation, and humidity varied through time of day and day of year. National surveys estimated when people drive their vehicles during the day and throughout the year. A simple thermal comfort model based on Fanger’s heat balance equations determined the percentage of time that a driver would use the air conditioning based on the premise that if a person were dissatisfied with the thermal environment, they would turn on the air conditioning. Vehicle simulations for typical US cars and trucks determined the fuel economy reduction seen with AC use. Combining these statistics and models with vehicle and truck registrations and vehicle miles traveled AC Load is an
Membrane Specializations in Neuroglial Cells and at Neuron-Glia Contacts

The architectural and junctional specializations of astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and Schwann cells are reviewed in the context of the general features of epithelia and tissue compartments. Glial cells form microvilli, secretory vesicles, and several types of cell junctions. Also, certain non-junctional membrane specializations have been revealed by the freeze-fracture method. Most of the membrane specializations are not randomly distributed, but appear to be related to local peculiarities in the cell’s microenvironment. The most conspicuous of these are found at Ranvier nodes of myelinated fibers and at the interface between different tissue compartments. The individual specializations are briefly reviewed. Possible relations to certain pathological processes that may affect astrocytic orthogonal assemblies, gap junctions, tight junctions, and nodal and paranodal specializations are stressed.
Superficial necrolytic dermatitis and a pancreatic endocrine tumour in a dog

A 13-year-old dog was referred for a severe dermatological problem of 12 months duration. Skin biopsy results were compatible with superficial necrolytic dermatitis. The only laboratory abnormalities were hyperglycaemia and hyperglucagonaemia. These findings suggested a pancreatic endocrine tumour in association with superficial necrolytic dermatitis. Abdominal ultrasound examination was unremarkable. The dog was euthanased due to the lack of clinical improvement following symptomatic therapy. Postmortem examination revealed a pancreatic endocrine tumour with liver metastases. Pancreatic endocrine tumour cells were immunoreactive for glucagon, insulin and islet amyloid polypeptide.
Psychometric properties of the children's eating attitudes test

As interest in eating disorders has grown, there has been an increased need for psychometrically sound measures of young children's eating attitudes and behaviors. The present report examines one promising measure, the children's version of the Eating Attitudes Test (ChEAT; (Maloney, McGuire, & Daniels. [1988]. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 5, 541-543; Maloney, McGuire, Daniels & Specker. [1989]. Pediatrics, 84, 482-489). Like the EAT-26, (Garfinkel & Garner. [1982]. Anorexia nervosa: A multidimensional perspective. New York: Brunner/Mazel), this is a 26-item self-report questionnaire. As part of a larger study, the ChEAT was administered to 308 middle school girls. Analyses indicated that the 26-item version had adequate internal reliability, both for the entire sample and for each of the three grades. However, a 23-item version had even better internal reliability. Concurrent validity was demonstrated for the 26-item version in that correlations between the ChEAT and independent measures of weight management and body dissatisfaction were significant. Again, the concurrent validity was slightly better for the 23-item version. Factor analysis of the ChEAT-26 yielded factors quite similar to those of the EAT-26. However, an additional ChEAT factor emerged that tapped restricting and purging behaviors. On the whole, the ChEAT emerged as a promising instrument for measuring disturbed eating attitudes and behaviors in middle school girls.
Toxicity and Carcinogenicity of Chromium Compounds in Humans

Chromium is a human carcinogen primarily by inhalation exposure in occupational settings. Although lung cancer has been established as a consequence of hexavalent chromium exposure in smokers and nonsmokers, some cancers of other tissues of the gastrointestinal and central nervous systems have also been noted. Except for a few reports from China, little is known about the health risks of environmental exposures to chromium. Likewise, there has been a lack of epidemiological studies of human exposure to hexavalent Cr by drinking water or ingestion, and it has been suggested that humans can perhaps tolerate hexavalent Cr at higher levels than the current drinking water standard of 50 ppb. This review highlights the most recent data on the induction of skin tumors in mice by chronic drinking-water exposure to hexavalent chromium in combination with solar ultraviolet light. This experimental system represents an important new animal model for chromate-induced cancers by ingestion of drinking water, and it suggests by extrapolation that chromate can likely be considered a human carcinogen by ingestion as well. The potential use of this animal model for future risk assessment is discussed.
In vivo derivation of glucose-competent pancreatic endocrine cells from bone marrow without evidence of cell fusion

Bone marrow harbors cells that have the capacity to differentiate into cells of nonhematopoietic tissues of neuronal, endothelial, epithelial, and muscular phenotype. Here we demonstrate that bone marrow-derived cells populate pancreatic islets of Langerhans. Bone marrow cells from male mice that express, using a CRE-LoxP system, an enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) if the insulin gene is actively transcribed were transplanted into lethally irradiated recipient female mice. Four to six weeks after transplantation, recipient mice revealed Y chromosome and EGFP double-positive cells in their pancreatic islets. Neither bone marrow cells nor circulating peripheral blood nucleated cells of donor or recipient mice had any detectable EGFP. EGFP-positive cells purified from islets express insulin, glucose transporter 2 (GLUT2), and transcription factors typically found in pancreatic beta cells. Furthermore, in vitro these bone marrow-derived cells exhibit - as do pancreatic beta cells - glucose-dependent and incretin-enhanced insulin secretion. These results indicate that bone marrow harbors cells that have the capacity to differentiate into functionally competent pancreatic endocrine beta cells and that represent a source for cell-based treatment of diabetes mellitus. The results generated with the CRE-LoxP system also suggest that in vivo cell fusion is an unlikely explanation for the "transdifferentiation" of bone marrow-derived cells into differentiated cell phenotypes.
Mobilized ad-hoc networks: a reinforcement learning approach

With the cost of wireless networking and computational power rapidly dropping, mobile ad-hoc networks will soon become an important part of our society's computing structures. While there is a great deal of research from the networking community regarding the routing of information over such networks, most of these techniques lack automatic adaptivity. The size and complexity of these networks demand that we apply the principles of autonomic computing to this problem. Reinforcement learning methods can be used to control both packet routing decisions and node mobility, dramatically improving the connectivity of the network. We present two applications of reinforcement learning methods to the mobilized ad-hoc networking domain and demonstrate some promising empirical results under a variety of different scenarios in which the mobile nodes in our ad-hoc network are embedded with these adaptive routing policies and learned movement policies.
Admissible clustering procedures

SUMMARY Since it is usually impossible to determine a 'best' clustering procedure, admissible clustering procedures are suggested. Let A denote some property which should be satisfied by any reasonable procedure either in general or when used in a special application. Any procedure which satisfies A is called A-admissible. Nine admissibility conditions are defined and several standard clustering methods are compared with them. This paper attacks the perplexing problem of choosing a clustering procedure from among the myriad of procedures now proposed. Almost always in practice, not enough is known about the a priori conditions, the losses, etc., to determine a 'best' procedure. How, then, should one proceed? We propose an approach motivated by decision theory. Decision theory tells us to restrict our attention to admissible decision rules. This eliminates obviously bad rules, though additional information is necessary to select the best rule from among the admissible rules. Our suggestion is therefore to formulate properties which any reasonable procedure should satisfy and call a procedure satisfying them admissible. Requiring admissibility again eliminates obviously bad clustering algoiithms but does not attempt to specify the best method. We will specify several types of admissibility; one for each desirable property we define. Given some condition A, any clustering procedure satisfying A will be called A -admissible. Table 1 lists possible admissibility conditions versus some common clustering procedures. It specifies which conditions are satisfied by the various procedures and which are not. Given a specific problem, and a more complete table, a user could decide on a set of admissibility conditions and then look to the table for his admissible techniques. Two papers which take a somewhat similar approach but use different nomenclature are those by Rubin (1967) and by Jardine & Sibson (1968). The latter list other papers which compare clustering methods. Some additions to this list may be found in the referenlces below.
CONTRACT RESEARCH ORGANIZATIONS: ENHANCING QUALITY THROUGH SYSTEMATIC INTERVIEWS WITH SPONSOR COMPANIES

Contract research organizations (CROs) handle an increasing amount of clinical research for pharmaceutical companies. By contracting work to an outside organization, sponsors relinquish some control of the conduct of theirstudies. It is incumbent on both the CRO and the sponsor to communicate effectively in order to ensure the quality of the research. Communication begins during contract negotiations, and carries through in the day-to-day collaboration as the study proceeds. As one assessment of the quality of the collaboration, Quintiles Transnational Corp., a CRO, conducts telephone surveys of its client companies. The survey questions are primarily open-ended, and interviews last 10-15 minutes. Results of the surveys are summarized in a matrix format: general issues such as training and resources are reported to management; project-specific findings are reported to the project manager. Positive and negative comments are reported, and the importance of continuous improvement is emphasized. The sampling technique, preparation, format, and examples of findings will be described. Although systematic client interviews are not traditional components of quality assurance (QA), their role in quality management can be helpful to CROs that want a comprehensive approach to client satisfaction. The advantages and potential drawbacks of the surveys in terms of client expectation and staff motivation will be discussed.
A 2 GHz variable gain low noise amplifier in 0.18-μm CMOS

This paper describes a 2 GHz active variable gain low noise amplifier (VGLNA) in a 0.18-μm CMOS process. The VGLNA provides a 50-Ω input impedance and utilizes a tuned load to provide high selectivity. The VGLNA achieves a maximum small signal gain of 16.8 dB and a minimum gain of 4.6 dB with good input return loss. In the high gain and the low gain modes, the NFs are 0.83 dB and 2.8 dB, respectively. The VGLNA's IIP3 in the high gain mode is 2.13 dBm. The LNA consumes approximately 4 mA of current from a 1.8-V power supply.
Maximum Likelihood Estimation, Non Regular

For bounded probability distributions capable of J or U shapes, the log-likelihood function can become unbounded as the boundary parameters approach their respective limits. However, use of penalty function techniques that urge the maximum likelihood (ML) search away from the unbounded region can be used to circumvent this problem. Another approach to nonregular problems is ‘correcting’ the likelihood to estimate the model parameters. In an application to simulated data, this technique was found to be effective with quick convergence to parameter estimates. Keywords: maximum likelihood; nonregular estimation; probability distribution
Functional Role of pX Open Reading Frame II of Human T-Lymphotropic Virus Type 1 in Maintenance of Viral Loads In Vivo

Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) causes adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma and is associated with a variety of immune-mediated disorders. The role of four open reading frames (ORFs), located between env and the 3′ long terminal repeat of HTLV-1, in mediating disease is not entirely clear. By differential splicing, ORF II encodes two proteins, p13II and p30II, both of which have not been functionally defined. p13II localizes to mitochondria and may alter the configuration of the tubular network of this cellular organelle. p30II localizes to the nucleolus and shares homology with the transcription factors Oct-1 and -2, Pit-1, and POU-M1. Both p13II and p30II are dispensable for infection and immortalization of primary human and rabbit lymphocytes in vitro. To test the role of ORF II gene products in vivo, we inoculated rabbits with lethally irradiated cell lines expressing the wild-type molecular clone of HTLV-1 (ACH.1) or a clone containing selected mutations in ORF II (ACH.30/13.1). ACH.1-inoculated animals maintained higher HTLV-1-specific antibody titers than animals inoculated with ACH.30/13.1. Viral p19 antigen was transiently detected in ex vivo cultures of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from only two ACH.30/13.1-inoculated rabbits, while PBMC cultures from all ACH.1-inoculated rabbits routinely produced p19 antigen. In only three of six animals exposed to the ACH.p30II/p13II clone could provirus be consistently PCR amplified from extracted PBMC DNA and quantitative competitive PCR showed the proviral loads in PBMC from ACH.p30II/p13II-infected rabbits to be dramatically lower than the proviral loads in rabbits exposed to ACH. Our data indicate selected mutations in pX ORF II diminish the ability of HTLV-1 to maintain high viral loads in vivo and suggest an important function for p13II and p30II in viral pathogenesis.
Improving Detection of Clinically Significant Prostate Cancer: Magnetic Resonance Imaging/Transrectal Ultrasound Fusion Guided Prostate Biopsy

Purpose: Given the limitations of prostate specific antigen and standard biopsies for detecting prostate cancer, we evaluated the cancer detection rate and external validity of a magnetic resonance imaging/transrectal ultrasound fusion guided prostate biopsy system used at the National Institutes of Health.Materials and Methods: We performed a phase III trial of a magnetic resonance imaging/transrectal ultrasound fusion guided prostate biopsy system with participants enrolled between 2012 and 2013. A total of 153 men consented to the study and underwent 3 Tesla multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging with an endorectal coil for clinical suspicion of prostate cancer. Lesions were classified as low or moderate/high risk for prostate cancer. Magnetic resonance imaging/transrectal ultrasound fusion guided biopsy and standard 12-core prostate biopsy were performed and 105 men were eligible for analysis.Results: Mean patient age was 65.8 years and mean prostate specific antigen was 9.5 ng/ml. The overall can...
Talonavicular joint arthrodesis and Evans calcaneal osteotomy for treatment of posterior tibial tendon dysfunction.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the combination of talonavicular fusion and Evans calcaneal osteotomy for the treatment of posterior tibial tendon dysfunction. This was a retrospective study of 10 patients, mean age 48.7 years, who had continued pain despite 6 months of conservative treatment and a minimum Johnson and Strom stage 11 deformity. Patients completed a detailed questionnaire, were physically examined, and their postoperative improvement was graded according to the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society Ankle-Hindfoot Rating Scale. At a mean of 35 months (range 8-72 months) after surgery, patients demonstrated a significant improvement (p
The Motivations of Industrial Man

THE PATTERN of industrial motivations is an historical product. It emerged with the technics of a commercial culture and it was brought to full bloom with the successive industrial revolutions. Motivations adapted to the drifts and the demands of a machine civilization had to be developed; like the gods, they had to be invented. As industrialism appeared, a new set of human controls, expressive of and geared to the technics and techniques of the machine, had to be fashioned. For this process what was most necessary was a new kind of human discipline. This discipline, to be industrially effective, must not be imposed but immanent; it should not be collective but individual; and it ought not to be external but internal. Such a regimentation of the human spirit must be austere, in order to command respect; this-worldly, so that the daily task will not go untended; empirical, so that new learnings will issue; and exacting, so that obedient self -sacrifice will be generously forthcoming. The pattern must rest on the self-interested and omniscient individual who has status and is legitimate because he has been "'called" to the job-the sacredness of industrial work. The industrial man is justifiably acquisitive and industrious because he is, after all, a steward of the great Manager-Mathematician. He must be rational and efficient, like the machine itself: his techniques must match industrial technics! He must be leisure-less, for his time is hired: unhired time is indulged only in so far as it increases the productivity of the working hours; unfortunately and unlike the machine, he must be re-created. He must be restless, looking toward the future, for which his
Effects of familiarity, verbal response, and practice on a visual search task.

The effects of familiarity, type of verbal response by the E, and practice on a visual search task were investigated by randomly assigning 42 Ss to bi-variant conditions in a discrete search task of 20 trials. Search time for familiar English letters was significantly faster than for unfamiliar Greek letters; there was a significant decrease in search time over trials; and type of verbal response, as well as interactions, produced no significant effects. Relationships with Neisser's (1967) theoretical and empirical work were discussed.
Does subintimal angioplasty have a role in the treatment of severe lower extremity ischemia

Abstract Objective: Subintimal angioplasty (SIA) has been advocated to treat long segment lower extremity arterial occlusions, but many question its value. We evaluated the role of SIA in a group of patients with severe lower extremity arterial occlusive disease. Methods: During a 2.5-year period, 39 patients with arterial occlusions (median length, 8 cm; range, 2 to 31 cm) were treated on an intention-to-treat basis with SIA. Twenty-five patients had gangrene, five had rest pain, and nine had disabling ( Results: SIA was technically successful in 34 of 39 patients (87%). All five failures were from an inability to reenter the patent lumen distally. These five patients underwent successful bypasses that in no case were more distal than would have been required before SIA. In the 34 technically successful SIAs, pain completely resolved (14/14) and areas of gangrene (21/25) healed. The cumulative patency rate in patients who underwent successful SIA was 74% ± 10% at 12 months. The mean increase in ankle-brachial index after SIA was 0.34 (range, 0.1 to 0.69). There were two distal embolic events, successfully treated surgically (n = 1) or with catheter-directed techniques (n = 1). Three patients underwent subsequent bypass, and the remaining five patients remain asymptomatic. Conclusion: SIA is feasible and can be effective in some patients with lower extremity arterial occlusions and threatened limbs. These results, plus SIA's many advantages, support an increasing role for it in the treatment of lower extremity arterial occlusive disease. (J Vasc Surg 2003;37:386-91.)
Proper model validation is important for all EMI/EMC applications

The need to perform validation of simulation results is often ignored because commercial (and non-commercial) software tools are 'trusted' due to previous results. However, previous results from different models do not indicate the current model was created properly. This paper discusses the need to validate simulations and discusses various means for the quantification of the agreement between different simulations used for validation.