cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Examination of circadian rhythmicity of blood serotonin and platelets in autistic and non-autistic children.

A study was designed to determine whether circadian rhythmicity existed for blood serotonin concentrations and platelet counts in autistic and non-autistic children. Blood samples were drawn from hospitalized children, outpatients, and normal adults at varying times throughout the day and over prolonged periods. Circadian rhythmicity was not observed. The possibility remains that there existed very brief or prolonged rhythms which were not detectable by the methods used. The implications of these results in relation to previous findings on blood serotonin concentrations and platelet counts in autistic and non-autistic children are discussed.
An investigation of persuasion and sentencing severity with mock juries

The extent to which the personal characteristics of individual mock jurors affect participation and influence with other jurors within the deliberation process was the focus of this investigation. A predeliberation locus of control measure, along with two conditions of jury composition (heterogenous vs homogenous with respect to the locus of control measure) were used to investigate interactions among sentencing severity, persuasiveness in deliberation, and demographic characteristics among 96 jurors. RESULTS indicated that group sentences were significantly more severe than predeliberation sentences and that postdeliberation shifts were significantly more pronounced for the heterogenous juries than for the homogeneous juries. Language: en
Toxicity of methylimidazoles

Abstract Toxic manifestations of ammoniated invert molasses in cattle can be simulated in laboratory animals such as rabbits, mice and day-old chicks by administering 4-methylimidazole (4-me-I). This compound, which results from the interaction of reducing sugars with ammonia, has previously been isolated from ammoniated invert molasses in addition to other compounds such as pyrazine derivatives. The mouse seems to be the most practical animal for testing the neurological signs produced by 4-me-I. The convulsive death produced by 4-me-I in the rabbit is characterized by the typical epileptiform EEG (high voltage, high frequency) concomitant with clonic and tonic seizures followed by tonic extensor seizure (high voltage, low frequency peaks) and terminal respiratory paralysis. This fatal course can be prevented by pentobarbital sodium and chlordiazepoxide. Diphenylhydantoin did not protect mice against 4-me-I seizures and death, in contrast to phenobarbital sodium and chlordiazepoxide. 4-Methylimidazole had approximately one-fourth the convulsant potency of pentylenetetrazole. Imidazole, 1-methylimidazole, and 2-methylimidazole produced neurologic effects in mice similar to those caused by 4-me-I, but they were less potent as convulsants. The spontaneous motor activity of mice treated with 4-me-I was reduced to about 50% during the period preceding the seizures. In rabbits, 4-me-I decreased heart rate as much as 33% below the control and increased the respiratory rate to three times the control value during the period preceding the convulsions.
Extreme adaptive optics planet imager: XAOPI

Ground based adaptive optics is a potentially powerful technique for direct imaging detection of extrasolar planets. Turbulence in the Earth's atmosphere imposes some fundamental limits, but the large size of ground-based telescopes compared to spacecraft can work to mitigate this. We are carrying out a design study for a dedicated ultra-high-contrast system, the eXtreme Adaptive Optics Planet Imager (XAOPI), which could be deployed on an 8-10m telescope in 2007. With a 4096-actuator MEMS deformable mirror it should achieve Strehl >0.9 in the near-IR. Using an innovative spatially filtered wavefront sensor, the system will be optimized to control scattered light over a large radius and suppress artifacts caused by static errors. We predict that it will achieve contrast levels of 10{sup 7}-10{sup 8} at angular separations of 0.2-0.8 inches around a large sample of stars (R<7-10), sufficient to detect Jupiter-like planets through their near-IR emission over a wide range of ages and masses. We are constructing a high-contrast AO testbed to verify key concepts of our system, and present preliminary results here, showing an RMS wavefront error of <1.3 nm with a flat mirror.
Periodic and non-concurrent error detection and identification in one-hot encoded FSMs

State-transition faults in digital sequential systems, such as finite-state logic controllers, have traditionally been handled by embedding the given system into a larger one, in a way that preserves the state evolution of the original system while enabling an external mechanism to concurrently perform checks to detect, identify and correct errors. In this paper, we develop a methodology for systematically constructing embeddings of one-hot encoded finite-state machines (FSMs) in a way that allows the external mechanism to capture transient state-transition faults via checks that are performed in a non-concurrent manner (e.g., periodically). More specifically, by employing coding techniques over finite fields, we completely characterize an appropriate class of redundant FSM embeddings and its corresponding non-concurrent error-detecting/identifying capabilities. These embeddings can be used to construct a redundant version of the given one-hot encoded FSM so that the external mechanism can detect and identify errors due to past state-transition faults based on an analysis of the current, possibly corrupted FSM state. As a result, the proposed error detection and identification approach relaxes the stringent requirements on the reliability of the checker and avoids the slowdown associated with concurrent checking.
Private Health Insurance Coverage and Disability among Older Americans

OBJECTIVES This study examines the relationship between the lack of private supplemental health insurance coverage and the development of disability among adults aged 65 and older. METHODS Data are from the baseline and six follow-up waves of the Duke Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly survey (N = 4,000). Discrete-time hazard models were used to estimate the impact of insurance coverage and other risk factors on the incidence of disability among those unimpaired at baseline. RESULTS Controlling for education, income, and other potential confounders, the odds of developing disability were 35-49% higher among those without private coverage. Insurance coverage also statistically explained part of the increased risk of disability among low-income persons. DISCUSSION The results indicate that changes in health insurance coverage as well as in individual behaviors may be needed to reduce disability generally and disability among the socioeconomically disadvantaged, in particular.
Extracardiac conduit Fontan for children with heterotaxy and functionally single ventricle.

UNLABELLED Children with functionally single ventricle in the setting of visceral heterotaxy (isomerism) may present a surgical challenge at the time of Fontan completion because of anomalies of systemic and pulmonary venous drainage. We have used an extracardiac conduit in this population to direct inferior caval venous blood to the pulmonary arteries. Over the past five years, nine children with heterotaxy and a functionally single ventricle underwent correction by placement of an extracardiac synthetic (Gore-Tex) conduit. All patients had previously undergone a bidirectional Glenn procedure. Age and weight at the time of insertion of the extracardiac conduit were 26 +/- 15 months, and 11 +/- 2 kilograms, respectively. RESULTS Of the nine children, six had an uneventful recovery. One developed elevated venous pressures and required a 'fenestration procedure'. Two patients developed pleural effusions. Median length of stay in hospital was 10 days. All children are alive and well, with follow-up of 19 +/- 16 months. There have been no thromboembolic complications. CONCLUSIONS The extracardiac conduit has worked well in our experience for the completion of the Fontan circulation in children with functionally single ventricle in the setting of visceral heterotaxy.
Output analysis: a comparison of output-analysis methods for simulations of processes with multiple regeneration sequences

We compare several simulation estimators for a performance measure of a process having multiple regeneration sequences. We examine the setting of two regeneration sequences. We compare two existing estimators, the permuted estimator and the semi-regenerative estimator, and two new estimators, a type of U -statistic estimator and a type of V -statistic estimator. The last two estimators are obtained by resampling trajectories without and with replacement, respectively. The permuted estimator and the U -statistic estimator turn out to be equivalent, but the others are in general different. We show that when estimating the second moment of a cumulative cycle reward, the semi-regenerative and V-statistic estimators have non-negative bias, with the semi-regenerative bias being larger. The permuted estimator was previously shown to be unbiased. Although some of the estimators have different small-sample properties, they all satisfy central limit theorems with the same asymptotic variance constant.
Teamwork Orientation, Group Cohesiveness, and Student Learning: A Study of the Use of Teams in Online Distance Education.

This research examines computer-supported collaborative learning. Master’s of business administration (MBA) students in an online program were surveyed to examine the extent to which an orientation toward teamwork and the development of group cohesiveness affect overall student learning and the learning that results specifically from team interactions (team-source learning). The results indicate that both teamwork orientation and group cohesiveness predict student learning, with group cohesiveness mediating the relationship between teamwork orientation and student learning. Teamwork orientation and group cohesiveness appear to be equally important predictors of team-source learning. The implications of this research for the use of teams in online distance education are discussed.
Reducing the incidence of hydrocephalus in intraventricular hemorrhage.

E t v i l r t T halamic and intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) are potentially devastating results of uncontrolled hypertension. Large hemorrhages with intraventricular extension are more ikely to cause increases in intracranial pressure and produce severe eficits with limited potential for recovery, if not death. Therapeutic ptions include intracranial pressure management, cerebrospinal uid diversion via external ventricular drains (EVDs), intraventricular hrombolysis, endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV), clot evacuaion, and placement of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS). As the eld of neuroendoscopy evolves, its role in the management of IVH as become increasingly important, and now the burden of proof ith regard to efficacy must be demonstrated when compared with ore conservative therapies.
Subatmospheric pressure wound therapy and the vacuum-assisted closure device: basic science and current clinical successes

This article reviews the development, current theories behind the mechanism of action and clinical use of subatmospheric pressure wound therapy with the vacuum-assisted closure device. An evolving list of indications for subatmospheric pressure therapy is discussed including its use in chronic wounds, traumatic wounds and orthopedic salvage, infected sternal wounds, management of the open abdomen, enterocutaneous fistulae, burn wounds, skin grafts and dermal substitutes, as well as systemic disease processes, such as myoglobinuria. The vacuum-assisted closure device Instill® system is also reviewed, in which subatmospheric pressure therapy has been combined with the instillation of therapeutic solutions for the treatment of difficult infected wounds.
A trellis-based method for removing cycles from bipartite graphs and construction of low density parity check codes

This letter presents a trellis-based iterative method for removing short cycles from bipartite graphs. This method can be used to improve the performance of low density parity check (LDPC) codes or to construct new LDPC codes.
The Coolest Isolated M Dwarf and Other 2MASS Discoveries

We have obtained follow-up spectroscopy of eight late dwarf candidates discovered in a 105 deg2 area observed with the 2MASS Prototype Camera during test runs between 1992 and 1994. These objects were chosen because of their red infrared colors (e.g., J-Ks ≥ 1.10) and/or red OIR colors (e.g., R-Ks ≥ 6.00). All eight are late M dwarfs, six of which have spectral types later than van Biesbroeck 8 (type M7 V). Despite the fact that we have only followed up a fraction of the reddest sources discovered, the number of known M dwarfs of type M7 and cooler has been increased by 30%. Extrapolation of these results alone shows that over 2000 dwarfs of similar spectral type and with Ks ≤ 14.0 will be imaged by 2MASS over the entire sky. One of these new discoveries is astonishingly cool and has a tentative type of ≥M10 V. This dwarf, one of the least luminous objects yet discovered, could itself be a high-mass brown dwarf, thus providing another empirical data point in a regime where few such objects are now recognized. Only the substellar suspect GD 165 B and the bona fide brown dwarf GL 229 B, both discovered as companions to known stars, are cooler. Thus, this 2MASS discovery becomes the coolest isolated object so far identified.
Job Strain in Physical Therapists

Background: Job stress has been associated with poor outcomes. In focus groups and small-sample surveys, physical therapists have reported high levels of job stress. Studies of job stress in physical therapy with larger samples are needed. Objective: The purposes of this study were: (1) to determine the levels of psychological job demands and job control reported by physical therapists in a national sample, (2) to compare those levels with national norms, and (3) to determine whether high demands, low control, or a combination of both (job strain) increases the risk for turnover or work-related pain. Design: This was a prospective cohort study with a 1-year follow-up period. Methods: Participants were randomly selected members of the American Physical Therapy Association (n=882). Exposure assessments included the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ), a commonly used instrument for evaluation of the psychosocial work environment. Outcomes included job turnover and work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Results: Compared with national averages, the physical therapists reported moderate job demands and high levels of job control. About 16% of the therapists reported changing jobs during follow-up. Risk factors for turnover included high job demands, low job control, job strain, female sex, and younger age. More than one half of the therapists reported work-related pain. Risk factors for work-related pain included low job control and job strain. Limitations: The JCQ measures only limited dimensions of the psychosocial work environment. All data were self-reported and subject to associated bias. Conclusions: Physical therapists’ views of their work environments were positive, including moderate levels of demands and high levels of control. Those therapists with high levels of demands and low levels of control, however, were at increased risk for both turnover and work-related pain. Physical therapists should consider the psychosocial work environment, along with other factors, when choosing a job.
A Graph Approach to Spelling Correction in Domain-Centric Search

Spelling correction for keyword-search queries is challenging in restricted domains such as personal email (or desktop) search, due to the scarcity of query logs, and due to the specialized nature of the domain. For that task, this paper presents an algorithm that is based on statistics from the corpus data (rather than the query log). This algorithm, which employs a simple graph-based approach, can incorporate different types of data sources with different levels of reliability (e.g., email subject vs. email body), and can handle complex spelling errors like splitting and merging of words. An experimental study shows the superiority of the algorithm over existing alternatives in the email domain.
Parenting and Infant Difficulty: Testing a Mutual Exacerbation Hypothesis to Predict Early Onset Conduct Problems

The prediction of conduct problems (CPs) from infant difficulty and parenting measured in the first 6 months of life was studied in a sample of 267 high-risk mother–child dyads. Stable, cross-situational CPs at school entry (5–6 years) were predicted by negative infancy parenting, mediated by mutually angry and hostile mother–toddler interactions at 24–42 months. Mother–child interactions late in toddlerhood were especially relevant for CPs. Contrary to predictions, difficult child behavior in the first 6 months of life was not consistently associated with CPs, either independently or in interaction with negative infancy parenting. The findings most strongly highlight the role of negative mothering in early infancy, and of changes in mother–toddler interaction, in early onset CPs.
Inhibition of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus by an in vitro continuous-flow culture containing human stool microflora

We used an in vitro continuous-flow culture model of human stool microflora to examine the ability of human stool microflora to inhibit growth of two methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) strains. Continuous-flow cultures consistently eliminated MRSA inocula of 106 cfu/mL within 4 days, and addition of continuous-flow culture resulted in elimination of a pre-established MRSA culture (∼108 cfu/mL) within 6–8 days. Anaerobic or “aerobic” (i.e., continuous bubbling of room air to eliminate obligate anaerobes) cultures eliminated MRSA at similar rates. The MRSA strains were unable to replicate under anaerobic conditions in sterile filtrates produced from the continuous-flow culture, but rapid growth occurred when glucose was added. These data demonstrate that indigenous stool microflora efficiently eliminate MRSA colonization and obligate anaerobes are not essential for inhibition. Our findings also suggest that inhibition of MRSA in continuous-flow cultures is due to depletion of nutrients rather than production of inhibitory conditions.
Labor and delivery behavior in rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta)

The present report is a description of 14 rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) births, five of which have been filmed in 16 mm colored silent film. All of the females shown in the film are feral, but descriptions of births in laboratory females are also included in the report. Time of delivery, observational techniques, signs of labor, differences with parity, and behaviors of both mothers and infants are included. A brief description of a few feet of film of a breech birth is also presented. The behaviors of adult males, who were sometimes present during delivery, are described. The characteristic labor posture is the squat, although some females crouch or lie down. Other birth behaviors are reaching back, licking, and stretching. Primiparous mothers generally have longer and more difficult deliveries and often appear to be nervous or clumsy shortly after the birth. The infant's behavior varies with its health; the present report describes the behavior of five infants. The behavior of adult males who witness births is variable, ranging from intense curiosity to aggression.
Regulation of PC4/TIS7 expression in adapting remnant intestine after resection

The adaptive response of the small intestine to loss of functional surface area includes enhanced crypt cell proliferation and enterocyte differentiation. To better define the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms, we have cloned rat genes that are specifically regulated in the adaptive gut after 70% small intestinal resection. One of these is the immediate early gene PC4/TIS7. Compared with sham-resected control ileum, PC4/TIS7 mRNA levels in the adaptive remnant ileum were markedly increased at 16 and 48 h but not 1 wk after resection. Greater augmentation of PC4/TIS7 mRNA levels occurred in the ileum compared with the duodenum and proximal jejunum. After resection, the changes in intestinal PC4/TIS7 mRNA levels also exceeded changes in extraintestinal levels. The demonstration by in situ hybridization that villus-associated, but not crypt, cells express PC4/TIS7 mRNA is consistent with a role in regulating cytodifferentiation. The pattern of expression in the Caco-2 cell line is also consistent with such a role. Although the precise function of PC4/TIS7 in adaptation remains unclear, the early and intestine-specific changes in mRNA levels after 70% resection suggest that it might augment the adaptive response by stimulating the production of differentiated enterocytes.
Natural history of chronic renal insufficiency after partial and radical nephrectomy

Objectives. To compare the incidence of newly developed chronic renal insufficiency after partial nephrectomy (PN) and radical nephrectomy (RN). Elective PN for renal tumors is intended to preserve renal function; however, studies of transplant donors suggest normal renal function is also maintained after unilateral nephrectomy. Methods. We retrospectively compared all patients undergoing PN or RN for renal tumors 4 cm or less in the presence of a normal contralateral kidney from 1989 to 2000. Creatinine failure was defined as a serum creatinine value greater than 2.0 mg/dL. Risk factors for renal insufficiency, including diabetes, hypertension, American Society of Anesthesiologists score, age, preoperative creatinine, and history of smoking tobacco, were compared between the two groups. We compared the two groups using the chi-square and Mann-Whitney U tests and the creatinine failure rates using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results. One hundred seventy-three patients met the criteria for analysis after RN and 117 did so after PN (median follow-up 25 months). The 5-year freedom from recurrence rate was 96.4% and 98.6% for PN and RN, respectively (P >0.05). The mean preoperative serum creatinine was 1.0 mg/dL (range 0.4 to 1.4) and 0.98 (range 0.6 to 1.5) for RN and PN, respectively (P = 0.4, not significant). The incidence of risk factors for renal insufficiency did not differ between the two groups. The mean postoperative serum creatinine in the RN and PN groups was 1.5 mg/dL (range 0.8 to 3.8) and 1.0 mg/dL (range 0.5 to 1.9), respectively (P <0.001). The chance of creatinine failure over time was significantly greater in the RN group (P = 0.008). Conclusions. When controlled for preoperative risk factors for renal insufficiency, patients undergoing RN are at a greater risk of chronic renal insufficiency than a similar cohort of patients undergoing PN.
CONVERTING TEST DATA TO COUNSELING INFORMATION: SYSTEM TRIAL‐WITH FEEDBACK1

A computer-based system for converting test data into locally-validated counseling information was developed and field tested with potential vocational school students. Two data-information conversion procedures were used: similarity (centour) scores based on discriminant analyses and success estimates based on experience tables. Longitudinal validation analyses involving over 1500 students and 20 interest and aptitude measures provided the empirical base for the data-information conversion procedures. Similarity scores and success estimates were developed for each of the 12 vocational program areas in which the students enrolled. These reporting procedures were field tested with 1000 students enrolled in 12 high schools, Illustrations of the similarity score reporting procedures are provided along with summaries of student reactions to these procedures.
Activity- and calcineurin-independent nuclear shuttling of NFATc1, but not NFATc3, in adult skeletal muscle fibers.

The transcription factor NFATc1 may be involved in slow skeletal muscle gene expression. NFATc1 translocates from cytoplasm to nuclei during slow fiber type electrical stimulation of skeletal muscle fibers because of activation of the Ca2+-dependent phosphatase calcineurin, resulting in nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NFAT) dephosphorylation and consequent exposure of its nuclear localization signal. Here, we find that unstimulated adult skeletal muscle fibers exhibit a previously unanticipated nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of NFATc1 without appreciable nuclear accumulation. In resting fibers, the nuclear export inhibitor leptomycin B caused nuclear accumulation of NFATc1 (but not of isoform NFATc3) and formation of NFATc1 intranuclear bodies independent of calcineurin. The rate of nuclear uptake of NFATc1 was 4.6 times lower in resting fibers exposed to leptomycin B than during electrical stimulation. Inhibitors of glycogen synthase kinase and protein kinase A or of casein kinase 1 slowed the decay of nuclear NFATc1 after electrical stimulation, but they did not cause NFATc1 nuclear uptake in unstimulated fibers. We propose that two nuclear translocation pathways, one pathway mediated by calcineurin activation and NFAT dephosphorylation and the other pathway independent of calcineurin and possibly independent of NFAT dephosphorylation, determine the distribution of NFATc1 between cytoplasm and nuclei in adult skeletal muscle.
MAJORITARIAN ELECTORAL SYSTEMS AND CONSUMER POWER: PRICE-LEVEL EVIDENCE FROM THE OECD COUNTRIES *

A straightforward extension of the standard Stigler-Peltzman model of regulation, coupled with a Taagepera- Shugart analysis of electoral-system effects, suggests: (a) that the greater seat-vote elasticities of majoritarian electoral systems will tilt policy in favor of consumers, while propor- tional systems should strengthen producers; and (b) that the pro-con- sumer bias of majoritarian systems should be manifested in systemati- cally lower prices. Empirical tests, controlling for the structural determi- nants of national price levels estab- lished in the earlier "law of one price" literature, establish majoritarian elec- toral systems as a significant and robust predictor, lowering national price levels in the mean OECD coun-
Cases: Public Access Terminals

Many of the most innovative and successful systems studied were kiosks. A kiosk was defined in the questionnaire as an enhanced system placed in a public location, such as a shopping mall, hotel lobby, or conference facility, to be used by any passerby. Twenty-one organizations surveyed described a kiosk project; 15 were networked and six were stand-alone units. In addition to such advanced multimedia features as audio and video, many systems have a touch screen or a membrane keyboard, and some systems may incorporate a telephone handset, magnetic stripe or bar code reader, printer, or coupon dispenser. Fourteen of the projects in the survey were permanent and seven were considered trials. As Table 15.1 indicates, the majority of the systems were focused externally on strategic applications.
Adapting to a New System of Surgical Technologies and Perioperative Processes Among Clinicians

Purpose To understand learning and adaptation to a new system of surgical technologies and perioperative processes. Methods Patient wait time, flow time, and surgery procedure time were recorded in the experimental (“Operating room of the future” or ORF) and control ORs over the first year of the ORF’s operation. Regression methods were used to examine factors hypothesized to influence performance. Results Flow time, wait time, and surgery procedure time for each case decreased significantly in the ORF. The ORF performance demonstrated an initial overshoot followed by oscillation with 30–40 d period around the group mean. Similar behavior was observed for surgeons if they had ≥2-week hiatus from operating and had an average caseload more than 2.1 cases/week. Regression models using hypothesized learning factors predicted flow time (R2 = 0.33) and wait time (R2 = 0.36); adding procedure type to these models raised R2 to 0.7 and 0.57, respectively. Conclusions Objective observation of system performance in which a new technology is introduced can provide insights into adaptation and may have significant implications for OR scheduling, training, and cost-effectiveness evaluations.
Suppressed Surface Leakage Current Using nBn Infrared Detector Based on Type II InAs/GaSb Strain Layer Superlattices

We present a SLS-based nBn infrared detector which suppresses the surface leakage current without using any passivation technique. The dark current density is reduced by an order of magnitude at 77 K compared with a conventional mesa etched device.
Estrogen, exercise, and the skeleton

Patterns of variation in bone size and shape provide crucial data for reconstructing hominin paleobiology, including ecogeographic adaptation, life history, and functional morphology. Measures of bone strength, including robusticity (diaphyseal thickness relative to length) and cross-sectional geometric properties such as moments of area, are particularly useful for inferring behavior because bone tissue adapts to its mechanical environment.1–4, 5 Particularly during skeletal growth, exercise-induced strains can stimulate periosteal modeling so that, to some extent, bone thickness reflects individual behavior. Thus, patterns of skeletal robusticity have been used to identify gender-based activity differences, temporal shifts in mobility, and changing subsistence strategies.6–9, 10 Although there is no doubt that mechanical loading leaves its mark on the skeleton, less is known about whether individuals differ in their skeletal responses to exercise. For example, the potential effects of hormones or growth factors on bone-strain interactions are largely unexplored. If the hormonal background can increase or decrease the effects of exercise on skeletal robusticity, then the same mechanical loads might cause different degrees of bone response in different individuals.11 Here I focus on the role of the hormone estrogen in modulating exercise-induced changes in human bone thickness.
Classical and Quantum Stability of Branched Flow

Branched flow is a universal phenomenon of wave propagation in random media. From a classical point of view, branched flow is the overall pattern of classical electron trajectories moving in a potential with randomly placed weak scatterers. Individually, each electron trajectory is exponentially unstable to small perturbations due to the chaotic nature of the classical dynamics of electrons moving in a random potential. However, the overall pattern, branched flow, displays strong stability against large perturbations. In this paper, we discuss both the classical and quantum stability of branched flow against perturbations.
3,3’-Diindolylmethane cytostatic effects in human prostate cancer cells

4365 Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed malignancy and second leading cause of cancer deaths in American males. The rate of incidence of prostate cancer in Asian males is approximately one-tenth that of American males. However, this protection against prostate cancer is lost among Asian men who emigrate to the US, indicating an environmental rather than a genetic component in the prevention of this disease. The consumption of a diet rich in phytochemical-containing vegetables is one possible contributor to the decreased prostate cancer incidence observed in Asian men. 3,3’-Diindolylmethane is a promising anticancer agent derived from Brassica vegetables. In this study we characterized the effect of DIM on cell cycle regulation in both LNCaP and DU145 human prostate cancer cells. DIM has an antiproliferative effect on both LNCaP and DU145 cells, as it significantly inhibits [3H]thymidine incorporation. FACS analysis revealed a DIM mediated G1 cell cycle arrest. DIM strongly inhibited the expression of CDK2 and CDK4 protein and increased p27 protein expression in LNCaP and DU145 cells. DIM increased p27 transcription in both cell lines as shown by quantitative PCR. This DIM-mediated increase in p27 was found to be dependent on the Sp1 transcription factor. Our results indicate a novel cell cycle regulation pathway in which DIM modulates expression of CDK2, CDK4, and p27 leading to the growth arrest of human prostate cancer cells. The results of this study, along with previously published reports of the antiandrogenic activity of DIM, suggest a promising role for this dietary indole in the treatment of prostate cancer.
Cellular bases of focal and generalized epilepsies.

Abstract This chapter summarizes many of the cellular alterations that give rise to an imbalance between excitation and inhibition, and to a hypersynchronous neuronal discharge. Contributing intrinsic neuronal properties include aberrant channel function and/or location that may cause excessive discharge and/or inadequate hyperpolarization of excitatory (projection) cells or loss of inhibition resulting from changes (damage to) inhibitory interneurons. Altered/abnormal synaptic function may also be critical, such as activity-dependent changes in receptor properties and/or plasticity of synaptic connectivity; such changes may affect both excitatory (e.g., mediated by glutamatergic synapses) and inhibitory (e.g., local GABA circuits) function. Finally, dysfunction of extracellular influences, such as those mediated by glial activities, changes in extracellular spaces, effects of hormonal modulators, and dependent on an intact vascular system, can result in hyperexcitability and seizures discharge. These cellular changes can result from genetic disorders, from aberrant developmental programs, or from trauma-induced brain injury. The net effect of these changes – often multiple and complex – can lead to a focal epilepsy such as temporal lobe epilepsy (if the abnormalities are restricted to temporal lobe structures) or to a more generalized phenotype (e.g., generalized epilepsy with febrile seizures plus, GEFS +). Insight into underlying cellular and molecular abnormalities of a given epilepsy phenotype will, we hope, lead to better and earlier treatments.
Literacy for Learning: A Handbook of Content-Area Strategies for Middle and High School Teachers

Adolescents often enter secondary school capable of reading for pleasure and writing creatively. These same students have had less experience with content-area reading and writing and, in turn, nee...
Women interpreting masculinity: Two English translations of Don Segundo Sombra

This article examines two English translations of Don Segundo, a novel written by Ricardo Guiraldes. One of the so-called ‘telluric novels’ of Latin America, this work has been regarded as one of the masterpieces of the area. Don Segundo Sombra is the story of homodiegetic narrator, Fabio Caceres, a well-educated man who narrates events that happened to him as an adolescent reaching manhood in the Argentinean Pampas. The text reflects a quintessential view of masculinity that is filled with individuals showing clear negative attitudes towards women, as well as an apparent male chauvinist point of view. The only two English translations of this work, by female translators Harriet de Onis and Patricia Owen Steiner, provide slightly but crucially different interpretations when translating this early twentieth century manly Argentine tale. The analysis conducted in this article is of a descriptive nature, and it intends to point out decisions made by the two translators in order to determine if a particular t...
meso-Aryl-3-alkyl-2-oxachlorins

The formal replacement of a pyrrole moiety of meso-tetraarylporphyrin 1 by an oxazole moiety is described. The key step is the conversion of porpholactones 4 (prepared by a known two-step oxidation procedure from 1) by addition of alkyl Grignard reagent to form meso-tetraaryl-3-alkyl-2-oxachlorins 9 (alkyloxazolochlorins; alkyl = Me, Et, iPr). Hemiacetal 9 can be converted to an acetal, reduced to an ether, or converted to bis-alkyloxazolochlorins 11. The optical properties (UV–visible and fluorescence spectroscopy) are described. The chlorin-like optical properties of the alkyloxazolochlorins are compared to regular chlorins, such as 2,3-dihydroxychlorins and nonalkylated oxazolochlorins made by reduction from porpholactone 4. The conformations of the mono- and bis-alkylated 2-oxachlorins, as determined by single crystal X-ray diffractometry, are essentially planar, thus proving that their optical properties are largely due to their intrinsic electronic properties and not affected by conformational effec...
Abstract 5232: Lymphovascular breast carcinoma tumoral emboli beget emboli through stem-cell initiated self-budding histogenesis

Previous studies in our laboratory have indicated that the lymphovascular embolus is not simply a cellular fragment that detaches from the main tumor passively but represents an active clonal selection for a stem cell phenotype exhibiting enhanced stem cell signaling and survival pathways. Lymphovascular emboli exhibit increased resistance to chemotherapy and patients with large numbers of lymphovascular emboli exhibit decreased disease-free survival and poorer prognosis. Florid lymphovascular emboli is the diagnostic signature of inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) and other aggressive metastasizing cancers. The emboli have been presumed to form as a result of lymphovascular invasion but this event is thought to be rare and therefore would not alone explain the large number of emboli observed in IBC and other highly metastatic carcinomas. The reasons why some patients exhibit large numbers of lymphovascular emboli whereas other patients exhibit only rare numbers remain unknown. We wanted to specifically address this question and thus carried out both animal and in vitro imaging studies with our human xenograft model of inflammatory breast cancer, MARY-X, which exhibits florid emboli in mice and gives rise to high density spheroids in vitro. We also carried out morphometric studies on the density of human lymphovascular emboli in 25 IBC and 250 non-IBC cases and subsequent laser capture microdissection. Animal and in vitro multicolor imaging studies using anti-E-cadherin and anti-podoplanin showed evidence of self-budding histogenesis within the lymphovascular spaces with one parent embolus giving rise to daughter emboli. Correspondingly, budding spheroidgenesis was observed in vitro. Density studies of tumoral emboli in the human cases showed their numbers distributed over an exponential rather than linear range. By both RT-PCR and IHC, emboli compared to their non-embolic invasive carcinoma areas exhibited five-ten fold higher stem cell markers including Stellar, H19, Rex-1, Nestin, CD133 and Aldehyde Dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH1) as well as stem cell transcriptional determinants including OCT4, SOX2 and Nanog, and stem cell signaling pathways, eg., Bmi-1, Hedgehog and Notch3. These studies, while not explaining the genesis of the initial embolus, show conclusively that emboli beget emboli through stem-cell initiated self-budding histogenesis. It is this later process which is the more important one because it accounts for the exponential numbers of emboli seen in the human cases which exhibit aggressive behavior. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5232. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-5232
Clinical Reasoning: Left hemiparesis, ataxia, and optic neuritis in a child previously treated for pineoblastoma

A 13-year-old girl presented acutely with an episode of headache and signs of elevated intracranial pressure from a pineal gland tumor causing obstructive hydrocephalus. After an endoscopic third ventriculostomy and pineal gland biopsy, she was diagnosed with pineoblastoma. She was treated with surgical resection, craniospinal radiotherapy, and subsequent chemotherapy. Brain MRIs were performed every 3 months after surgery and remained stable with no new lesions or signs of residual tumor. However, a follow-up brain MRI performed 6 months after chemotherapy showed some small white matter nonenhancing lesions in supratentorial subcortical areas and within the cord at C7. She had no neurologic symptoms at that time and the white matter lesions improved over the next 3 months.
Adolescent health care and the trainee: roles of self-efficacy, standardized patients, and an adolescent medicine rotation.

PurposePediatric residents often cite a lack of confidence with adolescents owing to minimal exposure during training. Self-efficacy has been evaluated in a general context but not in relation to perception of knowledge and communication skill. Study objectives were to evaluate resident self-efficac
Detection of frequent MET Exon 14 skipping events in pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma and response to targeted inhibition.

8020 Background: Pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma (PSC) represents a category of highly aggressive carcinomas associated with a poor prognosis. New therapeutic strategies based on better knowledge o...
Der Lebenszyklus eines Produktmarktes

Wenige Modellvorstellungen der Marketingtheorie sind so oft in Lehrbuchern zu finden und so weitgehend von der Unternehmenspraxis akzeptiert wie der Lebenszyklus von Produktmarkten. Trotz dieser Beliebtheit liegen auf diesem Gebiet nur sehr wenige empirische Untersuchungen vor172). Wird dieses Konzept jedoch strategisch beim Festlegen von Umsatzzielen und beim Entwurf des Marketing Mix fur ein neues Produkt zugrunde gelegt, so verhilft es dem Produkt-Management zu einer besseren und wirksameren Kontrolle und Steuerung seiner marktpolitischen Mittel und Ergebnisse. Eine detaillierte Analyse dieses Modells erlaubt in hervorragender Weise eine Summierung des in den vorhergehenden Abschnitten Gesagten, wobei zunachst das theoretische Konzept diskutiert, dann jedoch auf Grund empirischer Untersuchungen modifiziert wird.
More Functions and Graphs

We have seen that solutions for quadratic equations were known in ancient times. But just 500 years ago the cubic equation was still an enigma. Its final solution, developed at the University of Bologna and published by Gerolamo Cardano in 1545, involves some complicated algebra and the extraction of both square roots and cube roots. The solution of the quartic equation is similar. As you will see in this chapter, it is now possible to solve such equations on the pocket calculator by simple and rapid methods.
Abstract 16182: Jay D. Coffman Early Career Investigator Award: Large-scale Targeted Sequencing of Genomic Regions Associated With Coronary Heart Disease Uncovers Evidence for Polygenic Overlap With Peripheral Arterial Disease

Introduction: Although both coronary heart disease (CHD) and peripheral arterial disease (PAD) result from atherosclerosis, relatively few genetic susceptibility variants for PAD have been discovered so far in contrast to CHD. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that genes harboring variants conferring susceptibility to CHD in genome-wide association studies are also associated with PAD. Methods: We performed targeted sequencing of 41 CHD susceptibility genomic regions (coding regions and 2/1 kb upstream/downstream) in 1826 PAD cases and 1725 controls. PAD cases (69±11 years, 61% men) had a resting/post-exercise ankle-brachial index (ABI) ≤0.9 or ≥1.4 and/or history of lower extremity revascularization, and no history of CHD at the time of recruitment. Controls (60±11 years, 55% men) had a normal ABI and no history of PAD or CHD. Sequencing was performed on an Illumina HiSeq 2000 (average read depth ≥30x). A gene-based global association analysis was done using the adaptive weighted sum of powered score test (aSPUw), followed by variant-level analyses using penalized regression models and fine mapping. Results: Six genes, i.e. ABO, KCNK5, MRAS, PCSK9, SORT1 , and CXCL12 , met a gene-level based threshold of significance ( P P 6 ) of PAD with low-frequency variants (minor allele frequency 1-5%), followed by common and rare variants, respectively. A total of 352 genetic variants identified with penalized regression most parsimoniously explained the observed association with PAD for the 6 genomic regions, of which 18 were novel putatively impactful risk variants. Conclusions: This large-scale targeted sequencing study of genomic regions associated with CHD uncovers evidence for polygenic overlap with PAD and provides insights into pleiotropy between these two subtypes of atherosclerotic vascular disease and the relevant biological pathways. Further functional studies are required to uncover the biological roles of identified genes and variants with PAD.
Management of serious cardiac adverse effects of antipsychotic medications

The use of antipsychotic medications has now expanded to multiple mental health conditions beyond schizophrenia. This has increased the overall population exposure to these medications, which have been associated with both metabolic changes and adverse cardiovascular effects. QTc prolongation, torsades de pointes, sudden cardiac death, myocarditis, and cardiomyopathy are all very real concerns that clinicians face on a regular basis. One must take these risks into consideration when selecting antipsychotic therapy and also when determining whether therapeutic changes and adjustments are necessary. This review examines a number of cardiac-associated concerns, the role that antipsychotics may play in contributing to these adverse events, and suggested management interventions.
Public perceptions of powdered alcohol use and misuse: narrative perspectives from YouTube

ABSTRACTBackground: Powdered alcohol, a new form of crystalline alcohol sold under the brand name Palcohol, has yet to be widely distributed in the United States due to political and public concerns surrounding potential for misuse. Purpose: Given the limited research on powdered alcohol, researchers examined YouTube videos on this controversial substance to gain insights into its use. Methods: Researchers thematically evaluated YouTube videos describing knowledge of powdered alcohol use, its effects, as well as the cultural context surrounding its use. Results: Of the videos that met study inclusion criteria (n = 210), 38% were coded as “news report,” 20% “opinion,” 19% “policy,” 11% “user-generated information,” 7% “education,” 3% “misuse,” 2% “development,” and 1% “use.” One in three videos about powdered alcohol included negative viewpoints about the product (n = 71, 34%). Discussion: The majority of reviewed YouTube videos described negative implications of consuming powdered alcohol (eg, high potent...
Distributed Sensing and Control of Elastic Shells

The inherent natural damping of continua is usually not sufficient enough to effectively and quickly suppress the oscillations of high—performance structural systems, e.g., aerospace structures. Thus, effective vibration control techniques become necessary. Vibration control techniques are generally classified into two major categories: passive and active (Reinhorn & Manolis, 1985). The passive vibration control techniques are based on energy absorption or dissipation principles (Tzou, 1988a), e.g., viscoelastic dampers, dynamic absorbers, shock absorbers, friction dampers, etc. Active vibration controls usually rely on counteracting mechanisms which generate opposing forces or moments to counteract the undesirable oscillations. One of the major advantages of active devices over passive devices is a “self—adaptivity” which offers variable control for various operational environments. However, because of this active actuation capability, external power sources (e.g., electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic, etc.) and a decision—making “brain” (such as a central processing unit) are usually required (Tzou & Gadre, 1988, 1990). In addition, active controls also depend on accurate measurements of current dynamic states. Thus, sensors or transducers are also essential to monitor the structural states in active controls. Both sensors and actuators described are made of distributed piezoelectric layers in this chapter, as well as in the book.
Method for Developing a Side Impact Upper Neck Injury Criteria Which Compensates for Biomechanical Differences Between ATDs and Humans

We developed a method to convert between the upper-neck lateral impact accelerative responses obtained from a human and an anthropometric test device (ATD). This conversion allows developers to emp...