cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Investigation of acquisition and image reconstruction parameters for rotating multi-segment slant-hole SPECT

SPECT using a rotating multi-segment slant-hole (RMSSH) collimator provides a superior alternative for imaging the breast and the heart comparing to conventional SPECT. The aim of this paper is to investigate the effects of the number of camera positions and the number of collimator rotation stops at each camera position on RMSSH SPECT reconstruction image quality, using both Monte-Carlo simulation and physical phantom experiments. Our results demonstrate the importance of sufficient camera positions for complete angle data acquisition and accurate 3D RMSSH SPECT image reconstruction; and for the same total acquisition time, tradeoff exists between the number of collimator rotation stops and the amount of acquisition time at each rotation stop. We conclude that complete angle data acquisition is crucial for accurate 3D RMSSH SPECT image reconstructions, but using inadequate number of camera positions may also result in usable diagnostic information in shorter acquisition time. An optimal trade-off between image resolution, noise and image artifacts is needed to determine the number of collimator rotation stops at each camera position.
Predicting Restaurant Bankruptcy: A Logit Model in Comparison with a Discriminant Model

This article follows up on a previous study that developed a multiple discriminant model for predicting restaurant firm bankruptcy. Using the same data set, this study developed a logit model and compared its prediction accuracy with that of the discriminant model. The two-variable logit model, resulting from a forward stepwise selection procedure, correctly predicted 94% of the in-sample restaurant companies and 93% of the out-of-sample firms 1 year prior to bankruptcy. Although the results show that the two models are equally effective in predicting restaurant bankruptcy, the logit model is preferred for restaurant bankruptcy prediction because of its theoretical soundness. Our estimated logit model suggests that restaurant firms with low earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) and high total liabilities are more likely to go bankrupt. To reduce bankruptcy risk, restaurant operators should not only adopt a prudent financing policy but also have tight operating cost control to increase EBIT.
Pif1 Helicase Directs Eukaryotic Okazaki Fragments toward the Two-nuclease Cleavage Pathway for Primer Removal

Eukaryotic Okazaki fragment maturation requires complete removal of the initiating RNA primer before ligation occurs. Polymerase δ (Pol δ) extends the upstream Okazaki fragment and displaces the 5′-end of the downstream primer into a single nucleotide flap, which is removed by FEN1 nuclease cleavage. This process is repeated until all RNA is removed. However, a small fraction of flaps escapes cleavage and grows long enough to be coated with RPA and requires the consecutive action of the Dna2 and FEN1 nucleases for processing. Here we tested whether RPA inhibits FEN1 cleavage of long flaps as proposed. Surprisingly, we determined that RPA binding to long flaps made dynamically by polymerase δ only slightly inhibited FEN1 cleavage, apparently obviating the need for Dna2. Therefore, we asked whether other relevant proteins promote long flap cleavage via the Dna2 pathway. The Pif1 helicase, implicated in Okazaki maturation from genetic studies, improved flap displacement and increased RPA inhibition of long flap cleavage by FEN1. These results suggest that Pif1 accelerates long flap growth, allowing RPA to bind before FEN1 can act, thereby inhibiting FEN1 cleavage. Therefore, Pif1 directs long flaps toward the two-nuclease pathway, requiring Dna2 cleavage for primer removal.
University Faculty Gender Roles Perceptions.

Gender role preferences for Ideal Woman and Ideal Man and perceptions of Most Women, Most Men and Self were surveyed in 400 faculty women and men, of which 83% were Caucasian, 9% Hispanic, 4% African-American, and 3% Asian. Both women and men faculty preferred an androgynous Ideal Woman, but a masculine Ideal Man. Similarly, faculty women described themselves as androgynous, while men described themselves as masculine. Both women and men perceive Most Women and Men as sex-typed. Women and men faculty preferences and perceptions were generally very similar.
The suitability of ferric potassium ferrocyanide as a perfusate in cholinesterase histochemistry: ultrastructural and biochemical observations.

When perfused through an animal immediately after death, ferric potassium ferrocyanide does not pass into or across endothelial cells and does not inhibit tissue cholinesterases. Perfusion of a 2% aqueous solution of the compound offers a convenient and easy method for recognizing the relationship of structures, demonstrated by cholinesterase histochemistry, to injected vessels.
A Linear Programming Model of Integrated Iron and Steel Production

Integrated steel mills usually have a choice over the use of various materials and production processes. Different ores may be used in the production of iron; steel scrap and iron can be used in different proportions in the production of steel. The economical usage rate of all materials is a function of numerous variables, among which the market price of some materials, notably of various grades of steel scrap, fluctuates and therefore requires a periodic determination of the economical usage rate. This is a typical problem for programming. The paper presents a mathematical formulation of the stages of iron and steel production to determine the optimal least cost rate of input of materials. The models of the various stages of production are connected to form a “master model” of an integrated steel mill.
A simple beam positioning system for low energy electrons

Abstract A servo system utilizing fabricated steering coils has been devised to hold the electron beam from a 4 MeV Van de Graaff accelerator on the entrance slit of a magnet system used for high momentum resolution. It performs extremely well.
The placebo effect: I. Situational anxiety and model behavior

The placebo effect is a strong phenomenon not dependent on the anxiety state of the S or a model’s behavior for its existence. Ss do, however, seem to use the behavior of others as a reference point for judging their own internal state. When the model’s behavior is perceived as being close to the S’s, assimilation of perceived behavior characteristics occurs. If the model’s behavior is perceived as distant from the S’s own internal state, there seems to be a contrast effect; he perceives himself as markedly different from the model.
Rejoinder: in the United States of America, in Both Our Souls and Our Sciences, We Are Avoiding White Racism:

[T]he time has passed when the so-called race question can be relegated to secondary or tertiary theoretical significance. In fact, to take seriously the multi-leveled oppression of peoples of color is to raise fundamental questions regarding the very conditions for the possibility of the modern West, the diverse forms and styles of European rationality and the character of the prevailing modern secular mythologies of nationalism, professionalism, scientism, consumerism and sexual hedonism that guide everyday practices around the world. (West, 1993, p. 251)
Inhibition of the sodium-retaining influence of aldosterone by progesterone.

Progesterone in a dosage of 50 mg. per day elicited a pronounced natriuretic response in a, woman with Addison’s disease who was treated with aldosterone and cortisone. After the aldosterone had been discontinued, the same amount of progesterone had no influence on urinary sodium excretion. In acute studies performed in 2 other adrenal-deficient subjects, 150 mg. of progesterone nullified the sodium-retaining effect of a slow intravenous infusion of 20 micrograms of aldosterone. Under the same circumstances, progesterone alone had no influence on urinary sodium excretion. The same quantity of progesterone failed to block the effect of 40 or 50 micrograms of aldosterone. These results were interpreted as demonstrating that progesterone is an antagonist of aldosterone, presumably at the level of the renal tubules. It was accordingly assumed that the natriuretic influence of progesterone in normal subjects is due to the inhibition of endogenous aldosterone. In any consideration of the control of sodium metab...
Gerald Westheimer: A Paradigm for Excellence in Vision Science Research

Professor Gerald Westheimer has made enormous contributions to the field of vision science while introducing some of the most innovative and respected vision research of the twentieth century. Dr. Westheimer’s achievements have been enhanced by an equally stellar reputation as a teacher and mentor. This biography and interview span 83 years of Dr. Westheimer’s professional and personal life, from his childhood in Germany to his accomplishments at the University of California. (Optom Vis Sci 2007;84:E829–E838)
The RRADS platform: a real road autonomous driving simulator

This platform paper introduces a methodology for simulating an autonomous vehicle on open public roads. The paper outlines the technology and protocol needed for running these simulations, and describes an instance where the Real Road Autonomous Driving Simulator (RRADS) was used to evaluate 3 prototypes in a between-participant study design. 35 participants were interviewed at length before and after entering the RRADS. Although our study did not use overt deception---the consent form clearly states that a licensed driver is operating the vehicle---the protocol was designed to support suspension of disbelief. Several participants who did not read the consent form clearly strongly believed that they were interacting with a fully autonomous vehicle.The RRADS platform provides a lens onto the attitudes and concerns that people in real-world autonomous vehicles might have, and also points to ways that a protocol deliberately using misdirection can gain ecologically valid reactions from study participants.
Applications of Gallium Nitride in power electronics

The electrical properties of Gallium Nitride (GaN) offer several advantages over Silicon (Si) for creating switching devices for power electronics. Already this emerging technology is showing improvements in power density and efficiency in certain applications. The following paper reviews the current state of the art of GaN devices. It discusses challenges in implementation, such as the mistriggers that result from dV/dt's across the miller capacitance. It examines third quadrant operation for negative gate to source voltages. A strategy for mounting devices from Efficient Power Conversion is provided. Finally, two switched capacitor circuits are presented with experimental results. The first is a voltage doubler operating at 893 kHz with a peak power of 480 W and an efficiency of 94.4 %. The second is a three-phase, three-level inverter with preliminary test results operating at 300 kHz.
Immunochemical characterization of antisera reactivities toN-acetyl-d-glucosamine oligosaccharides with theβ(1–4)-glycosidic linkage

The β(1–4)-linked oligosaccharides ofN-acetyl-d-glucosamine (GlcNAc) isolated from chitin were used to prepare synthetic immunogens and antigens by reductive amination of (GicNAc)n to bovine serum albumin (BSA). The rabbit antisera produced to the (GlcNAc)n-BSA conjugates were characterized using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) system under conditions that, only the antibodies with carbohydrate specificity were reactive with the solid-phase adsorbed (GlcNAc)n-BSA antigens. Inhibition assays using the (GlcNAc)n-BSA, (GlcNAc)n oligosaccharides, and the reduced oligosaccharides showed a relative specificity of the antisera for the chain length of the (GlcNAc)n sequences. For example, the anti-(GlcNAc)5-and anti-(GlcNAc)4-sera were inhibited best by the longer chain (GlcNAc)n ologosaccharides with the antibody combining sites directed mainly to the cyclic GlcNAc residues of the (GlcNAc)n-BSA conjugates. The antibody combining sites were in part directed to the acyclic moiety of the reducing end of the oligosaccharides as shown by the increased inhibitory activities of the reduced (GlcNAc)n oligosaccharides particularly, with the anti-(GlcNAc)2-and anti-(GlcNAc)3-sera. The best hapten inhibitors for the anti-(GlcNAc)2-BSA and anti-(GlcNAc)1-BSA sera were theN-butylamine derivatives of (GlcNAc)2 and (GlcNAc)1, respectively, indicating that the antibodies were also reactive with the secondary amine formed between the reducing end of the oligosaccharides and the e-amino groups of lysine.
Sea turtles, lobsters, and oceanic magnetic maps

Numerous marine animals can sense the Earth's magnetic field and use it as a cue in orientation and navigation. Two distinct types of information can potentially be extracted from the Earth's field. Directional or compass information enables animals to maintain a consistent heading in a particular direction such as north or south. In contrast, positional or map information can be used by animals to assess geographic location and, in some cases, to navigate to specific target areas. Marine animals exploit magnetic positional information in at least two different ways. For hatchling loggerhead sea turtles, regional magnetic fields function as open-sea navigational markers, eliciting changes in swimming direction at crucial points in the migratory route. Older sea turtles, as well as spiny lobsters, use magnetic information in a more complex way, exploiting it as a component of a classical navigational map, which permits an assessment of position relative to specific geographic destinations. These “magnetic ...
Illustrative Problems in College‐Level Grading

Data from several institutional studies on collegiate grading are presented and warrant the following conclusions: Overtly, grading appears to be uniform and constant, but rising ability levels of students raise a question about consistency. This nonyielding grading distribution makes sequence courses particularly demanding. Wide variations in grade averages in multiple section courses again open up questions about consistency, especially because these fluctuations show no apparent relationship to student quality. Wide variations in grade averages for similar courses also raise questions about the meaningfulness of resulting grades.
Foreign currency option values

Foreign exchange options are a recent market innovation. The standard Black-Scholes option-pricing model does not apply well to foreign exchange options, since multiple interest rates are involved in ways differing from the Black-Scholes assumptions. The present paper develops alternative assumptions leading to valuation formulas for foreign exchange options. These valuation formulas have strong connections with the commodity-pricing model of Black (1976) when forward prices are given, and with the proportional-dividend model of Samuelson and Merton (1969) when spot prices are given.
Jet aircraft emissions during cruise: Present and future

Forecasts of engine exhaust emissions that may be practicably achievable for future commercial aircraft operating at high altitude cruise conditions are compared to cruise emission for present day aircraft. The forecasts are based on: (1) knowledge of emission characteristics of combustors and augmentors; (2) combustion research in emission reduction technology, and (3) trends in projected engine designs for advanced subsonic or supersonic commercial aircraft. Recent progress that was made in the evolution of emissions reduction technology is discussed.
The Impact of Type of Out-of-Court Disclosure in a Child Sexual Assault Trial:

This study investigated the impact of type of out-of-court disclosure in a child sexual assault case involving a 6-year-old alleged victim. Community participants read a fictional criminal trial summary of a child sexual assault case in which the alleged victim's out-of-court disclosure of the assault was: (a) complete on two occasions or (b) incomplete at first, but later included the full account of the incident. The results showed that there were more guilty verdicts, higher ratings of the defendant's guilt, and greater belief of the alleged victim when there was full disclosure on two occasions compared to when there was a delay in full disclosure. These results are discussed in terms of the impact the nature of out-of-court disclosure can have when a child testifies in a sexual assault case.
Women and crime in the United States: A Marxian explanation

The paper briefly reviews the leading theories of female crime causation that surfaced in the twentieth century and proposes an alternative, theoretical orientation using a Marxian approach. This explanation uses existing theoretical and empirical studies to account for: 1) the means by which women are defined as criminal, 2) the class relationship between female criminals and the general population of women, and 3) the system by which control over both the population of female criminals and the general population of women is legitimized. The paper also examines the relationship between the victimization of women and the opportunity structure as class‐based.
Introduction by David Hanlon

For all intents and purposes, the Russian presence in the Pacific Islands ended with the last of the great exploring expeditions in the early nineteenth century. Since its establishment in 1917, the Soviet Union has found itself blocked by international rivalries from reestablishing any substantive contact with the peoples of the Pacific Islands. Political considerations have not prevented Soviet scholars from writing about the islands, however. In recent years, Soviet scholarship on the area has proved particularly prolific. Because of problems with translation and access, much of this work has gone unnoticed by specialists from other parts of the world. The resulting breakdown in a scholarly exchange of ideas has worked to the disadvantage of all. In a laudable move, Soviet Studies in History attempts to reopen long-neglected channels of communication. The articles contained in this issue, contributed by members of the Institute of Oriental Studies's Department of Problems of the Pacific Ocean, provide ...
Longitudinal dispersion of matter due to the stokes layer: Its time-dependence in the case of an instantaneous point-source

Longitudinal dispersion from an instantaneous point-source in an oscillatory current with a Stoke layer is investigated theoretically using a simplified two-dimensional model. This study introduces a new definition of the variance expressing the degree of mixing at the initial stage in the point-source case, and reveals that the Stokes layer can induce a large dispersion coefficient during the initial stage in the case where the released point is at the solid boundary (bottom) producing the Stokes layer. Furthermore, this study shows that the dispersion coefficient is independent of the depth during the initial first period but is inversely proportional to the depth at the stationary stage.
OXIDATION OF INDOLEACETIC ACID BY A HOMOGENEOUS TOMATO FRUIT PEROXIDASE

A purified, homogeneous tomato fruit peroxidase was used to study the oxidation of indoleacetic acid (IAA) in the presence of a phenolic compound and managanese. The reaction was completely inhibited by potassium cyanide and sodium meta-bisulfite when these compounds were added initially. However, when these compounds were added after the reaction had begun, potassium cyanide did not completely inhibit whereas sodium meta-bisulfite did. Also, the ultraviolet spectrum of the reaction products indicated that methyleneoxindole was the primary product. Several monophenols were capable of serving as cofactors, but o-dihydroxyphenols were inhibitors of IAA oxidation by tomato peroxidase. The inhibition was characterized by an extension of the induction period after which oxidation proceeded as normal. These results suggest that IAA oxidation by tomato fruit peroxidase proceeds autocatalytically via a free radical mechanism and that o-dihy-droxyphenols could be serving as chain-stopping agents. The changes in the phenolic pool during fruit development could affect IAA oxidation and be related to the fruit ripening process.
Effectiveness of Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment for Panic Disorder Versus Treatment as Usual in a Managed Care Setting: 2-Year Follow-Up

Eighty clients meeting criteria for panic disorder and receiving either panic control therapy (PCT; M. G. Craske, E. Meadows, & D. H. Barlow, 1994) or treatment as usual (TAU) in a managed care setting were assessed 1 and 2 years following acute treatment. PCT was provided by therapists with little or no previous exposure to cognitive-behavioral therapies. Analyses of the full intent-to-treat sample revealed no significant differences between the treatments across the follow-up period. However, when treatment completer status was added as a moderator, those receiving PCT showed lower levels of panic severity and phobic avoidance and a greater likelihood of achieving and maintaining clinically significant change. Benzodiazepine use during follow-up was associated with greater panic severity for those clients who received PCT, but no such relationship was found for TAU clients. Results are discussed in relation to the dissemination and effectiveness of PCT as well as evidence-based psychotherapies more generally.
Optimization for Simulation: LAD Accelerator

The goal of this paper is to address the problem of evaluating the performance of a system running under unknown values for its stochastic parameters. A new approach called LAD for Simulation, based on simulation and classification software, is presented. It uses a number of simulations with very few replications and records the mean value of directly measurable quantities (called observables). These observables are used as input to a classification model that produces a prediction for the performance of the system. Application to an assemble-to-order system from the literature is described and detailed results illustrate the strength of the method.
PERINATAL BRAIN METABOLISM: EFFECTS OF ANOXIA AND ISCHEMIA

Resistance to anoxia is characteristic of developing nervous tissue, and is most pronounced in the fetus. Whether this tolerance resides in differences in structural-functional maturity or in metabolic factors i.e. “resting” levels of cerebral energy reserves, rates of energy utilization, or glycolytic capacity is unresolved. Fetal rats at term, delivered by maternal decapitation and hysterotomy, survive in N2, at 37°C (LD85=50 min) twice as long as 1-day (1D) and 5 times as long as 7-day (7D) postnatal rats. Total energy reserves in quick-frozen forebrains [˜P=2(ATP)+ADP+P-creatine+2(glucose)+2.9 (glycogen)] of fetuses (27.0 mM/Kg) were 11% and 13% higher than in 1D and 7D rats, owing chiefly to differences in glycogen. Following decapitation, lactate accumulated in fetal and 1D brain in linear fashion up to 5 min (maximal glycolytic flux), but at a greater rate in fetuses (0.97 vs 0.69 mM/Kg/ min). In 7D rats maximal lactate production (1.94 mM/Kg/min) occurred from 1-2 min, following a lag. From the changes in preformed and potential cerebral energy stores during ischemia initial rates of energy consumption (metabolic rate) were obtained (Lowry et al, 1964). In fetal and 1D rats, energy consumption was linear for 5 min with slopes of 1.57 and 1.33 mM ˜;P/Kg/min, respectively. In 7D rats energy use was linear for only 2 min and about twice as fast (2.58). Thus, in postnatal (1D and 7D) rats anoxic survival and cerebral energy consumption were inversely related; no such correlation was observed for fetal animals. (Supported by NIH #NS-03346)
Orientation of sickled erythrocytes in a magnetic field.

A HYPOTHESIS of a molecular mechanism of sickled erythrocyte formation was presented in a previous communication1. It was based on an earlier observation2 that the de-oxygenated sickle cell haemolysate forms a gel at 38° but, contrary to our usual experience, it ‘melts’ (or liquefies) on cooling to 0°. Afterwards, the problem was investigated further by means of optical rotatory dispersion investigations at 0° and 38°; it was concluded that at 38° the amino-terminal valyl residue interlocks with the genetically interchanged valyl residue at position 6 in the β-chain, allowing cyclization from carbonyl of the first valyl to the NH of the fourth threonyl by hydrogen bonding. Interaction between the two valyl side-chain residues is due to hydrophobic bonding (Fig. 1, ref. 1). If this hypothesis is correct, then a simple hydrophobic molecule such as propane, which is similar in structure to the valyl side-chain residue, could ‘melt’ the gel of the sickle cell haemolysate at 38° by a process of transferring the hydrophobic bonds. It was found experimentally that propane, ethane and methane can ‘melt’ the gel; these alkane gases can also ‘unsickle’ sickled erythrocytes1.
Local Explanations of Landscape Patterns: Can Analytical Approaches Approximate Simulation Models of Spatial Processes?

Research over the last 100 years has demonstrated the importance of space for ecological processes. Given this importance, it may seem natural to start investigations into broad-scale ecological processes with a comprehensive, broad-scale spatial map. Here we argue that it may sometimes be possible to answer important questions about spatial processes using crude spatial information obtained when a comprehensive map is not available. To present our argument, we first develop a simple simulation model for a perennial plant reproducing and dying on a landscape with different arrangements of suitable and unsuitable sites. We then develop a simple, analytical approximation to predict the fraction of suitable sites that are occupied by the simulated plants. The analytical approximation summarizes the spatial map by using a single parameter that gives the probability that a site adjacent to a suitable site is suitable. Comparing the predictions of both approaches highlights three points: (a) The role of the spatial environment in ecological processes may play out at the local scale. Therefore, studying the local-scale processes may provide insights into landscape patterns. (b) The predictions from the analytical approximation fail noticeably when suitable sites are rare and are distributed randomly (rather than clumped) on the map. In these situations, patches of interconnected suitable sites are very small, and populations within small patches may go extinct via demographic stochasticity. This illustrates how analytical approximations can be used to identify cases when local-scale spatial processes are not sufficient to understand the ecological consequences of space. (c) For many natural systems, constructing the appropriate environmental map needed to study ecological processes is difficult or impossible. However, summary characteristics such as those employed by the analytical approximation may be estimated directly in nature. Therefore, even in the absence of an explicitly spatial broad-scale map, it may be possible to study spatial processes by understanding which local-scale characteristics of space are important.
Nucleation and Crystallization of Na2O · 2CaO · 3SiO2 Glass by Differential Thermal Analysis

DTA is presently used to characterize the nucleation and crystallization processes of the Na2O-2CaO-3SiO2 glass. A nucleation rate-temperaturelike curve is obtained by plotting either the reciprocal of the temperature corresponding to the crystallization peak maximum, or the height of the crystallization peak, as a function of nucleation temperature. The nucleation-temperature range for this glass composition, 550-650 C, and the maximum nucleation temperature of 600 + or - 5 C, are found to be in excellent agreement with those associated with the classical nucleation technique, followed by isothermal crystallization. It is noted that when most of the nucleation occurs during the DTA measurements, a modified Kissinger equation must be used to calculate the crystallization energy.
Problem-based learning: An assessment of its feasibility and cost

As our knowledge of human biology becomes more complex and the medical school applicant pool declines, there is ample reason to consider an alternative to the conventional medical curriculum. Many authorities feel that a format incorporating problem-based learning (PBL) would be more appropriate and effective. The problem-based medical curriculum is one in which facts and principles are learned in the context of a clinical problem. Problem-based medical education began as a revision of the McMaster University medical curriculum in 1969 and was instituted in the United States as a problem-based experimental track at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine in 1979. The first completely integrated, totally problem-based, McMaster-type, medical curriculum in the United States began operation in 1982 with the establishment of Mercer University School of Medicine. Many years of experience at these three institutions have shown that the problem-based curriculum works well. Several medical schools throughout the world are either practicing PBL or investigating the feasibility of adopting it. A comparison of the costs (in faculty time) of problem-based and conventional pathology programs suggests that the PBL curriculum is quite feasible for schools with a class size of 60 or less and may be so for many schools and programs with classes of less than 100.
Compound heterozygous mutation with a novel splice donor region DNA sequence variant in the succinate dehydrogenase subunit B gene in malignant paraganglioma.

Pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma (PGL) are extremelyrare neuroendocrine tumors in children. The WHO classiﬁcationconsiders pheochromocytoma to arise from the adrenal medullawhile PGL are tumors arising from the sympathetic or para-sympathetic autonomic ganglia outside the adrenal gland (extra-adrenalpheochromocytoma)[1].PheochromocytomaandPGLmaybe either syndrome-related or sporadic. Syndromes that may occurwithpheochromocytomaincludemultipleendocrineneoplasiatype2 (MEN2), von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease and rarely neuro-ﬁbromatosis type 1 (NF1), and are associated with germlinemutationsoftheRET,VHL,andNFgenes,respectively.Inaddition,familial PGL syndromes characterized by a positive family historyof paraganglioma are associated with germline mutations in thegenes that encode the B, C, and D subunits of the mitochondrialcomplex II enzyme succinate dehydrogenase (SDHB, SDHC, andSDHDgenes)[2,3].IthasbeenshownthatevenapparentlysporadiccasesofPGLarestronglyassociatedwithgermlinemutationsintheSDHgene[4].Furthermore,patientswithmalignantPGLfrequentlyharborgermlinemutationsintheSDHBgene[5].MalignantPGLisfrequent in children with a PGL diameter >6cm and apparentlysporadic disease [6]. Here we describe a child who presented withdiffusely metastatic PGL with compound heterozygous mutationleading toanovel splice donorregionDNAsequencevariant intheSDHB gene.
The predictive value of race as a clinical prognostic factor among patients with clinically localized prostate cancer: A multivariate analysis of positive surgical margins

Abstract Objectives Several investigators have reported that African-American men with clinically localized prostate cancer have poorer survival than do white men. In addition, prostate cancer in African-American men is commonly diagnosed at a more advanced stage of disease. Is race or ethnicity predictive of outcome of clinically localized prostate cancer? It has been reported that the presence of positive surgical margins significantly influences time to progression independently of other prognostic factors. Therefore, we have elected to conduct a multivariate analysis of clinical factors including race as potential predictors of positive surgical margin outcome. Methods We studied 369 consecutive men (120 African-American and 249 white) who had radical prostatectomies at a single institution. Comparisons by race of Gleason score, stage, presence of positive surgical margins, and mean preoperative prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level were carried out. Results Our data demonstrate that African-American men have more pathologically locally advanced prostate cancer than do white American men: 69% among blacks compared with 57% among whites. However, the difference in rate of positive surgical margins between blacks and whites is statistically significant: 58% among blacks versus 40% among whites ( P = 0.002). Four factors were predictive of positive surgical margins: preoperative PSA level, race, clinical stage, and Gleason score. Conclusions We have demonstrated that race is an independent predictor of positive surgical margins among patients with clinically localized prostate cancer and should be included in treatment decisions. In addition, the risk of positive surgical margins increases noticeably when PSA is greater than 10 ng/mL.
Justification, Good Works, and Creation in Clement of Rome's Appropriation of Romans 5–6*

In 1 Clement 32–33, Romans 5–6 is alluded to in a summary statement concerning justification by faith (32.4), followed by two rhetorical questions that stress the ethical implications of this confession (33.1). These allusions to Romans are punctuated by an appeal for readers to imitate the pattern of good works established by God during creation (33.2-8). This article contends that the difference between Romans 5–6 and one of the earliest Christian readings of these chapters is not accidental, for the ethical appeal in 1 Clement 33 reflects the author's distinct cosmological perspective and rhetorical aims.
Multi-elemental epithermal neutron activation analysis using an internal single comparator

Epithermal neutron activation analysis using an internal single comparator has been used for the analysis of Saudi Arabian iron ores. The concentration of thorium, barium, terbium, tantalum, cobalt, lanthanum and antimony was determined using iron in the ore as an internal comparator for all the elements. In case of antimony there was an agreement between this method and the conventional method indicating that the given method is accurate.
Problems and solutions for the integration of glomalean taxonomy, systematic biology, and the study of endomycorrhizal phenomena

Complete explanations of mycorrhizal phenomena require knowledge of phylogenetic relationships among the fungal as well as the plant symbionts. Such interpretations derive from systematic analyses, which in turn depend on a strong taxonomic data base. Glomalean taxonomy is still in the formative stages of exploration and documentation of fungal diversity, but it is undermined by inattention to the biological properties of an unwieldy fungal organism and an inability or unwillingness to obtain living germ plasm for comparative analyses. Few published descriptions are accurate and the type method in its present form has failed to provide a fixed reference point for restudy. New discoveries are in danger of being redundant and inconsequential unless a high priority is placed on re-evaluation of known taxa. Systematic studies also are jeopardized by taxonomic deficiencies. Yet a phylogenetic perspective is essential to understand the fungal organism, define population and species concepts, formulate speciation and biogeographic process theories, and restructure classification to reflect evolutionary trends. A phylogeny is in place as a tool for making rigorous morphological, ontogenetic, ecological, physiological, and molecular comparisons. The International Culture Collection of Arbuscular and Vesicular-arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi is a resource that can provide culturable homogeneous germ plasm for these kinds of experiments, nonliving specimens as known references for taxonomic investigations, and combinations of materials to aid in the understanding of the scope of fungal diversity. As causal connections between patterns of fungal diversification and mycorrhizal phenomena become known through all of these efforts, research results in systematics and other disciplines can be unified and incorporated into more universal theories.
Incidence of downstaging and complete remission after neoadjuvant chemotherapy for high-risk upper tract transitional cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The authors evaluated the incidence of pathologic downstaging and complete remission (CR) in patients with high-grade ureteral and renal pelvic transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) (upper tract TCC) who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery. METHODS: The study group comprised patients with biopsy-demonstrated, high-grade disease who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by nephrouterectomy from 2004 to 2008, during which time patients uniformly were considered for neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The control group comprised patients with biopsy-demonstrated, high-grade disease who underwent initial nephroureterectomy from 1993 to 2004, when patients uniformly underwent initial surgery. Multiple clinical and pathologic features were evaluated, and the primary endpoint was pathologic tumor classification. RESULTS: One hundred seven patients in the control group underwent initial surgery, and 43 patients in the study group received neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Baseline demographics were similar between the groups except for a higher rate of sessile tumor architecture in the study group (72.1% vs 49.5%; P = .018). There was significant downstaging in study group patients compared with the historic control group (P = .004). The incidence of tumors classified as pathologic T2 (pT2) or as pT3 or higher was significantly lower in the study group (pT2, 65.4% vs 48.8%; P = .043; pT3 or higher, 47.7% vs 27.9%; P = .029). Fourteen percent of patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy had a pathologic CR. CONCLUSIONS: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy was associated with a 14% CR rate and a significant rate of downstaging. While longer follow-up is awaited for survival data to mature, the current data provide justification for the sustained support of trials using this strategy. Cancer 2010. © 2010 American Cancer Society.
Competition Among Physicians, Revisited

Ten years ago we developed a model of demand inducement in the physician services market and explored the properties of that model. We found that predictions concerning physicians' prices, workloads, and income were ambiguous and in many cases were consistent with those derived from a standard monopoly pricing model. Spurred in part by our work, numerous empirical studies of the demand inducement model have been conducted. These studies found little evidence of demand inducement for primary care physician services. Demand inducement may exist in the market for surgical services, but its extent is less than previously estimated. We disagree with those who say that physicians generate demand to avoid price controls and that national health care spending is proportional to the number of physicians; the evidence does not support these arguments. Substantial uncertainty may surround the physician's choice of diagnosis and treatment mode. However, this does not imply a breakdown of the agency relationship. In this paper we extend our earlier model of demand inducement to include variations in the quantity of services (which was previously assumed to be less than socially ideal). Using the model, we conclude that the major objection to government price setting is not that physicians will get around the controls by inducing demand; rather, price controls result in a quantity and quality of physicians' services that is not ideal and may be inferior to those provided in an unregulated monopoly.
The bipolar junction transistor in saturation

The analytical equations of collector and base currents and emitter base and collector base diffusion capacitances of the bipolar junction transistor in saturation have been reviewed and updated. Comparisons of three base profiles (uniform, exponential, and Gaussian) in terms of electron current density, transconductance, diffusion capacitance, and base transit time are presented.
Choosing Appropriate Medical Care for the Elderly

Decisions about what constitutes appropriate medical care are increasingly necessary in an aging society. Neither patient autonomy, physician beliefs, nor health services research alone can adequately define reasonable care for the individual patient. A new framework is proposed for determining reasonable medical care that involves 4 steps: (1) patients prioritize their goals of care (prolongation of life, maintenance of function, and maximization of comfort); (2) physicians assign a pathway of care based on the patient's prioritization of goals (longevous, ameliorative, or palliative); (3) expert panels define a range of feasible interventions for each pathway; and (4) medical problems are treated with interventions consistent with the pathway chosen. The pathway system has the potential for defining reasonable care by balancing the patient's view, the physician's view, and evidence from the clinical literature.
VALUATION OF LIFE INSURANCE ASSETS

s of Doctoral Dissertations 81 accuracy of this comparison depends upon the standards used in arriving at a valuation. A fourth reason for assigning values to life company's assets is to indicate trends. As values vary through time, trends are indicated both with respect to individual asset items and to all assets combined. The appreciation or depreciation of individual items is of particular importance to company management. Management is charged with the responsibility of investing the funds intrusted to it in such a way that they will be secure; that they will provide for future claims; that they will provide the highest income consistent with the prior considerations. If significant differences are detected, gradual shifts may be made with greater concentrations in those areas which best meet their require-
Effects of pituitary stalk-transection and type of barrier on pituitary and luteal function during the estrous cycle of the ewe

Effects of pituitary stalk-transection on plasma concentrations of luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) prolactin (PRL) and progesterone were investigated during the estrous cycle of ewes. Pituitary stalk (SS) or sham (SH) transection was performed on day 1 (estrus = day 0) of the estrous cycle. A Teflon or Silastic barrier was placed between the cut ends of the stalk to prevent reorganization of the portal vasculature. Immediately following surgery, pulsatile administration of gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH, 200 ng/hr) or .9% NaCl was initiated and continued for the duration of the experiment. Estradiol benzoate (EB, 50 μg im) was administered to all ewes on day 3. Mean concentrations of LH were greater in SS ewes than in SH ewes (P<.05). There was a trend (P=.06) for the concentration of LH to be higher in ewes with Teflon compared with Silastic barriers between the cut ends of the stalk. Infusion of GnRH elevated concentrations of LH in both SS and SH ewes (P<.05). Concentrations of progesterone were reduced (P<.01) in saline-infused SS ewes while infusion of GnRH in SS ewes maintained concentrations of progesterone similar to saline-infused SH ewes. The concentrations of FSH or PRL were unaffected by SS, type of barrier or treatment with GnRH. Administration of EB failed to induce a surge of LH except in a SH ewe infused with GnRH. Ewes were more responsive to infusion of GnRH following SS than after SH as reflected by increased plasma concentrations of LH and progesterone.
An active cavity model for flashing

Abstract A theoretical wall cavity model is developed based on the physics of the nucleation phenomena in flashing. The model predicts a one-sided activation criterion where the minimum active cavity size is obtained as a function of the waiting period. In this model, transient conduction is considered to be the sole means of the heat transfer from the superheated liquid to the vapor bubble. It is shown that the minimum active cavity size decreases with increasing waiting time between bubbles.
Life-cycle valuation of social security and pension wealth

Abstract The proper valuation of annuity wealth is important for many empirical studies of economic behavior and the distribution of wealth and well-being. This paper examines Bernheim's argument that the value of Social Security benefit streams should be determined by simple discounting, rather than by actuarial discounting, when consumers behave according to life-cycle principles. In a model having a more realistic mortality structure than his, we document the poor performance of both methods for a broad range of parameter values.
ent-Steroids: Novel Tools for Studies of Signaling Pathways

Membrane receptors are often modulated by steroids and it is necessary to distinguish the effects of steroids at these receptors from effects occurring at nuclear receptors. Additionally, it may also be mechanistically important to distinguish between direct effects caused by binding of steroids to membrane receptors and indirect effects on membrane receptor function caused by steroid perturbation of the membrane containing the receptor. In this regard, ent-steroids, the mirror images of naturally occurring steroids, are novel tools for distinguishing between these various actions of steroids. The review provides a background for understanding the different actions that can be expected of steroids and ent-steroids in biological systems, references for the preparation of ent-steroids, a short discussion about relevant forms of stereoisomerism and the requirements that need to be fulfilled for the interaction between two molecules to be enantioselective. The review then summarizes results of biophysical, biochemical and pharmacological studies published since 1992 in which ent-steroids have been used to investigate the actions of steroids in membranes and/or receptor-mediated signaling pathways.
Dynamic maintenance of asymmetric meiotic spindle position through Arp2/3-complex-driven cytoplasmic streaming in mouse oocytes.

Mammalian oocyte maturation involves two asymmetric meiotic divisions that require the positioning of the meiotic spindle near the cortical area from which the extrusion of the polar bodies occurs. Li and colleagues show that the nucleating activity of the Arp2/3 complex, localized at the cortical actin cap, induces actin-filament flow away from the complex, creating a cytoplasmic streaming that pushes the spindle towards the cortex.
Outpatient management of febrile neutropenia associated with cancer chemotherapy: risk stratification and treatment review.

Purpose Strategies for the management of chemotherapy-induced febrile neutropenia (FN), including assessment tools for determining which patients are at low risk for FN complications and can be treated in the outpatient setting, are discussed. Summary Due to the potential for life-threatening complications, the development of FN in patients receiving cancer chemotherapy traditionally prompted hospitalization and i.v. antimicrobial therapy, but there is convincing published evidence that an identifiable subset of patients can be safely treated as outpatients. Two validated assessment tools recommended for identifying patients at low risk for FN complications are the Talcott classification system and the Multinational Association for Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) risk index; the MASCC index is superior in terms of sensitivity and negative predictive value but has lower specificity. In low-risk FN cases, outpatient oral antimicrobial therapy has been shown to be a safe and effective alternative to i.v. therapy for both inpatients and outpatients; current practice guidelines recommend an oral fluoroquinolone (e.g., ciprofloxacin) in combination with oral amoxicillin–clavulanate. The guidelines emphasize that in certain cases of FN (e.g., those involving prolonged or pronounced neutropenia or serious comorbidities), inpatient i.v. therapy is required. Conclusion Pharmacists can play an important role in the management of chemotherapy-associated FN through involvement in risk assessment to identify candidates for outpatient oral antimicrobial therapy, selection of appropriate pharmacotherapy, drug therapy monitoring, and development of institutional guidelines or pathways.