cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Novel Four-Color PCR Assay to Assess T-Cell Receptor Gamma Gene Rearrangements in Lymphoproliferative Lesions

We describe a novel 4-color polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay combined with GeneScan analysis to assess for T-cell receptor gamma chain gene (TCRgamma) rearrangements and evaluate its usefulness in 86 lymphoproliferative lesions. In this assay, each variable region (Vgamma) family primer is 5' end-labeled with a different fluorescent dye, allowing determination of the Vgamma family involved in each TCRgamma rearrangement. PCR products were analyzed by capillary electrophoresis. We detected clonal TCRgamma rearrangements in 60 (98%) of 61 T-cell lymphomas, 2 (15%) of 13 B-cell lymphomas, and 3 (25%) of 12 reactive lesions. These results compared favorably with conventional PCR methods using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, which revealed clonal TCRgamma rearrangements in 37 (90%) of 41 T-cell lymphomas, 1 (25%) of 4 B-cell lymphomas, and 2 (25%) of 8 reactive lesions. This 4-color PCR assay is at least equivalent to conventional PCR methods and is convenient, allows accurate size determination of TCRgamma rearrangements, and identifies the specific Vgamma family involved, providing more specific information about TCRgamma rearrangement.
The Matrix Revolutions: Matrix Metalloproteinase, Vasculogenesis, and Ischemic Tissue Repair

See related article, pages 904–913 The matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) family of Zinc dependent extracellular proteinases regulates development and physiologic events, including branching morphogenesis, angiogenesis, wound healing and extracellular matrix degradation. They are synthesized as secreted or transmembrane proenzymes and processed to an active form by the removal of an amino-terminal propeptide. MMP-2/Gelatinase A, as well as MMP-9/gelatinase B, which belong to the gelatinase subclass of the MMP family, have been shown to play a central role in initiating angiogenesis1,2 and to be upregulated after hindlimb ischemia.3 They are involved in degrading extracellular and basement membrane structures, allowing endothelial migration to occur. In addition, MMPs promote the release of extracellular matrix-bound cytokines, such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which can regulate angiogenesis.4 Both MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression have been shown to be upregulated in bone marrow and peripheral blood derived CD34 positive cells treated by stromal cell derived factor-1.5 Only MMP-9 had been shown to be involved in vasculogenesis and more particularly endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) mobilization. First, MMP-9 has been shown to be upregulated in the bone marrow and necessary for VEGF-, placental growth factor- and by …
On the Abyssal Circulation in the Glacial Atlantic

An inverse method is used to evaluate the information contained in sediment data for the Atlantic basin during the Last Glacial Maximum (defined here as the time interval 18–21 kyr before present). The data being considered are an updated compilation of the isotopic ratios 18 O/ 16 O( � 18 O) and 13 C/ 12 C( � 13 C) of fossil shells of benthic foraminifera (bottom-dwelling organisms). First, an estimate of the abyssal circulation in the modern Atlantic is obtained, which is consistent with (i) climatologies of temperature and salinity of the World Ocean Circulation Experiment, (ii) observational estimates of volume transport at specific locations, and (iii) the statements of a finite-difference geostrophic model. Second, estimates of water properties (� 18 O of equilibrium calcite or � 18 Oc and � 13 C of dissolved inorganic carbon or � 13 CDIC) derived from sediment data are combined with this circulation estimate to test their consistency with the modern flow. It is found that more than approximately 80% of water property estimates (� 18 Oc or � 13 CDIC) are compatible with the modern flow given their uncertainties. The consistency of glacial � 13 CDIC estimates with the modern flow could be rejected after two assumptions are made: (i) the uncertainty in these estimates is �0.1‰ (this uncertainty includes errors in sediment core chronology and oceanic representativity of benthic � 13 C, which alone appears better than this value on average); and (ii) � 13 CDIC in the glacial deep Atlantic was dominated by a balance between water advection and organic C remineralization. Measurements of � 13 C on benthic foraminifera are clearly useful, but the current uncertainties in the distribution and budget of � 13 CDIC in the glacial Atlantic must be reduced to increase the power of the test.
The Influence of Direct Training in Problem Solving on Consultee Problem Clarification Skills and Attributions

This study examines the direct training of teachers in problem-solving skills and its effects on their performance in a consultation-related activity. Thirteen elementary-school teachers participated in a training program that focused on development of problem identification skills and utilization of an ecological perspective to view problems. Six additional teachers served as a control group. The results suggest that the training enhanced teachers' skills in describing problems and reduced the number of inferences they made for the causes of student-related problems. Methodological strengths and limitations of the study are discussed.
Exploring the validity of the Level of Service Inventory-Revised with Native American offenders.

The use of actuarial risk/need assessment tools is an increasingly important part of the correctional landscape. Actuarial tools ideally will provide a valid, dynamic assessment of an offender's overall risk/need level, and will identify their most prevalent criminogenic needs. What results is typically a number or score that can be used to assign an offender to a risk level that is associated with an assumed likelihood of recidivism. Testing the predictive validity of actuarial risk/need assessment tools is of paramount concern, particularly when they are utilized with new (and under-researched) populations. The current study assessed the predictive validity of the Level of Service Inventory-Revised using a sample of Native American and White offenders in a northern midwestern state. Results showed the instrument to have modest predictive validity utilizing the entire sample of offenders, with varying results for subsequent subgroups.
Variations in National Health Care Practices and Behaviours and Their Influence on International Research

Multinational clinical trials are valuable to the understanding of global health problems, but they pose special problems. Our experience with a multinational trial of isoniazid (INH) preventive therapy for tuberculosis revealed marked variation among the seven participating countries in the amount of tuberculosis screening prior to the trial; this variation contributed to the observed differences in the risk of tuberculosis among the countries. The incidence of 'uncooperativeness' and drug side-effects, and the proportion of participants who complied with and completed treatment also varied significantly from country to country. These differences in completion and compliance served to differentially alter the expected risk of tuberculosis among the three regimens being studied. For all factors investigated, variation from country to country was greater than variation from dispensary to dispensary within a country. This suggests that cultural and other national characteristics are more potent determinants of health care practices and behaviours than patient and health care practitioner characteristics.
Photodynamic therapy and anti-tumor immunity.

Background and Objectives: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) efficacy appears to be enhanced in the presence of an intact immune system and PDT has been shown to augment anti-tumor immunity. The mechanisms leading to the enhancement of the host immune response to tumor are unclear. Anti-tumor immunity depends upon the presence of activated antigen presenting cells (APCs). These cells are activated by their recognition of components released by pathogens, viruses, dead cells, and the presence of pro-inflammatory mediators. Activated APCs stimulate the generation of cytokine secreting effector cells. Therefore, we have hypothesized that PDT generated inflammatory mediators and components released from tumor cells killed by PDT results in the activation of APCs capable of stimulating effector T-cell proliferation and cytokine secretion. Study Design/Materials and Methods: To determine the effect of PDT on APCs, tumor draining lymph nodes (TDLNs) of EMT6 or Colo 26 tumor bearing mice were isolated 24 hours after Photofrin-PDT and flow cytometry was used to detect the presence of APCs secreting the T cells stimulatory cytokine, IL-12. APCs were also isolated from TDLNs and used to stimulate T-cell proliferation and secretion of interferon-g (IFN-g). Results: PDT results in an increase in IL-12 expressing APCs in the TDLN. This increase was accompanied by an increase in the ability of APCs isolated from TDLNs of PDT-treated mice to stimulate T-cell proliferation and T-cell secretion of IFN-g. Conclusions: Our results indicate that APCs isolated from PDT-treated mice exhibit an enhanced ability to stimulate T-cell proliferation and IFN-g secretion, suggesting that PDT results in increased APC activity. Lasers Surg. Med. 38:509–515, 2006. 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
THE HEMODYNAMIC EFFECT OF THE VALSALVA MANEUVER IN MUSCULAR STENOSIS.

Abstract A patient with muscular subaortic stenosis underwent hemodynamic studies on four separate occasions. At cardiac catheterization, there was a peak systolic gradient of 10 to 20 mm. Hg between the left ventricle and the brachial artery. The effective orifice size was 2 to 4 square centimeters. This gradient increased to 95 mm. Hg when isoproterenol was infused. During the strain of the Valsalva maneuver a gradient of 95 mm. Hg was induced; this regressed rapidly upon release of straining. Concomitantly, the cardiac output decreased by 61 per cent, and the stroke volume by 69 per cent of resting values. The calculated orifice size was 0.2 square centimeter. When simultaneous left ventricular and brachial arterial pressures were measured in a patient with left ventricular hypertrophy due to hypertension, and in a normotensive patient, no pressure gradient developed between the left ventricle and aorta during the Valsalva maneuver. All the drugs or maneuvers associated with an increase in left ventricular obstruction in muscular subaortic stenosis, including the Valsalva maneuver, have in common a decrease in cardiac size or in end-systolic volume. These findings lend support to the view that, with more complete left ventricular emptying, a greater opportunity is afforded for approximation of the already narrowed ventricular outflow tract, with resultant obstruction in late systole.
The Leeuwenhoek Lecture, 1993: Peptide Vaccines: Dream or Reality?

Small fragments of micro-organisms which elicit protective immune responses have now been identified for several disease-causing agents. This major advance has made it possible to envisage the chemical synthesis of vaccines which could replace those in current use and may also furnish products which cannot be made by traditional methods. In my lecture I will illustrate the principles involved by describing the advances made with synthetic vaccines for foot-and-mouth disease, hepatitis B and malaria.
Parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) induction in reactive astrocytes following brain injury: A possible mediator of CNS inflammation

PTHrP, a peptide induced in parenchymal organs during endotoxemia and in the synovium in rheumatoid arthritis, has recently been shown to be expressed in immature or transformed human astrocytes, but not in normal cells. This finding has led us to postulate that PTHrP might also be induced in reactive astrocytes in inflamed brain and, thus, act as a mediator of CNS inflammation. To test this hypothesis, PTHrP expression was examined following cortical stab wound injury in rats, a classical model of reactive gliosis. To determine whether PTHrP was induced in glia by TNF-alpha, a known mediator of inflammation in brain and of PTHrP induction in peripheral tissues, and to determine whether PTHrP, in turn, mediated inflammatory changes in glia, in vitro studies with rat astrocytes and glial-enriched mixed brain cells were also undertaken. Consistent with previous reports of PTHrP expression in normal brain, neurons were the primary site of immunoreactive PTHrP expression in the injured cortex 1 day after stab wound injury. Over the subsequent 3 days, specific immunostaining for PTHrP and for GFAP, a marker of reactive astrocytes, appeared in reactive astrocytes at the wound edge and in perivascular astrocytes, reaching a maximum level of expression at the last time point examined (day 4). TNF-alpha induced PTHrP expression in astrocyte and glial-enriched brain cells in vitro, suggesting that this pro-inflammatory peptide was a possible mediator of PTHrP expression in CNS inflammation. PTHrP(1-34) acted in an additive fashion with TNF-alpha to induced astrocyte expression of IL-6, a cytokine with demonstrated neuroprotective effects. Astrocyte proliferation was inhibited by PTHrP(1-34) and PTHrP(1-141), acting via a PTH/PTHrP receptor cAMP signaling pathway. These studies suggest that PTHrP, analogous to its regulatory functions in other non-CNS models of inflammation, may be an important mediator of the inflammatory response in brain.
Early finding of chest wall metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma in a woman by fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography scan: a case report.

Introduction: The use of fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography to evaluate well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinomas is facing critical problems. It is reported that the activity of fluorodeoxyglucose6-phosphatase, which converts fluorodeoxyglucose-6-phosphatase to fluorodeoxyglucose, is high in normal liver cells. However, the enzyme-converting activity of glucose-6-phosphatase of well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinomas is similar to normal liver tissue. Thus, using fluorodeoxyglucose in diagnosing primary hepatocellular carcinomas is difficult. However, using fluorodeoxyglucose to detect extrahepatic metastasis of hepatocellular carcinomas is still possible. Case presentation: We describe the case of a 45-year-old Chinese woman who developed a recurrent lesion in the chest wall from a previous surgically resected hepatocellular carcinoma. This recurrent lesion was detected first on the basis of a positron emission tomography scan, then on the basis of a computed tomography scan and other clinical tests. Conclusion: This finding indicates that the positron emission tomography scan is a potentially reliable tool to screen for systemic metastatic disease in patients with hepatocellular carcinomas when other cross-sectional imaging tests such as computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging are negative.
Effects of hyaluronic acid in culture and cytochalasin B treatment before freezing on survival of cryopreserved bovine embryos produced in vitro

One limitation to the widespread use of in vitro-produced embryos in cattle is their poor survival following cryopreservation. Two approaches for enhancing survival of in vitro-produced bovine embryos following cryopreservation were evaluated: culture in the presence of hyaluronic acid and alterations in the cytoskeleton through cytochalasin B treatment. The experiment was a 2×2 factorial design to test main effects of hyaluronic acid added to culture at day 5 after insemination (+or−) and cryopreservation treatment (control or cytochalasin B). Embryos used for cryopreservation were blastocysts and expanded blastocysts harvested on day 7 after insemination. Cytochalasin B increased the percent of embryos that re-expanded (P<0.0001) and that hatched following thawing (P<0.05). The hatching percent was 29.6% for embryos treated with cytochalasin B versus 9.1% for control embryos. There was no significant effect of hyaluronic acid on survival although there was a tendency for embryos cultured with hyaluronic acid to have higher percent hatching if not treated with cytochalasin B (12.7% for hyaluronic acid versus 4.5% for control; hyaluronic acid x cytochalasin B interaction; P=0.09). In conclusion, cytochalasin B treatment before freezing improved cryosurvival of bovine embryos produced in vitro. Such a treatment could be incorporated into methods for cryopreservation of bovine embryos provided post-transfer survival is adequate. In contrast, culture with hyaluronic acid was of minimal benefit—the increased cryosurvival in the absence of cytochalasin B was not sufficient to allow an adequate number of embryos to survive.
“Whitening” and the Changing American Racial Hierarchy

As a result of the increasing number of biracials and multiracials, and White reconstructions of previously non-White skin colors, the Whitening of selected immigrants and especially their children appears to be proceeding. Although there are many studies on the racial identity of biracials, too little research exists on how Whites identify them and light-skinned monoracials, which of these they Whiten, how, and why. Enough is known to suggest that if current trends continue, our picture of the country’s racial hierarchy has to be revised. While Whites will likely remain on top and poor African Americans and other Blacks at the bottom, what happens in the middle cannot now even be guessed at with any hope of accuracy. For that reason alone, empirical and policy-oriented research on White identification patterns is badly needed.
Evaluating the State-of-the-Art in Automatic De-identification

To facilitate and survey studies in automatic de-identification, as a part of the i2b2 (Informatics for Integrating Biology to the Bedside) project, authors organized a Natural Language Processing (NLP) challenge on automatically removing private health information (PHI) from medical discharge records. This manuscript provides an overview of this de-identification challenge, describes the data and the annotation process, explains the evaluation metrics, discusses the nature of the systems that addressed the challenge, analyzes the results of received system runs, and identifies directions for future research. The de-indentification challenge data consisted of discharge summaries drawn from the Partners Healthcare system. Authors prepared this data for the challenge by replacing authentic PHI with synthesized surrogates. To focus the challenge on non-dictionary-based de-identification methods, the data was enriched with out-of-vocabulary PHI surrogates, i.e., made up names. The data also included some PHI surrogates that were ambiguous with medical non-PHI terms. A total of seven teams participated in the challenge. Each team submitted up to three system runs, for a total of sixteen submissions. The authors used precision, recall, and F-measure to evaluate the submitted system runs based on their token-level and instance-level performance on the ground truth. The systems with the best performance scored above 98% in F-measure for all categories of PHI. Most out-of-vocabulary PHI could be identified accurately. However, identifying ambiguous PHI proved challenging. The performance of systems on the test data set is encouraging. Future evaluations of these systems will involve larger data sets from more heterogeneous sources.
Under What Net

In Morality and Art Mrs Foot characterizes the formalist position about morality as holding ‘that a man can choose for himself, so long as he meets the formal requirements of generality and consistency, what his ultimate moral principles are to be’, and says, quite rightly in my opinion, that it is indefensible, ‘implying as it does that we might recognize as a moral system some entirely pointless set of prohibitions or taboos, or activities such as clapping one's hands, not even thought as harmful, aggressive, treacherous, cowardly by the community in which the prohibitions exist’. Then she adds: A moral system seems necessarily to be one aimed at removing particular dangers and securing certain benefits, and it would follow that some things do and some do not count as objections to a line of conduct from a moral point of view.
A framework to support collaboration in heterogeneous environments

We recognize that a variety of tools and groupware used by distributed teams can strongly influence the manner in which team members can obtain awareness of the project. Considering that is often a necessity and even advantageous to use a variety of applications as well as the fact that project awareness is most essential, we propose an "Awareness Framework" that seeks to bind heterogeneous tools and groupware. This research discusses the architecture of the framework as well as a process that is necessary to manage it and project awareness.
Calculating short-run marginal costs of active and reactive power production

Proper pricing of active and reactive power is an important issue for economic and secure operations of power systems in an open transmission access (OTA) environment. This paper presents a flexible formulation for this purpose. The proposed formulation identifies an important price component for reactive power, which is fundamentally different from those existing in the literature. This makes the pricing of reactive power more understandable. The proposed approach is efficient for real-time application and allows for carrying out active and reactive power pricing simultaneously or independently through the use of the decoupled optimal power flow formulation. Price signals derived from this approach are quite meaningful from an engineering point of view. In addition, the proposed approach can be easily extended to evaluate NUGs and wheeling transactions. The paper includes test results on the 30- and 118-bus IEEE standard systems.
The SF-36 Quality-of-Life Instrument: Updates and Strategies for Critical Care Research

The use of standardized tools is of growing value as the healthcare research community responds to a “tsunami of enthusiasm” for evidence-based practice. Evidence-based practice refers to healthcare practices based on scientific data that are reliable enough that researchers can replicate the data. Nurses, medical providers, researchers, and administrators share a desire to have patients’ care supported by persuasive evidence that the care given produces the desired therapeutic outcome. In the critical care setting, physicians, nurse faculty investigators, or others often ask nurses to participate in research studies. In these situations, a nurse’s role might be limited to that of data collector, using a protocol provided by someone
Role of the abl oncogene in chronic myelogenous leukemia.

Publisher Summary The altered abl protein in chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) shares many features in common with the altered abl protein involved in transformation mediated by the Abelson murine leukemia virus. This chapter discusses the structure and function of the different forms of the abl protein. The chapter focuses on the molecular organization of the altered c -abl sequences and their involvement in chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). The clinical and cytogenetic aspects of CML are briefly described in the chapter. Cytogenetic studies in conjunction with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase isoenzyme analysis have demonstrated that CML is a clonal disorder involving the hematopoietic stem cell. Chromosomal translocation is not the primary event that affects the stem cell in CML. While the bcr-abl -specific mRNA and protein probably play a secondary or complementary role in the progression of CML, it is probably not sufficient to cause the fulminating disease. In particular, a number of additional abnormalities are observed in the blast crisis phase of the disease. These include additional chromosomal rearrangements, such as trisomies, duplication of the Ph 1 chromosome, and complex rearrangements. The expression of c -sis , located on the translocated arm of chromosome 22 not present in the Ph 1 chromosome, increases during blast crisis, although the significance of this elevated expression is unknown. These results suggest that the generation of the Ph 1 chromosome is a necessary but not sufficient step in the full progression of CML.
Computational Analysis and Design to Minimize Vehicle Roof Rack Wind Noise

This paper presents a study of roof rack wind noise using commercial Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software. The focus is to predict the noise generated from the roof rack cross bars mounted on a realistic vehicle geometry. Design iterations are created by altering the cross bar orientation. Results from the CFD simulations include frequency spectra of Sound Pressure Level (SPL) for comparison to typical wind tunnel measurements. Aerodynamic results of body lift, drag, and transient flow visualization are also produced to support the noise data. The CFD and physical experiments compare very well with respect to tonal noise generation, tonal frequency content, and relative magnitudes. It is concluded that the CFD method is suitable for predicting relative performance, ranking design concepts, and optimizing large scale geometry parameters of vehicle roof racks in a production-engineering environment.
On the Reactivity of Mononuclear Iron(V)oxo Complexes

Ferric tetraamido macrocyclic ligand (TAML)-based catalysts [Fe{C6H4-1,2-(NCOCMe2NCO)2CR2}(OH2)]PPh4 [1; R = Me (a), Et (b)] are oxidized by m-chloroperoxybenzoic acid at −40 °C in acetonitrile containing trace water in two steps to form Fe(V)oxo complexes (2a,b). These uniquely authenticated FeV(O) species comproportionate with the FeIII starting materials 1a,b to give μ-oxo-(FeIV)2 dimers. The comproportionation of 1a–2a is faster and that of 1b–2b is slower than the oxidation by 2a,b of sulfides (p-XC6H4SMe) to sulfoxides, highlighting a remarkable steric control of the dynamics. Sulfide oxidation follows saturation kinetics in [p-XC6H4SMe] with electron-rich substrates (X = Me, H), but changes to linear kinetics with electron-poor substrates (X = Cl, CN) as the sulfide affinity for iron decreases. As the sulfide becomes less basic, the FeIV/FeIII ratio at the end of reaction for 2b suggests a decreasing contribution of concerted oxygen-atom transfer (FeV → FeIII) concomitant with increasing electron t...
Easier said than done: Gender differences in perceived barriers to gaining a mentor.

This study examined factors related to perceived barriers to gaining a mentor. Women reported more such barriers than men. In addition, individuals lacking previous experience as proeges reported g...
Women's Words: The Feminist Practice of Oral History. Edited by Sherna Gluck and Daphne Patai. New York: Routledge, 1991. 256 pp. Hardbound, $39.50; Softbound, $14.95.

(1992). Women's Words: The Feminist Practice of Oral History. Edited by Sherna Gluck and Daphne Patai. New York: Routledge, 1991. 256 pp. Hardbound, $39.50; Softbound, $14.95. The Oral History Review: Vol. 20, No. 1, pp. 105-112.
Modified Mean Element Method for Powerless Flight Trajectory

Based on the characteristics of powerless flight trajectory,a modified mean element method that suits powerless flight fast calculation is proposed.Firstly,the principle of modified method based on the dynamic characteristics of free-flight and reentry-flight is clarified.Then,the modified method's calculation formula is deduced,and neural network is used to get the relationship of reentry resistance affecting orbit's root-numbers,as well as the method's calculation steps are shown.Finally,the simulation results show that the modified mean element method performs fast and is more precise.
Treatment of Bifurcation Lesions Using T-Stent Technique:A Long Term Follow-up

Objective:To evaluate the long term outcome of T-stent technique for true bifurcation lesions. Methods:Retrospective analysis of consecutive 47 patients implanted T-stents was carried out from April 2004 to January 2006 in Fuwai Hospital. Results:Baseline features of patients were:age 59.2±10.8,male 89.4%,OMI 27.7%,diabetes 23.4% and LVEF (48.0+33.8)%.Baseline features of lesions were:LM bifurcation 42.6%,LAD/D 53.2% and LCX/OM 4.3%;Reference vessel diameter in main and branch vessels was 3.43±0.51 mm and 2.85±0.19 mm,respectively.Lesion length in main and branch vessels was 17.6±10.6 mm and 13.2±7.6 mm,respectively.Transfemoral approach 59.6%,DES implantation 56.4%,procedure success rate 100%.MACE in 6 cases(13%),1 death due to subacute in-stent thrombosis(2.1%),2 AMI due to subaeute in-stent thrombosis(4.3%),5 TLR(10.6%)including 4 re-PCl and 1 CABG.Six month clinical follow- up rate was 91.5%,six month angiogram follow-up rate was 29.8%,restenosis rate was 21.4%. Conclusion:Procedure success rate of T-stent technique for true bifurcation lesion was high,but the risk of this technique needs to be considered.
Evaluation of a vented drainage system in prevention of bacteriuria.

AbstractA vented urinary drainage system was compared to an otherwise identical non-vented system in a prospective, randomized, double-blind study. Among the 316 female patients evaluated there was a significant reduction in the rate of bacteriuria after 10 days using the vented system (66 per cent in the non-vented group versus 26 per cent in the vented group, p less than 0.05), while no significant difference could be demonstrated among the 190 male patients. We used urine hemoglobin as an indicator of mucosal trauma that might predispose to bacteriuria and significant difference could be shown between the 2 drainage systems.
Working Together or Working on the Same Task but Separately? A Comparison of Police Chief and Chief Probation or Parole Officer Perceptions of Partnership

It remains unclear how pervasive police-community corrections partnerships are, and to what extent they are integrated into routine practice, as well as whether or not police chiefs and chief probation or parole officers within the same jurisdictions perceive them to be effective. The current study enhances our understanding of such partnerships between police and probation or parole. Data were collected through a statewide survey of a random sample of municipal police chiefs and county chief probation or parole officers in Pennsylvania. The primary research questions focus on identifying the following: (a) empirically derived and meaningful patterns of police-community corrections partnerships, (b) a comparison of police chief and chief probation or parole officer perceptions of benefits and problems regarding their partnerships, and (c) the predictors of these perceptions. Results reveal that such partnerships are prevalent, but they are predominantly informal, with formalization largely contingent on t...
Sensing from the Bottom: Smart Insole Enabled Patient Handling Activity Recognition Through Manifold Learning

The risk of overexertion injury caused by patient handling and movement activities causes chronic pain and severe social issues among the nursing force. The accurate recognition of patient handling activities (PHA) is the first step to reduce injury risk for caregivers. In this paper, we propose a novel solution comprising a smart footwear device and an action manifold learning framework to address the challenge. The wearable device, called Smart Insole, is equipped with arich set of sensors and can provide an unobtrusive approachto obtain and characterize the action information of patienthandling activities. Our proposed action manifold learning(AML) framework extracts the intrinsic signature structure byprojecting raw pressure data from a high-dimensional inputspace to a low-dimensional manifold space. We performeda pilot study with eight subjects including eight commonactivities in a nursing room. The experimental results showthe overall classification accuracy achieves 86.6%. Meanwhile, the qualitative profile and load level can also be classified withaccuracies of 98.9% and 88.3%, respectively.
T-small lymphocyte disorders

Less than 2% of all lymphoproliferative diseases are indolent or small T-cell disorders, and include T-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)/prolymphocytic leukemia (PLL), large granular lymphocyte (LGL) leukemia, and mycosis fungoides (MF). T-PLL has an aggressive clinical course characterized by high lymphocyte counts, marked hepatosplenomegaly, anemia, thrombocytopenia, and median survival times less than 1 year. The majority of cases are associated with abnormalities of chromosome 14. T-CLL probably represents a small cell variant of T-PLL with a similar aggressive course and similar cytogenetics. T-LGL leukemia is a clonal disorder of CD3+, cytotoxic T lymphocytes. Common clinical features include neutropenia, anemia, splenomegaly, and recurrent bacterial infections. The prognosis is dictated by the severity of the neutropenia, with 10-year actuarial survival rates greater than 80%, and most deaths related to sepsis. A small subset of LGL leukemias have a natural killer (NK) phenotype, are refractory to treatment, and result in multiorgan failure and death in a few months. Mycosis fungoides (MF), the most common of the small T-cell disorders, is a cutaneous T-cell lymphoma with a chronic course, often extending over decades, with most patients eventually succumbing to infection. The small T-lymphocyte disorders represent a rare, diverse group of diseases, which generally have an indolent course, but are not curable.
Use of Double-Stranded Synthetic Polynucleotides in Amplifying Immunologically Induced Lymphocyte Proliferation

We have been interested in models of adjuvant immune activation which would be capable of amplifying responsiveness both in vivo and in vitro.,and we have spent some time studying the ability of the synthetic polyribonucleotides, namely polyadenylic-polyuridylic acids, in amplifying the specific immune responsiveness of lymphocytes in vitro. We have found that the synthetic double-stranded polyribonucleotide polyadenylic-polyuridylic acid (poly AU) will enhance both the response of sensitized leukocytes to suboptimal concentrations of strong soluble antigens and the response of nonsensitized leukocytes to suboptimal concentrations of allogeneic leukocytes. Furthermore, our experience with the measles virus a poor stimulus in leukocyte cultures, indicates that poly AU may be useful in in vitro. studies designed to detect cellular immune reaction to this type of antigen preparation.
Aspirin therapy reduces the ability of platelets to promote colon and pancreatic cancer cell proliferation: implications for the oncoprotein c-MYC.

Aspirin, an anti-inflammatory and antithrombotic drug, has become the focus of intense research as a potential anticancer agent owing to its ability to reduce tumor proliferation in vitro and to prevent tumorigenesis in patients. Studies have found an anticancer effect of aspirin when used in low, antiplatelet doses. However, the mechanisms through which low-dose aspirin works are poorly understood. In this study, we aimed to determine the effect of aspirin on the cross talk between platelets and cancer cells. For our study, we used two colon cancer cell lines isolated from the same donor but characterized by different metastatic potential, SW480 (nonmetastatic) and SW620 (metastatic) cancer cells, and a pancreatic cancer cell line, PANC-1 (nonmetastatic). We found that SW480 and PANC-1 cancer cell proliferation was potentiated by human platelets in a manner dependent on the upregulation and activation of the oncoprotein c-MYC. The ability of platelets to upregulate c-MYC and cancer cell proliferation was reversed by an antiplatelet concentration of aspirin. In conclusion, we show for the first time that inhibition of platelets by aspirin can affect their ability to induce cancer cell proliferation through the modulation of the c-MYC oncoprotein.
Classification and ordination of the alpine plant communities of Railroad Ridge, White Cloud Peaks, Idaho

Alpine vegetation of Railroad Ridge in the White Cloud Peaks, Custer County, Idaho, was investigated to ascertain native communities and describe their distribution with respect to important environmental factors. Percent cover of all species and environmental information were recorded for 69 plots. Data were analyzed by TWINSPAN and CANOCO, which provided a classification and an ordination, respectively. Predominant communities are dominated by (1) Phlox pulvinata , (2) Carex elynoides , and (3) Ceum rossii , and other communities of lesser importance are dominated by (4) Artemisia campestris , (5) Eriogonum ovalifolium and Silene acaulis , and (6) Ivesia gordonii . Although the Artemisia campestris community occupies a relatively small portion of the study area, it is noteworthy because it is a community type not previously known for Idaho. The community co-dominated by Eriogonum ovalifolium and Silene acaulis is also unique and has not been documented in other Idaho alpine studies. Community distribution showed the strongest correlation with exposure, substrate type, and slope. In general, the study area supports fellfield communities that are representative of alpine areas in Idaho and some Great Basin mountain ranges, and dense turflike communities similar to ones found throughout western North America's temperate alpine regions.
Validating an Agent-Based Model of Human Password Behavior

Effective reasoning about the impact of security policy decisions requires understanding how human users actually behave, rather than assuming desirable but incorrect behavior. Simulation could help with this reasoning, but it requires building computational models of the relevant human behavior and validating that these models match what humans actually do. In this paper we describe our progress on building agent-based models of human behavior with passwords, and we demonstrate how these models reproduce phenomena shown in the empirical literature.
Poderes tradicionales, emergentes y re-emergentes: relaciones ambiguas pero pragmáticas

En el presente trabajo se busca reflexionar en torno al rol que los poderes emergentes vienen desarrollando en diversas esferas de deliberacion mundial. En primer lugar, se realiza una descripcion del actual orden internacional asi como una conceptualizacion de los poderes emergentes. Posteriormente, el articulo se focaliza en cuatro ambitos de gobernanza mundial: esfera comercial (OMC), esfera financiera (Banco Mundial - FMI - G-20), esfera medioambiental (Cumbres de Cambio Climatico) y esfera estrategico militar (la crisis en Siria). De este modo, se busca establecer si efectivamente el papel de los emergentes ha provocado modificaciones en los esquemas decisorios internacionales y como se han reconfigurado las relaciones entre los poderes tradicionales, los emergentes y los re-emergentes
Association study of the let-7 microRNA-binding site polymorphism in 3'-untranslated region (UTR) of the KRAS gene in stage III colon cancers from adjuvant trial NCCTG N0147.

3564 Background: Lethal-7 (let-7) microRNA has been shown to inhibit colon cancer cell proliferation by inducing KRAS downregulation after binding to specific sites in the 3’- UTR. Recent studies i...
An analysis of the quality of text as fifth-grade formerly identified title I reading students write and revise from paper and pencil to word processor

Research confirms that the use of a word processor by students (generally college and adult writers) for writing assignments increases the quantity of writing (Azarmsa, 1991; Sewell, 1990), improves writers' attitudes toward writing (Geisert & Futrell, 1990; Snyder, 1993), encourages the view of writing as a process (Dudley-Marling, 1985), and makes revising easier (MacArthur, 1988; Williams, 1992). However, only a small body of literature concentrates on elementary-age school writers (Cochran-Smith, 1991), and because of this it is too early to make broad generalizations about (1) word processing and writing quality of young children (Owston, Murphy & Wideman, 1992); and (2) the number and types of revisions made by elementary school children (Cochran-Smith, 1991). This study will describe fifth-grade formerly identified Title I reading students writing and revising behavior as they begin a writing assignment with paper and pencil, make revisions during a student-teacher conference, then proceed to the word processor, and their teachers' attitudes and perceptions about the use of word processing for writing instruction.
Race-Specific High School Course Intensity and Student’s Post-secondary Education Attainment

Post-secondary educational attainment is an increasingly important prerequisite to many valued outcomes. This paper examines the association of racially-specific high school course of study with student’s postsecondary educational attainment using ELS 2002–2012 and a comprehensive measure of course intensity derived from students’ patterns of course-taking. Results support a partial presence of racially-specific association of high school course of study. We also find that only Asian-American and American Indian/Alaskan Native students in the middle course intensity and Asian-American students in high course intensity ranges are more likely to obtain at least a 4-year college degree than same-race students in the low course intensity group. However, the same pattern is not evident for White, African-American, multi-racial, and Hispanic students, indicating that they do not experience the same benefit from academically rigorous courses of study. Also, educational expectations do not mediate the relationships among race, course of study, and postsecondary educational trajectory differently for students of different racial groups, i.e., they do not play a larger role in mediating the relationship between course of study and postsecondary educational trajectory for White students.
The Contingency Plan—How to Profit from Opportunities Created by Others

While small businesses can not generally create profit opportunities as can large firms, they need not rely only on luck for such profit opportunities to arise. This article explains how small busi...
The non-psychoactive phytocannabinoid cannabidiol (CBD) attenuates pro-inflammatory mediators, T cell infiltration, and thermal sensitivity following spinal cord injury in mice.

We evaluated the effects of the non-psychoactive cannabinoid cannabidiol (CBD) on the inflammatory response and recovery of function following spinal cord injury (SCI). Female C57Bl/6 mice were exposed to spinal cord contusion injury (T9-10) and received vehicle or CBD (1.5 mg/kg IP) injections for 10 weeks following injury. The effect of SCI and CBD treatment on inflammation was assessed via microarray, qRT-PCR and flow cytometry. Locomotor and bladder function and changes in thermal and mechanical hind paw sensitivity were also evaluated. There was a significant decrease in pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines associated with T-cell differentiation and invasion in the SCI-CBD group as well as a decrease in T cell invasion into the injured cord. A higher percentage of SCI mice in the vehicle-treated group (SCI-VEH) went on to develop moderate to severe (0-65.9% baseline thermal threshold) thermal sensitivity as compared with CBD-treated (SCI-CBD) mice. CBD did not affect recovery of locomotor or bladder function following SCI. Taken together, CBD treatment attenuated the development of thermal sensitivity following spinal cord injury and this effect may be related to protection against pathological T-cell invasion.
Structure-Exploiting variational inference for recurrent switching linear dynamical systems

Many natural systems, such as neurons firing in the brain or basketball teams traversing a court, give rise to time series data with complex, nonlinear dynamics. We can gain insight into these systems by decomposing the data into segments that are each explained by simpler dynamic units. This is the motivation underlying the class of recurrent switching linear dynamical systems (rSLDS) [1], which build on the standard SLDS by introducing a model of how discrete transition probabilities depend on observations or continuous latent states. Previous work relied on Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithms and augmentation schemes for inference, but these methods only applied to a limited class of recurrent dependencies. Here we relax these constraints and consider recurrent dependencies specified by arbitrary parametric, nonlinear functions. We derive two structure-exploiting variational inference algorithms for these challenging models. Both leverage the conditionally linear Gaussian and Markovian nature of the models to perform efficient posterior inference.
SPECTRAL MIXTURE ANALYSIS - NEW STRATEGIES FOR THE ANALYSIS OF MULTISPECTRAL DATA

Instrument noise, spectral contrast among scene components and variability of spectral scene components are not explicitly evaluated as part of classification and mapping efforts using multispectral images. Yet changes in these factors directly affect mapping accuracy. An analytical framework is proposed such that these factors can be quantified within the context of spectral mixture analysis (SMA). In applying these analyses to an AVBRIS image of Owens Valley, California, U.S.A., we find that the greatest uncertainty in abundance estimates arises from spectral variability in endmembers. Spectral variability in any endmember results in abundance uncertainty of all endmembers. We propose an analytical strategy that subsets an image into regions of lowest spectral dimensionality to minimize uncertainties and to maximize detection of new materials.
A Portfolio of Domestic Commitments: Implementing Common But Differentiated Responsibilities

International negotiations are focused on developing a climate policy framework for the post-2012 period, when the Kyoto Protocol’s first commitment period will have ended. In addition to negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), other intergovernmental outlets, including the G8( 5) and the Major Economies Forum, are trying to reach common ground among the world’s major emitters of greenhouse gases. To date, these efforts have not produced a politically, economically, and environmentally viable structure for a future climate agreement. An effective, but more flexible and politically palatable approach could be an international agreement on a “portfolio of domestic commitments.” Under such an arrangement, nations would agree to honor commitments to greenhouse gas emission reductions laid out in their own domestic laws and regulations. A portfolio of commitments might emerge from a global meeting such as the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties, or a smaller number of major economies could negotiate an agreement among themselves, and then invite other countries to join.
Clustering and Approximate Identification of Frequent Item Sets.

We propose an algorithm that computes an approximation of the set of frequent item sets by using the bit sequence representation of the associations between items and transactions. The algorithm is obtained by modifying a hierarchical agglomerative clustering algorithm and takes advantage of the speed that bit operations afford. The algorithm offers a very significant speed advantage over standard implementations of the Apriori technique and, under certain conditions, recovers the preponderant part of the frequent item sets.
Establishing dimensionality of sexual behaviours in patients with regional brain dysfunction.

Objective: To develop a validated, caregiver-based measurement scale to assess sexual changes across several domains in a sample of 86 patients with penetrating traumatic brain injury (TBI) and 65 ...
Effect of Differences in the Primary Structure of the A-Chain on the Aggregation of Insulin Fragments

Bovine and human insulin have similar primary structures. In this article, the region of the insulin A-chain of bovine and human insulin where the amino acid composition is different was studied. B...