cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Long-Term Treatment of Niemann-Pick Type C1 Disease With Intrathecal 2-Hydroxypropyl-β-Cyclodextrin

Abstract Background Intrathecal 2-hydoxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin has been found to mobilize cholesterol, extend life, reduce cerebellar pathology, and delay onset of ataxia in the mouse and cat models of Niemann-Pick disease, type C1, a clinically variable progressive and ultimately fatal neurodegenerative storage disorder characterized by endolysosomal accumulation of unesterified cholesterol. Objective In this study, the long-term effects of intrathecal 2-hydoxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin treatment for 2.5 to three years in humans with Niemann-Pick disease, type C, were evaluated. Methods Three patients with Niemann-Pick disease, type C, in different stages of progression and displaying varying disease manifestations were treated with intrathecal 2-hydoxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (VTS-270) delivered by lumbar puncture infusion through an intermediate-size patient population investigational new drug application for expanded access. Disease progression was monitored with the Niemann-Pick disease, type C, Neurological Severity Scale and numerous objective measures of function in five neurological domains typically impacted by the disease: cognitive/language, gait/balance, fine motor, swallowing, and eye movement. Results No worsening in any domain except eye movements (vertical pursuit gain) was seen for any of the three patients, and in the other domains, improved scores on measures were seen over time for one or more patients. The Niemann-Pick disease type C (NPC) Neurological Severity Scale (NSS) showed stable to slightly improved ratings. Conclusions These trajectories are not consistent with the typical trajectory of the disease and suggest that intrathecal 2-hydoxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin has stabilized the disease over an extended period of time, supporting the current phase 2/3 controlled registration trial with VTS-270.
Poststructuralist-Feminist International Relations: A Point of Reconciliation?

The relationships between peace studies and international relations (IR) has never been easy. The “strategic” nature of inter-state relations in IR and its state-centric focus are some of the big challenges to the humanitarian nature of peace studies. However, the rise of feminism in IR in the 1980s has given us a new promise in opening the field of IR to a greater humanitarian focus which could take even the individual level of analysis into account. IR poststructuralist-feminism - which is understood as an IR feminist perspective which deconstruct the “common assumptions of culture” (Sylvester, 1994) including feminism itself - is particularly progressive in the sense that it does not only provide the room to problematize the basic assumptions of mainstream IR, but also room to even question the premises of the IR feminists themselves, a self-reflective quality shared by contemporary peace studies. One of the latest theoretical developments in poststructuralist-feminist IR is the “adoption” of positive psychology into IR methodology in order to take a deeper look into the mostly forgotten dimension of humans’ capability to flourish even under the most extreme condition (Penttinen, 2013). Again, this new proposal resonates with the current trend in peace studies scholarship in which peacebuilding processes are geared toward fuller ownership by the locals and harnesses their capabilities to survive. This article would like to analyze the potentialities of feminist approaches in IR, particularly those which come from the poststructuralist school of thought, as a fruitful “meeting point” for peace studies and IR. Once we identify the “meeting point,” hopefully it can bring us into a rich inter-disciplinary endeavor in the future as well as a better understanding of the dynamics of peacebuilding practices in the context of international relations. Key Words: international relations, poststructuralist feminist IR, peace studies, positive psychology, reflective practices
Predictors of Length of Hospital Stay After Complete Repair for Tetralogy of Fallot: A Prospective Cohort Study

Background We sought to identify patient and surgical factors associated with time to hospital discharge in patients undergoing complete repair for tetralogy of Fallot. Methods and Results We performed a prospective cohort study of patients with tetralogy of Fallot admitted for complete repair between May 1, 2012 and June 2, 2017 at Children9s Hospital of Philadelphia with detailed demographic, clinical, and operative characteristics. The primary outcome was time to hospital discharge. Cox proportional hazards models were used to identify patient and operative predictors of time to hospital discharge. We enrolled 151 subjects, 62.8% male, 65.6% non‐Hispanic white, and 9.9% non‐Hispanic black. The median time to hospital discharge was 7 days (interquartile range 4, 12). Five patients died in the hospital, all of whom underwent tetralogy of Fallot repair beyond the neonatal period. Greater birth weight was associated with higher rate of hospital discharge (hazard ratio [HR]=1.35, 95% confidence interval (CI) =1.11, 1.64), while absent pulmonary valve versus pulmonary stenosis (HR=0.27, 95% CI=0.08, 0.91), pulmonary valve atresia versus pulmonary stenosis (HR=0.57, 95% CI=0.33, 0.97), presence of aortopulmonary collaterals (HR=0.44, 95% CI=0.24, 0.84), complete repair performed in the neonatal period ( Conclusions Postoperative hospital stay after complete repair of tetralogy of Fallot is in part determined by patient and operative factors. Some (eg, surgical strategy for the symptomatic neonate) may be modifiable. These results may impact patient counseling, choice of surgical approach, and postoperative care.
Attracting Common Carp to a bait site with food reveals strong positive relationships between fish density, feeding activity, environmental DNA, and sex pheromone release that could be used in invasive fish management

Measurement of environmental DNA (eDNA) is becoming a common technique to survey for rare and invasive fish due to its sensitivity and specificity. However, its utility is limited by an incomplete understanding of factors governing its sources and fates. Failure to detect eDNA is especially difficult to interpret so surveillance techniques often collect large numbers of samples across broad regions. If, however, fish could be reliably attracted to a single location where their eDNA could be easily measured that would be useful. We conducted a proof-of-concept study of this idea using invasive Common Carp. We monitored the distribution of radio-tagged Carp and their eDNA across a 67 ha lake focusing at the bait site while a pheromone (Prostaglandin F2α; PGF 2α) was also measured to determine their reproductive condition. Prior to baiting, Carp were patchily distributed and while eDNA was occasionally detectable, it was patchy and only loosely associated with moderately dense groups of fish. Further, neither Carp, nor their eDNA were consistently measurable at the bait site and surrounding region, and the pheromone was not measurable at all. However, once baiting commenced, Carp started visiting the bait site and feeding, especially at night, where eDNA levels increased 500-fold as fish densities doubled and PGF 2α became detectable. Fish presence, eDNA and pheromone concentrations peaked at night after 6 days, strongly suggesting feeding activity was the main driver. While the presence of eDNA precisely coincided with this aggregation, levels had dropped dramatically within 5 m. PGF 2α levels dropped less rapidly and demonstrated the presence of live mature fish. We suggest that food could be used to train fish to come to locations where they otherwise are too scarce to be reliably measured, increasing their eDNA release, making them measurable, and their reproductive condition also discernable by measuring pheromones.
What Does the Journal of Public Affairs Education Publish? What Do Journal of Public Affairs Education Readers Look For?

(2015). What Does the Journal of Public Affairs Education Publish? What Do Journal of Public Affairs Education Readers Look For? Journal of Public Affairs Education: Vol. 21, No. 3, pp. 303-304.
The Mindset of the Moral Manager: The Causes and Consequences of a Moral Mindset in Organizations

Ethical and unethical behavior among employees can have dramatic consequences for organizations. Hence, organizations often strive to improve employees’ moral awareness and ethical decision-making....
Communication of Terrorism: Social Noise, the Signature Method, and the Conduit Metaphor

Three particular tactics of communication of terrorism are examined in this study: social noise, the signature method, and the conduit metaphor. An important theoretical model, social noise refers ...
Females increase parental care, but not fecundity, when mated to high-quality males in a biparental fish

Positive differential allocation predicts that females will increase their parental investment when mated to high-quality males due to the benefits that these males provide to offspring. Differential allocation predicts trade-offs between current and future reproduction, but investment trade-offs can also occur within a breeding event for species that provide parental care. However, differential allocation studies that have examined investment in both gametic effort and parental care remain rare and have only been conducted in birds. Fish may have more conservative investment strategies due to the large effect that current reproductive investment has on future reproductive potential. We examined gametic effort and parental care in the convict cichlid, Amatitlania siquia, a biparental fish, in response to male size, a proxy for quality. We randomly mated females to either large or small males and measured fecundity and parental behaviour of both parents. Females mated to large males did not increase their fecundity, but did provide more parental care to offspring during the larval stage, which is when male desertion in natural populations is most likely. Male size did not predict the amount of paternal care provided to offspring during the larval stage. Female condition at the end of the breeding event was negatively associated with higher fecundity and level of maternal care provided. The observed pattern of maternal investment suggests that females limit costs to future reproduction by limiting their increased investment to only one component of their reproductive effort. The increase in maternal investment during the larval stage may also serve to stabilize the pair bond and ensure continued male care, which ultimately increases the reproductive success of both parents. These results highlight important taxonomic and parental care pattern differences and broaden our understanding of the factors that influence differential allocation in diverse taxa.
Effects of chronic lithium exposure in a modified rodent ketamine-induced hyperactivity model of mania.

Abstract Bipolar illness is characterized by periods of “mania” — high energy, irritability, and increased psychomotor activation. While the neurobiological investigation of mania has been limited by the lack of reliable animal models, researchers have recently reported that daily subanesthetic doses of ketamine produce a lithium-reversible increase in rodent locomotor activity. Such studies have typically employed short-term (2 week) exposure to daily intraperitoneal-injected lithium and extremely brief (i.e., 5-min) open-field tests of hyperactivity. To increase the translational utility of the model, the effects of 70-days of orally administered lithium were examined on ketamine-induced hyperlocomotion during 30-min test sessions. Rats consumed 2.0 mEq/kg lithium chloride (LiCl) presented daily in a high incentive food (10 g of peanut butter). Control animals ingested peanut butter infused with an equimolar concentration of sodium chloride (NaCl). After 60 days of treatment, a 30-min baseline revealed no differences in the locomotor activity of LiCl and NaCl animals. During the next 10 days, animals received single daily supplemental injections of 25 mg/kg IP ketamine. A subset of animals was injected daily with saline and served as non-ketamine controls. Behavioral testing on the final two days of treatment confirmed that ketamine administration produced a profound increase in locomotor activity that was significantly attenuated in the LiCl group. Additionally, blood plasma levels of lithium were found to be comparable to low-moderate human therapeutic levels. These data confirm the viability and utility of ketamine-induced hyperlocomotion as a rodent model of mania.
Abstract A21: Activation of 4-1BB on liver myeloid cells triggers hepatitis via an interleukin-27 dependent pathway

Purpose: Agonist antibodies targeting the T cell co-stimulatory receptor 4-1BB (CD137) are among the most effective immunotherapeutic agents across multiple preclinical models of cancer. In the clinic, however, development of these agents has been stymied by dose-limiting liver toxicity. Lack of knowledge of the mechanisms underlying this toxicity has limited the potential to separate 4-1BB agonist driven anti-tumor immunity from hepatotoxicity. Experimental Design: The capacity of 4-1BB agonist antibodies to induce liver toxicity was investigated in immune competent mice, with or without co-administration of checkpoint blockade, via measurement of serum transaminase levels, through imaging of liver immune infiltrates, and via qualitative and quantitative assessment of liver myeloid and T cells via flow cytometry. Knockout mice were used to clarify the contribution of specific cell subsets, cytokines and chemokines. Results: We find that activation of 4-1BB on liver myeloid cells is essential to initiate hepatitis. Once activated, these cells produce interleukin-27, which is required for liver toxicity. CD8 T cells infiltrate the liver in response to this myeloid activation and mediate tissue damage triggering transaminase elevation. FoxP3+ regulatory T cells limit liver damage and their removal dramatically exacerbates 4-1BB agonist hepatitis. Co-administration of CTLA-4 blockade ameliorates transaminase elevation, whereas PD-1 blockade exacerbates it. Loss of the chemokine receptor CCR2 blocks 4-1BB agonist hepatitis without diminishing tumor-specific immunity against B16 melanoma. Conclusions: 4-1BB agonist antibodies trigger hepatitis via activation of myeloid cells to produce Interleukin-27. Co-administration of CTLA-4 and/or CCR2 blockade may minimize hepatitis but yields equal or greater antitumor immunity. Citation Format: Ashvin R. Jaiswal, Todd Bartkowiak, Casey R. Ager, Renee Chin, Chao Hsien Chen, Pratha Budhani, Midan Ai, Matthew J. Reilley, Manu M. Sebastian, David Hong, Michael A. Curran. Activation of 4-1BB on liver myeloid cells triggers hepatitis via an interleukin-27 dependent pathway [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy; 2017 Oct 1-4; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Immunol Res 2018;6(9 Suppl):Abstract nr A21.
Metastatic squamous cell carcinoma to the heart: an unusual cause of ST elevation-a case report.

Background Cardiac tumours are typically secondary in nature, and the most common malignancies metastasizing to the heart are cancers of the lung, breast, oesophagus, melanoma, and lymphoma. We present a unique case of squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue, metastasizing to the heart and manifesting with ST elevation in the inferior-leads on electrocardiogram (ECG). Case summary A 25-year-old woman was initially diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue at the age of 23 and treated with hemi-glossectomy with clear-margins. Sixteen months later, the tumour recurred in the oropharynx and the left upper lobe of the lung. She was treated with chemotherapy; however, the tumour progressed. Thus, she was initiated on immunotherapy and radiation therapy. One month later, she presented with chest pain. Electrocardiogram revealed ST elevation in the inferior-leads. Troponin-I was elevated. Transthoracic echocardiogram revealed focal areas of thickening within the left and right ventricular myocardium with associated hypokinesis. These findings suggested ECG changes were likely secondary to infiltrative metastases and not acute-coronary-syndrome. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging showed infiltrative masses with increased T2-signal and heterogeneous enhancement on perfusion and delayed enhancement sequences. Imaging also demonstrated numerous extra-cardiac metastases. She was treated with analgesics and discharged to home hospice. Discussion Head and neck cancers are a rare cause of cardiac metastasis. ST elevation and troponin release are thought to be due to tumour extension into the myocardium. Cardiac metastases usually present in patients with advanced widespread malignancy. In a cancer patient with cardiac symptoms or ECG changes, it is important to consider a broad differential diagnosis and entertain the possibility of cardiac metastasis.
Factors associated with using alternative sources of primary care: a cross-sectional study.

Mobile (MHCs), Community (CHCs), and School-based health clinics (SBHCs) are understudied alternative sources of health care delivery used to provide more accessible primary care to disenfranchised populations. However, providing access does not guarantee utilization. This study explored the utilization of these alternative sources of health care and assessed factors associated with residential segregation that may influence their utilization. A cross-sectional study design assessed the associations between travel distance, perceived quality of care, satisfaction-adjusted distance (SAD) and patient utilization of alternative health care clinics. Adults (n = 165), child caregivers (n = 124), and adult caregivers (n = 7) residing in New Orleans, Louisiana between 2014 and 2015 were conveniently sampled. Data were obtained via face-to face interviews using standardized questionnaires and geospatial data geocoded using GIS mapping tools. Multivariate regression models were used to predict alternative care utilization. Overall 49.4% of respondents reported ever using a MCH, CHC, or SBHC. Travel distance was not significantly associated with using either MCH, CHC, or SBHC (OR = 0.91, 0.74–1.11 p > .05). Controlling for covariates, higher perceived quality of care (OR = 1.02, 1.01–1.04 p < .01) and lower SAD (OR = 0.81, 0.73–0.91 p < .01) were significantly associated with utilization. Provision of primary care via alternative health clinics may overcome some barriers to care but have yet to be fully integrated as regular sources of care. Perceived quality and mixed-methods measures are useful indicators of access to care. Future health delivery research is needed to understand the multiple mechanisms by which residential segregation influences health-seeking behavior.
Innovations in Instructional Design and Technology Programs: a View from PIDT 2018

During the 2018 Professors in Instructional Design (PIDT) Conference, faculty representing over a dozen institutions met to discuss curricular initiatives that were being implemented across programs, and the challenges and benefits of these initiatives. The discussion focused on several areas, including: interdisciplinary/multidisciplinary programs and courses, online programs, and undergraduate initiatives. The outcome of these conversations led faculty to gather information from across these institutions to highlight and share ways that their respective programs have promoted the field through innovative partnerships, projects, and programs within the broader community. It is anticipated that this summary will serve as a catalyst for other programs to propose and share their own innovative program plans and encourage individuals to attend future PIDT conferences.
Support groups and individual mental health care via video conferencing for frontline clinicians during the covid-19 pandemic

Background The current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has put an enormous stress on the mental health of frontline health care workers. Objective Psychiatry departments in medical centers need to develop support systems to help our colleagues cope with this stress. Methods We developed recurring peer support groups via videoconferencing and telephone for physicians, resident physicians, and nursing staff, focusing on issues and emotions related to their frontline clinical work with COVID patients in our medical center which was designated as a COVID-only hospital by the state. These groups are led by attending psychiatrists and psychiatry residents. In addition, we also deployed a system of telehealth individual counseling by attending psychiatrists. Results Anxiety was high in the beginning of our weekly groups, dealing with fear of contracting COVID or spreading COVID to family members and the stress of social distancing. Later, the focus was also on the impairment of the traditional clinician-patient relationship by the characteristics of this disease and the associated moral challenges and trauma. Clinicians were helped to cope with these issues through group processes such as ventilation of feelings, peer support, consensual validation, peer-learning, and interventions by group facilitators. People with severe anxiety or desiring confidentiality were helped through individual interventions. Conclusions Our experience suggests that this method of offering telehealth peer support groups and individual counseling is a useful model for other centers to adapt to emotionally support frontline clinical workers in this ongoing worldwide crisis.
An Objective Structured Clinical Examination of Communication Skills for Child Neurology Residents.

Abstract Background The purpose of this study was to implement an objective structured clinical examination for child neurology trainees for formative feedback regarding communication skills. Effective communication skills are essential and teachable, but tools to formally assess them are limited. An objective structured clinical examination is one such tool, but these examinations have not been developed for child neurology residents. Methods We developed nine standardized scenarios that highlighted communication challenges commonly encountered in child neurology. Child neurology trainees participated in three objective structured clinical examination events with three scenarios each over three academic years. Standardized patients portrayed patients or their parents. Each trainee–standardized patient encounter was evaluated by an observing faculty member using a modified Gap-Kalamazoo Communication Skills Assessment Form, the standardized patient who provided direct feedback, and by the participating trainee. Results We refined the process of case writing, standardized patient training, and trainee evaluation throughout the three-year pilot. Results indicated rater agreement ranging from 32% to 56%. Trainees reported that the cases were challenging and reflective of real life and that the experience helped improve their communication skills. Conclusions An objective structured clinical examination can provide a standardized setting for formative feedback regarding communication skills in child neurology residency programs. The communication challenges posed by common clinical scenarios involving critically ill children, children with undetermined prognosis, and the triad of parent, child, and physician can be realistically modeled in an objective structured clinical examination. We developed cases and a process that were valuable and that we plan to sustain for resident education related to communication skills.
A Promise Kept? The Impact of the El Dorado Promise Scholarship on Student Achievement:

We examine whether the El Dorado Promise, a guaranteed college scholarship program for students in the El Dorado School District (EDSD), affected elementary and middle school achievement using a qu...
Targeting Akt-associated microRNAs for cancer therapeutics.

The uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells because of activating protooncogenes and/or inactivating tumor suppressor genes are the hallmarks of cancer. The PI3K/Akt signaling is one of the most frequently activated pathways in cancer cells responsible for the regulation of cell survival and proliferation in stress and hypoxic conditions during oncogenesis. Non-coding RNAs are a large family of RNAs that are not involved in protein-coding, and microRNAs (miRNAs) are a sub-set of non-coding RNAs with a single strand of 18-25 nucleotides. miRNAs are extensively involved in the post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression and play an extensive role in the regulatory mechanisms including cell differentiation, proliferation, apoptosis, and tumorigenesis. The impact of cancer on mRNA stability and translation efficiency is extensive and therefore, cancerous tissues exhibit drastic alterations in the expression of miRNAs. miRNAs can be modulated by utilizing techniques such as miRNA mimics, miRNA antagonists, or CRISPR/Cas9. In addition to their capacity as potential targets in cancer therapy, they can be used as reliable biomarkers to diagnose the disease at the earliest stage. Recent evidence indicates that microRNA-mediated gene regulation intersects with the Akt pathway, forming an Akt-microRNA regulatory network. miRNAs and Akt in this network operate together to exert their cellular tasks. In the current review, we discuss the Akt-associated miRNAs in several cancers, their molecular regulation, and how this newly emerging knowledge may contribute greatly to revolutionize cancer therapy.
A Systematic Overview of Meta-Analyses on Socioeconomic Status, Cognitive Ability, and Achievement: The Need to Focus on Specific Pathways:

Meta-analyses on the relation between socioeconomic status (SES) and performance on measures of cognitive ability and achievement arrive at the same general conclusion of a small to medium associat...
An Organotypic Mammary Duct Model Capturing Matrix Mechanics-Dependent Ductal Carcinoma In Situ Progression.

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is a precancerous stage breast cancer, where abnormal cells are contained within the duct, but have not invaded into the surrounding tissue. However, only 30–40% of ...
Vaping in the Context of Delinquency Among Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Comparison Among Alcohol and Cigarette Use:

Vaping has been increasing with Monitoring the Future, indicating nicotine vaping (2017–2018) having the largest single-year jump among any substance recorded in its 45-year history. Overall, resea...
Why Do Some Civil Wars Not Happen? Peru and Bolivia Compared: by Witold Mucha, Opladen, Budrich UniPress Ltd., 2017, 245 pp., $53.00 (paperback), ISBN: 978-3-86388-736-0

As plainly stated in the volume’s title, Witold Mucha examines why civil war erupted in Peru during the late-20th century but not in neighboring Bolivia. At first blush, both South American countri...
A Family of Software Architecture Implementation Frameworks

Software architectures provide high-level abstractions for representing the structure, behavior, and key properties of software systems. Various architecture description languages, styles, tools, and technologies have emerged over the past decade. At the same time, there has been comparatively little focus on techniques and technologies for transforming architectural models into running systems. This often results in significant differences between conceptual and concrete architectures, rendering system evolution and maintenance difficult. Furthermore, it calls into question the ability of developers to consistently transfer the key architectural properties into system implementations. One solution to this problem is to employ architectural frameworks. Architectural frameworks provide support for implementing, deploying, executing, and evolving software architectures. This paper describes the design of and our experience with a family of architectural frameworks that support implementation of systems in a specific architectural style-C2. To date, the C2 frameworks have been used in the development of over 100 applications by several academic and industrial organizations. The paper discusses the issues we have encountered in implementing and using the frameworks, as well as the approaches adopted to resolve these issues.
Women and Islam in early modern English literature

Introduction: 'the borrowed veil': reassessing gender studies of early modern England and Islam 1. Early modern Queens and Anglo-Ottoman trade 2. The imaginary geographies of Mary Wroth's Urania 3. Early Quaker women, the missionary position, and Mediterraneanism 4. The female wits and the genealogy of feminist Orientalism 5. The scandal of polygamy in Delarivier Manley's Roman ... Clef Coda: Arab women revisit Mary Wortley Montagu's hammam.
A nonlinear image representation in wavelet domain using complex signals with single quadrant spectrum

High frequency structures, such as edges, texture, contain significant portion of the information available in images. For coding purposes, the image representation has to provide direct access to this information content without introducing any redundancy. In this paper, we introduce such a nonredundant representation based on complex signals in wavelet domain, whose spectrum has only one nonzero quadrant. The corresponding magnitude and phase responses are linked with the most significant edge properties, namely energy, location and orientation. Simulations show that phase responses provide unbiased estimates of the edge location and orientation. We also discuss our coding strategies for this new representation.
Myxoid solitary fibrous tumor: a study of seven cases with emphasis on differential diagnosis.

Focal myxoid change is a well-recognized feature of solitary fibrous tumor (SFT), but to date, predominantly myxoid examples of SFT have not been reported. We describe seven cases of SFT in which stromal myxoid change affected 50% or more of the tumor examined, thus obscuring typical diagnostic features. Patients ranged in age from 35 to 68 years old (median, 45 yr), with an equal sex distribution. Tumor locations included pleura, orbit, and periparotid subcutaneous tissue, as well as four cases in deep soft tissue (two in the abdominal wall and one each in the chest wall and thigh). Myxoid areas were identified grossly in four cases. Histologically, the lesions were composed of bland spindle cells disposed haphazardly or with a lacy or reticulated appearance in a myxoid, richly vascularized stroma These myxoid areas were punctuated by small cellular aggregates in four cases, and areas showing diagnostic features of SFT were present in five of seven primary excision specimens. Atypical features suggestive of malignancy were not present in any of the cases. Immunohistochemically, all of the seven cases stained positively for CD34 and CD99 (013), and all were negative for smooth muscle actin, desmin, S-100 protein, epithelial membrane antigen, and pan-keratin. There were no recurrences or metastases reported in four patients with limited follow-up (median duration, 19 mo). Recognition of this uncommon morphologic subset of SFT is important because of possible confusion, particularly in small biopsy specimens, with a variety of myxoid spindle cell neoplasms with different biologic potential. These include low-grade fibromyxoid sarcoma, myxoid synovial sarcoma, malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor, low-grade myxofibrosarcoma, myxoid liposarcoma, myxoid spindle cell lipoma, myxoid neurofibroma, and so-called "hemangiopericytoma."
The Nature and Persistence of Initial Public Offering Aftermarket Returns Predictability

This paper examines the predictability of monthly aftermarket returns of initial public offerings during the first six years of trading. Predictability is tested under the null hypothesis of random walk using a Markov chain analysis. The evidence shows that excess returns of IPOs (adjusted for the return on the equally weighted NASDAQ index) demonstrate non-random walk behavior through the first five years of trading and random walk behavior in the sixth year. This is accompanied by predictability of monthly excess returns conditioned on the two previous months' excess returns. A trading strategy is offered to capitalize on the predictability patterns. Implementing the trading strategy is not possible due to institutional barriers, providing additional explanation for why IPOs do not reach their intrinsic values for extended periods of time.
Concurrent Data Structures for Hypercube Machine

To efficiently implement parallel algorithms on parallel computers, concurrent data structures (data structures which are simultaneously updatable) are needed. In this paper, three implementations of a priority queue on a distributed-memory message passing multiprocessor with a hypercube topology are presented. In the first implementation, a linear chain of processors is mapped onto the hypercube, and then a heap data structure is mapped onto the chain, where each processor stores one level in the heap. A similar approach is taken for the second implementation, but in this case, a banyan heap data structure is mapped onto the linear chain of processors. Again, each processor in the chain becomes responsible for one level of the data structure. For the third implementation, the banyan heap data structure is again used, but the mapping is not onto linear chain of processors. Instead, the banyan heap is mapped onto processors column by column, so that the algorithm can make better use of the concurrent processing capabilities of the hypercube topology in order to reduce bottlnecking in the first processor, an effect noted in the use of the linear chain employed by the first two implementations. The key advantage of banyan heap over the heap is that with banyan heap it is possible to retrieve elements at different percentile levels.
Music, Education, and Community in Nineteenth-Century Kansas Euterpe, Tönnies, and the Academy on the Plains

This study applied the conceptual structures of gemeinschaft (community) and gesell-schaft (association) developed by the German sociologist Ferdinand Tonnies (1855–1936) to the history of music education in Kansas during the nineteenth century. It documents the interactions among musical activities, educational institutions, and community structures in the missions of the early nineteenth century, the relatively independent small town and rural schools from around 1850 to 1875, and the state-wide educational system that grew up in the last quarter of the nineteenth century. Primary and secondary sources were taken primarily from the Kansas Collection at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, the Kansas State Historical Society in Topeka, and the Country Schools Legacy project of the Mountain Plains Library Association.
Measuring consistency for multiple taggers using vector space modeling

A longstanding area of study in indexing is the identification of factors affecting vocabulary usage and consistency. This topic has seen a recent resurgence with a focus on social tagging. Tagging data for scholarly articles made available by the social bookmarking Website CiteULike () were used to test the use of inter-indexer-tagger consistency density values, based on a method developed by the authors by comparing calculations for highly tagged documents representing three subject areas (Science, Social Science, Social Software). The analysis revealed that the developed method is viable for a large dataset. The findings also indicated that there were no significant differences in tagging consistency among the three topic areas, demonstrating that vocabulary usage in a relatively new subject area like social software is no more inconsistent than the more established subject areas investigated. The implications of the method used and the findings are discussed. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Mechanobiology of Erythrocytes from Adult Mice Homozygous for a Targeted Disruption of the E-Tmod Gene at Exon 1

The erythrocyte membrane skeleton is a protein network that provides deformability and stability to erythrocytes. Defects in the network lead to dysfunction and diseases. Erythrocyte tropomodulin (E-Tmod) of 41 kDa is an actin-capping protein at the slow-growing end, and together with tropomyosin 5 or 5b, has been proposed to form a “molecular ruler” dictating the length of actin protofilament of 37 nm in the network. We have previously created an E-Tmod knockout mouse model by targeted disruption of exon 1, which contains the AUG initiation codon. In this study, we showed that the embryonic lethality of the E-Tmod −/− mice was rescued by breeding with transgenic mice overexpressing E-Tmod in the heart and investigated the biomechanics of erythrocytes and its network topology. Western blot analysis revealed that a cytosolic E-Tmod29 isoform, which lacks the N-terminal F-actin binding domain, remains intact in the E-Tmod −/− erythrocytes, but is highly dimerized by oxidation. Micropipette aspiration indicated a higher elastic shear modulus and ektacytometry showed a lower average integrated elongation index. E-Tmod −/− mice had more microcytic erythrocytes with more compacted network on transmission electron microscopy. These results demonstrated the importance of E-Tmod41, the membrane-bound long isoform, in the network organization and mechanobiology of erythrocytes.
Ontogeny of alpha 1-adrenergic receptors in the rat myocardium: effects of hypothyroidism

The effects of propylthiouracil (PTU) treatment on alpha 1- and beta-adrenergic receptors in neonatal and adult rat myocardium were examined with the alpha 1-selective antagonist [3H]prazosin and beta-antagonist (-)-[3H]dihydroalprenolol ((-)-[3H]DHA). Pre and postnatal PTU treatment (congenital hypothyroid state) decreased ventricular size and protein content at 15 and at 28 days (P less than 0.01). Similarly PTU treatment after maturation (acquired hypothyroid state) is associated with decreased ventricular size and protein content (P less than 0.01). PTU treatment did not alter ventricular DNA content at any age examined as compared to euthyroid controls. Specific [3H]prazosin binding to ventricular membrane increased with advancing postnatal age in both congenital hypothyroid pups and controls, reaching peak receptor density at 15 days of postnatal age (106 +/- 8 vs. 151 +/- 7 fmol X mg-1 protein). The density at 15 and 28 days was however significantly lower in hypothyroid pups (P less than 0.01, P less than 0.02). The effect of congenital hypothyroidism on (-)-[3H]DHA binding was more marked which significantly decreased from the first postnatal day. Acquired hypothyroidism is also associated with a decreased density of alpha 1- and beta-adrenergic receptors in rat myocardium. We conclude that alpha 1- and beta-adrenergic receptors are modulated by thyroid hormone in developmental as well as mature stages of the rat.
The law of demand implies limits to chaos

Abstract This article shows that there is a regular progression of increasingly strong form of the law of deman, both in compensated and uncompensated versions, which increasingly restrict the dimensionality of the attractor that occurs under tatonnement. In their weakest forms, these conditions impose very little structure on aggregate demand, whereas in their strongest forms, they yield global stablity of equilibrium.
Fluoroalkylation of aromatic compounds

Abstract Perfluoroalkylation of benzene, halobenzenes, pyridine, furan and thiophene has been accomplished through thermolysis of perfluoroalkyl iodides (CF 3 I, n-C 10 F 21 I and R f OR f I) in the presence of the appropriate aromatic compound. Yields of alkylated products vary depending on temperature, presence of an HI acceptor and reactants ratio. Isomeric mixtures are obtained with halobenzenes, pyridine and thiophene. Furan however yields only the alpha substituted product.
Current Trends in Donor Testing to Detect Syphilis Infection

Potential organ and tissue donors are tested to detect infection with T. pallidum, the etiologic agent of syphilis. Important considerations for testing potential donors include available specimen type and volume, turnaround time, and ability to distinguish between past and current infection. Aspects of syphilis infection that inform organ and tissue donor assay selection and interpretation and the principles underlying available assays are described. Serologic assays for syphilis are the methods most commonly used in donor testing. The two categories of serologic assays, treponemal and nontreponemal, have advantages and limitations for testing potential donors. Knowledge of the common syphilis-testing algorithms used in clinical diagnostic testing is useful for assay selection in the organ and tissue donor setting.
Colectomy for Crohn’s Disease, What Operation?

Colonic Crohn’s disease continues to be a controversial and management dilemma for both gastroenterologist and surgeon. Over the years multiple operations and treatment paradigms have been debated and discussed. Today, the surgical treatment of Crohn’s disease is no less controversial; however, modern surgical techniques and new biologic therapies have provided the patient with new opportunities to address this often chronic disease. Through this review we hope to highlight the data behind what we feel to be the current therapy of choice in the surgical management of colonic Crohn’s disease.
Experimental infection and horizontal transmission of Modoc virus in deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus).

Deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) were inoculated with a sublethal dose of a field strain of Modoc virus to determine patterns of viral persistence, shedding, and transmission. Blood, serum, urine, fecal, and oral swab samples were collected at selected intervals until 63 days postinoculation (PI) after which lung, liver, spleen, kidney, and salivary glands were explanted. Viral assays were conducted by intracranial inoculations of suckling mice and antibody titers were determined by the micro-complement-fixation test. Viremias lasted for up to 4 days PI. Antibody titers were present by day 8 PI, peaked at day 13–20 PI, and persisted until day 63 PI. There was no evidence of viral shedding in urine, fecal, or oral swab samples. Virus was detected in explanted lungs only. In a separate experiment, deer mice were inoculated with virus and lungs were removed from five mice per wk for 10 wk. Indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) techniques were used to determine the location of virus in lung tissue and to exam...
The regulatory software of cellular metabolism

Understanding the regulation of metabolic pathways in the cell is like unraveling the 'software' that is running on the 'hardware' of the metabolic network. Transcriptional regulation of enzymes is an important component of this software. A recent systematic analysis of metabolic gene-expression data in Saccharomyces cerevisiae reveals a complex modular organization of co-expressed genes, which could increase our ability to understand and engineer cellular metabolic functions.
Tracing Robert's use of representations to solve counting problems: A 16-year case study

Abstract This study describes how Robert used his external representations (formulae, notations, sketches, models, and figures) to solve progressively more challenging counting tasks over a 16-year period. In his explorations of counting tasks, Robert discovered intricate connections between solutions to problems that looked different on the surface. Using video data from Robert's problem solving, analyses of his solutions are presented that shed light on how he built new ideas from existing ideas and how he modified external representations to make new mathematical discoveries and provide justifications for his solutions.
Placing African women's history and locating gender

African women, whether as subjects or objects (and to a lesser extent as authors) of history, are no longer invisible in African historiography. Despite continuing lapses in awareness,' invisibility is no longer the problem. Several (more or less historical) anthologies have been published since Denise Paulme's ahistorical one of I963 (1960), and the number of monographs and dissertations focusing on the history of women, their social roles and their involvement in major episodes and themes of African history is growing. Detailed studies now exist on the Muslim women of Mombasa (Strobel I979), Ga women traders of Accra (Robertson i987), elite women of Lagos (Mann 1983), Nairobi prostitutes (White I983a and b), working-class women of the Zambian Copperbelt (Parpart I983, I986a, i986b), Shona spirit mediums and peasants (Schmidt I987), and African and European women of Johannesburg (Gaitskell 1979, i981, I982, I983). The themes of women and work, women and class, women and slavery, women and social and economic change, widows, and women and law have all been treated in anthologies. This paper will review the kinds of questions that have been posed, the sources used, the periods emphasized, the vocabulary and social theory used, and the cultural representations of women which have been created. One question here is the kind of visibility which has been given to women, the images created, the representations made and the silences and lacunae that remain. The other is when and how gender has been used as a category of historical analysis and if these same (or other) studies are contributing to an understanding of how African history has been shaped and mediated by gender. The way historians imagine historiography is a cue to how they see their own work, the kinds of questions they ask, the approaches, methods and sources they use, and their wishes and prophecies for the future of their elected sphere. Most telling is how they mark and assume the boundaries and internal divisions of their embraced domain and how they situate it within like and unlike historiographical trends. The expanding literature on African women has twice been reviewed by historians of African women.
An alternative to the altered cast procedure.

A simplified method is described for achieving the purpose of the altered cast technique without the inherent laboratory problems of realignment of the metal framework on a modified cast and the extra time involved.
A SPATIAL ANALYSIS OF RENT SHIFTS IN THE CHICAGO RENTAL HOUSING MARKET, 1970-1980

Residential rent shift variations across space are essential components of urban dynamics. For example, they play an important role in the context of housing availability, housing affordability, and urban revitalization. This paper develops a rent shift model that includes spatial variables and traditional housing market attributes such as housing quality and resident composition. The model estimation employs data for the City of Chicago, 1970- 1980. The results show that the impact of housing market attributes on rent shifts are distorted if spatial effects are neglected. They further support the hypothesis that spatial rent shift regularities prevail after controlling for variations in housing market attributes. Specifically, rent shifts decrease in a nonlinear fashion with increasing distance from the Central Business District (CBD). The distance relationship varies as the orientation toward the CBD changes. In addition, the positive effects of spatial lag variables are highly significant and suggest a...