cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
CASE REPORT: Plasmacytoid urothelial carcinoma of the urinary bladder: Two case reports

We report two cases of plasmacytoid urothelial carcinoma of the urinary bladder. The tumor in the first case presented as an irregular and erythematous urinary bladder lesion with pararectal or rectal tumor extension. Perineal, scrotal and intrabdominal metastases developed within 4 months despite neoadjuvant chemotherapy. A muscle-invasive urinary bladder tumor was seen in the second case with perivesical and perivesicular extension and regional lymph metastases at cystoprostatectomy. The tumor cells in both cases were nested or dyscohesive, and resembled plasma cells; focal signet ring cells were also seen in the second case. The advanced stage of both cases is consistent with the reported aggressive biologic course of most of these tumors. Awareness of this rare variant when dealing with urogenital tract carcinoma is important since the morphology may suggest another diagnosis. Because of peculiar expression of CD138, a plasma cell-associated marker, these tumors may be mistaken for a plasma cell-derived neoplasm.
Experiments with End-Point Control of a Flexible Link using the Inverse Dynamics Approach and Passive Damping

Achieving accuracy in end-point positioning while avoiding end-point oscillations is one of the major open problems in the control of light and high precision manipulators. The authors of this paper have independently proposed passive damping and active control methods for positioning the end-point of flexible manipulators. In this paper experimental results obtained using a combination of the two approaches are presented. The active control method considered involves computing the inverse dynamics of the arm to determine a torque command trajectory that will permit the realization of a prescribed endpoint trajectory. The passive control serves to reduce unwanted oscillations resulting from unavoidable system non-idealities.
Optimization and management of materials in earthwork construction

As a result of forensic investigations of problems across Iowa, a research study was developed aimed at providing solutions to identified problems through better management and optimization of the available pavement geotechnical materials and through ground improvement, soil reinforcement, and other soil treatment techniques. The overall goal was worked out through simple laboratory experiments, such as particle size analysis, plasticity tests, compaction tests, permeability tests, and strength tests. A review of the problems suggested three areas of study: pavement cracking due to improper management of pavement geotechnical materials, permeability of mixed-subgrade soils, and settlement of soil above the pipe due to improper compaction of the backfill. This resulted in the following three areas of study: (1) The optimization and management of earthwork materials through general soil mixing of various select and unsuitable soils and a specific example of optimization of materials in earthwork construction by soil mixing; (2) An investigation of the saturated permeability of compacted glacial till in relation to validation and prediction with the Enhanced Integrated Climatic Model (EICM); and (3) A field investigation and numerical modeling of culvert settlement. For each area of study, a literature review was conducted, research data were collected and analyzed, and important findings and conclusions were drawn. It was found that optimum mixtures of select and unsuitable soils can be defined that allow the use of unsuitable materials in embankment and subgrade locations. An improved model of saturated hydraulic conductivity was proposed for use with glacial soils from Iowa. The use of proper trench backfill compaction or the use of flowable mortar will reduce the potential for developing a bump above culverts.
Correction for Ingale et al., Hyperglycosylated stable core immunogens designed to present the CD4 binding site are preferentially recognized by broadly neutralizing antibodies.

Volume 88, no. 24, p. [14002–14016][1], 2014. Page 14014, Acknowledgments: The following sentence should appear at the end of the first paragraph. A portion of this work was supported by an American Foundation for AIDS Research Mathilde Krim Fellowship in Basic Biomedical Research (L.K.). [1
Hierarchical Image Analysis and Characterization of Scaling Effects in Remote Sensing

The effects of scale influence all aspects of spatial analysis and should be expressly considered early in research planning. Remotely sensed images provide unique landscape perspectives and possess several features amenable to dealing with scale. In particular, images can be segmented into image objects representative of landscape features and structured as nested hierarchies for evaluating landscape patterns across a range of scales. The objectives of this research are to evaluate methods for: 1) characterizing candidate image objects to inform the selection of user-supplied segmentation parameters and 2) exploring the multi-scale structure of landscape patterns for defining and describing potentially important scales for conducting subsequent geospatial and ecological investigations. I followed a recursive strategy to develop an image hierarchy using a corrected version of the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVIc) derived from a Landsat ETM+ satellite image over a complex, forested landscape at Lava Cast Forest (LCF), Oregon. At each scale level, I calculated an objective function based on within-object variance and spatial autocorrelation to distinguish between alternative image objects created with the region-merging segmentation algorithm available in the Definiens Developer 7 software. Segmentation quality was considered highest for results exhibiting the lowest overall within-object variance and between-object spatial autocorrelation. I then applied geographical variance ii analysis to calculate the independent contribution and relative variability of each level in the hierarchy to evaluate the scene’s spatial structure across scales. My results reveal overall trends in image object spatial variance consistent with scaling theory, but suggest judging image object quality without sampling the entire range of segmentation parameters is insufficient. Statistical limitations of the spatial autocorrelation coefficient at small sample sizes constrained the number of possible hierarchy levels within the image spatial extent, preventing identification of larger-scale landscape patterns. Geographical variance analysis results show patterns in vegetation conditions at LCF possess a multi-scaled structure. Three levels exhibiting high variance relative to the entire hierarchy coincide with abrupt transitions in the slopes of within-object variance and spatial autocorrelation trends, which I interpreted as scale thresholds potentially important for relating landscape patterns and processes. These methods provide an objective, object-oriented approach for addressing scale issues within heterogeneous landscapes using remote sensing.
Glucose utilization and glucose transporter proteins GLUT-1 and GLUT-3 in brains of diabetic (db/db) mice

This study describes the effects of diabetes on brain growth, cerebral glucose utilization (CGU), and the glucose transporter proteins GLUT-1 and GLUT-3 in the genetically diabetic db/db mouse. Mice were studied at 5 and 10 wk of age and compared with age-matched nondiabetic littermates. At 5 wk, db/db mice were not yet hyperglycemic, but their body weights were 27.5% greater than those of their nondiabetic littermates. By 10 wk, db/db mice were both hyperglycemic (blood glucose values of 39.3 +/- 4.3 vs. 12.1 +/- 2.1 mmol/l for db/db and control, respectively) and obese, with a twofold increase in body weight. Significant reductions in brain weight were observed at 5 wk (15% decrease in brain wet wt), and no further brain growth was observed, such that by 10 wk, brains of db/db mice were 25% smaller than those of control mice; brain wet weight-to-dry weight ratios were slightly reduced. Global rates of CGU, as determined with 2-[14C]deoxyglucose, were significantly reduced in the 10-wk diabetic mice. Levels of brain glucose and brain-to-blood glucose ratios were increased in 5- and 10-wk db/db mice, reflecting adequate glucose delivery to the brain. Blood-brain barrier GLUT-1 levels were unchanged, and mRNA levels were regionally increased. The expression of the neuronal glucose transporter GLUT-3 was not reduced to a significant extent in brains of db/db mice. The results of this study indicate that the db/db mouse has markedly decelerated brain growth accompanied by global reductions in glucose metabolism that are not due to reductions in glucose transport capacity.
Leveraging metadata inductively and subjectively

Metadata has typically been used for deductive reasoning -- applications take advantage of its precision to render objective conclusions about annotated sources that are 100% reliable. Metadata annotations could also be used inductively, however, to allow systems to reason about the similarities that individual users perceive among instances. We explore how this notion could be of benefit to an information exploration agent.
Molecular cloning of the cDNA for human trkc (NTRK3), chromosomal assignment, and evidence for a splice variant

Abstract TrkC is a receptor tyrosine kinase that is activated by neurotrophin-3, a factor important in the development of certain areas of the central nervous system. We have cloned and sequenced the human trkC cDNA and found that the predicted amino acid sequence is 97 to 98% homologous to the rat and porcine trkC sequences, respectively. The rat trkC has several isoforms due to alternative splicing in the tyrosine kinase domain. We cloned one human splice variant that has a nucleic acid sequence identical to the rat isoform with an insert of 14 amino acids. The human trkC cDNA also has a (CGG)n repeat in the 5′-untranslated region. This sequence was not highly polymorphic in that 79 of 80 chromosomes examined had eight repeats, while 1 chromosome had four repeats. By PCR analysis of a somatic cell hybrid panel and fluorescence in situ hybridization with the cDNA clone, human trkC was mapped to chromosome 15q24-q25.
Increased synaptic GluR1 subunits in the anterior cingulate cortex of rats with peripheral inflammation

Adaptation of glutamatergic transmission, including the trafficking of AMPA receptor subunits, serves as an important mechanism underlying long-term neuronal plasticity under several pathophysiological conditions, including pain. Meanwhile, the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is found to be critically involved in the central processing and modulation of noxious stimulus, although the neuroadaptation in the ACC has not yet been well established in the setting of chronic pain. To address these issues, the present work was undertaken to explore the adaptation of glutamatergic AMPA receptor subunits in ACC neurons in rats with inflammation in the left hindpaw induced with Complete Freund's Adjuvant (CFA). The results showed an increased AMPA receptor-mediated glutamatergic evoked EPSC in the ACC neurons, indicating an enhanced basal glutamatergic transmission. Furthermore, an increased distribution of the synaptic GluR1 subunit was observed in the ACC neurons. We conclude that chronic peripheral inflammation significantly enhances the synaptic insertion of GluR1 subunits in the ACC neurons, which consequently increases the central excitatory transmission during chronic pain. This investigation may clarify, at least partially, the underlying supraspinal mechanism for adaptation of glutamatergic transmission during chronic pain induced by peripheral inflammation.
The Princeton spectral equilibrium code: PSEC

A fast computer code has been developed to calculate free-boundary solutions to the plasma equilibrium equation that are consistent with the currents in external coils and conductors. The free-boundary formulation is based on the minimization of a mean-square error epsilon-c while the fixed-boundary solution is based on a variational principle and spectral representation of the coordinates x(psi, theta) and z(psi, theta). Specific calculations using the Columbia University Torus II, the Poloidal Divertor Experiment (PDX), and the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) geometries are performed.
Stimulation of growth of keratinocytes by basic fibroblast growth factor.

Abstract Numerous heparin-binding growth factors active in different types of cells have recently been shown to belong to the family of fibroblast growth factors. Because these factors are active in some types of epithelial cells, we tested the activity of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) from bovine brain in human keratinocyte cultures. bFGF stimulated thymidine incorporation and cellular proliferation in these cultures with half-maximal activity at approximately 60 pg/ml (4 × 10 −12 M). Stimulation of thymidine incorporation was associated with increased nuclear labeling after 22 h in the presence of bFGF under the same conditions used in the thymidine incorporation assay. bFGF was nearly as effective as epidermal growth factor (EGF) in stimulating keratinocyte growth and substantially less effective than crude placental extract, and was not additive with EGF in stimulating thymidine incorporation or proliferation of cells. The findings indicate that bFGF is a potent growth factor for keratinocytes.
Reliability of retrieval from semantic memory: Common categories

Permanent verbal knowledge about objects in the physical world and about the meaning of words resides in semantic memory. Little research has been done to determine how reliably such information can be retrieved from semantic memory. In the present experiment, an estimate of reliability was made. The method used was to ask subjects to perform the same retrieval task in each of two sessions separated by 1 week. In each session, the subjects were asked to generate instances of common categories. The mean correlation between the contents of the two recalls was found to be.69. As expected, consistency in the content of recall from session to session was greater within subjects than between subjects, for which the correlation value was.44. The results seem to indicate that retrieval of information from semantic memory is a probabilistic process that occurs with only a modest amount of reliability.
The Impact of Creativity in Counseling

ABSTRACT Creativity is a crucial component in the advancement of all major cultural entities, including effective counseling. It is through creativity that major theories of counseling and skills in counseling have been developed. Creativity is longitudinal in its impact. If counseling is to progress in the future, it is essential that counselors be rewarded for creative innovations and that they help themselves become more creative by studying the expressive arts, reading widely, traveling, and observing human nature from multiple perspectives.
Rictor Forms a Complex with Cullin-1 to Promote SGK1 Ubiquitination and Destruction

The Rictor/mTOR complex (also known as mTORC2) plays a critical role in cellular homeostasis by phosphorylating AGC kinases such as Akt and SGK at their hydrophobic motifs to activate downstream signaling. However, the regulation of mTORC2 and whether it has additional function(s) remain largely unknown. Here, we report that Rictor associates with Cullin-1 to form a functional E3 ubiquitin ligase. Rictor, but not Raptor or mTOR alone, promotes SGK1 ubiquitination. Loss of Rictor/Cullin-1-mediated ubiquitination leads to increased SGK1 protein levels as detected in Rictor null cells. Moreover, as part of a feedback mechanism, phosphorylation of Rictor at T1135 by multiple AGC kinases disrupts the interaction between Rictor and Cullin-1 to impair SGK1 ubiquitination. These findings indicate that the Rictor/Cullin-1 E3 ligase activity is regulated by a specific signal relay cascade and that misregulation of this mechanism may contribute to the frequent overexpression of SGK1 in various human cancers.
Molecular Modelling of HLA-DQ Suggests a Mechanism of Resistance in Type 1 Diabetes

Genetic resistance and susceptibility to insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) have been associated with the HLA class II region on chromosome 6. In many races, the DQB1*0602 allele has been observed at a decreased frequency in IDDM, suggesting a protective role. A DNA sequence analysis of five patients, previously typed as having allele DQB1*0602, revealed sequence variation: one is DQB1*0603 and four possess unique sequences related to DQB1*0602 (one patient) or DQB1*0603 (three patients). Samples from four unaffected controls possessed normal DQB1*0602 sequences, and all patients and controls have normal DQA1 sequences. Each of the four unique patient sequences yields predicted amino acid sequences differing from the more common DQB1 alleles by variation at codons 9, 38 (silent), 59, and/or 62. Molecular modelling of the predicted protein sequence of these permissive variants reveals an HLA-DQ structure from diabetic patients that differs in the surface contour of the peptide-binding groove from normal DQB1*0602 sequence. In all the models of permissive molecules, the surface area corresponding to the HLA-DR pockets 6, 7 and 9 are modified. These pockets accommodate side chains of the bound peptide; thus modification of this region could alter peptide specificity. This ‘pocket change’ suggests that the normal allele could confer dominant protection against the development of IDDM by affecting peptide and/or T cell receptor (TCR) binding. This could regulate the deletion or suppression of T cell clones inappropriately recognizing the beta cells of the pancreas.
Evaluating the skeletal chemistry of Mytilus californianus as a temperature proxy: Effects of microenvironment and ontogeny

Thesis (M.S.) Department of Geological Sciences. Base map: coordinates provided by the author on page 3.
Space-time trade-offs for some ranking and searching queries

We study space/time tradeoffs for querying some combinatorial structures. In the first, given an arrangement of n lines in general position in the plane, a query for a real number t asks about Rank(t), the number of vertices of the arrangement with x-coordinates ≤ t. We show that for K = O(n/logn), after a preprocessing step that uses space S = O(n2/(KlogK)) the query can be answered in time O(nlog K). The second query involves the Cartesian sum vectors a = (a1,...,an) and b = (b1,...,bn). For a given real t, it asks about Rank(t), the number of sums ai + bj which are ≤ t. We show that for some positive constant c and K ≤ c(log n)/(log logn), after a preprocessing step that uses space S = O(n2/K2), the query may be answered in time O((n/K)log K). Both results fit neatly between two obvious extremes.
Language usage and fertility in the Mexican-origin population of the United States.

This article examines the effects of English proficiency and female education on cumulative and recent fertility within the Mexican-origin population in the U.S. To ascertain whether the cultural or the human capital aspects of linguistic variables have the greater salience for fertility behavior, fertility patterns of bilingual women are compared with those of monolingual women speaking English or Spanish. Using the 1980 U.S. Census 5 percent Public Use Micro data Sample for ever-married Mexican-origin women aged 15–44, we find that for almost all age cohorts, thee effects of English proficiency are negative and increase with rising education. The strength of the interaction is greater in younger age groups. Greater English proficiency is also associated with a more negative impact of education for native- than foreign-born women. Overall, the influence of “opportunity cost,” asopposed to cultural factors, is more important in shaping the fertility behavior of these women.
Assessment of adult skeletons to detect prenatal exposure to 2,4,5-T or Trifluralin in mice.

A group of 88 spontaneously occurring variations of the skeleton were studied in adult CD-1 mice which had been exposed in utero to the herbicides 2,4,5-T or Trifluralin, administered to their dams by gavage, in an attempt to detect subtle biological effects of these compounds even in the absence of gross malformations. Sixty-seven characters showed variation in this population. Of these, 19 were significantly different in frequency from untreated controls in mice having received a teratogenic dose of 2,4,5-T, with an average difference of 23.7%. Seventeen of them were increased in frequency. By contrast, only three traits differed from untreated among mice receiving a no-effect dose of 2,4,5-T. Twelve traits differed significantly from untreated in the Trifluralin-treated group; the average difference was 18.8%, with 10 of the traits being increased in frequency. Two clusters of affected variants specific to the 2,4,5-T high dose group included frontal bone variants in the skull (presence of an interfrontal bone and fusion of the frontals) and variants in the cervical vertebrae (imperfect foramina in the first and second cervicals, dyssymphysis of the second cervical, and a shift of the arch foramen from the fourth to the fifth cervical). Two other effects peculiar to the 2,4,5-T-treated specimens were a loss of the prominent dorsal spine of the second thoracic vertebra and a reduction in the number of caudal vertebrae. The most obvious effects specific to the Trifluralin treatment were an increase in occurence of 14 ribs, an undoubled foramen ovale, and the occurence of accessory foramina in the cervical vertebrae. A striking increase in frequency of parted frontals was seen in both 2,4,5-T high dose and Trifluralin-treated groups. The skeletal variant assay system may be useful as a postnatal screen for detecting prenatal exposure to potentially noxious substances.
Search for exotics produced opposite a forward Λ in 15 GeV/c π+p interactions

We have carried out a search for exotic meson resonances produced in the reaction π+p→K++ + Λ (forward) at 15 GeV/c. We have found no evidence for the existence of resonance-like states in the K++ system, and have obtained 95% confidence level upper limits of 1.7 μb on their production with masses <2.8 GeV, and 2.6 μb with masses between 2.8 GeV and 4 GeV.
Glycolate kinetics and hemodialysis clearance in ethylene glycol poisoning. META Study Group

AbstractObjective: Toxic manifestations following ethylene glycol exposure are due to accumulation of metabolites, particularly glycolate. We characterized glycolate elimination kinetics and dialysis properties in a series of ethylene glycol poisonings. Methods: Patients who ingested ethylene glycol and received fomepizole (4-methylpyrazole; 4-MP) ± hemodialysis were prospectively evaluated. Serial blood samples for ethylene glycol, glycolate, pH, and bicarbonate were drawn to determine glycolate elimination rate, t½, and correlations between initial glycolate and initial markers of acidosis. Dialyzer inlet and outlet samples were obtained to measure hemodialysis glycolate clearance. Plasma ethylene glycol and glycolate were determined by gas chromatography. Results: Ten patients, mean age 49 years (range 28–73 years), presented a mean of 10.5 hours (range 3.5–21.5 hours) after ethylene glycol ingestion. Mean initial ethylene glycol was 18.5 mmol/L (range 0.8–62.2 mmol/L) (115 mg/dL; range 5–386 mg/dL) an...
Care worker migration, global health equity, and ethical place-making

Synopsis The division of care labor has long been gendered; it is increasingly transnational. Part of the feminization of international migration, many women seek employment abroad as nurses, nurses' aides, and home care workers. This gendered migration generates serious concerns of injustice, chief among them the deepening of global health inequities in “source countries” and injustices against migrant care workers. Here, I assume that governments and other agents whose policies and practices cross borders share responsibilities for addressing injustices, grounding these responsibilities in our nature as “ecological subjects”. This conception of persons directs attention to our embeddedness socially and also spatially, in geographically identifiable locations which are also constituted relationally. Responsibility for addressing injustices, in turn, might fruitfully be conceived as ethical place-making. Here I define the notion of ethical place-making and examine its potential to generate ethically urgent social change in both source and destination countries and their care settings.
Information source usage in teen apparel purchases: China, Japan and the United States

Purpose – China, Japan, and the USA represent three of the world's most important teen apparel markets. The purpose of this study is to consider the sources of apparel brand information utilized by 14‐ to 17‐year olds in these three nations. Nine hypotheses are developed based on the interpersonal influence and the individualism/collectivism constructs.Design/methodology/approach – Respondents include public high school students between 14 and 17 years of age from the nations of China, Japan and the USA.Findings – Chinese teens report a greater likelihood to use their parents as apparel information sources than do the US and Japanese teens. Of the three groups, the US teens report the greatest likelihood of using marketer based information sources (i.e. advertising and salespersons).Practical implications – The findings suggest the need to develop specific apparel marketing strategies directed at teens targeted in these nations.Originality/value – Few, if any, studies have examined differences between Asi...
89Y(p, 2p)88Sr angular correlation measurements at 46 MeV

Abstract The angular correlation between protons from the ground state 89 Y(p, 2p) 88 Sr reaction, induced by the bombardment of 46 MeV protons, has been measured for protons emitted at symmetric angles and coplanar with the incident protons. The 89 Y nucleus consists of a single 2 p 1 2 proton, that serves as the target in the ground state (p, 2p) reaction, outside a 88 Sr core, which is also the residual nucleus for this reaction. Thus these measurements concern a particularly simple (p, 2p) reaction. However, distortion effects are very important because of the low energies and large nuclei involved in the reaction. Therefore the measurements should serve as a significant test for distorted wave (p, 2p) reaction theories.
Peddling the Bicycle in the 1890s: Mass Marketing Shifts into High Gear

While the bicycle industry has been recognized for its contribution to mass production in the late 1800s, it has not been generally recognized for developing mass marketing techniques to sell its products. The bicycle advanced the practice of advertising by developing competitive content, using images in posters, developing research techniques to determine effectiveness, and supporting a new media, magazines. The industry also developed new promotional techniques, including sponsoring racing teams and obtaining celebrity endorsements. It perfected the trade show and annual model changes. Most significantly, the bicycle of the late 1800s was marketed using segmentation techniques that have been thought to be of more recent origin.
Reduction of bias and variance for evaluation of computer-aided diagnostic schemes.

Computer-aided diagnostic (CAD) schemes have been developed to assist radiologists in detecting various lesions in medical images. In addition to the development, an equally important problem is the reliable evaluation of the performance levels of various CAD schemes. It is good to see that more and more investigators are employing more reliable evaluation methods such as leave-one-out and cross validation, instead of less reliable methods such as resubstitution, for assessing their CAD schemes. However, the common applications of leave-one-out and cross-validation evaluation methods do not necessarily imply that the estimated performance levels are accurate and precise. Pitfalls often occur in the use of leave-one-out and cross-validation evaluation methods, and they lead to unreliable estimation of performance levels. In this study, we first identified a number of typical pitfalls for the evaluation of CAD schemes, and conducted a Monte Carlo simulation experiment for each of the pitfalls to demonstrate quantitatively the extent of bias and/or variance caused by the pitfall. Our experimental results indicate that considerable bias and variance may exist in the estimated performance levels of CAD schemes if one employs various flawed leave-one-out and cross-validation evaluation methods. In addition, for promoting and utilizing a high standard for reliable evaluationmore » of CAD schemes, we attempt to make recommendations, whenever possible, for overcoming these pitfalls. We believe that, with the recommended evaluation methods, we can considerably reduce the bias and variance in the estimated performance levels of CAD schemes.« less
Clouds in the interstellar medium

Giant Molecular Clouds in the Galaxy. Edited by P. M. Solomon and M. G. Edmunds. Pp. 300. (Pergamon: 1980.) £18, $41.
Radionuclide Angiography in Evaluation of Left Ventricular Function Following Aortic Valve Replacement

Congestive heart failure in patients surviving aortic valve replacement has been associated with a high late mortality. To determine whether myocardial dysfunction in these patients occurred preoperatively, perioperatively, or during the early postoperative period, 19 consecutive patients undergoing aortic valve replacement using cardioplegia and hypothermia were studied by multiple-gated cardiac blood pool imaging. The resting ejection fractions for 8 patients with aortic stenosis did not show significant changes following operation. The 11 patients with aortic insufficiency has resting preoperative values of 58 +/- 15%, which fell to 38 +/- 18% immediately postoperatively (p less than 0.01), with the late values being 51 +/- 16%. Eight of 18 patients (44%) showed deterioration of regional wall motion immediately after operation, which persisted in 3 during the late evaluation. The occurrence of new perioperative regional wall motion abnormalities and persistent perioperative depression in left ventricular function in some patients suggest the need for further improvement in myocardial protection during cardiopulmonary bypass for aortic valve replacement.
Cuban laurel thrips (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae) biology in southern California: seasonal abundance, temperature dependent development, leaf suitability, and predation.

Gynaikothrips ficorum Marchal, the Cuban laurel thrips, reproduces within leaf galls formed as a result of feeding on young Ficus microcarpa leaves. Populations of thrips peak within mature galls during summer and again during winter. New galls are formed from midsummer through the fall, but not during the remainder of the year even though susceptible leaves are present. Development times from egg to adult ranged from 48.99 d at 15°C to 16 d at 30°C. Lower and upper temperature thresholds were observed at 12 and 35°C, suggesting that spring temperatures are not limiting thrips development. Infested young leaves were higher in soluble protein and total nitrogen but lower in latex content than infested mature leaves, indicating that young foliage is more suitable for thrips than mature foliage. In addition, the mature leaf galls were colonized by the predators Chrysoperla carnea (Stevens) and Macrotrachiella nigra Parshley. Both predaceous species consumed more adult thrips than immatures in preference tests; the number of individuals consumed within a 24-h feeding trial suggests that the predators may cause significant mortality within the mature galls. A slower rate of leaf expansion during the winter and spring combined with unsuitable environmental conditions for adult thrips outside the rolled leaves may limit the successful formation of leaf galls.
Absorption contribution to the pion double-charge-exchange reaction.

We have evaluated the mechanism analogous to pion absorption which contributes to the pion double-charge-exchange amplitude leading to double isobar analog states. We find appreciable corrections at low energies around ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\pi}}}$=50 MeV. Around the resonance region the corrections are small and the most visible effect is a small shift of the minimum to smaller angles, which is however not big enough to reproduce the experimental data.
Pivotal states in the Electoral College, 1880 to 2004

This paper presents an empirical measure of pivoting in the electoral college from 1880 to 2004. The measure derives from established theoretical concepts of power and pivoting first introduced by Shapley and Shubik (Am. Political Sci. Rev. 84:787–792, 1954). Pivotal states identified by this approach generally conform to popular interpretations—Ohio in 2004, Florida in 2000, and so forth—but, historically, pivotal states are also frequently small or medium-sized states. Also, pivotal states by this approach are not necessarily competitive states. In general, whether or not a state is pivotal is mainly a function of its size and bellwether tendency—i.e., its tendency to mirror the national voting trend. A state’s pivot position is also an excellent predictor of how presidential candidates allocated time and money across states in the general elections of 2000 and 2004. Controlling for a state’s pivot position, size and electoral competitiveness have little effect on the allocation of campaign resources.
Expert Elicitation of Trends in Marcellus Oil and Gas Wastewater Management

AbstractPrerequisite to detailed risk analyses of flowback and produced water management from unconventional resource extraction is the thorough characterization of wastewater management strategies, treatment technologies, prices, and future developments. This expert elicitation compares professional responses on current practices and future trends in wastewater management from Pennsylvania’s Marcellus formation across the oil and gas sector, the wastewater treatment sector, and the regulatory sector. Although expert judgments were highly influenced by the respondent’s role in unconventional resource development, the results of this expert elicitation suggest that water reuse is not inhibited by high concentrations of total dissolved solids, that waste transport accounts for the majority of the cost associated with off-site wastewater treatment and disposal, and that prices for commercial wastewater treatment are likely to drop over the next five years. Taken together, these results indicate that long-ter...
Women's Group Therapy: A Clinical Experience

Women compose three-fourths of the psychiatric patient population in one clinical facility. A women's therapy group was formed to help the women change their attitudes and behaviors of helplessness and dependency. The goals of the group were for participants to get in touch with and express their feelings, and to become more assertive and autonomous. Group themes centered around depression, denial, resistance, and autonomy. The therapy group provided an opportunity for the women to learn more about themselves, their culture, and the value of giving and receiving support to and from each other.
Shrinking classification trees for bootstrap aggregation

Abstract Bootstrap aggregating (bagging) classification trees has been shown to improve the accuracy over using a single classification tree. However, it has been noticed that bagging pruned trees does not necessarily result in better performance than bagging unpruned trees does. It is our goal here to discuss this issue in the context of shrinking, instead of pruning, trees. Due to many duplicated observations in a bootstrap sample, the usual shrinking determined by cross-validation (CV) in bagging is so conservative that the resulting shrunken tree is not much different from the unshrunken tree, leading to their close performance. We propose to choose the shrinkage parameter for each base tree in bagging by using only extra-bootstrap observations as test cases. For the digit data taken from Breiman et al. (1984), we find that our proposal leads to improved accuracy over that from bagging unshrunken trees.
Stable 26Mgin as an In Vivo Tracer Investigation of Magnesium Utilization

A procedure using 26Mg as an in vivo tracer has been developed. Enrichment of biological samples containing 26Mg was measured by neutron activation following acid digestion and solvent extraction to remove the interfering nuclides 37Cl, 55Mn and other heavy metals. Special counting procedures minimized interference by 41Ar and 28A1 during neutron activation analysis. Interference of 24Na was minimized by mathematical channel by channel spectrum stripping. With current techniques, the lower limit of enrichment with 26Mg measurable with precision is 20% above the natural abundance of 11·24%. Good agreement was obtained of 26Mg and 28Mg retentions and estimates of the biological half-life when the two isotopes were administered simultaneously to rats either orally or by intraperitoneal injection.
A Heuristic Genetic Algorithm for Continuous Attribute Discretization in Rough Set Theory

Continuous attribute discretization based on rough set is to got possibly minimum number of cuts, and at the same time it should not weaken the indiscernibility ability of the original decision system. In order to obtain the optimal cut set of the continuous attribute system, based on research the choice of candidate cut set, this paper presents a heuristic genetic algorithm for continuous attribute discretization to decision tables. In this algorithm making the importance of the continuous cut as heuristic message, a new operator is constructed to not only maintain the discernibility of the cuts selected, but also improve local search ability of the algorithm. Compared the performance of this method with the others’, this method is proved effective and superiority.
An ophthalmic surgeon's view of orbital imaging techniques

Selection of an orbital imaging technique requires a thorough understanding of pertinent anatomy applied to relevant clinical history and detailed ophthalmic examination. The clinical finding should direct the clinician to the imaging study that provides maximum information and narrows diagnostic considerations for the individual patient. Clinical examples are provided to illustrate the rationale in ordering magnetic resonance images, computed tomography, ocular ultrasound, and color Doppler arteriography of orbital processes.
An editor's considerations in publishing industry-sponsored studies.

Abstract The fundamental responsibility of a journal editor is to assure that studies accepted for publication provide rigorous original scientific information and reviews that are considered important to the readership. The fundamental requirements of such reports from an editor׳s perspective include objectivity and transparency in each of the study design, implementation of investigation methods, acquisition of data, inclusive analysis and interpretation of results, appropriate application of statistical methods, presentation of outcomes in the context of a balanced and comprehensive review of relevant literature, and meaningful conclusions. In proceeding on these presumptions, editors then have the responsibility of obtaining rigorous, objective, and constructive reviews of these reports so that they can make an unbiased decision regarding their disposition. The fundamental objective in this is to enhance the ultimate scientific validity and value of the work if and when it is accepted for publication. Guidelines have been advanced by several organizations to identify how such editorial responsibilities can be fulfilled. These guidelines also pertain to investigators, authors, and sponsors of the studies, which the various reports and reviews describe. The present article reviews these guidelines as they relate to both industry-sponsored and investigator-initiated investigations and as relevant to the variety of reports that a scientific/medical journal such as Urologic Oncology: Seminars and Original Investigations receives for publication.
The mechanics and positioning of highly flexible manipulator limbs

Etude mecanique et positionnement d'un bras de manipulateur ayant une tres grande flexibilite
Homogeneous reactive coupling of terminally functional polymers

The rates of nine melt coupling reactions were measured by reacting terminally functional polymer chains. The functional groups are carboxylic acid, oxazoline, epoxy, aromatic primary amine, aliphatic primary amine, hydroxyl and cyclic anhydride. The functional groups were attached to the end of polystyrene (PS) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) chains with most experiments performed at molecular weights of about 25,000 g/mol and temperature of 180°C. Reactions were performed homogeneously by blending stoichiometric amounts of the same type of polymer containing complementary functional groups. Reaction rates were determined from the amount of coupled chains via gel permeation chromatography. The functional group pairs, in order of increasing reactivity, are acid/amine, hydroxyl/(anhydride or acid), aromatic amine/epoxy, aliphatic amine/epoxy, acid/oxazoline, acid/epoxy, aromatic amine/anhydride, aliphatic amine/anhydride. This is in general agreement with results for very dilute small molecule analogs. Some experiments performed at higher molecular weights gave similar results. Coupling between aliphatic amine terminal and cyclic anhydride terminal chains was found to be extremely fast; complete conversion occurred in <30 s. Dilution studies and comparison to theory indicate that this reaction was not diffusion controlled. Mixing and diffusion are rapid enough to bring every chain end in contact within 15 s.
A Unique Case of Deep Neck Infection in an Older, Immune-Competent Adult

Upon examination, the patient was noted to have erythematous swelling of the left posterior oropharyngeal wall with friable mucosa. Palpation of the neck was negative for lymphadenopathy or masses. CT scan of the neck demonstrated a large fluid collection in the retropharyngeal space that extended laterally into the left parapharyngeal space, as well as anteriorly to the left thyroid cartilage (FIG 1 & 2).
Translation validation for an optimizing compiler

We describe a translation validation infrastructure for the GNU C compiler. During the compilation the infrastructure compares the intermediate form of the program before and after each compiler pass and verifies the preservation of semantics. We discuss a general framework that the optimizer can use to communicate to the validator what transformations were performed. Our implementation however does not rely on help from the optimizer and it is quite successful by using instead a few heuristics to detect the transformations that take place.The main message of this paper is that a practical translation validation infrastructure, able to check the correctness of many of the transformations performed by a realistic compiler, can be implemented with about the effort typically required to implement one compiler pass. We demonstrate this in the context of the GNU C compiler for a number of its optimizations while compiling realistic programs such as the compiler itself or the Linux kernel. We believe that the price of such an infrastructure is small considering the qualitative increase in the ability to isolate compilation errors during compiler testing and maintenance.
Intraoperative blood salvage: a mathematical perspective

BACKGROUND: Intraoperative blood salvage (IBS) is one of several blood-conservation strategies employed to limit the use of allogeneic blood. IBS with mathematical modeling was studied to gain a better understanding of its benefits and limitations. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Equations, based on a convergent geometric series, allowed the assessment of maximum allowable blood losses to avoid allogeneic RBC exposure in relationship to the fractional recovery of IBS. Such equations allowed us to calculate the potential “savings” in allogeneic RBC volume and to define better the efficiency of IBS. RESULTS: This model predicts that substantial amounts of RBCs (>2 units) can be recovered if there is large blood loss (e.g., >3000 mL) and if the minimal allowable Hct is low (e.g., 21%). As with other blood- conservation methods, this article shows that there are limits to the potential benefit of IBS for the avoidance of allogeneic RBC transfusion. CONCLUSION: IBS can be modeled with a convergent geometric series, and the amount of blood loss is dependent on the difference between the patient's starting Hct, the minimum allowable Hct, and the fractional recovery of RBCs. Such modeling illustrates the limited utility of IBS as a sole blood-conservation strategy.
Histomorphometric comparison after fixation with formaldehyde or glyoxal.

AbstractFormaldehyde has long been the fixative of choice for histological examination of tissue. The use of alternatives to formaldehyde has grown, however, owing to the serious hazards associated with its use. Companies have striven to maintain the morphological characteristics of formaldehyde-fixed tissue when developing alternatives. Glyoxal-based fixatives now are among the most popular formaldehyde alternatives. Although there are many studies that compare staining quality and immunoreactivity, there have been no studies that quantify possible structural differences. Histomorphometric analysis commonly is used to evaluate diseased tissue. We compared fixation with formaldehyde and glyoxal with regard to the histomorphological properties of plantar foot tissue using a combination of stereological methods and quantitative morphology. We measured skin thickness, interdigitation index, elastic septa thickness, and adipocyte area and diameter. No significant differences were observed between formaldehyde...
Pyoderma gangrenosum of penis.

A 62-year-old healthy male presented with a 4-month history of a painful enlarging penile ulcer not associated with any trauma, medications or new sexual contacts. Physical examination showed a healthy appearing male with a firm tender 1 cm red ulcer juxtaposed with the corona of the penis (fig. 1). The patient had no palpable lymphadenopathy. Penile biopsy demonstrated a nonspecific necrotizing granulomatous inflammation without vasculitis (fig. 2). Viral, fungal and selective bacterial cultures were all negative. Other evaluation with syphilis serologies (VDRL, fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption), serological tests for Chlamydia trachomatis and purified protein derivative tests yielded neg-
Temozolomide, a novel alkylating agent with activity in the central nervous system, may improve the treatment of advanced metastatic melanoma.

Temozolomide (TMZ) is the first new chemotherapy agent to be approved for the treatment of high-grade malignant gliomas in more than 20 years. This novel oral alkylating agent has demonstrated promising activity not only in brain tumors, but in a variety of solid tumors, including malignant melanoma. TMZ is 100% bioavailable when taken orally and, because of its small size and lipophilic properties, it is able to cross the blood-brain barrier. Concentrations in the central nervous system are approximately 30% of plasma concentrations. Once it has entered the central nervous system, TMZ can be spontaneously converted to the active metabolite. These pharmacologic properties make it an ideal agent for treating central nervous system malignancies. In patients with advanced metastatic melanoma, brain metastases are a major cause of treatment failure. In this setting, TMZ has been shown to be as effective as dacarbazine, with a similar safety profile. More importantly, there is evidence to suggest that TMZ-treated patients have a lower incidence of central nervous system relapse compared with dacarbazinetreated patients. Therefore, TMZ is actively being investigated for the treatment and prevention of brain metastases in melanoma patients. TMZ may become an important part of treatment regimens for advanced metastatic melanoma. The Oncologist 2000;5:144-151