cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multiple comparisons for survival data with propensity score adjustment

This article considers the practical problem in clinical and observational studies where multiple treatment or prognostic groups are compared and the observed survival data are subject to right censoring. Two possible formulations of multiple comparisons are suggested. Multiple Comparisons with a Control (MCC) compare every other group to a control group with respect to survival outcomes, for determining which groups are associated with lower risk than the control. Multiple Comparisons with the Best (MCB) compare each group to the truly minimum risk group and identify the groups that are either with the minimum risk or the practically minimum risk. To make a causal statement, potential confounding effects need to be adjusted in the comparisons. Propensity score based adjustment is popular in causal inference and can effectively reduce the confounding bias. Based on a propensity-score-stratified Cox proportional hazards model, the approaches of MCC test and MCB simultaneous confidence intervals for general linear models with normal error outcome are extended to survival outcome. This paper specifies the assumptions for causal inference on survival outcomes within a potential outcome framework, develops testing procedures for multiple comparisons and provides simultaneous confidence intervals. The proposed methods are applied to two real data sets from cancer studies for illustration, and a simulation study is also presented.
Infaunal benthos of a natural petroleum seep: Study of community structure

At 8 wk intervals, from December 1975 through March 1978, we took a census of the infaunal benthic invertebrates at a natural petroleum seep near Santa Barbara, California, USA and at an area nearby where no fresh petroleum occurred in the sediments. Both sites had in common 72% of the populations representing over 90% of the individuals, strongly suggesting that the two sites are part of the same community. At the petroleum seep there were higher densities of individuals in many populations (∼60%), but no dramatic difference in diversity (Shannon-Wiener or dominance-diversity). The seep populations tended to be more variable from one sampling period to the next, possibly due, at least in part, to large larval settlements there. The most abundant populations at the seep site were dominated by deposit feeders (14 of the 15 species considered), especially oligochaetes which are extremely rare at the comparison site. The discussion includes a hypothesis of trophic enrichment of the seep populations by bacterial growth stimulated by fresh petroleum.
Crary Lab dedicated in Antarctica

A new $23 million science laboratory was dedicated on November 5, 1991, at McMurdo Station, Antarctica. The laboratory was named the Albert P. Crary Science and Engineering Center, in honor of geophysicist andglaciologist Albert P. Crary, the first person to set foot on both the North and South Poles. Crary died in 1987. The Crary Laboratory contains state-ofthe-art scientific instrumentation that will facilitate international polar research and advancement of science and technology. Primarily, it will support funded principal investigators by providing much-needed laboratory space, analytical instrumentation, and staging areas for a wide range of scientific disciplines. The facility will replace old and outdated science buildings that were built as early as 1959.
An Adaptive Channel Scheduling Design for Multi-Hop Handoff Delay Reduction in Internet-Based Wireless Mesh Networks

Seamless handoff support is an essential issue to ensure continuous communications in multi-hop wireless mesh networks (WMNs). Due to the multi-hop transmission of network-layer handoff signaling packets, the handoff performance in WMNs can be largely degraded by the long queueing delay and medium access delay at each mesh router, especially when the backbone traffic volume is high. However, this issue is ignored in existing handoff solutions and multi-channel allocation schemes. In this paper, we address the seamless handoff support from a different perspective and propose a novel channel allocation design in hierarchical WMNs to reduce the queueing delay and medium access delay of handoff signaling packets over multi-hop wireless links and to improve the average channel utilization simultaneously. Both analytical and OPNET simulation results show that the performance of the average channel utilization and total handoff delay can be improved significantly using our proposed channel allocation scheme under various scenarios, as compared to other existing channel allocation and handoff solutions in multi-hop WMNs.
Methods for analyzing data from Delphi panels: Some evidence from a forecasting study

Abstract Delphi and other methods of using expert opinion to generate forecasts can be a useful tool for planning, impact assessment, and policy analysis. Unfortunately, little is known about the accuracy of forecasts produced using these methods, so their utility is limited at present. Based on the logic of the Delphi method, I suggest that: 1) forecast accuracy should increase across rounds of a Delphi iteration, 2) there is a positive correlation between a panelist's uncertainty about a forecast and his or her shift in forecast from round to round, 3) forecasts weighted by self-reported confidence will be more accurate than unweighted forecasts, and 4) the use of robust estimates of location as summaries of expert opinion yield better forecasts than nonrobust measures. A Delphi experiment provides little support to any of these hypotheses. This finding suggests that traditional assumptions about the proper methods for analyzing a Delphi study may be inappropriate.
How to approach breast lesions in children and adolescents

Abstract Assessment of a pediatric breast lesion always starts with clinical evaluation. When imaging of a pediatric breast is indicated, ultrasound is the mainstay. The vast majority of pediatric breast complaints are of benign etiology, therefore the diagnostic/management approach emphasizes “first do no harm”. Correlation with age and clinical history helps to direct diagnosis. It is essential to be familiar with the imaging appearance of the normal developing breast at various Tanner stages, in order to diagnose physiologic breast findings and to minimize unnecessary biopsies in young breasts vulnerable to injury. Normal anatomic structures, developmental conditions, benign neoplastic and non-neoplastic lesions are common causes of breast complaints in children. Uncommon benign masses and rarely, secondary more than primary malignancies may present in a pediatric breast. Chest wall masses such as Ewing's sarcoma or rhabdomyosarcoma occur in children and may involve the breast via contiguous growth or locoregional metastasis. In addition, special attention should be given to any breast lesion in a child with risk factors predisposing to breast cancer, such as known extramammary malignancy, genetic mutations, prior mantle irradiation, or strong family history of breast cancer, which usually requires biopsy to exclude the possibility of malignancy. Conclusion The developing breast is vulnerable to injury, and because breast malignancy is uncommon in children, diagnostic and management approach emphasizes “first do no harm”. Understanding normal breast development and the spectrum of common and uncommon pediatric breast lesions are key to the correct diagnosis.
Identification and distribution of axonal dystrophic neurites in Alzheimer's disease.

Abstract Dystrophic neurites (DNs) are one of the neuropathological characteristics of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Previously, it has been suggested that τ-immunoreactive DNs are of dendritic origin 18,26 and that axonal and dendritic dystrophic neurites are morphologically indistinguishable 35 . In the present study, two monoclonal antibodies, τ-1 and PHF-1, were used to examine sections of the hippocampal formation from AD and normal aged brains. Both antibodies stained dendritic DNs as well as axonal DNs. Axonal DNs were clearly seen in axonal fiber tracts, white matter and hippocampal terminal regions. Axonal DNs arising from neurofibrillary tangles were easily detected in CA3 and CA1. The morphological appearance of axonal DNs varied with the neuron type from which it originated. The most distinctive feature of τ-1 or PHF-1 immunostained axonal DNs was their uneven contour, alternating swollen and shrunken segments and short rod or cone shaped fragments. In contrast, dendritic dystrophic neurites are thicker and more tortuous. It appears that while DNs are both dendritic and axonal in origin, axonal DNs are more prevalent and widespread in the AD brain than previously realized and may represent one of the main pathological lesions in AD.
Evaluation of first-order Hankel transforms using Filon quadrature philosophy

Abstract An algorithm for evaluating first-order Hankel transforms using Filon quadrature philosophy is presented. In Filon quadrature philosophy, the integrand is separated into the product of an (assumed) slowly varying component and a rapidly oscillating component. The former, in the present problem, is h(p)p and the latter is J1(rp) (see equation (1.2)). Only h(p)p is approximated in the basic subinterval, instead of the entire integrand being approximated. Since only h(p)p has to be approximated, only a relatively small number of subintervals is needed. In addition, the error incurred is relatively independent of the magnitude of r.
Buckling Dynamics of Tethered Membranes

We investigate the dynamics of the classical Euler buckling of compressed solid membranes. We relate the membrane buckling dynamics to phase ordering phenomena. Membrane develops a wavelike pattern whose wavelength grows, via coarsening, as a power of time. Evolving membrane is similar to rough growing surfaces (“growing interfaces”) whose roughness grows as a power of time. Membrane buckling dynamics is characterized by a distinct scaling behavior not found in other coarsening phenomena
5 beta-Methyl-14 beta-(p-nitrocinnamoylamino)-7,8-dihydromorphinone: a long-lasting mu-opioid receptor antagonist devoid of agonist properties.

5 beta-Methyl-14 beta-(p-nitrocinnamoylamino)-7,8-dihydromorphinone (MET-CAMO) suppressed morphine-induced antinociception but had no effect on antinociception mediated by delta- or kappa-opioid receptors after a single i.c.v. 1-nmol injection from 8 to 72 h before testing. MET-CAMO had no agonist effects in the mouse tail-flick assay in doses up to 100 nmol. MET-CAMO is the first N-methylated morphine derivative which shows such long-lasting mu-selective opioid receptor antagonism with no agonistic properties.
Findings of chronic sinusitis on brain computed tomography are not associated with acute headaches.

Abstract Background Headache is a common complaint in emergency department (ED) patients. Nearly 15% of ED headache patients will have brain computed tomography (CT) done. One frequent finding on these scans is “chronic sinusitis.” Assuming that “chronic sinusitis” is the cause of the patient's headache is a potential source of mis-diagnosis. Study Objective We hypothesized that CT findings of chronic sinusitis occur with equal frequency in patients with atraumatic headache as in control patients with minor head injury. Methods This is a retrospective, single-center medical record review of consecutive discharged patients who received noncontrast head CT scans in an urban ED for either minor closed head injury or atraumatic headache. Each patient's head CT radiologic report was reviewed for findings of sinusitis and classified as chronic sinusitis, indeterminate for sinusitis, air-fluid levels, or no findings of sinusitis. Results We enrolled 500 patients (234 in the atraumatic headache group, 266 in the minor head injury group). The two groups were similar except that more women were enrolled in the atraumatic headache group. CT findings of chronic sinusitis in the atraumatic headache group (22.2%) and the minor head injury group (17.7%; difference 4.5%; 95% confidence interval of −2.5–11.6%). Conclusion Prevalence of CT findings of sinusitis in ED patients with atraumatic headaches and mild head injury are similar. This strongly suggests that CT findings of chronic sinusitis in patients with atraumatic headache may be incidental, and are rarely the cause of a patient's acute headache.
Using Weather Data to Explain Herbage Yield on Three Great Plains Plant Communities

Understanding the drivers that account for plant production allows for a better understanding of plant communities and the transitions within ecological sites and can assist managers in making informed decisions about stocking rates and timing of grazing. We compared climatic drivers of herbage production for 3 plant communities of the Clayey ecological site in southwestern South Dakota: the midgrass community dominated by western wheatgrass (Pascopyrum smithii [Rybd.] A. Love); the mixed-grass community codominated by western wheatgrass, blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis [H.B.K.] Lag. Ex Griffiths), and buffalograss (Buchloe dactyloides [Nutt.] Engelm.); and the shortgrass community dominated by blue grama and buffalograss. We used herbage yield and weather data for the period 1945‐1960 collected at the South Dakota State University Range and Livestock Research Station near Cottonwood, South Dakota, to develop stepwise regression models for each plant community. Midgrass herbage production was best predicted by current-year spring (April‐June) precipitation, number of calendar days until the last spring day with minimum temperature �� 18C, and previous-year spring precipitation (R 2 ¼ 0.81). Mixed-grass herbage production was best predicted by current-year spring precipitation and days until the last spring freeze (R 2 ¼ 0.69). Shortgrass herbage production was best predicted by current-year spring precipitation (R 2 ¼ 0.52). Midgrass plant communities were, overall, 650 kg � ha � 1 (SE ¼ 92 kg � ha � 1 ) more productive (P , 0.01) than mixed- or shortgrass plant communities given the same climatic inputs. Our study enables managers to make timely informed decisions regarding stocking rates and timing of grazing on this ecological site in western South Dakota.
A comparative study of bicortical screws and suspension wires versus bicortical screws in large mandibular advancements

Relapse with large mandibular advancements treated by bicortical position screws has been documented in the literature. This study compares stability seen with two groups of patients; one treated with bicortical position screws and allowed to function, the second treated with bicortical position screws, skeletal wires, and 1 week of maxillomandibular fixation. Both groups had large advancements. The screw group was advanced an average of 10.9 mm, whereas the screw and wire group was advanced 12.2 mm. The screw group relapsed an average of 2 mm in the first 6 weeks, with further relapse occurring after that point. In contrast, the screw and wire group relapsed an average of 0.6 mm in the first 6 weeks, followed by a small advancement in the long term. Differences between the two groups were significant in the first 6 weeks and from the initial postoperative period to the long-term examination point. While stability was markedly improved with up to 13 mm of advancement in the group with screws and wires, relapse was noted after that amount of advancement. Methods to keep larger advancements stable are reviewed.
Electrophysiological correlates of processing faces of younger and older individuals

The ’own-age bias’ in face processing suggests that the age of a face constitutes one important factor that influences attention to and memory for faces. The present experiment investigated electrophysiological correlates of processing faces of younger and older individuals. Younger participants were presented with pictures of unfamiliar younger and older faces in the context of a gender categorization task. A comparison of event-related potentials showed that early components are sensitive to faces of different ages: (i) larger positive potential peaking at 160 ms (P200) for older than younger faces at fronto-central electrodes; (ii) larger negative potential peaking at 252 ms (N200) for younger than older faces at fronto-central electrodes; (iii) larger negative-going deflection peaking at 320 ms (N250) for younger than older faces at occipito-temporal electrodes; and (iv) larger late positive potential peaking at 420 ms (LPP 420) for older than younger faces at parietal and other electrodes. We discuss similarities between the present study and a previously published study of faces of different races as suggesting involvement of comparable electrophysiological responses when differentiating between stimulus categories.
Height‐related trends in leaf xylem anatomy and shoot hydraulic characteristics in a tall conifer: safety versus efficiency in water transport

Summary • Hydraulic vulnerability of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) branchlets decreases with height, allowing shoots at greater height to maintain hydraulic conductance (Kshoot) at more negative leaf water potentials (Ψl). • To determine the basis for this trend shoot hydraulic and tracheid anatomical properties of foliage from the tops of Douglas-fir trees were analysed along a height gradient from 5 to 55 m. • Values of Ψl at which Kshoot was substantially reduced, declined with height by 0.012 Mpa m−1. Maximum Kshoot was reduced by 0.082 mmol m−2 MPa−1 s−1 for every 1 m increase in height. Total tracheid lumen area per needle cross-section, hydraulic mean diameter of leaf tracheid lumens, total number of tracheids per needle cross-section and leaf tracheid length decreased with height by 18.4 µm2 m−1, 0.029 µm m−1, 0.42 m−1 and 5.3 µm m−1, respectively. Tracheid thickness-to-span ratio (tw/b)2 increased with height by 1.04 × 10−3 m−1 and pit number per tracheid decreased with height by 0.07 m−1. • Leaf anatomical adjustments that enhanced the ability to cope with vertical gradients of increasing xylem tension were attained at the expense of reduced water transport capacity and efficiency, possibly contributing to height-related decline in growth of Douglas fir.
The Amount of Ultraviolet Absorbance in a Synthetic Peptide is Directly Proportional to Its Number of Peptide Bonds

Abstract The UV absorption at 200 nm of eleven synthetic peptides, all lacking an aromatic amino acid side chain, was studied. Those peptides were Ala2, Ala3, Ala4, Ala5, Ala6[Hbreve]l. Gly2, Gly3, Gly4, Gly5, SIGSLAK, and PLSRTLSVAAKK. It was determined, using the rapid analysis time and high sensitivity of capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE), that the amount of UV light absorbed by each peptide was directly related to the number of peptide bonds. This relationship held true, not only for the Ala- and Gly-containing oligopeptides, but also for the bioactive peptides SIGSLAK (active site peptide of penicillin-binding protein 1b from E. coli) and PLSRTLSVAAKK (Protein Kinase C substrate). Those analytical techniques that use UV detection for peptides, such as high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and CZE, will likely observe the same relationship between absorbance and the number of peptide bonds within a peptide, barring any effect on UV absorbance due to UV-absorbing aromatic side chains or the ...
Role of the JAK-STAT pathway in PDGF-stimulated proliferation of human airway smooth muscle cells

Airway remodeling, as manifested by an increase in airway smooth muscle mass, mucous gland hyperplasia, and subepithelial fibrosis, contributes to the airway hyperresponsiveness and fixed obstructi...
The American Context as an Area for Research in Black Church Studies

All religious and ethnic groups reach a point in their historical development when they become self-conscious and look back for their origins as a means of defining their identity. Almost always the first step is an attempt to find their roots in an ancient lineage. Thus a Presbyterian historian once commented that "the first General Assembly" of the Presbyterian church "was summoned by Moses" in the land of Egypt, an observation that did little to help people understand Presbyterianism.1 Interpreters of black religion have not beem immune to this common tendency among interpreters of religious and ethnic groups, although few have been as heedless in their leap backward as some of their white counterparts. Still, many have sought to account for the distinctive features of black religious life by focusing major attention on the distant past. They have been preoccupied with African roots rather than with the American experience out of which the black churches emerged. There is a limit, however, to the insights which can be gained from this worthy endeavor. Scholars need to shift their focus from possible distant antecedents to less remote forebears who adopted the Christian faith in the midst of desperate circumstances and fashioned from it a church life of their own.
Refined Si-CMOS-MEMS process using AOE, drie and preform bonding

This paper presents a Si-CMOS-MEMS fabrication process that forms released structures out of a 10 µm CMOS metal and oxide stack along with a 50 µm-thick section of the underlying silicon substrate. The process employs back-side silicon grinding that provides silicon mean roughness of 20 nm and maximum peak-to-valley roughness of 264 nm. The thinned MEMS substrate is bonded with solder preforms to a silicon base. Advanced Oxide Etch (AOE) of the CMOS MEMS stack has a rate of 527 nm/min and leaves no polymer residue. Three different thermal shunting methods during the silicon DRIE step are studied to alleviate isotropic silicon etch artifacts. Test of a Si-CMOS-MEMS crab-leg resonator validates the process. The device has a quality factor of 750 and resonant frequency of 36.4 kHz in air.
FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH OSTEOARTHRITIS OF THE KNEE IN THE FIRST NATIONAL HEALTH AND NUTRITION EXAMINATION SURVEY (HANES I) EVIDENCE FOR AN ASSOCIATION WITH OVERWEIGHT, RACE, AND PHYSICAL DEMANDS OF WORK

The authors used data from the United States first national Health and Nutrition Examination Survey of 1971-1975 (HANES I) to explore the cross-sectional associations between radiographic osteoarthritis of the knee and a variety of putative risk factors. A total of 5,193 black and white study participants aged 35-74 years, 315 of whom had x-ray-diagnosed osteoarthritis of the knee, were available for analysis. After controlling for confounders, the authors found significant associations of knee osteoarthritis with overweight, race, and occupation, all of which have been suggested by smaller cross-sectional studies. They then focused specifically on those factors. For overweight, they found a strong association between current obesity and osteoarthritis of the knee, with a dose-response effect not previously assessed. This association was also seen for self-reported minimum adult weight, a proxy for long-term obesity, and was present in persons with asymptomatic osteoarthritis of the knee. These findings strongly suggest that obesity is causative. HANES I was the first study in which racial differences in osteoarthritis of the knee could be assessed within the same country. The black women who were studied had an increased risk of disease (odds ratio (OR) = 2.12, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.39-3.23) after controlling for age and weight, although the black men did not. Finally, the authors used the US Department of Labor Dictionary of Occupational Titles to obtain characterizations of the physical demands and knee-bending stress associated with occupations and to study the relation between physical demands of jobs and osteoarthritis of the knee. They found for persons aged 55-64 years an association between knee-bending demands and osteoarthritis of the knee (men, OR = 2.45, 95% CI = 1.21-4.97; women, OR = 3.49, 95% CI = 1.22-10.52). Since such occupational physical demands are common, the authors conclude that they may be associated with a substantial proportion of osteoarthritis of the knee.
Is axillary lymph node dissection indicated for early-stage breast cancer? A decision analysis.

PURPOSE: Axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) has been a standard procedure in the management of breast cancer. In a patient with a clinically negative axilla, ALND is performed primarily for staging purposes, to guide adjuvant treatment. Recently, the routine use of ALND has been questioned because the results of the procedure may not change the choice of adjuvant systemic therapy and/or the survival benefit of a change in adjuvant therapy would be small. We constructed a decision model to quantify the benefits of ALND for patients eligible for breast-conserving therapy. METHODS: Patients were grouped by age, tumor size, and estrogen receptor (ER) status. The model uses the Oxford overviews and three combined Cancer and Leukemia Group B studies. We assumed that patients who did not undergo ALND received axillary radiation therapy and that the two procedures are equally effective. All chemotherapy combinations were assumed to be equally efficacious. RESULTS: The largest benefits from ALND are seen in ER-...
Emission rates of sulfur dioxide, trace gases and metals from Mount Erebus, Antarctica

SO2 emission rates have been measured annually since 1983 at Mount Erebus, Antarctica by correlation spectrometer (COSPEC V). Following a 4 month period of sustained strombolian activity in late 1984, SO2 emissions declined from 230 Mg/day in 1983 to 25 Mg/day and then slowly increased from 16 Mg/day in 1985 to 51 Mg/day in 1987. Nine sets of filter packs containing particle and 7LiOH treated filters were collected in the plume in 1986 and analyzed by neutron activation. Using the COSPEC data and measured element/S ratios on the filters, emission rates have been determined for trace gases and metals. We infer HCl and HF emissions in 1983 to be about 1200 and 500 Mg/day, respectively. Mt. Erebus has therefore been an important source of halogens to the Antarctic atmosphere and could be responsible for excess Cl found in central Antarctica snow.
Rock structures formed during back-arc basin deformation in the Andes of Tierra del Fuego

A back-arc basin formed along the Pacific margin of South America south of 50°S in the latest Jurassic and was uplifted and deformed beginning in the middle Cretaceous. Mapping in Tierra del Fuego between 67°W and 69°W revealed major lateral and vertical variations in the intensity and style of deformation. Penetrative rock structures, resulting dominantly from heterogeneously distributed progressive simple shear deformation, were formed along the rear part of the back-arc basin in the transition zone from the basin to the continental shelf. In this zone, the deformation affected the ophiolitic basin floor rocks, continental basement, and upper Mesozoic silicic to mafic volcanic and sedimentary rocks. In contrast, deformation in the central part of the basin was less intense and the sedimentary infill and ophiolitic crust were, in general, not penetratively deformed. Along the rear edge of the basin, the main-phase slaty cleavage dips southward, toward the original center of the basin. An extension lineation pitches south to southwest in the slaty cleavage plane and defines the direction of maximum finite extension. In the upper part of the upper Mesozoic rock section, the main-phase fold axes trend east to southeast, and the folds overturn to the north. Strain at this level was a flattening type. The intensity of deformation increased downward and is marked by the increased structural transposition of bedding, the tightening of folds, and the rotation of fold axes toward the direction of maximum finite extension. At the lowest stratigraphic levels, the fold axes parallel the extension lineation and are oriented perpendicular to the fold axes at the higher levels. Second-phase, asymmetric folds formed along the basement-cover contact during progressive deformation. In the central part of the basin, the sedimentary infill was folded into large flexural folds, but the ophiolitic crust was deformed only in narrow shear zones.
Age-Related Resistance of C57BL/6 Mice to Cryptococcus neoformans Is Dependent on Maturation of NKT Cells

Conflicting results have been reported regarding the ability of C57BL/6 mice to clear infections due to Cryptococcus neoformans. Examination of the various experimental protocols used suggested that C57BL/6 mice might develop the ability to resist infection as they mature. We analyzed the ability of C57BL/6 mice of different ages to respond to immunization with cryptococcal antigen or to clear a cryptococcal infection. Mice were immunized with a soluble cryptococcal culture filtrate antigen (CneF) emulsified in complete Freund's adjuvant (CneF-CFA). Delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) reactions elicited by the immunization were significantly stronger in 15-week-old C57BL/6 mice than in 7-week-old mice. Analysis of cryptococcal CFU 8 weeks following intratracheal infection of 7-week-old mice or 15-week-old mice revealed a relative inability of the younger animals to control the infection. Six-week-old immunized and infected mice cleared cryptococci from brain, spleen, and liver in a manner similar to that of immunized and infected 15-week-old mice. However, the older mice cleared cryptococci much more efficiently from the lungs. The possible role for NKT cells was determined by passive transfer of thymocytes from 10-week-old mice (containing mature NKT cells) or 2-week-old mice (containing immature NKT cells) to 6-week-old mice. The 10-week-old thymocytes significantly enhanced the ability of the mice to develop a DTH response after immunization with CneF-CFA, while animals treated with 2-week-old thymocytes did not improve their DTH response after immunization. The cells in the 10-week-old thymocyte population responsible for improvement of DTH responses were identified as being NK1.1 positive.
Efficient Query Refinement in Multimedia Databases

ness of query refinement, there exists no work on how to implement query refinement efficiently in a multimedia database system. We explore such approaches in this paper. The proposed approaches are independent of the refinement model used (e.g., QPM or QEX) and hence work for all models. We assume that each feature is indexed using a multidimensional index structure (called the F-index). A similarity query can then be answered by executing a k-NN query on each F-index and merging the individual feature results to obtain the final results. Our first contribution is to generalize the notion of similarity queries and allow multiple query points in a query (referred to as multipoint queries). This generalization is necessary since refined queries cannot be always expressed as single point queries. We develop a k-NN algorithm that can handle multipoint queries and show that it performs significantly better than the naive approach (i.e. execute several single point queries using the ‘single-point’ kNN algorithm and merge results). The second and the main problem we address is how to evaluate refined queries efficiently. A naive approach is to treat a refined query just like a starting query and execute it from scratch. We observe that the refined queries are not modified drastically from one iteration to another. As a result, most of the execution cost can be saved by appropriately exploiting the information generated during the previous iterations of the query. We propose 3 techniques, namely Reuse (RU), Full Reconstruction (FR) and Selective Reconstruction (SR), that cache certain information during the execution of the previous iterations of the query and use that cached information to save the execution cost (both I/O and CPU costs) during the subsequent iterations. We define notions of I/O optimality and CPU optimality and evaluate the three schemes in terms of these criteria. We find that although RU is significantly better than the naive approach, it is not I/O optimal. So we propose FR and show that it is I/O optimal and is significantly more efficient compared to RU. However, FR is not CPU optimal. We finally propose SR and show that SR, like FR, is I/O optimal, and, under certain conditions, also CPU optimal. Even though SR is not always CPU optimal, it is always better than FR in terms of CPU cost and is hence the best technique. Our experiments show that the above techniques speed up the execution of refined queries by several orders of magnitude compared to the naive technique.
CANNABINOID RECEPTOR AGONISTS PROTECT CULTURED RAT HIPPOCAMPAL NEURONS FROM EXCITOTOXICITY

Cannabinoid receptor agonists act presynaptically to inhibit the release of glutamate. Because other drugs with this action are known to reduce excitotoxicity, we tested several cannabimimetics in a model of synaptically mediated neuronal death. Reduction of the extracellular Mg2+ concentration to 0.1 mm evoked a repetitive pattern of intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) spiking that, when maintained for 24 hr, resulted in significant neuronal death. The [Ca2+]i spiking and cell death in this model result from excessive activation of N -methyl-d-aspartate receptors, as indicated by the inhibition of both [Ca2+]i spiking and neuronal death by the N -methyl-d-aspartate receptor antagonist CGS19755 (10 μm). The cannabimimetic drug Win55212–2 (100 nm) completely blocked [Ca2+]i spiking and prevented neuronal death induced by low extracellular Mg2+ concentrations. These effects on [Ca2+]i spiking and viability were stereoselective and were prevented by the CB1 receptor antagonist SR141716 (100 nm). The partial agonist CP55940 (100 nm) also afforded significant protection from excitotoxicity. Cannabimimetic drugs did not protect cells from the direct application of glutamate (30 μm). These data suggest that cannabimimetic drugs may slow the progression of neurodegenerative diseases.
IFN Regulatory Factor-1 Regulates IFN-γ-Dependent Cathepsin S Expression

Cathepsin S is a cysteine protease with potent endoproteolytic activity and a broad pH profile. Cathepsin S activity is essential for complete processing of the MHC class II-associated invariant chain within B cells and dendritic cells, and may also be important in extracellular matrix degradation in atherosclerosis and emphysema. Unique among cysteine proteases, cathepsin S activity is up-regulated by IFN-γ. Given its importance, we sought to elucidate the pathway by which IFN-γ increases cathepsin S expression. Our data demonstrate that the cathepsin S promoter contains an IFN-stimulated response element (ISRE) that is critical for IFN-γ-induced gene transcription in a cell line derived from type II alveolar epithelial (A549) cells. IFN response factor (IRF)-2 derived from A549 nuclear extracts associates with the ISRE oligonucleotide in gel shift assays, but is quickly replaced by IRF-1 following stimulation with IFN-γ. The time course of IRF-1/ISRE complex formation correlates with increased levels of IRF-1 protein and cathepsin S mRNA. Overexpression of IRF-1, but not IRF-2, markedly augments cathepsin S promoter activity in A549 cells. Furthermore, overexpression of IRF-1 increases endogenous cathepsin S mRNA levels in 293T epithelial cells. Finally, freshly isolated bone marrow cells from IRF-1−/− mice fail to up-regulate cathepsin S activity in response to IFN-γ. Thus, IRF-1 is the critical transcriptional mediator of IFN-γ-dependent cathepsin S activation. These data elucidate a new pathway by which IRF-1 may affect MHC class II processing and presentation.
Spinal Subdural Hematoma in Nonaccidental Trauma.

This 6-month-old girl was transferred from an outside hospital, unaccompanied by her parents. She had a period of emesis and was taken to her primary care physician, who noticed bilateral parasternal bruising concerning for nonaccidental trauma. Cranial computed tomography showed bilateral subdural hematomas. She was admitted and evaluated for nonaccidental injury. Funduscopic eye examination revealed bilateral retinal hemorrhages. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain demonstrated bilateral subdural hemorrhages of different signal intensities, extending into the lumbar spine. Spinal subdural hematoma (Figs 1 and 2) appeared hyperintense on both T1and T2weighted images with signal dropout on the gradient images, thereby confirming blood products. She was stable and no acute neurosurgical intervention was deemed necessary. History was gleaned from the parents and the primary care doctor. It was concluded that the girl’s findings were secondary to nonaccidental trauma.
Fog Computing Based Ultraviolet Radiation Measurement via Smartphones

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation has a great impact on human health. Nowadays, the public basically gets information about UV radiance through weather forecasts. However, weather forecasts just provide rough and average predication for a certain large region. Since CMOS sensors in mobile phone cameras are very sensitive to UV, mobile phones have potential to be ideal equipment to measure UV radiance. This paper introduced a method that can measure UV radiance by just using mobile phone cameras. In addition, by utilizing fog computing, results can be gathered and amended locally through fog server to provide relatively accurate UV measurement. In this paper, advantages of using mobile phones to do UV measurement were discussed at first. Then, theoretical foundations were meticulously illustrated. Later, a procedure that can be implemented in mobile phones was provided. Furthermore, an Android app called UV Meter was developed based on the procedure. At last, verification was conducted under different weather conditions. Results showed that the procedure is valid and can be easily implemented onto mobile phones for everyday UV measurement.
Negative Index in a Lossy Chiral Metamaterial under First-Order Material Dispersion Using a Drude Model

Using the Drude model for complex conductivity,phase and group velocities, and indices are calculated under first-order dispersion in chiral metamaterials. Conditions are derived for negative index, and the results compared with parametric analyses
Tactons in multitask environments: The interaction of presentation modality and processing code

Tactons, or vibrotactile icons, have been proposed as a means to communicate complex concepts to users and to support multitasking in environments involving numerous visual and/or auditory tasks and stimuli. This study investigated the role of processing code in the interpretation of tactons while performing concurrent visual tasks in such environments. Participants decoded tactons composed of spatiotemporal patterns of vibrations – requiring spatial processing – and interpreted one of two types of visual task stimuli – requiring either spatial or categorical processing – in a driving simulation. Compared to single-task performance, there was a significantly larger dual-task performance decrement when the tacton task was paired with the visual task requiring spatial (as compared to categorical) processing. The findings are consistent with the assertion of Multiple Resource Theory that interference between concurrent tasks is greater when these tasks involve the same processing code. They illustrate how di...
IR spectroscopy of gas phase V(CO2)n+ clusters: solvation-induced electron transfer and activation of CO2

Ion-molecule complexes of vanadium and CO2, i.e., V(CO2)n(+), produced by laser vaporization are mass selected and studied with infrared laser photodissociation spectroscopy. Vibrational bands for the smaller clusters (n < 7) are consistent with CO2 ligands bound to the metal cation via electrostatic interactions and/or attaching as inert species in the second coordination sphere. All IR bands for these complexes are consistent with intact CO2 molecules weakly perturbed by cation binding. However, multiple new IR bands occur only in larger complexes (n ≥ 7), indicating the formation of an intracluster reaction product whose nominal mass is the same as that of V(CO2)n(+) complexes. Computational studies and the comparison of predicted spectra for different possible reaction products allow identification of an oxalate-type C2O4 anion species in the cluster. The activation of CO2 producing this product occurs via a solvation-induced metal→ligand electron transfer reaction.
Breast MRI Screening of Women with a Prior High-Risk Lesion: Preliminary Results.

Purpose: To determine the frequency of breast cancer detection in women at increased risk due to a prior high-risk lesion.Materials and methods: An IRB approved retrospective review was performed of the records of 2184 breast MRIs starting from 1999, to identify patients who commenced screening breast MRI who had a history of a prior high risk lesion. Eighty-three women were identified who had a prior biopsy demonstrating a high-risk lesion such as atypical ductal hyperplasia (ADH), atypical lobular hyperplasia (ALH) or lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS). History, imaging, and pathologic findings were reviewed.Results: Histologies of prior high-risk lesions in these 83 women were ADH in 24, LCIS in 54 and ALH in 5. The median length of MRI follow-up was four (range, 1-9) years. Biopsies were recommended based on MRI findings in 39 (47%) of 83 women, yielding cancer in seven (8%) women (four of whom also had benign biopsies), and benign findings only in 32 (39%) women. Six of the seven women who developed a breast cancer also had a family history of breast cancer. Histologic findings in these seven cancers were ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) in 4 (57%) and invasive cancer in three (43%). Invasive cancer histologies (n=3) were ductal in one and lobular in two; maximal histologic size was 2.0 cm. This large invasive cancer had a mammographic, sonographic, and palpable correlate, and was node-positive; the other cancers were identified by MRI only. Among these seven cancers, two (29%) were detected in screening year 1, two (29%) in screening year 2, two (29%) in screening year 3 and one in screening year 4 (14%). Three (43%) of the seven cancers were in the contralateral breast. In these 83 women, the likelihood of detecting cancer by MRI was higher in those with, rather than without, a family history of breast cancer (6/54=11% vs. 1/29=3%) and in women with prior LCIS rather than prior ADH (6/54=11% vs. 1/24=4%).Conclusion: Breast MRI detected cancer in 7 (8%) of 83 women with a prior high-risk lesion, six (86%) of whom also had a family history of breast cancer. Among these cancers, all were detected during the first four years of screening and less than half were invasive (43%). Further work with more patients is needed to determine the utility of breast MRI screening in women with specific prior high-risk lesions, with and without additional risk factors. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(24 Suppl):Abstract nr 4002.
Abstract IA02: Human ES cells for modeling brain cancer

Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Gliomas (DIPG) are a highly aggressive tumor of the brainstem occurring primarily in children. The outlook of patients with this disease is particularly dire due to the tumor9s inaccessible location and its lethal course over one or two years. Recent sequencing data identified, for the first time in human cancer, heterozygous mutations in the histone H3 that create a lysine to methionine amino acid substitution. Using a human ES-based platform, we demonstrate the exquisitely cell-context specific oncogenic role of the H3K27M mutation. The model recapitulated the histological features and in vivo progression of the human tumor, as well as its transcriptomal and epigenetic profile. Genome wide analyses indicate a resetting of the transformed precursors to a developmentally more primitive state, with evidence of major modifications of histone marks at master regulatory genes. Drug screens in the ES model identified a compound that targets menin, a protein with multiple partners the mixed leukemia lineage protein MLL. The compounds have been validated in patient derived DIPG cell lines and are undergoing intense preclinical assessments. The ES model, coupled with more recent gene editing technology, provides a very powerful platform for the dissection of the requirements of neoplastic transformation in specific tumors, the specification of cells of origin, as well insight into the downstream effectors of individual and combined mutations. Human pluripotent stem cells have an excellent potential as platform for modeling cancer. Work to extend these findings to additional mutations and tumor types is ongoing. Ref. Funato et al. Science. 2014 Dec 19;346 (6216) Citation Format: Viviane Tabar. Human ES cells for modeling brain cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Advances in Pediatric Cancer Research: From Mechanisms and Models to Treatment and Survivorship; 2015 Nov 9-12; Fort Lauderdale, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(5 Suppl):Abstract nr IA02.
Myocardial reperfusion injury. Platelet-activating factor stimulates polymorphonuclear leukocyte hydrogen peroxide production during myocardial reperfusion.

To study the roles of platelet-activating factor, polymorphonuclear leukocytes, and oxygen free radicals in myocardial reperfusion injury, we subjected 10 sheep to 90 minutes of mid-left anterior descending coronary artery followed by 6 hours of reperfusion. Stainings with gentian violet and tetratriphenyl ammonium chloride demonstrated 20% ± 3% of the left ventricular mass at risk for ischemia, of which 75% ± 10% underwent infarction. Coronary sinus blood was assayed for platelet-activating factor and neutrophil hydrogen peroxide production before and during coronary occlusion and during reperfusion. Platelet-activating factor was isolated by column chromatography and lipid extraction and quantified by radioimmunoassay. Neutrophil hydrogen peroxide production was measured by a 2′,7′-dichlorofluorescein flow-cytometric assay. Platelet-activating factor was elevated to 899 ± 210 pg/ml at 15 minutes of reperfusion, compared with the preocclusion level of 271 ± 55 pg/ml and coronary occlusion level of 359 ± 64 pg/ml (p
Einführung – Der Fremdvergleichsgrundsatz

Konzernverrechnungspreise sind zu einem der wichtigsten Steuerthemen international agierender Unternehmensgruppen geworden. Einerseits hat die bis in den Mittelstand hineinreichende Entwicklung zu internationaler, wenn nicht globaler, Unternehmenstatigkeit (Stichwort Globalisierung) zu einer enormen Zunahme grenzuberschreitender Transaktionen zwischen verbundenen Unternehmen gefuhrt. Der Anteil des weltweiten Handelsvolumens, der auf konzerninterne Transaktionen zuruckzufuhren ist, wird auf ca. 60 % geschatzt.
Husserl and queer theory

In spite of a history wherein queer theory has openly rejected phenomenology, phenomenology has gained increasing interest amongst queer theorists. However, Husserl’s phenomenology is often marginalized in attempts to integrate queer theory with phenomenology, and when Husserl is addressed specifically, his work is often treated superficially or even misrepresented. Given this, my first goal is to demonstrate how Husserl’s work is already open to positions considered fundamental to queer theory, and that Husserl is often explicitly arguing for these positions himself. In doing so, I wish to show that Husserl’s phenomenology is well fitted for complementary engagement with queer theory. My second goal is to work through some ways in which Husserl’s phenomenology and queer theory can work together in detail to accomplish shared theoretical goals. Although this will not be a full-blown analysis—which would exceed the parameters of this article—my hope is to provide a certain amount of in depth work that can then assist further analyses that combine these methods.
Drug Resistance of Non-tuberculous Mycobacteria

Non-tuberculous Mycobacterium species (NTMs) are considered opportunistic pathogens as they cause disease in animals as well as in susceptible humans. Infections can vary from asymptomatic nodules to chronic, debilitating lung and skin infections. Depending on species- and strain-specific characteristics, some NTM infections respond readily to antibiotic treatment, while others exhibit intrinsic and non-intrinsic resistance to multiple antibiotics. Intrinsic drug resistance by NTMs may have evolutionary roots in the soil.