cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Neuroendocrine Tumors: Treatment Updates

Neuroendocrine tumors of the gastroenteropancreatic tract remain a difficult array of neoplasia to treat. Treatment of advanced and metastatic gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors has traditionally been difficult with few systemic treatment options. In 2011, two new targeted therapies, everolimus and sunitinib were approved for treatment of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor. The approval of these agents led to an enhanced interest in exploring novel agents. This can be evidenced by the fact that this is the first year that ASCO assembled related abstracts under a separate title of neuroendocrine tumor. The annual American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) conference in 2013 presented four abstracts (#4030, #4031, #4032, #4136) that shed light on new therapeutic options that help target the unique pathways involved in these neuroendocrine malignancies. Image: Nuclear octreotide scintigraphy.
SCCRO Promotes Glioma Formation and Malignant Progression in Mice

Originally identified as an oncogene activated by amplification in squamous cell carcinomas, several lines of evidence now suggest that squamous cell carcinoma-related oncogene (SCCRO; aka DCUN1D1) may play a role in the pathogenesis of a wide range of human cancers including gliomas. SCCRO's oncogenic function is substantiated by its ectopic expression, resulting in transformation of cells in culture and xenograft formation in nude mice. The aim of this study was to assess the in vivo oncogenicity of SCCRO in a murine model. Ubiquitous expression of SCCRO resulted in early embryonic lethality. Because SCCRO overexpression was detected in human gliomas, its in vivo oncogenic activity was assessed in an established murine glioma model. Conditional expression of SCCRO using a replication-competent ASLV long terminal repeat with splice acceptor/nestin-(tumor virus-A) tv-a model system was not sufficient to induce tumor formation in a wild-type genetic background, but tumors formed with increasing frequency and decreasing latency in facilitated background containing Ink4a deletion alone or in combination with PTEN loss. Ectopic expression of SCCRO in glial progenitor cells resulted in lower-grade gliomas in Ink4a-/- mice, whereas its expression in Ink4a-/-/PTEN-/- background produced high-grade glioblastoma-like lesions that were indistinguishable from human tumors. Expression of SCCRO with platelet-derived growth factor-beta (PDGF-β) resulted in an increased proportion of mice forming glioblastoma-like tumors compared with those induced by PDGF-β alone. This work substantiates SCCRO's function as an oncogene by showing its ability to facilitate malignant transformation and carcinogenic progression in vivo and supports a role for SCCRO in the pathogenesis of gliomas and other human cancers.
Comparison of methods for detection of pinworms in mice and rats

Though pinworm infestation remains common in laboratory rodent colonies, there is little information regarding current practices for pinworm detection and their relative efficacy. The authors surveyed research institutions to find out the prevalence of pinworm infestations and the detection methods they used. They also tested mice and rats from colonies that were known to be infested with Syphacia sp. and compared the following detection methods: perianal tape test, fecal flotation, fecal concentration, cecal content examination, cecal flotation and histological examination. Though the different methods yielded comparable efficacy overall, the authors recommend using more than one type of test to increase detection potential.
Jet-Pylon Interaction of High Bypass Ratio Separate Flow Nozzle Configurations

NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia, 23681-0001 USA An experimental investigation was performed of the acoustic effects of jet-pylon interaction for separate flow and chevron nozzles of both bypass ratio five and eight. The models corresponded to an approximate scale factor of nine. Cycle conditions from approach to takeoff were tested at wind tunnel free jet Mach numbers of 0.1, 0.2 and 0.28. An eight-chevron core nozzle, a sixteen chevron fan nozzle, and a pylon were primary configuration variables. In addition, two orientations of the chevrons relative to each other and to the pylon were tested. The effect of the pylon on the azimuthal directivity was investigated for the baseline nozzles and the chevron nozzles. For the bypass ratio five configuration, the addition of the pylon reduces the noise by approximately 1 EPNdB compared to the baseline case and there is little effect of azimuthal angle. The core chevron produced a 1.8 EPNdB reduction compared to the baseline nozzle. Adding a pylon to the chevron core nozzle produces an effect that depends on the orientation of the chevron relative to the pylon. The azimuthal directivity variation remains low at less than 0.5 EPNdB. For the bypass ratio eight configuration the effect of adding a pylon to the baseline nozzle is to slightly increase the noise at higher cycle points and for the case with a core chevron the pylon has little additional effect. The azimuthal angle effect continues to be very small for the bypass ratio eight configurations. A general impact of the pylon was observed for both fan and core chevrons at both bypass ratios. The pylon reduces the typical low frequency benefit of the chevrons, even eliminating it in some cases, while not impacting the high frequency. On an equal ideal thrust basis, the bypass ratio eight baseline nozzle was about 5 EPNdB lower than the bypass ratio five baseline nozzle at the highest cycle condition, however, with a pylon installed the difference decreased to about 4 EPNdB.
Acetylation of cortisol by a human astrocytoma.

ABSTRACT C-21 acetylation was the principal reaction which occurred when small quantities of a low grade human astrocytoma were incubated with 1,2-3H-cortisol in eserinized buffer. Three per cent of the substrate was converted to cortisol-21-acetate by the tumor mince.
First Report of Leaf Spot on Onion Caused by Fusarium acuminatum in Georgia.

An unknown disease was observed on shallot onions (Allium cepa L.) in Tattnall County, Georgia, in September of 2012. Disease symptoms included leaf tip die back and scattered light brown lesions on leaves, oval to round in shape, with a size ranging from 0.5 to 2.0 cm. The disease occurred in approximately 1.2 ha of commercial onion fields, and disease incidence ranged from 50 to 70%. Infected leaf tissues from 10 plants were surface sterilized with 0.5% NaOCl and plated on quarter-strength potato dextrose agar (QPDA). The fungus grew on all plates, producing bright orange to rose pigmentation in the medium after incubation at 25°C for 5 days. The fungus produced sickle shaped macroconidia with 3 to 6 septa, 4 to 5 μm wide, and 30 to 54 μm in length. Chlamydospores were formed in chains and averaged 20.4 × 16.8 μm. The fungus was identified as Fusarium sp. based on morphological characteristics (3). Genomic DNA was extracted from single conidial cultures of three representative isolates and the internal ...
Exact Friedel oscillations in the g=1/2 Luttinger liquid

A single impurity in the one-dimensional Luttinger model creates a local modification of the charge density analogous to the Friedel oscillations. In this paper, we present an exact solution of the case {ital g}=1/2 (the equivalent of the Toulouse point) at any temperature {ital T} and impurity coupling, expressing the charge density in terms of a hypergeometric function. We find in particular that at {ital T}=0 the oscillatory part of the density goes as ln{ital x} at small distance and {ital x}{sup {minus}1/2} at large distance. {copyright} {ital 1996 The American Physical Society.}
A scaling theory of clusters in the lattice gas

It is proposed that the number ofp-particle,k-bond lattice gas cluster configurations is of the form exp{σpf(k/p)} in the limitp→t8. A simple modification permits application to finite clusters, with the consequence that asymptotically the cluster partition function is of the droplet form, i.e., Z p =exp[kp{itμp1−1/d}+O(ln p)]. The scaling function for two-dimensional lattices is determined numerically and is found to be qualitatively universal. The scaling theory is used to investigate the size dependence of the surface free energy. The surface tension of small clusters can significantly exceed its limiting value. For intermediate cluster sizes (∼100 particles) there is a modest reduction in surface tension, in accord with Tolman's prediction and the results of recent Monte Carlo studies.
Differential expression of T-cell growth factors in rejecting murine islet and human renal allografts: conspicuous absence of interleukin (IL)-9 despite expression of IL-2, IL-4, IL-7, and IL-15.

Background Interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, IL-7, IL-9, and IL-15, all T-cell growth factors (TCGFs), utilize the common IL-2 receptor gammac chain as a critical signaling component in their receptor complexes. We have bred IL-2-/- and IL-4-/- double knockout (DKO) mice and showed vigorous islet allograft rejection by DKO hosts. The identity of TCGFs that support the IL-2- and IL-4-independent allograft rejection is unclear. Methods We analyzed IL-9 gene expression in rejecting islet allografts in wild-type and in DKO mice, as well as in human renal transplant biopsy specimens, by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and compared the expression of IL-9 with that of other TCGFs. Results IL-9 gene expression was not detected in rejecting murine islet allografts in either wild-type or DKO recipient mice despite robust expression of other TCGFs, including IL-7 and IL-15. IL-9 transcripts were also not expressed in any of the human renal transplant biopsies obtained 4 to 251 days after transplantation, regardless of the presence or absence of histological evidence of rejection. Despite expression of IL-9 by DKO splenic cells upon in vitro mitogenic stimulation, IL-9 alone was unable to stimulate the proliferation of concanavalin A-activated splenic leukocytes harvested from DKO mice. Conclusion IL-9 is conspicuously absent despite vigorous expression of IL-2, IL-4, IL-7, and IL-15 genes during acute allograft rejection.
UTILIZING FOCUS GROUPS TO DETERMINE BARRIERS TO PRENATAL CARE ADEQUACY AMONG AFRICAN AMERICAN ADOLESCENTS

The history of health care delivery systems have not shown satisfactory effectiveness in reducing the gap between proven health care techniques, and their application in the larger community. Effec...
Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Myocardial Failure

Myocardial remodeling is a central feature in the progression of myocardial failure. This process, which can be stimulated by factors that are increased as a result of myocardial dysfunction such as mechanical stress, angiotensin, and norepinephrine, consists of a variety of molecular and cellular events that can lead to important changes in myocardial structure and function (or phenotype). These alterations include hypertrophy and cellular apoptosis of myocytes, changes in the molecular phenotype of the myocardium with reinduction of a fetal gene program, and alterations in the quantity and composition of the extracellular matrix. Agents that counteract these factors, such as vasodilators, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, and β-adrenergic antagonists, slow the progression of myocardial failure and are of clinical value in the treatment of heart failure. Several additional mechanisms have recently been identified that could also be important in mediating myocardial remodeling. These include oxidative stress, inflammatory cytokines, nitric oxide, endothelin, and peptide growth factors. It is likely that additional strategies to inhibit these mechanisms will exert beneficial effects on the process of myocardial remodeling and the development of clinical heart failure.
The cooperative learning program: Implementing an ecological approach to the development of alternative psychoeducational programs

This paper describes the creation of an alternative psychoeducational program in a semi‐rural setting for children with severe behavior disorders. The program is conceptualized and examined in terms of an ecological orientation towards intervention with youth, emphasizing the interrelationships and transactions existing among the components of the youth services delivery system. The importance of utilizing and coordinating community resources to develop and maintain such a program is discussed, with attention to the issues, benefits, and difficulties involved in adopting the ecological perspective. The program demonstrates that public education, community mental health, and other child‐related social systems can collaborate and function cooperatively to create and support comprehensive services for youngsters displaying serious behavior handicaps. Finally, outcome data is offered indicating that the majority of students served in CLP make a successful re‐entry into either school or work settings.
Disproportionate Minority Contact in the Land of Enchantment: Juvenile Justice Disparities as a Reflection of White-Over-Color Ascendancy

This article provides an overview of disproportionate minority contact in the state of New Mexico by focusing on the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention's identification phase. Statewide Relative Rate Index data of 9 decision points in the juvenile justice system were used to explore patterns of disparity for 7 years (2002–2008). New Mexico is 1 of 4 states considered to have a proportion of racial and ethnic minorities that surpasses the non-Hispanic White majority. Resident identities have been shaped by more than 400 years of history with several countries, presenting an opportunity to explore critical race theory's tenet of White-over-color ascendancy. Similar to in other states, Blacks and Hispanics were overrepresented in the juvenile justice system. Native Americans encountered mixed levels of over- and underrepresentation, whereas Whites were underrepresented in all but 1 decision point. According to these data, the numerically smaller White population continues to benefit from b...
A preliminary model of serum growth hormone response to hypoglycemia in man

Serum growth hormone response to hypoglycemia in man following insulin administration, reviewing lumped parameter model
Photosensitized oxidation of methyl linolenate. Secondary products

Previous studies of secondary oxidation products by high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) of autoxidized methyl oleate, linoleate and linolenate and photosensitized-oxidized linoleate are extended to photosensitized-oxidized linolenate. Photosensitized-oxidized linolenate was fractionated by silicic acid chromatography with diethyl ether/hexane mixtures. Selected silicic acid chromatographic fractions were separated by polar phase HPLC and characterized by thin layer and gas liquid chromatography and by ultraviolet, infrared, nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry. Secondary products from the photosensitized oxidation mixtures (containing 8.2 to 29.0% monohydroperoxides) included keto- and epoxy-dienes (0.4–1.6%), hydroperoxy epidioxides (0.8–4.9%), hydroperoxy bicyclic monoenes (0.1–0.3%), dihydroperoxides (1.0–5.6%), and hydroperoxy bisepidioxides (0.7–1.6%). Some of these secondary products are new and unique to photosensitized oxidation. Cyclization of the 10-, 12-, 13- and 15-hydroperoxides of linolenate would account for their lower relative concentration than that found for the 9- and 16-hydroperoxides. Dihydroperoxides may be derived from monohydroperoxides by singlet oxygenation or free radical oxidation. The hydroperoxy bis-epidioxides may be formed by further serial cyclization of the hydroperoxy epidioxides from 10- and 15-monohydroperoxides. Dihydroperoxides, hydroperoxy epidioxides and hydroperoxy bis-epidioxides are suggested as important flavor precursors in oxidized fats.
ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE RECEPTACLE OF CHRYSANTHEMUM MORIFOLIUM

IN AN EARLIER paper Popham and Chan (1950) presented observation.s and a discussion of zonation in the vegetative shoot apex of Chrysanthemum morifolium Bailey. A commercially important variety, Bittersweet, was used as a basis for that study while occasional comparisons were made between this variety and the variety Orchid Queen. The plant material, culture methods, as well as microtechniques used, were described in detail. Temperatures in the ventilated greenhouses where the plants grew during the summer of 1947 were kept as low as practicable but ranged from 65? F. on some cool nights to as high as 1000 F. early on some afternoons. The present paper is a continuation of the same work; therefore, the same materials and methods were used and the observations are again based on the variety Bittersweet. The series of events occurring in the variety Bittersweet are nearly identical with those in Orchid Queen except for some variations (usually small) in the time factor. For this reason reference to the variety Orchid Queen will be made only in instances in which relatively great differences occur between the varieties. In the variety Bittersweet both the terminal bud of a branch and several subj,acent laterals develop into flower buds. The flower head or inflorescence of Chrysanthemum morifolium variety Bittersweet is of the daisy type, being composed of two rows of outer ray flowers (or florets) surrounding many tubular florets. In general, flower head development is characterized by three well-defined stages in a minutely transitory progression of events. The first is the vegetative condition of the stem tip (fig. 1) which has already been discussed (Popham and Chan, 1950). This stage may persist for long periods of time provided the plants are exposed to uninterrupted long photoperiods and proper temperatures. The second stage, the initiation and growth of the receptacle2 (fig. 2-7) and peduncle begins about the seventh day after exposure of plants to short (9 hr.) photoperiods and continues until the thirtieth day3 or later. It should be em-
Bandpass design-applications to nonnormal incidence

A five-cavity bandpass is designed. The spectral transmittance simulates a Chebyshev polynomial. The same principles are used to design a bandpass that resides in a cemented cube at a 45° angle of incidence that has minimal polarization splitting.
The Impact of Hierarchical Structures on the Work Behavior of Women and Men

This paper makes the case for an absence of sex differences in work behavior, arguing instead that work attitudes and work behavior are a function of location in organizational structures. The structures of opportunity (e. g., mobility prospects) and power (e. g., influence upward), along with the proportional representation of a person's social type, define and shape the ways that organization members respond to their jobs and to each other. In hierarchical systems like large corporations, the relative disadvantage of many women with respect to opportunity and power results in behaviors and attitudes (such as limited aspirations, concern with co-worker friendships, or controlling leadership styles) that are also true of men in similarly disadvantaged positions. The structure of power in organizations, rather than inherent sexual attitudes, can also explain why women sometimes appear to be less preferred as leaders. It is concluded that it is not the nature of women but hierarchical arrangements that must be changed if we are to promote equity in the workplace. This paper proposes that structural conditions, particularly those stemming from the nature of hierarchy, shape apparent "sex differences" in the workplace and in organizations. Findings about behavior of and toward women in organizations can be explained by a number of structural variables that also can account for the behavior of and toward men in similar situations. This conclusion has been reached after field work in two corporations, interviews with "token" women in professional and management positions and secretaries and secretarial supervisors, and an extensive review of the social psychological and sociological literatures on work orientations and leadership behavior. Underlying this analysis is a conception of an organization as a total system. Occupations, work behavior, and work relations are too often studied as if they exist in a vacuum-each occupation or office or departmental unit considered as an isolated entity-and not within complex systems that define the position of interacting parties with respect to larger distributions of opportunity, power, and numerical ratios of social types. The hierarchical systems in which most work relations occur define which people are mobile, which will advance, which positions lead to other positions, and how many opportunities for growth and change occur along a particular chain of positions. Organizational systems also define a network of power relations outside of the authority vested in formal positions; the power network defines which people can be influential beyond the boundaries of their positions. Finally, the distribution of social types and social characteristics among personnel in different positions (and especially such ascribed characteristics as age, race, and sex) define whether people of a given type are relatively rare or relatively common.
EFFECTS OF DRIFT AND SELECTION ON DETECTING SIMILARITIES BETWEEN LARGE CLADOGRAMS

A computer simulation suggests that, for large cladograms, it is impossible to intuit by visual examination whether an observed degree of similarity is non-random. Drift may hinder our ability to see that several large area cladograms reflect one underlying sequence of vicariant events. Natural selection, by contrast, may cause area cladograms to resemble one another even if they represent taxa that underwent very different sequences of vicariant events. In other words, drift and selection can both becloud phylogeny. But these hindrances do not prevent phylogenetic inferences altogether, and even apparently minor similarities between apparently dissimilar cladograms can be so highly non-random as to implicate a common sequence of vicariant events.
Climatic Change and its Effect on Prehispanic Agriculture in the Central Peruvian Andes

AbstractThe effect of climatic change on human and natural populations is most readily discernible in geographic locations where climate is a significant factor in limiting the range of activities. Today, as in the past, severe minimum temperatures at high altitudes limit the range of production of various crops in the Peruvian Andes. Periodic climatic cooling, as evidenced by the deposits from two recent glaciations, lowered the upper elevation limit of maize and significantly reduced the area available for its cultivation in the northern Mantaro River Valley. Paleoethnobotanical data from the same area suggest that during the most recent period of climatic cooling, less maize was produced compared to the warmer time periods that bracket this event. During the cooler phase, climatic constraints on maize production could have exacerbated already existing social tensions, perhaps leading to an increased establishment of more defensive settlements. This study shows how climate can affect human actions. This...
AN ALTERNATIVE PARAMETRIC APPROACH FOR DISCRETE MISSING DATA PROBLEMS

We propose an iterative method of estimation for discrete missing data problems that is conceptually different from the Expectation–Maximization (EM) algorithm and that does not in general yield the observed data maximum likelihood estimate (MLE). The proposed approach is based conceptually upon weighting the set of possible complete-data MLEs. Its implementation avoids the expectation step of EM, which can sometimes be problematic. In the simple case of Bernoulli trials missing completely at random, the iterations of the proposed algorithm are equivalent to the EM iterations. For a familiar genetics-oriented multinomial problem with missing count data and for the motivating example with epidemiologic applications that involves a mixture of a left censored normal distribution with a point mass at zero, we investigate the finite sample performance of the proposed estimator and find it to be competitive with that of the MLE. We give some intuitive justification for the method, and we explore an interesting ...
Distribution of 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid in the mouse fetus

Abstract The herbicide 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T) readily crosses the placenta in the mouse on gestational day 13. Concentrations of 2,4,5-T in maternal tissues and fetuses were obvious at 30 min, highest at 8 h, diminished by 24 h and almost entirely eliminated by 48 h. Autoradiographs of the whole fetus showed that initially 2,4,5-T was mainly in the highly vascularized tissues such as liver followed by the skin, eyes and ventricles of the brain. At 48 h, there was a general distribution of 2,4,5-T in the skeletal muscles. None was detected in the palate. The excretion rate in the mouse was approx. 60 gm/h; about 52% of the dose was recovered unchanged in the urine in 24 h.
Math counts: software correctness and a SIGCSE 2008 BoF

Interesting how the term "software correctness" keeps popping up in this column. What is correct software, and can it be achieved -- if so how? The Math CountS columns strive to provide some insights into answering the latter question. One example I used in my entry level classes was developing the software for a heart pacemaker. Pushing the popular develop and test analogy to its limit, the pacemaker developer would test the system on a patient. If problems arose, e.g., death, then debug and test again. Finding agreeable test candidates would be a key to this approach ** SMILE *.
Retroviral vector-producer cell-mediated in vivo gene transfer of TIMP-3 restricts angiogenesis and neuroblastoma growth in mice.

Destruction and remodeling of the extracellular matrix occurs during the formation of new blood vessels that are required for tumor growth. We sought to determine whether gene-therapy mediated in vivo delivery of tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-3 (TIMP-3), using retroviral vector-producer cells, could suppress angiogenesis and subsequent tumor growth in a murine neuroblastoma model. Tumor volume 28 days after coinjection of tumor cells with producer cells generating TIMP-3-encoding retroviral vectors was 21% that of controls, as was the mean tumor vascular index, a measure of blood vessel maturity. When tumors were allowed to reach a mean volume of 0.05 cm3 before treatment, their size 2 weeks later was 47% relative to controls; larger tumors were not significantly affected. When producer cells were injected at surgical sites following excision of subcutaneous tumors, local recurrence 14 days later was only 22% in TIMP-3 producer cell treated mice as compared to 71% in controls. Unsuccessful transduction of melanoma cells in situ, another tumor of neural crest origin, resulted in unimpaired tumor growth, despite the fact that these tumors are susceptible to TIMP-3 overexpression, demonstrating the importance of tumor cell transduction in this approach. Thus, retroviral vector-producer cell-mediated in vivo gene transfer of TIMP-3 to tumor cells can significantly restrict tumor-induced angiogenesis and tumor growth. This approach may be an effective adjuvant in the treatment of neuroblastoma and other solid tumors refractory to traditional therapy, although it appears to be most effective in smaller tumors or in the setting of minimal residual disease, and the tumor cells must be susceptible to retroviral vector-mediated transduction.
Switching Mechanism and Complex Motions in an Extended Fermi-Acceleration Oscillator

In this paper, an extended model of the Fermi-acceleration oscillator is presented to describe impacting chatters, grazing, and sticking between the particle (or bouncing ball) and piston. The sticking phenomenon in such a system is investigated for the first time. Even in the traditional Fermi-oscillator, such a sticking phenomenon still exists but one often ignored it. In this paper, the analytical conditions for the grazing and sticking phenomena between the particle and piston in the Fermi-acceleration oscillator are developed from the theory of discontinuous dynamical systems. Compared with existing studies, the four exact mappings are used to analyze the motion behaviors of the Fermi-oscillator instead of one or two mappings. Mapping structures formed by generic mappings are adopted for the analytical predictions of periodic motions in the Fermi-acceleration oscillator. Periodic and chaotic motions in such an oscillator are illustrated to show motion complexity and grazing and sticking mechanism. Once the masses of the ball and primary mass are in the same quantity level, the model presented in this paper will be very useful and significant. This idea can apply to a system possessing two independent oscillators with impact, such as gear transmission systems, bearing systems, and time-varying billiard systems.
A Two-Factor Assessment of the Beliefs That Influence Attitudes Toward Privatization

A two-factor model of positive and negative beliefs underlying attitudes toward privatization was tested among Ecuadorian employees. In Study 1, semistructured interviews uncovered 23 negative and positive beliefs associated with privatization. Using these beliefs, an instrument was developed to test the relationships among beliefs, attitudes, and intention to support a strike in Study 2. A factor analysis of the beliefs supported a two-factor solution that separately gauged positive and negative beliefs toward privatization. Positive beliefs concerning the economic and organizational benefits of privatization explained attitudes above and beyond negative beliefs concerning its social and national costs. The interaction between these beliefs, however, indicated that extremely negative beliefs can override positive beliefs. The attitudes of public sector employees were more strongly associated with negative beliefs and less associated with positive beliefs. Results underscored the importance of assessing b...
Exploring the relationship between information technology investments and firm performance using regression splines analysis

Identifying the business value of information technology (IT) investments has been a major concern of managers and researchers. Various studies have addressed this issue but have provided contradictory results. Here, we explore the relationship between IT investments and firm performance using a relatively new technique, multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS), and attempt to answer two questions: (1) do investments in IT have a positive impact on organizational productivity? and (2) for a given level of investment, what portion of the total should be invested in IT to maximize organizational productivity? Our results suggest that depending on the conditions that applied, an unbiased observer could either conclude that investments in IT has a positive statistically significant effect on productivity, or that there is a 'productivity' paradox. This suggests that the relationship between IT investments and organizational performance is much more complex than that found in some other studies. Our results could also provide guidance to managers who are responsible for determining the allocation of organizational resources.
Depth and movement behaviour of the Pacific sleeper shark in the north-east Pacific Ocean

Satellite-linked radio telemetry was used to study the geographic movements and vertical movement behaviour of the Pacific sleeper shark Somniosus pacificus. The fish were tagged near Steller sea lion Eumetopias jubatus rookeries in the Gulf of Alaska during periods when Steller sea lions pups were most vulnerable to predation; when Steller sea lion pups first enter the water (July to August) and when Steller sea lion pups are weaned (April to May). Final locations recovered from most Pacific sleeper sharks (76%) were within 100 km of release locations, 16% were within 100-250 km and 8% were within 250-500 km. The most striking behavioural feature was their extensive, nearly continuous vertical movements. Median daily depth range was 184 m; the most time (61 %) was spent between 150 and 450 m, but ascents above 100 m were common (58% of days). Median vertical movement rate was 6 km day -1 and steady. The longest period of continuous vertical movement (> 60 m h -1 ) was 330 h. Systematic vertical oscillations were most common (60%), followed by diel vertical migrations (25%) and irregular vertical movements (15%). The Pacific sleeper sharks travelled below the photic zone during the day and approached the surface at night. Pacific sleeper sharks appear to employ a stealth and ambush hunting strategy that incorporates slow vertical oscillations to search for prey, and cryptic colouration and cover of darkness to avoid detection by potential prey. The depth and geographic range of Pacific sleeper shark and Steller sea lions overlap near four important Steller sea lion rookeries in the northern Gulf of Alaska, so the potential exists for predation to occur. None of the tissues in the stomachs of the 198 Pacific sleeper sharks collected during a companion diet study, however, were identified as Steller sea lion.
Verifying the Usability of Failure-Based Computational Design Methods

In the early stages of the design process, there is a need to provide designers with tools to assess risks and possible failures so as to avoid costly redesigns, comply with established safety measures and to promote innovation throughout the design process. Recently, various methods have been proposed in research to accomplish such tasks, including the Risk in Early Design (RED) and the Function Failure Design Method (FFDM). This paper proposes a method for examining the utility of such failure-based computational design methods. Validation is accomplished by analyzing products with a known history of failure, decomposing these products into functional representations and performing both RED and FFDM analyses on these models to see how closely such methods are able to correctly identify the real-world failures. The goal of this work is to determine the effectiveness of both the RED and FFDM methods in order to suggest improvements for both methods. The results provide insight on the verification methodology in addition providing to prescriptive methods to increase the usefulness of early stage failure and risk assessment techniques.© 2010 ASME
Diffuse retinal hemorrhages (ocular decompression syndrome) after trabeculectomy with mitomycin C for neovascular glaucoma.

. Purpose: To describe a case of ocular decompression syndrome in a patient after trabeculectomy with mitomycin C for neovascular glaucoma. Results: Diffuse retinal hemorrhages developed in the posterior pole of a patient with neovascular glaucoma after he underwent trabeculectomy with mitomycin C. The hemorrhages persisted for less than 9 months. Conclusions: Acute decompression of the eye in patients with high intraocular pressure can lead to the development of posterior pole hemorrhages. The course of this rare syndrome is relatively benign.
Population Pharmacokinetics of Tranexamic Acid in Paediatric Patients Undergoing Craniosynostosis Surgery

Background Tranexamic acid (TXA) effectively reduces blood loss and transfusion requirements during craniofacial surgery. The pharmacokinetics of TXA have not been fully characterized in paediatric patients and dosing regimens remain diverse in practice. A mixed-effects population analysis would characterize patient variability and guide dosing practices.
Isolation of motoneuron cell bodies from spinal cord stored at −70°C in ethylene glycol

Abstract Pretreatment of spinal cord with ethylene glycol permits long-term storage of the tissue at −70°C prior to isolation and biochemical analysis of the cell bodies of spinal motoneurons. The method is useful for storing spinal tissue from laboratory animals, as well as from human post mortem specimens, where aliquots of tissue may then be used for motoneuron isolation over an indefinitely long period. In addition to inhibiting the loss of soluble proteins from the neurons during freezing and thawing, cryoprotection increases the yield and improves the appearance of the isolated cell bodies. The method should aid biochemical studies of many kinds of neuronal subpopulations isolated from small amounts of starting material.
Infrared measurement of a Tl2Ba2CaCu2O8−x film

Abstract A preliminary report of the a-b plane reflectivity of a Tl 2 Ba 2 CaCu 2 O 8−x film (T c ≅ 110K) is presented. The plasma edge occurs at ≅ 2000cm −1 , which is quite unexpected because it implies an effective carrier density that is an order of magnitude less than obtained in other high temperature Cu O superconductors.
Sexual development in the pea is presaged by altered expression of arabinogalactan protein

FLOWERS contain the reproductive cells of angiosperms. Floral meristems develop apically or subapically from vegetative axes, and the flower itself is often regarded as homologous with a compressed and determinate shoot1. Although in many extant angiosperms the fertile floral organs (stamens and carpels) resemble leaves in both development and morphology2, the struc-tures that give rise to the germ cells inside them (the anther and ovule) have no counterpart in any vegetative organ. The reproduc-tive cells of angiosperms therefore develop after a period of exclusively vegetative growth and, in contrast to those of animals, have no direct antecedents in the embryo3. So far, the molecular mechanisms that set the reproductive cells apart from those of the other components of the flower or from the vegetative organs are unknown. Here we describe an early and specific developmental switch in stamen and carpel primordia of pea (Pisum sativum L.) which alters expression of a plasma membrane arabinogalactan protein4 epitope in the progenitors of the germ cells, and which subsequently affects the gametes, zygote and globular-stage embryo.
US government support for civilian technology: economic theory versus political practice

Abstract The author discusses what he perceives as a major gap between the economic concept of externalities as a justification for US Government intervention in the process of developing commercial technology and the direction that, in practice, this intervention appears to be taking. He argues that, unless the economics profession provides an operational concept of externalities for use by decision makers and monitors the application of that concept to specific situations, externalities may be discovered primarily whenever it is politically advantageous to do so.
Development of the Perceptions of Racism Scale

Racism may be a factor in low-birth-weight (LBW) and preterm delivery in African American childbearing women. Because no satisfactory measure of racism existed, the Perception of Racism Scale (PRS) was developed. The PRS was pilot tested on 109 participants from churches and community organizations. The scale was then used in a study of 136 childbearing women to investigate LBW and preterm delivery. Twenty items rated on a 4-point Likert-type scale were scored with 1 as the lowest and 4 as the highest perception of racism. Alpha reliabilities were .88 for the pilot and .91 for the study. Content validity was strengthened by expert panel critique. Reliability, content validity, and construct validity were demonstrated and no undue participant burden was observed. The scale is an effective instrument to measure perceptions of racism by African American women.
Tumors as Organs: Biologically Augmenting Radiation Therapy by Inhibiting Transforming Growth Factor β Activity in Carcinomas

Transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) plays critical roles in regulating a plethora of physiological processes in normal organs, including morphogenesis, embryonic development, stem cell differentiation, immune regulation, and wound healing. Though considered a tumor suppressor, TGFβ is a critical mediator of tumor microenvironment, in which it likewise mediates tumor and stromal cell phenotype, recruitment, inflammation, immune function, and angiogenesis. The fact that activation of TGFβ is an early and persistent event in irradiated tissues and that TGFβ signaling controls effective DNA damage response provides a new means to manipulate tumor response to radiation. Here we discuss preclinical studies unraveling TGFβ effects in cancer treatment and review TGFβ biology in lung cancer as an example of the opportunities for TGFβ pathway inhibition as a pharmaceutical approach to augment radiation therapy.
Structure-activity studies of 14-helical antimicrobial beta-peptides: probing the relationship between conformational stability and antimicrobial potency.

Antimicrobial alpha-helical alpha-peptides are part of the host-defense mechanism of multicellular organisms and could find therapeutic use against bacteria that are resistant to conventional antibiotics. Recent work from Hamuro et al. has shown that oligomers of beta-amino acids ("beta-peptides") that can adopt an amphiphilic helix defined by 14-membered ring hydrogen bonds ("14-helix") are active against Escherichia coli [Hamuro, Y.; Schneider, J. P.; DeGrado, W. F. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1999, 121, 12200-12201]. We have created two series of cationic 9- and 10-residue amphiphilic beta-peptides to probe the effect of 14-helix stability on antimicrobial and hemolytic activity. 14-Helix stability within these series is modulated by varying the proportions of rigid trans-2-aminocyclohexanecarboxylic acid (ACHC) residues and flexible acyclic residues. We have previously shown that a high proportion of ACHC residues in short beta-peptides encourages 14-helical structure in aqueous solution [Appella, D. H.; Barchi, J. J.; Durell, S. R.; Gellman, S. H. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1999, 121, 2309-2310]. Circular dichroism of the beta-peptides described here reveals a broad range of 14-helix population in aqueous buffer, but this variation in helical propensity does not lead to significant changes in antibiotic activity against a set of four bacteria. Several of the 9-mers display antibiotic activity comparable to that of a synthetic magainin derivative. Among these 9-mers, hemolytic activity increases slightly with increasing 14-helical propensity, but all of the 9-mers are less hemolytic than the magainin derivative. Previous studies with conventional peptides (alpha-amino acid residues) have provided conflicting evidence on the relationship between helical propensity and antimicrobial activity. This uncertainty has arisen because alpha-helix stability can be varied to only a limited extent among linear alpha-peptides without modifying parameters important for antimicrobial activity (e.g., net charge or hydrophobicity); a much greater range of helical stability is accessible with beta-peptides. For example, it is very rare for a linear alpha-peptide to display significant alpha-helix formation in aqueous solution and manifest antibacterial activity, while the linear beta-peptides described here range from fully unfolded to very highly folded in aqueous solution. This study shows that beta-peptides can be unique tools for analyzing relationships between conformational stability and biological activity.
Homologs of 1,2,5-hexahydro-3-one-1H-1,4-diazepine (DAP) as novel dipeptidomimetics and molecular scaffolds: efficient preparation of synthons.

Structurally constraint dipeptidomimetics represent an important class of conformationally rigid dipeptide surrogates and molecular scaffolds, which are frequently employed in peptide-based structure-activity relationships (SAR) and construction of combinatorial libraries. We report on the design of an improved and general synthetic procedure to prepare synthons related to the trisubstituted 1,2,5-hexahydro-3-one-1H-1,4-diazepines [DAP(Xxx)(alpha7)] (DAP: 1,2,5-hexahydro-3-one-1H-1,4-diazepine; DAP(Xxx)(alpha7): the homologous series of DAP in which alpha refers to the location of the chiral carbon in the i(th) amino acid, Xxx represents the three letter notation for the i-1 amino acids, and 7 denotes the number of atoms in the ring) and their higher homologs [DAP(Xxx)(alphaN)] [Xxx = Phe, Asp(beta-OcHex) (cHex: cyclohexyl), and Arg(N(G)-Tos] (Tos: p-toluenesulfonyl); N = 8-10]. These dipetidomimetic structures are generated by reductive alkylation-mediated Calpha(i)-to-N(i-1) bridging between a Calpha (i)-(CH(2))(i-1)(n)-COSEt (n = 1-4) and H(2)N-C(i-1)HR-CO(2)Fm (Fm: 9-fluorenylmethyl) followed by H(2)N(i)-to-C(i-1)-CO(2)H lactam formation. We also describe the preparation of blocked N-Ac-[DAP(Phe)(alphaN)]-CONMe(2) (N = 8-10), which serve as model systems for detailed conformational analysis reported in the accompanying article.
Exchange rate volatility and its impact on domestic investment

Abstract The relationship between exchange rate uncertainty and domestic investment has attracted some attention in macro literature. Previous studies that investigated the relation concentrated on firm level data with mixed results. In this paper we argue that the relationship applies equally at the aggregate. We assess the short-run and long-run effects of exchange rate volatility on domestic investment in each of the 36 countries in our sample using time-series data. The application of the bounds testing approach indicates that exchange rate volatility has significant short-run effects on domestic investment in 27 countries. The short-run effects are translated into the long-run only in 12 countries.
High-Pressure Refolding of Disulfide-Cross-Linked Lysozyme Aggregates: Thermodynamics and Optimization

Previous exploratory work revealed that high pressure (200 MPa), in combination with oxido-shuffling agents such as glutathione, effectively refolds covalently cross-linked aggregates of lysozyme into catalytically active native molecules, at concentrations up to 2 mg/mL (1). To understand further and optimize this process, in the current study we varied the redox conditions and levels of guanidine hydrochloride (GdnHCl) in the refolding buffer. Maximum refolding yields of 80% were seen at 1 M GdnHCl; higher concentrations did not increase refolding yields further. A maximum in refolding yield was observed at redox conditions with a 1:1 ratio of oxidized to reduced glutathione (GSSG:GSH). Yields decreased dramatically at more oxidizing conditions ([GSSG] > [GSH]). Kinetics of dissolution and refolding of covalently cross-linked aggregates of lysozyme depended strongly on redox conditions. At GSSG:GSH ratios of 4:1, 1:1, and 1:16, lysozyme dissolved and refolded with time constants of 62, 20, and 8 h, respectively. Estimates of the free energy of unfolding of lysozyme in GdnHCl solutions at 200 MPa suggested that the native state of lysozyme is strongly favored (ca.18.6 kJ/mol) under the conditions used for dissolution and refolding.
Occlusion of hippocampal electrical junctions by intracellular calcium injection

Abstract Low-molecular weight dyes such as Lucifer yellow or car☐yfluorescein have been used to investigate the electrical connectivity of neurons via gap junctions. The interpretation that such dye passage is mediated through intercellular channels has been controversial and difficult to corroborate with direct techniques in mammalian brain. We report here that elevated intracellular free Ca 2+ , a treatment shown to cause gap junction occlusion in other tissues, significantly blocks dye transfer between hippocampal cells. Furthermore, intracellular injection of FITC-dextran (which is too large to cross gap junctions) never resulted in multiple hippocampal cell fills. These data lend strong support to the argument that the extent of dye-coupling provides a good estimate of the number of intercellular communication channels, and raises the possibility that these channels may be physiologically modulated.
Sample size characteristics and scores on the Social Readjustment Rating Scale.

Abstract The relationship between Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS) scores and incidence of aid-seeking is examined in college population samples of different sizes. Reliability characteristics of a college-modified version of the SRRS are also studied. The results generally suggest that the power of the SRRS to discriminate aid-seeking from non aid-seeking college students decreases as the size of the sample being tested decreases. Possible reasons for the current findings as well as their implications are discussed.