cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Survey of obstetric forceps training in North America in 1981

In April, 1983, a questionnaire was sent to all 144 United States and Canadian members of the Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics to survey residency training and current use of obstetric forceps in 1981. One hundred five programs (73%), responsible for at least 283,000 births in 1981, were subsequently analyzed. All training programs used outlet forceps and all programs but one used midforceps for delivery. Hospitals with high cesarean birth rates did not perform significantly fewer midforceps operations. Hospitals with high midforceps rates did not also have high outlet forceps rates nor did these high rates closely reflect the personal attitude to obstetric forceps of the director of the obstetric training program. Simpson's forceps were most commonly used for outlet forceps and occipitoanterior midforceps operations, whereas Kielland's forceps were selected by 76% of programs for rotational midcavity deliveries. Staff obstetricians were the primary instructors of forceps technique in the delivery room in only 50% of United States programs; all Canadian respondents reported the staff obstetrician as the principal educator in obstetric residency forceps training.
POSTTRANSLATIONAL MODIFICATION IN RAT BONE OSTEOPONTIN

Osteopontin is a multiply-phosphorylated glycoprotein which contains an RGD cell adhesion sequence and regions containing a high level of aspartic acid. It is abundant in bone, milk, and urine and is also found in malignant tissues. Peptides generated from rat bone osteopontin by digestion with endoprotease Lys-C were analyzed for post-translational modification by a combination of Edman degradation and matrix-assisted laser desorption mass spectrometry. In the peptides analyzed in this way (accounting for approximately half the protein), eleven sites were found that were variably phosphorylated. Three modified lysines were also detected by virtue of their inability to be cleaved by endoprotease Lys-C (Lys19 and Lys286), by observation of an anomalous pth-amino acid during Edman degradation (Lys19 Lys29 and Lys286) and by a mass difference of 115 +/- 5. Bone osteopontin is extremely heterogeneous, as none of these modifications were found in 100% of peptides examined. In this respect, bone osteopontin differs from bovine milk osteopontin in which 28 residues are completely phosphorylated (Sorensen, et al., (1995) Protein Science 4:2040-2049). While the sequences of bovine and rat osteopontin differ significantly, many conserved serines in the N- and C-terminal regions that are phosphorylated in bovine milk osteopontin are at least partially phosphorylated in the rat bone protein. However, there are also conserved residues in both bovine and rat proteins which are phosphorylated in one species but not the other.
His Lyre Is Now Attuned Only to Woe

Suggested citation for this article: Potter P. His lyre is now attuned only to woe. Emerg Infect Dis [serial on the Internet]. 2008 May [date cited]. Available from http://www.cdc.gov/EID/content/14/5/869.htm
Two-dimensional coupled-mode theory for modeling leaky-mode arrays.

The use of a two-dimensional coupled-mode theory for modeling buried-ridge-waveguide index-guided arrays in general and leaky-mode arrays in particular is described. This formalism provides a framework for understanding the complicated modal structure of leaky-mode arrays by expressing their modes as linear combinations of the two-dimensional modes of the buried-ridge waveguides and the active-region confinement structure. As a result, the inherently large parameter space of these devices may be collapsed dramatically so that the device behavior is describable in terms of only the propagation constant mismatch between the buried-ridge modes and the active-region modes and their coupling coefficient.
Effect of constant infusion of oxytocin on luteal lifespan and oxytocin-induced release of prostaglandin F2α in heifers

Two experiments were conducted to determine whether constant infusion of oxytocin would prolong the luteal phase and inhibit uterine prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha) secretion in heifers. In Experiment 1, twelve heifers, treated with saline (SAL) or oxytocin (OXY) via jugular cannulae infusions (INF) or osmotic minipumps (OMP), were allotted at estrus into four treatment groups (n = 3). Treatments were: SAL-INF, SAL-OMP, OXY-INF and OXY-OMP. Physiological saline or oxytocin was given from Days 10 to 23 (Day 0 = estrus) of the estrous cycle. Method of treatment (jugular cannula infusion or osmotic minipump) had no effect (P greater than 0.05) on estrous cycle length or pattern of secretion of progesterone; therefore, data were pooled. Estrous cycle lengths were extended (P less than 0.01) for heifers which received oxytocin (25.3 +/- 0.4 d) compared to saline (20.5 +/- 0.4 d). Luteolysis did not occur in oxytocin-treated heifers until after treatment ceased. Experiment 2 was designed and conducted identically to Experiment 1 with the addition of a "challenge" injection of oxytocin (100 IU oxytocin, i.v.) given on Day 16 of the estrous cycle. Treatment of heifers with oxytocin extended (P less than 0.05) estrous cycle length by an average of 3 d compared to heifers treated with saline. The "challenge" injection induced (P less than 0.05) secretion of PGF2 alpha (as measured by the stable PGF2 alpha metabolite, 15-keto-13,14-dihydro-PGF2 alpha) in saline-treated but not oxytocin-treated heifers. In both Experiment 1 and 2, serum concentrations of FSH were elevated (P less than 0.05) in oxytocin-treated heifers. No increase was observed for LH or prolactin. The rise in estradiol-17 beta at luteolysis was not affected (P greater than 0.10) by treatment. In summary, constant infusion of oxytocin extended luteal lifespan, prolonged secretion of progesterone, and inhibited oxytocin-induced secretion of PGF2 alpha. Constant infusion of oxytocin did not affect serum concentrations of estradiol-17 beta, LH or prolactin; however, serum concentrations of FSH were elevated during the oxytocin treatment period.
Bang-bang control for distributed systems and their numerical solution

The bang-bang control of certain distributed parameter systems is considered, and the relationship between these results and approximate controllability discussed. Several methods for the numerical approximation of these control problems are given, one via a modal approximation to the partial differential equation, and the other a finite element approximation. The algorithms involve reformulating the problem as a non-linear program in the switching times of the optimal control.
Commentary: "Treatment of hypertension and prevention of dementia" by Oliver Hanon and Françoise Forette.

s m f s S d w n p m f n t r i o Treating hypertension: It’s not just for stroke reducion—Sometime in the not too distant past, dementia reearchers (this writer, at least) thought of vascular dementia, o the extent they thought about it at all, as being quite istinct from Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Then, in the last ecade or so, evidence began to mount that has steadily rought down the walls between AD and the cognitive onsequences of cerebrovascular disease. Observations in representative populations confirm that he combination of cerebrovascular pathology and AD is ommon [1–3]. Clinical–neuropathologic studies have hown that cerebrovascular pathology and AD pathology dditively affect cognitive function [4–6]. Therefore, it is a istake to ignore cerebrovascular disease (either clinically r pathologically) even if it appears that AD is present in ufficient intensity to account for the dementia. It may not e possible in the neuropathologic setting to determine what he relative contributions are of AD and cerebrovascular athology, but the key point is that both are important. By he same line of reasoning, risk factors that are linked to erebrovascular disease should be scrutinized for their links o AD. The observations from epidemiologic surveys on the ssociation between hypertension and AD are a case in oint (See Hanon and Forette [7] for references). The assoiation between diabetes mellitus [8–10] and AD is another xample. These findings have been confirmed repeatedly. In oth conditions, there are associations with change in cogitive function over time. There is also evidence for assoiations between hypertension [11] (and diabetes [12]) and tructural changes in the brain. In the case of hypertension, t is clear that the disorder has an impact on brain structure
Patterns of development and nationalism: Basque and Catalan nationalism before the Spanish Civil War

These quotations from two of the major ideologues of Basque and Catalan nationalism, respectively, reflect two radically different conceptions of what the nation is and two significantly different political programs for the Basque Country and Catalonia: independence and adherence to tradition for the former, federalism/confederalism and a secular and capitalist organization of society for the latter. The Basque and Catalan nationalist movements differed substantially in their character despite the fact that they developed simultaneously in two ethnically distinct Spanish communities, that stood out in terms of their high level of industrial development relative to the rest of Spain, and that had experienced intense immigration from the poorest regions of Spain. Therefore, this contrast between Basque and Catalan nationalism questions the suitability of explanations of peripheral nationalism that stress the role of relative levels of development, of cultural distinctiveness, and of the socially disruptive effects of the arrival of large numbers of immigrants. While these explanations may be useful to explain the emergence and dynamics of nationalism, they are ill-suited to explain what constitutes the exclusive focus of this article, that is, differences in the character of nationalist movements.
Conditions for which Fischer F-subgroups in finite solvable groups are F-injectors

In a solvable group, each F-injector is a Fischer F-subgroup, but Dark has shown that a Fischer F-subgroup need not be an F-injector, and Doerk and Hawkes have shown that a Fischer F-subgroup need not be an injector for any Fitting set. Here we prove:¶Theorem. If F is a Fitting set of a finite solvable group G, and a Fischer F-subgroup V of G is subnormally embedded or locally pronormal in G, then V is an F-injector of G.¶Corollary. If F is a Fitting set of a finite solvable group G, and all Fischer F-subgroups of G are subnormally embedded or locally pronormal in G, then the Fischer F-subgroups and the F-injectors of G are the same groups.¶ We also prove:¶Theorem. If U is a subnormally embedded F-injector of a finite solvable group G, then U is normally embedded in G.
Integrating collaborative requirements negotiation and prioritization processes: a match made in heaven

Selecting system and software requirements to implement in a particular product or release is a challenging decision problem. Business stakeholders strive to maximize return on investment by selecting the most valuable requirements for implementation. Deciding on the requirements to be selected entails a great deal of communication and coordination amongst the stakeholders to ascertain the priorities of the individual requirements. The prioritized requirements aid in the planning and sequencing of implementation activities associated with the software system and provides a basis of a prioritized backlog from which the requirements can be ‘pulled’ for development. Changing business priorities may require a complete reprioritization of the backlog, leading to wasted effort. Individual change requests and new requirements need to be prioritized and inserted into the correct location in the backlog requiring high communication overhead. In this paper we summarize a two-step prioritization approach using a decision theoretic model to prioritize system and software requirements that alleviates these concerns. The system is initially decomposed into high-level Minimal Marketable Features (MMFs) and each MMF is further decomposed into low-level requirements. The MMFs are prioritized against the business goals of the organization and the low-level requirements with respect to ease of realization and business value. The priorities of the individual requirements are influenced by that of the MMFs they belong to. This two-step approach serves as an important prelude for a dynamically prioritizable product backlog. In this paper we present a proof-of-concept of having implemented this approach with 24 real-client student project teams at the Software Engineering project course at the University of Southern California.
Experiments with equation solutions by functional analysis algorithms and formula manipulation

The generalizations, due to Kantorovich et al. of the well-known numerical algorithms, successive approximations, steepest decent, and Newton's method; onto normed spaces, Hilbert spaces, and Banach spaces, respectively, have been tested on a variety of equations occuring in engineering and physics. Analytical (nonnumerical) solutions to a second-order partial differential equation, a nonlinear first-order ordinary differential equation, van der Pol's equation, a nonlinear damping problem, and a nonlinear two-point boundary value problem were obtained by symbol manipulation as, for example, provided by FORMAC. These algorithms result in relatively simple forms, e.g., polynomials in sines and cosines, depending on the choice of the initial approximation, and yield high accuracy in a few iterations and in seconds-to-minutes of machine time. It is suggested, on the basis of these experiments, that functional analysis algorithms, as developed by Kantorovich, evaluated by automatic formula manipulation can yield analytical solutions of any desired accuracy to a variety of functional equations. In this way, analytical solutions are obtained providing qualitative information while subsequent numerical evaluation avoids much of the art and inaccuracy associated with numerical procedures.
Retinoic acid-induced blr1 expression requires RARα, RXR, and MAPK activation and uses ERK2 but not JNK/SAPK to accelerate cell differentiation

Summary Upstream signaling requirements of retinoic acid (RA)-induced blr1 expression and downstream signaling consequences of blr1 over-expression in a human myeloid leukemia cell line demonstrate that mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling complexes are involved in both avenues. RA-induced myeloid differentiation and G1/G0 growth arrest of HL-60 cells is known to require the activation of the RARα and RXR retinoid receptors, as well as activation of the MAPK, ERK2. Transcriptional activation of the Burkitt's lymphoma receptor 1 (blr1) gene occurs early during RA-induced differentiation of HL-60 cells and requires these same three activating processes. The use of retinoid ligands that activate either the RARα or the RXR retinoid receptors revealed that blr1 mRNA induction was detectable only when both RARα and RXR were activated. Neither the RARα nor RXR selective ligands alone induced expression of blr1, but the combination of the two ligands induced the expression of blr1 to the same extent as RA. The MAPKK (MEK) inhibitor, PD98059, was used to determine whether extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK2) activation was necessary for induction of blr1 mRNA. PD98059 inhibited induced blr1 mRNA expression, due to RA or activated RARα plus RXR ligands, indicating that ERK2 activation is necessary for blr1 mRNA expression. Previous studies showed that ectopic expression of blr1 also caused increased MAPK activation, in particular ERK2, and subsequently accelerated RA-induced differentiation and G1/G0 growth arrest. Inhibition of ERK2 activation inhibited differentiation of blr1 transfectants, suggesting that the accelerated differentiation reflected blr1-enhanced ERK2 activation. The present data also demonstrate that ectopic expression of blr1 increased JNK/SAPK activity, but JNK/SAPK activation was not needed for accelerated RA-induced differentiation and growth arrest. The results show that the signals known to be required for HL-60 differentiation, activated RARα, RXR, and ERK2, are necessary for blr1 mRNA expression. Downstream consequences of blr1 over-expression include enhanced MAPK signaling.
Idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis as observed in a large community hospital: relation to age and history of hypertension.

: The character of idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis (IHSS) was studied retrospectively in a large community hospital for the six-year period, 1968–1974. Cases were discovered by examining the records of the Cardiac Non-Invasive Laboratory (phono- and echocardiography). Of the 46 cases of IHSS identified, 39 were in patients of the 50–81 age group. Thirty-two (82 percent) of the 39 patients were women, and 25 (78 percent) of these had a significant degree of hypertension. The hypertension had been present for more than five years in 62 percent of the cases. In 84 percent of the elderly females, the cardiac murmur had been present for less than ten years, and in 65 percent for less than five years. There was no family history of IHSS. Eighteen of the 46 IHSS patients underwent cardiac catheterization which confirmed the accuracy of the cardiographic data in all cases. The results of this study indicated that IHSS is usually nonfamilial, predominates in elderly females, and tends to be acquired after a lengthy period of hypertension. Cardiographic data appear highly specific diagnostically, often rendering cardiac catheterization unnecessary. Previous studies have not clearly defined the role of hypertension in the development of IHSS, at least partly because of the highly selective nature of most series reported from referral centers. These series often contain large numbers of younger patients.
Caucasian family with two independent mutations: 2594delC in BRCA1 and 5392delAG in BRCA2 gene.

Germline mutations in two breast cancer susceptibility genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2, predispose individuals to early onset breast and ovarian cancer. The frequency of mutations in these genes in the general population is very low. Therefore, the prior probability of finding any family with mutations in both genes is even lower. This study reports the presence of two mutations, one in BRCA1 and a second in BRCA2, in a single family with variable expression. The BRCA1 mutation, 2594delC, was identified first in the proband. Analysis on a related family member with early onset bilateral breast cancer for the same mutation was negative. Further analysis on the same individual led to the identification of a second germline mutation, 5392delAG in BRCA2 gene in this family. Without the knowledge of the second mutation in this family, many asymptomatic individuals would have been given a negative test result and be falsely reassured. Further analysis reveals differential expression of the two mutations. The spectrum of cancers as well as the age of onset is variable between the mutations and the generations. Finally, the study exemplifies the fact that molecular analysis of a genetically heterogeneous disease can be very complex and requires a team effort of the patients and their family members, genetic counselors or referring physicians as well as the personnel from the testing laboratory.
Dynamics of Electrorheological Suspensions Subjected to Spatially Nonuniform Electric Fields

A numerical method based on the distributed Lagrange multiplier method (DLM) is developed for the direct simulation of electrorheological (ER) liquids subjected to spatially nonuniform electric field. The flow inside particle boundaries is constrained to be rigid body motion by the distributed Lagrange multiplier method and the electrostatic forces acting on the particles are obtained using the point-dipole approximation. The numerical scheme is verified by performing a convergence study which shows that the results are independent of mesh and time step sizes. The dynamical behavior of ER suspensions subjected to nonuniform electric field depends on the solids fraction, the ratio of the domain size and particle radius, and four additional dimensionless parameters which respectively determine the importance of inertia, viscous, electrostatic particle-particle interaction and dielectrophoretic forces. For inertia less flows a parameter defined by the ratio of the dielectrophoretic and viscous forces, determines the time duration in which the particles collect near either the local maximums or local minimums of the electric field magnitude, depending on the sign of the real part of the Clausius-Mossotti factor
Effect of egg ingestion on trimethylamine-N-oxide production in humans: a randomized, controlled, dose-response study.

Background: It is important to understand whether eating eggs, which are a major source of dietary choline, results in increased exposure to trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) that is purported to be a risk factor for developing heart disease. Objective: We determined whether humans eating eggs generate TMAO and, if so, whether there is an associated increase in a marker for inflammation [ie, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP)] or increased oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL). Design: In a longitudinal, double-blind, randomized dietary intervention, 6 volunteers were fed breakfast doses of 0, 1, 2, 4, or 6 egg yolks. Diets were otherwise controlled on the day before and day of each egg dose with a standardized low-choline menu. Plasma TMAO at timed intervals (immediately before and 1, 2, 4, 8, and 24 h after each dose), 24-h urine TMAO, predose and 24-h postdose serum hsCRP, and plasma oxidized LDL were measured. Volunteers received all 5 doses with each dose separated by .2-wk washout periods. Results: The consumption of eggs was associated with increased plasma and urine TMAO concentrations (P , 0.01), with w14% of the total choline in eggs having been converted to TMAO. There was considerable variation between individuals in the TMAO response. There was no difference in hsCRP or oxidized LDL concentrations after egg doses. Conclusions: The consumption of $2 eggs results in an increased formation of TMAO. Choline is an essential nutrient that is required for normal human liver and muscle functions and important for normal fetal development. Additional study is needed to both confirm the association between TMAO and atherosclerosis and identify factors, microbiota and genetic, that influence the generation of TMAO before policy and medical recommendations are made that suggest reduced dietary choline intake. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as A12-1066-001. Am J Clin Nutr doi: 10.3945/ajcn.114.087692.
Topology and reorganization of a human TFIID–promoter complex

TRANSCRIPTION factor TFIID is a multiprotein complex composed of a TATA-box-binding subunit, TBP, and several tightly associated factors (TAFs) 1,2 . Human TFIID-promoter interactions are restricted to the TATA-box region on most core promoters 3,4 but extend over a large promoter region downstream of the TATA box and the transcription start site on the Ad2ML promoter 3-6 TFIID downstream interactions are thought to be functionally relevant because they can be induced by transcriptional activators 7-10 , which in some cases requires TFIIA 9,10 , result in stabilization of the TFIID-promoter complex 9,10 , and correlate with increased recruitment of the remaining general transcription factors 8,10 . Here we examine the topological organization of human TFIID complexes bound to the Ad2ML promoter. Our data provide insight into the relative disposition of DNA and several TFIID subunits, as well as evidence for DNA wrapping by TFIID, and suggest a direct role of TFIIA in the stable positioning of promoter DNA relative to TAFs.
Energy deposition mechanisms and biochemical aspects of DNA strand breaks by ionizing radiation

A theoretical model based on physical, chemical, and biochemical mechanisms has been presented to evaluate the yields of DNA strand breaks (single and double) as a function of linear energy transfer (LET) or −dE/dx. Energetic heavy charged particles are considered explicitly to provide a general theory for low- as well as for high-LET radiation. There are three main features of the calculation: (a) track structure considerations for the energy deposition pattern, (b) three-dimensional structure of DNA molecules to provide information on the exact location of damage, and (c) a Monte-Carlo scheme to simulate the diffusion processes of water radicals. To avoid the complexities of a cellular medium, an aqueous solution of DNA is considered in the calculation. When the results of the calculations are compared with experimental measurements of the yields of strand breaks in mammalian DNA (exposed in a cellular complex), reasonable agreement is obtained. However, only those experimental data have been compared where there were no enzyme repair processes. The method of calculation has also been extended to study breaks in higher-order structures of DNA molecules such as chromatin. Specific limitations of the present model have been pointed out for making further improvements.
The densities of polyethylene glycols

Abstract The densities of five polyethylene glycols (ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol and pentaethylene glycol) at temperatures between 398 and 423 K were measured using a vibrating tube densitometer and are reported in this paper. The densities were correlated using a modified Rackett equation and a generalized correlation was developed for the homologous series of polyethylene glycols. The correlation was verified using published data on polyethylene glycols containing up to 84 carbon atoms.
Cardiovascular effects of Δ9- andΔ9(11)-tetrahydrocannabinol and their interaction with epinephrine

Abstract The administration of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol Δ 9 -THC, 0.078-5.0 mg/kg, i.v.) to rats anesthetized with pentobarbital caused as much as a 50% decrease in mean arterial blood pressure, heart rate and respiratory rate in a dose-dependent manner. Delta-9(11)-tetrahydrocannabinol ( Δ 9(11) -THC) was approximately 8-fold less potent than Δ 9 -THC) in its hypotensive effect and had smaller effects on heart and respiratory rates that were not dose-related at doses below 5 mg/kg. Alternate injections of epinephrine (2 μg/kg) with vehicle and increasing cannabinoid doses (1.25–5.0 mg/kg) indicated a potentiation of both the duration of the pressor effect and the magnitude of the reflex bradycardic effect of epinephrine by both Δ 9 - and Δ 9(11) -THC. Epinephrine also produced arrhythmias in rats receiving cannabinoids, but not in rats recieving alternate injections of vehicle. It is concluded that both cannabinoids have adverse effects on the cardiovascular system and adverse interactions with epinephrine in rats anesthetized with pentobarbital.
Repetitive Functionalization of Water-Soluble Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes. Addition of Acid-Sensitive Addends

A method has been developed for creating bulk quantities of water-soluble single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) that contain multifunctional, acid-sensitive addends. Utilizing aryl diazonium salts, the repetitive functionalization protocol can yield multifunctional SWNTs containing moieties that would not be stable to the harsh oleum functionalization conditions used previously. The presence of multifunctionality on the SWNTs has been confirmed using Raman spectroscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.
JGOFS moves to the Pacific

A process study in the equatorial Pacific Ocean for 1991-1992 has been recommended as the next major field program of the U.S. Joint Global Ocean Flux Study. The study will be preceded by a planning workshop in spring 1990. The equatorial study was selected at the September meeting of the U.S. JGOFS Committee at the University of Hawaii. The committee reviewed progress made since the issuance of the U.S. Pacific Planning report (U.S. JGOFS Planning Report No. 9) and the recommendations from the Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR) JGOFS Pacific Planning meeting, which was at the university two days earlier.
Two conjectures in Horace, Odes

I offer here two emendations of the text of the Odes , in two passages that make perfectly good sense, offer Latin that is unexceptionable, and have apparently never been questioned.
The Use of High‐Frequency Ultrasound in the Evaluation of Superficial and Nodular Basal Cell Carcinomas

BACKGROUND Frequencies of 20 MHz may be appropriate to visualize basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) including their tumor thickness and margins. Histologic comparisons to sonographic images are related at all levels of the epidermis and corium. OBJECTIVE The objective was to evaluate whether high-frequency ultrasound (HFUS) proved to be an inexpensive and noninvasive modality to adequately delineate tumor margins under favorable circumstances. MATERIALS AND METHODS Fifty superficial and nodular BCCs of various locations were scanned using a 20-MHz ultrasound device. Tumors were delineated, excised with 4-mm surgical margins, and sent for histologic clearance. Morpheaform, recurrent BCCs, BCCs in areas difficult to scan, and BCCs with specific properties were excluded from this study. RESULTS Clinical and ultrasonic measurements correlated well in terms of width, depth, and length (p<.0005). Of 50 BCCs, 45 were clear after margin assessment with HFUS. Five BCCs depicted extension past 4-mm surgical margins and returned with positive margins. CONCLUSION HFUS delineated tumor margins adequately, and it appeared to depict subclinical extension past 4 mm on less aggressive BCC variants. It could be warranted if clinical or histologic diagnosis is uncertain. The strong association between clinical and ultrasonic measurements initiates more successful forms of therapy, risk-stratifies specific subgroups of patients, and prevents overall morbidity.
Lower Bounds to Ground-State Eigenvalues II

A new lower bound method is presented for ground-state eigenvalues which relies on the Eckart inequality. The method bears similarity to the variational method and the Temple lower bound formula. Restrictions are that an exactly soluble base Hamiltonian must be available with a positive-semidefinite perturbation to the Hamiltonian of interest. A sample calculation shows that our method is able to sometimes best the Temple bound and also perform rigorously when the Temple bound does not.
Nonlinear Optics of Organic Molecules and Polymers

Introduction to Nonlinear Optics, Y.Z. Yu, K.Y. Wong, and A.F. Garito Computational Evaluation of Second-Order Optical Nonlinearities, J.O. Morley and D. Pugh Measurement Techniques of Refractive Indices and Second-Order Optical Nonlinearities, T. Watanabe, H. Singh Nalwa, and S. Miyata Organic Materials for Second-Order Nonlinear Optics, H. Singh Nalwa, T. Watanabe, and S. Miyata Phase-Matched Second Harmonic Generation in Organic Materials, T. Watanabe, H. Singh Nalwa, and S. Miyata Electro-Optic Effects in Organic Molecules and Polymers, Ch. Bosshard and P. Gunter Nonlinear Optical Polymers and High-Speed Electro-Optic Modulators, C.-C. Teng An Introduction to Photorefractive Polymers, B. Keppelen, K. Meerholz, and N. Peyghambarian Computational Evaluation of Third-Order Optical Nonlinearity, H. Singh Nalwa Measurements Techniques for Third-Order Optical Nonlinearities, H. Singh Nalwa Organic Materials for Third-Order Nonlinear Optics, H. Singh Nalwa Applications of Organic Materials in Third-Order Nonlinear Optics, G.I. Stegeman Organic and Metal-Containing Reverse Saturable Absorbers for Optical Limiting, J.W. Perry Applications of Nonlinear Optics to Passive Optical Limiting, E.W. Van Stryland, D.J. Hagan, T. Xia, and A.A. Said Index
Evaluation of a Remediation Program Using Senior Citizens as Psychoeducational Agents

A remediation program for learning and psychosocially disabled pupils utilizing senior citizens as paraprofessional aides was evaluated. The senior citizens were effective in developing tutorial relationships conducive for the students' academic and psychosocial development, as indicated by pre- and posttesting. The disabled pupils improved their academic skills, as measured by standardized achievement and intelligence tests and by school grades. Statistical comparison with a control group further demonstrated the significance of the gains. The pupil's psychosocial adjustment also showed significant improvement on various personality assessment measures and behavior ratings by teachers and parents. Finally, self-reports by the senior citizen aides suggest that they also profited by their involvement in STEP.
Videotaping: A Tool for Enhancing the Teacher's Understanding of Cognitive Science and Teacher Self-Development.

Follow-up research is required to investigate the effects of our beginning teacher preparation programs for secondary science teachers on classroom performance, student achievement, and higher order mental functioning of classroom teachers. Nevertheless, preliminary indications from working with students during the last several years show many encouraging outcomes among beginning teachers, including: increased knowledge of cognitive science, especially applications in instruction and learning; development of more analytical, self-directed classroom behavior; and enhanced capability of utilizing and powerful tool of video-taping for professional self-improvment.
Effect of Endogenous Opioid Blockade on the Amplitude and Frequency of Pulsatile Luteinizing Hormone Secretion in Normal Men

The role of endogenous opiates in the neuroendocrine regulation of episodic LH secretion in normal men was examined in seven adult males before and after the administration of a potent and specific opiate receptor antagonist, naltrexone. The quantitative pattern of pulsatile LH secretion was analyzed in serum derived by continuous exfusion of blood in 20-min samples over 8-h period. The administration of naltrexone markedly increased the following: 1) total area under the continuous LH secretion curve [22,725 +/- 2,026 (control) vs. 33,442 +/- 2,226 ng/ml . min (after naltrexone); P less than 0.0006]; 2) mean serum concentration of LH, which increased from 47.3 +/- 4.2 to 69.7 +/- 5.0 ng/ml; 3) the absolute amplitude of Lh peaks, which rose from 62.7 +/- 6.2 tp 85.2 +/- 5.8 ng/ml; and 4) the number of LH secretory peaks observed over the 8-h interval (4.3 +/- 0.4 basally and 5.4 +/- 0.6 after the drug; P less than 0.0003). Naltrexone administration did not significantly alter the most rapid component of LH elimination calculated after each pulse or alter the fractional arise in LH above interpulse baseline. These data suggest that endogenous opioids tonically suppress frequency- and amplitude-dependent neuromodulation of LH production, probably through hypothalamic mechanisms that impinge upon gonadotropin-releasing hormone-secreting peptidergic neurons.
Analysis of rat hindlimb muscle proteins by two-dimensional gels following spinal cord injury.

: Proteins from extensor digitorum longus (EDL), plantaris (PLN), and soleus (SOL) muscles of adult, female rats were examined by high resolution two-dimensional gel electrophoresis up to 4 weeks following spinal cord transection. The electrophoretograms were analyzed by computer imaging and densitometry. Reproducible and significant changes in the relative concentrations of several proteins in each muscle type were detected. Whereas changes involving the largest number of proteins were observed in SOL, changes in EDL and PLN were also detected. In SOL, approximately 50% of the altered proteins increased in concentration and the remaining decreased: Actin and myosin light chains LCF-1 and LCF-2 were among those proteins whose concentrations increased, whereas myosin light chains LCS-1 and LCS-2 were among those proteins whose concentrations decreased. The present findings regarding the reversal in myosin light chain composition provide biochemical support for previously published data on changes in contractile properties of muscles following spinalization. In EDL, the relative concentration of only one protein was elevated in a time-dependent manner. The concentrations of two protein species in PLN were increased following cord transection. These findings provide new biochemical markers on the effects of spinal cord on gene expression in specific hindlimb skeletal muscles.
Evaluating the evidence: direct-to-consumer screening tests advertised online.

ObjectivesUnsupervised online direct-to-consumer (DTC) access to medical services has rapidly expanded to medical screening tests, which have not been critically evaluated for their evidence basis. The objective of this study is to identify the scope of online-advertised DTC screening tests, outline the evidence for use of available DTC testing and suggest regulatory reform to address the relevant issues.MethodsAn observational study of website advertisements, testing services and counselling/follow-up services for DTC testing was conducted. Data were collected from websites between 4 April and 1 June 2011. Each website was assessed for tests offered, advertised indications and availability of counselling/follow-up services. Advertised testing indications were compared with US Preventive Services Task Force recommendations and/or specialty guidelines and categorized as Supported, Against, Insufficient Evidence or No Guidance.ResultsOf 20 companies identified as offering DTC screening tests, 95% (19/20) do...
BDSM as therapy

While I was conducting field research on professional dominatrices ('pro-dommes'), an unexpected discourse emerged: respondents repeatedly characterized themselves as 'therapists', speaking about their work as a form of psychological treatment for their clients. This article examines the way they speak about BDSM (Bondage, Discipline, Sadism, Masochism) as therapeutic. Data are derived from in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 66 female pro-dommes. The rhetoric used by participants in this form of commercial eroticism 'on the ground' has implications for feminist theoretical claims about the potential value of classifying erotic labor as 'sex therapy' as well as resonance with other socially stigmatized erotic practices.
Survival of a mixture of cells of variable linear-quadratic sensitivity to radiation.

Abstract Hawkins, R. B. Survival of a Mixture of Cells of Variable Linear-Quadratic Sensitivity to Radiation. The experimentally observed survival of a heterogeneous mixture of cells, each component of which obeys a different linear-quadratic survival response to ionizing radiation, is examined. It is shown that the survival relationship for the mixed population approaches a linear-quadratic form for low doses. The linear parameter of the low-dose relationship approached is equal to the average of the distribution of values of the linear parameter (αi) of the various components of the mixture. The quadratic parameter of the low-dose relationship approached is equal to the average of the distribution of values of the quadratic parameter (βi) of the various components of the mixture minus one-half the variance of the distribution of the values of αi. A numerical example of the survival expected for an exponentially growing population of Chinese hamster V79 cells is presented. From this it can be appreciated...
Application of reinforcement learning control to a nonlinear bouncing cart

We consider a nonlinear bouncing cart motion, controlled by reinforcement learning (RL) control. The learning algorithm consists of Q-learning and advantage updating (AU) to keep the cart within desired limits. Q-learning is a RL algorithm that applies "delayed reinforcement" and performs optimal actions to maximize return values whereby the system performance is evaluated. RL is also extended through the use of AU in continuous-time. AU is another RL algorithm that stores both value function and advantage function, representing an estimate of the degree to which the expected total discounted reinforcement is increased by performing action other than the action currently considered to be best.
The Struggle for Heterofeminine Recognition: Bullying, Embodiment, and Reactive Sexual Offending by Adolescent Girls:

No criminological research has yet examined how embodied interaction in a particular local in school, gendered milieu, may be related to engaging in sexual offenses by adolescent girls outside school boundaries. Additionally, studies of adolescent sexual offending by girls are appallingly gender and sexuality blind; no research considers the impact of both gender and sexuality on such girls. This work seeks to remedy these two crucial oversights by scrutinizing the movement from having been bullied to engaging specifically in outside-school sexual offenses, and how this social process is related specifically to embodied heterofemininities by adolescent girls.
Analysis of General Network Coding Conditions and Design of a Free-Ride-Oriented Routing Metric

Coding-aware routing is an effective approach for incorporating network coding into practical network protocols. The main challenge in exploiting the network coding is how coding opportunities can accurately be identified and utilized. In this paper, we formally establish coding conditions for a very general scenario: Multiple coding nodes may exist along a path, and multiple flows may intersect at one node. Specifically, we systematically analyze possible coding scenarios and develop generalized coding conditions to ensure the decoding ability at the destinations. In particular, we develop an extended coding graph to make the conditions implementable. With the help of the extended coding graph, we examine the coding relationship between flows. Our coding conditions also include a coding flow selection procedure to guarantee the coding capability of each coding node, in which not only a native packet, but an encoded packet as well, could be involved. Furthermore we propose a novel coding-aware routing metric, the free-ride-oriented routing metric (FORM), with the objective of exploiting the coding opportunities so that a new flow can free ride on the existing traffic and can be supported with a smaller number of transmissions. NS-2 simulations are conducted to demonstrate the advantage of FORM and the proposed coding conditions over well-known COPE scheme in terms of throughput.
Primate extinction risk and historical patterns of speciation and extinction in relation to body mass

Body mass is thought to influence diversification rates, but previous studies have produced ambiguous results. We investigated patterns of diversification across 100 trees obtained from a new Bayesian inference of primate phylogeny that sampled trees in proportion to their posterior probabilities. First, we used simulations to assess the validity of previous studies that used linear models to investigate the links between IUCN Red List status and body mass. These analyses support the use of linear models for ordinal ranked data on threat status, and phylogenetic generalized linear models revealed a significant positive correlation between current extinction risk and body mass across our tree block. We then investigated historical patterns of speciation and extinction rates using a recently developed maximum-likelihood method. Specifically, we predicted that body mass correlates positively with extinction rate because larger bodied organisms reproduce more slowly, and body mass correlates negatively with speciation rate because smaller bodied organisms are better able to partition niche space. We failed to find evidence that extinction rates covary with body mass across primate phylogeny. Similarly, the speciation rate was generally unrelated to body mass, except in some tests that indicated an increase in the speciation rate with increasing body mass. Importantly, we discovered that our data violated a key assumption of sample randomness with respect to body mass. After correcting for this bias, we found no association between diversification rates and mass.
ENISS: An epidural needle insertion simulation system

To aid the training of anesthesiologists in the administering of epidural injections, a system was developed to characterize tactile feedback encountered during insertion and withdrawal of epidural needles. The system includes a platform upon which a sample is affixed, an epidural needle mounted to a pressure transducer by means of a Luer lock fitting, a stepper motor and screw drive to advance and retract the needle and a Lab-View based controller that inserts and withdraws the needle while monitoring the force on the pressure transducer. The system was tested on four media; free air, a medium-soft cheese, an apple, and a raw potato in order to demonstrate measurable differences in static and dynamic force across these samples. Test results indeed indicated clear and statistically significant differences between forces across all four media, and between insertion and withdrawal forces in all media except for free air.
Frequency Resolved Photoluminescence (PL), Delayed Fluorescence and Triplet-Triplet Annihilation In 7Φ-Conjugated Polymers

The delayed fluorescence of poly (p-phenylene vinylene) (PPV) and poly (p-phenylene ethynylene) (PPE) derivative solids and frozen solutions at 20 K is described. It provides strong evidence for triplet-triplet annihilation to singlets excitons accounting for up to ~3% of the total emission in PPV films and ~1.5% in PPE powder. It also yields triplet lifetimes of 70 and 110 µs in PPV films and frozen solutions, and ~200 and ~500 µs in PPE powder and frozen solutions, respectively.
Dealing with Chronic Illness in Childhood

Most pediatricians treat Children who are well or who, at worst, have an acute but Curable illness. Children with chronic illnesses don9t fit. Our appointment schedules aren9t structured to deal with them and they clash with our "health and normality" mind-set. Chronic diseases, incurable and possibly lethal, conflict with our need to heal, and the obvious pain and dismay of the parents is painful and dismaying to us as well. Practice might be more comfortable without them. Yet no group of patients can benefit more from the understanding of healthy development and knowledge of management of disease that are combined in today9s pediatrician. The child with chronic illness is not just a case of a specific medical condition; he or she is also a child, with all of the development, psychosocial, and physical needs that are characteristic of children in general. This discussion will focus on the ways in which a child and his or her family may be affected by chronic disease, and what the responses of each to chronic disease are likely to be. The physician9s responses will also be examined, as well as how the physician caring for a child with chronic illness can facilitate the adjustments and adaptations that will allow the child and his or her family to attain their greatest potential for a normal and fulfilling life.
Adaptive data reduction for large-scale transaction data

Abstract Data reduction is an important issue in the field of data mining. The goal of data reduction techniques is to extract a subset of data from a massive dataset while maintaining the properties and characteristics of the original data in the reduced set. This allows an otherwise difficult or impossible data mining task to be carried out efficiently and effectively. This paper describes a new method for selecting a subset of data that closely represents the original data in terms of its joint and univariate distributions. A pair of distance criteria, motivated by the χ2-statistic, are used for measuring the goodness-of-fit between the distributions of the reduced and full datasets. Under these criteria, the data reduction problem can be formulated as a bi-objective quadratic program. A genetic algorithm technique is used in the search/optimization process. Experiments conducted on several real-world data sets demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.