cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Combined preoperative and postoperative immunotherapy for murine C1300 neuroblastoma

Preoperative treatment of murine C1300-neuroblastoma (C1300) with triple immunotherapy using low-dose cyclophosphamide (CY), retinyl palmitate (RP), and interleukin-2 (IL2), followed by tumor resection leads to significant initial tumor control and prolonged survival. However, because long-term tumor recurrence is 67%, the efficacy of continued postoperative immunotherapy is now evaluated. Thirty-two A/J mice with 1 cm subcutaneous C1300 tumors were treated for 13 days with CY-100 mg/kg, intraperitoneally (IP), on day 2 of treatment then 25 mg/kg on day 9, RP-2500 IU IP 2 x/week, and IL2 1.6 x 10(5) U IP BID on days 4 to 9 and 11 to 13. On day 14, mice were divided into five treatment groups: (1) OP (operated-tumor resection, n = 6); (2) OP+CY (resection and postoperative CY, n = 7); (3) OP+CY+RP (resection and postoperative CY+RP, n = 7); (4) OP+CY+RP+IL2 (resection and postoperative CY+RP+IL2, n = 7); and (5) CY+RP+IL2 (continued CY+RP+IL2 with no resection, n = 5). Survival and postoperative tumor recurrence were followed for 60 days. The cure rates were group 1 33% (2/6), group 2 43% (3/7), group 3 29% (2/7), group 4 71% (5/7), and group 5 20% (1/5). After surgery, tumors that recurred did so in 8 to 22 days, with no statistical difference noted between groups. MHC class I antigenic expression of tumors resected on day 14 and recurrent tumors was determined with monoclonal antibodies and flow cytometry. In tumors resected on day 14, class I expression measured by mean fluorescence, was 374.8 +/- 27.40.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Interactive Indirect Illumination Using Adaptive Multiresolution Splatting

Global illumination provides a visual richness not achievable with the direct illumination models used by most interactive applications. To generate global effects, numerous approximations attempt to reduce global illumination costs to levels feasible in interactive contexts. One such approximation, reflective shadow maps, samples a shadow map to identify secondary light sources whose contributions are splatted into eye space. This splatting introduces significant overdraw that is usually reduced by artificially shrinking each splat's radius of influence. This paper introduces a new multiresolution approach for interactively splatting indirect illumination. Instead of reducing GPU fill rate by reducing splat size, we reduce fill rate by rendering splats into a multiresolution buffer. This takes advantage of the low-frequency nature of diffuse and glossy indirect lighting, allowing rendering of indirect contributions at low resolution where lighting changes slowly and at high-resolution near discontinuities. Because this multiresolution rendering occurs on a per-splat basis, we can significantly reduce fill rate without arbitrarily clipping splat contributions below a given threshold-those regions simply are rendered at a coarse resolution.
Theoretical study of water clusters: Heptamers

Abstract Twenty nine structures of the (H 2 O) 8 are examined. Calculations were carried out with a Hartree-Fock wavefunction using the 6-311G ∗ , and 6-311G ∗∗ basis sets. SCF force constants were calculated with both basis sets and the information used to generate thermodynamic data. The enthalpies, entropies, and free energies of the twenty nine structures are presented and compared. It is shown that entropy scales linearly with spatial extent of the cluster size. This allows calculation of entropy per volume of water cluster. Infrared and Raman spectra of three structures, cube, di-ring and ring, are also presented.
STRATEGIC PLANNING AND ENTERPRISE ZONES

State policy makers are concerned about costs of past policies whose benefits are often difficult to determine. Some have recommended a strategic approach to state economic policy making in order to eliminate ad hoc incentives. Lessons derived from the literature on state enterprise zones are used to assess the 1993 Federal Empowerment Zone and Enterprise Community initiative. States can expand policy alternatives by fostering the growth of a marketplace of economic development ideas at the local level. Strategic plans should focus on development of competing, bottom-up solutions, rather than packages of specific incentives.
Biological Analogy, Diffusionism, and Archaeology

A “biologization” of anthropological theory has recently been proposed by scholars from various subfields of the discipline. One aspect of that phenomenon is Harold K. Schneider's proposal to rewrite world history as a diffusionary process based on a biological model. It is asserted that he fails for several reasons: a misunderstanding of biology, a misunderstanding of archaeology, and a rejection of empiricism, making his theory less testable than standard evolutionary theory. The role of diffusion in culture change is not explained by recourse to faulty analogy and highly selected archaeological data. [biological analogy, diffusionism, archaeological theory, cultural evolution]
Recent results from Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 and Nd2−xCexCuO4

Abstract We review recent angle-resolved photoemission data from Bi2212 and NCCO. We concentrate on the data revealing the charge excitations near the Fermi level, the shape of the Fermi surfaces and the anisotropic nature of the superconducting gap.
Coronary artery bypass in patients with type 2 diabetes: Experience from the Bypass Angioplasty Revascularization Investigation 2 Diabetes trial

Objective Bypass Angioplasty Revascularization Investigation 2 Diabetes (BARI 2D) was a study of management strategies for diabetic patients with myocardial ischemia and coronary artery disease. In a 2 × 2 design, early revascularization versus medical management with or without late revascularization and insulin sensitization versus insulin provision were examined. No advantage for either strategy was seen, except in the group undergoing early coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). In that group, a reduction in subsequent myocardial infarction was noted. The purpose of our report was to characterize the conduct and short-term outcomes for CABG that led to this result. Methods Data from the BARI 2D CABG stratum were collected, including the baseline demographic and cardiovascular characteristics, technical details of the operation, and perioperative morbidity and mortality, and analyzed. Results A total of 347 patients were studied. The average cardiac function was normal, and most had multivessel disease. Almost all had undergone CABG by way of a median sternotomy using an internal mammary artery, and one third were off pump. The perioperative morbidity and mortality were low and compared well with larger outcomes databases. Conclusions BARI 2D showed that early CABG in patients with type 2 diabetes and myocardial ischemia and multivessel disease reduced the subsequent myocardial infarction rates. The present results have demonstrated that this was achieved using off-pump surgery in certain cases, standard myocardial protection, and routine use of the internal mammary artery or other arterial grafts.
Urban Regime Capacity: A Comparison of Birmingham, England, and Detroit, Michigan

Urban regime analysis has focused primarily on governance in US cities. This study takes a cross-national approach by investigating regime formation and capacity in the “Motor Cities” of Birmingham...
Sequential transfer to related oddity problems by nursery school children

Abstract The initial learning and subsequent transfer of an oddity principle by children between 4 and 5 years of age were studied. The initial standard oddity problem was learned quickly by most of the children. A high level of performance was maintained on both transfer sets. The results were related to limitations placed on the oddity solutions learned by 4-year-olds by particular aspects of the original learning context.
Model-based approaches to predict drug-drug interactions associated with hepatic uptake transporters: preclinical, clinical and beyond.

Introduction: Membrane transporters have been recognized to play a key role in determining the absorption, distribution and elimination processes of drugs. The organic anion-transporting polypeptide (OATP)1B1 and OATP1B3 isoforms are selectively expressed in the human liver and are known to cause significant drug–drug interactions (DDIs), as observed with an increasing number of drugs. It is evident that DDIs involving hepatic transporters are capable of altering systemic, as well as tissue-specific, exposure of drug substrates resulting in marked differences in drug safety and/or efficacy. It is therefore essential to quantitatively predict such interactions early in the drug development to mitigate clinical risks. Areas covered: The role of hepatic uptake transporters in drug disposition and clinical DDIs has been reviewed with an emphasis on the current state of the models applicable for quantitative predictions. The readers will also gain insight into the in vitro experimental tools available to chara...
Partitioning under the Lp norm

Abstract This paper analyzes the NP-complete problem (M.R. Garey, D.S. Johnson, Computers and Intractability, Freeman, New York, 1979) of finding an optimal partition of k subsets for a given set of positive real numbers. A number of norms (L2, L∞ and more generally, Lp) have been utilized to measure the competitive ratio of the partition obtained. Chandra and Wong (A.K. Chandra, C.K. Wong, Worst-case analysis of a placement algorithm related to storage allocation, SIAM Journal on Computing 4 (3) (1975) 249–264) analyzed Graham's LPT rule for the Lp norm and proved a 3/2 worst case upper bound in the general case. A class of algorithms to solve this partitioning problem is introduced that relaxes Graham's LPT rule (R.L. Graham, Bounds on multiprocessing timing anomalies, SIAM Journal of Applied Mathematics 17 (1969) 263–269) so that the current element can be placed in (almost) any subset instead of just the minimal subset. The input sets considered in this paper are sets which can yield a k-partition with equal sum subsets (termed ideal sets). Specifically, it is shown that for the Lp norm, any algorithm of the class has an upper bound of 4/3 for the competitive ratio on ideal sets. It is also shown that this is the best possible such upper bound.
Implications of productive government spending for fiscal policy

Abstract The standard assumption in macroeconomics that government spending is unproductive can have substantive implications for tax and spending policy. Productive government spending introduces a positive feedback between the tax rate, the productive capacity of the economy, and tax revenue. We allow marginal tax revenue to be optimally allocated between productive subsidies to human capital and utility-enhancing government consumption and calculate Laffer Curves for the US. Productive government spending yields higher revenue-maximizing tax rates, steeper slopes at low tax rates and higher peaks. The differences are particularly pronounced for the labor-tax Laffer curve. The use of tax revenue is an important determinant of the actual revenue that a tax rate increase generates.
Developing Criteria for Formal Theory Building in Adult Education

This paper proposes basic epistemological, communicative and critically analytic criteria for the development of formal theory in adult education. Epistemological criteria focus on the ways in whic...
Vertebral osteophytosis in prehistoric populations of central and southern Mexico

One hundred and thirty-eight skeletons from five Mexican archaeological sites were studied. Seventy-three of these were from Tlatilco where hunting and agriculture were the main subsistence activities. This Pre-classic group occupied an area northwest of Mexico City from 1100 to 600 B.C. Neighboring territory was intensely cultivated by the Postclassic Tlatelolco people between 1250 and 1521 A.D. Only 29 skeletons from this large group were sufficiently complete for this study. Every individuals in the latter group, except one young male adult, showed some degree of osteophytosis. The findings at Tlatelolco are paralleled by those from 46 individuals from Xochicalco, Morelos (600–900 A.D.), La Quemada, Zacatecas (900–1200 A.D.), and Coixtlahuaca II, Oaxaca (1300–1400 A.D.). Sixty-nine per cent of the 21–30 year old group (26 individuals from the latter three groups) showed Stages I–III, slight initial ridging to mushroom-like eversion of the vertebral bodies. In the next two decades 100% (13 persons) showed involvement, the three older Coixtlahuaca males having partial ankylosis (Stage V).
Incidence of Phytophthora Blight and Verticillium Wilt Within Chile Pepper Fields in New Mexico

Statewide surveys of commercial chile pepper (Capsicum annuum) fields were conducted in New Mexico from 2002 to 2004 to gain information on the incidence of diseases with wilt symptoms and their causative agents. Fifty-nine fields were surveyed during the course of this 3-year study when chile pepper plants were at growth stages from green fruit to beginning red fruit. All fields were affected by diseases with wilt symptoms. The proportion of total field area exhibiting symptoms of wilt spanned from less than 1% to over 80%. Field diagnostics along with laboratory assays of wilted plants revealed that the wilting was caused by Phytophthora capsici and Verticillium dahliae. The two pathogens were both found in 80% of the fields, and occurred together in some wilted plants in 12% of the fields. Average incidence of plant infection (number of plants infected with P. capsici or V. dahliae out of 5 to 25 wilted plants sampled) varied from approximately 40 to 90% for P. capsici, and from 18 to 65% for V. dahliae. Incidence of plant infection by P. capsici was approximately 40% less in fields with drip irrigation than in fields with furrow irrigation. In contrast, incidence of plant infection by V. dahliae was approximately 32% greater under drip irrigation than under furrow irrigation. In pathogenicity tests, isolates of P. capsici and V. dahliae caused symptoms in inoculated chile pepper identical to those in field-grown chile pepper plants. Results indicate that diseases with wilt symptoms are well established in chile pepper production fields, with P. capsici and V. dahliae posing the most serious challenge to chile pepper producers in New Mexico.
Water stress during different sugarcane growth periods on yield and response to N fertilization.

Abstract Sugarcane is a high biomass crop that requires large quantities of water for maximum production. Substantial input of N is also typically required. Previous research has shown the dramatic impact of extended reduced water availability on sugarcane production and responses to N fertilization. If water availability is limiting, then the question becomes: are there certain periods during sugarcane growth when water can be more effectively utilized by the crop? A five-year field study was conducted to determine the effects of water stress during four different six-week periods during the grand growth stage of sugarcane on growth, quality, and responses to N fertilization. Reductions in cane yield and sugar content were most frequent and severe when water stress occurred during the period which had the highest total evapotranspiration (ET) and the least amount of rainfall as a percentage of ET. Water stress during other six-week periods had a much lesser affect on sugarcane yield and quality. Lack of cane and sugar yield response to water stress during the earliest growth period may have been a result of much lower ET during this period, and may also indicate that the crop was taking advantage of moisture stored in the soil profile from off-season rainfall. Sugarcane responses to N fertilization were similar to those observed in other studies, and were not significantly affected by moisture stress during any of the different six-week periods. Cane yield and quality for the different six-week stress period treatments relative to the unstressed check were regressed against relative moisture availability as a function of crop ET during that period. The resulting equations predicted, during the 16 May to 30 June, and 1 July to 15 August periods, cane yield reductions of 8.3% and 15%, and sugar yield reductions of 11.7% and 19.1%, respectively, if no rainfall or irrigation water were received. Complete withholding of water during a six-week period was predicted to result in an average reduction in sucrose content of 4.7% for all periods. Sugarcane showed the capability to compensate for limited stresses on the order of those imposed in this study.
Q-band splitting and relaxation of aluminum phthalocyanine tetrasulfonate

Abstract The doublet band structure evident in the fluorescence excitation and absorption spectra of aluminum phthalocyanine tetrasulfonate in various hyperquenched glassy solvents is attributed to splitting of the Q-band transition into x and y components. The splitting is caused by the ligation of water molecules to the aluminum atom which decreases the molecular symmetry. Picosecond relaxation from the Q y band to the Q x band is evident in the hole burned spectra.
The Educative Potential of Cell Phones in the Social Studies Classroom.

Over 75 percent of teens have a cell phone, and today's youth are increasingly turning to their cell phones to communicate and access information (Pew Internet 2009). As teens gain access and use mobile devices outside of the classroom, there's been a growing movement for teachers to enlist the digital tools students really use and are comfortable with to learn inside the classroom (Brooks-Young 2010; Collins and Halverson 2009). This manuscript provides an overview of recent research in teen access and use of cell phones inside and outside of the social studies classroom. Furthermore, it provides social studies teachers, researchers, and community members with cell phone-based activities, resources, and strategies to advance student learning in the social studies.
Precentral cortex unit activity during the M-wave and contingent negative variation in behaving squirrel monkeys

Abstract The firing of 96 units in the precentral cortex of four trained squirrel monkeys was examined in relation to the M-wave and contingent negative variation (CNV) evoked by two tone cues 1 s apart, to which the monkey had to respond by a bar-press within 1 or 2 s in order to receive a food reward. Many (92%) units showed increased or decreased firing during at least one of the two event-related potentials [(ERPs), the M-wave and CNV]. The finding of both increases and decreases in firing during the CNV is consistent with the hypothesis that the CNV represents a combination of EPSPs on superficial neuronal elements and IPSPs on deeperlying elements. Like the M-wave and CNV, many of the ERP-related changes in unit firing were apparently influenced by the animal's level of motivation; i.e., they differed in magnitude in successful vs. unsuccessful trials; in early vs. late successful trials; and/or in successful trials with more vs. less preferred food rewards. The timing of some of the firing increases during the CNV suggests that they correlate with two postulated components of the CNV, one related to the first cue, the other to preparation for the motor response. The increases in firing after cue 2, observed in 91% of the units and often influenced by motivation, occurred before and during the bar-press and suggest that the ERP-related neurons are also involved in the well-established role of the precentral cortex in motor output. We suggest that these neurons are the anatomic substrate by which the influence of motivation is transmitted to other neurons of the motor system, including those more directly related to the effectors.
Sound duration and its effect on judged annoyance

Abstract If two noises are identical in every respect except that the first is of greater duration than the second, it is expected that the first noise would be judged more annoying than the second. The primary aims of these studies are to test that expectation and to quantify the relationship between duration and judged annoyance. Caution should be exercised in applying the results, since only two spectra, random noise and a fan jet ground run-up, were examined. Depending on the laboratory conditions under which the annoyance judgments were made, the penalty for doubling of duration ranges from 0·6 to 3·1 dB for durations of 1 to 34 seconds. The median penalty was 2·0 dB for doubling of duration. When attempting to quantify the relationship between duration and noise it can be concluded that one should not average across instructions as the two kinds of instructions do not produce similar relationships between duration and annoyance.
Effect of the Actual Size Rule Under Market Stress

We examine the introduction of the Actual Size Rule (ASR) on Nasdaq during a control period and a period of market stress. We find that market makers in both ASR and Non-ASR stocks reduce quotation sizes and widen spreads when under stress but the reduction of quotation size and increase in spread width are significantly larger for ASR stocks. We also examine October 27, when the market was under the most severe stress. We find ASR and Non-ASR stocks have similar reductions in time-weighted quotation ask size when compared with the control sample but ASR bid sizes are about 10% smaller than Non-ASR bid sizes. Our findings imply that the ASR rule may significantly reduce market quality under times of market stress.
Systematic desensitization and expectancy in the treatment of speaking anxiety.

Abstract A partial replication of Paul's (1966) study used 32 college students with public speaking anxiety. High expectation desensitization subjects received systematic desensitization (SD) and were led to believe that they would improve markedly. A neutral expectation desensitization group received SD, but received neutral cues concerning outcome. Other subjects were in a no treatment group. Results demonstrate the effectiveness of SD treatment for public-speaking anxiety and suggest a small expectancy effect.
The 1993 Mississippi River Flood: A One Hundred or a One Thousand Year Event?

Power-law (fractal) extreme-value statistics are applicable to many natural phenomena under a wide variety of circumstances. Data from a hydrologic station in Keokuk, Iowa, shows the great flood of the Mississippi River in 1993 has a recurrence interval on the order of 100 years using power-law statistics applied to partial-duration flood series and on the order of 1,000 years using a log-Pearson type 3 (LP3) distribution applied to annual series. The LP3 analysis is the federally adopted probability distribution for flood-frequency estimation of extreme events. We suggest that power-law statistics are preferable to LP3 analysis. As a further test of the power-law approach we consider paleoflood data from the Colorado River. We compare power-law and LP3 extrapolations of historical data with these paleo-floods. The results are remarkably similar to those obtained for the Mississippi River. Recurrence intervals from power-law statistics applied to Lees Ferry discharge data are generally consistent with inferred 100- and 1,000-year paleofloods, whereas LP3 analysis gives recurrence intervals that are orders of magnitude longer. For both the Keokuk and Lees Ferry gauges, the use of an annual series introduces an artificial curvature in log-log space that leads to an underestimate of severe floods. Power-law statistics are predicting much shorter recurrence intervals than the federally adopted LP3 statistics. We suggest that if power-law behavior is applicable, then the likelihood of severe floods is much higher. More conservative dam designs and land-use restrictions may be required.
Invasional interference due to similar inter‐ and intraspecific competition between invaders may affect management

As the number of biological invasions increases, the potential for invader–invader interactions also rises. The effect of multiple invaders can be superadditive (invasional meltdown), additive, or subadditive (invasional interference); which of these situations occurs has critical implications for prioritization of management efforts. Carduus nutans and C. acanthoides, two congeneric invasive weeds, have a striking, segregated distribution in central Pennsylvania, USA. Possible hypotheses for this pattern include invasion history and chance, direct competition, or negative interactions mediated by other species, such as shared pollinators. To explore the role of resource competition in generating this pattern, we conducted three related experiments using a response-surface design throughout the life cycles of two cohorts. Although these species have similar niche requirements, we found no differential response to competition between conspecifics vs. congeners. The response to combined density was relative...
Alkaline phosphatase in HT-29, a human colon cancer cell line: influence of sodium butyrate and hyperosmolality.

Abstract HT-29, a cell line derived from a human colon carcinoma, exhibits very low alkaline phosphatase activity. The enzyme is thermolabile and is of the intestinal type. Hyperosmolality and/or sodium butyrate induce increased levels of activity. The increase is most pronounced with HT-29 cells growing in hyperosmolar medium containing sodium butyrate. Under these conditions specific activity rises over 1000-fold. The effect of hyperosmolality is blocked by cycloheximide and that of sodium butyrate by thymidine, cordycepin, and cycloheximide. By contrast to other human cancer cell lines, the enzyme of HT-29 is not influenced by cell density and glucocorticoid hormones. 5-Bromo-2′-deoxyuridine and inhibitors of DNA synthesis cause a slight increase in specific activity.
Intensive mentoring that contributes to change in beginning elementary teachers’ learning to lead classroom discussions

Abstract This study examines whether targeted mentoring can make a difference during the induction years. The effects of a mentoring intervention based on principles of instructional quality and effective professional development were studied. Learning to lead classroom discussions is a high-leverage practice related to effective teaching. Forty-two beginning elementary teachers participated in yearlong mentoring to lead discussions for higher-order thinking. These novices were compared to 41 beginning teachers in the same high-poverty school district who did not receive the mentoring treatment. Qualitative and quantitative findings illustrate significant differences in beginning teacher practices based on involvement in the intensive mentoring.
Neural maturation as exemplified in achievement of bladder control

Summary Two sets of identical twin boys were under intensive study during seventeen and twenty-eight months, respectively, for the purpose of determining basic behavior changes accompanying voluntary control of micturition. Such an analysis of behavior development offers a foundation for a more detailed correlation of structure and function when the underlying neural mechanisms have been established. A second purpose was to ascertain whether or not a systematic “training schedule” appreciably alters the course of development. To this end, one member of each pair of twins, after the first month of life, was subjected to a program of being placed on the chamber at hourly intervals during seven hours of the day. Their twins were not allowed on the chamber until they were 14 and 24 months of age, respectively, at which time they were exposed to the same schedule of toilet training. In both cases the achievement of these boys approximated that of their brothers, even at the onset of their training schedule. The achievement records of the two children who were given systematic “training” indicate that there are several distinct phases in the attainment of bladder control and that these phases are not altered by the imposition of a training program. During the early months of life the reflex is so hypersensitive that any mild handling or disturbance of position may initiate voiding. Subsequently, the reflex is less sensitive to vicarious stimuli. This period is represented in the achievement curve by a decline in the percentages of successful responses to the toilet situation. The onset of cortical participation is indicated by a sharp rise in the achievement curve and is reflected in the child's behavior by unmistakable signs of awareness of the act and the result. This rise in percentage of successful responses is a transient one; a regressive phase follows which apparently coincides with a period of rapid advancement in complex mental processes involving not only simple associations but discrimination and generalization. As these processes advance to a stage of functional integration with other activities, there occurs a second rapid rise in the achievement of bladder control. After this period the child's performances are stabilized at a fairly high level. However, there may be other minor regressive phases; an explanation of these has been proposed, although the conditions of this study precluded their manifestation. A discussion of the optimum time to introduce toilet training has led to the suggestion that it be delayed until the child's general behavior indicates cortical participation in the act of micturition. Even then, periodic regressive phases are to be expected. Such regressions are temporary and apparently coincide with rapid advancement in other aspects of development. Measurements of the frequency and the amount of voidings during one day of each week yielded no evidence of a basic physiologic rhythm which could be used as a guiding schedule in setting up a training program.
Quantum expulsion of impurities from a Bose–Einstein condensate

Abstract When a sizable, hard-sphere-like impurity is placed in a confined Bose–Einstein condensate, it will force a hole in the condensate wave function. Since it costs more energy to drill a hole at the wave function's maximum (near the trap center) than at its minimum (near the trap edge), the impurity will be expelled from the condensate. In sharp contrast to the classical case, the Bose condensed atoms can collectively expel impurities much more massive than themselves with essentially no individual collision with the impurity. For C 60 molecules freely falling through a condensate of atomic hydrogens, we estimate that they will be deflected with a radial acceleration comparable to g . At the extremely low density of the hydrogen condensate, only one out of two hundred C 60 will likely to encounter a single hydrogen atom during its fall. The scattered fullerenes would then form a detectable, banded density pattern outside of the trap.
An integrative framework for the evaluation of community-based consortia☆

Abstract Much attention is being paid to the role of community-based consortia in addressing social service issues. As such, evaluators, program planners, and organizational leaders must have a clear understanding of the consortium development process and the elements which contribute to its efficiency, effectiveness and accountability. This article offers one framework to further this understanding. Synthesizing eight consortium components, a life cycle model of consortium development, and a participatory research methodology creates an evaluation framework which provides developmental information and allows for continuous improvement of the consortium process. An overview of a current community-based consortium evaluation is provided to illustrate the applicability of this framework.
A flexible structure control experiment

Control theorists have historically developed control theory independent of the control engineer. Control theory is based on mathematical models of a physical process, i.e. /spl Hscr//sub 2/, /spl Hscr//sub /spl infin//, /spl Lscr//sub 1/, etc. The controllers designed using these theories must be implemented on physical systems which are not mathematical models and hence do not often satisfy theoretical assumptions. One role that control experiments play is a means of determining how "well" assumed mathematical models approximate the physical system. This is critical in determining the usefulness of a given theory for specific applications, though that is not the only use of experiments. In this paper we look at the design and use of an experimental flexible structure for controls research.
Endogenous DNA damage and testicular germ cell tumors

Testicular germ cell tumors are comprised of two histologic groups, seminomas and non-seminomas. We postulated that the possible divergent pathogeneses of these histologies may be partially explained by variable levels of net endogenous DNA damage. To test our hypothesis, we conducted a case-case analysis of 51 seminoma and 61 non-seminoma patients using data and specimens from the Familial Testicular Cancer study and the U.S. Radiologic Technologists cohort. A lymphoblastoid cell line was cultured for each patient and the alkaline comet assay was used to determine four parameters: tail DNA, tail length, comet distributed moment (CDM) and Olive tail moment (OTM). Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were estimated using logistic regression. Values for tail length, tail DNA, CDM and OTM were modelled as categorical variables using the 50th and 75th percentiles of the seminoma group. Tail DNA was significantly associated with non-seminoma compared with seminoma (OR(50th percentile) = 3.31, 95% CI: 1.00, 10.98; OR(75th percentile) = 3.71, 95% CI: 1.04, 13.20; p for trend = 0.039). OTM exhibited similar, albeit statistically non-significant, risk estimates (OR(50th percentile) = 2.27, 95% CI: 0.75, 6.87; OR(75th percentile) = 2.40, 95% CI: 0.75, 7.71; p for trend = 0.12) whereas tail length and CDM showed no association. In conclusion, the results for tail DNA and OTM indicate that net endogenous levels are higher in patients who develop non-seminoma compared with seminoma. This may partly explain the more aggressive biology and younger age-of-onset of this histologic subgroup compared with the relatively less aggressive, later-onset seminoma.
Preparation and Characterization of Monolithic Porous Capillary Columns Loaded with Chromatographic Particles

Using sol−gel technology, a porous glass matrix (xerogel) is formed in a capillary column and acts as a support for a stationary phase of chromatographic particles used in capillary electrochromatography. Preparation of the sol−gel matrix and immobilization of the octadecylsilica (ODS) stationary phase occur in a single step. The presence of the particles in the column greatly reduces matrix cracking caused by internal pressure differentials within the pores of the sol−gel matrix. Good electroosmotic flow is achieved in part because of the inherent negative charge of both the particles and the sol−gel matrix. The performance of these sol−gel/ODS capillary columns was evaluated with a mixture of aromatic and nonaromatic organic compounds. Efficiencies of up to 80 000 plates/m were observed in columns with immobilized 3-μm ODS particles. The efficiency and resolution are enhanced when 3-μm ODS particles are used in place of the 5-μm particles.
A COMPARISON OF MORTALITY AND MORBIDITY ASSOCIATED WITH PRESSURE-LIMITED AND VOLUME-LIMITED INFANT VENTILATORS IN THE TREATMENT OF SEVERE HYALINE MEMBRANE DISEASE

The effect of pressure-limited (PL) and volume-limited (VL) infant ventilators on mortality and morbidity in severe hyaline membrane disease was examined in a prospective controlled study. Criteria for mechanical ventilation were CPAP failure (PaO2 <50 mm. Hg. at FiO2 ≥ 0.8 and CPAP ≥ 8 cm. H2O or PaCO2 ≥ 70 mm. Hg.) or severe perinatal asphyxia. Consecutive patients were alternately assigned to either PL or VL infant ventilators. 22 infants (900-2600 gms; 27-36 wks. gest.) were ventilated with PL machines using low peak inspiratory pressures (mean Pmax = 29 cm. H2O), relatively low PEEP (mean = 5.4 cm. H2O) and prolonged inspiratory times. 20 additional infants (600-3350 gms; 26-42 wks. gest.) were ventilated with VL machines using essentially unlimited peak inspiratory pressures (mean Pmax = 62 cm. H2O), PEEP (mean = 8.1 cm. H2O) and prolonged expiratory times. There were no significant differences in mortality (PL=37%; VL=40%), or in the incidence of pneumothoraces (PL=32%; VL=45%), or bronchopulmonary dysplasla (PL=4.6%; VL=10%). Intraventricular hemorrhages and pulmonary hemorrhages occurred with equal frequency in both groups. These data fail to demonstrate any significant advantage of one ventilator system over the other, and fail to confirm the impression that limiting peak inspiratory pressures to <35 cm. H2O significantly reduces the incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia.
Treatment of basal cell carcinoma with curettage alone

Background Although curettage and electrodesiccation (C&E) is widely used to treat basal cell carcinoma, whether electrodesiccation improves outcome is unknown. Objective We sought to compare cure rates of curettage alone with those of C&E. Methods We conducted a retrospective records review of patients treated with curettage alone at 5-year follow-up or longer that extracted data about tumor location, size, histologic subtype, biopsy specimen margin involvement, and recurrence, as well as data about the medical history of patients treated in a dermatology clinic in a tertiary-care academic medical institution. Results Biopsy-proven tumors (302) amenable to treatment with C&E and treated by a single investigator with curettage alone had a 5-year cure rate of 96.03%, with minimal complications (hypopigmentation, scarring). Tumors involving more than 50% of the deep edge of the shave biopsy specimen had an increased risk of recurrence. Limitations This is a retrospective study based on historic controls. Conclusion For nonaggressive basal cell carcinoma, curettage alone has a cure rate similar to the published rates for C&E.
Triplet and singlet excitations in the valence bond crystal phase of the kagome lattice Heisenberg model

A proposed ground state for the kagome lattice Heisenberg model consists of a valence bond crystal (VBC) with a 36-site unit cell. We calculate the low-lying triplet and singlet excitations in the VBC phase for the infinite-lattice model and for the 36-site cluster. For the infinite lattice, the lowest triplet excitation is found to have a spin gap of approximately $0.08\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.02J$ and a bandwidth of only about $0.01J$. For the 36-site cluster, which consists of a single unit cell with periodic boundary conditions, there are substantial finite-size effects: the spin gap there is estimated to be approximately $0.2J$, which is close to the exact diagonalization result of $0.164J$. The triplet excitations attract one another and form many bound states in the spin-singlet channel. We find a large number of such bound states for the 36-site cluster, many of which appear to lie below the spin gap, which is again in agreement with the results from exact diagonalization.
When Noninvasive Means Invasive

Excerpt To the editor: In their excellent review "Noninvasive Assessment of Myocardial Function," Shine and associates(1) present a superb account of the state-of-the-art in echocardiography and ra...
Attack-target attributes and pigeon aggression: Accessibility, vocalization, and body movements

Characteristics of the attack-target in laboratory tests appear to greatly influence the tendency for aggression to be initiated, maintained, and stopped. To address this question, accessibility, target movement, and vocalization among pigeon conspecifics were investigated in two different aggression tests: 1) paired aggression (PA); and 2) schedule-induced aggression (SI). In the PA test, dominant and subordinate roles formed quickly, and soon aggression episodes started to decline. In part, the subordinate's yielding behavior appeared to discourage attack. The significance of the target bird's behavior on attack frequency was borne out by the finding in the SI test that pigeons attacked a shielded, live, active target more often than a passive one. Furthermore, using a specially constructed stuffed pigeon in the SI test, results indicated that programmed, combined aggressive vocalization and body movement evoked most attacks with the VT schedule, vocalization alone evoked the next highest number of attacks, body movement alone the third most, and combined silence and immobility the least attacks. These findings provide a basis for explaining some past reported results associated with target features and a means for selecting other target features for future study.
Hierarchical chirality in polycarbodiimides

Non-linear or helical polycarbodiimides feature a nitrogen-rich fully substituted guanidine-like backbone repeat unit with two synthetically selective pendant groups. As a result of a complex ballet of bond rotations within steric proximity of the backbone, these polymers can adopt multiple tiers of asymmetry. Primary locales of chiral influence incorporated onto the polymer or on the catalyst during polymerization permit amplification to secondary levels of chirality through a backbone with an excess helical sense. In turn, the conformational chirality of the helix promotes hierarchical orders of tertiary chirality around this chiral scaffolding. These higher levels of asymmetry have shown static and dynamic attributes and can be obtained from monomers containing no predominant chirality. Tailoring these properties with the selection of spatially constricting pendant groups such as substituted arenes, polyarenes, and enantiopure configurationally chiral alkanes has exemplified this behavior. This manuscript will focus on some of the highlights of dynamic and static asymmetry observed for these polycarbodiimide systems.
Monotherapy for fever and neutropenia in cancer patients: a randomized comparison of ceftazidime versus imipenem.

PURPOSETo compare the efficacy of ceftazidime and imipenem monotherapy for fever and neutropenia, and to determine whether fewer antimicrobial modifications (additions or changes) are required by the broader-spectrum agent, imipenem.PATIENTS AND METHODSAdult and pediatric patients undergoing chemotherapy for solid tumors, leukemias, or lymphomas were randomized to receive open-label ceftazidime or imipenem on presentation with fever and neutropenia. Success with or without modifications of the initial antibiotic was defined as survival through neutropenia; failure was death due to infection. Comparisons were based on numbers of modifications made to each monotherapy during the course of neutropenia, in patients stratified as having unexplained fever or a documented infection.RESULTSAmong 204 ceftazidime and 195 imipenem recipients, the overall success rate with or without modification was more than 98%, regardless of initial antibiotic regimen. Modifications occurred in half of all episodes, primarily in ...
Differential expression of bovine β-lactoglobulin A and B promoter variants in transiently transfected HC11 cells

Quantification of beta-lactoglobulin A and B in the milk of heterozygous animals has revealed a differential content of these two variants. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the first 733 bp of the bovine beta-lactoglobulin promoter has indicated the presence of ten polymorphic sites, nine of them being allele A and B specific mutations. To study the differential expression of these alleles, constructs containing 753 bp long fragments of the bovine beta-lactoglobulin A and B associated promoters were used in transient transfection experiments in HC11 cells. A differential transcription activity directed by the A and B specific promoters was consistently observed. The relative expression levels were 57% for beta-lactoglobulin A and 43% for beta-lactoglobulin B promoters. An allele-specific mutation has been reported to have a differential binding affinity to the activator protein-2 between the beta-lactoglobulin A and B promoters. However, experiments in HC11 cells where the activator protein-2 binding sites were mutated in both beta-lactoglobulin A and B promoters showed no major differences in activity between the mutated and native promoters.
Effects of aerobic exercise on pain perception, affect, and level of disability in individuals with fibromyalgia.

Background and Purpose. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of aerobic walking on the pain, disability, and psychological symptoms of individuals with fibromyalgia. Subjects. Nineteen subjects with fibromyalgia (2 men, 17 women), aged 30 to 69 years (X=49.35, SD=11.83), participated. Methods. Ten subjects walked 20 minutes, three times per week, for 8 weeks at 60% to 70% of the predicted maximum heart rate for their age. Nine subjects served as sedentary controls. Each subject completed pretests and posttests of the McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ), the Sickness Impact Profile (SIP), and the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI). Due to initial differences on all measures, final scores were adjusted and analyzed by an analysis of covariance. Results. The experimental group had lower scores on the MPQ, on two of the three BSI indexes, and on the Psychosocial Dimension scale of the SIP, but higher ratings on the Physical Dimension scale of the SIP than did the control group on final testing. Only the differences on one index of the BSI and the Physical Dimension scale of the SIP were significant. Conclusion and Discussion. The results of the study are inconclusive. There were trends suggestive of a beneficial response to aerobic walking (lower psychological and pain ratings) but limited significant findings and higher physical disability ratings, for these individuals with fibromyalgia.
Flying under the radar: maintaining control of kernel without changing kernel code or persistent data structures

Cyber-spies rely on technologies such as rootkits to maintain a stealthy control of the victim kernel. Current techniques can detect changes to kernel code (e.g., SecVisor) and data (e.g., SBCFI), but have difficulties with transient kernel control flow attacks that insert execution requests into interrupt or kernel work queues (K-queues) without changing kernel code or data. Two examples implemented using Linux tasklets illustrate the effectiveness of K-queue attacks: key logger and CPU cycle stealer. Possible defenses to protect the kernel against K-queue attacks are outlined.
Bryophytes on Red Maple Trees (Acer rubrum) in Western Pennsylvania

Abstract. Bryophytes collected from 101 red maple trees in western Pennsylvania included 37 moss species in 17 families and three liverworts in three families. Most frequently collected were Orthodicranum montanum and Platygyrium repens.
Tyrosinase catalyzed protein polymerization as an in vitro model for quinone tanning of insect cuticle

The validity of Pryor's widely accepted quinone tanning hypothesis for the sclerotization of insect cuticle was examined using an in vitro model system. Quinones generated in situ by the oxidation of catechols with mushroom tyrosinase and molecular oxygen readily reacted with test proteins such as lysozyme, ribonuclease and cytochrome-c, producing dimers, trimers, and higher oligomers. With the exception of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine, dopamine, and norepinephrine, most other catechols tested participated in protein polymerization. The inability of these three compounds to support oligomerization of test protein was attributed to their high rate of intramolecular cyclization reaction. Radioactive incorporation studies reveal the formation of catechol-protomer adducts, as well as aryl-protein crosslinks in the reaction mixture. The above results strongly support the quinone tanning hypothesis. Based on these findings, the mechanism of cuticular sclerotization is discussed.
Time-Delayed Vibration Control Of Two Degree-Of-Freedom Mechanical System For Improved Stability Margins

Abstract Time-delayed vibration control is used for a two degree-of-freedom mechanical system to approximate state-derivative feedback and to reduce sensitivity and improve stability margins. Additional sensors are not required since state-derivatives are approximated using available measurements and time delays. A systematic design approach, based on solution of delay differential equations using the Lambert W method, is presented. The simulation results demonstrate excellent performance with improved stability margins over state feedback control only.