cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Femtosecond spectroscopy of carrier relaxation dynamics in type II CdSe/CdTe tetrapod heteronanostructures

Branched nanocrystal heterostructures synthesized from CdSe and CdTe exhibit a type II band structure alignment that induces separation of charge upon photoexcitation and localizes carriers to different regions of the tetrahedral geometry. The dynamics of carrier relaxation examined with femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy showed heterostructures having rise times and biexponential decays longer than those of nanorods with similar dimensions. This is attributed to weaker interactions with surface states and nonradiative relaxation channels afforded by the type II alignment.
Inhibition of adipocyte differentiation by Nur77, Nurr1, and Nor1.

Members of the nuclear receptor 4A (NR4A) subgroup of nuclear receptors have been implicated in the regulation of glucose and lipid metabolism in insulin-sensitive tissues such as liver and skeletal muscle. However, their function in adipocytes is not well defined. Previous studies have reported that these receptors are rapidly up-regulated after treatment of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes with an adipogenic cocktail. We show here that although Nur77 expression is acutely induced by cAMP agonists in 3T3-L1 cells, it is not induced by other adipogenic stimuli, such as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ ligands, nor is it induced during the differentiation of 3T3-F442A preadipocytes, suggesting that Nur77 induction is not an obligatory feature of preadipocyte differentiation. We further demonstrate that inflammatory signals that antagonize differentiation, such as TNFα and lipopolysaccharide, acutely induce Nur77 expression both in vitro and in vivo. We also show that NR4A expression in adipose tissue is responsive to fasting/refeeding. Retroviral transduction of each of the NR4A receptors (Nur77, Nurr1, and NOR1) into either 3T3-L1 or 3T3-F442A preadipocytes potently inhibits adipogenesis. Interestingly, NR4A-mediated inhibition of adipogenesis cannot be rescued by peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ overexpression or activation. Transcriptional profiling of Nur77-expressing preadipocytes led to the identification of gap-junction protein α1 (Gja1) and tolloid-like 1 (Tll1) as Nur77-responsive genes. Remarkably, retroviral expression of either Gja1 or Tll1 in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes also inhibited adipocyte differentiation, implicating these genes as potential mediators of Nur77’s effects on adipogenesis. Finally, we show that Nur77 expression inhibits mitotic clonal expansion of preadipocytes, providing an additional mechanism by which Nur77 may inhibit adipogenesis.
Finite dimensional cosemisimple Hopf algebras in characteristic 0 are semisimple

Finite dimensional cosemisimple Hopf algebras are a natural generalization of group algebras. Much of the representation theory of finite groups can be extended to such Hopf algebras. However, there are still many unanswered basic questions for such Hopf algebras. One such question is a conjecture mentioned by Kaplansky [I]: the square of the antipode of a finite dimensional cosemisimple Hopf algebra is the identity. In this paper we prove that the fourth power of the antipode is the identity in a finite dimensional cosemisimple Hopf algebra over a field of characteristic 0. In the course of proving this, we investigate two elements of the Hopf algebra which are roughly analogous to the sum of the group elements in a group algebra. We show that Kaplansky’s conjecture is equivalent to these two elements being equal. For a finite dimensional Hopf algebra A with antipode s over a field, let L(p)(q) =pq for p, q E A* denote the left module action of A* on itself. In this paper we study two elements of A defined by the trace function: the element ;i defined by p(A) = Tr(L(p) (s’)*) for all PE A*, and the element x defined by p(x) = Tr(L(p)) for all p E A*. We show that 2 is a left integral and use it to prove Theorem 3.3, the main result of this paper: a finite dimensional cosemisimple Hopf algebra over a field of characteristic 0 is also semisimple (hence its antipode has order 1, 2, or 4). We extend the first corollary to [3, Proposition 91 in Theorems 4.3 and 4.4 by finding necessary and sufficient conditions for s to be a non-zero left integral (in which case x = A), and also study how x relates to the structure of A. In particular, when (dim A) 1 # 0 the right ideal xA may be thought of as a measure of the extent to which s* # I. The elements ji and .K are two examples of elements of A associated with an endomorphism of A. In general, for f~ End(A) we define A, E A by p(A&=Tr(L(p)cf*) for all PEA *. Thus I? = AS2 and x = A,. In Section 2 267 0021-8693/88 33.00
Synthesis and Evaluation of Novel Multifunctional Oligomers for Dentistry

A new type of multifunctional oligomer was synthesized, and its potential as a base monomer in dental composite formulations was evaluated. The oligomer of ethoxylated bis-phenol A diacrylate (OEBPA) was prepared in good yield by a formaldehyde insertion/condensation reaction. Although double bonds along the oligomer backbone are arranged in pairs such that cyclopolymerization is possible, it is not presently known whether this process plays a significant role in the polymerization. Indirect evidence supporting efficient cyclopolymerization involves the reduced polymerization shrinkage observed for polymerized OEBPA relative to polymers of other monomers used as base resins. Photo-cured composites containing either OEBPA, BIS-GMA, or ethoxylated bis-phenol A dimethacrylate (EBPADM) as base resin and TEGDMA as diluent were compared. While the resulting diametral tensile and transverse strengths did not differ significantly, the values for the energy absorbed to failure indicated that the OEBPA- and EBPADM-based formulations yielded composites with somewhat greater toughness than that of the BIS-GMA material. This multifunctional oligomer offers mechanical strength and conversion values that are comparable with those of existing base resin monomers while providing an approximate 30% reduction in polymerization shrinkage.
Radiation Therapy Improves Survival in Small Cell Rectal Cancer: Analysis of Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Data

Purpose/Objective(s): Small cell rectal cancer is a rare entity with scant literature to guide treatment. We used SEER data to investigate the role of radiation therapy (RT) in the management of this unusual cancer. Materials/Methods: The SEER database (National Cancer Institute) was queried using software for cases of small cell rectal cancer. Locoregional cases were defined using the “SEER Historic Stage A” variable to exclude patients with distant metastatic disease. Years of diagnosis were limited to 1988-2009 to reduce variability in staging criteria or longitudinal changes in surgery and radiation techniques. Two month conditional survival was applied to minimize bias by excluding patients who did not survive long enough to receive cancer-directed therapy. Overall survival was compared between patients who received RT (RT) and those who did not (No_RT) using the Kaplan-Meier method. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards model was used to evaluate important covariates, with AJCC Stage as a stratification variable. Case data were extracted and analyzed. Results: A total of 70 cases of locoregional small cell rectal cancer met the study criteria, No_RT Z 29 and RT Z 41. There were 23 deaths in each group. Median survival was significantly longer for patients who received radiation (RT 30 months vs No_RT 9 months, log-rank p Z 0.003). This corresponded to a higher 2-year overall survival rate for those who received radiation (56.8% vs 23.2%). Unadjusted hazard ratio for death (HR) was 0.43 with the use of radiation (95% CI, 0.24-0.76). Cox proportional hazards model (see Table) identified radiation therapy as the only significant factor for overall survival, multivariate HR Z 0.30 (95% CI, 0.150.62; p Z 0.001). Age, surgery and sex were not significant covariates. Conclusions: Small cell rectal cancer is a rare disease with no proven standard of care. Using the SEER data, we have identified a significant survival advantage with the use of radiation therapy. No survival benefit was seen with surgical resection, although this study lacked power to exclude small to moderate differences. Known limitations of the SEER data apply to this study, especially the lack of information on chemotherapy usage. Our findings strongly support the use of radiation therapy for patients with locoregional small cell rectal cancer. Author Disclosure: H.C. Hsu: None. C.G. Leichman: None. K.L. Du: None.
Sacred Rites and Civil Rights: Religion's Effect on Attitudes Toward Same‐Sex Unions and the Perceived Cause of Homosexuality*

Objective. Past research reveals how religion and opinions about the cause of homosexuality influence attitudes concerning same-sex unions. No study to date contains a comprehensive collection of religion measures while also accounting for views of the cause of homosexuality. Therefore, this study investigates the extent to which religion predicts certain attribution beliefs as well as attitudes toward samesex unions while controlling for attribution beliefs. Method. The Baylor Religion Survey (2007) is used to estimate binary logistic models predicting the effects of religion and attribution beliefs on attitudes toward same-sex unions. Findings. First, religion is strongly associated with the belief that homosexuals choose their sexual orientation. Second, religion maintains a significant association with attitudes toward same-sex unions despite inclusion of an attribution variable. Conclusion. Even if a biological explanation for homosexuality is ultimately proven, unfavorable attitudes toward same-sex unions will most likely endure due to religion’s persistent effect. The topic of same-sex unions has been a key political issue for many Americans since the 2004 presidential elections. Consider that in 2008 alone New Hampshire passed legislation allowing for homosexual civil unions, California’s supreme court ruled that homosexuals have the constitutional right to marry, Massachusetts’ House and Senate allowed for same-sex marriages for out-of-state couples, and in the November elections of 2008 voters in Arizona, Florida, and California all elected to amend their state constitutions to legally define marriage, thus outlawing same-sex unions. Considering all the attention given to the legality and morality of same-sex unions, the key follow-up question for social researchers is what determines individuals’ views toward those unions. More specifically, who is most likely to support or oppose same-sex unions? Recent research demonstrates the
Dip coating for the alignment of carbon nanotubes on curved surfaces

The preferential orientation of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on a substrate using a dip-coating approach is described. The extraction of a steel fiber from a dispersion of CNTs provides the necessary forces required for preferential orientation of the CNTs on the fiber surface. We study the effect of the orientation of the long axis of the fiber relative to the direction of the extraction. We conclude that shorter CNTs are not as susceptible to these shear forces. The preferential orientation of CNTs is expected to provide a simple method for isolating one-dimensional nanostructures for imaging and analysis.
A Thermistor Thermometer and Direct-Reading Isotonicity Meter

A differential thermistor thermometer intended for measuring freezing-point depressions is described. The instrument provides one temperature range (0–1°) and two isotonicity ranges (0–1% NaCl and 1–2% NaCl) by means of a selector switch on the front panel. The principle of the linear isotonicity scale and methods for its calibration and use were presented in an earlier paper.
The SYMLOG dimensions and small group conflict

This study explores the potential usefulness of Bales’ systematic method for the multiple level observation of groups (SYMLOG) by testing the predictive capability of the three SYMLOG dimensions and the amount of member dispersion on each dimension with the amount of conflict, the amount of reported satisfaction, the styles of conflict management and the quality of decisional outcome in small, task oriented groups.
Kinetics of salicyluric acid elimination in man.

The kinetics of salicyluric acid (SU) elimination were determined in healthy adult men from urinary excretion and (in one instance) plasma concentration data following intravenous injection of SU or oral administration of salicylate and subsequent blocking of further SU formation by benzoate. Similar results were obtained by the two methods. The elimination of SU is considerably more rapid than is suggested by urinary excretion data obtained after oral administration of SU in aqueous solution. The kinetics of SU formation from salicylate can be characterized adequately by considering the formation process as the rate-limiting step in the excretion of SU after salicylate administration.
Nonlinear force feedback control of piezoelectric-hydraulic pump actuator for automotive transmission shift control

In recent years, researchers have investigated the feasibility of utilizing piezoelectric-hydraulic pump based actuation systems for automotive transmission controls. This new concept could eventually reduce the complexity, weight, and fuel consumption of the current transmissions. In this research, we focus on how to utilize this new approach on the shift control of automatic transmissions (AT), which generally requires pressure profiling for friction elements during the operation. To illustrate the concept, we will consider the 1→ 2 up shift control using band brake friction elements. In order to perform the actuation force tracking for AT shift control, nonlinear force feedback control laws are designed based on the sliding mode theory for the given nonlinear system. This paper will describe the modeling of the band brake actuation system, the design of the nonlinear force feedback controller, and simulation and experimental results for demonstration of the new concept.
Beyond a western bioethics

Like theology and ethics generally, bioethics has increasingly developed a global consciousness. Controversies over AIDS research and access to affordable AIDS treatment have generated new awareness about the importance of international collaboration as well as the difficulty of achieving moral consensus across economic, political, and cultural divides. Advances in scientific and medical knowledge through initiatives such as the Human Genome Project invite new questions about the nature of health care as a common good. This budding global consciousness serves as a starting point for examining contemporary challenges to the secular, principle-based Western bioethics that has dominated national and international debate for three decades.
A genuine acyl donor activity of oleyl-CoA for mitochondrial glycerophosphate acyltransferase

Both mitochondria and microsomes of mammalian organs contain glycerophosphate acyltransferase (EC 2.3.1.15), the first enzyme in the pathway of glycerolipid biosynthesis from sn-glycerol 3-phosphate [l-4]. The mitochondrial glycerophosphate acyltransferase shows 4-6 times preference for palmityl-CoA over oleyl-CoA as acyl donor. By contrast, the microsomal enzyme is highly active with either acyl-CoA [1,2]. With both mitochondrial and microsomal glycerophosphate acyltransferase, the acylation takes place in position 1 of sn-glycerol 3-phosphate molecule [ 1,5,6]. Thus, the properties of the mitochondrial enzyme provide the basis of an excellent mechanism for the selective positioning of saturated fatty acids in position 1 found in most naturally occurring glycerophospholipids [5,6]. To determine the degree of acyl-CoA specificity of the mitochondrial glycerophosphate acyltransferase, we have tested whether the small amount of activity associated with the mitochondrial fraction in the presence of oleyl-CoA is indeed a mitochondrial property or a reflection of microsomal contamination. With oleyl-CoA as the acyl donor, the mitochondrial acyltransferase was unaffected by N-ethylmaleimide and trypsin and, was stimulated by acetone and polymyxin B. All of these reagents strongly inhibited the microsomal enzyme. These distinguishing properties together with an analysis of the acylation products establish that oleyl-CoA is a true acyl donor for mitochondrial glycerophosphate acyltransferase.
Psychiatric Comorbidity in Treatment-Seeking Cocaine Abusers

The authors determined psychiatric diagnoses in 207 cocaine abusers seeking outpatient treatment, using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS) developed by the National Institute of Mental Health. A major proportion of subjects (62%) met diagnostic criteria for a current psychiatric disorder, and nearly three-quarters (73%) met lifetime criteria for at least one psychiatric disorder other than substance abuse. Antisocial personality disorders, affective disorders, and anxiety disorders accounted for most of the psychiatric illnesses. Women were found to have significantly higher rates of current and lifetime psychopathology than men. The temporal relationship between substance abuse and the onset of affective and anxiety disorders was examined, with the particular finding that onset of anxiety disorders substantially predated regular cocaine use.
Status Inconsistency, Crosspressures, and Political Orientations: Suggestions and Evidence for a Social Conditioning Approach

First hand experience with depression, inflation, mass demonstrations, "big government" and other such macro-societal events clearly has an important impact on individual attitudes and behaviour, as does the vicarious learning provided by the mass media. Direct interpersonal relationships are another very significant factor. The discussion to follow focusses on a social conditioning approach to dealing with the political attitudes of persons exposed to contradictory or inconsistent cue-giving from the significant others in their lives. A wide range of evidence has repeatedly demonstrated that the stability or instability of individual political orientations and behaviour, is closely related to the degree of continuity that people encounter in their face-to-face interpersonal relationships.' Changes in income level, education, occupation, and related factors tend to produce alterations in work associates, neighbours, friends, and other social contacts. These changes, often referred to collectively as social mobility, constitute an important subset of the more general environmental homogeneity/heterogeneity issue and have received wide attention in the literature of sociology and political science.
Poliovirus: new insights from an old paradigm

A combination of structural and genetic studies of poliovirus suggests that the final stages of viral assembly lock the virus in a metastable structure primed to undergo the receptor-catalyzed conformational changes required for cell entry. Future studies promise to provide detailed insights into the conformational dynamics of the virion during its life cycle.
Brachytherapy and breast cancer

Brachytherapy has been an important component of radiation therapy for breast cancer. It played a historical role in the development of breast-conserving techniques for early-stage breast cancer. The primary use for brachytherapy in this setting has been to deliver a localized boost dose of radiation to the lumpectomy bed after whole breast radiation therapy. In recent years, there has been less utilization of brachytherapy as a boost technique. This is predominantly related to wider availability of electrons for delivering a boost dose. Another significant factor for the decline is the controversy of whether routine boosting of the tumor bed is necessary for all early-stage breast cancer patients after conservative surgery and whole breast radiation therapy. Despite this, brachytherapy is still the preferred boost technique in certain subsets of patients. Newer applications of brachytherapy for the treatment of breast cancer have emerged and have shown promise. For early-stage breast cancer, these include brachytherapy as the sole radiation modality after lumpectomy and in combination with local excision as an alternative to mastectomy for treatment of local recurrences after conservative surgery and radiation therapy. In selected locally advanced cases of breast cancer, brachytherapy has been used as part of a technique that attempts breast conservation. At this time, these newer uses of brachytherapy for the treatment of breast cancer remain investigational.
Lysosomal Fragility induced by Prostaglandin F2α

PROSTAGLANDINS have been suggested as mediators of inflammatory reactions because they increase vascular permeability1,2, are found in inflammatory exudates3, are released during antigen-antibody reactions4 and have leucotactic properties5. For this reason and because lysosomes have been assigned an important role in the pathogenesis of diverse tissue injury reactions6, we have studied the effect of prostaglandins on lysosomal fragility.
Multi-agent systems and IEC 61850

IEC 61850 is an approved international standard for substation communications that is becoming the foundation of a new generation of substation automation systems. At the same time multi-agent systems are being considered for many different utility applications. The paper presents and overview of the new IEC 61850 standard and some of its applications. It attempts to demonstrate the relationship between the concepts in the standard and how they can be used in different multi-agent systems for protection, control, monitoring and recording in substations. The substation configuration language is also analyzed as a tool that identifies the relationships between the different components in a multi-agent based substation automation system.
Frequent expression of human carcinoma-associated antigen, a mucin-type glycoprotein, in cells of prostatic carcinoma.

Abstract Context.—Human carcinoma-associated antigen (HCA) is a mucin glycoprotein recognized by antibodies raised against epiglycanin, the latter having been originally purified from mouse mammary carcinoma cells. Human carcinoma-associated antigen expression is increased in sera of patients with various carcinomas, including prostatic carcinoma. However, to our knowledge, expression of HCA in benign and neoplastic prostatic tissue has not been studied. Objective.—To compare the expression of HCA in cells of primary and metastatic prostatic carcinomas with its expression in non–carcinoma-associated cells. Design.—We studied 40 cases of primary and 36 cases of metastatic prostatic carcinomas by immunohistochemical staining with anti-HCA monoclonal antibodies G1 and HAE3. The blocks from primary carcinomas also contained normal prostatic tissue (40 cases), benign prostatic hyperplasia (16 cases), and high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (32 cases). Results.—The 2 antibodies stained carcinomas mor...
Development and Validation of a Quantitative Real-Time PCR Assay Using Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer Technology for Detection of Aspergillus fumigatus in Experimental Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis

Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) is a frequently fatal infection in immunocompromised patients that is difficult to diagnose. Present methods for detection of Aspergillus spp. in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid and in tissue vary in sensitivity and specificity. We therefore developed an A. fumigatus-specific quantitative real-time PCR-based assay utilizing fluorescent resonance energy transfer (FRET) technology. We compared the assay to quantitative culture of BAL fluid and lung tissue in a rabbit model of experimental IPA. Using an enzymatic and high-speed mechanical cell wall disruption protocol, DNA was extracted from samples of BAL fluid and lung tissues from noninfected and A. fumigatus-infected rabbits. A unique primer set amplified internal transcribed spacer regions (ITS) 1 and 2 of the rRNA operon. Amplicon was detected using FRET probes targeting a unique region of ITS1. Quantitation of A. fumigatus DNA was achieved by use of external standards. The presence of PCR inhibitors was determined by use of a unique control plasmid. The analytical sensitivity of the assay was ≤10 copies of target DNA. No cross-reactivity occurred with other medically important filamentous fungi. The assay results correlated with pulmonary fungal burden as determined by quantitative culture (r = 0.72, Spearman rank correlation; P ≤ 0.0001). The mean number of genome equivalents detected in untreated animals was 3.86 log10 (range, 0.86 to 6.39 log10) in tissue. There was a 3.53-log10 mean reduction of A. fumigatus genome equivalents in animals treated with amphotericin B (AMB) (95% confidence interval, 3.38 to 3.69 log10; P ≤ 0.0001), which correlated with the reduction of residual fungal burden in lung tissue measured in terms of log10 CFU/gram. The enhanced quantitative sensitivity of the real-time PCR assay was evidenced by detection of A. fumigatus genome in infarcted culture-negative lobes, by a greater number of mean genome equivalents compared to the number of CFU per gram in tissue and BAL fluid, and by superior detection of therapeutic response to AMB in BAL fluid compared to culture. This real-time PCR assay using FRET technology is highly sensitive and specific in detecting A. fumigatus DNA from BAL fluid and lung tissue in experimental IPA.
Military Invasion and Women's Political Representation

Following the attacks on 11 September 2001, the United States military launched an invasion of Afghanistan in October 2001 and Iraq in March 2003. Both wars led to the overthrow of existing regimes...
Left ventricular torsion shear angle volume analysis in patients with hypertension: a global approach for LV diastolic function

Torsion shear angle φ is an important measure of left ventricular (LV) systolic and diastolic functions. Here we provide a novel index utilizing LV normalized torsion shear angle volume loop to assess LV diastolic functional properties. We defined the area within loop as torsion hysteresis area, and hypothesized that it may be an important global parameter of diastolic function. We evaluated the changes to increased during early diastole as a potential measure of LV suction. Sixty resistant hypertension patients (HTN), forty control volunteers were studied using cardiovascular magnetic resonance with tissue tagging. Volumetric and torsional parameters were evaluated. HTN demonstrated concentric remodeling with preserved ejection fraction. HTN had significantly decreased normalized early filling rate, early diastolic mitral annulus velocity and E/A (1.33 ± 1.13 vs. 2.19 ± 1.07, P < 0.0001) vs. control. Torsion hysteresis area was greater (0.11 ± 0.07 vs. 0.079 ± 0.045, P < 0.001) and peak at early diastole was higher (10.46 ± 8.51 vs. 6.29 ± 3.85, P = 0.002) than control. Torsion hysteresis area was significantly correlated with E/A (r = −0.23, P = 0.025). Thirteen HTN patients had both E/A ratio 0.12 (Control mean torsion hysteresis area + 1SD). Torsion hysteresis area and peak early diastolic were significantly increased in hypertensive concentric remodeling. The loop takes into account the active and passive recoil processes of LV diastolic and systolic phases, therefore provides a new global description of LV diastolic function.
The power of inquiry as a way of learning in undergraduate education at a large research university

The desire of this large research university to initiate inquiry-guided learning experiences more intentionally and earlier in the curriculum led to the engagement of faculty and students in the implementation of a systematic process for accomplishing this goal.
Deceptive strategies for the evolutionary minority game

The evolutionary minority game is extensively used to study adaptive behavior in a population of interacting agents. In time the agents self-organize despite the fact agents act independently in choosing how to play the game and do not know the play of any other agent. In this paper we study agents who collude with each other to play the same strategy. However, nothing prevents agents from being deceptive and playing a different strategy instead. It is shown that deceptive strategies can be profitable if the number of deceptive agents is small enough.
Visualizing the evolution of surface bond straining during radical-surface interactions in plasma deposition processes

Fundamental understanding of radical-surface interactions during plasma deposition of Si thin films is essential for developing rational deposition strategies. We have developed a visualization tool for monitoring the surface bond strain evolution during film growth. This tool is used to examine the local structural changes in the vicinity of the growth surface when a chemical reaction occurs during molecular-dynamics (MD) simulations of Si thin-film deposition and aids in the analysis of radical-surface interactions. Results are presented for the surface bond strain distribution when an SiH3 radical inserts into an Si-Si dimer on an H-terminated Si(001)-(2 x 1) surface during the initial stage of deposition. This type of analysis is particularly helpful in understanding the reactions and migration of the SiH3 radical on the surface of plasma-deposited hydrogenated amorphous Si films.
Cavitation induced by asymmetric distorted pulses of ultrasound: theoretical predictions

Prediction of the response of gas-filled microbubbles to ultrasound waves is complicated by the finite-amplitude distortion associated with large-amplitude acoustic fields. Typical finite-amplitude pulses in medical applications consist of a sharp positive spike followed by a smaller slowly varying negative pressure. A suitable model for pressure waveforms that have these temporal characteristics is described, and the response of microbubbles to such sound fields is subsequently computed. A selection of descriptive parameters is considered to determine the characteristic features of the distorted pulse which are most important in generating bubble response. The results show that (a) the peak-positive pressure is a very poor predictor of bubble response; (b) the peak-negative pressure typically underestimates the bubble response; and (c) the best tested predictor of bubble response is the pressure amplitude of the fundamental frequency in a Fourier series expansion of the distorted pulse. Theoretical thresholds for transient cavitation induced by a distorted pulse are presented for a range of frequencies and initial sizes of microbubbles. >
Controlling Patent Prosecution History

This comment considers the importance of building prosecution records adequate to rebut arguments that may later be advanced by infringers to invalidate patent claims for obviousness. This is difficult when patentees face prior art that, for whatever reason, was unlikely to have been discovered, much less distinguished, during prosecution. Unless challenges can be rebutted with evidence of unexpected results developed during prosecution, allegalions of unexpected results may be rejected as in the classic Graham case. Yet the recent KSR case demonstrates that it may be nearly as difficult to distinguish art readily available to both applicants and examiners but not considered during prosecution.
Partial cystectomy: a contemporary review of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center experience and recommendations for patient selection.

ABSTRACT Purpose: Partial cystectomy is a bladder sparing procedure that has been used to treat invasive bladder cancer in highly selected patients. This study analyzes the outcomes of partial cystectomy in a contemporary cohort of patients to identify appropriate selection criteria for the procedure. Materials and Methods: Records were reviewed for 58 patients with a primary bladder tumor who had undergone partial cystectomy at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center from 1995 to 2001. Information was collected on tumor size, histology, location, presence of carcinoma in situ (CIS), multifocality, neoadjuvant treatment, clinical stage, pathological stage and disease status. Results: For the 58 patients analyzed, overall 5-year survival was 69% with a mean followup of 33 months (range 1 to 83). Of the patients 43 (74%) are alive with an intact bladder, 39 (67%) are currently disease-free with an intact bladder and 32 (55%) have been continuously disease-free with an intact bladder. Seven patients experienced a superficial recurrence and were treated successfully while 15 patients experienced an advanced recurrence. On univariate analysis CIS and multifocality were related to superficial recurrence, and lymph node involvement and positive surgical margin were related to advanced recurrence. On multivariate analysis concomitant CIS (odds ratio 7.05, p=0.004) and lymph node involvement (odds ratio 4.38, p=0.031) were predictors of advanced recurrence. Conclusions: In highly selected patients with invasive bladder cancer, partial cystectomy offers acceptable outcomes. Concomitant CIS and presence of metastases to regional lymph nodes predict advanced recurrence.
Artificial ants for efficient data forwarding in wireless mesh networks

We present our initial work on the design and implementation of an efficient routing architecture for wireless mesh networks (WMNs). We have proposed two routing schemes namely AMIRA and AntMesh, which provide efficient data forwarding for improved load-balancing and reduced interference in single and multi-radio infrastructure mesh networks. Both of our proposed schemes are derived from the principle of Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) in which artificial ants (agents) perform the routing and data forwarding to stochastically solve a dynamic network optimization problem. The main focus in our work is to take advantage of the particular characteristics of ACO framework and exploit them in designing routing schemes for WMNs keeping in view the unique characteristics and requirements of these infrastructure mesh networks.
Harmonic Production and Cross Modulation in Thermionic Valves with Resistive Loads

The harmonic and modulation components in the anode current of a thermionic valve (tube), operating with a resistive load, are obtained in terms of coefficients of the power series by which the load characteristic is expressed, and amplitudes of the voltages applied to the control grid. An example is given in which it is shown that the presence of a large signal on the grid of an output pentode greatly increases the distortion of a small signal of different frequency.
Hierarchical and parallelizable direct volume rendering for irregular and multiple grids

A general volume rendering technique is described that efficiently produces images of excellent quality from data defined over irregular grids having a wide variety of formats. Rendering is done in software, eliminating the need for special graphics hardware, as well as any artifacts associated with graphics hardware. Images of volumes with about 1,000,000 cells can be produced in one to several minutes on a workstation with a 150-MHz processor. A significant advantage of this method for applications such as computational fluid dynamics is that it can process multiple intersecting grids. Such grids present problems for most current volume rendering techniques. Also, the wide range of cell sizes does not present difficulties, as it does for many techniques. A spatial hierarchical organization makes it possible to access data from a restricted region efficiently. The tree has greater depth in regions of greater detail, determined by the number of cells in the region. It also makes it possible to render useful "preview" images very quickly by displaying each region associated with a tree node as one cell. Previews show enough detail to navigate effectively in very large data sets. The algorithmic techniques include use of a k-d tree, with prefix-order partitioning of triangles, to reduce the number of primitives that must be processed for one rendering, coarse-grain parallelism for a shared-memory MIMD architecture, a new perspective transformation that achieves greater numerical accuracy, and a scanline algorithm with depth sorting and a new clipping technique.
Solution structure of a nitrous acid induced DNA interstrand cross-link

Nitrous acid is a mutagenic agent. It can induce interstrand cross-links in duplex DNA, preferentially at d(CpG) steps: two guanines on opposite strands are linked via a single shared exocyclic imino group. Recent synthetic advances have led to the production of large quantities of such structurally homogenous cross-linked duplex DNA. Here we present the high resolution solution structure of the cross-linked dodecamer [d(GCATCCGGATGC)]2 (the cross-linked guanines are underlined), determined by 2D NMR spectroscopy, distance geometry, restrained molecular dynamics and iterative NOE refinement. The cross-linked guanines form a nearly planar covalently linked ‘G:G base pair’ with only minor propeller twisting, while the cytidine bases of their normal base pairing partners have been flipped out of the helix and adopt well defined extrahelical positions in the minor groove. On the 5′-side of the cross-link, the minor groove is widened to accommodate these extrahelical bases, and the major groove becomes quite narrow at the cross-link. The cross-linked ‘G:G base pair’ is well stacked on the spatially adjacent C:G base pairs, particularly on the 3′-side guanines. In addition to providing the first structure of a nitrous acid cross-link in DNA, these studies could be of major importance to the understanding of the mechanisms of nitrous acid cross-linking and mutagenicity, as well as the mechanisms responsible for its repair in intracellular environments. It is also the shortest DNA cross-link structure to be described.
IS TRAINING ENOUGH

In the early days of navigation, when only the most daring and intrepid individuals ventured far from shore, the requirements of a successful navigator, although simple, were exacting. Before the days of chart, compass, and log, the most complicated tool with which the navigator had to contend was probably the hand lead. His principal qualification was his ability to interpret what he saw, smelled, felt, and heard in terms of general direction, approximate distance, location of land, and position of safe water. Mistakes were costly, and only the successful navigators reached their desired havens safely. To these mariners, navigation was purely an art. The science of navigation was not yet struggling to be born.
Robust Bayesian inference for multivariate longitudinal data by using normal/independent distributions

Many randomized clinical trials collect multivariate longitudinal measurements in different scales, for example, binary, ordinal, and continuous. Multilevel item response models are used to evaluate the global treatment effects across multiple outcomes while accounting for all sources of correlation. Continuous measurements are often assumed to be normally distributed. But the model inference is not robust when the normality assumption is violated because of heavy tails and outliers. In this article, we develop a Bayesian method for multilevel item response models replacing the normal distributions with symmetric heavy-tailed normal/independent distributions. The inference is conducted using a Bayesian framework via Markov Chain Monte Carlo simulation implemented in BUGS language. Our proposed method is evaluated by simulation studies and is applied to Earlier versus Later Levodopa Therapy in Parkinson's Disease study, a motivating clinical trial assessing the effect of Levodopa therapy on the Parkinson's disease progression rate.
Consultation and the Introduction of Social Problem-Solving Groups in Schools.

Social problem-solving programs for withdrawn and hyperactive children within a school context were developed and implemented in a day care center, a Montessori nursery school, a Catholic elementary school, and a Catholic high school. This article describes the program implementation for each of the four schools and some of the effects on the consultative relationship.
Estrogen replacement therapy for Alzheimer disease in postmenopausal women

OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the clinical utility of oral conjugated equine estrogen in postmenopausal women with Alzheimer disease.DATA SOURCES:Literature was identified through MEDLINE (1997–January 2002). Key search terms included Alzheimer disease, estrogen replacement therapy, and treatment.DATA SYNTHESIS:Estrogen has been identified as a neuroprotective agent with possible application in degenerative disorders. Observational studies have demonstrated an association between estrogen replacement therapy and decreased incidence of Alzheimer disease. Two recent, controlled clinical trials have evaluated the role of oral conjugated estrogen in the treatment of Alzheimer disease.CONCLUSIONS:Clinical trials indicate that oral conjugated equine estrogen is not an effective treatment for Alzheimer disease in postmenopausal women.
Genetic Identification of Human Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Neural Cell Types Using Bacterial Artificial Chromosomes

Human embryonic stem cells represent a renewable source of pluripotent cells which can give rise to endodermal, mesodermal and ectodermal lineages. Not surprisingly, they have received enormous attention in the context of regenerative medicine. However, harnessing their tremendous potential requires a thorough understanding of their biology and the mechanisms that govern their pluripotency. Directed in vitro differentiation of human embryonic stem cells is typically based on recapitulating biological processes that take place during normal mammalian development. Unfortunately, differentiation of human embryonic stem cells to specific cell types is plagued by low yields and heterogeneous cell populations. This chapter will describe how the differentiation of human embryonic stem cells can be tracked using recombinant bacterial artificial chromosomes expressing fluorescent reporters driven by developmentally regulated promoters. As an example, we will describe how this technology can be applied within the neural lineage to track differentiation to neural stem cells and spinal motor neurons.
Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) and Intestinal Tumorigenesis

Colorectal cancer is the world’s third most common cancer and has one of the highest rates of morbidity. From studying familial occurrences of colon cancer, significant advances were made in understanding the molecular basis of the disease, even those of a sporadic nature. While there have been great strides in understanding the generation of colorectal cancer, the largest determinant of morbidity, metastasis, is far less understood. Metastasis is primarily the cause of death of patients with colorectal cancer and more attention is being paid to the molecular determinants of cell invasion and migration, as these are critical steps in the metastatic cascade. The conversion of epithelial cells to mesenchymal-like ones that are capable of leaving the primary tumor site requires the coordination of many signal transduction pathways and changes in transcriptional activity. These reversible changes are referred to as epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). As EMT is a crucial program that determines metastatic capacity, recent efforts have been made to identify inhibitors of EMT in order to augment current chemotherapies and improve patient outcome.
Rethinking Between-College Effects on Student Learning: A New Model to Guide Assessment and Quality Assurance

Studies of “between-college” effects on students have been constrained by a heavy reliance on conventional institutional descriptors (such as size, type of control, mission, and selectivity) as well as by theoretical models that under-specify the nature of the highly complex processes and factors that influence student learning outcomes. This chapter proposes a comprehensive conceptual framework for studying college effects on students and for guiding assessment and quality assurance efforts. It incorporates the typical areas of study (such as students’ curricular and in- and out-of-class experiences), but also the peer environment and internal organizational features (structures, programs, policies, faculty culture) hypothesized to be more powerful influences on student outcomes than the structural descriptors (such as size, mission, selectivity) typically used in studies of between-college effects and in institutional ranking systems. The model suggests the need for a systemic approach to studying college effects, developing and evaluating programs, and guiding assessment and quality assurance activities.
When It Happens to Men, It's ”Hate„ and ”A Crime„

Abstract This paper analyzes hate crimes policies from a feminist perspective informed by field work in the gay and lesbian anti-violence movement. Hate crimes policies supported by the gay anti-violence movement often fail to recognize hate-motivated acts of misogyny, despite the fact that many feminist lesbians participate as staff members in gay anti-violence projects. The paper argues that feminist commitments to ending violence motivate women's participation in gay anti-violence work, although misogynist violence is often ignored in policy and women anti-violence workers are often positioned to do the maternal ”emotion work„ of caring for victimized men in anti-violence organizations. By ignoring violence against women as a hate crime, and by failing to interpret anti-gay violence as gender-motivated, many hate crimes policies promote the end of heterosexism without challenging male domination.
Designing a Human-Computer Interface with Software Specification Techniques

The process of designing a user interface for an interactive computer system is greatly facilitated if the designer can describe such user interfaces clearly and precisely. While formal specification techniques have been used in software engineering to describe many aspects of software systems, they have not been widely applied to the problem of specifying user interfaces. A formal specification of a user interface permits the designer to describe and study a variety of interfaces before building one. Human performance models derived from empirical data can also be applied to a specification to predict user performance with the proposed user interface before it is built. Finally, if an executable specification language is used, it is possible to build a prototype or mockup of the user interface directly from the specification. The mockup can then be used to gather experimental data about the proposed user interface early in the design process.
The cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27 Kip1 is localized to the cytosol in Swiss/3T3 cells

p27Kip1 plays an important role in cell cycle progression by negatively regulating the activity of cyclin-Cdk complexes. To understand how p27Kip1 functions, the level and subcellular location of p27Kip1 in Swiss/3T3 cells following serum stimulation of quiescent cells was examined. Surprisingly, p27Kip1 was observed exclusively in the cytosol throughout G1 and into early S phase. However, as expected, p27Kip1 in the cytosolic fraction was greatly reduced following serum stimulation and reached very low levels by late G1. The decline in the level of p27Kip1 corresponded in time to an increase in the nuclear level of both Cdk2 and cyclin E. In quiescent 3T3 cells Cdk2 was inactive and co-precipitated with p27Kip1. After serum stimulation, both nuclear and cytosolic Cdk2 was activated and this corresponded to the decline in p27Kip1. Overexpression of p27Kip1 allowed accumulation of the inhibitor in the nucleus but inhibited entry of Cdk2 into the nucleus following serum stimulation. The subcellular localization of p27Kip1 was also examined in a variety of other mammalian cells. In all the cell lines examined the preponderance of p27Kip1 was found in the cytosolic fraction. However, a substantial level of nuclear p27Kip1 was observed for several cell lines. In a primary mixed glial cell culture p27Kip1 was localized to the nucleus. The results suggest that cytosolic p27Kip1 has a functional role in regulating cell cycle progression, possibly through inhibiting transport of cyclin E-Cdk 2 complexes into the nucleus.