cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Trends in Mammography and Clinical Breast Examination: A Population-Based Study

Background. There are well-accepted clinical guidelines for early detection of breast cancer through mammography and clinical breast examination. The purpose of this study was to determine trends in the utilization of these techniques over the past 5 years. Methods. The National Health Interview Survey is a population-based computer survey of noninstitutionalized civilian Americans conducted annually by the National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We evaluated the reported use of mammography and clinical breast examination in women 40 years of age and older between 2000 and 2005. Data were evaluated using SAS and SAS-callable SUDAAN software. Results. Surveyed were 10,994 and 11,128 women over age 40 in 2000 and 2005, respectively. Between these years, there was a decline in women ≥40 years old who reported ever having a mammogram (80.79% versus 79.52%, P < 0.0001) and in those who had a mammogram within the preceding 2 years (87.98% versus 86.30%, P = 0.0040). In addition, there was a drop in women reporting ever having a clinical breast exam (82.12% versus 75.91%, P < 0.0001) and in those reporting having had a clinical breast exam in the 2 years prior to the survey (89.24% versus 87.63%, P = 0.0012). Similar results were found in the population aged 50-69. Conclusions. Despite well-established clinical guidelines for early detection of breast cancer, there has been a decline in the rates of annual mammography and clinical breast exam in women over the age of 40 over the past 5 years.
Harper–Dorn creep: Controversy, requirements, and origin

Abstract This paper reviews the current status of research on Harper–Dorn creep, Newtonian creep behavior that was first reported by Harper and Dorn in their studies on the creep of Al at very low stresses and temperature near the melting point, and that, unlike Nabarro–Herring creep, is apparently independent of grain size, d . An examination of the results reported for Al under the conditions of small strains (∼0.01) and those of recent experiments performed at strains (>0.1) reveals that Harper–Dorn creep does not always occur in large-grained Al at very low stresses; that Harper–Dorn creep is Newtonian in nature only at very small strains ( d > 400 μm) requires two conditions: the dislocation density in the annealed samples is low (10 3 –10 4 cm −2 ) and the purity level of the material is high (99.999%). It is shown that the aforementioned requirements for Harper–Dorn creep can provide a possible explanation for the conflicting evidence regarding the occurrence of Harper–Dorn creep in Al when creep tested at very low stresses. In addition, preliminary results on Harper–Dorn creep in Pb that were obtained in long-term tests lend support to the second requirement related to the purity level of the material.
Oxazoline Synthesis from Hydroxyamides by Resin Capture and Ring-Forming Release

Polymer-bound tosyl chloride was used to capture hydroxyamides (prepared from amino alcohols and acid chlorides) from the reaction mixtures in which they were formed. The resulting support-bound amide/sulfonates undergo ring-forming cleavage from the polymer on treatment with weak base, forming oxazolines and oxazines in generally good yield and high purity. Low temperature is required in the polymer-loading step to slow the cleavage process and achieve high efficiency in the execution of the method.
An inherited form of large bowel cancer. Muir's syndrome

Three inherited types of large bowel cancer not associated with polyposis were previously proposed. A fourth should also be added to the list, namely, Torre's or Muir's syndrome. This report summarizes the clinical and genetic features of that syndrome in one family. The principle features of the syndrome comprise multiple skin tumors, i.e., sebaceous adenomas, keratoacanthomas, and basal and squamous cell carcinomas occurring with polyps and adenocarcinomas, mainly of the large bowel and also of the small intestine and stomach. Other malignancies occurring with the multiple skin tumors, with or without the involvement of intestinal malignancies, included adenocarcinoma of the uterus, transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder or ureter, squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx, esophagus, or vulva, and cancer of the breast. The syndrome followed a dominant mode of inheritance with high penetrance and variable expressivity, perhaps more variable in females than in males.
Effects of Housing Differences Upon Activity Budgets in Captive Sifakas (Propithecus verreauxi )

Activity budgets of captive sifakas (Propithecus verreauxi coquereli and Propithecus verreauxi verreauxi) were assessed from 500 hours of observational data obtained at the Duke University Primate Center (Durham, NC). Data were examined for behavioral differences according to gender, availability of intergroup contact, subspecies, indoor/outdoor housing, and enclosure size. Results showed few differences between the activity budgets of males and females. Several differences found in conjunction with availability of intergroup contact appeared to relate more to subspecific, than to contact, differences. Sifakas housed outdoors were more active, spending less time resting and more time in locomotion, feeding, and playing than sifakas housed indoors. The findings of this study implicate outdoor housing as a primary factor in stimulating activity in these rare prosimian primates.
Amyloid Peptide Aggregation In Plugs Formed By Microfluidics

We present a novel microfluidic device for amyloid peptide aggregation research. The device relies on the control of interfacial chemistry, which allows miniaturizing of aggregation measurements to nanoliter volumes. In traditional in vitro aggregation experiments, adsorption of amyloid peptides to various interfaces has been shown to nucleate and to enhance peptide aggregation. The problem of adsorption is even more pronounced upon miniaturization of aggregation experiments. Miniaturization leads to an increase of the surface-to-volume ratio, and concomitantly to an increase of amyloid peptide aggregation if the surface is not controlled. Nevertheless, miniaturization of aggregation experiments is desirable for samples available only in small volumes, as for example cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from mice. CSF has recently gained interest in Alzheimer research, however CSF analytics has been hampered to due the small available volume.In order to miniaturize and control the interfacial chemistry of aggregation experiments we used a plug based microfluidic approach. Plugs are nanoliter sized aqueous droplets formed in the flow of immiscible fluids inside microfluidic channels. Upon peptide encapsulation into plugs, the unfavorable interfaces are exchanged for an adjustable liquid/liquid interface. We show for one prominent amyloid peptide, the Alzheimer's peptide Aβ(1-40), that aggregation in plugs has kinetics of orders of magnitude slower than under standard conditions. Further we show the applicability of this miniaturized system to aggregation experiments by testing the inhibitory potency of CSF from wild type and ceAPPswePS1ΔE9/TTR-/- mice on Aβ aggregation. Using the plug-based approach, we were able to perform over 750 experiments with a single mouse CSF sample of 5 μl in volume. The plug system offers many new opportunities to investigate in vitro aggregation studies, as for example time controlled aging of amyloid peptides, nucleation in a confined environment, and screening of drug components.
Beliefs About Parents' Right to Know: Domain Differences and Associations With Change in Concealment

Parent and adolescent (M = 15.7 years) beliefs regarding parents' right to know (RTK) about adolescents' activities were examined in 174 middle-class U.S. families. Mean differences and associations with latent changes in teens' concealment were assessed. RTK was greatest about risky prudential activities, least for personal activities for parents and romantic activities for teens, and higher for mothers' ratings of girls' than boys' romantic behavior. Adolescents' stronger RTK beliefs predicted lower concealment 6 months later and less increase in concealment over time, although less so for romantic issues. In contrast, mothers' stronger RTK beliefs predicted more concealment over time. For personal issues, greater teen RTK beliefs slowed increases in concealment only when parents' RTK beliefs were low.
The natural history of wheat allergy

Background Wheat allergy is 1 of the most common food allergies in children, yet few data are available regarding its natural history. Objectives To define the natural course of wheat allergy and identify factors that help predict outcome in a large referral population of children with wheat allergy. Methods Patients were included in the study if they had a history of a symptomatic reaction to wheat and a positive wheat IgE test result. Clinical history, laboratory results, and final outcome were recorded for 103 patients who met the inclusion criteria. Resolution of wheat allergy was determined based on food challenge results. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were generated to depict resolution of wheat allergy. Results Rates of resolution were 29% by 4 years, 56% by 8 years, and 65% by 12 years. Higher wheat IgE levels were associated with poorer outcomes. The peak wheat IgE level recorded was a useful predictor of persistent allergy ( P Conclusion The median age of resolution of wheat allergy is approximately 6½ years in this population. In a significant minority of patients, wheat allergy persists into adolescence.
Selective low-temperature chemical vapor deposition of copper from new copper(I) compounds

Chemical vapor deposition of copper, in hot- and warm-wall reactors from a variety of copper(I)compounds of general formula XCuLn where X = (3-diketonate and 13-ketoiminate and L = phosphine, olefin and alkyne, has been investigated. All compounds deposit high-purity copper, as determined by Auger electron spectroscopy, over the temperature range 100-400°C and pressure range 10 - 150mtorr, with resistivities in the range 1.8 - 5.1 µohmcm. Selective deposition has been studied as a function of theneutral Lewis base ligand, L. The (R-diketonate)Cu(phosphine) compounds have been show to deposit copper selectively onto Pt, W and Cu in the presence of Si02. The temperature range over which selectivity was observed was a function of the substituents on the 13-diketonate ligand. The ([3- diketonate)Cu(1,5-cyclooctadiene) and ([3-diketonate)Cu(alkyne) compounds studied to date did notexhibit selectivity for the above metal substrates over Si02. Deposition rates of up to 9,000A/min at 200°C have been obtained in a cold-wall CVD reactor under surface reaction limited conditions. Activation energy parameters were measured from the temperature variation of the deposition rate were in the range 21 - 26kcal/mol for (hfac)Cu(PMe3), (hfac)Cu(1,5-cyclooctadiene) and (hfac)Cu(2-butyne). All three classes of compounds undergo a thermally induced disproportionation according to the general reaction shown below.
Effects of antithymocyte serum on lymph node cells participating in the graft-vs-host reaction.

Abstract BALB/c mice were injected with 0.1 ml of antithymocyte serum (ATS) and tested at various times thereafter for graft-versus-host (GVH) reactivity of lymph node cells (LNC) and spleen cells (SC). Splenomegaly produced by LNC or SC injected alone was used as a measure of precursor T cell function and the capacity of such cells to produce synergy when combined with normal thymocytes was used to evaluate amplifier T cell activity. In lymph node, both precursor and amplifier function were strikingly depressed 2 days after ATS administration; by day 11, precursor function showed slight recovery while amplifier activity had recovered to supranormal levels. In spleen, precursor activity recovered two fold between 2 and 11 days after ATS inoculation but no amplifier activity could be detected at day 11. Since donors had not been deliberately stimulated with alloantigens prior to testing of LN and SC GVH acivity, these studies demonstrate (a) that precursors and amplifiers are disinct T cell populations that are committed to express unique functional activities before antigen exposure and (b) that, following depletion with ATS, these two populations recover independently at different rates in separate lymphoid compartments.
We can do better.

Typically, the goal of any rehabilitation program is to return the patient/athlete to the preinjury level. This is the frequently used benchmark reported in the literature when determining rehabilitation goals or describing the outcomes following anterior cruciate ligament injury or reconstruction. The first question we should ask ourselves is, “Is returning a patient to the preinjury level good enough?” J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2014;44(9):634–635. doi:10.2519/jospt.2014.0112
The determination of ultratrace concentrations of uranium and thorium in natural waters by X-ray fluorescence

Abstract An X-ray fluorescence method for the simultaneous determination of uranium and thorium at the less than 1 ppm level in natural waters is described. Uranium and thorium are coprecipitated as hydroxides with an iron-aluminum carrier solution containing yttrium, an internal standard. The hydroxide precipitate is filtered, and the filter disk is analyzed by the energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence technique. Matrix interferences caused by the presence of unpredictable anions and cations are compensated for by the internal standard. The U/Y and Th/Y ratios are linear over the 5 to 100 μg range of interest, and the detection limit of each element on the filter disk is 2 μg (3 σ). Relative standard deviation was 17% at the 20 μg and 4% at the 100 μg level for thorium and 10% at the 10 μg and 1.3% at the 100 μg level for uranium. Analysis of spiked solutions showed a recovery of 19.6 ± 0.3 μ g for uranium and 19.8 ± 0.3 μ g for thorium at the 20 μg level, and the normal lower reporting limit is 5 μg. Fifty disks can be routinely measured during a normal working day.
A longitudinal examination of the effects of retailer–manufacturer brand alliances: The role of perceived fit

Abstract One resource that has been identified as a valuable source of competitive advantage is the equity associated with an organisation's brands. Organisations devote considerable resources to developing strategies that allow them to build and/or maintain strong brand names. This study investigates brand alliances between retailers and manufacturers. The role of perceived fit between the partnering brands is explored. In addition, the study examines the influence that retailer–manufacturer brand alliances have on: retailer equity; manufacturer brand equity; the intention of consumers to frequent the stores of the retailer involved in the brand alliance (shopping intention); and the intention of consumers to purchase products from the manufacturer involved in the brand alliance (purchase intention).
Selected linguistic sex differences during initial social interactions of same‐sex and mixed‐sex student dyads

Effects of sex of speaker and sex of dyad partner on selected linguistic variables were examined in four‐minute segments of twenty conversations between previously unacquainted college students. Five male dyads, five female dyads, and ten mixed dyads were studied. Three significant interaction effects were found between sex of speaker and sex of partner or dyad compositions. Males and females produced about the same number of qualifying words (e.g., “maybe,”; “sort of") when talking to males, but males produced fewer and females produced more qualifying words when talking to females. Both males and females produced more false starts (a kind of nonfluency) when speaking to someone of their own sex than when speaking to someone of the opposite sex. Inequality between dyad members in number of words spoken was greater in female dyads than in male or mixed dyads. The results may suggest a more relaxed pattern of talk within same‐sex dyads, especially among women.
The Theory of Neglecting Stator Transients

For more than four decades it has been thought that neglecting the so-called "ph terms" in Park's equations is equivalent to neglecting the electric transients due to the stator windings of a synchronous machine. Over the years, trial and error results have indicated that a more accurate prediction of synchronous machine performance could be obtained if the Aw(p6) terms in the stator voltage equations were also neglected. This paper provides a theoretical explanation of this experimental observation. In particular, it is established theoretically that in order to neglect the "stator transients" both the p* and Aw terms must be set equal to zero. This is accomplished by proving that the equivalence of neglecting the pq terms in the synchronous reference frame is to neglect the p* and Aw terms in all other reference frames. R-L transmission systems, synchronous and induction machines are considered.
Effects of Open-Ended versus Close-Ended Questions on Interviewees’ Problem-Related Statements

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of two interviewer-administered variables, open-ended versus close-ended questions and frequent versus infrequent encouragements, on number of...
Global properties of fp-shell interactions in many-nucleon systems

Abstract Spectral distribution theory, which can be used to compare microscopic interactions over a broad range of nuclei, is applied in an analysis of two modern effective interactions based on the realistic CD-Bonn potential for 0 ℏ Ω no-core shell model calculations in the fp shell, as well as in a comparison of these with the realistic shell-model GXPF1 interaction. In particular, we explore the ability of these interaction to account for the development of isovector pairing correlations and collective rotational motion in the fp shell. Our findings expose the similarities of these two-body interactions, especially as this relates to their pairing and rotational characteristics. Further, the GXPF1 interaction is used to determine the strength parameter of a quadrupole term that can be used to augment an isovector-pairing model interaction with Sp ( 4 ) dynamical symmetry, which in turn is shown to yield reasonable agreement with the low-lying energy spectra of 58Ni and 58Cu.
Signal and noise power maximum likelihood estimation for fast AGC in packet based systems

Automatic Gain Control (AGC) system performance generally depends on the ability to accurately estimate receive signal power. The initial gain setting may be set high to ensure that low power signals can be detected. As the Variable Gain Amplifier (VGA) resides before the Analog to Digital Converter (ADC), there is a potential for heavy saturation at the output of the ADC, where this estimation is normally performed. This heavy saturation will cause power to be underestimated when using estimators that do not account for clipping, causing slow AGC convergence time. Fast AGC convergence time is desirable in general, but especially for high rate packet based systems (e.g. 802.11ad) which allow for only a limited number of updates in the early stages of a training period. Furthermore, optimal setting of the VGA gain requires statistics sufficient to estimate the received signal distribution. In this work, we propose Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE) based estimators of the signal power and noise power that account for saturation at the ADC. The performance of MLE based estimators of total power is compared to a traditional power estimator and results are shown through simulations.
Bioavailability of selenium from selenium-enriched garlic

We previously reported that garlic grown in a selenium-fertilized medium (selenium-enriched garlic) is superior to regular garlic in mammary cancer prevention in an animal model (Nutr Cancer 17, 279-286, 1992). The present study was designed to evaluate the nutritional bioavailability of selenium from this garlic with use of two liver selenoenzymes as biomarkers: glutathione peroxidase and type I 5'-deiodinase. Rats were fed a selenium-deficient diet (0.01 ppm Se) from weaning for four weeks to deplete both enzymes. They were then supplemented with nutritional levels of selenium (0.1-0.5 ppm) in the form of sodium selenite (positive control) or selenium-enriched garlic. Our results showed that selenium-enriched garlic was just as effective as selenite in restoring the activity of both selenoenzymes. This was demonstrated in a time course repletion experiment as well as in a dose-response experiment. Thus the selenium in selenium-enriched garlic has potent nutritional and anticancer efficacy. The type I 5'-deiodinase enzyme catalyzes the conversion of thyroxine (T4) to 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine (T3) and is responsible for most of the circulating T3. Because cancer chemoprevention by selenium usually requires pharmacological levels of selenium, we also examined the possible modulation of type I 5'-deiodinase by long-term feeding of selenium-enriched garlic at 3 ppm Se in the diet. The observation that a high intake of selenium-enriched garlic did not affect 5'-deiodinase activity suggests that its anticarcinogenic effect is unlikely to be mediated by an imbalance in the blood T4-to-T3 ratio.
Room-temperature resonant tunnelling bipolar transistor XNOR and XOR integrated circuits

The first resonant tunnelling bipolar transistor integrated circuits operating at room temperature are demonstrated. The circuits are composed of cointegrated resonant tunnelling bipolar transistors and double heterojunction bipolar transistors based on InP substrates. Both a three-transistor XNOR and a seven-transistor XOR logic gate have been demonstrated using a 3 V power supply.
Capital Gains and Dividend Taxes in Firm Valuation: Evidence of Triple Taxation

Although firms account for entity‐level taxes, they do not account for shareholder‐level capital gains and dividend taxes. To account for these proprietary‐level taxes, we add them to a residual‐income equity valuation model. Empirical analysis supports the model's predictions. First, both capital gains and dividend taxes reduce investors' implicit valuation of the reinvested portion of earnings. Second, dividend taxes reduce the valuation of the portion of earnings distributed as dividends, but capital gains taxes do not. Third, dividend taxes reduce the valuation of retained earnings equity, but again, capital gains taxes do not. These findings suggest that investors implicitly extend entity‐level accounting to the proprietary level when they value the firm. The findings also suggest that when fully accounting for the effects of implicit dividend taxes, reinvested earnings appear to be subject to three levels of taxation—corporate, dividend, and capital gains taxes. Paying earnings out as dividends elim...
Cavopulmonary assist in the neonate: an alternative strategy for single-ventricle palliation.

Abstract Background Cavopulmonary blood flow, rather than a systemic arterial source of pulmonary blood flow, stabilizes Norwood physiology. We hypothesized that pump-assisted cavopulmonary diversion would yield stable pulmonary and systemic hemodynamics in the neonate. This was tested in a newborn animal model of total cavopulmonary diversion and univentricular Fontan circulation. Methods Lambs (n = 13; mean weight, 5.6 ± 1.5 kg; mean age, 6.8 ± 4.0 days) were anesthetized and mechanically ventilated. Baseline hemodynamic parameters were measured. Total cavopulmonary diversion was performed with bicaval venous-to-main pulmonary artery cannulation. A miniature centrifugal pump was used to assist cavopulmonary flow. Support was titrated to normal physiologic parameters. Hemodynamic data, arterial blood gases, and lactate values were measured for 8 hours. Baseline, 1-hour, and 8-hour time points were compared by using analysis of variance. Results All animals remained stable without the use of volume loading, inotropic support, or pulmonary vasodilator therapy. Cardiac index, systemic arterial pressure, left atrial pressure, and lactate values were similar to baseline values 8 hours after surgery. Mean pulmonary arterial pressure and pulmonary vascular resistance were modestly increased 8 hours after surgery. Mean arterial pH, Po 2 , and Pco 2 values remained stable throughout the study. Conclusions Cavopulmonary assist is feasible in a neonatal animal model of total cavopulmonary diversion and univentricular Fontan circulation with acceptable pulmonary arterial pressures and without altering regional volume distribution or cardiac output. Pump-assisted cavopulmonary diversion, in combination with Norwood aortic arch reconstruction, could solve several major problems associated with a systemic shunt–dependent univentricular circulation, including hypoxemia, impaired diastolic coronary perfusion, and ventricular volume overload.
Comparison of data classification methods for predictive ranking of banks exposed to risk of failure

The difficulty of understanding a financial institution's risk of default has been highlighted by multiple recent episodes in both the U.S. and in Europe. This paper describes a study on the empirical comparison of classification techniques for predictive ranking of the 12 month risk of default in banks. This work compares the scoring capabilities of different predictive models. The models compared were induced from past levels of risk exposure observed in historic data. The ranking performance of the models is compared by assessing the highest risk cases, using the left-hand side of the model's ROC curves (i.e., curves representing true positive to false positive rates). Empirical comparisons were performed using FDIC call report data and a one-year-ahead ranking prediction schema. This comparison demonstrates that inductive machine learning techniques can be successfully applied for predictive ranking of default risk. Observed results indicate better performance by symbolic rule or decision tree based models than by traditional modeling techniques based on statistical algorithms.
Numerical Cherenkov instabilities in electromagnetic particle codes

Abstract Linear dispersion relations for one-dimensional, electromagnetic particle simulation codes are analyzed in order to determine numerical stability properties. It is found that fast particles may resonate with light waves of matching phase velocity to produce a severe numerical instability. A Courant condition for this instability is derived, and comparison of its restrictiveness made among the various differencing schemes. At least two algorithms permitting reasonably large time steps for relativistic simulations are available.
Structural and functional changes in an identified cricket neuron after separation from the soma. I. Structural changes.

Physiological and behavioural effects of separation from the soma were examined in isolated arborization and isolated axon segments of an identified motor neuron in the Polynesian field cricket, Teleogryllus oceanicus. The identified neuron, the contralateral dorsal longitudinal motor neuron of the metathoracic ganglion (CDLM), has an arborization most of which lies contralateral to its soma within the ganglion. Midline lesions in the ganglion separated CDLM into a distal segment composed of the axon and most of the arborization, and a proximal segment made up of the remaining arborization, neurite and soma. Isolated axonal segments were produced by cutting the nerve containing the CDLM axon. The function of the neuron-muscle system composed of CDLM, its pre-synaptic inputs, and its innervated muscle bundle was examined in contrl and experimentally operated animals. Extracellular recording assessed function in the axon. Electrical or tactil stimulation was used to excite pre-synaptic inputs to the CDLM arborization. Intracellular recording determined changes in post-synaptic potentials and miniature end-plate potentials in the muscle bundle innervated by CDLM. Normal axonal conduction, competence to respond to pre-synaptic input, neuron-muscle transmission, and miniature end-plate potential appearance can remain in the isolated arborization preparation. Physiological viability is longer in the cricket isolated arborization than in other insect distal segments described. Survival times of axonal conduction and the competence of the isolated arborization to respond to pre-synaptic input are roughly correlated with disappearance of the whole distal segment at 100 or more postoperative days. A naturally-occurring breakdown of the metathoracic dorsal longitudinal muscles in Teleogryllus eventually prevents measurements of post-synaptic potentials and miniature end-plate potentials. Normal post-synaptic function mediated by the distal arborization is maintained up to this breakdown, to a maximum of 44 days postoperative. The distal axonal segment of CDLM degenerates physiologically within four days postoperative, a time course approximating that of degeneration in vertebrate peripheral nerve distal axons.
A DEVD‐Inhibited Caspase Other than CPP32 Is Involved in the Commitment of Cerebellar Granule Neurons to Apoptosis Induced by K+ Deprivation

Cultured cerebellar granule neurons undergo apoptosis when switched from a medium containing depolarizing levels of K+ (25 mM KCl) to medium containing lower levels of K+ (5 mM KCl). We used this paradigm to investigate the role of caspases in the death process. Two broad-spectrum caspase inhibitors, tert-butoxycarbonyl-Asp x (O-methyl) x fluoromethyl ketone and benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp x fluoromethyl ketone, significantly reduced cell death (90 and 60%, respectively) at relatively low concentrations (10-25 microM), suggesting that caspase activation is involved in the apoptotic process. DNA fragmentation, a hallmark of apoptosis, was also reduced by these caspase inhibitors, suggesting that caspase activation occurred upstream of DNA cleavage in the sequence of events leading to cell death. As a step toward identifying the caspase(s) involved, the effects of N-acetyl Tyr-Val-Ala-Asp x chloromethyl ketone (YVAD x cmk), an interleukin-1beta converting enzyme-preferring inhibitor, and N-acetyl Asp-Glu-Val-Asp x fluoromethyl ketone (DEVD x fmk), a CPP32-preferring inhibitor, were also evaluated. YVAD x cmk provided only modest (<20%) protection and only at the highest concentration (100 microM) tested, suggesting that interleukin-1beta converting enzyme and/or closely related caspases were not involved. In comparison, DEVD x fmk inhibited cell death by up to 50%. Western blot analyses, however, failed to detect an increase in processing/activation of CPP32 or in the proteolysis of a CPP32 substrate, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, during the induction of apoptosis in granule neurons. Similarly, the levels of Nedd2, a caspase that is highly expressed in the brain and that is partially inhibited by DEVD x fmk, also remained unaffected in apoptotic neurons undergoing apoptosis. These results suggest that a DEVD-sensitive caspase other than CPP32 or Nedd2 mediates the induction of apoptosis in K+-deprived granule neurons.
Toxicity of radiotherapy in patients with collagen vascular disease.

BACKGROUND. A diagnosis of collagen vascular disease (CVD) may predispose to radiotherapy (RT) toxicity. The objective of the current study was to identify factors that influence RT toxicity in the setting of CVD. METHODS. A total of 86 RT courses for 73 patients with CVD were delivered between 1985 and 2005. CVD subtypes include rheumatoid arthritis (RA; 33 patients), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE; 13 patients), scleroderma (9 patients), dermatomyositis/polymyositis (5 patients), ankylosing spondylitis (4 patients), polymyalgia rheumatica/temporal arteritis (4 patients), Wegener granulomatosis (3 patients), and mixed connective tissue disorders (MCTD)/other (2 patients). Each patient with CVD was matched to 1 to 3 controls with respect to sex, race, site irradiated, RT dose (� 2 Gray), and age (� 5 years). RESULTS. There was no significant difference between CVD patients (65.1%) and controls (72.5%) experiencing any acute toxicity. CVD patients had a higher incidence of any late toxicity (29.1% vs 14%; P 5.001), and a trend toward an increased rate of severe late toxicity (9.3% vs 3.7%; P 5.079). RT delivered to the breast had increased risk of severe acute toxicity, whereas RT to the pelvis had increased risk of severe acute and late toxicity. RT administered in the setting of scleroderma carried a higher risk of severe late toxicity, whereas RT to SLE patients carried a higher risk of severe acute and late toxicity. CONCLUSIONS. Although generally well tolerated, RT in the setting of CVD appears to carry a higher risk of late toxicity. RT to the pelvis or in the setting of SLE or scleroderma may predispose to an even greater risk of severe toxicity. These issues should be considered when deciding whether to offer RT for these patients. Cancer 2008;113:648–53. � 2008 American Cancer Society.
Unilateral hydrothorax in small children on chronic continuous peritoneal dialysis.

Three small children whose weights were under 15kg and who were on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis or continuous cycling peritoneal dialysis developed massive unilateral hydrothorax. The occurrence of hydrothorax was late, 3–22 months after the initiation of dialysis. Two of the three fluid collections were leftsided. Each episode was preceded by retention of dialysate. After drainage of the hydrothorax a modified peritoneal dialysis regimen was successful in sustaining patients for a few weeks until further therapy for end-stage renal disease could be pursued.
Edge detection using a complex wavelet

A complex wavelet is used in the continuous wavelet transform to obtain edges from a digital image in two orthogonal directions. The square root of the sum of the squares of the real and imaginary parts of the wavelet transform are used to find the edges in an arbitrary direction. Theoretical models are derived for the cases of a step edge and ramp edge. The computer implementation of the wavelet edge detector involves the creation of two masks; one for the real part and one for the imaginary part. An expression is derived for the size of the edge masks using the inflection points of a curve derived from the wavelet. Finally, the edge detector is applied to two synthetic aperture radar images, and the resulting images are shown.
Effects of IAA and four IAA conjugates on morphogenesis and callus growth from tomato leaf discs

The effects of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and four IAA conjugates, indoleacetylalanine (IAAla), indoleacetylaspartic acid (IAAsp), indoleacetylglycine (IAGly), and indoleacetylphenylalanine (IAPhe), on growth and morphogenesis in tomato leaf discs in vitro were examined. Free IAA stimulated root initiation in the absence of cytokinin and stimulated callus growth in the presence of 0.89 μM benzylaminopurine (BAP). Free IAA also inhibited shoot initiation obtained with 8.9 μM BAP. The activities of the IAA conjugates depended on the conjugating amino acid, the concentration of the conjugate, and the response being measured. IAAsp had little or no activity in promoting root initiation or callus growth or in inhibiting shoots, while IAPhe was similarly inactive except at the highest concentration tested (100 μM). IAAla and IAGly were both very active in inhibiting shoots and promoting callus growth, but were much less active in stimulating rooting, except at 100 μM, at which concentration they were as effective as free IAA. Thin-layer chromatography of the IAA conjugates revealed that IAAla, IAGly and IAPhe were largely stable to autoclaving, but that IAAsp underwent some hydrolysis to products identical with free IAA and aspartic acid. Pretreatment of seedlings with IAA, IAAla or IAGly altered the subsequent shoot initiation response from leaf discs on media with and without IAA.
Pressure Dependence of the Elastic Constants of Calcite

The values of the six elastic constants of single-crystal calcite are determined to 6 kbar at 25\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C by the pulse-echo method. The values of these constants at 1 atm and 25\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C agree fairly well with those obtained by Peselnick and Robie. The value of ${C}_{11}$ increases from 14.63\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{11}$ dyn/${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$ to 14.70\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{11}$ dyn/${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$ at 6 kbar. The values of ${C}_{33}$ and ${C}_{66}$ do not change with pressure to 6 kbar. These values are, respectively, 8.53\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.05 and 4.33\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.07\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{11}$ dyn/${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$. The increases in the magnitude of ${C}_{13}$ and ${C}_{14}$ are nonlinear. The variation of ${C}_{44}$ shows a maximum between 3 and 4 kbar. The possible reasons for such a maximum are qualitatively discussed.
Modulation and Control of Transformerless UPFC

In this paper, a modulation and control method for the new transformerless unified power flow controller (UPFC) is presented. As is well known, the conventional UPFC that consists of two back-to-back inverters requires bulky and often complicated zigzag transformers for isolation and reaching high power rating with desired voltage waveforms. To overcome this problem, a completely transformerless UPFC based on an innovative configuration of two cascade multilevel inverters has been proposed. The new UPFC offers several advantages over the traditional technology, such as transformerless, light weight, high efficiency, low cost and fast dynamic response. This paper focuses on the modulation and control for this new transformerless UPFC, including optimized fundamental frequency modulation for low total harmonic distortion and high efficiency, independent active and reactive power control over the transmission line, dc-link voltage balance control, etc. The new UPFC with proposed control method is verified by experiments based on 4160-V test setup. Both the steady-state and dynamic-response results will be shown in this paper.
The genres speak: Using large corpora to profile generic registers

This article shows how useful the evidence retrievable from large and easily available corpora can be in identifying the distinguishing lexical and phrasal characteristics of generic registers. Here attention is directed toward the lexical register of two genres of "disposable writing": news writing (in Part I) and romance fiction (in Part II, where it is contrasted with its near neighbour, "sexy" fiction). But use of corpus evidence on register profiling is still at a relatively early stage, so that a number of large topics merit further discussion here: What words and phrases are characteristic of individual genres and how much more common are they in the genres than in other writings? Are there national differences in the "style" of genres? What is the functional basis or rationale for these genre "styles"? These questions are explored along the way to proposing that registers be viewed as genres' fashions of speaking. The study also uncovers one distinctive aspect of romance writing not widely recognised, namely its extremely heavy and varied use of in quit tags.
MEASUREMENT PROPERTIES OF SUBJECTIVE MAGNITUDE ESTIMATES OF WORD FREQUENCY1

Stevens' subjective magnitude estimation (SME) method was used in obtaining estimates of relative word frequency from two adult groups (15 lexicographers, 13 other adults) for 60 words ranging widely in objective frequency. Lexicographers rendered more reliable estimates, and their averaged data correlated more highly (.970) with objective log frequency than those of the second group (.923). The objective frequency of the first stimulus considered in the SME task is not related to an S‘s overall accuracy in predicting objective frequency, but accuracy is related to the S‘s tendency to perceive frequency ratios as relatively large. Subjective estimates measure something slightly different from what is indexed by currently available objective counts, and may be more valid measures of true word probability.
Using Performance Measurement in Human Resource Management: A Survey of U.S. Counties

This article examines the use of performance measurement m human resource management Based on a survey of counties with populations over 50,000, it finds that performance measurement is widely used...
Elastic properties of Mg x Ti 1 − x B 2 ( 0 ⩽ x ⩽ 1 ) studied by first-principles calculations

The elastic properties, including elastic constants, bulk, and shear moduli, and anisotropic index of hexagonal Mg${}_{x}$Ti${}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}$B${}_{2}$ (0 \ensuremath{\leqslant} $x$ \ensuremath{\leqslant} 1) are obtained using a first-principles density-functional-theory method. A difference in chemical bonding occurs between Ti-rich and Mg-rich diborides, leading to significantly different elastic properties: a small elastic anisotropy with relatively large bulk and shear moduli for Ti-rich diborides with $x$ 0.25, and a large elastic anisotropy and relatively small bulk and shear moduli for Mg-rich diborides with $x$ g 0.25. The calculated results reveal a dominant role of the interplanar metal-metal bonds in predicting the extent of shear elastic anisotropy in Mg${}_{x}$Ti${}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}$B${}_{2}$ (0 \ensuremath{\leqslant} $x$ \ensuremath{\leqslant} 1).
When is clomiphene or gonadotropin intrauterine insemination futile? Results of the Fast Track and Standard Treatment Trial and the Forty and Over Treatment Trial, two prospective randomized controlled trials

Objective To determine whether day 3 FSH and E 2 levels at the upper limits of normal affect live-birth rates and treatment trajectory in a conventional versus "fast track" treatment program for IVF. Design Secondary analysis of two randomized controlled trials, FASTT and FORT-T. Setting Not applicable. Patient(s) Infertile women ages 21–42 years randomized to conventional or accelerated treatment with controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH)-IUI and/or IVF (n = 603 patients contributing 2,717 total cycles). Intervention(s) Patients were stratified according to basal FSH and E 2 : FSH 2 2 ≥40 pg/mL (group 1B), FSH, 10–15 mIU/mL and E 2 2 ≥40 pg/mL (group 2B). Main Outcome Measure(s) Number of cancelled cycles, disenrollment for poor response, and cumulative live-birth rates per couple. Result(s) Women in groups 2A and 2B were more likely to have cancelled cycles and be disenrolled for poor response. While no live births occurred in group 2B during COH-IUI (0/19 couples, 0/58 cycles), IVF still afforded these patients a reasonable chance of success (6/18 couples, 6/40 cycles, 33.3% live-birth rate per couple). The specificity and positive predictive value of basal FSH of 10–15 mIU/mL and E 2 ≥40 pg/mL for no live birth during COH-IUI treatment were both 100%. Conclusion(s) Women who initiated infertility treatment with FSH of 10–15 mIU/mL and E 2 ≥40 pg/mL on day 3 testing were unlikely to achieve live birth after COH-IUI treatment.
Analysis of signal-to-noise ratio of polynomial correlation filters

In this paper we present a variation of the polynomial correlation filter (PCF) called constrained correlation polynomial filter (CPCF). We investigate the performance of this filter in the presence of noise. The peak-to-sidelobe ratio measure and the public MSTAR images database are used for evaluation. The effect of different terms in the polynomial filter is examined by simulation. Then, we introduce a theoretical framework called energy projection to predict the effectiveness of different terms in the CPCF.
Learning-based architecture for robust recognition of variable texture to navigate in natural terrain

Since natural terrain consists of textured objects that can be perceived under different external conditions, the author applies machine learning methodology to support the recognition of variable texture. He presents the results of first introductory experiments and the development of a new system architecture incorporating learning tools; i.e. conceptual clustering, learning from examples, and learning flexible concept. He then describes the designing methodology and system architecture of three functional levels typical for the large-scale control systems; i.e. self-tuning to a given content of texture image in order to extract most sensitive features and to group them into patterns, learning a concept of new texture, and control of system adaptation (guided by vision goal, feedback verification of created hypotheses, and a plan of the environment content). He also discusses the requirements for learning tools that are used to build such adaptive vision systems and presents their further development. >
Electoral Rules, Mobilization, and Turnout

This essay reviews models of strategic mobilization and turnout, focusing on two important questions about the effects of electoral rules. First, how does the disproportionality of the electoral system affect the variance and mean of mobilization and turnout? This question has been investigated at least since Gosnell (1930). In addition to reviewing the literature, I argue that extant models should pay more explicit attention to secondary mobilization (conducted by interest groups, activists, and ordinary voters). Second, how do electoral rules regulating the electoral calendar and vote fusion affect mobilizational spillovers and, hence, incentives to build mobilizational alliances? This question has attracted less attention from modelers but is well represented in the empirical literature.
Interorganizational Environments, Attitudes, and the Policy Outputs of Public Agencies A Comparative Case Study of Legal Services Agencies

This article explores independent and interactive effects of interorganizational environments and personnel attitudes on the mix of policy outputs infive government-funded legal services agencies. The data suggest that interorganizational interaction exerts a strong, direct influence on policy outputs. Attitudes have an indirect effect, conditioned by aspects of the interorganizational environment. The implications of these findings are assessed for interorganizational approaches to the study of public policy.
Approximation Algorithms for Survivable Multicommodity Flow Problems with Applications to Network Design

Multicommodity flow (MF) problems have a wide variety of applications in areas such as VLSI circuit design, network design, etc., and are therefore very well studied. The fractional MF problems are polynomial time solvable while integer versions are NP-complete. However, exact algorithms to solve the fractional MF problems have high computational complexity. Therefore approximation algorithms to solve the fractional MF problems have been explored in the literature to reduce their computational complexity. Using these approximation algorithms and the randomized rounding technique, polynomial time approximation algorithms have been explored in the literature. In the design of high-speed networks, such as optical wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) networks, providing survivability carries great significance. Survivability is the ability of the network to recover from failures. It further increases the complexity of network design and presents network designers with more formidable challenges. In this work we formulate the survivable versions of the MF problems. We build approximation algorithms for the survivable multicommodity flow (SMF) problems based on the framework of the approximation algorithms for the MF problems presented in (1) and (2). We discuss applications of the SMF problems to solve survivable routing in capacitated networks.