cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prognostic significance of Tie‐1 protein expression in patients with early chronic phase chronic myeloid leukemia

BACKGROUND The Tie-1 tyrosine kinase receptor and its thus far unidentified ligand appear to play a distinct role in the regulatory pathways of early hematopoiesis and angiogenesis. Because vascularity is increased in the bone marrow of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), the authors evaluated the clinical significance of Tie-1 expression in such patients. METHODS Using Western blot analysis and solid-phase radioimmunoassay (RIA), the authors quantified Tie-1 protein in bone marrow samples from 128 patients with CML and 31 normal controls. RESULTS The median Tie-1 RIA value of CML samples was significantly higher than in normal controls (P = 0.01). The authors found no significant differences in Tie-1 levels in patients with early chronic, late chronic, accelerated, and blastic phases (P = 0.2). High Tie-1 levels correlated with short survival in patients with early chronic phase (P = 0.003; Cox proportional hazard model) but not in patients with late chronic (P = 0.2) or accelerated/blastic (P = 0.2) phase CML. Tie-1 protein level was also prognostic when patients were separated into two groups by the median value. High Tie-1 level in early chronic phase was associated with significantly shorter survival than low Tie-1 level (median survival, 116 vs. 61 months; P = 0.03). In patients with early chronic phase CML, Tie-1 levels correlated directly with patient age (P = 0.004) and platelet count (P = 0.003), and inversely with leukocyte count (P = 0.007). Tie-1 as a predictor of survival in early chronic phase CML was independent of risk group, spleen size, age, hemoglobin, and basophil count (P = 0.03; multivariate Cox proportional hazard model). CONCLUSIONS The authors' findings support the hypothesis that angiogenesis may play a major role in the pathophysiology of chronic phase CML. Cancer 2002;94:1517–21. © 2002 American Cancer Society. DOI 10.1002/cncr.10363
Efficacy of Antibiotic Combinations Including Rifampin Against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis: In Vitro and in Vivo Studies

Rifampin in combination with other antibiotics has been used successfully in the treatment of serious infections due to Staphylococcus epidermidis. The authors evaluated the efficacy of rifampin in combination with either cephalothin, nafcillin, gentamicin, or vancomycin to determine in vitro synergistic or antagonistic interactions of the combinations and to determine the role of the second antibiotic in preventing the emergence of rifampin-resistant mutants. The authors found that among 10 isolates of methicillin-resistant S. epidermidis, synergy was found in checkerboard studies (inoculum, 10(5) colony-forming units/ml) for only two isolates and only with nafcillin and rifampin; antagonism was present with one combination for each of four different isolates. Time-kill studies showed each antibiotic capable of preventing the emergence of rifampin-resistant mutants for all 10 isolates, but no synergy or antagonism was present. In experimental endocarditis, however, the addition of cephalothin did not prevent the emergence of rifampin-resistant mutants, and rifampin-resistant mutants were as capable of causing endocarditis as were their rifampin-sensitive parents. Thus, rifampin was a bactericidal antibiotic against methicillin-resistant S. epidermidis. The benefit of a second antibiotic in vitro was the prevention of the emergence of rifampin-resistant mutants. However, in vivo results with a beta-lactam antibiotic did not confirm in vitro observations. More animal and human studies should be performed with antibiotic combinations including rifampin against methicillin-resistant S. epidermidis.
RuvA, RuvB and RuvC proteins: cleaning-up after recombinational repairs in E. coli.

After the completion of RecA protein-mediated recombinational repair of daughter-strand gaps in E. coli, participating chromosomes are held together by Holliday junctions. Until recently, it was not known how the cell disengages the connected chromosomes. Accumulating genetic data suggested that the product of the ruv locus participates in recombinational repair and acts after the formation of Holliday junctions. Molecular characterization of the locus revealed that there are three genes – ruvA, ruvB and ruvC; mutations in any one of the genes confer the same phenotype. Recently, the RuvC protein was found to be a Holliday junction resolvase. At first glance, the resolving activity of RuvC alone would appear to be sufficient for the separation of recombining chromosomes. However, in vitro studies show that the filament of RecA protein is unable to dissociate from the products of the recombination reaction. Thus, in vivo, even if the Holliday junctions are resolved by RuvC, RecA filament must be holding two DNA duplexes together. New findings about enzymatic activities of RuvA and RuvB proteins foster the hope that the machinery for removing the RecA filament from DNA has been found.
An adaptive state estimation solution to the maneuvering target problem

A new approach to tracking a maneuvering target is presented. Modeling the randomly varying target as a semi-Markov process and then incorporating the statistics into the design of an adaptive state estimator produced an estimation scheme that greatly reduced the large bias errors that usually appear when a target makes an unexpected, large-scale maneuver.
Acoustic Clicks Activate both the Canal and Otolith Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex Pathways in Behaving Monkeys

Acoustic activation of the vestibular system has been well documented in humans and animal models. In the past decade, sound-evoked myogenic potentials in the sternocleidomastoid muscle (cVEMP) and the extraocular muscles (oVEMP) have been extensively studied, and their potentials as new tests for vestibular function have been widely recognized. However, the extent to which sound activates the otolith and canal pathways remains controversial. In the present study, we examined this issue in a recently developed nonhuman primate model of acoustic activation of the vestibular system, i.e., sound-evoked vestibulo-ocular reflexes (VOR) in behaving monkeys. To determine whether the canal and otolith VOR pathways are activated by sound, we analyzed abducens neurons' responses to clicks that were delivered into either ear. The main finding was that clicks evoked short-latency excitatory responses in abducens neurons on both sides. The latencies of the two responses, however, were different. The mean latency of the contralateral and ipsilateral abducens neurons was 2.44 ± 0.4 and 1.65 ± 0.28 ms, respectively. A further analysis of the excitatory latencies, in combination with the known canal and otolith VOR pathways, suggests that the excitatory responses of the contralateral abducens neurons were mediated by the contralateral disynaptic VOR pathways that connect the lateral canal to the contralateral abducens neurons, and the excitatory responses of the ipsilateral abducens neurons were mediated by the ipsilateral monosynaptic VOR pathways that connect the utricle to the ipsilateral abducens neurons. These results provide new insights into the understanding of the neural basis for sound-evoked vestibular responses, which is essential for developing new tests for both canal and otolith functions in humans.
VITAMIN B12 AND THE MACROMOLECULAR COMPOSITION OF EUGLENA : III. Effect of Cycloheximide on the Recovery from B12-Induced Unbalanced Growth

When cycloheximide is added to (B12)-deficient cultures before or after replenishment of the cells with B12, reversion of these cells is inhibited. This inhibition is not caused by interference of the inhibitor in the uptake of B12 as measured by division kinetics. Cycloheximide does not inhibit the initial increase in the rate of DNA synthesis caused by B12 replenishment, but within 30–45 min the rate decreases and DNA synthesis ceases. Cycloheximide added to replenished deficient cells after completion of DNA duplication inhibits cell division. The total cellular protein and RNA in replenished cells treated with cycloheximide does not change. B12 added to deficient cells does not stimulate the incorporation of [14C]leucine into protein during resumption and completion of DNA duplication. However, there is a large increase in [14C]leucine incorporation into the protein of these cells soon after completion of DNA duplication and before resumption of cell division. The addition of cycloheximide to B12-replenished or to nonreplenished deficient cells rapidly inhibits the incorporation. We suggest that the addition of B12 accelerates the rate of DNA synthesis in the deficient cells and that possibly no new protein synthesis is required except for mitosis. However, protein synthesis is needed for continuous DNA synthesis.
Clinical evaluation of implants retaining edentulous maxillary obturator prostheses

Abstract Purpose. Fabricating a maxillary obturator can be challenging. Placement of implants can have a dramatic effect on the stability and retention of the prosthesis in the edentulous maxillectomy patient. This article provides clinical retrospective analysis of osseointegrated implants used to retain maxillary obturators. Material and Methods. Patient charts and radiographs were reviewed to determine implant status, bone loss patterns, and implant survival rates. Twenty-six patients were included with 102 implants placed, from which there were 19 intact withdrawals (implants lost because of recurrent disease or patient death), five implants with unknown status, 24 implant failures, and 54 functional implants. Results. The overall survival rate for implants in this patient population was 69.2%. The percent implant survival rate was 63.6% for the irradiated group (67.0% before radiation, 50.0% after radiation) and 82.6% for the nonirradiated group. Implants located in anterior sites demonstrated statistically significant differences in annual bone height changes compared with posterior sites. Conclusions. The majority of implant failures (18 of 24) occurred either at stage II surgery or before loading. Implants placed during tumor resection, implants placed within the maxillectomy defects, and implants receiving postoperative radiation demonstrated low survival rates. (J Prosthet Dent 1997;77:184-90.)
Influence of adenine, isopentyl alcohol and Azotobacter chroococcum on the vegetative growth of Zea mays

Glasshouse experiments were conducted to evaluate the influence of pretested cytokinin precursors, adenine (ADE) and isopentyl alcohol (IA), and a cytokinin producing bacterium, Azotobacter chroococcum added to soil, on the vegetative growth of maize (Zea mays L.). The combination of 2.0 mg ADE kg-1 soil, 13 mg IA kg-1 soil, plus an inoculum of A. chroococcum was the most effective in enhancing the vegetative growth of maize compared with the application of ADE plus IA, ADE plus A. chroococcum, or ADE, IA or A. chroococcum alone. The dry weight of root and shoot tissues was increased up to 5.57- and 5.01-fold, respectively, in comparison to the controls; however, the root/shoot ratios were similar. The increases in shoot height, internodal distance, stem and leaf width over the controls under the optimum treatment were: 2.07-, 2.81-, 1.46-, and 2.11-fold, respectively. The improvement in plant yield was primarily attributed to A. chroococcum production of cytokinins in the rhizosphere.
Serving scientific data over the Web

Researchers at the Program for Climate Model Diagnosis and Intercomparison has built a prototype data server and catalog system for accessing data sets generated by climate models. The output of a single climate model run might be large, on the order of hundreds of gigabytes stored in thousands of physical files. A number of modeling groups around the world produce and manage such data sets. Organizing, managing, and providing distributed access to this data is a significant challenge. Our prototype addresses this challenge using a variety of open-source software components and languages, including the Python language, the Medusa server, and Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) directories.
Glycosylation Improves the Central Effects of DAMGO

A series of l-agonist DAMGO analogs were syn-thesized and pharmacologically characterized totest the ’biousian’ hypothesis of membrane hop-ping. DAMGO was altered by incorporating moiet-ies of increasing water solubility into theC-terminus via carboxamide and simple glycosideadditions. The hydrophilic C-terminal moietieswere varied from glycinol in DAMGO (1) to
Preparation and crystal structures of an ionic triple-hydrogen-bridged derivative of 9-BBN hydroborate zirconium(IV)

Abstract An ionic dinuclear triple-hydrogen-bridged 9-BBN hydroborate zirconium complex, [K(Et2O)4][{(μ-H)2BC8H14}3Zr(μ-H)3Zr{(μ-H)2BC8H14}3] (1) was formed from the reaction of Zr{(μ-H)2BC8H14}4 with KH and aniline in diethyl ether. The molecular structure of compound 1 was determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Six 9-BBN hydroborate ligands are coordinated to two Zr atoms via two bridging H atoms, and two Zr atoms are connected by three bridging hydrogens in the anion part of this molecule. The distance of Zr⋯Zr is 3.1025(5) A. The crystal structure of 1 suggests that agostic interactions between the zirconium metal center and α-C–H of the 9-BBN hydroborate ligand exist in the solid state. The Zr⋯H distances corresponding to the α-C–H⋯Zr agostic interactions are 2.579(4) A and 2.743(4) A.
Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) antisense oligodeoxynucleotide mediated inhibition of DNA synthesis by WI-38 cells: evidence for autocrine actions of IGF-I.

Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) is elaborated into culture medium by WI-38 cells, a human embryonic lung fibroblast cell line, and may participate in the autocrine stimulation of DNA synthesis. We have confirmed the expression of IGF-I by these cells and documented that they express the type 1 IGF receptor and a number of IGF-binding proteins. In situ hybridization histochemistry demonstrated relatively uniform expression of IGF-I and type 1 IGF receptor transcripts among WI-38 cells. To determine whether WI-38-synthesized IGF-I exerted mitogenic effects, a 15-base oligodeoxynucleotide complementary to the 5'IGF-I mRNA sequence (IGF-I AS-Oligo), including the translation start site, was incubated with cultured cells in an attempt to inhibit IGF-I synthesis. The IGF-I AS-Oligo was stable in cell culture, formed intracellular duplexes with IGF-I mRNA, and at 2 microM reduced IGF-I in conditioned medium by 83%. The IGF-I AS-Oligo also inhibited [3H]thymidine incorporation into DNA in a dose-dependent fa...
Pediatric Mastocytosis: A Review of the Literature

Mastocytosis has a bimodal distribution often presenting in children from birth to 2 years of age and in those over the age of 15. Pediatric mastocytosis is due to the effects of mast-cell degranulation enzymes such as histamine and tryptase causing the presentation of pruritis, flushing, vesicles, abdominal and bone pain, or headache. Three different forms of mastocytosis can occur: urticaria pigmentosa, diffuse cutaneous, and solitary mastocytoma. Systemic symptoms are typically a result of mast-cell mediator release but do not prove systemic mast-cell hyperplasia. In this review, we present several research studies related to pediatric mast-cell disorders, and discuss several cases of pediatric mastocytosis, acute myeloid leukemia, pathophysiology, genetic studies, and treatment.
Analysis of marker motion in thin‐film silicide formation

A simple analysis of marker motion in the growth of a single compound layer is given. It has been applied to the growth of Ni2Si silicide between Ni thin films and Si wafers. In the silicide Ni was found to be the dominant diffusing species by the use of implanted Xe markers. The intrinsic diffusivities of Ni and Si in Ni2Si at 325 °C have been determined; DNi=1.7×10−14 cm2/sec and DSi=0.6×10−14 cm2/sec. These are the first measurements of intrinsic diffusivities in thin‐film silicides.
Rapid microwave preparation of cerium-substituted sodium yttrium silicate phosphors for solid state white lighting

Abstract The preparation of two cerium-substituted sodium yttrium silicate phosphors, NaY 9 Si 6 O 26 :Ce 3+ and Na 3 YSi 2 O 7 :Ce 3+ , was achieved using rapid heating via a modified microwave-assisted preparation technique. Activated carbon is used as a microwave susceptor allowing reaction temperatures greater than 1000 °C to be reached in minutes while producing the reducing atmosphere necessary to achieve Ce 3+ . Because this method immediately heats the sample and does not employ a H 2 /N 2 gas mixture to maintain Ce 3+ in its reduced state, volatilization of starting materials is limited, allowing the products to be prepared from a stoichiometric mixture of starting materials. The samples prepared were characterized using synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction and fluorescence spectroscopy. Photoluminescence measurements indicate NaY 9 Si 6 O 26 :Ce 3+ contains a broad excitation band in the UV ranging between 280 nm and 330 nm that produces a blue emission between 350 nm and 500 nm with a 10% quantum yield. Na 3 YSi 2 O 7 :Ce 3+ has a strong absorption band at 350 nm and also emits in the blue (375 nm–500 nm) with a quantum yield of 28%.
The economics of adaptive design

Abstract This article presents a model of the software process that offers considerable potential for improving both quality and productivity. It has been promoted by many researchers under a variety of names. The contribution of this paper is twofold. First, it offers a framework and unifying name, “adaptive design,” for a set of features, common to many paradigms, that exploits some of the unique characteristics of software. Second, it provides an existence proof that adaptive design is within the current state of the art; empirical data from commercial-grade experience with a particular implementation demonstrate the economic benefits available from adopting this model. The new process model is contrasted with several currently favored models, and suggestions for both researchers and practitioners are offered.
Twelve-month follow-up of Six Week Extended Dose Nevirapine randomized controlled trials: differential impact of extended-dose nevirapine on mother-to-child transmission and infant death by maternal CD4 cell count.

Objectives: We previously reported combined analysis of 6-week and 6-month endpoints of three randomized controlled trials [Six Week Extended Dose Nevirapine (SWEN) trials] that compared extended-dose nevirapine through 6 weeks of age to single-dose nevirapine to prevent HIV transmission via breastfeeding and mortality. We now present endpoints through 12 months of age. Design: Infants in Ethiopia, India, and Uganda born to HIV-infected women who chose to breastfeed were randomized to receive single-dose or extended-dose nevirapine. Main outcomes: HIV transmission, mortality, HIV transmission or death. Results: Primary analysis included 987 and 903 infants in the single-dose and the extended-dose arms, respectively. HIV transmission was 8.9% in the extended-dose group compared to 10.4% in the single-dose group, but the difference was not significant [risk ratio: 0.87, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.65–1.15]. Cumulative mortality at 12 months was half in the extended-dose group compared to the single-dose group (risk ratio: 0.53, 95% CI: 0.32–0.85). The impact of extended-dose nevirapine was highest in infants of mothers with CD4 cell count more than 350 cells/μl. Risk ratios for death (risk ratio: 0.38, 95% CI: 0.17–0.84) and HIV transmission or death (risk ratio: 0.54, 95% CI: 0.35–0.85) were statistically significant for the CD4 cell counts more than 350 cells/μl category, whereas none of the risk ratios were significant for the CD4 cell counts 200 cells/μl or less and CD4 cell counts 201–350 cells/μl categories. Conclusion: For populations with limited access to HAART, our results provide evidence for the use of extended-dose regimens to prevent infant deaths and increase HIV-free survival in infants of HIV-infected breastfeeding women, particularly for infants of women with CD4 cell counts more than 350 cells/μl.
Ensemble clustering using semidefinite programming with applications

In this paper, we study the ensemble clustering problem, where the input is in the form of multiple clustering solutions. The goal of ensemble clustering algorithms is to aggregate the solutions into one solution that maximizes the agreement in the input ensemble. We obtain several new results for this problem. Specifically, we show that the notion of agreement under such circumstances can be better captured using a 2D string encoding rather than a voting strategy, which is common among existing approaches. Our optimization proceeds by first constructing a non-linear objective function which is then transformed into a 0-1 Semidefinite program (SDP) using novel convexification techniques. This model can be subsequently relaxed to a polynomial time solvable SDP. In addition to the theoretical contributions, our experimental results on standard machine learning and synthetic datasets show that this approach leads to improvements not only in terms of the proposed agreement measure but also the existing agreement measures based on voting strategies. In addition, we identify several new application scenarios for this problem. These include combining multiple image segmentations and generating tissue maps from multiple-channel Diffusion Tensor brain images to identify the underlying structure of the brain.
An alternative approach to the operation of multinational reservoir systems: Application to the Amistad & Falcon system (Lower Rio Grande/Río Bravo)

An optimization approach for the operation of international multi-reservoir systems is presented. The approach uses Stochastic Dynamic Programming (SDP) algorithms – both steady-state and real-time – to develop two models. In the first model, the reservoirs and flows of the system are aggregated to yield an equivalent reservoir, and the obtained operating policies are disaggregated using a non-linear optimization procedure for each reservoir and for each nation's water balance. In the second model a multi-reservoir approach is applied, disaggregating the releases for each country's water share in each reservoir. The non-linear disaggregation algorithm uses SDP-derived operating policies as boundary conditions for a local time-step optimization. Finally, the performance of the different approaches and methods is compared. These models are applied to the Amistad-Falcon International Reservoir System as part of a binational dynamic modeling effort to develop a decision support system tool for a better management of the water resources in the Lower Rio Grande Basin, currently enduring a severe drought.
The nature of catalytic sites on lanthanum and neodymium oxides for dehydration/dehydrogenation of ethanol

The multi-pathway (dehydration/dehydrogenation) conversion of ethanol has been used to investigate the nature and behavior of catalytically active sites on lanthanum and neodymium sesquioxides. Catalytic reaction data, coupled with infrared spectroscopic characterizations of adsorbed species, indicate that at least two different types of catalytically active sites are generated on activated La{sub 2}O{sub 3} and Nd{sub 2}O{sub 3} surfaces that are prepared by thermal dehydration of the corresponding trihydroxides. One kind of site (designated Type I) is much less numerous than the other (Type II), but is more strongly basic and has a much higher initial activity for alcohol dehydration, via a probable ethoxide intermediate, at 300-400{degree}C. The parallel alcohol dehydrogenation pathway, on the other hand, occurs only on Type II sites, which also have moderate dehydration activity. The resulting aldehyde products readsorbs exclusively on the more strongly basic Type I sites, where it undergoes a series of secondary condensation reactions that cause a decrease in the overall rate of alcohol dehydration. The comparative behavioral features of the two kinds of sites may be due to differing surface environments, with Type I sites being in structurally more defective and/or more energetic surface locations than are Type II sites. Increases in pretreatmentmore » temperature of the oxides cause thermally induced transformations of Type I sites into Type II sites by a surface annealing or restructuring process, with corresponding modifications in the observed catalytic behavior for the two alcohol conversion pathways. 33 refs.« less
Low temperature hexagonal BaTiO3 polymorph and carbonate adsorption a

Abstract High temperature (1460°C) hexagonal BaTiO3 was found to be stable at temperatures below 700°C. This structure was stabilized at low temperature by an increase in surface free energy that is significant for small crystallites. The hexagonal phase was a precursor for reversible adsorption and desorption of surface carbonate (CO˭ 3).
Direct evidence for acute and massive norepinephrine release in the hippocampus during transient ischemia.

Recent studies suggest the norepinephrine (NE) may play a regulatory role in neuronal cell death in the hippocampus after transient ischemia. However, ischemia-induced changes in extracellular NE r...
Summary Frames: Language Acquisition for Special Education and ELL Students

For most middle school-level students, summarizing main ideas can prove to be difficult, especially for those with low vocabulary and language acquisition skills. Working specifically with students who are English Language Learners (ELLs) and in a special education program, we discovered that teaching summarization as a reading strategy increased students' abilities to (a) acquire and use information and (b) better comprehend science concepts. In combination with other vocabulary attainment activities, summary frames enhanced the students' ability to apply information to discussions, laboratory reports, and projects. In this article, we demonstrate how to use the summary frame strategy in the context of a lesson on cells. This lesson allows for (a) knowledge of terminology through vocabulary card activities, (b) comprehension of concepts presented through summary frame activities, and (c) application of concepts through cell models and organelle classroom responsibilities.
Microgeographic differentiation in a stream population of Goodea atripinnis (Goodeidae) from the Mexican Plateau

Significant genic differentiation occurred in samples of a stream population of Goodea atripinnis(Goodeidae) from a 1 km segment of the Rio Teuchitlan, Jalisco, Mexico. The lack of obvious selection gradients and physical barriers to migration over such short distances suggests that stochastic factors (seasonal reductions in stream flow, behavior) are involved in the differentiation. The extent of this phenomenon and its potential importance to the study of fish populations are discussed.
A simple derivation of necessary conditions for static minmax problems

where +(., *): Rn x Rm -+ R is Cl. Y is a specified subset of Rm and X = {x 1 C(x) < 01. The function C(e): Rn R’ is Cl on Ii”. Necessary conditions which the minimizing point must satisfy are given in [l-3] in terms of the directional derivative off(*). This results in a Lagrange multiplier rule which is an inequality. In [4], the necessary conditions are in the form of a Lagrange multiplier rule that is an equality. Here, we derive the results of [4] in an alternate and simpler fashion. Our approach is to replace the above minmax problem, as suggested in [S], by a related nonlinear programming problem where the subsidiary conditions consist of an infinite number of inequalities. The resulting programming problem is called the Fritz John problem [6, 71. A relationship between the solution of the Fritz John problem and the minmax problem is presented. This relationship, in conjunction with the necessary conditions for the Fritz John problem, lead directly to necessary conditions for the minmax problem which are identical to those in [4]. We shall assume that Y is compact. Then for every 4 E X there exists a 9 E Y with the property that 4(&y) = supyey +(f, y) and we can replace “sup” by “max”. The vector of partial derivatives @(x,y)/& will be denoted by +r(x, y). Similarly, C,,(x) = aC,(x)/a.r.
Rhythm and convergence between speakers of American and Indian English

The study examines rhythmic convergence between speakers of American and Indian English. Previous research has shown that American English shows tendencies towards stress-timing, and Indian English has been claimed to be syllable-timed (Crystal 1994). Starting from the view that languages differ in their rhythmic tendencies, rather than that they have categorically different rhythmic properties, we examine in an acoustic study the rhythmic tendencies of the two languages, and whether these tendencies can change in the course of an interaction. The focus is on temporal properties (specifically, the duration of stressed syllables and of feet). The results show evidence of mixed rhythmic properties for both languages, with Indian English being more syllable-timed than American English. American speakers show a trend towards changes in foot duration that can be interpreted as accommodation in speech rate or as convergence towards a more syllable-timed foot duration pattern. One Indian English speaker converges in both examined properties towards a more stress-timing pattern. The results are discussed within a dynamical model of rhythmic structure (Saltzman, Nam, Krivokapic, and Goldstein 2008). It is suggested that rhythmic convergence can arise via a tuning between speakers of the prosodic interoscillator coupling function that is proposed in that model. Jelena Krivokapic: Yale University. E-mail: jelena.krivokapic@yale.edu
Isotopic labeling and LC-APCI-MS quantification for investigating absorption of carotenoids and phylloquinone from kale (Brassica oleracea).

The ability to study bioavailability of nutrients from foods is an important step in determining the health impact of those nutrients. This work describes a method for studying the bioavailability ...
Aestheticizing the home: Textual strategies of taste, self‐identity, and bourgeois hegemony in America's “gilded age”

Cultural theorist Walter Benjamin observes that the “age of mechanical reproduction” had stripped art of its authenticity. Nowhere is Benjamin's insight more evident than in America's “Gilded Age.” Yet the implications of Benjamin's observation are more far‐reaching than his essay would indicate. For the “Gilded Age” itself was a time of cultural crisis when American self‐identity also seemed to have lost its authenticity. This essay examines interior decoration texts as strategies for authenticating the Victorian bourgeois conception of self. It suggests that while such texts served, on one level, to perpetuate the hegemony of the bourgeoisie by justifying economic and social inequalities, this hegemony proved unstable because the performance of self through decoration and decorating texts reproduced the feeling of weightlessness increasingly evident in nineteenth‐century America. Performing self through the metonymy of decoration functioned to create the illusion of stability, a veneer that masked the i...
Documentation of reproductive health counseling and contraception in women with inflammatory bowel diseases.

Abstract Objective Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are commonly diagnosed during women's reproductive years. Counseling is important to avoid unintended pregnancy in a disease-poor state. We sought to determine reproductive counseling documentation by gastroenterologists in women with IBD. Methods An electronic query identified women, age 18–45, with IBD in an academic gastroenterology practice from 2010 to 2012. A random sample (15%) chart review determined contraception documentation and content/frequency of reproductive counseling. Results 100 patients were analyzed. Median age was 35 (range 19–45), 53% were married, and 69% had Crohn's disease. Median time since IBD diagnosis was 9 years (range 1–32) with a 5 visit median (range 1–45) over 31 months (range 1–105). A contraceptive method was identified in 24% of all patients. Nineteen patients (19%) had documentation of reproductive counseling. Only 1/100 patients had a specific reference to using contraception to avoid pregnancy. The remaining counseling included (1) medication effects on pregnancy, (2) disease control before pregnancy, or (3) mode of delivery planning. Conclusions Outside of listing contraception as a “current medication”, documentation of reproductive counseling at gastroenterology visits for IBD is sparse. Practice implications In light of the importance of reproductive planning for women with IBD, future research on incentives and barriers to counseling is warranted.
Metaphors and maps in evaluation

This paper considers efforts made in evaluating a distance‐learning course, which was intended to prepare students for working on an undergraduate dissertation in business and economic areas. Course delivery had stressed a tutorial approach with an emphasis on individual mentor–student exchanges. Given the nature of the learning approach and the backgrounds of the students, an attempt was made to open the evaluation process to participants and allow them to articulate their learning experiences. In seeking this end, the evaluation employed both metaphor and mapping techniques to chart the experiences that had been provoked by the learning encounters.
Biomarkers and surrogate endpoints in glaucoma clinical trials

Surrogate endpoints are often used as replacements for true clinically relevant endpoints in several areas of medicine, as they enable faster and less expensive clinical trials. However, without proper validation, the use of surrogates may lead to incorrect conclusions about the efficacy and safety of treatments. This article reviews the general requirements for validating surrogate endpoints and provides a critical assessment of the use of intraocular pressure (IOP), visual fields, and structural measurements of the optic nerve as surrogate endpoints in glaucoma clinical trials. A valid surrogate endpoint must be able to predict the clinically relevant endpoint and fully capture the effect of an intervention on that endpoint. Despite its widespread use in clinical trials, no proper validation of IOP as a surrogate endpoint has ever been conducted for any class of IOP-lowering treatments. Evidence has accumulated with regard to the role of imaging measurements of optic nerve damage as surrogate endpoints in glaucoma. These measurements are predictive of functional losses in the disease and may explain, at least in part, treatment effects on clinically relevant endpoints. The use of composite endpoints in glaucoma trials may overcome weaknesses of the use of structural or functional endpoints in isolation. Unless research is dedicated to fully develop and validate suitable endpoints that can be used in glaucoma clinical trials, we run the risk of inappropriate judgments about the value of new therapies.
Locally-scaled spectral clustering using empty region graphs

This paper introduces a new method for estimating the local neighborhood and scale of data points to improve the robustness of spectral clustering algorithms. We employ a subset of empty region graphs - the β-skeleton - and non-linear diffusion to define a locally-adapted affinity matrix, which, as we demonstrate, provides higher quality clustering than conventional approaches based on κ nearest neighbors or global scale parameters. Moreover, we show that the clustering quality is far less sensitive to the choice of β and other algorithm parameters, and to transformations such as geometric distortion and random perturbation. We summarize the results of an empirical study that applies our method to a number of 2D synthetic data sets, consisting of clusters of arbitrary shape and scale, and to real multi-dimensional classification examples from benchmarks, including image segmentation.
NONLINEAR INVERSION OF PIEZOELECTRICAL TRANSDUCER IMPEDANCE DATA

We describe a nonlinear least squares inversion algorithm for obtaining elastic and electromagnetic properties for piezoelectric materials from measured impedances. Richard Brent's PRAXIS, a general unconstrained minimization code is used for the nonlinear least squares fit. No explicit derivatives of the goal functional are required by this code. Bound constraints are imposed in order to limit the variability of the parameters to physically meaningful values. Since PRAXIS is an unconstrained optimization code, these constraints are introduced via a novel change of independent variables. The forward modeling is achieved by using a coupled finite element time domain code for the elastic and electro-magnetic parts of the problem. We also describe how a linearized sensitivity analysis can be used to suggest a priori which parameters can be calculated from impedances measured on a given sample. Numerical results are included.
The Potent Eunuch: The Story of Wei Zhongxian

Literary and historical sources assumed ulterior, even diabolical, motives in the man whovoluntarilybecameaeunuch.Ifhewaslucky,hecouldbecometheruler'sconfidantandeven usurp imperial power. Focusing on Ming eunuch Wei Zhongxian (1568-1627), the article addresses key questions in the portrayal of eunuchs: How and why did a man become a eunuch? Whatwerehismotives,asfarascanbelearnedfromhistoricalcases;andwhatdidstorytellersand other writers think his motives were? In the case of powerful and influential eunuchs, the question also became, how, after his act of self-destruction, did the eunuch reconstruct himself? How did he re-create himself as a newly potent man?
Role of coagulation in the recruitment of colon adenocarcinoma cells to thrombus under shear

Colorectal cancer metastases can appear on the peritoneum and in lymph nodes, liver, and lungs, suggesting both hematogenous and lymphatic spreading of the primary tumor. While antithrombotic agents have been shown to reduce both long-term incidence and metastasis, the role of coagulation in facilitating metastasis is ill defined. We investigated the kinetics and molecular mechanisms of metastatic colon adenocarcinoma cell recruitment to thrombi under shear flow, ex vivo. Platelet aggregates were formed by perfusing citrated anticoagulated whole blood over immobilized fibrinogen or fibrillar collagen. Thrombi were formed by perfusing recalcified whole blood over fibrinogen or fibrillar collagen in the presence of coagulation. Cultured colon adenocarcinoma cells (SW620) were perfused either during or following platelet aggregate or thrombus formation. The degree of transient tumor cell interactions (recruitment, rolling, and release) and the number of firmly adhered tumor cells were quantified using fluorescence microscopy. Platelet aggregates and thrombi formed on either fibrinogen- or fibrillar-collagen supported SW620 cell interactions and adhesion under shear. Thrombi or fibrin supported a greater degree of SW620 cell interactions and adhesion compared with platelet aggregates or fibrinogen, respectively, demonstrating that coagulation promoted SW620 cell recruitment under shear. Interestingly, in the absence of anticoagulation, we observed SW620 preferentially binding to thrombus-bound polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs). The addition of purified PMNs to thrombi resulted in a doubling of the number of interacting and bound SW620 cells. Since thrombi often accumulate and activate leukocytes, our findings suggest that leukocytes may play a role in localizing metastases to sites of thrombogenesis.
Arm-leg pressure gradients on late follow-up after coarctation repair Possible causes and implications

Seventeen years after coarctation repair, 36 patients were studied by magnetic resonance imaging and exercise testing to measure residual anatomical stenosis and hormonal response to exercise, and to evaluate their effect on arm-leg gradients and on exercise hypertension. The systolic arm pressure, leg pressure and arm-leg gradient were measured at rest and during exercise. Active renin and catecholamines were measured in the plasma at rest and after peak exercise. On magnetic resonance imaging 18 patients had residual stenosis of less than 30% (group I) and 18 had residual stenosis of equal to or more than 30% (group II). At peak exercise, the arm pressure was 235 (133-296) mmHg in group I and 241 (157-286) mmHg in group II (ns), the leg pressure was 138 (111-173) mmHg in group I and 114 (75-154) mmHg in group II (P = 0.002). The adrenalin increase from rest to exercise was 32.7 +/- 9.1 pg.ml-1 in the patients with exercise hypertension and 3.1 +/- 4.7 pg.ml-1 in the patients who remained normotensive during exercise (P = 0.02). In conclusion, residual anatomical stenosis leads to a pressure drop in the legs, which influences the arm-leg gradient. Arm hypertension is not related to anatomical narrowing but to interaction of enhanced sympathetic nerve activity and structural and functional abnormality of the precoarctation vessels.
Positive Surgical Margins After Radical Retropubic Prostatectomy: The Influence of Site and Number on Progression

Purpose: We assessed the effect of location and number of positive margins on biochemical progression in patients after radical retropubic prostatectomy for prostate cancer.Materials and Methods: The incidence, location and number of positive surgical margins as well as recurrence and time to recurrence were evaluated in a consecutive series of 734 men who underwent radical retropubic prostatectomy for localized prostate cancer from 1992 through February 1999.Results: Surgical margins were positive in 210 patients (29%), of whom 157 (75%) and 53 (25%) had 1 and more than 1 positive margin, respectively. Of the patients 53 (25%) with tumor at any inked margin had biochemical recurrence. We identified no significant association of a particular location with biochemical recurrence. Bladder neck location did not carry an increased risk of recurrence (hazard ratio 1.23, 95% confidence interval 0.54 to 2.80). However, these findings were made in a limited number of cases with positive bladder neck margins. Pati...
The discriminant capabilities of stability measures, trunk kinematics, and step kinematics in classifying successful and failed compensatory stepping responses by young adults.

Abstract This study evaluated the discriminant capability of stability measures, trunk kinematics, and step kinematics to classify successful and failed compensatory stepping responses. In addition, the shared variance between stability measures, step kinematics, and trunk kinematics is reported. The stability measures included the anteroposterior distance ( d ) between the body center of mass and the stepping limb toe, the margin of stability ( MOS ), as well as time-to-boundary considering velocity ( TTB v ), velocity and acceleration ( TTB a ), and MOS ( TTB MOS ). Kinematic measures included trunk flexion angle and angular velocity, step length, and the time after disturbance onset of recovery step completion. Fourteen young adults stood on a treadmill that delivered surface accelerations necessitating multiple forward compensatory steps. Thirteen subjects fell from an initial disturbance, but recovered from a second, identical disturbance. Trunk flexion velocity at completion of the first recovery step and trunk flexion angle at completion of the second step had the greatest overall classification of all measures (92.3%). TTB v and TTB a at completion of both steps had the greatest classification accuracy of all stability measures (80.8%). The length of the first recovery step ( r ≤0.70) and trunk flexion angle at completion of the second recovery step ( r ≤−0.54) had the largest correlations with stability measures. Although TTB v and TTB a demonstrated somewhat smaller discriminant capabilities than trunk kinematics, the small correlations between these stability measures and trunk kinematics (| r |≤0.52) suggest that they reflect two important, yet different, aspects of a compensatory stepping response.
Review of the fracture toughness approach.

Abstract Dental adhesives are usually tested in shear or tension even though neither of these approaches measures the local stress triggering failure. Because the stress level varies extensively over the bonded surface, it seems as a fracture mechanics approach would be more appropriate. In this review different general aspects of fracture mechanics and adhesive joints were reviewed first. That review served as a foundation for a review of fracture toughness studies performed on dental adhesives. The dental adhesive studies were identified through a MEDLINE search using “dental adhesion testing AND enamel OR dentin AND fracture toughness” as search strategy. The outcome of the review revealed that fracture toughness studies performed on dental adhesives are complex, both regarding technical performance as well as achieving good discriminating ability between different adhesives. The review also suggested that most fracture toughness tests of adhesives performed in dentistry are not totally reliable because they usually did not consider the complex stress pattern at the adhesive interface. However, despite these limitations, the review strongly supports the notion that the proper way of studying dental adhesion is by use a fracture mechanics. At the present time, it seems as the fracture energy of adhesives might be more appropriate to determine than their fracture toughness values.
Experimental validation of a simplified model for rolling isolation systems

SUMMARY Rolling isolation systems (RISs) protect mission-critical equipment and valuable property from earthquake hazards by decoupling the dynamic responses of vibration-sensitive objects from horizontal floor motions. These responses involve the constrained rolling of steel balls between bowl-shaped surfaces. The light damping of steel balls rolling between steel plates can be augmented by adhering thin rubber sheets to the plates, thereby increasing the rolling resistance and decreasing the displacement demand on the RIS. An assessment of the ability of lightly- and heavily-damped RISs to mitigate the hazard of seismically induced failures requires high-fidelity models that can adequately capture the systems' intrinsic nonlinear behavior. The simplified model presented in this paper is applicable to RISs with any potential energy function, is amenable to both lightly- and heavily-damped RISs, and is validated through the successful prediction of peak responses for a wide range of disturbance frequencies and intensities. The validated model can therefore be used to compute the spectra of peak floor motions for which displacement demands equal capacity. These spectra are compared with representative floor motion spectra provided by the American Society of Civil Engineers 7–10. The damping provided by rolling between thin viscoelastic sheets increases the allowable floor motion intensity by a factor of 2–3, depending on the period of motion. Acceleration responses of isolation systems with damping supplied in this fashion do not grow with increased damping, even for short-period excitations. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Algebraic space-time codes with full diversity and low peak-to-mean power ratio

A new class of full diversity space-time codes is proposed that leads to a significantly smaller peak-to-mean envelope power ratio (PMEPR) compared to the recently invented diagonal algebraic space-time (DAST) and threaded algebraic space-time (TAST) codes. Moreover, the proposed "low PMEPR space-time" (LPST) codes exhibit identical performance and decoding complexity compared to the TAST codes. Additionally, unlike the TAST codes, the LPST codes meet an upper bound known as the singleton bound on the maximum achievable rate by a space-time code. The key to the construction of the LPST codes is an improved spreading scheme that outperforms the originally suggested Hadamard spreading scheme for the PMEPR reduction of DAST codes. Several properties of the LPST codes in relation to PMEPR are studied. Numerical results are presented to support the significant advantage of the proposed codes in terms of reduced PMEPR for high rate wireless communications.