cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
TU-C-332-10: Evaluation of Combined Effects of Target Size, Background Activity, and Respiratory Motion On 3D and 4D PET/CT Images

Purpose: In recent years, quantitative analysis of gated (4D) PET/CT images has been introduced for diagnosis, staging, and prediction of tumor response where internal organ motion is significant. However, the best methodology for applying 4D information to radiotherapy target definition is not currently well established. In order to accurately determine moving target volume, we have investigated the combined effects of target size, respiratory motion, target‐to‐background activity concentration ratio (TBR) on ungated (3D) and 4D PETimages as well as gating methods. Method and Materials: Using a GE Discovery PET/CT scanner, a 3D‐PET scan corrected with a 3D attenuation map from 3D‐CT scan and a 4D‐PET scan corrected with matching attenuation maps from 4D‐CT were performed using spherical targets (0.5–26.5 mL) filled with 18 F ‐ FDG in a NEMA IEC body phantom at different TBRs (infinite, 8, and 4). To simulate respiratory motion, the phantoms were driven sinusoidally in the superior‐inferior direction with amplitudes of 0, 1, and 2 cm and a period of 4.5 s. Recovery coefficients were determined on PETimages. In addition, gating methods using different numbers of gating bins (1–20 bins) were evaluated by determining imagenoise and temporal resolution. Results: Signal loss in 3D‐PET images was measured from both the partial volume effect, due to the limited PET resolution, as well as respiratory motion. The results show that signal loss depends on both the amplitude and shape of respiratory motion. However, 4D‐PET successfully recovers most of the loss induced by respiratory motion. The 5‐bin gating method gives the best temporal resolution with acceptable imagenoise.Conclusion: The results based on the 4D scan protocols can be used to improve the accuracy of gross tumor volume definition in the lung and abdomen.
Leader–Follower Interpersonal Emotion Management Managing Stress by Person-Focused and Emotion-Focused Emotion Management

Compliance with demands to express certain emotions at certain times is difficult for most employees to achieve without also experiencing adverse effects such as stress. Emotion researchers typically study “demands” in the form of organizational display rules. However, most emotional “demands” come from leaders who are uniquely positioned to help subordinates manage negative emotions and express positive ones. While this is often implied in the literature, research projects on leader-facilitated emotion management are scarce. Using Cote’s social interaction model as a theoretical foundation, we examine leader-facilitated emotion management in a simulated workplace setting. Interpersonal, as opposed to intrapersonal, emotion management is a multifaceted process, whose success depends on emotion-focused action and socioaffective needs being met. Our hypotheses rested on this premise, and we sought to find the most effective combination of two common emotion-focused emotion management strategies (i.e., reapp...
Biological Monitoring: Prospects in Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Jürgen Angerer and Tobias Weiss, editors. Weinheim, Federal Republic of Germany: Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH Co., 2002, 212 pp., $85.00, softcover. ISBN 3-527-27795-1.

Biological monitoring can be used to assess human exposure by measuring the internal dose of a substance (dose monitoring), to assess the biochemical effects of the exposure (biochemical effects monitoring), and to assess the biological effects resulting from the exposure (biological effects monitoring). The early chapters of this monograph deal primarily with dose monitoring, which requires the availability of sensitive and specific analytical procedures. The authors trace the evolution of the analytical techniques and equipment …
The PDZ Motif of the α1C Subunit Is Not Required for Surface Trafficking and Adrenergic Modulation of CaV1.2 Channel in the Heart

Voltage-gated Ca(2+) channels play a key role in initiating muscle excitation-contraction coupling, neurotransmitter release, gene expression, and hormone secretion. The association of CaV1.2 with a supramolecular complex impacts trafficking, localization, turnover, and, most importantly, multifaceted regulation of its function in the heart. Several studies hint at an important role for the C terminus of the α1C subunit as a hub for multidimensional regulation of CaV1.2 channel trafficking and function. Recent studies have demonstrated an important role for the four-residue PDZ binding motif at the C terminus of α1C in interacting with scaffold proteins containing PDZ domains, in the subcellular localization of CaV1.2 in neurons, and in the efficient signaling to cAMP-response element-binding protein in neurons. However, the role of the α1C PDZ ligand domain in the heart is not known. To determine whether the α1C PDZ motif is critical for CaV1.2 trafficking and function in cardiomyocytes, we generated transgenic mice with inducible expression of an N-terminal FLAG epitope-tagged dihydropyridine-resistant α1C with the PDZ motif deleted (ΔPDZ). These mice were crossed with α-myosin heavy chain reverse transcriptional transactivator transgenic mice, and the double-transgenic mice were fed doxycycline. The ΔPDZ channels expressed, trafficked to the membrane, and supported robust excitation-contraction coupling in the presence of nisoldipine, a dihydropyridine Ca(2+) channel blocker, providing functional evidence that they appropriately target to dyads. The ΔPDZ Ca(2+) channels were appropriately regulated by isoproterenol and forskolin. These data indicate that the α1C PDZ motif is not required for surface trafficking, localization to the dyad, or adrenergic stimulation of CaV1.2 in adult cardiomyocytes.
Toward an Intersubjective Rhetoric of Empathy in Intercultural Communication: A Rereading of Morris Young's Minor Re/Visions

The subjective model of empathy, as used in Susan Miller's reading of Morris Young's Minor Re/Visions, is rooted in the prevailing misconceptions of emotion as personal and intrinsic to an isolated and fixed Western subjectivity. It poses tremendous challenges to intercultural empathy: It allows readers to project their own emotions and framework of reference to others' emotions and creates an asymmetrical, passive subject-to-object reader–writer relationship. Conceiving emotions as an index to cultural and social relationships, the intersubjective rhetoric of empathy, contrarily, positions readers as fluid intersubjects, and consequently creates an active subject-to-subject relationship that potentially subverts the power imbalance in rhetorical borderlands.
Characterization of the in vitro macrophage response and in vivo host response to poly(ethylene glycol)-based hydrogels.

Photopolymerizable poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)- based hydrogels have great potential as in vivo cell delivery vehicles for tissue engineering. However, their success in vivo will be dependent on the host response. The objectives for this study were to explore the in vivo host response and in vitro macrophage response to commonly used PEG-based hydrogels, PEG and PEG containing RGD. Acellular hydrogels were implanted subcutaneously into c57bl/6 mice and the foreign body response (FBR) was compared to medical grade silicone. Our findings demonstrated PEG-RGD hydrogels resulted in a FBR similar to silicone, while PEG-only hydrogels resulted in a robust inflammatory reaction characterized by a thick layer of macrophages at the material surface with evidence of gel degradation. In vitro, bone marrow-derived primary macrophages adhered well and similarly to PEG-based hydrogels, silicone, and tissue culture polystyrene when cultured for 4 days. Significantly higher gene expressions of the proinflammatory cytokines, TNF-α and Il-1β, were found in macrophages seeded onto PEG compared to PEG-RGD and silicone at 1 and 2 days. PEG hydrogels were also shown to be susceptible to oxidative biodegradation. Our findings indicate that PEG-only hydrogels are proinflammatory while RGD attenuates this negative reaction leading to a moderate FBR. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res, 2010
Personality profiles of marketing vs. r&d managers

The critical importance of the marketing-R&D interface in the new product development process is widely acknowledged in the marketing literature. Generally, problems in achieving a productive integration of the two departments has been blamed on differences in the orientations of the two areas. Previous studies have focused largely on organizational factors leading to a less than successful interaction. The present study, after considering the occupational choice literature, examines the overlooked dimension of personal differences as a key consideration in the interface. Using Cattell's 16 PF personality instrument, a study was conducted to compare and contrast the personalities of marketing and R&D managers in America's largest corporations. The results, consistent with studies of occupational choice, indicate that while there are some similarities between the two groups, several significant differences exist that can have strong implications for the ability of managers from the different areas to productively interface.
Power generation scheduling algorithm using dynamic programming

Abstract Power generation scheduling is a constrained optimization problem whose solution determines the set of generating units, among those owned by the electric utility, that should be connected to the grid at any hourly interval over a period of time, lasting from a day to a week, such that an objective function–usually, cost of operation–, is minimized. The actual power generation allocated to each committed unit is typically determined by an economic dispatch to meet the actual system load demand that may deviate from the forecasted one. Dynamic programming is considered an effective solution technique in power systems, not only because scheduling is naturally a sequential decision process, but also because formulation of the unit commitment problem results in a non-linear, non-convex, time dependent, and mix-integer problem that is not easily amenable to other solution techniques. Although dynamic programming-based solution algorithms provide optimal commitment schedules, execution time and memory requirements are affected by the “curse of dimensionality,” that is by the number of unit combinations to be considered in the solution process. In dynamic programming-based power scheduling algorithms, thousands of hourly economic dispatches must be performed to consider every possible unit combination over all the stages of the optimization interval. If the unit commitment problem is constrained to observe a minimum system spinning reserve and an economic dispatch of a combination of units does not comply with this requirement, necessary and sufficient conditions have been established to guarantee that the dispatch of these units will meet the constraint. However, these conditions can only be checked for feasibility after a dispatch is performed. In this paper, we present necessary and sufficient conditions for the feasibility of unit combinations that can be checked off-line — that is, before the start of the unit commitment algorithm, and thus before any economic dispatches are performed, thereby rendering a very efficient unit scheduling algorithm in terms of computer memory and execution time. Moreover, these feasibility conditions are independent of the problem formulation and thus can easily be applied to other unit commitment algorithms. Examples are provided to illustrate the efficiency attainable by the implementation of these conditions.
Numerical solution of free-boundary problems in fluid mechanics. Part 1. The finite-difference technique

We present here a brief description of a numerical technique suitable for solving axisymmetric (or two-dimensional) free-boundary problems of fluid mechanics. The technique is based on a finite-difference solution of the equations of motion on an orthogonal curvilinear coordinate system, which is also constructed numerically and always adjusted so as to fit the current boundary shape. The overall solution is achieved via a global iterative process, with the condition of balance between total normal stress and the capillary pressure at the free boundary being used to drive the boundary shape to its ultimate equilibrium position.
Cell transformation by the superoxide-generating oxidase Mox1

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated in some non-phagocytic cells are implicated in mitogenic signalling and cancer. Many cancer cells show increased production of ROS, and normal cells exposed to hydrogen peroxide or superoxide show increased proliferation and express growth-related genes. ROS are generated in response to growth factors, and may affect cell growth, for example in vascular smooth-muscle cells. Increased ROS in Ras-transformed fibroblasts correlates with increased mitogenic rate. Here we describe the cloning of mox1, which encodes a homologue of the catalytic subunit of the superoxide-generating NADPH oxidase of phagocytes, gp91phox. mox1 messenger RNA is expressed in colon, prostate, uterus and vascular smooth muscle, but not in peripheral blood leukocytes. In smooth-muscle cells, platelet-derived growth factor induces mox1 mRNA production, while antisense mox1 mRNA decreases superoxide generation and serum-stimulated growth. Overexpression of mox1 in NIH3T3 cells increases superoxide generation and cell growth. Cells expressing mox1 have a transformed appearance, show anchorage-independent growth and produce tumours in athymic mice. These data link ROS production by Mox1 to growth control in non-phagocytic cells.
Density Currents In The Atmosphere As Observed By The NOAA Doppler Lidar

Three different examples of atmospheric density currents are observed by the NOAA Doppler lidar. The lidar has Droved to be an extremely useful sensor to study the mesoscale dynamics of these clear-air phenomena.
Interorbital distance in cleft lip and palate

The bony interorbital distance (BIOD), as a measure of orbital hypertelorism, was determined for 285 children representing the major categories of cleft lip and/or cleft palate. The BIOD was measured on longitudinal postero-anterior roentgencephalograms from 6 months to 16 years. There were no significant differences in BIOD between the males and females with complete unilateral and complete bilateral cleft lip and palate or between the combined cleft samples. The BIOD was increased more in those with cleft lip and cleft lip-cleft palate than in those with only cleft palate. Although patients with clefts had an increased BIOD, in most cases the increase did not exceed 1 SD of that reported for a control group. In unoperated infants no association was found between increased BIOD and the width of the cleft or palate at the level of the maxillary tuberosities. This finding suggested that the BIOD may reflect abnormal development in the nasofrontal process, which also affects the lip but does not include the palatal shelves. Finally, it is suggested that the BIOD is a relevant developmental variable with a threshold character in the etiopathogenesis of cleft lip and cleft lip-cleft palate.
Mechanical basis for low-angle normal faulting in the Basin and Range province

Low-angle normal faults seem to violate the criterion that relates fault dip to stress orientation. To explain such faults one must postulate a 45° rotation of principal stress directions at mid-crustal depths, which is difficult to understand on the basis of previous elastic crust models. Such a stress rotation is shown to be a natural consequence of a low-viscosity lower crust.
An Alternative Animal Model for Comparison of Treatments for Cryptococcal Meningitis

Weanling outbred rats were infected with Cryptococcus neoformans by direct percranial puncture and inoculation into the cranium. A lethal infection ensued. Treatment with LY295337, a depsipeptide with antifungal activity, was effective in prolonging survival and reducing fungal counts in brain tissue. Weanling rats are an acceptable model for the study of central nervous system infection with C. neoformans.
Morphology Control of Copper Growth on TiN and TaN Diffusion Barriers in Seedless Copper Electrodeposition

Growth behavior of copper on TiN and TaN diffusion barriers according to the compositional change of copper-citrate (Cu-Cit) complex baths was studied in seedless copper electrochemical deposition. The peak potentials of cyclic voltammograms in the forward potential sweep were dependent on the concentration ratio of Cu 2+ and Cit 3- in the Cu-Cit baths. For the bath of [Cu 2+ ]/[Cit 3- ] = 1, when one-step deposition of copper was performed at a peak potential for competitive reduction of both Cu 2+ and CuCir ions, the 3D island growth of copper including lamella-like structure was shown. A peak for Cu 2+ reduction and a peak for CuCir reduction existed separately for the bath of [Cu 2+ ]/[Cit 3- ] = 2. Two-step deposition of copper in this bath gave birth to the 3D island plus layer-by-layer growth of copper. Interfacial adhesion between copper and TaN was measured as 12 and 34 J m -2 , respectively, for both deposition conditions. The electrical resistivity of copper films grown by two-step deposition was lower than that by one-step deposition for the same thickness.
Fatigue-Life Prediction Methodology Using a Crack-Closure Model

This paper reviews the capabilities of a plasticity-induced crack-closure model and life-prediction code, FASTRAN, to predict fatigue lives of metallic materials using small-crack theory. Crack-tip constraint factors, to account for three-dimensional state-of-stress effects, were selected to correlate large-crack growth rate data as a function of the effective-stress-intensity factor range ({Delta}K{sub eff}) under constant-amplitude loading. Some modifications to the {Delta}K{sub eff}-rate relations were needed in the near-threshold regime to fit small-crack growth rate behavior and endurance limits. The model was then used to calculate small- and large-crack growth rates, and to predict total fatigue lives, for notched specimens made of several aluminum alloys and a titanium alloy under constant-amplitude and spectrum loading. Fatigue lives were calculated using the crack-growth relations and microstructural features like those that initiated cracks for the aluminum alloys. An equivalent-initial-flaw-size concept was used to bound the fatigue lives for the titanium alloy. Results from the tests and analyses agreed well.
The cis-acting RNA trafficking signal from myelin basic protein mRNA and its cognate trans-acting ligand hnRNP A2 enhance cap-dependent translation

The 21 nucleotide RNA trafficking signal (RTS), originally identified in myelin basic protein mRNA, but also found in a variety of other localized RNAs, is necessary and sufficient for transport of RNA along microtubules in oligodendrocytes. The RTS binds specifically to the RNA binding protein, hnRNP A2. Together, the RTS and hnRNP A2 comprise cis/trans determinants for several steps in the RNA trafficking pathway. Here we show that insertion of the RTS into green fluorescent protein (GFP) RNA enhances translation without affecting stability of microinjected RNA. In dicistronic RNA, the RTS enhances cap-dependent translation without affecting internal ribosome entry site (IRES)-dependent translation. The translation enhancer function of the RTS is position, copy number, and cell type independent, hnRNP A2 dependent, and saturable with increasing amounts of injected RNA. This represents one of the first specific translation enhancer elements identified in a mammalian system.
A FILTER-BASED ALGORITHM FOR EFFICIENT COMPOSITION OF FINITE-STATE TRANSDUCERS

This paper describes a weighted finite-state transducer composition algorithm that generalizes the concept of the composition filter and presents various filters that process epsilon transitions, look-ahead along paths, and push forward labels along epsilon paths. These filters, either individually or in combination, make it possible to compose some transducers much more efficiently in time and space than otherwise possible. We present examples of this drawn, in part, from demanding speech-processing applications. The generalized composition algorithm and many of these filters have been included in Open-Fst, an open-source weighted transducer library.
Expression of the Pem Homeobox Gene in Sertoli Cells Increases the Frequency of Adjacent Germ Cells with Deoxyribonucleic Acid Strand Breaks

Pem is a member of the homeobox transcription factor family that is expressed in somatic cells in male and female reproductive tissues. In the murine testis, Pem is specifically expressed in Sertoli cells, where it is dramatically induced at the initiation of meiosis during the first wave of spermatogenesis and then later is restricted to stages IV-VIII of the seminiferous epithelial cycle. To study the function of Pem in Sertoli cells, we generated transgenic mice that express Pem in Sertoli cells during all stages of the seminiferous epithelial cycle. This resulted in a large increase (6-fold) in the number of preleptotene spermatocytes with double-strand DNA breaks and a modest increase (2.5-fold) in the number of elongating spermatids (steps 9 and 10) with single-strand DNA breaks, based on terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase-mediated deoxyuridine 5'-triphosphate nick end labeling and comet analysis. The average number of DNA strand breaks in these germ cell populations also increased. Despite the transient increase in DNA strand breaks, Pem transgenic mice exhibited no significant anomalies in spermatogenesis, fertility, or fecundity. Our results suggest that Pem regulates Sertoli-cell genes that encode secreted or cell-surface proteins that serve to control premeiotic DNA replication, DNA repair, and/or chromatin remodeling in the adjacent germ cells.
Inflammatory bowel disease: an expanding global health problem.

This review provides a summary of the global epidemiology of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). It is now clear that IBD is increasing worldwide and has become a global emergence disease. IBD, which includes Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), has been considered a problem in industrial-urbanized societies and attributed largely to a Westernized lifestyle and other associated environmental factors. Its incidence and prevalence in developing countries is steadily rising and has been attributed to the rapid modernization and Westernization of the population. There is a need to reconcile the most appropriate treatment for these patient populations from the perspectives of both disease presentation and cost. In the West, biological agents are the fastest-growing segment of the prescription drug market. These agents cost thousands of dollars per patient per year. The healthcare systems, and certainly the patients, in developing countries will struggle to afford such expensive treatments. The need for biological therapy will inevitably increase dramatically, and the pharmaceutical industry, healthcare providers, patient advocate groups, governments and non-governmental organizations should come to a consensus on how to handle this problem. The evidence that IBD is now affecting a much younger population presents an additional concern. Meta-analyses conducted in patients acquiring IBD at a young age also reveals a trend for their increased risk of developing colorectal cancer (CRC), since the cumulative incidence rates of CRC in IBD-patients diagnosed in childhood are higher than those observed in adults. In addition, IBD-associated CRC has a worse prognosis than sporadic CRC, even when the stage at diagnosis is taken into account. This is consistent with additional evidence that IBD negatively impacts CRC survival. A continuing increase in IBD incidence worldwide associated with childhood-onset of IBD coupled with the diseases’ longevity and an increase in oncologic transformation suggest a rising disease burden, morbidity, and healthcare costs. IBD and its associated neoplastic transformation appear inevitable, which may significantly impact pediatric gastroenterology and adult CRC care. Due to an infrastructure gap in terms of access to care between developed vs. developing nations and the uneven representation of IBD across socioeconomic strata, a plan is needed in the developing world regarding how to address this emerging problem.
Hydrodynamic Model for Microscale Flows in a Channel With Two 90 deg Bends

Many microfluidic devices require serpentine channels to allow longer contact length within a compact area. The necessity of understanding the physical laws governing these complicated small geometries is crucial for better design of practical microfluidic systems. At micro-scales the continuum assumption of standard Navier-Stokes equation is no longer valid as the mean free path of the fluid becomes comparable to the dimension of the system. A finite element based hydrodynamic algorithm has been developed recently for analyzing slip flows through two-dimensional micro geometries. This paper documents numerical results for gas flow through a micro-column with two sharp 90° bends. The results obtained show increase in slip effect for higher pressure ratios. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first such published report addressing microflow in this particular
Gas separation by pressure swing adsorption: A pore‐diffusion model for bulk separation

Etude theorique et experimentale. En faisant varier de facon cyclique la pression d'un lit de charbon actif entre 3 et 500 psig (0,021 a 3,445 MPa), a la temperature ambiante, un melange 50/50 H 2 /CH 4 est separe en deux produits de plus de 90% de purete. Toutes les caracteristiques du procede peuvent etre predites par un modele de diffusion dans les pores
Two-Level Correlation on an Analog Computer

It has been known for some time that an approximate correlation analysis of a random process can be performed using quantized values of the signal. The simplest form possible is a two-level correlation, wherein merely the polarities of the process at two sampling times, T1 and T2=T1+? are compared. This report describes a study of this technique, using analog-computer circuitry; it is an interesting example of how existing electronic analog computers can implement essentially digital functions in making accurate statistical measurements.
Keynote Speech 1: New Paths for Test

Summary form only given.Test techniques for screening defective integrated circuits (ICs) after manufacture have to consider potential defects as well as the cost. In the future, test must deal with trends including advances in IC technology which continue to reduce feature sizes, the fact that mixed-signal systems on a chip are becoming a larger fraction of the semiconductor market, and very high transistor densities as well as new transistor technologies which loom over the horizon. This talk will explore the significant impact that these trends will have on the future of test. Test approaches for digital circuits have to deal with failures which are no longer just logic level, and test techniques have to address embedded mixed-signal and RF modules. In addition, with the very large number of potential devices on a chip, test will have to begin to address tolerating defects or on-chip repair for reasonable yields. Some possible directions which show promising solutions to these problems will also be described.
Reversible Work, Irreversibility, and Exergy (Availability)

From thermodynamic point of view, work is considered a macroscopic event, such as raising or lowering a weight or winding or unwinding of a spring. In this, chapter we talk about, which work can be reversible or irreversible and what do we mean by either of these processes.
IFRS For U.S. Companies

Growing acceptance of the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) worldwide and recent actions of the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) indicate that IFRS could soon become a body of accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (U.S.). It is, therefore, very crucial that investors, preparers, auditors, educators and regulators are aware of how this imminent change would affect them. This commentary article addresses this timely issue by critically examining: (1) potential benefits of allowing U.S. firms to adopt IFRS, (2) necessary changes related to the IASB and IFRS, and (3) necessary changes to the U.S. financial reporting infrastructure. It also raises specific concerns that the SEC should consider.
Exacerbation of neurodegeneration by an α-synuclein specific CD4+ effector T cell line in a mouse model of Parkinson’s disease (HUM1P.326)

We have previously shown in the 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) mouse model that T cell-mediated immunity regulates innate immunity to exacerbate neuroinflammation. Effector T cells that recognize nitrated α-synuclein (N-α-syn) as non-self, increase reactive myeloid microglia and inflammatory mediators with prolonged progression and increased dopaminergic neurodegeneration within the substantia nigra (SN) of MPTP treated mice. This study focuses on the generation of an N-α-syn specific CD4+ T cell line with the ability to increase release of reactive nitrogen species (RNS) from myeloid lineage cells and also intensify the loss of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) expressing dopaminergic neurons within the SN of MPTP intoxicated mice. Flow cytometric analysis showed the T cell line exhibited very distinct expression of CD3, CD4 and IL-17a, moderate staining for CD146, yet very little expression of CD8 and FoxP3. Co-culture of the T cells with N-α-syn and BV-2 cells increased RNS production of BV-2 cells by 150% compared to controls. Lastly, adoptive transfer of the T cell line to MPTP intoxicated mice exacerbated the loss of TH+ dopaminergic neurons by 63% compared to controls. Together, these results support the notion that effector T cells specific for N-α-syn increase oxidative stress as measured by RNS release from reactive myeloid microglia, increase the loss of TH+ neurons, and thus may play a pivotal role in the tempo and progression of Parkinson’s disease.
A Press Insider's View of Reconstruction Era Journalism in Washington, D.C., 1865–1877

Abstract The history of Reconstruction era journalism has received little scholarly attention in comparison to Civil War era and New Journalism era press history. Squeezed between these two influential periods in the history of American journalism, the Reconstruction era press seems to have been squeezed out of our history texts and scholarly studies. If one were to draw any conclusions from this “leap-frogging” of the Reconstruction period in American journalism history, it would be that the period is of little significance in the evolution of daily journalism in American history. This article seeks to contribute to a fuller appreciation of the Reconstruction era's impact on American journalism by looking at the world of Washington correspondence during Reconstruction through the eyes of one of the press corps' major figures, Benjamin Perley Poore. It looks inside the life of this prominent correspondent, examining what methods, motives, values, and practices shaped his reporting.
Stepped-Care Research in Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy

The “successive sieves” approach for clinical psychology and psychotherapy interventions refers to a progression from least aggressive, less expensive, (and therefore least invasive) to most aggressive, invasive and, therefore, most expensive hurdles or sieves or stepped care (L’Abate, 1990, pp. 99–102). Since 1997 (L’Abate, 1997c, pp. 315–322) and more recently (L’Abate, 2013), I have advocated nonverbal techniques, that is exercises as an important aspect that should be emphasized in psychotherapy (L’Abate, 2008d). Nonetheless, even though “Evidence is mounting for the benefits of exercises, yet psychologists don’t often use exercises as part of their treatment arsenal (Weir, 2011).” Weir reviewed research on why exercise should be added as part of psychological interventions.
Capital Structure and Firm Value

This note explores the interaction between the use of debt and firm value and provides a brief perspective on the use of debt. It also introduces the notions of financial and operating leverage. In addition, it covers the impact of the use of debt in the presence of no taxes, corporate taxes only, and both personal and corporate taxes.
Microelectromechanical systems for lightwave communication

Publisher Summary This chapter describes communication and lightwave system applications of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). Applications of optical MEMS in telecommunications started in the 1990s when the focus was on the development of devices and fabrication technologies. Many innovative MEMS devices and optical designs have been introduced in the past decade. The telecom boom in the late decade accelerated the maturation of this technology. It is a key enabling technology for dynamic processing of optical signals. Several components have been transformed from laboratory prototypes into packaged products that meet reliability qualifications. Significant progress has been made in optical switches and cross-connects and various wavelength-selective devices. In telecommunications, MEMS switches provide cross-connects with large numbers of ports. A variety of wavelength selective devices, such as reconfigurable optical add–drop multiplexers employ MEMS. More recent devices include tunable lasers and micro disk resonators.
Effects of Diet and Immunosuppression of Mus Musculus on Infestation, Survival, and Growth of Hypoderma Lineatum (Diptera: Oestridae)

White mice fed a vitamin A-deficient diet for 30 days were more susceptible to percutaneous infestation by larvae of Hypodenna lineatum than mice fed complete, pyridoxine-deficient, low-protein (6%), or gelatin-mucin-supplemented diets. Also, the rate of survival of larvae was higher in mice injected twice with 0.5 ml of rabbit antimouse lymphocyte serum and treated with whole-body irradiation (400 rad) than in untreated mice. The largest larvae found in mice fed on the granulomatous tissues of the host surrounding them, and their digestive tracts appeared normal; the midgut epithelium of smaller larvae appeared to be nonfunctional.
Swarm Assignment and Trajectory Optimization Using Variable-Swarm, Distributed Auction Assignment and Model Predictive Control

This paper presents a distributed, guidance and control algorithm for reconfiguring swarms composed of hundreds to thousands of agents with limited communication and computation capabilities. This algorithm solves both the optimal assignment and collision- free trajectory generation for swarms, in an integrated manner, when given the desired shape of the swarm (without pre-assigned terminal positions). The optimal assignment problem is solved using a distributed auction assignment that can vary the number of target positions in the assignment, and the collision-free trajectories are generated using sequential convex programming. Finally, model predictive control is used to solve the assignment and trajectory generation in real time using a receding horizon. The model predictive control formulation uses current state measurements to resolve for the optimal assignment and trajectory. The implementation of the distributed auction algorithm and sequential convex programming using model predictive control produces the swarm assignment and trajectory optimization algorithm that transfers a swarm of spacecraft to a desired shape in a distributed fashion. Once the desired shape is uploaded to the swarm, the algorithm determines where each spacecraft goes and how it should get there in a fuel-efficient, collision-free manner.
Lesser proximal interphalangeal joint arthrodesis: a retrospective analysis of the peg-in-hole and end-to-end procedures.

A retrospective study was performed to compare the prevalence of complications in peg-in-hole and end-to-end arthrodesis procedures. The authors reviewed 177 second, third, and fourth proximal interphalangeal joint fusions for the correction of hammer toe deformities in 85 patients from 1988 to 1998 at the Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine. The average age of the patients was 49 years. Sixteen percent (14) of the subjects were male and 84% were (71) female. Upon follow-up, the fourth digit was generally associated with a greater number of complications for the end-to-end and peg-in-hole procedures, with the second digit being the most common site of fusion. The prevalence of complications was evaluated using contingency table analysis and expressed as a percent of total complications (27%, the end-to-end group; 17%, the peg-in-hole group). A subset of complications deemed clinically relevant was also computed. Similarly, the prevalence of clinically relevant complications for the end-to-end (...
Translocations are infrequent among couples having repeated spontaneous abortions but no other abnormal pregnancies

During the years 1977 to 1986, cytogenetic studies were performed on 342 women and 297 men whose reproductive history included one or more first trimester spontaneous abortions. Thirty-nine women and 35 men experienced not only early fetal losses but also one or more stillborn infants, liveborn anomalous infants, or early neonatal deaths. Among the 303 women and 262 men evaluated solely because of repetitive abortions, only 1 woman and 1 man showed a translocation. Two translocations were detected among the 39 women and 35 men having not only repetitive abortions but also a stillborn infant, anomalous liveborn, or unexplained neonatal death. Only among the 25 women having abortions and other abnormal perinatal events was the frequency of translocations high (2/25 or 8%). Our data continue to indicate that balanced chromosomal translocations are relatively infrequent in individuals having repeated abortions but no other adverse perinatal outcome.
Strategic Matching of Teachers and Schools with (and without) Accountability Pressure

Accountability systems are designed to introduce market pressures to increase efficiency in education. One potential channel by which this can occur is to match with effective teachers in the transfer market. I use a smooth maximum score estimator model, North Carolina data, and the state's bonus system to analyze how teachers and schools change matching behavior in response to accountability pressure. Schools under a high degree of accountability pressure match with teachers who are better at raising test scores. Estimation with a control year sample (when pressure was absent) bolsters these findings. Accountability pressure seems to motivate schools to compete for effective teachers.
Regorafenib for treatment of imatinib- and sunitinib-resistant metastatic gastrointestinal stromal tumors

ABSTRACTIntroduction: The treatment of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) has been transformed by the use of small molecule KIT/PDGFRA tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Unfortunately, most GIST tumors develop resistance to front-line (imatinib) and second-line (sunitinib) therapy. Regorafenib, a multi-targeted KIT/PDGFRA/VEGFR oral TKI, has been shown to improve progression-free survival in the third- or fourth-line setting.Areas covered: This review encompasses the pre-clinical and clinical studies of regorafenib for treatment of GIST. The reviewed studies were all those retrievable using the PubMed database as of December 2015.Expert opinion: Based on the results of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase III study, regorafenib is now firmly established as the only proven third-line therapy. Regorafenib’s activity in this setting is believed to be due to its activity against oncogenic forms of KIT/PDGFRA. Side effects are common with this agent; however, they can be effectively manag...
Effect of Fluoroquinolones and Macrolides on Eradication and Resistance of Haemophilus influenzae in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Little is known about the effect of antibiotics on eradication of carriage and development of resistance in Haemophilus influenzae in individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Our goals were to assess antibiotic susceptibilities, prevalence of resistance genes, and development of resistance in H. influenzae and to evaluate the effect of macrolide and fluoroquinolone administration on H. influenzae eradication. Data were from a 15-year longitudinal study of COPD. Genome sequence data were used to determine genotype and identify resistance genes. MICs of antibiotics were determined by reference broth microdilution. Generalized linear mixed models were used to evaluate associations between antibiotic use and H. influenzae eradication. We examined 267 H. influenzae isolates from 77 individuals. All newly acquired H. influenzae isolates were susceptible to azithromycin. Five of 27 (19%) strains developed 4-fold increases in azithromycin MICs and reached or exceeded the susceptibility breakpoint (≤4 μg/ml) during exposure. H. influenzae isolates were uniformly susceptible to ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, and moxifloxacin (MIC90s of 0.015, 0.015, and 0.06, respectively); there were no mutations in quinolone resistance-determining regions. Fluoroquinolone administration was associated with increased H. influenzae eradication compared to macrolides (odds ratio [OR], 16.67; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.67 to 104.09). There was no difference in H. influenzae eradication when comparing macrolide administration to no antibiotic (OR, 1.89; 95% CI, 0.43 to 8.30). Fluoroquinolones are effective in eradicating H. influenzae in individuals with COPD. Macrolides are ineffective in eradicating H. influenzae, and their use in COPD patients may lead to decreased macrolide susceptibility and resistance.
OSTEOSARCOMA-SPECIFIC DIALYZABLE EXTRACTS: PROPHYLAXIS POST-SURGERY IN AN ANIMAL MODEL OF HUMAN OSTEOSARCOMA

Publisher Summary Human osteosarcoma (OS) grown in vivo after injection of OS cells into the fetus of in utero tolerized hamsters can be used as a model to evaluate OS-specific dialyzable extracts (DLE); in an experiment described in the chapter, this agent given after surgical removal of the tumor at 15 days, dramatically increased the survival time (60% survival, 300 days), whereas DLE with other specificity or devoid of known specificity, produced no increase in survival time. In animals given saline instead of DLE, 60% survived 30 days (100% mortality by 90 days). The incidence of microscopic pulmonary metastases is also dramatically decreased at 60 days by DLE–osteosarcoma-associated antigens (OSAA) (20% metastases, control 100%). Without prior resection of the primary OS, the DLE–OSAA even if given immediately after the tumor were palpable, had no significant prophylactic effect on metastases. Thus, this model gives results closely similar if not identical to that of human osteosarcoma in that DLE–OSAA but not other DLE often prevents metastases, and resultant death, but only if the primary tumor has first been removed.
EnhancerAtlas: a resource for enhancer annotation and analysis in 105 human cell/tissue types

Motivation: Multiple high-throughput approaches have recently been developed and allowed the discovery of enhancers on a genome scale in a single experiment. However, the datasets generated from these approaches are not fully utilized by the research community due to technical challenges such as lack of consensus enhancer annotation and integrative analytic tools. Results: We developed an interactive database, EnhancerAtlas, which contains an atlas of 2,534,123 enhancers for 105 cell/tissue types. A consensus enhancer annotation was obtained for each cell by summation of independent experimental datasets with the relative weights derived from a cross-validation approach. Moreover, EnhancerAtlas provides a set of useful analytic tools that allow users to query and compare enhancers in a particular genomic region or associated with a gene of interest, and assign enhancers and their target genes from a custom dataset. Availability and Implementation: The database with analytic tools is available at http://www.enhanceratlas.org/. Contact: ude.imhj@naiq.gnaij or ude.pohc.liame@1knat Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Sticky Situation: An Investigation of Robust Aqueous-Based Recombinant Spider Silk Protein Coatings and Adhesives

The mechanical properties and biocompatibility of spider silks have made them one of the most sought after and studied natural biomaterials. A biomimetic process has been developed that uses water to solvate purified recombinant spider silk proteins (rSSps) prior to material formation. The absence of harsh organic solvents increases cost effectiveness, safety, and decreases the environmental impact of these materials. This development allows for the investigation of aqueous-based rSSps as coatings and adhesives and their potential applications. In these studies it was determined that fiber-based rSSps in nonfiber formations have the capability to coat and adhere numerous substrates, whether rough, smooth, hydrophobic, or hydrophilic. Further, these materials can be functionalized for a variety of processes. Drug-eluting coatings have been made with the capacity to release a variety of compounds in addition to their inherent ability to prevent blood clotting and biofouling. Additionally, spider silk protei...
Technique and outcomes of bladder neck intussusception during robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy: A parallel comparative trial.

Abstract Introduction Postprostatectomy incontinence significantly impairs quality of life. Although bladder neck intussusception has been reported to accelerate urinary recovery after open radical retropubic prostatectomy, its adaption to robotic surgery has not been assessed. Accordingly, we describe our technique and compare outcomes between men treated with and without bladder neck intussusception during robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy. Materials and methods We performed a comparative trial of 48 men undergoing robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy alternating between bladder neck intussusception ( n = 24) and nonintussusception ( n = 24). Intussusception was completed using 3-0 polyglycolic acid horizontal mattress sutures anterior and posterior to the bladder neck. We assessed baseline characteristics and clinicopathologic outcomes. Adjusting for age, body mass index, race, and D׳Amico risk classification, we prospectively compared urinary function at 2 days, 2 weeks, 2 months, and last follow-up using the urinary domain of the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index—Short Form. Results Baseline patient characteristics and clinicopathologic outcomes were similar between treatment groups ( P >0.05). Median catheter duration (8 vs. 8 d, P = 0.125) and rates of major postoperative complications (4.2% vs. 4.2%, P = 1.000) did not differ. In adjusted analyses, Expanded Prostate Cancer Index—Short Form urinary scores were significantly higher for the intussusception arm at 2 weeks (65.4 vs. 46.6, P = 0.019) before converging at 2 months (69.1 vs. 68.3, P = 0.929) after catheter removal and at last follow-up (median = 7 mo, 80.5 vs. 77.0; P = 0.665). Conclusions Bladder neck intussusception during robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy is feasible and safe. Although the long-term effects appear limited, intussusception may improve urinary function during the early recovery period.
Origins of Stereoselectivity of Chiral Vicinal Diamine-Catalyzed Aldol Reactions.

The sources of asymmetric induction in aldol reactions catalyzed by cinchona alkaloid-derived amines, and chiral vicinal diamines in general, have been determined by density functional theory calculations. Four vicinal diamine-catalyzed aldol reactions were examined. The cyclic transition states of these reactions involve nine-membered hydrogen-bonded rings in distinct conformations. Using nomenclature from eight-membered cycloalkanes, the heavy atoms of the low-energy transition states are in crown (chair–chair) and chair-boat conformations. The factors that control which of these are favored have been identified.