cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Morphology in Conjunction with Immunohistochemistry is Sufficient for the Diagnosis of Mammary Analogue Secretory Carcinoma

The recently described mammary analogue secretory carcinoma (MASC) is a low-grade salivary gland malignancy that harbors the recurrent cytogenetic abnormality t(12;15) (p13;q25) ETV6-NTRK3. Confirmation of this is currently considered the gold standard for diagnosis. Some have postulated that morphology together with supporting immunohistochemistry is sufficient to diagnose MASC. In this study we retrospectively review a series of 19 MASCs diagnosed based on histology in conjunction with immunohistochemistry; subsequently we performed in situ hybridization using an ETV6 break-apart probe. Immunohistochemistry for S100 protein and mammaglobin as well as fluorescence in situ hybridization using the Vysis ETV6 Dual Color Break-Apart FISH Probe Kit were performed on all cases. The 19 cases were from 12 females and 7 males with ages ranging from 16 to 76 years (mean = 45 years). Sixteen cases were from the parotid gland, 1 case was from a periparotid lymph node and 2 cases were from the submandibular gland. All 19 cases demonstrated moderate to strong expression of S100 protein. Eighteen cases demonstrated strong, diffuse expression of mammaglobin, while one case had only rare tumor cells that strongly expressed mammaglobin. Eighteen of 19 cases (95 %) demonstrated the ETV6 rearrangement by fluorescence in situ hybridization. Given that morphology together with immunohistochemistry is highly correlated with the ETV6 gene rearrangement, we conclude that molecular confirmation is not required to diagnose MASC.
Pathophysiology of perennial allergic rhinitis

Allergic rhinitis involves an early phase, largely mediated through mast cells, and a late phase which involves cellular infiltration and mediator release. In the early phase, mast cells release mediators as a result of antigen cross-linking adjacent immunoglobulin E molecules bound to mast cell surfaces. This results in an accumulation of histamine which gives rise to the characteristic symptoms of rhinitis - sneezing, itching, rhinorrhoea and congestion. The late phase of the allergic response (hours after challenge) involves infiltration of the nasal epithelium by eosinophils, basophils, monocytes and T-lymphocytes, which release leukotrienes, kinins, histamine and a host of other mediators. The most important part of the late-phase response is probably mediated via the production of cytokines (IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, GM-CSF and RANTES) by mast cells, Th2 lymphocytes or epithelial cells. The infiltration of tissues by cells normally present only in the blood is brought about by the production of adhesion molecules, such as VCAM-1 and E-selectin, which cause circulating eosinophils, basophils and T-lymphocytes to adhere to endothelial cells before moving through the endothelium into the tissue (diapedesis). Neuronal reflexes also play a role in the allergic response, both by mediating local responses to mediators and possibly playing a part in the activation of T-lymphocytes. The allergic response has also been shown to be less intense in a hot, humid environment, and more marked in a cold, dry environment, possibly due to changes in osmolality of the nasal surface fluid. Similar factors may play a role in the actiology of non-allergic rhinitis.
A note on the interpretation of perseveration in discrimination

The effect of one judgment upon the next judgment in a discrimination situation is considered to be the result of two types of perseveration. One arises from the judgment itself. The other results from a persistence, from one trial to the next, of a transient bias. It is shown that the resulting perseveration can then be a function of the difficulty of the first of the pair of choices. Expressions are derived from which the extent of each effect can be measured from observed proportions of responses.
Dionaea muscipula (Venus Flytrap) Establishment, Release, and Response of Associated Species in Mowed Patches on the Rims of Carolina Bays

Carolina bays are depression wetlands of high conservation value that occur across the Southeastern Coastal Plain of the United States. Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) is one rare carnivorous plant that grows in open habitats on the rims of Carolina bays. Without frequent burning, vegetation on bay rims becomes dominated by evergreen shrubs and Venus flytrap populations decline. This project examined the utility of mechanical mowing, soil clearing, transplanting, and seeding as an approach to restoring populations of Venus flytraps when fire is precluded. Mowing of patches on bay rims produced open sites with little ground-layer vegetation. After two growing seasons, adult Venus flytraps transplanted to mowed patches showed high survivorship and relatively high leaf number/plant. Suppressed Venus flytraps existing on-site quickly initiated growth in response to mowing. These volunteers and the transplants had higher flowering percentages than plants in reference populations. Seeds of Venus flytraps were scattered in mowed and cleared plots. Seedling establishment was low, but seedlings persisted into the second growing season. Mowing created suitable habitat for growth and flowering of adult Venus flytraps and facilitated establishment of two other carnivorous species, Sundew (Drosera capillaris) and Bladderwort (Utricularia subulata). But, mowing and clearing also facilitated invasion by four species of grasses and rushes; evergreen shrubs resprouted quickly after mowing. Maintaining persistent openings by mowing the rims of Carolina bays will be an ongoing challenge due to availability of potential invaders and rapid regrowth of shrubs.
Microwave Conductivity Resonance of Two-Dimensional Hole System

We have measured microwave conductivity, Ressxxd, of a high quality two-dimensional hole system (2DHS) in the high magnetic field (B) insulating phase for frequency ( f) between 0.2 and 9 GHz. For n , 0.3, Ressxxd vs f shows a well-defined peak at frequency fpk. As B is increased, the maximal Ressxxd increases. The resonance Q (fpk divided by full line width at half maximum) increases linearly with B. fpk vs B increases, but is nearly flat, at 1.25 GHz, for B $ 10 T. Oscillator strength, S, measured by integrating the spectrum, is likewise flat for B $ 10 T. The simultaneously B-independent S and fpk are inconsistent with the conventional (Fukuyama-Lee) interpretation of the resonance as a Wigner crystal pinning mode. [S0031-9007(97)03876-3]
Using Fisher information to compute ideal-observer performance on detection tasks

In medical imaging, signal detection is one of the most important tasks. A common way to evaluate the performance of an imaging system for a signal-detection task is to calculate the detectability of the ideal observer. Since the detectability of an ideal observer is not always easy to calculate, it is useful to have approximations for it. These approximations can also be used to check the bias of numerical computations of the ideal-observer detectability. For signal detection tasks, we usually have two probability densities for the data vector, the signal-absent density and the signal-present density. In this work, we use a single probability density with a variable scalar or vector parameter to represent the corresponding densities under the two hypotheses. The ideal-observer detectability is derived from the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the ideal observer for the given detection task. We have found that we can develop expansions for the square of this detectability as a function of the signal parameter, and that the lowest order expansions involve the Fisher information matrix for the problem of estimating the signal parameter. There are four basic methods we have considered for deriving such expansions. We compute these approximations to ideal-observer detectability for several cases. We compare these to the exact detectability values for these same cases, derived from results in previous work, to examine the usefulness of these approaches. The idea of using one parameterized probability density function is introduced in order to relate detection performance to estimation performance. Even without an analytical expression for ideal-observer detectability we are able to compute analytical forms for its derivatives in terms of the Fisher information matrix and similarly defined statistical moments. The results suggest that there is a connection between the performance of a system on signal-detection tasks and signal-estimation tasks.
Study of Absolute Visual Detection by the Rating-Scale Method*

Dark-adapted observers were asked to use a 5-point rating scale in reporting whether they had seen a briefly exposed 1° square slightly off the fovea. The square, at constant luminance, was presented only on half the trials (s trials); nothing was presented on the remaining trials (n trials). The results were compared to two theories of absolute visual detection: (1) A two-state low-threshold theory according to which one fixed threshold exists, which, however, may be exceeded on an appreciable proportion of catch trials. (2) Statistical-decision theory, according to which (a) no fixed thresholds exist at all, but merely decision criteria that the observer can alter in accordance with instructions, and (b) the internal events arising on s and n trials may be described by two Gaussian distributions. The second theory received much stronger support from the data obtained in these experiments.
The Dependence of Single Particle Stability on Net Chromaticity in CESR, near Qn = 9 + 1/3

It was originally suggested on purely theoretical grounds that the synchrobetatron sidebands of non-linear resonances, caused by betatron tune modulation, could lead to chaos, or stochasticity. This happens with both beam-beam and magnetic resonances, when the sidebands, which are typically as wide as the main resonance, overlap. The overlap criterion becomes more severe for lower frequency modulations. A real experiment with the ''non linear lens'' in the SPS was in semi-quantitative agreement with numerical experiments, and with the one dimensional theory. The SPS experience with the beam-beam effect is also in reasonable quantitative agreement with numerical models, and one dimensional theory, although only a limited amount of real experimental data is available.
Artificial Cooling of Power Cable [includes discussion]

WHILE THE ARTIFICIAL COOLING of rotating machinery and transformers is a practice which is familiar to most electrical engineers, it rarely has been used in the past in cable work. However, with the growth of load and the increased congestion which has resulted therefrom in power stations, substations, and their immediate neighborhood, artificial cooling of cables has become essential in some locations and economically desirable in others.
Upper bounds for the eigenvalues of the solution of the discrete algebraic Lyapunov equation

Upper bounds for summations including the trace, and for products including the determinant, of the eigenvalues of the solution of the discrete algebraic Lyapunov equation (DALE) are presented. All bounds are derived from the matrix series solution of the DALE. The majority of the bounds are tighter than those in the literature. >
The Intellectual Property of Sovereign Tribes

This article discusses how indigenous groups are using intellectual property rights (IPR) law and how these rights are being expanded. Indigenous groups and their advocates in the United States, Canada, and other countries are experimenting aggressively with IPR to solve a keenly felt problem: how to gain control over what outsiders can use of indigenous culture. The main instruments of intellectual property are ill suited for this job; however, the applications of IPR for tribal groups are not negligible and are providing some legal protections. Indigenous groups and their advocates are also conducting an extensive global campaign to modify or supplement existing IPR instruments to make them more useful for protecting traditional culture. In the interim, indigenous groups are relying on measures at the level of their reservations and tribal governments that, in varying degrees, impose some collective control over outsiders' unfettered appropriation of their cultural information.
A SMALL-SCALE SURVEY OF HANTAVIRUS IN MAMMALS FROM INDIANA

In order to determine if hantaviruses were present in mice and other small mammals in Indiana (USA), small mammals were trapped in Brown, LaPorte, Tippecanoe and Whitley counties. Sixty-seven small mammals were trapped during August and September 1994. Sixty-three Peromyscus leucopus, one Microtus pennsylvanicus, one Zapus hudsonius and two Blarina brevicauda were captured and tested for hantaviruses. Six P. leucopus were found to have antibody to Sin Nombre virus (SN) by IgG ELISA, and a 139 bp fragment of SN-like hantavirus was amplified from five of them. All six of the positive P. leucopus were from LaPorte County. No other small mammals had evidence of infection with SN virus. This study presents the first report of Sin Nombre-like hantavirus in P. leucopus from Indiana.
Conformational changes in cytochrome oxidase as studied by sedimentation difference

Abstract Sedimentation difference measurements show that a conformational change occurs in cytochrome oxidase upon reduction. The nature of the change in the sedimentation coefficient indicates an expansion of the molecule when the oxidized enzyme is reduced. A much smaller conformational change is detected when the a2a23CO and a2a23 and a3a23CO species are compared, indicating a relationship between conformation and the oxidation state of heme a.
PiclesTM: A simulator for virtual world education and training in process dynamics and control

PiclesTM, the Process Identification and Control Loop Explorer System, is IBM-PC-compatible software now being used in process dynamics and control courses around the world. Picles is an easy-to-use training simulator that provides hands-on experience to those studying this often abstract and mathematic subject. Picles contains a number of real-world processes and controller algorithms, animated in color-graphic display, for exploration and learning. One big contribution this software makes to the educational process is that Picles provides a convenient means for exploring real-world applications of a broad range of theoretical concepts. Such hands-on reinforcement of theory creates a learning environment never before possible for this subject. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
The impact of microRNA expression on cellular proliferation

As an important class of non-coding regulatory RNAs, microRNAs (miRNAs) play a key role in a range of biological processes. These molecules serve as post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression and their regulatory activity has been implicated in disease pathophysiology and pharmacological traits. We sought to investigate the impact of miRNAs on cellular proliferation to gain insight into the molecular basis of complex traits that depend on cellular growth, including, most prominently, cancer. We examined the relationship between miRNA expression and intrinsic cellular growth (iGrowth) in the HapMap lymphoblastoid cell lines derived from individuals of different ethnic backgrounds. We found a substantial enrichment for miRNAs (53 miRNAs, FDR < 0.05) correlated with cellular proliferation in pooled CEU (Caucasian of northern and western European descent) and YRI (individuals from Ibadan, Nigeria) samples. Specifically, 119 miRNAs (59 %) were significantly correlated with iGrowth in YRI; of these miRNAs, 18 were correlated with iGrowth in CEU. To gain further insight into the effect of miRNAs on cellular proliferation in cancer, we showed that over-expression of miR-22, one of the top iGrowth-associated miRNAs, leads to growth inhibition in an ovarian cancer cell line (SKOV3). Furthermore, over-expression of miR-22 down-regulates the expression of its target genes (MXI1 and SLC25A37) in this ovarian cancer cell line, highlighting an miRNA-mediated regulatory network potentially important for cellular proliferation. Importantly, our study identified miRNAs that can be used as molecular targets in cancer therapy.
Methyl-radical association studied by time-resolved mass spectroscopy

Time-resolved mass spectroscopy has been utilized to study the kinetics of methylradical association. The rate coefficient for the association process was determined by following the time dependence of ethane formation after flash photolysis of CH3I in the presence of N2. The net rate coefficient for the process 2CH3 (+M) → C2H6(+M) has a high-pressure limit of (4.0 ± 0.3) × 10−11 cm3 molecule−1 sec−1 at 313°K. This rate coefficient has found to be insensitive to the third-body number densities for pressures ranging from 13 Torr down to below 0.5 Torr, indicating that the lifetime for dissociation of the intermediate C2H6* species is greater than 2 × 10−7 sec at 313°K for a gas pressure of 0.5 Torr.
The globular tail domain of myosin va functions as an inhibitor of the myosin va motor

The actin-activated ATPase activity of full-length mammalian myosin Va is well regulated by Ca2+, whereas that of truncated myosin Va without the C-terminal globular tail domain (GTD) is not. Here, we have found that exogenous GTD is capable of inhibiting the actin-activated ATPase activity of GTD-deleted myosin Va. A series of truncated constructs of myosin Va further showed that the entire length of the first coiled-coil (coil-1) of the tail domain is critical for GTD-dependent regulation of myosin Va and that deletion of 58 residues from the C-terminal end of coil-1 markedly hampered regulation. Negative staining electron microscopy revealed that GTD-deleted myosin Va formed a "Y"-shaped structure, which was converted to a triangular shape, similar to the structure of full-length myosin Va in the inhibited state, by addition of exogenous GTD. In contrast, the triangular shape was not observed when the C-terminal 58 residues of coil-1 were deleted, even in the presence of exogenous GTD. Based on these results, we propose a model for the formation of the inhibited state of myosin Va. GTD binds to the C-terminal end of coil-1. The neck-tail junction of myosin Va is flexible, and the long neck enables the head domain to reach the GTD associated with the end of coil-1. Once the head interacts with the GTD, the triangular inhibited conformation is stabilized. Consistent with this model, we found that shortening of the neck of myosin Va by two IQ motifs abolished the regulation by GTD, whereas regulation was partially restored by shortening of coil-1 by an amount comparable to that of the two IQ motifs.
USING BATSE OBSERVATIONS TO TEST THE COMPTON ATTENUATION SPECTRAL THEORY OF COSMOLOGICAL GAMMA-RAY BURSTS

The Compton attenuation theory provides an explanation for the characteristic spectral energy possessed by gamma-ray bursts. It makes several predictions that can be tested with current data, two of which are the characteristic shape of the spectrum and the presence of an X-ray excess. We have performed these tests by fitting the Compton attenuation spectral model to 25 gamma-ray bursts from the BATSE 3B catalog. Minimizing χ2 with four free parameters, we find values of χ2 with the same level of significance as the values found for the best-fitting four-parameter models of previous studies. The X-ray upturn makes the χ2 for the Compton attenuation spectrum smaller than for a comparison spectrum that is a power law over the X-ray energy band. The values of the free parameters derived from the model fits are physically meaningful, and each describes the spectrum over a different frequency band. The absence of a correlation between z and the energy in the comoving frame of the peak of the νFν curve provides support for the model's physical validity. A model fit to a gamma-ray burst's spectrum between 5 and 100 keV gives the redshift of the source; we typically find values of z between 1 and 5. The spread in z are consistent with the spread of redshifts for a broad luminosity function, but the large values require source evolution. Additional tests of the theory are available with current experiments and will be possible with several planned and proposed experiments.
Critical Thickness of ZnTe on GaSb(211)B

An important parameter for heteroepitaxial material systems is the critical thickness h c. To date, for the material system ZnTe on GaSb, agreement between experimental and theoretical values of h c has been poor. In this paper, we present results of an experimental study of h c for ZnTe layers on GaSb(211)B substrates based on a combination of high-resolution x-ray diffraction and photoluminescence measurements. Our experimentally determined h c value of 350 nm to 375 nm agrees well with the models of Cohen-Solal and Dunstan.
Relationships of preservice early childhood teachers’ cultural values, ethical and cognitive developmental levels, and Views of Nature of Science

This study explored relationships between preservice early childhood teachers’ views of nature of science (NOS), cognitive developmental levels, and their cultural values. Using the Views of Nature of Science Questionnaire (VNOS-B) and interviews, we assessed views of NOS. The Learning Context Questionnaire (LCQ) was used to determine the cognitive levels. Using the Schwartz Values Inventory, we determined cultural values. We analyzed the preservice teachers’ views of NOS by searching for patterns in responses to the VNOS-B by Perry position on the LCQ. We used SPSS to find significant correlations between cultural values and associated subscales’ cognitive levels. We found that though preservice teachers at all Perry positions held misconceptions about NOS, there were patterns of views by position; those at the position of dualism described their views in terms of one right truth, while those at the multiplicity position described their views in terms of analyzing evidence from many different interpretations.
A theoretical evaluation of plasticity hardening algorithms for nonproportional loadings

Incremental plasticity theories are being incorporated into many engineering numerical analyses. There are two basic categories of incremental plasticity algorithms, (i) multiple surface such as proposed by Mroz and Garud, and (ii) the Armstrong-Frederick type as modified by Chaboche et al. Engineering bounds on the general applicability of these models for cyclic loading have not been the subject of a detailed investigation. Similar first order stress-strain results are obtained for proportional loadings when either category of hardening rules is chosen.
Diversity of Contaminant Reduction Reactions by Zerovalent Iron: Role of the Reductate

The reactions of 8 model contaminants with 9 types of granular Fe(0) were studied in batch experiments using consistent experimental conditions. The model contaminants (herein referred to as reductates because they were reduced by the iron metal) included cations (Cu2+), anions (CrO42-; NO3-; and 5,5,7,7-indigotetrasulfonate), and neutral species (2-chloroacetophenone; 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene; carbon tetrachloride; and trichloroethene). The diversity of this range of reductates offers a uniquely broad perspective on the reactivity of Fe(0). Rate constants for disappearance of the reductates vary over as much as 4 orders of magnitude for particular reductates (due to differences in the 9 types of iron) but differences among the reductates were even larger, ranging over almost 7 orders of magnitude. Various ways of summarizing the data all suggest that relative reactivities with Fe(0) varies in the order: Cu2, I4S > 2CAP, TNT > CT, Cr6 > TCE > NO3. Although the reductate h as the largest effect on disappearance kinetics, more subtle differences in reactivity due to the type of Fe(0) suggests that removal of Cr6 and NO3 (the inorganic anions) involves adsorption to oxides on the Fe(0), whereas the disappearance kinetics of all other types of reductants is favored by reduction on comparatively oxide-free metal.more » Correlation analysis of the disappearance rate constants using descriptors of the reductates calculated by molecular modeling (energies of the lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals, LUMO, highest occupied molecular orbitals, HOMO, and HOMO-LUMO gaps) showed that reactivities generally increase with decreasing ELUMO and increasing EGAP (and, therefore, increasing chemical hardness h).« less
Application of characteristic secondary ion mass spectroscopy to phase identification in amorphous titanium carbide

Abstract Concentration-depth profiles of amorphous titanium carbide films were performed using secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS). Investigations were carried out based on the concept of characteristic mass spectra (fingerprint spectra). The studies showed that the three phases TiO2, TiO, and Tic coexist in the coatings, rather than forming a TiCO oxycarbide solid solution.
Mrs: MapReduce for Scientific Computing in Python

The MapReduce parallel programming model is designed for large-scale data processing, but its benefits, such as fault tolerance and automatic message routing, are also helpful for computationally-intensive algorithms. However, popular MapReduce frameworks such as Hadoop are slow for many scientific applications and are inconvenient on supercomputers and clusters which are common in research institutions. Mrs is a Python-based MapReduce framework that is well suited for scientific computing. We present comparisons of programs and run scripts to argue that Mrs is more convenient than Hadoop, the most popular MapReduce implementation. We also demonstrate that Mrs outperforms Hadoop for several types of problems that are relevant to scientific computing. In particular, Mrs demonstrates per-iteration overhead of about 0.3 seconds for Particle Swarm Optimization, while Hadoop takes at least 30 seconds for each MapReduce operation, a difference of two orders of magnitude.
DISPERSAL AND COLONIZATION THROUGH OPEN FIELDS BY A TERRESTRIAL, WOODLAND SALAMANDER

The ability of animal species to disperse through matrix habitats is likely to have important implications for species' responses to habitat fragmentation. Within fragmented forests, open fields are among the most common matrix habitats. However, few empirical studies have measured the effects of open habitats on dispersal success of forest-dwelling species. We used two experiments to determine the effects of open habitats and distance on dispersal and colonization by red-backed salamanders, Plethodon cinereus. In the first experiment, salamanders were displaced from habitat edges 25 m and 55 m into an open field and farther into the forest. Return rates from salamanders crossing the field vs. the forest were then used to determine the barrier effects of open habitats. Although return rate declined with distance, salamanders returned successfully through open habitat as often as they returned successfully through forest. In the second experiment, we constructed “islands” of forest-like habitat within an o...
Epidemic Clostridium difficile Strains Demonstrate Increased Competitive Fitness Compared to Nonepidemic Isolates

Clostridium difficile infection is the most common cause of severe cases of antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD) and is a significant health burden. Recent increases in the rate of C. difficile infection have paralleled the emergence of a specific phylogenetic clade of C. difficile strains (ribotype 027; North American pulsed-field electrophoresis 1 [NAP1]; restriction endonuclease analysis [REA] group BI). Initial reports indicated that ribotype 027 strains were associated with increased morbidity and mortality and might be hypervirulent. Although subsequent work has raised some doubt as to whether ribotype 027 strains are hypervirulent, the strains are considered epidemic isolates that have caused severe outbreaks across the globe. We hypothesized that one factor that could lead to the increased prevalence of ribotype 027 strains would be if these strains had increased competitive fitness compared to strains of other ribotypes. We developed a moderate-throughput in vitro model of C. difficile infection and used it to test competition between four ribotype 027 clinical isolates and clinical isolates of four other ribotypes (001, 002, 014, and 053). We found that ribotype 027 strains outcompeted the strains of other ribotypes. A similar competitive advantage was observed when two ribotype pairs were competed in a mouse model of C. difficile infection. Based upon these results, we conclude that one possible mechanism through which ribotype 027 strains have caused outbreaks worldwide is their increased ability to compete in the presence of a complex microbiota.
Academic Status and Progress of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students in General Education Classrooms

The study participants were 197 deaf or hard-of-hearing students with mild to profound hearing loss who attended general education classes for 2 or more hours per day. We obtained scores on standardized achievement tests of math, reading, and language/writing, and standardized teacher's ratings of academic competence annually, for 5 years, together with other demographic and communication data. Results on standardized achievement tests indicated that, over the 5-year period, 63%-79% of students scored in the average or above-average range in math, 48%-68% in reading, and 55%-76% in language/writing. The standardized test scores for the group were, on average, half an SD below hearing norms. Average student progress in each subject area was consistent with or better than that made by the norm group of hearing students, and 79%-81% of students made one or more year's progress annually. Teachers rated 69%-81% of students as average or above average in academic competence over the 5 years. The teacher's ratings also indicated that 89% of students made average or above-average progress. Students' expressive and receptive communication, classroom participation, communication mode, and parental participation in school were significantly, but moderately, related to academic outcomes.
The Ideological Persuasion of Chiang Kai-Shek

In July 1928, upon the termination of the Northern Expedition, Chiang Kai-shek presented a sacrificial message to the departed leader, Sun Yat-sen, whose body reposed in the Pi-yun Temple outside the city of Peking. Sun had committed his life, Chiang declared, to the attainment of eight tasks in the rebuilding of a new China: (1) the explication of the Kuomintang's principles and the expunging of ‘unorthodox views’, (2) the constructing of a unified party through the curbing of individual freedom and the acceptance of party discipline, (3) the transfer of the national capital to Nanking to symbolize a new beginning for the nation, (4) a purposeful change in the ‘heart’ of the citizenry, (5) the psychological, economic, political and social reconstruction of the nation, (6) the disbanding of troops, (7) the termination of civil strife and a total commitment to national defence, and (8) the speedy introduction of local autonomy. These personal commitments—and public admonitions, as they were also meant to be—covered a wide range of national concerns, dealing as they did with ideology and organization, power and legitimacy, political socialization and national integration. It is noteworthy, however, that Chiang at the moment of personal triumph turned his attention above all to the ideological function of the ruling elite in the transitional Chinese society.
Response to motion in extrastriate area MSTl: center-surround interactions.

Eifuku, Satoshi and Robert H. Wurtz. Response to motion in extrastriate area MSTl: center-surround interactions. J. Neurophysiol. 80: 282–296, 1998. The medial superior temporal area of the macaque...
Educating software engineers to become systems engineers

Our two-semester USC core software engineering project course CS577ab devotes its first semester to having students learn and do systems engineering on a real-client project. This requires a good deal of just-in-time lectures, tutorials, and homework to prepare the students, and feedback in terms of mentoring, artifact grading, and live milestone reviews to help them succeed. This paper provides some initial motivation and context; discusses our approach to introduce systems engineering into software engineering relative to that in the GSwE 2009 curriculum guidelines, SEBOK draft 2010, and SWEBOK 2004; describes the course practices during the systems engineering and software engineering semesters; and summarizes the project results and conclusions.
Broad distribution of ataxin 1 silencing in rhesus cerebella for spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 therapy

Spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 is one of nine polyglutamine expansion diseases and is characterized by cerebellar ataxia and neuronal degeneration in the cerebellum and brainstem. Currently, there are no effective therapies for this disease. Previously, we have shown that RNA interference mediated silencing of ATXN1 mRNA provides therapeutic benefit in mouse models of the disease. Adeno-associated viral delivery of an engineered microRNA targeting ATXN1 to the cerebella of well-established mouse models improved motor phenotypes, neuropathy, and transcriptional changes. Here, we test the translatability of this approach in adult rhesus cerebella. Nine adult male and three adult female rhesus macaque were unilaterally injected with our therapeutic vector, a recombinant adeno-associated virus type 1 (rAAV1) expressing our RNAi trigger (miS1) and co-expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein (rAAV1.miS1eGFP) into the deep cerebellar nuclei using magnetic resonance imaging guided techniques combined with a Stealth Navigation system (Medtronics Inc.). Transduction was evident in the deep cerebellar nuclei, cerebellar Purkinje cells, the brainstem and the ventral lateral thalamus. Reduction of endogenous ATXN1 messenger RNA levels were ≥30% in the deep cerebellar nuclei, the cerebellar cortex, inferior olive, and thalamus relative to the uninjected hemisphere. There were no clinical complications, and quantitative and qualitative analyses suggest that this therapeutic intervention strategy and subsequent reduction of ATXN1 is well tolerated. Collectively the data illustrate the biodistribution and tolerability of rAAV1.miS1eGFP administration to the adult rhesus cerebellum and are supportive of clinical application for spinocerebellar ataxia type 1. * Abbreviations : DCN : deep cerebellar nuclei GFP : green fluorescent protein miRNA : microRNA rAAV : recombinant adeno-associated virus RNAi : RNA interference SCA1 : spinocerebellar ataxia type 1
Parents’ Fear of Febrile Seizures

Parents’ perceptions and knowledge about fever and febrile seizures were determined by a questionnaire study at the Sophia Children’s Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
The Relative Risk of Educational Handicaps in Two Birth Cohorts of Normal and Low Birthweight Disadvantaged Children

An historical prospective study was conducted on 2 birth cohorts of children. Subjects born between 1974 and 1976 (Cohort I, n = 239) and 1978 and 1979 (Cohort II, n = 328) were identified through the medical records of one inner city teaching hospital and stratified by birthweight. The birthweight groups were very low birthweight (VLBW, 2,500 grams). Pertinent perinatal, neonatal, and maternal obstetric information was recorded for each subject. Children were then tracked into the county public school system to determine present educational achievement as an outcome measure. There were no significant differences between cohorts for medical variables. Results indicated an elevated risk for, and higher prevalence of students with, mild educational handicaps (learning disabled, emotionally handicapped, and educable mentally handicapped) in the LBW group of Cohort I. This was not found in Cohort II, which had a nearly...
Registration of HiMag Tall Fescue Germplasm.

HiMag (Reg. no. GP-79, PI 615587) tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) was developed and released by the Missouri Agricultural Experiment Station and the USDA-ARS in 1997. HiMag has relatively high Mg and Ca concentrations and low tetany ratio [K/(Ca + Mg)] expressed as moles of charge. Parental germplasm for the Co cycle of selection for HiMag included 950 plants from 'Kenhy' (Buckner et al., 1977), 831 plants from 'Kentucky-31', and 688 plants from `Missouri-96' (Asay et al., 1979). All plants were endophyte free [ Neotyphodium coenophialum (Morgan-Jones and Gams) Glenn, Bacon, and Hanlin comb. nov.]. Parental plants were transplanted to the field near Columbia, MO, in the fall of 1983. The soil was a Mexico silt loam (a fine, montmorillonitic, mesic Udollic Ochraqualf) with a pH of 6.4. Selection was applied against crown rust (caused by Puccinia coronata Corda. var. coronata), leaving 1011 plants which were harvested in the fall of 1984 and analyzed for elemental concentrations of Mg, Ca, K, and the tetany ratio. Sixty-five plants (11 from Kentucky- 31, 54 from Missouri-96, and 0 from Kenhy) were chosen to generate the C1 cycle of selection. These 65 plants contained 5.0 to 7.0 g kg-1 Mg, 5.0 to 10.2 g kg' Ca, 20 to 33 g K, and had K/(Ca + Mg) values of 0.61 to 0.99. These were allowed to open-pollinate in the greenhouse during the winter of 1985/86. Harvested seeds were germinated in the greenhouse and seedlings were transplanted to the field in the fall of 1986. During the fall of 1987 approximately 1000 plants were analyzed from the CI cycle to determine elemental concentrations of Mg, Ca, K, and the tetany ratio. Forty-six plants chosen for the C2 contained 4.4 to 6.1 g kg -' Mg, 5.5 to 8.1 g kg-' Ca, 17.2 to 30.9 g kg' K, and had tetany ratios of 1.06 to 2.13. These were allowed to open-pollinate in the greenhouse in the winter of 1988-1989. Approximately 1000 seedlings were transplanted to the field having areas of Creldon silt loam (Mollic Fragiudalf) and Hobert silt loam (Umbric Fragiaqualf) at the Southwest Research Center, located near Mt. Vernon, MO, in the fall of 1989. In the summer of 1990, seed was harvested from these spaced plants and planted into an irrigated Portneuf silt loam soil (Durinodic Xeric Haplocalcid) to establish a seed increase block at Kimberly, ID, in April 1991. In 1992, seed from HiMag was harvested with the following characteristics: 1635 kg ha-1, 400 seeds g-1, 2.5 g 1000 seeds-1, and 302 kg m-3.
Functional Role of GABAergic and Glycinergic Inhibition in the Intermediate Nucleus of the Lateral Lemniscus of the Big Brown Bat

The intermediate nucleus of the lateral lemniscus (INLL) is a major input to the inferior colliculus (IC), the auditory midbrain center where multiple pathways converge to create neurons selective for specific temporal features of sound. However, little is known about how INLL processes auditory information or how it contributes to integrative processes at the IC. INLL receives excitatory projections from the cochlear nucleus and inhibitory projections from the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body (MNTB), so it must perform some form of integration. To address the question of what role inhibitory synaptic inputs play in the INLL of the big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus), we recorded sound-evoked responses of single neurons and iontophoretically applied bicuculline to block GABAA receptors or strychnine to block glycine receptors. Neither bicuculline nor strychnine had a consistent effect on response latency or frequency response areas. Bicuculline increased spike counts and response durations in most units, suggesting that GABAergic input suppressed the late part of the response and provided some gain control. Strychnine reduced the responses of some units with sustained discharge patterns to one or a few spikes at stimulus onset, but increased others. INLL is the only part of the auditory system where reduced responsiveness has been seen in vivo while blocking glycine. However, in vitro studies in the MNTB suggest that glycine can be facilitatory, possibly through presynaptic action. These results show that GABA consistently reduces spike counts and response durations, whereas glycine is suppressive in some INLL neurons but facilitatory in others.
Role of peptide YY in the endocrine control of digestion

Peptide YY is released into the circulation after ingestion of a meal, a response that is markedly enhanced in patients with malabsorption. The enhanced release of peptide YY slows gastric emptying and transit of meals through the small intestine. The net effect is increased efficiency of digestion and absorption of nutrients. Once the efficiency of nutrient utilization is optimized and the delivery of unabsorbed nutrients to the distal gut decreased, peptide YY release is inhibited. As peptide YY slows colonic transit, it could also improve salvage of unabsorbed nutrients by enhancing bacterial production of volatile fatty acids and their subsequent absorption by the colonic mucosa.
Switching characteristics of MCT's and IGBT's in power converters

The performances of the Insulated Gate Bipopar Transistor (IGBT) and MOS-Controlled Thyristor (MCT) in hard- and soft-switching applications are studied in detail, both experimentally and by using numerical simulations. Simulated results show good qualitative agreement with the measured data under a wide range of circuit operating conditions. The simulation results are obtained from an advanced mixed device and circuit simulator in which the device under test (DUT) is represented by a two-dimensional (2-D) grid structure and the internal plasma dynamics is studied using a finite element numerical solution technique. A comparison is then made between the switching performance of the bipolar transistor-like device (IGBT) and a thyristor-like device (MCT) in power converters. It is shown that due to a basic difference in the turn-off mechanism, whereas an IGBT shows a tail-current "bump" due to electric field buildup during turn-off, the MCT shows a turn-off "shoulder" due to current flow through the turn-off MOS channel. This leads to much higher losses for MCT than IGBT under identical operating conditions. Furthermore, since the turn-off of MCT involves removal of more carriers from the drift-region, the turn-off is slower than IGBT.
Regulation of Road-Based Public Transportation and Strategies for the Developing World

In most cities of the developing world road-based public transport (i.e., buses, paratransit, jitneys, etc.) is the primary mode of motorized travel. Varying degrees of regulation control its provision; regulation is sometimes the role of government, private organizations, or the operators themselves. Many characteristics of developing world cities and travel markets influence the implementation and performance of regulatory schemes for public transportation. By exploring these factors and the spectrum of regulatory options, it is possible to suggest a methodology framework to make regulation and competition of public transportation services more effective and sustainable. This methodology attempts to capture local conditions, priorities, implementation issues, and sustainability strategies for developing regulatory schemes. Research concludes with suggested practices and strategies to increase the acceptance and sustainability of regulations by maximizing the potential benefits and minimizing the negative impacts.
Civil Society, Political Capital, and Democratization in Central America

Robert Putnam argues that civil society-citizen organizational activity-contributes to successful governance and democracy, outcomes potentially helpful in reconstructing Central America. Putnam does not, however, specify how civil society shapes government performance. We demonstrate how group participation might impinge upon the state through the "political capital" of political participation and democratic norms. We first explore the relationships among two civil society measures (formal group activism and community self-help activism) and social and political capital, employing survey data from Central America. We then investigate the effects of civil society and social and political capital upon levels of democracy. We find that while higher levels of formal group membership and several political capital measures associate with higher levels of democracy, social capital lacks the relationship Putnam predicts. We conclude that political rather than social capital links formal group activism to democra...
Information technology for healthcare transformation

Rising costs, decreasing quality of care, diminishing productivity, and increasing complexity have all contributed to the present state of the healthcare industry. The interactions between payers (e.g., insurance companies and health plans) and providers (e.g., hospitals and laboratories) are growing and are becoming more complicated. The constant upsurge in and enhanced complexity of diagnostic and treatment information has made the clinical decision-making process more difficult. Medical transaction charges are greater than ever. Population-specific financial requirements are increasing the economic burden on the entire system. Medical insurance and identity theft frauds are on the rise. The current lack of comparative cost analytics hampers systematic efficiency. Redundant and unnecessary interventions add to medical expenditures that add no value. Contemporary payment models are antithetic to outcome-driven medicine. The rate of medical errors and mistakes is high. Slow inefficient processes and the lack of best practice support for care delivery do not create productive settings. Information technology has an important role to play in approaching these problems. This paper describes IBM Research's approach to helping address these issues, i.e., the evidence-based healthcare platform.
Improving the SNA Treatment of Transactions within Multinational Enterprises

Multinational enterprises play a unique and important role in the global economy and in national economies. Core measures in the SNA are affected by the treatment of transactions within MNEs under the residence concept, which is effectively a legal concept or a quasi-economic concept rather than a pure economic concept. In the case of MNEs that are structured with legal entities that lack economic substance, legal residence may generate results that are inconsistent with the objectives of the SNA. Furthermore, economic literature on the formation of MNEs, global guidance on the taxation of MNEs, and economic measurement literature on alternatives to legal residence all lend support to a concept of economic residence in lieu of legal residence. Thus, this paper proposes improving the SNA treatment of transactions within MNEs by differentiating SNA supplemental measures under the current effective concept of legal residence from SNA core measures under a pure concept of economic residence.