cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Racial Differences Among Boys With Testicular Germ Cell Tumors in the United States

Purpose: There are marked racial differences in the incidence of testicular germ cell tumors among United States men, with whites having 5 times the incidence of blacks and 3 times that of Asians. Testicular germ cell tumors in boys are rare, and limited racial classification by cancer registries has made attempts to discern racial patterns difficult. We hypothesize that recent diversification of race data by cancer registries may allow for more accurate racial classification, and that there are racial differences in the incidence of testicular germ cell tumors in prepubertal boys.Materials and Methods: We identified all cases of histologically confirmed testicular germ cell cancer in boys 0 to 14 years old between 1992 and 2004 through the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program. We performed subgroup analysis in boys 0 to 9 years old. Race was categorized as white, black, American Indian/Alaska Native or Asian/Pacific Islander. Variables analyzed included age, tumor histology and year of diag...
Body size, male aggression, and male mating success in the cottonwood borer,Plectrodera scalator (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)

The natural history and mating system ofPlectrodera scalator exhibit several unusual characteristics. Larvae and adults feed on the wood and foliage, respectively, of the same plant,Populus deltoides. The population sex ratio, based on censuses of oviposition areas, is female-biased. Females are significantly larger than males, yet males are intensely aggressive. Larger males tend to win escalated battles, which involve grasping of antennae with mandibles, but smaller males can defeat larger males if they grasp their opponent's antenna first. Most escalated fights involve possession of a female, but prior possession does not play a role in determining the outcome of these fights. The size-dependent fighting advantage does not translate into a mating advantage for larger males. There is no significant difference in elytron length or body mass between mating and single males. Larger females are not preferred as mates. The mating system appears to be a mixture of female-defense and scramble-competition tactics. One advantage to males of aggression may be in its effect on sperm precedence. Males appear to be able to remove previously deposited sperm from a female's reproductive tract.
Laboratory fire ant colonies ( Solenopsis invicta ) fail to grow with Bhatkar diet and three other artificial diets

Various artificial diets have been used for rearing imported fire ants; however most of these diets include insect supplements. This study was designed to examine growth of red imported fire ant colonies (Solenopsis invicta Buren) on four artificial diets: a chemically undefined “oligidic” predator diet, two partly defined “meridic” diets utilized by Bhatkar and Whitcomb (Florida Entomol. 53: 229–232, 1970) and Dussutour and Simpson (Insect. Soc. 55: 329–333, 2008) for Solenopsis fire ants and Rhytido-ponera ants, respectively, and finally a completely chemically defined “holidic” diet utilized by Straka and Feldhaar (Insect. Soc. 54: 100–104, 2007a, Insect. Soc. 54: 202, 2007b Erratum) for carpenter ants. Crickets and sugar water were used as a standard diet. After 6 weeks, fire ant colonies fed crickets and sugar water were healthy and had grown considerably. In contrast, colonies fed the artificial diets showed little or no growth demonstrating that these diets are not suitable for rearing healthy fire ant colonies. Nevertheless, the holidic or entirely synthetic Straka diet may provide a suitable basis for further studies of fire ant dietary requirements because it resulted in modest production of all brood stages. We advise caution in using diets that mix sugar and protein into a single “all in one” diet because workers and brood have differing dietary requirements.
Low Design Temperatures of Asphalt Pavements in Dry–Freeze Regions: Predicting by Means of Solar Radiation, Transient Heat Transfer, and Finite Element Method

This paper proposes three mathematical models that use solar radiation theory, transient heat transfer theory, and the finite element method to compute daily solar radiation, determine a thermal-penetration depth as a boundary condition, and eventually estimate pavement temperatures. The objective of this paper is to predict low design temperatures of asphalt pavements in dry-freeze regions. These step-by-step numerical analysis efforts provide pavement engineers and researchers with a method for prediction of low design temperatures of asphalt pavements. Daily solar radiation is calculated as input for determination of the thermal-penetration depth in a semi-infinite asphalt pavement system. Through use of the determined thermal-penetration depth as the prescribed temperature in the process of finite element analysis, the pavement temperature profile, including surface temperatures, can be better calculated. The finite element analysis results are verified with the SHRP, Canadian SHRP, and Superpave® mod...
Discontinuities of the external limiting membrane in the fovea centralis of the primate retina.

In the center of the fovea centralis of retinas of three cynomolgus monkeys, one baboon and one male human, the external limiting membrane contains circumscribed areas in which zonulae adherentes are lacking between cone inner segments and apices of Muller cells. These discontinuities of the external limiting membrane begin about 300 μm from the foveolar center, involving only a few cones. Towards the center of the fovea the discontinuities become larger.
Human midsized neurofilament subunit induces motor neuron disease in transgenic mice

Aberrant accumulation of neurofilaments is a feature of human motor neuron diseases. Experimentally motor neuron disease can be induced in transgenic mice by overexpressing the mouse neurofilament light subunit (NF-L), the human heavy subunit (NF-H), or mouse peripherin. Here we describe that mice harboring a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) transgene containing the human midsized neurofilament subunit (NF-M) gene develop a progressive hind limb paralysis associated with neurofilamentous accumulations in ventral horn motor neurons and axonal loss in ventral motor roots. Biochemical studies revealed that all three mouse neurofilament subunits along with the human NF-M contributed to filament formation, although filaments contained less peripherin. In addition the endogenous mouse NF-M became less phosphorylated in the presence of the human protein and accumulated in the cell bodies of affected neurons even though phosphorylated human NF-M did not. Remaining motor axons contained an increased density of neurofilaments and morphometric studies showed that principally small myelinated axons were lost in the transgenic animals. Removing half of the mouse NF-M by breeding the transgene onto the mouse NF-M heterozygous null background offered no protection against the development of disease, arguing that the effect is not simply due to elevation of total NF-M. Collectively these studies argue that the human and mouse NF-M proteins exhibit distinct biochemical properties and within mouse neurons are not interchangeable and that indeed the human protein may be toxic to some mouse neurons. These studies have implications for the use of human neurofilament transgenic mice as models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Microbiology of Wetwood: Role of Anaerobic Bacterial Populations in Living Trees

Anaerobic bacterial activity was detected in wetwoods of living Populus deltoides Bartr. and Ulmus americana L. by analysis of chemical, structural and microbiological parameters. Wetwood contained significant quantities (≥1.0 mm) of bacterial fermentation products including acetate, butyrate, propionate, ethanol, isobutyrate, isopropanol and methane. Oxygen was not detected in wetwood and the ammonia concentration was low (≥5 μm). Scanning electron microscopy showed that vessel-to-ray pit membranes of wetwood xylem tissue were almost completely destroyed and were associated with dense bacterial populations. Bacterial nitrogenase activity was detected in wetwood samples. Anaerobic bacterial populations in wetwood were as large or larger than populations capable of aerobic growth, and contained (in total cell numbers g-1) heterotrophic (106 to 107), nitrogen-fixing (105 to 106) and methanogenic (103 to 104) species. Anaerobic bacteria were 104 times more numerous in wetwood than in sapwood. Thirteen strains of anaerobic heterotrophic bacteria were isolated and characterized from wetwood and included Clostridium, Bacteroides, Erwinia, Edwardsiella, Klebsiella and Lactobacillus species. Only two strains, a pectindegrading Clostridium species and a nitrogen-fixing Erwinia species, were prevalent in wetwoods of all the trees examined. The metabolic features of the strains examined correlated to the described chemical, structural and microbiological properties of wetwood.
Deformability-based microfluidic cell pairing and fusion

We present a microfluidic cell pairing device capable of sequential trapping and pairing of hundreds of cells using passive hydrodynamics and flow-induced deformation. We describe the design and operation principles of our device and show its applicability for cell fusion. Using our device, we achieved both homotypic and heterotypic cell pairing, demonstrating efficiencies up to 80%. The platform is compatible with fusion protocols based on biological, chemical and physical stimuli with fusion yields up to 95%. Our device further permits its disconnection from the fluidic hardware enabling its transportation for imaging and culture while maintaining cell registration on chip. Our design principles and cell trapping technique can readily be applied for different cell types and can be extended to trap and fuse multiple (>2) cell partners as demonstrated by our preliminary experiments.
THE ACCEPTANCE OF HUMAN RESOURCE INNOVATION BY MULTIPLE CONSTITUENCIES

This study evaluated the acceptance of six human resource (HR) management innovations by multiple constituencies in a large organization using questionnaire data. The programs studied included quality circles, flextime, flexible benefits, job posting, cash awards, and a fitness program. Significant differences in the acceptance of this company's HR innovations were found for the following background variables: program experience, hierarchical level, seniority, and organizational unit. Possible reasons for differences in constituencies' levels of acceptance and practical issues to be considered when implementing HR innovations are discussed.
Shape-Dependent Catalytic Activity of Platinum Nanoparticles in Colloidal Solution

The activation energies and the average rate constants are determined in the 298 K−318 K temperature range for the early stages of the nanocatalytic reaction between hexacyanoferrate (III) and thiosulfate ions using 4.8 ± 0.1 nm tetrahedral, 7.1 ± 0.2 nm cubic, and 4.9 ± 0.1 nm “near spherical” nanocrystals. These kinetic parameters are found to correlate with the calculated fraction of surface atoms located on the corners and edges in each size and shape.
The Role of Culture in Comparative Management: A Cross-Cultural Perspective

For at least the last twenty years, the literature has yielded diverse positions on the transferability of modern management principles into different cultures. A review of the research shows that ...
Optimal approximation and growth of solutions to a class of elliptic partial differential equations

Abstract Function theoretic methods derive Bernstein type theorems for a class of second order elliptic partial differential equations to determine the disk of regularity and growth of solutions at the boundary.
Climatic timescale temperature and precipitation increases on long Island, New York

Abstract Global warming due to increased greenhouse gases is believed to result in not only higher surface temperatures but also an acceleration of the hydrological cycle leading to increased precipitation. Although climate models consistently predict increases in global temperatures due to increasing greenhouse gases and the accompanying global warming, observations at the climatic timescales necessary to confirm the models are rare. Multidecadal studies at global and regional scales are necessary to determine whether the presently observed changes in temperature and precipitation are due to short‐term fluctuations or long‐term trends. In this study, we address this issue by examining changes in temperature and precipitation on Long Island, New York over a 74‐year time period (1931 to 2004) using a network of rain gauges and temperature measurements. The mean annual temperature on Long Island has increased at a rate of 0.05°C per decade, which is less than that of observed global values and is most likel...
A Method to Calculate Boltzmann Entropy

A method is proposed to calculate the Boltzmann non equilibrium entropy as a Taylor series expansion in terms of the successive moments of the velocity distribution function. As a first application, the entropy of the BKW solution of the Boltzmann equation is calculated for both even and odd dimensions. The properties of the entropy of the Tjon Wu modeld=2) are studied and a quantitative condition is derived, showing that the McKean conjecture is incorrect. As a second application of the method, the entropy of one of the solutions of the very hard particle model for the Boltzmann equation is also derived.
Semiclassical trace formulas in the presence of continuous symmetries.

We derive generalizations of the semiclassical trace formula of Gutzwiller (J. Math. Phys. 12, 343 (1971)) and Balian and Bloch (Ann. Phys. 69, 76 (1972)) that are valid for systems exhibiting continuous symmetries. In particular, we consider symmetries for which the associated set of conserved quantities Poisson-commute. For these systems, the periodic orbits of a given energy occur in continuous families and the usual trace formula, which is valid only when the periodic orbits of a given energy are isolated, does not apply. In the trace formulas we derive, the density of states is determined by a sum over continuous families of periodic orbits rather than a sum over individual periodic orbits. Like Gutzwiller's formula for isolated orbits, the sum involves intrinsic, canonically invariant properties of the periodic orbits. We illustrate the theory with two important special cases: axial symmetry and integrable systems.
Influence of Initial Conditions on Summer Precipitation Simulations over the United States and Mexico

Abstract The impact of initial conditions on summer precipitation over North America for July–September was examined by comparing long-term simulations of the Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project (AMIP) runs with the ensemble simulations (SIMUs) initialized at the end of June each year. Both types of simulations use the observed SSTs as boundary conditions, and hence, the differences are a result of the initial conditions. Experiments were performed using the NCEP Global Forecast System (GFS) T126L28 model with 28 vertical levels. Over the monsoon core region, the model has the correct relationship between evaporation (E) and soil moisture and the T126 model has enough horizontal resolution to simulate the moisture transport from the Gulf of California. Over the Great Plains, the model has dry and warm biases. These biases are larger in the AMIP runs in comparison with the SIMU. Two major model errors contribute to the biases: 1) the deep soil layer (10–200 cm) is far too dry and does not have enough...
Deforestation and avian infectious diseases

In this time of unprecedented global change, infectious diseases will impact humans and wildlife in novel and unknown ways. Climate change, the introduction of invasive species, urbanization, agricultural practices and the loss of biodiversity have all been implicated in increasing the spread of infectious pathogens. In many regards, deforestation supersedes these other global events in terms of its immediate potential global effects in both tropical and temperate regions. The effects of deforestation on the spread of pathogens in birds are largely unknown. Birds harbor many of the same types of pathogens as humans and in addition can spread infectious agents to humans and other wildlife. It is thought that avifauna have gone extinct due to infectious diseases and many are presently threatened, especially endemic island birds. It is clear that habitat degradation can pose a direct threat to many bird species but it is uncertain how these alterations will affect disease transmission and susceptibility to disease. The migration and dispersal of birds can also change with habitat degradation, and thus expose populations to novel pathogens. Some recent work has shown that the results of landscape transformation can have confounding effects on avian malaria, other haemosporidian parasites and viruses. Now with advances in many technologies, including mathematical and computer modeling, genomics and satellite tracking, scientists have tools to further research the disease ecology of deforestation. This research will be imperative to help predict and prevent outbreaks that could affect avifauna, humans and other wildlife worldwide.
Market, Social Cohesion, and Democracy

This paper offers three guiding principles for a better relationship between the economy and democracy: democracy as the extension of citizenship; democracy as diversity; and democracy as complementary to clear, strong macroeconomic rules. This view, it is argued, implies that economic and social institutions must be subject to democratic political choice. In this context, it analyses the role of both national and international institutions in improving the complementar- ity of the market, social cohesion and democracy. The central role of economic and social rights serves as the overarching framework for the analysis.
DIFFERENCES IN USE OF LEARNING STRATEGIES AND RELATION TO GRADES AMONG UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

Differences in learning strategies within a cross-sectional sample of 929 undergraduate students were assessed on the Inventory of Learning Processes. Higher scores were found for students with mor...
MRI analysis of tibial position of the anterior cruciate ligament

This study aimed to establish normal values for the position of the native anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) insertion on the tibia to assist in the evaluation of tunnel placement after primary ACL reconstruction or prior to revision surgery. One hundred consecutive MRI studies performed on patients with a mean age of 29 years (range 20-35) from a single MRI facility were reviewed. Patients with prior surgery, significant osteoarthritis, acute ACL injury, or evidence of ACL reconstruction were excluded. Using digital image software, measurements were taken of anterior-most and posterior-most portions of the ACL insertion on the tibia. Depth of the tibia was also measured from the anterior edge of the tibial plateau to the posterior edge at the origin of the posterior cruciate ligament. The anterior insertion of the native ACL was located at a mean of 14 ± 3 mm (28 ± 5%) from the anterior tibial articular margin; the posterior portion of the ACL was located at a mean of 31 ± 4 mm (63 ± 6%). The tibial insertion of the ACL is located between 28 and 63% of the total anterior-posterior depth of the tibia. The results from this study are clinically relevant as they provide the clinician with baseline data to describe the position of the tibial footprint of the native ACL on sagittal MR imaging. Further, this data can be used as a guide to evaluate tibial tunnel position prior to primary ACL reconstruction, revision ACL surgery, or in ACL-reconstructed patients who continue to experience pain, instability, or dysfunction postoperatively.
Proton-coupled electron transfer at the Qo-site of the bc1 complex controls the rate of ubihydroquinone oxidation.

The rate-limiting reaction of the bc(1) complex from Rhodobacter sphaeroides is transfer of the first electron from ubihydroquinone (quinol, QH(2)) to the [2Fe-2S] cluster of the Rieske iron-sulfur protein (ISP) at the Q(o)-site. Formation of the ES-complex requires participation of two substrates (S), QH(2) and ISP(ox). From the variation of rate with [S], the binding constants for both substrates involved in formation of the complex can be estimated. The configuration of the ES-complex likely involves the dissociated form of the oxidized ISP (ISP(ox)) docked at the b-interface on cyt b, in a complex in which N(epsilon) of His-161 (bovine sequence) forms a H-bond with the quinol -OH. A coupled proton and electron transfer occurs along this H-bond. This brief review discusses the information available on the nature of this reaction from kinetic, structural and mutagenesis studies. The rate is much slower than expected from the distance involved, likely because it is controlled by the low probability of finding the proton in the configuration required for electron transfer. A simplified treatment of the activation barrier is developed in terms of a probability function determined by the Bronsted relationship, and a Marcus treatment of the electron transfer step. Incorporation of this relationship into a computer model allows exploration of the energy landscape. A set of parameters including reasonable values for activation energy, reorganization energy, distances between reactants, and driving forces, all consistent with experimental data, explains why the rate is slow, and accounts for the altered kinetics in mutant strains in which the driving force and energy profile are modified by changes in E(m) and/or pK of ISP or heme b(L).
Building Teams in Speech-Language Pathology Clinical Education

Abstract Competition for entry into graduate school in speech-language pathology is intense. Building teams is one way for students to put aside the competitive mindset and learn to collaborate. Building teams is a peer-supervision method of learning that forms a bridge between instructor-driven supervision and self-supervision. Teams meet weekly and include the student clinicians, as well as the clinical educators assigned to the team. The Coordinator of Clinical Services schedules the meetings at a time that is convenient for all members of the team and sets the agenda. The team meetings include two main activities: Case Studies and the Teaching Clinic. The procedures for these activities are discussed. The benefit to students is that it teaches appropriate consultation and advocacy strategies as well as developing knowledge of the clinical process. The benefits to Coordinators of Clinical Services is that it assists them in becoming familiar with the graduate students on a personal level, in knowing th...
The Federal Courts and Disability Rights Judicial Interpretation of Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act

In this article, the author presents an empirical analysis of litigation under Title III of the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act, the section of the law prohibiting discrimination in public accommodations on the basis of disability. It represents the first systematic examination of all 247 reported federal district and appellate court decisions through December 2001 in which the court adjudicated a Title III claim. Reporting on the outcome of the litigation, the author assesses the degree to which the federal courts have helped effectuate the remedial purposes of the law by advancing the U.S. Congress's stated aim of guaranteeing the civil rights of people with disabilities in public accommodations. The analysis revealed that defendants succeeded in more than half the rulings in these cases (prevailing in 55% of the Title III decisions overall), with their success varying according to the type of claim and the level of the court deciding the case. The U.S. Supreme Court has not played a major role in ...
The field of technical communication: what is it and how can we get our act together?

The field of technical communication is not in trouble. Quite the contrary, technical communication both as an academic discipline and as a profession has never been more successful. It is precisely this success which calls for a heightened awareness on the part of technical communicators. The first and most important step toward 'getting our act together' is a common understanding among current technical communicators on issues such as what it is that unites them as members of a field, what titles and job levels they should have, what roles are appropriate and inappropriate for them to play, what conditions and status are acceptable, what compensation is appropriate, what training should be common, what specializations are possible, and what should constitute undergraduate and graduate education. >
Gene family evolution: an in-depth theoretical and simulation analysis of non-linear birth-death-innovation models

The size distribution of gene families in a broad range of genomes is well approximated by a generalized Pareto function. Evolution of ensembles of gene families can be described with Birth, Death, and Innovation Models (BDIMs). Analysis of the properties of different versions of BDIMs has the potential of revealing important features of genome evolution. In this work, we extend our previous analysis of stochastic BDIMs. In addition to the previously examined rational BDIMs, we introduce potentially more realistic logistic BDIMs, in which birth/death rates are limited for the largest families, and show that their properties are similar to those of models that include no such limitation. We show that the mean time required for the formation of the largest gene families detected in eukaryotic genomes is limited by the mean number of duplications per gene and does not increase indefinitely with the model degree. Instead, this time reaches a minimum value, which corresponds to a non-linear rational BDIM with the degree of approximately 2.7. Even for this BDIM, the mean time of the largest family formation is orders of magnitude greater than any realistic estimates based on the timescale of life's evolution. We employed the embedding chains technique to estimate the expected number of elementary evolutionary events (gene duplications and deletions) preceding the formation of gene families of the observed size and found that the mean number of events exceeds the family size by orders of magnitude, suggesting a highly dynamic process of genome evolution. The variance of the time required for the formation of the largest families was found to be extremely large, with the coefficient of variation >> 1. This indicates that some gene families might grow much faster than the mean rate such that the minimal time required for family formation is more relevant for a realistic representation of genome evolution than the mean time. We determined this minimal time using Monte Carlo simulations of family growth from an ensemble of simultaneously evolving singletons. In these simulations, the time elapsed before the formation of the largest family was much shorter than the estimated mean time and was compatible with the timescale of evolution of eukaryotes. The analysis of stochastic BDIMs presented here shows that non-linear versions of such models can well approximate not only the size distribution of gene families but also the dynamics of their formation during genome evolution. The fact that only higher degree BDIMs are compatible with the observed characteristics of genome evolution suggests that the growth of gene families is self-accelerating, which might reflect differential selective pressure acting on different genes.
Cell Merger Potential in Multicell Thunderstorms of Weakly Sheared Environments: Cell Separation Distance versus Planetary Boundary Layer Depth

Using high-resolution three-dimensional numerical experiments, this paper shows that the cell separation distance scales as 0.75 times the planetary boundary layer (PBL) depth for successful cell mergers between constructively interacting cells within multicell thunderstorms. This boundary layer scaling is determined from several simulations of convective cell pairs with a fixed PBL depth and is shown to be valid for other sensitivity simulations with larger PBL depths. This research establishes a robust and quantitative relation between prestorm ambient conditions and cell merger potential useful for research efforts on the multifaceted cell merger process of multicell thunderstorms. The weakly sheared ambient prestorm conditions of the 9 August 1991 Convection and Precipitation/Electrification Experiment (CaPE) multicell thunderstorm are used to initialize the cell pair simulations. Since ambient wind and wind shear are assumed to be zero, only simple cell mergers, defined in this study as those between cell updraft cores joined but not overlapping in the convective stage, are shown to be possible. The coarse-resolution simulations of Stalker suggest that ambient wind shear may be necessary for forced cell mergers, defined in this study as those in which the initial updraft cores are found apart. The scenarios of overlapping initial updraft cores for cell merger are considered physically invalid in this study.
Spontaneous variations in electrolyte excretion in the awake dog.

SummaryThe daytime pattern of renal excretion of electrolytes in normal and thyroparathyroidectomized dogs is similar. Marked changes in the excretion of phosphorus were observed with dissociation from the patterns of excretion of sodium and calcium. The fractional excretion of phosphorus varied from 0.01 to 0.35 independent of parathyroid hormone or changes in serum phosphorus.Technical assistance was provided by John Steppe, Ernest Tallos, and Sandy Howard. Mrs. Catherine Hoyt provided valuable secretarial assistance and Nicholas Bolotine prepared the illustrations.
Medical Therapy for Calcific Aortic Stenosis

Severe aortic stenosis due to calcification of the aortic valve is the most common indication for aortic valve replacement in the United States and Europe. The standard therapy for symptomatic patients with severe aortic stenosis is replacement of the valve. Some of the risk factors and pathophysiologic mechanisms in atherosclerosis play an important role in the development of calcific aortic stenosis. In the last few years, there have been an increased number of publications regarding the use of medications in order to delay the progression of aortic stenosis. These medications include statins, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, and biphosphanates. This article describes and summarizes some of the medical approaches that have emerged to alter the progression of aortic stenosis. Currently, only statins have been evaluated in randomized, placebo-control trials. Furthermore, statins have not proven to alter the progression of aortic stenosis. Ongoing randomized controlled trials with the use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, statins, and biphosphonates will determine the use of these medications to delay the progression of aortic stenosis.
Intrapericardial Paclitaxel Delivery Inhibits Neointimal Proliferation and Promotes Arterial Enlargement After Porcine Coronary Overstretch

Background —Catheter-based intrapericardial (IPC) delivery of therapeutic agents has recently been demonstrated. Paclitaxel is known to inhibit vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation. This study examined the effect of IPC instillation of paclitaxel on neointimal proliferation after balloon overstretch of porcine coronary arteries. Methods and Results —Overstretch injury of coronary arteries was followed by IPC administration of micellar paclitaxel at low dose (LD, 10 mg; n=6) or high dose (HD, 50 mg; n=7) or of control micelles (50 mg, n=5). Animals were euthanized 28 days after balloon dilation. Arterial injury indices were no different among the groups. The neointimal area, maximal intimal thickness, and adventitial thickness were significantly reduced in both LD (0.47±0.04 mm2, 0.43±0.03 mm, and 0.35±0.02 mm, respectively) and HD (0.51±0.06 mm2, 0.42±0.03 mm, and 0.38±0.03 mm, respectively) paclitaxel groups compared with the control group (0.79±0.07 mm2, 0.56±0.02 mm, and 0.47±0.02 mm, respectively; P <0.001). Meanwhile, the vessel circumference measured at the external elastic lamina of paclitaxel-treated vessels was significantly larger than the control circumference. Apoptotic cells were found in the neointima. The apoptotic cell percentage was not different between the control (1.72%) and LD (2.31%) groups but was higher in the HD group (7.07%, P <0.0001 versus control and LD groups). Immunostaining for matrix metalloproteinase-2 revealed concurrent reduction in the HD group compared with the control and LD groups. Conclusions —IPC space delivery of a single dose of paclitaxel significantly reduces vessel narrowing in this balloon-overstretch model. This effect is mediated by reduction of neointimal mass as well as positive vascular remodeling.
Prolactin modulation of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate secretion

Abstract To clarify the controversy about the effect of prolactin (PRL) on dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), this study was undertaken to investigate the effects of alterations in plasma PRL on plasma DHEA-S concentrations in hyperprolactinemic women, as well as in normal male subjects. DHEA-S was measured in a group of 21 women with hyperprolactinemia, galactorrhea, and amenorrhea (PRL: 257 ± 89 ng/ml; mean ± SEM). In these women, mean plasma concentrations of DHEA-S (2.54 ± 0.2 μg/ml) were significantly higher (p
The Effect of O2 Intercalation on the Rotational Dynamics and the Ordering Transition of C60

We have used {sup 13}C magic-angle spinning (MAS) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to characterize the structure and rotational dynamics of C{sub 60} containing oxygen molecules located in the interstitial sites of the fcc lattice. Under normal conditions, a narrow peak at 143.7 ppm is observed for C{sub 60}. When exposed to oxygen at moderate pressures, several additional resonances appear in the {sup 13}C MAS NMR spectrum. These secondary resonances are shifted downfield from the main peak at 143.7 ppm and are due to the Fermi-contact interaction of the paramagnetic oxygen molecules with the {sup 13}C nuclear spins. The presence of oxygen depresses the orientational ordering transition by ca. 20 K as observed by DSC. The spin-lattice relaxation time (T{sub 1}) of each secondary peak shows a minimum near the ordering transition, indicating that this transition is not dependent on the number of oxygen molecules surrounding an individual C{sub 60} molecule. The T{sub 1}, due to paramagnetic relaxation, normalized by the number of surrounding oxygen molecules, is constant. This observation demonstrates that within a given sample, the dynamics of C{sub 60} molecules are independent of the number of surrounding oxygen molecules.
Removal of noise from speech using the dual EKF algorithm

Noise reduction for speech signals has applications ranging from speech enhancement for cellular communications, to front ends for speech recognition systems. A neural network based time-domain method called dual extended Kalman filtering (dual EKF) is presented for removing nonstationary and colored noise from speech. This paper describes the algorithm and provides a set of experimental results.
Predictors, clinical characteristics, and outcome of conduct disorder in girls with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a longitudinal study

Background. Research on the overlap between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and conduct disorder (CD) in males has provided useful information on the etiology, correlates, course, and nosology of this co-morbid condition. However, it is unclear how these results extend to females. Our aim was to examine the predictors, clinical characteristics, and functional outcome of CD in a sample of female youth with and without ADHD. Method. We conducted a blind, 5-year prospective longitudinal study of girls with (n= 140) and without (n= 122) ADHD, aged 6-18 years at baseline. At the 5-year follow-up, 123 (88 %) and 112 (92%) of the ADHD and control children respectively were reassessed at a mean age of 16·7 years. Psychiatric disorders were assessed using blind structured diagnostic interviews. Results. Baseline ADHD was a significant risk factor for lifetime CD throughout childhood and adolescence [hazard ratio (HR) 5·8, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2·9-11·5, p<0·001]. Among ADHD girls, childhood-onset (< 12 years) CD was predicted by paternal antisocial personality disorder (ASPD), while adolescent-onset CD (≥12 years) was predicted by family conflict. In addition, lifetime CD significantly predicted academic, psychiatric and sexual behavior problems in girls with ADHD at follow-up. Conclusions. ADHD is a significant risk factor for CD in girls. CD is associated with increased risk for academic, psychiatric and sexual behavior problems compared to ADHD girls without CD. Given that the therapeutic approaches indicated by ADHD and CD differ, these findings highlight the importance of improved efforts aimed at early identification and treatment of CD in girls with ADHD.
Supergravity and the S Matrix

We discuss supergravity from an $S$-matrix point of view. Kinematical constraints on helicity amplitudes determine the spin-2 and spin-3/2 Born amplitudes almost uniquely, and force Born amplitudes involving spin-5/2 fermions to vanish. Global supersymmetry is then used to determine the Born amplitudes completely. We suggest that Lorentz invariance, presence of only one (dimensional) coupling constant $\ensuremath{\kappa}$, and global supersymmetry lead to a unique locally supergauge-invariant theory of spin-2 and spin-3/2 particles. We draw similar conclusions for a model uniting supergravity and the Wess-Zumino scalar multiplet.
Renal Artery Stenosis: Optimal Therapy and Indications for Revascularization

Atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis (ARAS) is associated with increased cardiovascular risk and overall mortality. Manifestations of ARAS include resistant or malignant hypertension, progressive deterioration of renal function, and cardiac dysfunction syndromes of flash pulmonary edema and angina. Diagnosis rests upon non-invasive studies such as duplex ultrasonography and is confirmed using invasive renal arteriography. Regardless of the severity of ARAS, management of this entity has been a topic of contentious debate. For over two decades, the use of percutaneous revascularization to treat ARAS has been studied with various clinical trials. Though case series seem to demonstrate favorable clinical response to revascularization, the overwhelming majority of randomized clinical trials have not mirrored a robust outcome. In these trials, poor correlation is noted between the reduction of stenosis and the improvement of renovascular hypertension and glomerular filtration rate, and decrease in cardiovascular outcomes and mortality. With dichotomizing results, the explanation for these discrepant findings has been attributed to improper trial design and inappropriate patient selection. An overview of the treatment options available will be provided, with a focus on the methodology and design of clinical trials investigating the efficacy of percutaneous revascularization. Emphasis is placed on appropriate patient selection criteria, which may necessitate the use of hemodynamic lesion assessment and clinical correlation based on individualized care. When clinical equipoise exists between optimal medical therapy and revascularization, the current paradigm supports ongoing medical therapy as the treatment of choice. However, renal artery stenting remains a viable therapeutic option for those who continue to have clinical syndromes consistent with renal hypoperfusion while adequately treated with optimal medical therapy. Despite observational studies suggesting clinical benefit for this specific patient population, there remains a paucity of randomized clinical trial data. Further trials targeting the patients who are inadequately treated with optimal medical therapy need to be undertaken to confirm the efficacy of revascularization.
On humanoid robots imitating human touch gestures on the smart phone

We showcase an attack in which an autonomous humanoid robot is trained to execute touch gestures that match those of a target user. Different from past work which addressed a similar problem using a Lego robot, we harness the significant processing power and unique motoric capabilities of the autonomous humanoid robot to implement an attack that: (1) executes touch gestures with high precision, (2) is easily adapted to execute gestures on different touch screen devices, and (3) requires minimal human involvement. Relative to the traditional zero-effort impostor attacks, we show, based on a dataset of 26 users, that our attack significantly degrades the performance of touch-based authentication systems. In addition to the paper highlighting the threat that sophisticated adversaries pose to touch-based authentication systems, our robotic attack design provides a blueprint for much needed impostor testing mechanisms that simulate algorithmic (or sophisticated) adversaries against touch-based authentication systems.
A nano-immunoassay system for monitoring changes in signaling upon oncogene inactivation in hematopoietic tumors

C259 Cancer is caused by the activation of oncogenes and inactivation of tumor suppressor genes. Using our conditional transgenic model of MYC-induced lymphoma, we have previously shown that inactivation of the MYC oncogene can result in sustained tumor regression. Now, using a novel nano-immunoassay system (FireflyTM instrument) we have detected changes in key signaling pathways upon oncogene inactivation in hematopoietic tumor cells. We used the nano-immunoassay system to measure changes in expression and activation of proteins including MYC, AKT, ERK, and STAT-5 in lymphoma and CML cells before and after oncogene inactivation. Levels of the different proteins were measured with high accuracy and sensitivity in as few as 400 cells. We used a single pan-specific antibody to distinguish between the phosphorylated and non-phosphorylated protein isoforms, as the nano-immunoassay technology separates different phosphorylated forms of a protein based on their isoelectric point. Further, we detected changes in relative phosphorylation of ERK in CML cells after treatment with imatinib. Hence, this novel nano-immunoassay technique can measure the levels of key signaling proteins in oncogenic pathways from very small samples. Comparison of this technique was performed with Western blot and phospho-protein FACS analyses, which each required several logs more of tumor sample for protein detection. This novel nano-immunoassay system can potentially be used for high throughput analysis of microscopic clinical specimens for biomarker discovery, molecular diagnostics, clinical screening and to monitor changes in signaling during therapeutic interventions.
Relationships Between Working Conditions and Special Educators’ Instruction

Students with disabilities (SWDs) depend upon special education teachers (SETs) to provide effective instruction. SETs, in turn, depend upon school leaders to provide conditions necessary to learn and engage in effective instructional practices for students with the most significant learning needs. A promising body of research indicates that working conditions such as administrative support and school culture influence general educators’ effectiveness and their students’ achievement. This literature review examines research investigating relationships between SETs’ working conditions and instructional quality and SWDs’ academic achievement, to provide insights into how working conditions might be leveraged to improve SETs’ instruction and SWDs’ achievement.
Echinococcal Cyst of the Kidney

AbstractA renal echinococcal cyst presenting with ureteral obstruction is described. Characteristic diagnostic features, including renal angiography, are discussed. Whereas partial nephrectomy is appropriate for a small closed renal cyst, total nephrectomy is indicated for most large or open cysts.
Paclitaxel and anthracycline combination chemotherapy for metastatic breast cancer

Numerous clinical trials have demonstrated that the combination of paclitaxel and doxorubicin is extremely active in metastatic breast cancer. Overall response rates of 42% to 94% and complete response rates of 4% to 41% have been reported. However, several trials with the highest response rates were associated with the development of congestive heart failure (CHF) in approximately 20% of patients. These early findings resulted in reducing the maximum permitted cumulative dosages of doxorubicin in subsequent trials, with a corresponding decrease in cardiac toxicity being noted. Several subsequent series suggest that with cumulative dosing of 360 mg/m2 doxorubicin, the rate of CHF can be reduced to approximately 5%. A recently completed Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group phase III randomized trial comparing paclitaxel versus doxorubicin versus combination therapy with paclitaxel and doxorubicin noted an overall response rate of 33% and 34% in each single-agent arm, respectively, and a response rate of 46% with the combination therapy. There was an acceptable incidence of CHF. However, no difference in overall survival was noted with the combination therapy compared with the single-agent treatment. Losoxantrone, an anthrapyrazole in clinical development, has shown promising single-agent activity in metastatic breast cancer. An initial phase III randomized clinical trial comparing treatment with either paclitaxel alone versus losoxantrone and paclitaxel was recently completed. With no maximal cumulative dosage of losoxantrone incorporated into this trial design, an overall incidence of CHF of 4.9% was noted with combination therapy. Other hematologic and nonhematologic toxicities were overall acceptable with this new regimen as well. Additionally, preliminary analyses of clinical efficacy suggest that this new combination is promising therapy for the treatment of patients with metastatic breast cancer.
Concurrent and Construct Validities of Two Measures of Psychological Equity/Inequity:

An empirical test of the concurrent and construct validities of two measures of psychological equity/inequity was conducted. The results indicated low concurrent validity between the two tests and poor construct validities between each of the tests and a mood checklist. These data demonstrate the need for additional validation studies prior to the adoption of either instrument as the accepted measure of equity/inequity.