cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Distribution of the Red Imported Fire Ant Solenopsis invicta (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Central Florida Pastures

Habitat disturbance has been found to facilitate the introduction of a wide range of species, including the red imported fire ant Solenopsis invicta Buren (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae). Despite the link between S. invicta colonization and disturbance, little is known about how different intensities or types of disturbance might impact S. invicta populations. In this study, we used S. invicta populations in cattle pastures to understand how variation in disturbance type and frequency correlates with the density of S. invicta mounds. In total, 56 plots were surveyed for mound abundance during both the wet and dry seasons on a subtropical south Florida ranch. Explanatory variables were grouped into five categories based on disturbance type: 1) historic pasture conversion; 2) modern pasture management (mowing, dragging, chopping, or aerating); 3) grazing intensity (a measure vegetation height and dung pat abundance); 4) distance to human-made and natural localized disturbance (roads, ditches, and wetlands); and 5) abiotic conditions (soil temperature, soil moisture). Overall, the average number of mounds per plot was not significantly different between seasons, but was significantly higher in intensive pastures, which are converted to nonnative forage grasses than in seminative pastures during the dry season. Time since soil disturbance (aeration and chopping of pasture) was a significant predictor of S. invicta densities in both dry and wet seasons, with an increase in time since disturbance being associated with higher mound densities. Other forms of pasture management that did not disturb the soil, such as dragging and mowing, as well as distance to localized disturbances (wetlands, roads, and ditches) were not found to have a significant correlation in either season.
“Success Doesn’t Happen in a Traditional Way”: Experiences of school personnel who provide employment preparation for youth with autism spectrum disorder

Abstract Background Secure employment is associated with positive self-esteem and higher quality of life. People with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), however, have poor employment outcomes. Typically, school personnel provide vocational supports for students with ASD. By learning from school personnel’s experiences, we can understand what works well and inform future service development. Aims We aimed to identify barriers and facilitators that school personnel consider when preparing youth with ASD for employment. Methods Twenty school personnel participated in semi-structured interviews. Procedures We conducted thematic analysis to understand how school personnel approached employment preparation with this population. This analysis was guided by an occupational therapy transactional perspective. Outcomes and Results We developed a conceptual model to highlight the transactions across contextual factors in employment preparation. School personnel viewed creating a meaningful life in the community and maintaining employment as inseparable. School personnel also highlighted the importance of empowering youth, supportive environments, and cooperative parents. Conclusions and Implications In preparing youth with ASD for employment, school personnel equally valued contextual factors, individual characteristics, and the dynamic relations between these elements. Future intervention and service development should be guided by a consideration of the transactions between individual and environment.
Robust Extended Unterminated Line (EUL) Crosstalk Characterization Techniques for High-Speed Interconnect

Extend Unterminated Line (EUL) structure allows crosstalk measurements with perfect termination and halves the number of test ports required by the traditional method. Therefore, EUL is a time-efficient and convenient structure for a test vehicle design of high-speed interconnects. In this paper, the potential errors in the EUL measurement are analyzed. In addition, an error detection method to check for causality, passivity and reciprocity is demonstrated. It is the first time to propose the best practices and robustness-enhancement techniques for EUL crosstalk characterization.
Depression and Subsequent Risk for Incident Rheumatoid Arthritis Among Women

OBJECTIVE To investigate the association of depression with subsequent risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by serologic phenotype. METHODS We performed a cohort study using pooled data from the Nurses' Health Study (NHS; 1992-2014) and the NHSII (1993-2015). Depression was defined according to the following composite definition: diagnosis by clinician, regular antidepressant use, or a 5-question Mental Health Inventory score of <60 using time-updated questionnaires during follow-up. Incident RA cases met research criteria by medical record review. Information on covariates, including smoking, diet, and body mass index, was obtained using questionnaires. Cox regression estimated hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for RA risk (overall and by serologic phenotype) according to depression status and adjusted for potential confounders. All analyses included a time separation between assessments of depression and the window for RA risk of at least 4 years to lower the possibility that depressive symptoms due to early RA prior to diagnosis explained any associations. RESULTS Among 195,358 women, we identified 858 cases of incident RA (65% seropositive) over 3,087,556 person-years (median 17.9 years per participant). Compared to women without depression, those with depression had multivariable HRs as follows: 1.28 (95% CI 1.10-1.48) for all RA; 1.12 (95% CI 0.93-1.35) for seropositive RA; and 1.63 (95% CI 1.27-2.09) for seronegative RA. When analyzing components of the composite depression exposure variable, regular antidepressant use was not associated with subsequent seropositive RA (HR 1.21 [95% CI 0.97-1.49]) and was associated with seronegative RA (HR 1.75 [95% CI 1.32-2.32]). CONCLUSION Indicators of depression, specifically antidepressant use, were associated with subsequent increased risk for seronegative RA, and this finding was not explained by measured lifestyle factors prior to clinical presentation.
Osteochondral Allograft Transplant of the Patella Using Femoral Condylar Allografts: Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Clinical Outcomes at Minimum 2-Year Follow-up:

Background:Fresh osteochondral allograft transplant (OCA) has good outcomes in the knee. However, donor tissue for patellar OCA is limited. Outcomes after nonorthotopic OCA of the patella using mor...
Delaying the Point of No Return: Discounting Evident in Climate Change Policy Preference

We sought to empirically evaluate delay discounting of the point of no return (PNR) within participants’ climate change policy preferences. Three-hundred one college student participants completed 2 discounting tasks. The first was a monetary loss task where participants chose between losing a smaller sum of money now and a larger sum of money later. The second was a climate change discounting task where participants chose between preferred policies that either imposed or did not impose constraints on access to carbon dioxide–emitting commodities. Results suggest that most participants discount money and climate PNR hyperbolically, although subject-level differences in discounting rates were observed between the 2 tasks. On average, participants were willing to forego access to high-emission commodities to delay climate PNR. These results have potential implications for future research aiming to inform policy development toward slowing global warming resulting from anthropogenic causes.
Neuromotor Speech Recovery Across Different Behavioral Speech Modifications in Individuals Following Facial Transplantation

Despite signs of facial nerve recovery within a few months following face transplantation, speech deficits persist for years. Behavioral speech modifications (e.g., slower-than-normal speaking rate and increased loudness) have shown promising potential to enhance speech intelligibility in populations with dysarthric speech. However, such evidence-based practice approach is lacking in clinical management of speech in individuals with facial transplantation. Because facial transplantation involves complex craniofacial reconstruction and facial nerve coaptation, it is unknown to what extent individuals with face transplant are capable of adapting their motor system to task-specific articulatory demands. The purpose of this study was to identify the underlying articulatory mechanisms employed by individuals with face transplantation in response to speech modification cues at early and late stages of neuromotor recovery. In addition, we aimed to identify speech modifications that conferred improved speech clarity. Participants were seven individuals who underwent full or partial facial vascularized composite allografts that included lips and muscles of facial animation and were in early (~2 months) or late (~42 months) stages of recovery. Participants produced repetitions of the sentence "Buy Bobby a puppy" in normal, fast, loud, and slow speech modifications. Articulatory movement traces were recorded using a 3D optical motion capture system. Kinematic measures of average speed (mm/s) and range of movement (mm3) were extracted from the lower lip (± jaw) marker. Two speech language pathologists rated speech clarity for each speaker using a visual analog scale (VAS) approach. Results demonstrated that facial motor capacity increased from early to late stages of recovery. While individuals in the early group exhibited restricted capabilities to adjust their motor system based on the articulatory demands of each speech modification, individuals in the late group demonstrated faster speed and larger-than-normal range of movement for loud speech, and slower speed and larger-than-normal range of movement for slow speech. In addition, subjects in both groups showed overreliance on jaw rather than lip articulatory function across all speech modifications, perhaps as a compensatory strategy to optimize articulatory stability and maximize speech function. Finally, improved speech clarity was associated with loud speech in both stages of recovery.
Abstract CT147: The impact of a technology based program on symptom distress among Asian American breast cancer survivors

Purpose: Asian American breast cancer survivors are reported to experience physical and psychological symptoms that could be easily avoidable because of their cultural stigma and hesitance related to breast cancer. Also, they are more likely to have delays in getting help, information, and support. Studies have indicated a dire need to support Asian American breast cancer survivors in their symptom management while considering their cultural hesitance and stigma. Technology-based programs using computers and mobile devices are reported to help improve symptom experience of cancer survivors including Asian American breast cancer survivors. The purpose of this study was to decide the specific characteristics of Asian American breast cancer survivors whose symptom distress was effectively improved by a technology-based program. Methods: This study was a part of a randomized controlled trial among 115 Asian American breast cancer survivors. The instruments included: multiple questions on background factors and disease factors, the Cancer Behavior Inventory, the Questions on Attitudes, Subjective Norm, Perceived Behavioral Control, and Behavioral Intention, the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale-Short Form, and the Supportive Care Needs Survey-Short Form 34. The data analysis was done through chi-square tests, t-tests, repeated measurement analyses, and decision tree analyses. Results: The interactions between time and group were significant in the changes of the global distress index (GDI) and physical symptom distress (PHYS) scores (p Conclusions: The findings of this study indicated several characteristics of Asian American breast cancer survivors whose symptom distress was highly decreased by a technology-based intervention (e.g., those who had a short U.S. residence period, those who were young, etc.). These characteristics need to be considered in the future design and implementation of a technology-based intervention among this specific population. Citation Format: Eun-Ok Im, Jee-Seon Yi, Wonshik Chee. The impact of a technology based program on symptom distress among Asian American breast cancer survivors [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr CT147.
Technical Tips: Eliciting the Photic Driving Response

(1998). Technical Tips: Eliciting the Photic Driving Response. American Journal of Electroneurodiagnostic Technology: Vol. 38, No. 1, pp. 43-45.
Hallmarks of 'BRCAness' in sporadic cancers

Germline mutations in the BRCA1, BRCA2 and Fanconi anaemia genes confer cancer susceptibility, and the proteins encoded by these genes have distinct functions in related DNA-repair processes. Emerging evidence indicates that these processes are disrupted by numerous mechanisms in sporadic cancers. Collectively, there are properties that define 'BRCAness' — that is, traits that some sporadic cancers share with those occurring in either BRCA1- or BRCA2-mutation carriers. These common properties might have important implications for the clinical management of these cancers.
Dangerous Games: Student Hazing and Negligent Supervision

For years, some state courts have been willing to hold schools accountable for hazing injuries under a theory of negligent supervision. Outside the hazing context, a claim of negligent supervision will seldom help a plaintiff who has been injured by another student because courts hesitate to hold school officials liable for unanticipated tortuous acts of third parties. With regard to hazing, however, some courts are more willing to view such injuries as foreseeable and preventable, particularly if there has been a history of hazing in groups connected to the school. Where there is knowledge of hazing activities, the power to control students' involvement in them, and a sufficient nexus between the activities and the school, these courts see a duty for the school to take reasonable steps to protect students from hazing. Because hazing and the resulting injuries are foreseeable, the fact that the actual hazing came at the hands of students does not preclude finding that the school's failure to properly supervise students was the proximate cause of the injuries. This article analyzes existing precedent on the duty to protect students from hazing. Once that duty is recognized though, a failure to supervise must be the proximate cause of the injury before liability can lie against the school. It concludes that all schools should have anti–hazing policies in place and should make them known to students and parents. Schools that know or suspect their students are engaged in hazing activities should move quickly to stop further hazing by disciplining the students and organizations involved. They should also evaluate their current disciplinary policies and practices to be certain that future incidents are unlikely to occur. Even schools that are not currently aware of hazing among students would be well served by developing robust policies against hazing.
Protein Depletion and Iron Deficiency in Rats

Rats were fed on low iron diets containing 5, 10 and 30% protein. All animals demonstrated typical iron deficiency. Body size was reduced as protein intake decreased. The severity of anemia was related to the growth of the animal. Erythropoiesis appeared to be stimulated in proportion to the severity of the anemia. Iron absorption from the iron-deficient diet appeared unaffected by the associated protein deficiency. When doubly depleted animals were refed with iron, there was active red blood cell production despite the protein-depleted state, whereas with protein refeeding there was resumption of growth and increased anemia. These studies demonstrate the inverse relationship between protein and iron deficiency states when they coexist.
The Sunland Park/Camino Real Partnership

The location and management of landfills is among the many controversial issues confronting many American communities. Greatly increasing the controversy is the issue of interest group politics in the local landfill siting and international waste trading policies. Exploring the historical and political controversies, this study examines landfill politics in a public-private partnership. The analysis reveals the vulnerability of local public authority and citizen participation in this kind of partnership.
Opportunities for Hospital Librarians in Interprofessional Activity

Today interprofessional activity includes interprofessional education (IPE), continuing interprofessional education (CIPE), interprofessional collaboration, interprofessionalism, and interprofessio...
Comparison of fluid inclusions in coexisting (cogenetic?) wolframite, cassiterite, and quartz from St. Michael's Mount and Cligga Head, Cornwall, England☆

Abstract The St. Michael's Mount occurrence and Cligga Head deposit are typical examples of W-Sn mineralization in the Cornwall district in S.W. England. Mineralization consists of quartz, wolframite, cassiterite, and various amounts of base metal sulfides in sheeted veins. Associated alteration includes greisenization and argillization. In both areas textural evidence for contemporaneous deposition of the ore minerals, wolframite and cassiterite, with quartz is generally ambiguous. Previous studies state that the quartz and wolframite are intergrown, but do not address the genetic relation between them. In this study microthermometry was performed on fluid inclusions in wolframite, cassiterite, and quartz. The inclusions in wolframite were observed using an infrared microscope and those in cassiterite and quartz were observed with visible light. At St. Michael's Mount Th values for primary inclusions in quartz average 311°C and in wolframite average 369°C. Salinities average 7.3 eq. wt% NaCl in quartz and 4.2 eq. wt% NaCl in wolframite. At Cligga Head, the average Th values for primary inclusions in the various minerals are: cassiterite, 352°C; wolframite, 324°C; and quartz, 295°C. Fluid inclusion salinities average 5.3 eq. wt% NaCl in cassiterite, 3.9 eq. wt% in wolframite, and 6.0 eq. wt% NaCl in quartz. The magnitude of the changes in Th measurements between minerals cannot be accounted for by post trapping changes and therefore must be due to actual differences in the temperatures of deposition. These data suggest that the ore minerals, wolframite and cassiterite, were deposited earlier than the associated quartz, even though conclusive textural evidence is lacking. Wolframite and cassiterite were deposited at about the same temperature at St. Michael's Mount but at Cligga Head cassiterite was deposited at higher temperatures than wolframite. Certainly in these areas the gangue minerals do not provide reasonable estimates of the depositional conditions of the ore minerals even though they are intimately intergrown.
Multiple-input dc-dc converters to enhance local availability in grids using distributed generation resources

This paper analyzes a multiple-input converter topology with boost and buck-boost input legs that serves to integrate several different distributed generation sources into a common system dc bus. The multiple-input converter is arranged in modules that hold the common parts and in sub-modules that contain each input leg component. The result is a flexible and easily scalable system suitable for renewable energy sources. When compared with traditional highly reliable systems, such as telecom rectifiers and standard microgrid architectures, the proposed converter is inherently more reliable. Power budget equations are derived and studied. The theoretical analysis is verified with simulations and experimental results.
High Dietary Fat Promotes Visceral Obesity and Impaired Endothelial Function in Female Mice With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Abstract Background Inflammation contributes to metabolic and cardiovascular disease. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory disorder that predominantly affects young women. Cardiovascular disease is a major cause of mortality in patients with SLE. We recently reported that a model of SLE (female New Zealand Black/White F1 [NZBWF1] mice) developed characteristics of the metabolic syndrome. Objectives In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that high dietary fat with SLE accelerated development of cardiovascular risk factors such as central obesity and vascular dysfunction. Methods Twenty-four-week-old female SLE mice (NZBWF1) were fed either a control diet (SLE, 10% kcal) or a high-fat (HF) diet (SLE + HF, 45% kcal) for a total of 14 weeks. Results Body weight was similar between SLE (42 [1] g, n = 5) and SLE + HF (45 [2] g, n = 6) mice, and weight gain was not different in the SLE + HF mice (+18.0 [3.0]%) compared with controls (+15.8 [3.6]%); food intake was not different (SLE, 2.2 [0.3] vs SLE + HF, 2.1 [0.2] g/24 hours). At the end of the experiment, 57% of the SLE + HF mice exhibited signs of albuminuria (>100 mg/dL) compared with only 20% of the control SLE mice. Endothelial-dependent relaxation in isolated carotid arteries was impaired in the SLE + HF group compared with that in the SLE group. Ovarian fat increased in SLE + HF mice (6.6 [0.5] g) compared with that in the control SLE mice (5.4 [0.1] g, P P Conclusions These data suggest that dietary fat accelerates renal injury and peripheral vascular dysfunction and promotes visceral obesity in a disease model with chronic inflammation.
On Depletion of the Vortex-Stretching Term in the 3D Navier-Stokes Equations

Certain new cancellation properties in the vortex-stretching term are detected leading to new geometric criteria for preventing finite-time blow-up in the 3D Navier-Stokes equations.
Dysregulation of IL-15-mediated T-cell homeostasis in TGF-β dominant-negative receptor transgenic mice

T-cell subpopulations, defined by their expression of CD4, CD8, naive, and memory cell-surface markers, occupy distinct homeostatic compartments that are regulated primarily by cytokines. CD8+ memory T cells, as defined by CD44hi surface expression, are dependent on IL-15 as a positive regulator of their homeostatic maintenance. Manipulation of IL-15 signaling through gene aberration, overexpression, or receptor alterations has been shown to dramatically affect T-cell homeostasis, with overexpression leading to fatal leukemia. Here we show that TGF-β is the critical negative regulator of murine CD8+ memory T-cell homeostasis with direct opposition to the positive effects of IL-15. This negative regulation is mediated, at least in part, by the ability of TGF-β to modulate expression of the β-chain of the IL-15 receptor, thus establishing a central axis between these 2 cytokines for homeostatic control of CD8+ memory T-cell populations. These data establish TGF-β as a critical and dominant tumor-suppressor pathway opposing IL-15-mediated CD8+ T-cell expansion and potential malignant transformation.
The politics of peasant burden in reform china

This article analyses the changing nature and role of the state in rural China during reform by examining the issue of peasant financial burdens. It argues that, despite some successes in transforming China's countryside, the state has not been reduced since the reform began in 1978. Rather, it is being reshaped (with certain distortions) with its major role changing from ‘redistributive’ to ‘regulatory’. This transition, epitomised by continuing expansion of the state and growing unruly exaction from peasants by local state agents, has been in the direction of neo‐patrimonialism where resources are contested by state, officials, and the masses. This three‐way struggle has led to tensions among the state, cadres, and peasants.
Third-order generalized Van Vleck perturbation theory study of the ground and lowest excited states of C2

Abstract Calculations of the potential curves of the ground ( X Σ g + 1 ) and lowest two excited ( B Δ g 1 and B Σ g + ′ 1 ) electronic states of C2 were performed using a new third-order generalized Van Vleck multireference perturbation theory (GVVPT3), along with the GVVPT2 method and the CASSCF and MRCISD approaches, using the same 6-31G* basis set used in the Abrams and Sherrill full-CI study. Calculations in the range of 1.0–3.0 A, which spans the equilibrium bond length and the crossing point of the ( X Σ g + 1 ) and B1Δg curves, demonstrate that the deviations of the GVVPT3 curves from the full-CI curves for all states are comparable to MRCISD. GVVPT2 provides significant improvement relative to CASSCF, which already is much improved over even high-order single reference methods. Predictions of the challenging crossing point between the ( X Σ g + 1 ) and B1Δg curves, in the vicinity of the B Σ g + ′ 1 avoided crossing with the ground state, is predicted to milliangstrom accuracy by MRCISD and GVVPT3, while GVVPT2 and CASSCF show deviations of about 0.07 A.
Pathogenesis of Acute Infection in Rhesus Macaques with a Lymphocyte-Tropic Strain of Simian Immunodeficiency Virus

The simian immunodeficiency virus, SIVmac, causes disease affecting multiple organ systems in macaques similar to human immunodeficiency virus infection in humans. Molecularly cloned SIVmac with a strong lymphocyte tropism was used in pathogenesis experiments to correlate viral cell tropism with disease. In 5 animals, exhaustive analyses on viruses from tissues and identification of infected precursor cells were done at multiple times during infection to ensure the virus had not mutated into a macrophage-tropic variant. Viral replication was measured by infectivity, infectious center assays, and in situ hybridization. Lymphocytes produced most virus in tissues, indicating the virus maintained its cell tropism in vivo. Lymphocytes in bone marrow were latently infected and those in the spleen and lymph nodes were productively infected. The virus failed to replicate in the brain after intracerebral inoculation. SIVmac that maintained a strong tropism for lymphocytes and a corresponding poor tropism for macrophages can cause persistent infection and AIDS but not other diseases such as primary pneumonia and encephalitis in rhesus macaques.
Diplomacy from below: International terrorism and American foreign relations, 1945–1962

Abstract International terrorism is a form of diplomacy conducted “from below.” It is not conducted by kings and presidents, but by powerless extremists who choose to bypass traditional channels of diplomatic protocol in order to propagandize their political causes to the world. In light of the recent proliferation of international terrorism, it is useful to analyze the various ways it has affected the conduct of American foreign policy. An examination of the American responses to the Jewish rebels in Palestine (1945–1948) and to the FLN in Algeria (1954–1962) reveals that, although these terrorist campaigns may have appeared reprehensible and morally repugnant to many, American diplomacy was consistently predicated not so much in reaction to terrorist acts, but to a multiplicity of underlying and extended issues that required flexibility and a certain mollification of policy and action. As the United States would learn, terrorist diplomacy “from below” can often be as destructive as any act or policy con...
Dynamic modeling of rock springs oil shale using a homogeneous equivalent maxwell model

Abstract Stress pulses propagating through specimens of Rock Springs oil shale show distinct characteristics of rate effects and dispersion. This observation strongly suggests that oil shale is responding as a mechanical mixture, which it is, of kerogen and rock. The dynamic response of such a mixture can be described using a simple Maxwell model in which all input parameters, save one, are deduced from the Hugoniots of the constituents and their volume fractions. An additional parameter, the relaxation time, is selected to give the best agreement with experimental data. Calculations using this model, with a relaxation time of 0.4 μs, produced wave profiles in very good agreement with the measured results; calculated arrival times were within 7.4% and peak particle velocities were within 8.0% of those measured.
Deep Magma Body Beneath the Summit and Rift Zones of Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii

A magnitude 7.2 earthquake in 1975 caused the south flank of Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii, to move seaward in response to slippage along a deep fault. Since then, a large part of the volcano's edifice has been adjusting to this perturbation. The summit of Kilauea extended at a rate of 0.26 meter per year until 1983, the south flank uplifted more than 0.5 meter, and the axes of both the volcano's rift zones extended and subsided; the summit continues to subside. These ground-surface motions have been remarkably steady and much more widespread than those caused by either recurrent inflation and deflation of the summit magma chamber or the episodic propagation of dikes into the rift zones. Kilauea's magmatic system is, therefore, probably deeper and more extensive than previously thought; the summit and both rift zones may be underlain by a thick, near vertical dike-like magma system at a depth of 3 to 9 kilometers.
New technology, new media, new markets: The continuing importance of contract and copyright

With the advent of the Internet, content is available at almost all times in almost all formats. The scope of what may be used is determined by contract, a fact that has not been appreciated well by all parties. This is not a new phenomenon. It has been going on since parties have licensed rights to one another for dramatic plays and motion pictures. Yet, amazingly, it continues to be an issue with ‘new uses’ and the ‘new technology.’ This paper will look at disputes related to television, motion pictures, newspapers, musical compositions, magazine articles, and books. It asks what is a ‘revision,’ what is a ‘new market,’ and when is a new clause or contract required? With ‘eBooks’ not being considered ‘in book form’ as was held in Random House v. Rosetta Books, contract language is of utmost importance to all parties in order to know who has which rights and who may commercialize content.
IDIOPATHIC TRANSVERSE MYELITIS: CORTICOSTEROIDS, PLASMA EXCHANGE, OR CYCLOPHOSPHAMIDE

Transverse myelitis is a focal disorder of the spinal cord in which an immune-mediated process results in neural injury. In this large retrospective study, we compare patients who received one of four treatments to identify the most effective therapies. We identified subsets of patients who received clinical benefit from plasma exchange or cyclophosphamide being included in their treatment regimen.
Activation of phosphorylating vesicles by net transfer of phosphatidyl choline by phospholipid transfer protein

Abstract Vesicles formed with phosphatidyl ethanolamine, phosphatidyl choline, cardiolipin, coupling factors and hydrophobic proteins from bovine heart mitochondria catalyzed a rapid 32 P i -ATP exchange. When phosphatidyl choline was deleted during the assembly of the vesicles, little 32 P i -ATP exchange was observed. Exchange activity was induced by incubating such deficient vesicles with phosphatidyl choline liposomes in the presence of a phosphatidyl choline transfer protein isolated from bovine heart. Transfer of [ 32 P] phosphatidyl choline was demonstrated by isolation of the activated vesicles by sucrose density centrifugation.
Development of a rotating algal biofilm growth system for attached microalgae growth with in situ biomass harvest

This work aimed to develop a rotating algal biofilm (RAB) cultivation system that can be widely adopted by microalgae producers for easy biomass harvest. Algal cells were grown on the surface of a material rotating between nutrient-rich liquid and CO2-rich gaseous phase. Scrapping biomass from the attached surface avoided the expensive harvest operations such as centrifugation. Among various attachment materials, cotton sheet resulted in best algal growth, durability, and cost effectiveness. A lab-scale RAB system was further optimized with harvest frequency, rotation speed, and CO2 levels. The algal biomass from the RAB system had a similar water content as that in centrifuged biomass. An open pond raceway retrofitted with a pilot-scale RAB system resulted in a much higher biomass productivity when compared to a control open pond. Collectively, the research shows that the RAB system is an efficient algal culture system for easy biomass harvest with enhanced biomass productivity.
Fundraising for Student Affairs at Comprehensive Institutions.

Due to the dearth of literature describing fundraising practices at comprehensive institutions, the authors of this chapter conducted a multisite case study to uncover current practices. Their findings lead to recommendations and possible best practices.
Biomarker Modeling of Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a slowly progressing disorder in which pathophysiological abnormalities, detectable in vivo by biomarkers, precede overt clinical symptoms by many years to decades. Five AD biomarkers are sufficiently validated to have been incorporated into clinical diagnostic criteria and commonly used in therapeutic trials. Current AD biomarkers fall into two categories: biomarkers of amyloid-β plaques and of tau-related neurodegeneration. Three of the five are imaging measures and two are cerebrospinal fluid analytes. AD biomarkers do not evolve in an identical manner but rather in a sequential but temporally overlapping manner. Models of the temporal evolution of AD biomarkers can take the form of plots of biomarker severity (degree of abnormality) versus time. In this Review, we discuss several time-dependent models of AD that take into consideration varying age of onset (early versus late) and the influence of aging and co-occurring brain pathologies that commonly arise in the elderly.
Rejoinder to Ideology and Inner City Redevelopment: Conservative Activism

I had three different reactions when the opportunity to respond to Dr. McGovern’s analysis of Indianapolis presented itself. First, before I had a chance to read the case, my goal was an effective ...
A technique to measure the neutron lifetime from low-earth orbit

Abstract A new technique to measure the mean life of the neutron to beta decay, τn, is described. It uses the fact that neutrons created in the atmosphere with energies below 0.65 eV are gravitationally bound. Consequently, in the absence of beta decay, upward- and downward-going neutron currents above the atmosphere would be equal. The actual ratio of these currents therefore provides a sensitive measure of τn. An estimate of up-down countrates, of all known backgrounds, and of systematic uncertainties for a conceptual experiment indicates that an accuracy on τn of better than 1% could be achieved using a properly designed sensor in low-Earth orbit.
Illumination invariant intensity-based image registration using chaos theory

Accurate and robust registration of image pairs is of interest in many fields that use computer vision such as surveillance and medical diagnostics. In each of these fields the area-based (or voxel-based) approach to image registration is popular, however it is known that these methods are sensitive to illumination change where incorrect results are common. Past work in applying chaos theory to computer vision has demonstrated that the underlying physics of illumination change versus contextual change result in very different behavior when analyzed in phase space. Illumination is deterministic and results in non-fractal phase space behavior, while contextual change is chaos-like and results in complex fractal regions in phase space. A chaos-theoretic approach to image registration is presented with favorable results compared to the traditional and very popular Mutual Information measure.
Testing the equal environments assumption in the Children of Twins design.

In a Children of Twins (COT) design, the environmental and genetic risk of a child is, in part, dependent upon the status of the father and the father’s cotwin. The logic of the COT method breaks down if the zygosity of the twin pair is confounded with the environment provided to the child (a version of the Equal Environment Assumption, EEA). If MZ twin fathers see each other more often than DZ twin fathers, and a child’s uncle is the affected twin in discordant pairs, this could increase the environmental risk of children of MZ over that of DZ discordant twins. The current study was designed to test the EEA in the COT design, specifically in children of alcohol and drug dependent fathers. Results indicated that MZ twins did have more contact than DZ twins. Regression analyses were conducted to predict child externalizing symptom counts from father’s zygosity group status, level of contact with father’s cotwin, and their interaction. Results found no significant interaction between father’s zygosity and the higher level of cotwin contact (seen in MZ twins) in predicting several measures of offspring externalizing risk. The results of this study suggested that the COT design does not confound zygosity with differences in environmental risk exposure, findings that support the validity of the EEA within this research context.
Olfactory neuroblastoma (esthesioneuroblastoma): a light and ultrastructural study of two cases.

Olfactory neuroblastoma is a malignant neoplasm with a varied biological behavior. Its clinical course is unpredictable and there is no correlation between its microscopic features and biological behavior. The present study deals with light and ultrastructural characteristics of two cases of olfactory neuroblastoma of the nasal cavity. In one patient, the definitive diagnosis was established on the basis of ultrastructural features of the lesion. The most consistent fine structural findings were the presence of intracytoplasmic densecored neurosecretory granules, “true” and “pseudo-” rosettes, and the neuritic processes emanating from the tumor cells. On the basis of their biochemical, histochemical, and ultrastructural characteristics, olfactory neuroblastomas are similar to neuroblastomas arising from the adrenals or sympathetic nervous system. These findings, therefore, support the hypothesis that olfactory neuroblastomas are most likely of neural crest origin and thus belong to a group of neoplasms collectively known as “apudomas” or neurocristomas. The literature review strongly favors combined surgery and postradiation as the most effective treatment of olfactory neuroblastoma. Cancer 44:564-579, 1979.
Light-scattering measurements on selected polyamides (nylons)†

A series of polyamides (nylons) formed by polymerizing an aliphatic diamine with an aliphatic acid or by polymerizing an aliphatic amino acid has been investigated by light-scattering techniques in the solvent 2,2,3,3-tetrafluoropropanol with 0.1 N sodium trifluoroacetate, as added electrolyte. The series investigated consisted of nylon 6, nylon 66, nylon 610, and Zytel 61. The refractive index gradient (dn/dc) for these polyamides was found to be 0.190 cm.3/g., and the light-scattering constant H was taken as 9.59 X 10−6 cm.2./g.2, both values being determined for 4358-A. incident radiation. Molecular weights, second virial coefficients, and molecular dimensions have been determined for theses polymers.
Identifying hospitalized older patients at varying risk for physical performance decline : A new approach

OBJECTIVE: A classification tree analysis identifies patient groups at varying risk for decline in physical performance 1 year after hospitalization. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Tertiary care VAMC. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 507 acutely ill hospitalized male veterans aged 65 years and older. MEASUREMENTS: Eighteen admission characteristics were considered as potential predictors: demographic data, medical diagnoses, functional status (e.g., ADL and IADL), geriatric conditions (e.g., incontinence, vision impairment, weight change), mental status, depression, and physical functioning (measured by self-report (MOS-PFR) and the Physical Performance and Mobility Examination (PPME)). Outcome measure was change in PPME status at 12-months post-admission. RESULTS: Patients with the greatest risk for decline had both high baseline physical performance (PPME ≥ 9) and at least moderate self-report limitations on physical functioning (MOS-PFR ≤ 36, mean = 30.8). Patients with the lowest risk of decline had impaired baseline physical performance (PPME ≤ 8) but fewer self-report limitations on physical functioning (MOS-PFR ≥ 31, mean = 37.4) and two or less geriatric conditions. CONCLUSIONS: The predictive role of self-report functioning suggests that perception of the impact of health on one's own physical functioning is associated with future performance. The number of geriatric conditions is also an important predictor of physical performance change. By identifying patient risk groups based on geriatric conditions, physical performance, and self-report physical functioning, future targeting strategies may improve physical performance outcomes for hospitalized older adults.
Reaction time and temperament type.

A relationship between reaction time (RT) and the repression-sensitization personality dimension (R-S), as described by Byrne ( 1961, 1964), has been postulated. King and Prestholdt (1969) found that the decision latency was greater for sensitizers in a highconflict situation. Similarly, Dublin (1968) reported that sensitizers take longer than repressors to respond to questions or material from projective (inkblot) and objective tests. However, Spivak (1965) found no difference between repressors and sensitizers on differential recognition thresholds for tachistoscopically presented neutral and emotionally toned words. These discrepant findings may reflect confounding of ideational with psychomotor reaction time. To clarify this issue, the relation of a purely psychomomr task (King, 1954) to R-S was examined. To I06 randomly selected male VA paciencs the embedded form of the R-S scale, taken from the MMPI, and the psychomotor task were adminisrered (Sandman, Cauthen, Kilpatrick, & Deabler, 1968). Random presentation of a buzzer or bell was the stimulus for RT. Ss with R-S scores in the top and bottom 27% of the distribution were defined as sensitizers (raw score > 71) and repressors (raw score < 44), respectively, and compared for RT. The data (Table 1) indicate that the two groups did not differ significantly TABLE 1
A LEED study of the structure of epitaxial Pb/Ge(111) monolayers and ultra-thin films

Abstract The epitaxial growth of Pb on Ge(111)-c(2 × 8) surfaces has been studied from sub-monolayer coverage up to a limit of 10–20 layer films. A video-LEED system was used to acquire I-V data from symmetry averaged integer and fractional order beams under computer control. Two √3 × √3 R30° superlattice structures are found for coverages below one monolayer, distinguised by distinct I-V curves and structural transition temperatures. For coverages above a monolayer, epitaxial films grow in the form of three-dimensional fcc Pb(111) crystallites oriented with Pb[[ovbar|110]]//Ge[[ovbar|110]]. Above 5 ML thicknesses, the film undergoes a structural transition to domains of fcc Pb multilayers rotated by ±4° with respect to the Ge[[ovbar|110]] direction. The temperature dependence of selected LEED beams was studied from room temperature to above the melting point of bulk lead. Several transitions are detected, corresponding to surface adlayer reconstruction and substrate reconstruction. A modified honeycomb structure for the √3 monolayer is proposed to explain the growth mode of the fcc ultra-thin film.
Augmented healing process in female mice with acute myocardial infarction.

Abstract Background: It is well established that premenopausal women are protected from cardiovascular disease. This gender difference in favor of females is also demonstrated in animal studies. Our research group previously found that female mice had much lower incidence of cardiac rupture and mortality than did males during the acute phase of myocardial infarction (MI); however, the mechanisms responsible for such protection are not fully understood. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine whether the favorable cardiac effect observed in female mice with MI is due to an augmented healing process that includes less inflammation, reduced matrix degradation, and enhanced neovascularization. Methods: Twelve-week-old male and female C57BL/6J mice were subjected to MI by ligating the left anterior descending coronary artery and then euthanized at 1, 4, 7, or 14 days post-MI. Inflammatory cell infiltration and myofibroblast transformation, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9 activity, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-I expression, and neovascularization were examined by immunohistochemistry, zymography, Western blot, and laser scanning confocal microscopy, respectively. Cardiac function was evaluated by echocardiography on day 14. Results: We found that: (1) neutrophil infiltration during the early phase of MI (1-4 days) was much lower in females than in males and was associated with lower MMP-9 activity and higher TIMP-1 protein expression, indicating less-exaggerated inflammation and extracellular matrix degradation in females; (2) myofibroblast transformation, as indicated by expression of α-smooth muscle actin, was significantly greater in females than in males at day 7 of MI (P Conclusion: Our data suggest that less-exaggerated early inflammation and augmented reparative fibrotic response, indicated by enhanced myofibroblast transformation, may contribute greatly to low rupture rates in females during the acute and subacute phases of MI, whereas enhanced neovascularization may lead to better preserved cardiac function post-MI. (Gend Med.
Design and statistical evaluation of a sliding wear test apparatus for in vitro evaluation of dental restoratives

Abstract A five-station sliding wear apparatus of the pin-on-disc type has been constructed and evaluated for statistical reproducibility. The results, which are based on the wear of polymeric materials, demonstrate that wear rates can be determined with a precision of 9.5% at the 95% level of confidence.
Modeling the plastic anisotropy in pure copper after one pass of ECAE

Abstract The influences of applied deformation and latent hardening on the plastic anisotropic response of one-pass equal channel angular extrusion (ECAE) copper are explored. The size of the plastic deformation zone used to model the applied ECAE deformation and the value of the latent hardening parameter in the single-crystal hardening law are shown to significantly influence many important aspects of texture evolution and plastic response. Best agreement with compression tests on one-pass ECAE copper occurs when the latent hardening between non-coplanar slip systems is slower than active hardening.
MUSCLE STRENGTH IN MYOTONIA ATROPHICA (DYSTROPHIA MYOTONICA) IMPROVED BY TESTOSTERONE PROPIONATE

AN ASSOCIATION between endocrine activity and the normal development and function of skeletal muscle has long been suggested. Chemical interrelation-ships of adrenal cortical substance with androgenic hormone and their rOle in electrolyte-fluid balance and creatine-creatinine metabolism have been studied (1,2,3). Some observers (4) have noted greater working efficiency in normal people given adrenal cortical extract, and the improved muscle function in similarly treated cases of Addison2s disease is generally accepted. Others (5, 6) administered cortin in certain progressive myopathies with varying benefit. Recently, androgenic hormone has been shown to cause dimensional and dynamometric increases in the general skeletal musculature of male castrates (7, 8) as well as a response in the diaphragmatic and bladder musculature (9). Definite muscular and psychomotor improvement has been recorded (10) in senile males similarly treated and excellent results obtained in the alleviation of asthenia in women (11).