cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lack of association between HoxA1 and HoxB1 gene variants and autism in 110 multiplex families.

A recent report suggested that the HoxA1 and/or HoxB1 genes play a role in susceptibility to autism. To determine whether these findings could be confirmed, we screened these genes for DNA polymorphisms by sequencing all exons in 24 individuals with autism. We identified the same sequence variants in the genes that appeared in this report, which include one single-base substitution variant in HoxA1 and a common haplotype in HoxB1. We performed an association study by applying the transmission disequilibrium test to detect possible association of these variants to autism in 110 multiplex families. Our results demonstrated no deviation from the null hypothesis of no association. We have also separately examined transmissions within individual mating types, for paternal versus maternal alleles, to affected versus unaffected children, and for transmission to affected boys versus girls. None of these subsets revealed significant deviation from the null expectation. Our interpretation of these findings is that it is unlikely that HoxA1 and HoxB1 play a significant role in the genetic predisposition to autism. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Use of linear and nonlinear vibration absorbers for buffet alleviation of twin-tailed fighter aircraft

We investigate theoretically and experimentally the performance of linear and nonlinear vibration absorbers to suppress high-amplitude vibrations of twin-tailed fighter aircraft when subjected to a primary resonance excitation. The tail section used in the experiments is a 1/16 dynamically scaled model fo the F-15 tail assembly. Both techniques (linear and nonlinear) are based on introducing an absorber and coupling it with the tails through a sensor and an actuator, where the control signals ae either linear or quadratic. For both cases, we develop the equations governing the response of the closed-loop system and use the method of multiple scales to obtain an approximate solution. We investigated both control strategies by studying their steady-state characteristics. In addition, we compare the power requirements of both techniques and show that the linear tuned vibration absorber uses less power than the nonlinear absorber.© (2001) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Transfusion-induced immunosuppression results in diminished host survival in a murine neuroblastoma model.

Perioperative blood transfusion has been associated with decreased survival in cancer patients. The immunologic consequences of H-2 incompatible blood transfusion as related to neoplasia are unclear. This report examined the effect of multiple allogeneic blood transfusions, compared to syngeneic transfusions and saline infusion, on cellular immunity, tumor growth, and host survival in a murine C1300 neuroblastoma model. A/J mice were randomized to receive two weekly transfusions of washed whole blood cells from C57 B1/6 or A/J donors or saline. Animals transfused with allogeneic blood, compared to syngeneic transfusions or saline infusions, had a significantly diminished lymphocyte response to mitogen (P < 0.001), reduced donor-specific (P < 0.001) and third party alloantigen (P < 0.01) MLR, and reduced cytotoxicity against a natural killer (NK) cell-sensitive target (P < 0.001). These in vitro deficits in cellular immunity correlated with a significantly greater Day 21 tumor weight to total body weight ratio in the allogeneic group (0.33) compared with the syngeneic (0.25) and saline (0.28) groups P < 0.05). Median host survival was reduced in the allogeneic group (24 days) compared with the syngeneic (30 days) and saline (31 days) groups. There were no significant differences in cellular immunity, tumor growth, or survival between syngeneic and saline control groups. Allogeneic blood transfusion had an adverse affect on NK and T-lymphocyte function which was associated with enhanced tumor growth and reduced survival in tumor-bearing mice.
Computationally efficient weighted least-squares design of FIR filters satisfying prescribed magnitude and phase specifications

Abstract An efficient method for the design of FIR filters satisfying prescribed magnitude and phase specifications is described. The method involves formulating an objective function in a quadratic form. The filter coefficients are obtained by solving a system of linear equations which involves either a Toeplitz matrix or a Toeplitz-plus-Hankel matrix. The computational complexity associated with such systems is only O(N2).
Structural models of award fee contracts

This paper describes the construction of a mathematical model structure in a particular area of management. In addition it is intended as an illustration of how appropriate levels of mathematics can be utilized in management research when original formulations lack sufficient precision for conducting quantitative analyses. The specific area studied deals with the formulation and analysis of contract types. In particular the award fee type contract is treated. At present mathematical structure models for other contract types have received considerable attention, but award fee types have not been structured in mathematical terms. The paper provides a discussion of model formulation for award fee contracts, develops a detailed example of such a structure, and illustrates that model by numerical examples indicating the application of such models to the formulation and analysis of award fee contracts.
Development and Reproducibility of a Brief Food Frequency Questionnaire for Assessing the Fat, Fiber, and Fruit and Vegetable Intakes of Rural Adolescents

Abstract Objective To describe the systematic development and reproducibility of a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) designed to meet the specific research requirements of the Goals for Health cancer prevention intervention program for rural middle school children. Design A 4-step process was used to develop a brief FFQ for scoring intakes of total fat, fiber, and fruits and vegetables. The resulting questionnaire consisted of 25 food frequency items and 10 supplemental questions. Reproducibility of the questionnaire was determined by comparing responses at the beginning and end of a 4-month interval. Subjects Study subjects were sixth- and seventh-grade students attending middle schools in rural areas of Virginia and upstate New York. Seventh-grade students participated in the pilot study, and sixth-grade students participated in the reproducibility study. The final version of the FFQ was completed twice by 539 sixth graders. After exclusions for missing and unreliable data, the usable sample size was 415. Boys were somewhat more likely than girls to be excluded for missing data. African-American students comprised 32% of the population. Statistical analyses performed Each food frequency item was associated with 3 scores—a fat score, a fiber score, and a combined score for the number of servings of fruits and vegetables. Means and standard deviations were determined for nutrient variables, differences between repeat administrations were tested for significance by paired t test, and Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated for nutrients and for individual food items. Results Correlation coefficients for nutrient scores were 0.58 for fat, 0.49 for fiber, and 0.51 for fruits and vegetables. For individual food items, correlations ranged from 0.24 to 0.59 (mean=0.41). Applications/conclusions Using a systematic approach to developing a study-specific FFQ for rural adolescents is feasible. Further, the reproducibility of the Goals for Health questionnaire was demonstrated for the 3 nutrient scores it was designed to measure. This developmental approach may be readily adapted to other populations, study designs, and nutrients of interest. The validity of the questionnaire remains to be tested. J Am Diet Assoc. 2001;101:1438-1446.
Care Arrangement Decisions for Frail Older Women: Quantitative and Qualitative Perspectives

This study uses both quantitative and qualitative methods to investigate how a range of care arrangement decisions for frail older unmarried women are made. Quantitative data from the 1989 National Long-Term Care Survey provides information concerning factors that predict the probability of five categories of care arrangements, including self only care, nursing home care, informal only care, formal only care, and a mix of formal and informal care. Qualitative interview data provides information on what occurs during care arrangement decision-making processes. Results are combined to explain the choice of care arrangements for a small sample of chronically disabled older unmarried women. Results show that need factors, such as age and disability, are strong predictors of the need for assistance. Family members played a central role in determining care arrangements and often helped an older woman to avoid an unwanted care arrangement. The use of a broad measure of impairment resulted in high levels of disability for the sample participants. Both disability status and care arrangements were transitory in nature.
The blood-brain barrier

Whether electrolytes, colloids, vital dyes or other complex molecules, the rate of penetration of many plasma solutes into the extravascular fluids of the central nervous system is considerably slower than into the extra-vascular fluids of most other tissues. This phenomenon is present in the lowest vertebrates and can be observed early in embryonic development. It is still demonstrable several hours after death, long after the brain itself ceases to function […]. The blood-brain barrier
Gauging the efficiency of bank consolidation during a merger wave

Abstract By many measures, bank consolidation waves, historically and currently, produce substantial efficiency gains associated with reduced operating costs, enhanced diversification, and the enrichment of bank-customer relationships. These gains may be hard to discover in panel or cross-sectional analyses of individual banks because merger waves pose special econometric pitfalls for event studies of stock returns and bank performance comparisons. We review these problems and summarize lessons from nine case studies of individual merger transactions which offer qualitative evidence that potential econometric pitfalls can be important. Those conclusions suggest placing greater weight on cross-regime comparisons for measuring gains during bank merger waves.
Damper Bars and Their Influence in Operating Homopolar Inductor Alternators for Aerospace Supplies - Part I: Determination of Saturated Time-Dependent Reactances

The commutating impedance of homopolar alternators of medium frequency, as described by Trutt and Erdelyi [1], has to be kept at a low value in order to enable the various arrangements made up from solid-state elements to convert frequencies of 3500 Hz to the usual 400 or 60 Hz used in aerospace supplies. This can be achieved by fitting damping devices into homopolar inductor alternators. To study theoretically the effect of these devices, the inductances of the various windings must be known. This problem is treated here. For this purpose, the two-dimensional model of the alternator and the vector potential analysis of the cross section (as shown by Schenk et al. [2]) is used. Because of the varying position of the stator winding with respect to the rotor teeth, these reactances are time-dependent, and the coefficients of the differential equations describing the commutating (subtransient) regime are time-varying. The calculations were carried out for a 95-kVA, 115/200 V, 5 rotor teeth, 3400-Hz homopolar inductor alternator. The air gap of the alternator was 0.030 inch. Detailed data of the homopolar inductor alternator are in [1] and [6].
IR vaporization mass spectrometry of aerosol particles with ionic solutions: The problem of ion-ion recombination

Rapid laser-induced thermal ablation of aerosol particles can result in the ejection of desolvated ions into the gas phase. In an effort to understand this phenomenon, we have carried out studies of ethylene glycol droplets containing 10-6 and 10-1 M RbCl. A high-power infrared CO2 laser pulse vaporized the aerosol particles, and the resulting ions were detected by time-of-flight mass spectrometry and by total current measurements. The absolute number of ions in the particle was varied by controlling the size and the concentration of the ions in the particles. The results show that, at low concentrations, the ion signal is directly proportional to the ion concentration, whereas the signal saturates above 10-4 M RbCl. By comparing the TOF signal to the total current measured on the ion repeller plate, we were able to determine that ion−ion recombination is the major cause of this signal saturation. The ion collection efficiency of the TOF mass spectrometer at low ion concentration, where ion−ion recombinat...
Difficulties in superresolving synthetic aperture radar images

The ability to resolve Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images to finer resolutions than the system bandwidths classically allow is a tantalizing prospect. Seemingly superresolution offers something for nothing, or at least something better than the system was designed for if only we process enough or right. Over the years this has proved to be a rather popular area of investigation, generating a wide variety of algorithms and corresponding claims of performance. Nevertheless, the literature on the fundamental underlying principles of superresolution as applied to SAR has been rather anemic. This paper addresses the following questions: What exactly is superresolution? and What is not really superresolution, but perhaps more aptly described as image enhancement? Is true superresolution possible? and to what degree? What constrains superresolution? and very importantly, How should we objectively test whether an image is in fact superresolved? Whereas superresolution concepts offer the potential of resolution beyond the classical limit, this great promise has not generally been realized. That is not to say that many reported algorithms have no useful effect on images. True superresolution is defined herein as the recovery of true scene spectrum, that allows more accurate scene rendering. The analytical basis for superresolution theory is outlined, and the application to SAR is then investigated as an operator inversion problem, which is generally ill posed. Noise inherent in radar data tends to severely inhibit significant enhancement of image resolution. A criterion for judging superresolution processing of an image is presented.
How to cut a concept? Review of doing without concepts by Edouard Machery

As the title “Doing without Concepts” suggests Edouard Machery argues that psychologists should stop using the notion of concept because: (1) the only interesting generalizations about concepts can be drawn at the level of types of concepts (prototypes, exemplars and theories) and not the level of concept in general; and (2) competences such as categorization or induction can rely on these different types of concepts (there is not a one to one correspondence between type of concept and competence). I try to make the point that these two elements are not wholly compatible. If several types of concepts are used to perform a given competence (point (2)), then they have to be well regulated (e.g. which type is activated when, which type wins in case of conflict). These regulatory mechanisms can then be the basis for interesting generalizations (against point (1)). On the other hand, it is possible that point (1) applies to competences as well: that there are no interesting generalizations to be drawn about categorization in general. In which case different types of categorization are likely to be underlain by different types of concepts (against point (2)). Even though the arguments laid out in the book are forceful and well supported by empirical evidence, a more positive thesis might have been both more successful rhetorically and more interesting scientifically.
Measurement of a phonon hot spot in photoexcited Si

High frequency phonons are produced by the thermalization of photoexcited electronhole pairs in a semiconductor. Inelastic and elastic scattering processes determine the frequency down-conversion and diffusion of this thermal energy. Simple estimates of the anharmonic and isotope scattering processes suggest that the acoustic phonons will undergo a quasi-diffusive propagation process. In particular, non-equilibrium phonons high-resolution phonon-imaging experiments presented here show well defined ballistic pulses and sharp phonon-focusing caustics. We explain this discrepancy in terms of a phonon hot spot which acts to efficiently down-convert the high-frequency phonons very near the excitation spot. We present the first measurements of the size of a phonon hot spot, which depends upon excitation power.
An alternative computer architecture course

Most computer architecture courses are geared toward the classical von Neumann style of computer architectures, mentioning only in passing other models such as data flow computation. This is unfortunate, due to the high degree of parallelism possible using data flow. We present an alternative course, designed as an elective in computer architecture for upper level undergraduate or graduate students, that presents a side-by-side comparison of von Neumann and data flow architectures.Our teaching environment is based on Simple Arithmetic SISAL (SAS), a subset of the applicative programming language SISAL, which we designed for both teaching about and research into data flow architectures. SAS runs in a highly integrated environment, allowing students to implement their program on a von Neumann architecture, then observe its execution through a data flow simulator. The environment runs on a standard IBM-style personal computer, providing a cost-effective platform for presenting the course.
Peptide mapping of fat cell membrane substrates for cholera toxin-catalyzed ADP-ribosylation

Abstract Incubating rat fat cell membranes with [ 32 P]NAD + and cholera toxin results in ADP-ribosylation of three distinct components with approximate molecular weights of 42 000, 46 000 and 48 000. Partial proteolytic peptide maps of the M r = 46 000 and 48 0000 toxin-specific substrates generated by elastase, α-chymotypsin, or Staphylococcus aureus V-8 protease were nearly identical, while those of the M r = 42 000 target lacked several peptides common to both of the larger molecular weight targets. In addition, peptide maps generated from the M r = 42 000 target displayed a number of peptides which were absent from the maps generated from either the M r = 46 000 or 48 000 targets. These data suggest that the M r = 46 000 and 48 000 substrates are closely related proteins, however the relationship between the M r = 42 000 toxin-specific substrate and the larger peptides remains to be established. The relative patterns of fat cell membrane labelling by cholera toxin in the presence of [ 32 P]NAD +
Terahertz-wave generation with periodically inverted gallium arsenide

We overview methods of THz-wave generation using frequency down-conversion in GaAs with periodically-inverted crystalline orientation. First, we compare different nonlinear-optical materials suitable for THz generation, analyze THz generation process in quasi-phase-matched crystals and consider theoretical limits of optical-to-THz conversion. Then, we review single-pass optical rectification experiments with femtosecond pump pulses, performed in periodically-inverted GaAs, where monochromatic THz output tunable in the range 0.9–3.0 THz was produced. Finally, we describe a novel approach to create a compact highly efficient tunable (0.5–3.5 THz) room temperature monochromatic THz source, based on the concept of intracavity THz generation via resonantly-enhanced difference frequency mixing. This approach allowed generating of 1 mW of average THz power, potentially scalable to 10–100 mW.
Uncovering the Friction of Globalization: American Commercial Embeddedness and Landscape in Revolutionary-Era Russia

Two U.S.-based international corporations (Singer Manufacturing Company and International Harvester) fared differently in Russia during the first two decades of the twentieth century. An examination of how and why provides an important historical context for understanding the unevenness of globalization, drawing on insights provided by the “relational turn” in economic geography and the “material turn” in cultural geography. Analyzing commercial embeddedness and materialities of landscapes and commodities helps explain the differences in the fates of these two corporations. In addition, broadening notions of embeddedness to include analyses of material landscapes, of local corporate reputations, and of the materiality of the products themselves contributes to our understandings of the messy and complex ways that economic power is imposed and resisted.
Repetition within and across missing scan trials)

Random sequences containing six repeated and six unrepeated numbers were repeated for two trials, on each of which Ss reported the four numbers missing from the set 1–16. Both intratrial and intertriai repetition were effective, and repetition in the first trial affected retention in the second trial. This shows learning in the missing scan, involving item information about individual events presented.
The Active Site Loop of S-Adenosylmethionine Synthetase Modulates Catalytic Efficiency†

Crystallographic studies of Escherichia coli S-adenosylmethionine synthetase (ATP:l-methionine S-adenosyltransferase, MAT) have defined a flexible polypeptide loop that can gate access to the active site without contacting the substrates. The influence of the length and sequence of this active site loop on catalytic efficiency has been characterized in a mutant in which the E. coli MAT sequence (DRADPLEQ) has been replaced with the distinct sequence of the corresponding region of the otherwise highly homologous rat liver enzyme (HDLRNEEDV). Four additional mutants in which the entire DRADPLEQ sequence was replaced by five, six, seven, or eight glycines have been studied to unveil the effects of loop length and the influence of side chains. In all of the mutants, the maximal rate of S-adenosylmethionine formation (kcat) is diminished by more than 200-fold whereas the rate of hydrolysis of the tripolyphosphate intermediate is decreased by less than 3-fold. Thus, the function of the loop is localized to the ...
Natural language processing at Columbia University

Natural language research at Columbia is being carried out in the Department of Computer Science primarily by Professor Michael Lebowitz along with several graduate students. Several other faculty members are involved in other areas of AI, including Professors Kender and Stolfo.
Meeting state and local government needs by transfer of Federal laboratory technology

The need of State and local governments to deal with an increasing range of technological problems has led to the development of relatively new ways to call on Federal laboratories. This paper discusses the structure of these mechanisms for technology transfer, organizations involved in the systems that have developed, trends that affect these organizations and current problem areas.
Pathogenic Effects of Rubella Virus on Embryos and Newborn Rats

In rats with congenital rubella, following maternal infection during pregnancy, the pathogenic effects and persistence of the virus after birth are remarkably similar to conditions prevailing in human infants with congenital rubella.
The Effect of Provocation, Race, and Injury Description on Men's and Women's Perceptions of a Wife‐Battering Incident1

College student subjects read a fictitious newspaper report about a wife-battering incident. After reading the scenario, subjects completed a series of rating scales about attributes of the two protagonists and the incident in general. Results showed that if the victim had verbally provoked the abuser, male subjects, and sometimes females as well, discounted the seriousness of the incident in numerous ways. An explicit description of the injuries to the victim led subjects to evaluate the incident more seriously. Some higher-order interactions of the race of the assailant with other factors reflected a subtle and complex racism from the white subjects. Results were interpreted in light of theory in social psychology, consciousness raising about battering, and the behavioral and attitudinal implications for reporting such incidents in the media. Language: en
Polymer microlens fiber probe for common path optical coherence tomography

We demonstrate a compact all-fiber probe for a common path optical coherence tomography (CPOCT) system. By forming a focusing lens directly on the tip of an optical fiber, a compact fiber probe could be constructed. The microlens is produced by forming a droplet with UV-curing adhesive on the cleaved tip of multimode fiber. It fulfills two functions acting as both the reference plane and the imaging lens. To simultaneously achieve a relative long working distance and a good lateral resolution, we employed a large core size multimode fiber. A working distance of 280μm, and a transverse resolution of 14μm were achieved with the implemented MMF lensed fiber. The performance of the CPOCT system with the proposed MMF lensed fiber is presented by showing the OCT images of an onion tissue as biological sample.
Xenopus laevis CYP17 Regulates Androgen Biosynthesis Independent of the Cofactor Cytochrome b5

The enzyme CYP17 primarily regulates androgen production by mediating four reactions: conversion of pregnenolone and progesterone to 17-hydroxypregnenolone and 17-hydroxyprogesterone, respectively (17α-hydroxylase activity), followed by conversion of the 17-hydroxylated steroids to dehydroepiandrosterone and androstenedione, respectively (17,20-lyase activity). Most mammalian CYP17 isoforms have high 17α-hydroxylase relative to 17,20-lyase activities and preferentially mediate one of the two 17,20-lyase reactions. In contrast, Xenopus laevis CYP17 potently regulates all four reactions in the frog ovary. CYP17 isoforms generally rely on the cofactor cytochrome b5 for the 17,20-lyase reaction, suggesting that the high lyase activity of Xenopus CYP17 might be due to a lesser dependence on b5. The kinetics of Xenopus CYP17 expressed in yeast microsomes were therefore examined in the absence and presence of Xenopus on human b5. Xenopus CYP17 mediated both 17,20-lyase reactions in the absence of b5, confirming that the activity did not require b5. However, both Xenopus and human b5 slightly enhanced Xenopus CYP17-mediated lyase activity, indicating that the enzyme was still at least partially responsive to b5. Surprisingly, only the human b5 cofactor enhanced human CYP17-mediated lyase activity, implying that the human enzyme had more specific cofactor requirements than Xenopus CYP17. Studies using human/Xenopus chimeric b5 proteins revealed that human b5 residues 16–41 were important for the specific regulation of the lyase activity of HuCYP17, possibly serving as an interacting domain with the enzyme. CYP17 may therefore have evolved from a general producer of sex steroids in lower vertebrates to a more tightly regulated producer of both sex steroids and glucocorticoids in mammals.
Dopamine and histamine in the developing stomatogastric system of the lobster Homarus americanus

Dopamine and histamine are neuromodulators found in the adult stomatogastric nervous system (STNS) of several crustacean species. We used antibodies against tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and histamine to map the distribution and developmental acquisition of the dopamine and histamine neurons in the STNS of the lobster, Homarus americanus. Embryos, larvae, juvenile and adult animals were studied. TH labeling was present in the STNS as early as E80 – 85 (80 – 85% of embryonic development). A subset of preparations in embryos, larvae, juveniles, and adults contained 1–5 labeled somata in the stomatogastric ganglion. Histamine staining appeared in the STNS as early as E50. The distribution of both TH and histamine staining remained relatively constant through development. Electrophysiological recordings demonstrated that receptors for both amines are present in the embryo. Bath application of dopamine increased the frequency of the pyloric rhythm in embryos, and evidence for dopaminergic activation of peripherally initated spiking in motor axons was seen. In embryos and adults, histamine inhibited the motor patterns produced by the stomatogastric ganglion (STG). These data suggest that the dopaminergic and histaminergic systems in H. americanus appear relatively early in development and that the effects of each are largely maintained through development. J. Comp. Neurol. 462:400 – 414, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Translation processes and aging

Two disparate age groups, a younger group between 18 and 29 and an older group between 64 and 81, performed a choice auditory RT task which involved depressing a right- or left-hand key in response to a monaural pure tone (directional cue) or a binaural verbal command of “right” or “left” (symbolic cue). There were significant differences between age groups and between cue conditions. However, the prediction that older Ss would have greater difficulty than younger Ss in translating the symbolic content of the command was not supported.
Theoretical study on the formation of carbon disulfide and ammonia from thermal decomposition products of thiourea

The formation of carbon disulfide (CS2) and ammonia (NH3) from the thermal decomposition products of thiourea has been studied with MP2, and hybrid module-based density functional theory methods (B3LYP, MPW1PW91 and PBE1PBE), each in conjunction with five different basis sets (6-31+G(2d,2p), 6-311++G(2d,2p), DGDZVP, DGDZVP2 and DGTZVP). The free energy changes and activation energies for all the five primitive reactions involved in the formation of CS2 and NH3 have been compared and discussed. The results indicate that CS2 is most likely formed in a consecutive reaction path that consists of the addition of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) to isothiocyanic acid (HNCS) to generate carbamodithioic acid and subsequent decomposition of carbamodithioic acid. By contrast, thiocyanic acid (HSCN) as the structural isomer of isothiocyanic acid is not likely the source of CS2.
Risk of cancer associated with the use of angiotensin II-receptor blockers.

Purpose The proposed mechanism by which angiotensin II and angiotensin II-receptor blockers (ARBs) may influence the risk of cancer and the literature describing a possible causal relationship between ARB use and specific types of cancers are reviewed. Summary A number of cell-signaling pathways have been identified to establish a relationship between angiotensin II and cancer. Preclinical data support agonism of the angiotensin type-1 receptor by angiotensin II and unopposed stimulation of the angiotensin type-2 receptor as possible causes of proliferative and angiogenic processes. Results from a large meta-analysis suggested that ARB use is associated with a modest increase in risk of new cancer incidence. The publication of that meta-analysis led to subsequent large population analyses. A comprehensive literature review was conducted to identify studies evaluating the relationships among angiotensin II, ARBs, cancer, and malignancy. Preclinical studies evaluating the effects of angiotensin II and ARBs on proliferation and angiogenesis were selected to review how the renin-angiotensin system is involved in cellular proliferation and growth. Human studies evaluating the role of ARBs in specific types of cancer were also analyzed. The literature review found limited patient-specific data in humans to support the association. The Food and Drug Administration has concluded that there is no evidence of an increased risk of cancer with ARBs. Conclusion At this time there is insufficient evidence to conclude that ARBs increase the risk of cancer. Blockade of the angiotensin system through both AT1 and AT2 receptors may have a protective effect against malignancy.
Bupropion for Treatment of Interferon-Induced Depression

OBJECTIVE:To report the effect of bupropion in a patient with interferon (IFN)-induced depression and review the use of antidepressants for treatment of depressive symptoms associated with IFN therapy.CASE SUMMARY:A 43-year-old white woman with chronic hepatitis C and severe IFN-induced depression was treated with sustained-release bupropion initiated at 150 mg/day for 7 days and 100 mg twice daily thereafter. The dosage was increased again, to 350 mg/day when depressive symptoms recurred. While receiving that dose and continuing IFN treatment, she reported significant improvement in her depressive symptoms without experiencing any adverse effects.DISCUSSION:There is limited evidence suggesting that IFNs decrease central serotonergic transmission. There are several published reports on the use of selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors for the treatment of IFN-induced depression. However, controlled studies are needed to assess the efficacy of serotonergic and noradrenergic antidepressants in IFN-treated ...
China, Asia, and the World Economy: The Implications of an Emerging Asian Core and Periphery

A growing body of evidence suggests that China's emergence is having differential effects on Asia's advanced and developing countries. The region's advanced countries are benefiting from the existence of a large and rapidly growing Chinese market for their capital goods, components and technology, whereas its developing countries compete head to head with China in third markets. These facts create additional challenges for late-industrializing Asian countries seeking to catch up with the region's industrial leaders. In turn, the emergence of an Asian core and periphery will not encourage the development of a cohesive Asian economic and political bloc. Asian regionalism will be open regionalism in order to prevent regional initiatives from giving rise to costly trade diversion. Efforts to promote Asian financial development and integration are unlikely to come at the expense of the region's financial links with the rest of the world. An early move toward a common exchange rate regime with the associated common monetary stance will be problematic. And, in the absence of these common policies, pressure for the development of powerful regional institutions to formulate the common monetary stance will be at best modest. (Edited by Xiaoming Feng)
NEW WOMEN, OLD AND NEW

DESPITE SOME TWENTY YEARS of scholarship in the field, core questions such as “what is a New Woman?” and “what is New Woman fiction?” still remain vexed and all too often need more precise definition. Yet one can say that for all the conflicts of meaning and emphasis between sexual and political, discursive and actual, or caricature and didactic, the feminist rediscovery of the New Woman during the late 1970s has not only opened the canon but has also begun a transformation in the way we understand the entire fin de siecle.
Business Communication, English, Psychology, and Marketing: A Study of Relationships

Abstract Business graduates must have effective skills in communication, and constraints in education require that efficient teaching strategies be used. Business communication as a process, not just a product, requires a variety of skills—the ability to use the language effectively, to analyze a reader's situation and needs, and to persuade the reader to adopt the writer's point of view. This study sought to find correlations between business communication course grades and courses in English, marketing, and psychology. Although none of the correlation statistics was higher than .45, the results suggest the following for the business communication course: principles from personal selling should be incorporated; English composition serves as a satisfactory prerequisite; rhetorical writing in English appears to bear only minor similarity to rhetorical writing in business; and more collaboration between English and business teachers could enhance business students' communication competencies.
CMU Haitian Creole-English Translation System for WMT 2011

This paper describes the statistical machine translation system submitted to the WMT11 Featured Translation Task, which involves translating Haitian Creole SMS messages into English. In our experiments we try to address the issue of noise in the training data, as well as the lack of parallel training data. Spelling normalization is applied to reduce out-of-vocabulary words in the corpus. Using Semantic Role Labeling rules we expand the available training corpus. Additionally we investigate extracting parallel sentences from comparable data to enhance the available parallel data.
Small Ubiquitin-like Modifier (SUMO) Modification Mediates Function of the Inhibitory Domains of Developmental Regulators FOXC1 and FOXC2

FOXC1 and FOXC2 are forkhead transcription factors that play essential roles during development and physiology. Despite their critical role, the mechanisms that regulate the function of these factors remain poorly understood. We have identified conserved motifs within a previously defined N-terminal negative regulatory region of FOXC1/C2 that conforms to the definition of synergy control or SC motifs. Because such motifs inhibit the activity of transcription factors by serving as sites of post-translational modification by small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO), we have examined whether FOXC1/C2 are targets of SUMOylation and probed the functional significance of this modification. We find that endogenous FOXC1 forms modified by SUMO2/3 can be detected. Moreover, in cell culture, all three SUMO isoforms are readily conjugated to FOXC1 and FOXC2. The modification can be reconstituted in vitro with purified components and can be reversed in vitro by treatment with the SUMO protease SENP2. SUMOylation of FOXC1 and FOXC2 occurs primarily on one consensus synergy control motif with minor contributions of a second, more degenerate site. Notably, although FOXC1 is also phosphorylated at multiple sites, disruption of sites immediately downstream of the SC motifs does not influence SUMOylation. Consistent with a negative functional role, SUMOylation-deficient mutants displayed higher transcriptional activity when compared with wild type forms despite comparable protein levels and subcellular localization. Thus, the findings demonstrate that SC motifs mediate the inhibitory function of this region by serving as sites for SUMOylation and reveal a novel mechanism for acute and reversible regulation of FOXC1/C2 function.
Redox active aluminium(III) complexes convert CO2 into MgCO3 or CaCO3 in a synthetic cycle using Mg or Ca metal

Redox-active Group 13 molecules possess the unusual combination of concomitant redox and acid–base reactivity. These combined properties enable regeneration of a metal hydroxide complex in a cycle for conversion of CO2 into carbonate salts. Reaction of (IP−)2Al(OH) (M = Al, Ga) with 1 atm of CO2 affords [(IP−)2Al]2(μ2κ1:κ2-OCO2). Subsequent reduction affords MgCO3 or CaCO3 and two equivalents of [(IP2−)2Al]−, which can be reoxidized to (IP−)2Al(OH) to close a cycle.
Detection of Scalene Lymph Node Metastases From Lung Cancer: Positron Emission Tomography

Preliminary data indicate that positron emission tomography (PET) following injection of fluorodeoxyglucose F18 (FDG) is sensitive and specific for detecting malignant cells in chest tumors and mediastinal lymph nodes. We report a case of non-small cell lung cancer metastatic to clinically normal scalene lymph nodes that was correctly staged by FDG-PET.
A note on the extension of tables for the Friedman statistic

The tables for the Friedman rank-test arc extended using a sampling method. A table is given for the traditional significance levels .01, .025, .05 and .10 for number of blocks equal to 7 and 8 and for treatments of size 6 and 7. A brief discussion of available tables is also included along with an example of an application.
Predicting large strain deformation of polymers

Although yield stress and its dependence upon temperature and strain rate are well characterized for many thermoplastics, there are a number of scientific and engineering situations that require additional information regarding post-yield deformation behavior. For example, the prediction of formability in plastics will require a quantitative description of constitutive behavior for strains between 40 and 300 percent, depending on the plastic. Data characterizing this behavior now exists for a number of plastics, and an analytical understanding of its effect on mechanical behavior has also been established. The purpose of this investigation is to apply the experimentally measured large-strain constitutive behavior of polycarbonate to the analysis of several simple forming experiments and illustrate the accuracy of current predictions in comparison to experiment. Analyses of a tensile test, a “bend-stretch” forming experiment, and the indentation of a circular disc by a hemispherical punch are compared with experiments. Agreement between analysis and experiment is very good for all geometries considered.
A Voronoi Cell Finite Element Model for Random Heterogeneous Media

A finite element model has been developed for analysis of heterogeneous media, in which second phase inclusions are arbitrarily dispersed within a matrix. A mesh generator based on Dirichlet tessellation, discretizes the heterogeneous domain, accounting for the arbitrariness in location, shape and size of the second phase. This results in a network of convex “Voronoi” polygons which form the elements in a finite element mesh. An assumed stress hybrid formulation has been implemented for accommodating arbitrary multi-sided elements in the finite element model. Composite element formulations have been developed to incorporate the effect of second phase within each element. Numerical examples have been conducted for small strain elasto-plasticity to validate the model.
Spatial and temporal trends of drought effects in a heterogeneous semi-arid forest ecosystem

Abstract Drought has long been recognized as a driving mechanism in the forests of western North America and drought-induced mortality has been documented across genera in recent years. Given the frequency of these events are expected to increase in the future, understanding patterns of mortality and plant response to severe drought is important to resource managers. Drought can affect the functional, physiological, structural, and demographic properties of forest ecosystems. Remote sensing studies have documented changes in forest properties due to direct and indirect effects of drought; however, few studies have addressed this at local scales needed to characterize highly heterogeneous ecosystems in the forest-shrubland ecotone. We analyzed a 22-year Landsat time series (1985–2012) to determine changes in forest in an area that experienced a relatively dry decade punctuated by two years of extreme drought. We assessed the relationship between several vegetation indices and field measured characteristics (e.g. plant area index and canopy gap fraction) and applied these indices to trend analysis to uncover the location, direction and timing of change. Finally, we assessed the interaction of climate and topography by forest functional type. The Normalized Difference Moisture Index (NDMI), a measure of canopy water content, had the strongest correlation with short-term field measures of plant area index (R2 = 0.64) and canopy gap fraction (R2 = 0.65). Over the entire time period, 25% of the forested area experienced a significant (p-value
Cocaine-induced elevation of plasma adrenocorticotropin hormone and corticosterone is mediated by serotonergic neurons.

We investigated the hypothesis that cocaine-induced elevations of plasma adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH) and corticosterone are mediated by brain serotonin (5-HT) neurons. Adult male rats were pretreated with the 5-HT depleting agent p-chlorophenylalanine, the 5-HT neurotoxin 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine, the partial 5-HT1A agonist 8-(2-[4-(2-methoxyphenyl)-1-piperazinyl]ethyl)-8- azaspirol[4,5]-decane-7,9-dione (BMY 7378) or the 5-HT1C/2 antagonist ritanserin. The effects of cocaine (2-15 mg/kg, i.p.) on plasma ACTH and corticosterone were then examined. Cocaine dose-dependently increased ACTH and corticosterone concentration. This increase was prevented by 5-HT depletion with PCPA and by destruction of 5-HT neurons with i.c.v. injections of 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine. The cocaine-induced elevation of ACTH and corticosterone was not significantly modified by administration of the partial 5-HT1A agonist BMY 7378, suggesting that 5-HT1A receptors probably do not mediate ACTH and corticosterone secretion. However, pretreatment with the 5-HT2/5-HT1C antagonist ritanserin virtually eliminated the cocaine-induced elevation of corticosterone. To determine whether these effects of cocaine are centrally mediated, conscious rats received cocaine injections into the cerebral ventricle through chronically implanted cannulas. Plasma ACTH concentrations were dose-dependently increased, whereas low doses (50 micrograms/kg, i.c.v.) produced a maximal increase in corticosterone concentration. These data indicate that the cocaine-induced stimulation of ACTH and corticosterone secretion is mediated by 5-HT neurons in brain, and furthermore, that 5-HT2 or 5-HT1C receptors are responsible for this effect.
The Michigan State University Cyclotron Laboratory: Its Early Years

The Michigan State University Cyclotron Laboratory was founded in 1958 and over the years grew in stature, becoming the highest-ranked university-based program in nuclear science. Its K50 cyclotron had unmatched capability as a light-ion accelerator and helped to define what a modern cyclotron could do to advance our understanding of nuclei. This paper describes the first twenty years of the Cyclotron Laboratory’s evolution and gives some insight into the cultural characteristics of the laboratory, and of its early members, that led it to thrive.
Florida Archaeology Confronts the Recent Past: Four Case Studies From Tampa

Human activity of the recent past has resulted in an interpretable archaeological record that can be investigated systematically by archaeologists and serve the interests of people in the present seeking to define and connect with a history relevant to them. In Florida archaeology, academic and cultural resource management environments have not favored the development of archaeological research designs that bring problem-driven stratigraphic approaches to bear on specific deposits dating from the 1880s to the present, therefore, opportunities for a scientifically based public archaeology are being lost. In the young city of Tampa, understanding the depositional processes that contributed to the archaeological record can produce insights into the social, economic, and political forces that shaped the growth of the city into its present form. In particular, deposits resulting from demolition and fill need to be considered as legitimate subjects of archaeological research and understood as the loci for intersecting levels of political relations. Archaeology of the recent past can be immediately attractive to community interests seeking to develop or reinforce heritage identities, and the very act of archaeology can serve these purposes regardless of actual results. In a more traditional role, archaeology can partner with more visible historic preservation efforts to bring a community-based history to local architectural landmarks.