cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tracking foodstuff location within the mouth in real time : a sensory method

A computer-based procedure has been developed which allows the tracking of the location of food samples within the mouth in real time. The BASIC program presents an outline of a human upper jaw on a monitor screen which also indicates the approximate location of cheek inner surfaces. Subjects use a mouse to move a cursor on the screen to indicate their assessment of where the sample is located within the mouth at any point in time. Data is stored in an array of the form: (x position, y position, time). Program output displays the data in the form of a “trail.” This procedure was used to study a variety of food samples including beverages, salted snacks, and candies. While not absolutely quantitative, the oral patterns can suggest what activities may be dominating at any point in time such as molar or tongue compression. This procedure can be used with other sensory textural profiling techniques to possibly yield a more complete understanding of the textural response.
Inhibitors of topoisomerase II based on the benzodiimidazole and dipyrroloimidazobenzimidazole ring systems: controlling DT-diaphorase reductive inactivation with steric bulk.

Described herein are the synthesis, cytotoxic properties, and topoisomerase II inhibition assays of benzodiimidazole and dipyrroloimidazobenzimidazole structural variants of the pyrrolo[1,2-a]benzimidazole or APBI ring system. These ring variants were designed to inhibit topoisomerase II, much as the APBIs are able to do. Since only the quinone form of the APBIs can intercalate DNA, two-electron reduction to the hydroquinone by DT-diaphorase is known to deactivate these compounds. Indeed, the APBIs possess a high inverse correlation with the cellular concentration of DT-diaphorase. Therefore one feature of the ABPI structural variants is the excessive bulk about the quinone ring, which was predicted to diminish DT-diaphorase substrate activity. Another feature is the presence of one or two alkylating centers, which would permit alkylation of DNA and/or topoisomerase II. Inhibition assays for topoisomerase II-mediated relaxation of supercoiled DNA indicate that the benzodiimidazole and dipyrroloimidazobenz...
Development of Cardiovascular Risk Factors From Ages 8 to 18 in Project HeartBeat! Study Design and Patterns of Change in Plasma Total Cholesterol Concentration

Background Project HeartBeat! is a longitudinal study of the development of cardiovascular risk factors as growth processes. Patterns of serial change, or trajectories, from ages 8 to 18 years for plasma total cholesterol concentration (TC) and percent body fat illustrate the design and synthetic cohort approach of the study. Methods and Results Six hundred seventy-eight children (49.1% female, 20.1% black) entered the study at ages 8, 11, and 14 years and were followed up with examinations every 4 months for ≤4 years. Multilevel analysis demonstrated trajectories for population mean values of TC and percent body fat in sex-specific synthetic cohorts from ages 8 to 18 years. Polyphasic patterns of change in TC were confirmed, with notable sex differences in age patterns and with minimum mean values of TC of 3.85 mmol/L for females and 3.59 for males. As illustrated by data for males, the approximate 75th percentile values of mean TC ranged from 4.78 mmol/L at its early peak to 4.06 at its late-teen nadir....
Logic Lessons Lost

This commentary piece contains two criticisms of textbook definitions. One is the old definition of element (cannot be separated into...), to the correct definition (a class of atoms with the same atomic number). The second criticism concerns the correct name for a bonded atom as opposed to a free atom. These two species are not the same entities. The major suggestion here involves renaming all free nonbonded atoms atomes, while continuing to call bonded atoms what we have always called them, atoms. The vast majority of our atoms will then happily remain atoms, save the noble gases. The positive consequences of this renaming convention are briefly discussed.
How Effective Innovative Companies Operate — Lessons from Japanese Strategy

Japan's economic miracle results from a combination of factors including governmental support for selected industries, labor factors, cultural factors, management factors, and corporate strategy. When corporate strategy is examined, it becomes clear that to Japanese firms, strategy is a market share game, with constant striving for lower costs and relative differentiation achieved largely through continuous improvement. At the core of this strategy are product and process innovation. This article describes the typical large- and medium-sized Japanese firms' innovation strategies in terms of several decisions which taken together constitute innovation strategy.
Transition-path theory calculations on non-uniform meshes in two and three dimensions using finite elements

Rare events between states in complex systems are fundamental in many scientific fields and can be studied by building reaction pathways. A theoretical framework to analyze reaction pathways is provided by transition-path theory (TPT). The central object in TPT is the committor function, which is found by solution of the backward-Kolmogorov equation on a given potential. Once determined, the committor can be used to calculate reactive fluxes and rates, among other important quantities. We demonstrate here that the committor can be calculated using the method of finite elements on non-uniform meshes. We show that this approach makes it feasible to perform TPT calculations on 3D potentials because it requires many fewer degrees of freedom than a regular-mesh finite-difference approach. In various illustrative 2D and 3D problems, we calculate the committor function and reaction rates at different temperatures, and we discuss effects of temperatures and simple entropic barriers on the structure of the committor and the reaction rate constants.
Quantitative imaging of airway liquid absorption in cystic fibrosis

New measures are needed to rapidly assess emerging treatments for cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease. Using an imaging approach, we evaluated the absorptive clearance of the radiolabeled small molecule probe diethylene triamine penta-acetic acid (DTPA) as an in vivo indicator of changes in airway liquid absorption. DTPA absorption and mucociliary clearance rates were measured in 21 patients with CF (12 adults and nine children) and nine adult controls using nuclear imaging. The effect of hypertonic saline on DTPA absorption was also studied. In addition, in vitro studies were conducted to identify the determinants of transepithelial DTPA absorption. CF patients had significantly increased rates of DTPA absorption compared with control subjects but had similar mucociliary clearance rates. Treatment with hypertonic saline resulted in a decrease in DTPA absorption and an increase in mucociliary clearance in 11 out of 11 adult CF patients compared with treatment with isotonic saline. In vitro studies revealed that ∼ 50% of DTPA absorption can be attributed to transepithelial fluid transport. Apically applied mucus impedes liquid and DTPA absorption. However, mucus effects become negligible in the presence of an osmotic stimulus. Functional imaging of DTPA absorption provides a quantifiable marker of immediate response to treatments that promote airway surface liquid hydration.
Non-iterative coupled-cluster methods employing multi-reference perturbation theory wave functions

Abstract A new class of non-iterative coupled-cluster (CC) methods, which improve the results of standard CC and equation-of-motion (EOM) CC calculations for ground and excited-state potential energy surfaces along bond breaking coordinates and for excited states dominated by two-electron transitions, is explored. The proposed approaches combine the method of moments of coupled-cluster equations (MMCC), in which the a posteriori corrections due to higher-order correlations are added to standard CC/EOMCC energies, with the multi-reference many-body perturbation theory (MRMBPT), which provides information about the most essential non-dynamic and dynamic correlation effects that are relevant to electronic quasi-degeneracies. The performance of the basic MRMBPT-corrected MMCC approximation, in which inexpensive non-iterative corrections due to triple excitations are added to ground- and excited-state energies obtained with the CC/EOMCC singles and doubles approach, is illustrated by the results of a few test calculations, including bond breaking in HF and H2O, and excited states of CH+.
Structural characterization and thermal stability of MoS2 intercalation compounds

The intercalation of MoS2 with Co and Fe complexes has been accomplished via exfoliation of LixMoS2 by reaction with water, followed by flocculation in the presence of cationic guest species. The resulting self-assembled compounds have been characterized by X-ray absorption spectroscopy, electron diffraction, powder X-ray diffraction, and magnetic measurements. The 2H-type (undistorted) MoS2 undergoes a structural distortion to 1T-type MoS2 during the Li intercalation, which is partially maintained upon exfoliation and flocculation. A structural model of 1T-MoS2 is proposed on the basis of X-ray absorption spectroscopy and electron diffraction, in which the unit cell has P3 symmetry with lattice parameters a = 6.52(5) A, c = 6.14 A. The Mo atoms are shifted approximately 0.5 A from their positions in 2H-MoS2 to form trigonal clusters in 1T-MoS2, with a concomitant change in coordination geometry from trigonal prismatic to distorted octahedral. Layers of Co(OH)2 were intercalated between the distorted and/...
Rak functions as a tumor suppressor by regulating PTEN protein stability and function

Expression of the PTEN tumor suppressor is frequently lost in breast cancer in the absence of mutation or promoter methylation through as yet undetermined mechanisms. In this study, we demonstrate that the Rak tyrosine kinase physically interacts with PTEN and phosphorylates PTEN on Tyr336. Knockdown of Rak enhanced the binding of PTEN to its E3 ligase NEDD4-1 and promoted PTEN polyubiquitination, leading to PTEN protein degradation. Notably, ectopic expression of Rak effectively suppressed breast cancer cell proliferation, invasion, and colony formation in vitro and tumor growth in vivo. Furthermore, Rak knockdown was sufficient to transform normal mammary epithelial cells. Therefore, Rak acts as a bona fide tumor suppressor gene through the mechanism of regulating PTEN protein stability and function.
Categorizing a prognostic variable: review of methods, code for easy implementation and applications to decision-making about cancer treatments.

Categorizing prognostic variables is essential for their use in clinical decision-making. Often a single cutpoint that stratifies patients into high-risk and low-risk categories is sought. These categories may be used for making treatment recommendations, determining study eligibility, or to control for varying patient prognoses in the design of a clinical trial. Methods used to categorize variables include: biological determination (most desirable but often unavailable); arbitrary selection of a cutpoint at the median value; graphical examination of the data for a threshold effect; and exploration of all observed values for the one which best separates the risk groups according to a chi-squared test. The last method, called the minimum p-value approach, involves multiple testing which inflates the type I error rates. Several methods for adjusting the inflated p-values have been proposed but remain infrequently used. Exploratory methods for categorization and the minimum p-value approach with its various p-value corrections are reviewed, and code for their easy implementation is provided. The combined use of these methods is recommended, and demonstrated in the context of two cancer-related examples which highlight a variety of the issues involved in the categorization of prognostic variables.
Collagen scaffolds populated with human marrow stromal cells reduce lesion volume and improve functional outcome after traumatic brain injury.

Objective Traumatic brain injury (TBI) causes extensive loss of cerebral parenchyma; however, no strategy for reconstruction has been clinically effective. Our group and others have used human marrow stromal cells (hMSCs) to treat rats subjected to TBI and found no significant changes in the lesion volume, although functional outcome was improved significantly. To identify new ways of delivering hMSCs into the injured brain and to maximize the therapeutic benefits of hMSC treatment, we investigated the use of collagen scaffolds implanted with hMSCs as a cell delivery system for treatment of TBI. Methods Collagen scaffolds populated with 3 x 10(6) hMSCs were transplanted into the lesion cavity of the injured cortex 4 days after TBI, and the rats were euthanized 35 days after TBI. We measured sensorimotor function and spatial learning using an array of function tests, and the brain tissue was processed for histopathology analysis. Conclusion The data show that scaffolds populated by hMSCs improve spatial learning and sensorimotor function, reduce the lesion volume, and foster the migration of hMSCs into the lesion boundary zone after TBI in rats. hMSC-populated scaffolds may be a new way to reconstruct the injured brain and improve neurological function after TBI.
Individual versus institutional investing

Abstract This paper first describes the analytic approach that Markowitz used in developing his portfolio theory. Developing a game-of-life simulation is a parallel approach for modelling individual financial management. To develop a realistic simulator will require deciding what goals are essential to the family planning process, formulating optimizable subproblems, using technology to interpret and record decisions, and developing decision rules which prove robust in the model and can be implemented in practice.
Comets' role in life's origin

Did comets dust the primordial earth with cosmic debris and with bacterial life forms that evolved to the organisms which dot the fossil record and stalk the earth today? Head-to-head debate on this question was recently rekindled at the colloquium ‘Comets and the Origin of Life’ at the University of Maryland's College Park campus. The colloquium drew geochemists, biologists, physicists, planetologists, and others.
Agenesis of the corpus callosum: A study of the frequency of associated malformations

Review of 11 cases of agenesis of the corpus callosum studied at our institution revealed a high incidence of associated anomalies. Nine patients had associated malformations of the central nervous system, 6 involving the pyramidal system. Eight cases were associated with malformations in the rest of the body. Review of completely examined cases from the literature yielded 47 examples of associated malformations. These were varied and without consistent pattern, with the possible exception of facial abnormalities.
What Is “Distributive” Justice?

Many people easily use “distributive” or even “social” justice to designate a more equitable sharing out of income and wealth.But it is my obstinate contention that the latter involves, in fact, three forms of justice: social, distributive and exchange, and that the concept of distributive justice is still best reserved for its old sense of sharing out community benefits and burdens to individual members (I). Next, in seeking to know its practical applications, as in the case of any form of justice, the usual questions arise of defining a basic concept, moving on to intermediate principles, and spelling out detail amid inevitable disagreements (II).The third section of the paper connects up my approach with current discussion of income distribution and inequalities in positive economics (III).
Thermal polymerization of isomeric dodecadiendiyndiols

Abstract : Recently, the polymerization of acetylenic compounds having two or more acetylene units, R-(C triple bond C)n-R'; has attracted much attention and numerous reports have been published. In the case of diacetylenes, n=2, the majority of studies are concerned with the unique topochemical polyzerization in crystalline states. However, little has been studied on the thermal behavior of these polyacetylenic compounds, except for diphenyl diacetylenes, although it is known that many of them simply undergo polymerization on heating. When n is greater than four and R=H, the compounds become unstable and in many cases it is difficult to prevent their polymerization on standing. Jones and his coworkers have synthesized many polyacetylenic compounds including those occurring naturally in plants of Composite family. These polyacetylenes contain four or five conjugated acetylenic units linked to the terminal vinyl groups and are reported to be dangerously unstable. Nakagawa has prepared diphenyltetraacetylene, which is stable in the dark. Korshak et a1. have claimed that a polyyne with a structure H-(C triple bond C)n-H, and stable up to 2300 C was obtained by the oxidative degydropolycondensation of acaetylene. Although the relationships between stability and structure are not yet clear, all of these compounds are interesting as potential heat resisting materials with high carbon contents.
Cost-effectiveness of increasing airtightness of houses

In a cold climate such as of Montreal, the air infiltration through the exterior envelope of a house has a significant impact on the heating energy consumption and cost. The renovation of existing houses for increasing the airtightness up to the level of new, well-built houses can lead to the reduction of heating energy cost. This paper estimates the cost-effectiveness of this type of renovation by considering (1) the life-cycle energy consumption; (2) the initial cost of renovation; and (3) the CO2 tax credits, which take into account the environmental impact of increasing the airtightness of existing houses. The results show that the increase of airtightness of existing houses is not always cost-effective in the Montreal area.
A study of the slag-induced wear of the refarctories made from magnesia-spinellid bodies with an argillaceous binder

Among the experimental additives introduced into the composition of the magnesia-spinellid bodies, the highest resistance to the synthetic slag is exhibited by the fused and the sintered spinels and electrocorundum, and the least resistance is shown by the tricalcium and dicalcium silicates. Forsterite is the most stable silica-bearing phase.
Treatment failure of patients using topical acne treatments: an observational retrospective cohort study.

Abstract Background: While limited data from clinical trials show differences in efficacy between topical acne combination products and monotherapies, the impact in clinical practice is not explored. Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness in clinical practice of prescribing topical acne combination treatments compared to monotherapy product(s) in minimizing treatment failures. Methods: Patients diagnosed with acne (ICD-9: 706.1) by a dermatologist between January 2009 and September 2011 and initially prescribed a topical acne treatment were identified. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards models were employed to compare the hazards of treatment failure for patients initially prescribed a combination product versus one monotherapy or multiple monotherapies. Subgroup analyses were also performed. Results: Three hundred and thirty-five patients were initially prescribed topical product(s) exclusively. The hazards of treatment failure for those prescribed a combination product compared to those prescribed on...
Mechanisms of synchrony in the North American firefly Photinus carolinus (Coleoptera: Lampyridae).

Photometric recordings combined with computer stimulation, acquisition and analysis were used to study synchrony in the North American fireflyPhotinus carolinus. A computer-generated burst of simulatedP. carolinus flashes was used to trigger a firefly flash burst. We found that the first triggered firefly flashes occurred after the second or third flashes in the stimulus burst, that there were fewer flashes in a triggered burst than a spontaneous burst, and that extending the stimulus flashes into the firefly's interburst interval inhibited firefly flashing. When the stimulus flash interval (389–560 ms) was changed, no change was seen in the interflash interval. When the stimulus flash interval was changed, the average time between stimulus flash and firefly flash (flash delay) changed as if the firefly interflash interval was constant. Thus, interflash interval inP. carolinus does not change its length, making it similar to the Southeast Asian synchronizerPteroptyx cribellata and different fromPteroptyx malaccae, which can change its interval. We suspect that the time between bursts is functionally analogous to the time between flashes in Southeast Asian synchronizers.
Implementation and utilization of a comprehensive information network in an integrated private not-for-profit regional health care system

The capacity to access, integrate, and analyze demographic, financial, and clinical data within a regional health care system represents an opportunity to ensure and enhance clinical quality and to reduce costs in a carefully planned and controlled manner. Properly used, such capability should improve health care delivery for local populations and provide the institution with a level of integration of services achieved by few health care organizations. The Baptist Health System (BHS), based in Birmingham, Alabama, is currently standardizing operating procedures among its various components and implementing a comprehensive, enterprise-wide information network. Clinical quality improvement and case management are being promulgated throughout the enterprise using a continuum-of-care model developed internally. Having successfully completed a pilot project using teleconferences for core lectures in internal medicine between two large teaching hospitals, BHS is taking advantage of enterprise- wide teleconference capability using a combination of fiberoptic (T3) and standard digital telephone (T1) transmission to speed installation and reduce the cost of implementation into two office buildings and eleven hospitals. The information system will serve to prepare BHS for the advent of managed care and other anticipated changes in health care, while ensuring continued ability to deliver high quality, cost-effective medical and health-related services.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Application of Hamilton's law of varying action

The law of varying action enunciated by Hamilton in 1834-1835 permits the direct analytical solution of the problems of mechanics, both stationary and nonstationary, without consideration of force equilibrium and the theory of differential equations associated therewith. It has not been possible to obtain direct analytical solutions to nonstationary systems through the use of energy theory, which has been limited for 140 years to the principle of least action and to Hamilton's principle. It is shown here that Hamilton's law permits the direct analytical solution to nonstationary, initial value systems in the mechanics of solids without any knowledge or use of the theory of differential equations. Solutions are demonstrated for nonconservative, nonstationary particle motion, both linear and nonlinear.
Centromeres, telomeres and chromatin in the interphase nucleus of cereals

SUMMARYQualitative and quantitative studies of interphase nuclei of barley and rye showed that centromeres occupied the region in the nucleus with the highest proportion of chromatin. Telomeres occupied the opposite end of the nucleus where much less chromatin was present. The pattern was consistent among C-banded nuclei in the light microscope and nuclei in the electron microscope. Microdensitometer scans suggested that the darkly stained centromeric region in the nucleus contained more than twice the proportion of DNA present in the lighter, telomeric, region.
A plasmid rescue technique for the recovery of plant DNA disrupted by T-DNA insertion

Arabidopsis mutants generated by insertion of the T-DNA from Ti plasmid 3850∶1003 serve as a starting point for the isolation of novel genes. The disrupted plant DNA can be recovered using a plasmid rescue technique utilizing high efficiency electroporation. Rescued plasmids are resistant to ampicillin and contain an origin of replication from pBR322. Plasmids generated from either the left or right border of the T-DNA that carry flanking DNA sequences can be identified by analyzing the products of restriction enzyme digests on agarose gels. The plasmids with flanking sequences can then serve as a starting point for cloning plant sequences that share homology to the DNA at the point of T-DNA insertion.
Design of Space Trusses Using Ant Colony Optimization

A design procedure utilizing an ant colony optimization (ACO) technique is developed for discrete optimization of space trusses. The objective function considered is the total weight (or cost) of the structure subjected to material and performance constraints in the form of stress and deflection limits. The design of space trusses using discrete variables is transformed into a modified traveling salesman problem (TSP) where the network of the TSP reflects the structural topology and the length of the TSP tour is the weight of the structure. The resulting truss, mapped into a TSP, is minimized using an ACO algorithm. The ACO design procedure uses discrete design variables, an open format for prescribing constraints, a penalty function to enforce design constraints, and allows for multiple loading cases. A comparison is presented between the ACO truss design procedure and designs developed using a genetic algorithm and classical continuous optimization methods.
Impact of Planetary Protection on Environmental Characterization and Hazards Mitigation Technologies

International planetary protection policies apply to planets, moons and small bodies in the solar system, presenting unavoidable challenges and requirements for both robotic and human missions. Engineers, designers, and planners should be aware of the importance of these policies, understand how they will impact different mission phases, and become familiar with findings and recommendations from previous workshops and research that outline the types of operational and technology complications that need additional research and attention. This paper provides an overview of planetary protection policies as related to the moon, Mars and other small bodies and discusses implications for designers of environmental monitoring and control technologies. In planning technologies for future long duration missions, it will be important to avoid pursuing multiple distinct and expensive technology pathways-one for the Moon and the other for Mars or other bodies. Awareness of planetary protection requirements on the design and operation of environmental monitoring and control technologies will be important to ensure they are built into the early designs, and not become serious impediments later.
When Conscientiousness Isn’t Enough: Emotional Exhaustion and Performance Among Call Center Customer Service Representatives

The authors examined the relationship of the interaction between emotional exhaustion and conscientiousness with objectively-measured call volume performance and subjectively-measured service quality ratings among 92 call center customer service representatives (CSR’s) of a financial services institution. Results supported the interactive effects on call volume but not service quality. Specifically, the relationship between emotional exhaustion and call volume was stronger among high- than low-conscientiousness CSR’s. Among CSR’s reporting low levels of emotional exhaustion, those high in conscientiousness achieved higher call volumes than those low in conscientiousness. In contrast, among CSR’s reporting high levels of emotional exhaustion, those high in conscientiousness achieved lower call volumes than those low in conscientiousness. Implications for both the personality and stress literatures are discussed. Practical implications for human resources managers also are offered.
Harold Adams Innis 1894–1952

In a long list of publications since 1923 Harold Innis with industry and insight set a pattern for the study and interpretation of Canadian economic history. The University of Toronto, the Dominion Government, and Canadian learned societies in their various fashions paid tribute to the high quality of this achievement. His career, moreover, was a refutation of his own generalization, perhaps playfully formulated, that no Canadian scholar could secure recognition in the United States. He was a charter member of the Committee on Research in Economic History, the second president of the Economic History Association, and at the time of his death president of the American Economic Association.
Synthesis of a fine neurological electrode by plasma polymerization processing

This research is part of a continuing program for the development of a coaxial depth electrode for research and diagnostic studies of neurological diseases. The requirements for this electrode include (1) strength and resistance to buckling sufficient to ensure self-forced penetration of brain tissue to a depth of 6 cm; (2) biocompatibility of the materials employed; (3) resistance to brittle fracture; and (4) a total diameter of less than 200 micrometer to minimize tissue damage. Earlier synthesis efforts using chemical vapor deposition techniques have been successful, although the process yield was 40% and an outer insulating layer had yet to be deposited. Plasma polymerization processes have been employed to realize an increase in the yield and provide an outer insulating layer. The starting material is W-26 at.% Re wire, nominally 125 micrometer in diameter. Hexamethyldisilazane(CH3)3SiNHSi(CH3)3 is used to deposit the insulating layers. The paper describes factors influencing the choice of materials, deposition techniques, and properties of electrodes.
Deoxyribonucleic acid flow cytometry and traditional pathologic variables in invasive penile carcinoma: assessment of prognostic significance

Abstract Objectives. The identification of reliable prognostic factors to guide the selection of patients at high risk of harboring subclinical metastases in penile cancer is important. We evaluated traditional pathologic variables and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) flow cytometry to determine the prognostic significance of these variables for the subsequent development of lymph node metastases. Methods. Clinical data and pathologic specimens were retrospectively reviewed from patients treated surgically at university-affiliated hospitals from 1958 to 1987. Pathologic analysis (grade, depth of invasion, and pathologic stage) and DNA flow cytometry were performed on specimens from 46 patients with invasive penile carcinoma and complete medical records. Pathologic variables were compared with DNA flow cytometry results in patients who never developed lymph node metastasis (32 patients, median follow-up 121 months) and in those who presented with or developed proved lymph node metastases (14 patients, median follow-up 18 months). Results. The distributions of diploid and nondiploid tumors were similar in patients with or without lymph node metastasis. In addition, there was no significant difference in the grade distributions of tumors with respect to lymph node status. Patients with positive nodes more commonly had tumors that invaded greater than 0.5 cm or that exhibited pathologic Stage T2 or greater (deep invasion). All 14 patients who presented with or subsequently developed metastasis had deep primary tumors. Thirteen of 36 patients with clinically negative nodes had superficially invasive tumors (pathologic Stage T1 and depth of invasion 0.5 cm or less), and none developed metastasis (median follow-up 124 months [range 58 to 240]). Tumor grade was significantly related to the likelihood of deep invasion but was not an independent prognostic factor for metastasis. Conclusions. DNA flow cytometry does not add prognostic information to that obtained by pathologic assessment in patients with invasive penile carcinoma. The presence of pathologic Stage T2 or greater or depth of invasion greater than 0.5 cm defines a group of patients at high risk of inguinal node metastasis. A novel finding was that patients with minimally invasive lesions (0.5 cm or less) and no evidence of corporal invasion (pathologic Stage T1) have little risk of inguinal node metastasis. Close observation of reliable patients meeting these criteria may be a safe alternative to prophylactic lymphadenectomy.
Orbiting motion of a freely suspended spheroid near a plane wall

The effect of a plane wall on the orbiting motion of a freely suspended prolate or oblate spheroidal particle in simple shear flow is described by numerical simulation. The particle translational and angular velocities are computed directly by solving an integral equation of the second kind using a spectral boundary-element method for Stokes flow. The presence of the wall modifies the Jeffery orbits executed by the particle director, and causes the particle centre to perform a lateral and transverse periodic motion deviating from the straight longitudinal path. The effect of the wall is moderate for prolate particles and most significant for oblate particles. In the second case, the complete orbiting motion is suppressed when the particle is sufficiently close to the wall, and the particle director precesses around an axis that is tilted with respect to the vorticity and direction of the simple shear flow, revealing that a neutrally stable steady orientation is established when the particle is in contact with the wall.
In vitro melatonin treatment enhances splenocyte proliferation in prairie voles

The seasonal effects of photoperiod on reproduction are mediated by melatonin, and it is hypothesized that increased immune function in short days is due to the increase in the duration of nightly melatonin secretion. Melatonin can act both directly and indirectly on target tissue within the immune system. The present study sought to tease apart the direct and indirect effects of melatonin on one aspect of immune function by examining the influence of in vitro melatonin on splenocyte proliferation in female prairie voles held in long (LD 16:8) or short (LD 8:16) days. Splenocyte proliferation in response to the T-cell mitogen concanavalin A was enhanced by the addition of melatonin in vitro, as compared to cultures receiving no melatonin. Body mass increased in short-day housed prairie voles, indicating that the animals were responsive to photoperiod. However, photoperiod did not affect splenocyte proliferation in the present study. These results support the hypothesis that melatonin exerts a direct effect on splenocyte proliferation, potentially via high-affinity melatonin receptors localized on splenocytes. The findings also indicate that, irrespective of photoperiod, melatonin exerts direct effects on splenocytes to enhance immune function.
Contour Perception, Illusion and Reality*

A qualitative analysis of the perception of contours indicates that, to counteract the filtering characteristics of the eye, there may be a process of contour enhancement by a second difference correction. By simple experiments, contours corresponding to true edges, contours perceived although there are no edges in the external intensity distribution, and certain aspects of contrast are investigated with results that show agreement with such a process.
The masculinity of money: automatic stereotypes predict gender differences in estimated salaries.

We present the first empirical investigation of why men are assumed to earn higher salaries than women (the salary estimation effect). Although this phenomenon is typically attributed to conscious consideration of the national wage gap (i.e., real inequities in salary), we hypothesize instead that it reflects differential, automatic economic valuing of men and women. In the four studies described here, we demonstrate that the salary estimation effect is present in both student and community samples, is not explained by participants’ awareness of real gender inequities in pay, and appears in descriptive tasks (i.e., estimating what men and women do earn; Studies 1 and 2) as well as in a prescriptive task (i.e., determining what men and women should earn; Study 3). Further, the salary estimation effect is best predicted by the degree to which participants hold an automatic stereotype that links men, more than women, with wealth (Study 4). These results suggest that differential estimates of men’s and women’s salaries, rather than deliberately reflecting reality, instead indicate a male-wealth stereotype that operates largely outside of awareness. We discuss the implications of these results for salary decision making and the unintentional perpetuation of the gender gap in wages.
Plasmid-Based shRNA Lentiviral Particle Production for RNAi Applications

Lentiviral vectors have become mainstream gene transfer vehicles for their ability to deliver and integrate into host cells. In RNA interference (RNAi) applications, lentiviral constructs constitutively express double-stranded RNA molecules, usually as short hairpin RNA (shRNA), enabling long-term gene silencing, and, when pseudotyped with a broad host glycoprotein envelope, allow a multitude of cell types to be transduced. Their successful use ultimately relies on the production of lentiviral particles in high titer and uniformity. Typical methods require the transfection of three or more plasmids in which essential viral elements have been encoded separated so as to remain replication deficient. These transfection procedures are of critical importance; however, methods often vary among laboratories, making it difficult to assess the overall efficiency of lentiviral particle production. In this report, we focus exclusively on this step and compare the overall impact of the commercial transfection reagent FuGENE 6 with FuGENE HD. We found that FuGENE HD resulted in at least 5-fold improvement in viral particle titer as assessed by the p24 standard enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. We present the complete optimized workflow and demonstrate this utility in which a single modification of this transfection step improved the lentiviral particle production.
Treatment of lupus pernio with the flashlamp pulsed dye laser

Lupus pernio, a form of cutaneous sarcoidosis usually affecting the face, is often disfiguring and resistant to therapies, both medical and surgical. To our knowledge, there have been no previous reports of laser therapy for this condition. We describe a case of nasal lupus pernio successfully managed with the flashlamp pulsed dye laser.
Group III-Nitride Based Electronic and Optoelectronic Integrated Circuits for Smart Lighting Applications

With general lighting applications being responsible for over 20% of the energy consumption in the United States, advances in solid-state lighting have the potential for considerable energy and cost savings. The United States Department of Energy predicts that the increased use of solid state lighting will result in a 46% lighting consumption energy savings by the year 2030. Smart lighting systems have the potential for reducing energy costs while also providing a means for short distance data transmission via free space optics. The group III-nitride (III-N) family of materials, including aluminum nitride (AlN), gallium nitride (GaN), indium nitride (InN), their binary and ternary alloys, are uniquely situated to provide light emitting diodes (LEDs) across the full visible spectrum, photodetectors (PDs) and high power, high speed transistors. In this work, aluminum gallium nitride (AlGaN) / GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) and indium gallium nitride (InGaN) photodiodes (PDs) are fabricated and characterized. HEMTs and LEDs (or PDs) are grown on the same substrate for the purpose of creating electronic and optoelectronic integrated circuits.
Research Implications for Alternative Health Therapies

Nontraditional health practices have gained in popularity during the past 10-15 years. Unfortunately, the effectiveness of many nontraditional approaches have been inadequately investigated. Furthermore, tradition research protocols often have fallen short in providing satisfactory strategies for these types of investigations because the nature of the personal belief system between patient and provider has not been examined. The authors discuss the implications for triangulation techniques in nursing research related to nontraditional treatments. Six types of triangulation are defined and methods for utilizing these techniques are explained.
Novel application of a fecal management system for vaginal use in radiotherapy- associated rectovaginal fistula

While highly effective for treating certain gynecologic malignancies, radiotherapy carries known risks, including fistula formation. We report a 75-year-old female with advanced cervical carcinoma who was provided a vaginally placed fecal management system after developing a rectovaginal fistula following primary treatment with chemoradiation. This report presents and discusses a novel method to palliate symptomatic RVFs in advanced-stage cancer.
Cross-Barrier Flow during Orographic Precipitation Events: Results from MAP and IMPROVE

Abstract Ground-based and airborne Doppler radar data collected during passage of frontal rainstorms over the European Alps and Cascade Mountains of Oregon are found to exhibit characteristic cross-barrier flow and precipitation patterns. A stably stratified layer of blocked (or partially blocked) low-momentum flow below mountain-crest level is separated from strong cross-barrier flow aloft by a concentrated layer of vertical wind shear. This shear layer slopes upward toward the mountain crest and persists for several hours as the storm passes over the mountain range. This pattern is remarkably similar from case to case and from one mountain range to the other. The orographically enhanced precipitation in these cases exhibits stratiform structure, marked by a radar bright band, which often drops to a lower height (indicating locally cooler conditions) immediately adjacent to the windward mountain slopes. A terrain-induced gravity wave produces strong downslope flow and spillover of precipitation onto the ...
Silicon models of lateral inhibition

The neurological process known as lateral inhibition (LI) has long been acknowledged as a critical operation for the preprocessing many types of sensory stimuli. In the mammalian retina, LI is utilized to enhance visual images by performing differential amplification on the pixels from which the image is composed. In this study, LI is implemented using VLSI-based models. These models consist of small two-dimensional arrays of generalized sensory pixels, each of which inhibits, and in turn is inhibited by, each of its immediate neighbors. Two custom CMOS array prototypes circuits have been designed, fabricated, and characterized. Test results indicate that both circuits are able to impart contrast to arbitrary two-dimensional geometric images in a flexible yet stable manner, and do so immediately and simultaneously. These arrays thus offer a level of performance not attainable by software methods, making this method well suited for machine vision systems that utilize parallel architectures. >
The benefits of global scaling in multi-criteria decision analysis

When there are multiple competing objectives in a decision-making process, Multi-Attribute Choice scoring models are excellent tools, permitting the incorporation of both subjective and objective attributes. However, their accuracy depends upon the subjective techniques used to construct the attribute scales and their concomitant weights. Conventional techniques using local scales tend to overemphasize small differences in attribute measures, which may yield erroneous conclusions. The Range Sensitivity Principle (RSP) is often invoked to adjust attribute weights when local scales are used. In practice, however, decision makers often do not follow the prescriptions of the Range Sensitivity Principle and under-adjust the weights, resulting in potentially poor decisions. Examples are discussed as is a proposed solution: the use of global scales instead of local scales.
Stretch-A-Sketch: a dynamic diagrammer

Stretch-A-Sketch is a pen-based drawing program that combines recognition of hand-drawn glyphs with constraint based maintenance of spatial relations. The recognition program identifies hand drawn glyphs, spatial relations between them, and higher-level configurations, such as graph and tree diagrams and floorplan bubble diagrams. Stretch-A-Sketch then maintains the essential relations in these configurations as the user edits the diagram. >
Bridging the scales in nano engineering and science

This review article describes various multiscale approaches, development of which was spurred by the emergence of nanotechnology. The multiscale approaches are grouped into two main categories: information-passing and concurrent. In the concurrent multiscale methods both, the discrete and continuum scales are simultaneously resolved, whereas in the information-passing schemes, the discrete scale is modelled and its gross response is infused into the continuum scale. Most of the information-passing approaches provide sublinear computational complexity, (i.e., scales sublinearly with the cost of solving a fine scale problem), but the quantities of interest are limited to or defined only on the coarse scale. The issues of appropriate scale selection and uncertainty quantification are also reviewed.