cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 4077: A new mouse model of gastric adenocarcinoma: A valuable tool for preclinical studies

We recently generated the first model of metastatic mixed-type gastric adenocarcinoma that closely recapitulates the human disease. Our model combines conditional loss of E-cadherin (Cdh1fl/fl) and p53 (Trp53fl/fl) with oncogenic Kras (KrasLSL-G12D/+) activation and yellow fluorescence protein (Rosa26LSL-YFP/LSL-YFP) expression in cells of the gastric parietal cell lineage (Atp4b-Cre). Median survival is 76.5 days (range 64-91 days, SD 7.2) with all mice developing local lymph node metastases and lung metastases, half developing paratracheal lymph node metastases, and 20% developing liver metastases. We previously provided proof of concept for the preclinical utility of our model by demonstrating extended survival upon treatment with a MEK inhibitor (PD0325901). Here we demonstrate the utility of this model to investigate the role of the microbiome in gastric carcinogenesis and to determine the use of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) as biomarkers of metastatic disease. The specific pathogen H. pylori is known to be causal in gastric adenocarcinoma. Further, many studies have implicated the microbiome in colon carcinogenesis. However, no studies have investigated the role of the normal microbiome in gastric carcinogenesis in the absence of H. pylori infection. We treated our model of mixed-type gastric adenocarcinoma with a commonly utilized antibiotic cocktail to deplete the gut microbiota and confirmed depletion of the microbiota by qPCR in stomach and fecal contents at necropsy. Microbiome depletion resulted in a 7.5-day increase in median survival (n=6) over vehicle treated mice (n=5, p=0.04). These data suggest a role for the normal microbiota in gastric cancer progression regardless of H. pylori infection. Given the broadly metastatic phenotype of our model, we examined whether the number of CTCs correlated with metastatic burden. Because our gastric cancer model incorporated a yellow fluorescence protein (YFP) as a marker of tumor cells, we used flow cytometry to measure CTCs in cardiac blood samples from terminal mice. We detected CTCs (defined as DAPI-;CD45-;YFP+) in all terminal mice and correlated CTC counts with lung metastatic burden. Mice with macrometastatic disease in the lung had >90 CTCs per 100 μl blood (n=3) as compared to mice with micrometastatic disease of the lung which showed Citation Format: Jacob Till, Prince Addai, Neha Bhagwat, Stephanie Yee, Erica Carpenter, Sam Yoon, Sandra Ryeom. A new mouse model of gastric adenocarcinoma: A valuable tool for preclinical studies [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4077.
Dehydration Impairs Cycling Performance, Independently of Thirst: A Blinded Study.

ABSTRACTPurposeThe aim of the present study was to examine the effect of dehydration on exercise performance independently of thirst with subjects blinded of their hydration status.MethodsSeven male cyclists (weight, 72 ± 9 kg; body fat, 14% ± 6%; peak oxygen uptake, 59.4 ± 6 mL·kg−1·min−1) exercise
Dynamic Theta Networks in the Human Medial Temporal Lobe Support Episodic Memory

Summary The medial temporal lobe (MTL) is a locus of episodic memory in the human brain. It is comprised of cytologically distinct subregions that, in concert, give rise to successful encoding and retrieval of context-dependent memories. However, the functional connections between these subregions are poorly understood. To determine functional connectivity among MTL subregions, we had 131 subjects fitted with indwelling electrodes perform a verbal memory task and asked how encoding or retrieval correlated with inter-regional synchronization. Using phase-based measures of connectivity, we found that synchronous theta (4–8 Hz) activity underlies successful episodic memory. During encoding, we observed a dynamic pattern of connections converging on the left entorhinal cortex, beginning with the perirhinal cortex and shifting through hippocampal subfields. Retrieval-associated networks demonstrated enhanced involvement of the subiculum and CA1, reflecting a substantial reorganization of the encoding network. We posit that coherent theta activity within the MTL marks periods of successful memory, but distinct patterns of connectivity dissociate key stages of memory processing.
Relative Growth Rate and Plant Habit of Linden Taxa

Many cultivars of Tilia cordata Mill. and other Linden taxa have been evaluated at the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. This paper provides data on relative growth rate and photographs illustrating differences in plant habit.
Monitoring the Ebola Crisis Using Mobile Phone Surveys

The recent proliferation of mobile phones enables the collection of high-quality data on an almost real-time basis. This chapter presents an innovative approach to data collection for crisis monitoring, combining baseline data from face-to-face household surveys with subsequent mobile phone-based interviews, based on the ongoing Listening-to-Africa project and data collected in Sierra Leone and Liberia during the 2014 Ebola crisis. It finds that mobile phone interviews are valuable tools for crisis monitoring and suggests that the proactive creation of sampling frames of respondent characteristics and re-contact information would allow for a rapid response to unforeseen crises.
Overactive Bladder in Diabetes Mellitus

To explore the current literature regarding the epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management of overactive bladder in diabetic patients. Overactive bladder is a syndrome complex of urinary urgency, often accompanied by frequency and nocturia. Several studies have established the relationship between diabetes mellitus and bladder dysfunction. However, there is limited literature available to evaluate the prevalence of overactive bladder in this population and to guide clinical practice. The introduction of medications such as mirabegron and minimally invasive techniques such as intravesicular onabotulinumtoxinA injections has resulted in a shift in the treatment model for overactive bladder. New technologies for treatment such as radiofrequency therapy are also under active development. Ongoing research seeks to further understand the mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of overactive bladder and identify biomarkers. With the increasing prevalence of diabetes mellitus, it is expected that patients with overactive bladder symptoms will be seen more frequently. The American Urological Association (AUA) and Society of Urodynamics and the Female Pelvic Medicine & Urogenital Reconstruction (SUFU) recently updated the guidelines for the diagnosis for overactive bladder in 2019. However, there are important considerations in diabetic patients that may alter clinical evaluation and management. We tried to shed some light on these diagnostic considerations and the management options available to diabetic patients.
Sporadic SICs and the Exceptional Lie Algebras

Sometimes, mathematical oddities crowd in upon one another, and the exceptions to one classification scheme reveal themselves as fellow-travelers with the exceptions to a quite different taxonomy. After laying down some preliminaries, we will establish a connection between the sporadic SICs and the exceptional Lie algebras \(\mathfrak {e}_6\), \(\mathfrak {e}_7\) and \(\mathfrak {e}_8\) by way of their root systems.
Cavernous-Carotid Fistula Presenting with Intracerebral Hemorrhage in the Absence of Ocular Symptoms.

Background Cavernous-carotid fistulas (CCFs) can present with a variety of symptoms depending on the anatomy of the fistula and its venous drainage. Patients most commonly present with scleral injection, pulsatile exophthalmos, and/or chemosis. Case Description We report a patient who presented with intraparenchymal hemorrhage in the absence of any of the commonly associated ocular symptoms and signs. After multiple imaging studies, the CCF was diagnosed and treated with endovascular embolization that resulted in complete occlusion of the fistula and reflux of embolysate into one of its connecting veins. Conclusions The morphology of the venous drainage can lead to atypical hemorrhagic presentation, whereas dilatation of one of the tributary veins with cortical venous reflux should warn the interventionist the path the embolysate may follow. We provide our experience with this unique presentation and its treatment.
SGLT-2 INHIBITORS DEMONSTRATE CONSISTENT REDUCTION IN CARDIOVASCULAR MORTALITY AND HEART FAILURE HOSPITALIZATIONS AN UP-TO-DATE META-ANALYSIS

Studies show sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) reduce cardiovascular (CV) mortality and heart failure hospitalizations (HFH) in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Recently, DAPA-HF trial showed dapagliflozin lowered risk of HFH or CV death (as composite outcome) compared to
Radiologically Defined Sarcopenia Affects Survival in Head and Neck Cancer: A Meta‐Analysis

OBJECTIVE To determine whether radiologically defined sarcopenia at the C3 or L3 level as measured by computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging is prognostic of overall survival (OS) in head and neck cancers (HNCs). METHODS Literature searches of PubMed, Embase, and Scopus were conducted on July 12, 2019, to include articles written in the English language with no constraints on publication date. To be included in the analysis, articles had to report the prognostic impact of skeletal muscle mass measured radiologically at the C3 or L3 vertebral level in HNC patients; hazard ratios (HRs) for OS; 95% confidence intervals (CIs); be from a clinical trial, cohort, or case-control study; and have English full-text availability. Articles were reviewed in consensus by two reviewers, with disagreements reviewed by a third reviewer. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses and Meta-analysis Of Observational Studies in Epidemiology Checklist guidelines were used for reporting. Study quality assessment was performed using Quality In Prognosis Studies tool. The random-effects DerSimonian and Laird method was used for meta-analysis. RESULTS Ten articles, nine retrospective and one prospective, were included in this meta-analysis (n = 2,181 patients). Significant differences were found in OS for HNC patients with sarcopenia (HR = 1.98; 95% CI: 1.64-2.39; P < .00001). No heterogeneity was detected in either the overall or subgroup analyses. CONCLUSIONS Radiologically defined sarcopenia is a negative predictor of OS in patients with HNC. Early detection of sarcopenia in cancer patients may help guide nutritional and adjuvant support to improve treatment outcomes. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE NA Laryngoscope, 131:333-341, 2021.
Transmission Line Design for Individual Partial Discharge Waveshape Measurement

Measurement of transient phenomenon such as individual PD pulses requires fast, accurate, and noise-free circuits. The bandwidth of elements used in these circuits can affect the captured PD pulse waveshapes. Transmission lines, which couple the PD sources to data recording devices, are one the most important elements among various components in measurement systems. Therefore, transmission lines with wide bandwidths are necessary in building testbeds that capture individual PD pulses. This paper explains the requirements of an ideal Transmission line design that enables accurate individual PD pulse waveshape measurements. We comprehensively use finite element analysis (FEA) simulation to analyze the impact of PD testbed design on the PD pulse measurement performance. Based on the newly designed testbed with the proposed transmission line design, individual PD measurement performance is examined by the time-domain analysis of the FEA simulation. The results show the effect of transmission line parameters on its frequency responses. Also, the application of a narrow bandwidth transmission line for PD pulse measurement has been confirmed to deform its waveshape. Furthermore, the time-domain results confirmed the impact of transmission lines reflection and losses on captured waveshapes.
From the Streets to Prison and Back: An Examination of Continuity of Behaviors among Offenders

Behavioral continuity has been supported by the offending, prison misconduct, and recidivism literature; however, the linear path from offending in the community, to prison, and in the community ag...
Spatial Relationship Between Eviction Filings, Neighborhood Characteristics, and Proximity to the Central Business District: A Case Study of Salt Lake County, Utah

There has been an increasing body of literature analyzing eviction in different cities and contexts in urban studies, public health, sociology, geography, and housing studies. Still, little has bee...
Identification and Management of COVID-19 Related Child and Adolescent Mental Health Problems: A Multi-Tier Intervention Model.

Nepal is a low and medium-income country (LMIC), situated in South-east Asia, with a population of 29 million, of which, 40-50% are children and adolescents. The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected the lives of people around the world, including Nepal. The child and adolescent mental health (CAMH) needs and services in Nepal have a significant gap. CAMH in Nepal suffers from lack of specialized training in this field as well as scarcity of human resources and services. There is only one full-time child and adolescent psychiatry (CAP) out-patient clinic in the country. Some recent activities have focused on CAMH in Nepal but the COVID-19 pandemic has produced new challenges. Access to mental health services for children and adolescents (CA and link them to CAMH services locally, and remotely through teleconsultation. This started as a pilot from June 2020 and will continue till end of February 2021, with the aim to reach 40,000 C&A, parents, teachers and caregivers. As of Nov 2020, this model has been used to successfully conduct 1,415 sessions, with 28,597 population reached. Among them, 16,571 are C&A and 12,026 are parents, teachers and caregivers, across all 7 provinces of Nepal. In this paper, the multi-tier intervention to address the COVID-19 related CAMH problems has been discussed as a feasible framework for resource limited settings and LMICs like Nepal.
Quantum Embedding Search for Quantum Machine Learning.

This paper introduces a novel quantum embedding search algorithm (QES, pronounced as "quest"), enabling search for optimal quantum embedding design for a specific dataset of interest. First, we establish the connection between the structures of quantum embedding and the representations of directed multi-graphs, enabling a well-defined search space. Second, we instigate the entanglement level to reduce the cardinality of the search space to a feasible size for practical implementations. Finally, we mitigate the cost of evaluating the true loss function by using surrogate models via sequential model-based optimization. We demonstrate the feasibility of our proposed approach on synthesis and Iris datasets, which empirically shows that found quantum embedding architecture by QES outperforms manual designs whereas achieving comparable performance to classical machine learning models.
The Presenting Symptoms of Posterior Cortical Atrophy or “Benson’s Disease”: The UCLA Experience (1907)

Objective: To describe the variability of presentations described by patients referred for specialty cognitive evaluation that were given the diagnosis of posterior cortical atrophy (PCA). Background: Originally described at UCLA by D. Frank Benson, posterior cortical atrophy is a neurodegenerative condition characterized by early visuospatial/perceptual symptoms resulting from posterior cortical dysfunction. Affected individuals may be misdiagnosed with primary visual disorders or alternate neurologic or psychiatric conditions which lead to unnecessary testing, procedures, and ineffective management strategies. Design/Methods: We reviewed all patients with medical records evaluated in our UCLA programs since Benson’s original description. All patients that were diagnosed with PCA by a behavioral neurologist, with available clinical records consistent with current Consensus Criteria for PCA were included in the analysis. Results: A total of 56 patients (29F) diagnosed with PCA were reviewed, dating from 1997–2019. Mean age at PCA diagnosis was 61.8 (51–79) with a mean duration of symptoms of 3.9 (1–10) years prior to diagnosis. At least 6 (10%) underwent cataract surgery with persisting symptoms. 11 (20%) did not endorse any primary visual concerns despite significant deficits when tested. Visual difficulties were characterized as memory impairment by 26 (46%) of patients. Other described deficits due to visual impairment included alexia, word finding difficulty, misplacing objects, dressing apraxia, agraphia, acalculia, impaired driving, impaired use of eating utensils and difficulty cooking, trouble using computers and phones, impaired color discrimination, and loss of visualization in dreams. Conclusions: PCA often presents with non-visual concerns which prove to be due to unrecognized visuospatial/perceptual disturbances with a thorough visual system evaluation. New difficulty with driving, locating household objects, reading or writing, using eating utensils, or getting dressed with relative preservation of primary vision should raise suspicion for PCA. Disclosure: Dr. Yerstein has nothing to disclose. Dr. Parand has nothing to disclose. Dr. Mendez has nothing to disclose.
Early palliative intervention in septic patients reduces healthcare utilization.

Abstract Introduction While the role of palliative care in the emergency department is recognized, barriers against the effective integration of palliative interventions and emergency care remain. We examined the association between goals-of-care and palliative care consultations and healthcare utilization outcomes in older adult patients who presented to the emergency department (ED) with sepsis. Methods We performed a retrospective review of 197 patients aged 65 years and older who presented to the ED with sepsis or septic shock. Healthcare utilization outcomes were compared between patients divided into 3 groups: no palliative care consultation, palliative care consultation within 4 days of admission (i.e., early consultation), and palliative care consultation after 4 days of admission (i.e., late consultation). Results 51% of patients did not receive any palliative consultation, 39% of patients underwent an early palliative care consultation (within 4 days), and 10% of patients underwent a late palliative care consultation (after 4 days). Patients who received late palliative care consultation had a significantly increased number of procedures, total length of stay, ICU length of stay, and cost (p Conclusion In patients aged 65 years and older who presented to the ED with sepsis, early palliative consultations were associated with reduced healthcare utilization as compared to late palliative consultations.
Environmental Performance and Economic Analysis of Different Glazing–Sunshade Systems Using Simulation Tools

AbstractWith the increasing capabilities of computer modeling and simulation technology, the analysis of options for maximizing gains in energy efficiency for buildings can be realized more efficiently and cost effectively. Conducting building performance simulations allows for the analysis of the environmental impacts of buildings and the economic vitality of green building techniques. Commercial buildings consume nearly one-fifth of all the energy used in the United States, costing more than $200 billion each year. The building envelope plays a key role in determining how much energy is required for the operation of a building. Individual thermal and solar properties of glazing and shading systems only provide information based on static evaluations, but it is very important to assess the efficiency of these systems as a whole assembly under site-specific conditions. This paper presents a case study that was conducted using computer simulation tools to evaluate the environmental and economic impacts of ...
Enhanced Detection of Airborne Microbial Contaminants

Bioassays Immunoassays Analytical Instrumentation Assays Biotechnology-Based Assays Keywords: airborne microorganisms, enhanced detection of; bioaerosols; methodology
A comparative study of the oxygen transport proteins of Dendrostomum pyroides. Isolation and characterization of hemerythrins from muscle, the vascular system, and the coelom.

Abstract Hemerythrins have been isolated from muscle, the vascular system, and the coelom of the sipunculid Dendrostomum pyroides. Muscle hemerythrin (myohemerythrin), vascular hemerythrin, and coelomic hemerythrin have been purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation and have been partially characterized. The ultraviolet and visible absorption and circular dichroic spectra of myohemerythrin and vascular hemerythrin closely resemble those of the coelomic protein, indicating that these hemerythrins have similar iron sites. Far-ultraviolet circular dichroism measurements reveal that the three hemerythrins also have similar secondary structures. In contrast, amino acid analysis shows that the three proteins differ substantially in primary structure. Vascular hemerythrin and coelomic hemerythrin each occur as oligomeric (probably octameric) molecules while myohemerythrin occurs only as a monomer.
The Case for a Sixth Amendment Public-Safety Exception after Dickerson

Following the events of September 11, 2001, the Department of Justice promulgated a new Bureau of Prisons (BOP) rule that authorizes the government to monitor certain attorney-client conversations in the interests of public safety and national security. Because the BOP rule arguably will not survive scrutiny under traditional Sixth Amendment jurisprudence, the Department of Justice may wish to argue for the creation of a Sixth Amendment public-safety exception akin to that found in the context of the Miranda warnings. In this note, the author posits that support for such an exception under the Sixth Amendment can be premised on the Supreme Court's holding in Dickerson v. United States that Miranda warnings are constitutionally based within the framework of the Fifth Amendment. Because the Court has carved out a public-safety exception for Miranda warnings, which are now viewed as stemming from a constitutional rule, it stands to reason that the Court could do the same in the context of the Sixth Amendment. The author ultimately argues, however, that neither the Court’s uncertain Fifth Amendment jurisprudence nor the policy considerations behind the Sixth Amendment justify creating a public-safety exception to the Sixth Amendment.
Cost Efficiency, Scale Economies, and Technological Progress in Turkish Banking

This paper uses a three input–three output Fourier-flexible cost function specification to investigate cost efficiency, scale economies, and technological progress in the Turkish banking system over the period 1988-1998. Our findings suggest that the Turkish banking system has a significant inefficiency problem. Although the annual inefficiency average decreased over the sample period due to the financial liberalization, commercial banks in the sector operated more inefficiently than their U.S. and European counterparts. The results suggest the existence of significant economies of scale for all groups in the sample and no evidence of diseconomies of scale even for larger banks. The results also indicate the existence of technological progress between 1988 and 1991.
Abstract 5553: In vivo and in vitro effect of Withania somnifera extract on the proliferation of side population (CD44HIGH /CD24LOW) cells sorted from MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells

Proceedings: AACR 106th Annual Meeting 2015; April 18-22, 2015; Philadelphia, PA Invasive breast cancer is considered a great challenge for treatment of cancer in women. In 2013, an estimated 232,340 new cases of invasive breast cancer were expected to be diagnosed in the U.S., along with 64,640 new cases of non-invasive breast cancer. For women under 45, breast cancer is more common in African-American women than white women, and, overall, African-American women are more likely to die of breast cancer. CD44high/CD24low cells have been associated with invasiveness of breast cancers, in particular basal-like breast cancers. In nude mice xenografted with MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells, CD44high/CD24low cells are the side population associated with metastasis to the bones and are considered to be cancer stem cells. The side population cells are not only involved in invasiveness of breast cancer but are resistant to chemotherapeutic drugs such as mitoxantrone and doxorubicin. The effects of an alcoholic extract of the roots of Withania somnifera (WS), a traditional herbal remedy, was tested in the sorted side population, CD44high/CD24low, of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. WS caused a concentration-dependent inhibition of the sorted cells, with 95, 65, and 35% inhibition of the proliferation of cells after incubation with concentrations of 100, 50, and 25 μg/ml, respectively. Two groups of nude mice (10 mice ineach group) were xenografted with luciferase transfected CD44high/CD24low cells. Group1 served as control has been dosed with 10% DMSO via drinking water for 8 weeks. Group 2 has been given WS (300 mg/kg) via drinking water for 8 weeks. This experiment is on going and will end after 8 weeks. Tumoror size will be assessed each week using an in vivo imaging system. In conclusion, on, Withania somnifera extract showed a concentration-dependent inhibition of CD44high/CD24low cells and it is anticipated that the extract will be effective in inhibition of cell proliferation in treated mice. These findings serve as preliminary data for further preclinical studies evaluating the effects of WS. Grant support: Research supported by NIH-NCI-U54-118948 at Tuskegee University and the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Citation Format: Kamel F. Khazal. In vivo and in vitro effect of Withania somnifera extract on the proliferation of side population (CD44HIGH /CD24LOW) cells sorted from MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 5553. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-5553
Wheel running can accelerate or delay extinction of conditioned place preference for cocaine in male C57BL/6J mice, depending on timing of wheel access

Aerobic exercise may represent a useful intervention for drug abuse in predisposed individuals. Exercise increases plasticity in the brain that could be used to reverse learned drug associations. Previous studies have reported that exposing mice to a complex environment including running wheels after drug conditioning abolishes conditioned place preference (CPP) for cocaine, whereas running can enhance CPP when administered before conditioning. The purpose of the present study was to test the hypothesis that timing of exercise relative to conditioning has opposing effects on cocaine CPP. Male C57BL ⁄6J mice experienced 30 days of running or sedentary treatments either before or after cocaine conditioning. Control animals always received saline and never cocaine, but otherwise underwent the same conditioning and exercise treatments. Animals were given bromodeoxyuridine injections at the onset of conditioning or exercise, and euthanized at the end of the study to quantify survival of new neurons in the hippocampus as a marker of plasticity. Wheel running accelerated extinction of CPP when running occurred entirely after drug conditioning, whereas running delayed extinction when administered before conditioning. A single conditioning day after running was sufficient to abolish the accelerated extinction observed when all conditioning preceded running. Running approximately doubled adult hippocampal neurogenesis, whereas cocaine had no effect. These results suggest that exercise-induced plasticity can facilitate learning that context is no longer associated with drug. However, if drug exposure occurs after exercise, running-induced plasticity may strengthen drug associations. The results provide insights into the interaction between exercise and drug conditioning that could have implications for drug abuse treatments.
Corticosteroids during pregnancy

In pregnancy, pharmacokinetics of corticosteroids changes. Systemic corticosteroids are not teratogenic. Pregnant women receiving corticosteroid therapy suffer the same side effects and benefits as do treated women who are not pregnant. Clinical experience suggests no abnormalities of children of mothers treated with usual doses of prednisone and methylprednisolone throughout pregnancy, but premature rupture of amniotic membranes and low birthweight babies may occur. Betamethasone and dexamethasone are used to treat the fetus. The effect on the fetus of bolus doses of methylprednisolone is unknown. Very little corticosteroid ingested by the mother enters her breast milk. Corticosteroid therapy in pregnancy is appropriate to control clinically active maternal illness; to treat an in utero infant suffering from neonatal lupus-associated carditis; in stress doses (in corticosteroid-treated patients) for labor and delivery: and, pre-delivery, to induce fetal lung maturation.
Efficient Provably Secure Public Key Steganography.

We construct efficient public key steganographic schemes, without resort to any special existence assumption such as unbiased functions. This is the first time such a construction is obtained. Not only our constructions are secure, but also are essentially optimal and have no error decoding. We achieve this by designing a new primitive called P-codes.
Surface oil flow visualization

A brief review of the use of surface oil flow visualization (SOFV) in wind tunnel testing is provided. The first part of the review discusses the concept of flow separation in three-dimensions and the resulting surface topology. This is followed by a review of the SOFV technique and its ability to reveal surface topologies in three-dimensional flow. The discussion is illustrated by examples. The application of modern digital techniques is highlighted.
Nature of MgO and Al 2 O 3 Dissolution in Metallurgical Slags

The nature of MgO and Al2O3 dissolution in metallurgical slags may affect production cost, efficiency, and product quality. However, the rate-limiting dissolution mechanism, chemical reaction or boundary layer diffusion, is not well understood. In the present report, the dissolution mechanism of MgO and Al2O3 in metallurgical slag was evaluated based on available literature data. The mass balance between the dissolving particle and the flux equation through the boundary layer was applied to predict the dissolution curve. The influence of fluid flow was taken into account to calculate the mass transfer rate at the oxide/slag interface. It was found that the rate-limiting step of MgO and Al2O3 dissolution is the same: mass transfer through the boundary layer. Depending on the slag composition and experimental temperature, the effective diffusion coefficient for MgO and Al2O3 dissolution falls in the range of 10−12 to 10−9 m2/s.
CodeSpells: embodying the metaphor of wizardry for programming

This paper addresses how CodeSpells uses the metaphor of wizardry, along with an embodied API to engage students in learning to program in Java. Giving novice programmers a concrete representation of code has been encouraged and shown to help students understand the concepts with more ease. There have been many attempts to improve the novice learning experience by providing: a visual programming language, a hardware component or an application that is more approachable. The benefit of this research is that students are better able to understand how abstract code effects the environment.We build on this work through CodeSpells by immersing novices in the abstraction of code through embodiment to allow them to understand complex and abstract programming problems as if they were being affected by what they wrote. In this paper we present a new approach to novice programming environments, one that embodies the user and encourages a quick grasp of introductory concepts followed by a deep understanding through exploration.
The Effects of Goal Distance and Value in Escalation of Commitment

Escalation of commitment describes individuals’ tendencies to spend resources beyond the point of rationality in order to persist in a chosen course of action, and most believe that sunk cost is the primary cause. However, it has been noted that sunk costs are confounded with progress made toward a goal, and that sunk costs do not affect individuals’ tendencies to escalate as all economic information is ignored in pursuit of the goal. Thus, the apparent escalation tendency may be a consequence of goal proximity instead of sunk costs. In Experiment 1, I show that individuals’ tendencies to escalate reflect the goal-gradient effect after controlling for the sunk costs. Experiment 2 provides a psychological process model to explain why goal-gradient influences individuals’ tendencies to escalate commitment by demonstrating that as individuals progress toward their goal, they exaggerate the value difference between the object that they are pursuing and the object that they are not pursuing. This perceived value difference, in turn, influences individuals’ tendencies to commit escalation of commitment. Results suggest a new interpretation for escalation of commitment and new approaches to guiding people to avoid it.
Creating competitive edge through improved customer relationship management

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to highlight some of the Best Practices for Improved Customer Relationship Management.Design/methodology/approach – This article describes some of the Best Practices for Improved Customer Relationship Management. Case studies, success stories, and statistical examples are used to highlight some of the Best Practices.Findings – Case studies, success stories, and statistics.Originality/value – This session highlights some of the Best Practices for Improved Customer Relationship Management.
Pathophysiology, clinical presentation, natural history, and review of the SPORT trials

Abstract Lumbar spinal stenosis is a combination of intervertebral disk degeneration (leading to loss of normal disk height), facet joint hypertrophy, ligamentum flavum hypertrophy/infolding, and osteophyte formation that results in narrowing of the spinal canal and compression of the lumbo-sacral nerve roots. This mechanical compression presents in patients as neurogenic claudication and resultant back and leg pain. Spinal stenosis is most commonly seen in the elderly population secondary to the normal aging of the lumbar spine. However, some patients may be predisposed to its effects due to congenitally narrowed canal secondary to short pedicles. The literature describes a variable natural history with a general worsening over time. Recently, more has been learned about the natural history of lumbar spinal stenosis with the addition of the Spine Patient Outcomes Research Trial (SPORT) to the literature.
Cryogenic cooling technology for HTS electric machinery

Cryogenic cooling options for high temperature superconducting (HTS) synchronous machines are outlined. Present electric machines use multiple Gifford-McMahon (GM) cryocoolers coupled to the cold HTS field winding via convective flow of single-phase, cold helium gas or two-phase neon. Pulse tube cryocoolers are an attractive future option due to their potential high reliability. Major performance issues include reliability, efficiency and cost
Comments on “ Stabilization and pole placement using output feedback ”

(1976). Comments on “ Stabilization and pole placement using output feedback ”. International Journal of Control: Vol. 24, No. 3, pp. 443-443.
No Innate Phases in Group Problem Solving

A widely accepted empirical study (Bales & Strodtbeck, 1951)) concludes that “many staff conferences, committees, and similar groups” progress through predictable sequential phases in problem solving. Reexamination suggests that the conclusion is wrong. Only those subject groups that had never before met showed phased movement. The 1951 research may have measured the process of group formation, not problem solving. Well-acquainted small groups—for example, most management teams, task forces, and committees—do not naturally follow sequential phases in problem solving.
The etiological relationship between reading disability and phonological disorder

The present study investigated the etiological relationship between two disorders: dyslexia or reading disability (RD) and phonological disorder (PD). These disorders manifest at different ages and have typically been studied by researchers in different disciplines. However, a growing body of evidence suggests that the disorders overlap at symptomatic, cognitive, and etiological levels of analysis. In previous studies, each disorder has been found to be heritable, and there is also evidence that RD and PD run together in families, but no studies to date have documented whether there is a shared genetic influence between the two disorders. The present study examined this question in a sample of RD and non-RD twins. Subjects with a history of PD were identified and the etiological relation between the two disorders was examined. Results indicated that in the present sample, RD and PD are each heritable on their own. Further, even when correcting for RD, the two disorders were found to be coheritable, indicating that the finding of cofamiliality of RD and PD is at least partially driven by genetic influences. The implications of these results for the conceptualization, identification, and treatment of these two disorders are discussed.
A Payment Method For Health Insurance Purchasing Cooperatives

Health insurance purchasing cooperatives (HIPCs) combine the resources of governmental entities, employers, and consumers to manage competition and motivate efficiency among health plans. They need incentive-conscious payment methods that fulfill three functions. First, health plans must be motivated to search continually for better methods of service delivery; the HIPC should not pay more to health plans that experience higher costs due to inefficiency. Second, health plans must be discouraged from selectively enrolling healthy individuals and avoiding the chronically ill; the HIPC should make larger payments to those plans serving a high-risk population. Third, health plans must be motivated to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of new technologies and procedures; the HIPC should rigorously negotiate health plan requests for premium increases over time.
Are antidepressants carcinogenic? A review of preclinical and clinical studies.

Background: Antidepressants are widely prescribed for mood and anxiety disorders, though reports in the oncology and epidemiology literature have suggested these agents may possess tumor initiating and/or promoting properties, raising questions about safe long-term use in patients. The author conducted a review of the preclinical and clinical literature on the connection between antidepressants and carcinogenesis. Method: A MEDLINE search was conducted for English-language articles published from 1966 to 2002 using the search terms antidepressants, tumors, carcinogenesis, and cancer, as well as specific antidepressant names. Additional studies were ascertained through cross-references. Results: Preclinical studies found evidence for both tumor promotion and suppression, though the majority of studies predominantly examined tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), with 1 report suggesting that TCAs with a nitrogen atom in the central ring are genotoxic. Of 13 clinical studies, 3 found a significant increase, 4 noted a trend increase, and 6 found no increase in risk for cancer with antidepressant (mostly TCA) use. Methodologic differences could account for some of the discrepancies found in the clinical studies, while questions about the validity for humans of the preclinical models raise doubt about the significance of those findings. Conclusion: While there is some suggestive evidence of an association between antidepressant use and cancer, the link is, at this time, questionable but deserving of further study, especially with newer agents. Clinicians should not withhold antidepressant medication when indicated, as the risks of untreated depressive and anxiety disorders exceed the as yet unsubstantiated risk of tumor formation in such patients.
Positron emission tomography/computed tomography imaging of head and neck tumors: an atlas.

i A m p a s he following images were all acquired using a CTI Biograph (Siemens Medical Solutions, Molecular Imaging ivision, Hoffman Estates, IL) with 2-slice computed tomogaphy (CT). Patients were injected intravenously with 10 to 5 mCi of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) and imaged begining 90 minutes ( 10) later at 5 minutes per bed position. ost patients were sedated with 0.5 to 1 mg of alprazolam iven orally 20 to 30 minutes before injection of FDG. Images ere reconstructed with an OSEM iterative algorithm (5-mm WHM). Slice thickness was 3.4 mm. The images were re-
Ontogeny of estrogen receptor alpha, estrogen receptor beta and androgen receptor, and their co-localization with Islet-1 in the dorsal root ganglia of sheep fetuses during gestation

The aims of the present study were to detect the ontogeny of estrogen receptor (ERα and ERβ) and androgen receptor (AR) expressions and their co-localization with Islet-1 in the developing dorsal root ganglia (DRG) of sheep fetuses by immunohistochemistry. From the single staining results, the ERα immunoreactivity (ERα-ir), ERβ immunoreactivity (ERβ-ir) and AR immunoreactivity (AR-ir) was first detected at days 90, 120 and 90 of gestation, respectively. From days 90 to 120, ERα and AR were consistently detected in the nuclei of DRG neurons and the relative percentage (approximately 60%) of ERα-ir or AR-ir cells did not change significantly. Moreover, there was no change in ERα expression, while a dramatic loss of AR expression was observed at birth. From day 120 of gestation to birth, very few neurons (approximately 8%) showed nuclear ERβ immunoreactivity. The dual staining results showed that Islet-1 was co-localized with ERα, ERβ or AR in the nuclei of DRG neurons with various frequencies, and over 70% ERα-ir, ERβ-ir or AR-ir cells contained Islet-1. These results imply that ERs, AR and Islet-1 may be important in regulating the differentiation and functional maintenance of some phenotypes of DRG neurons after mid-gestation in the sheep fetus.
Meson fields with vanishing expectation values

A method for treating meson fields whose expectation values must vanish because of symmetry is presented in terms of a simplified model of pions, nucleons, and deltas constituting a model alpha particle. Self-consistent equations for the wave functions are derived from the variational principle. The relation to the mean-field procedure, which can be used for fields with expectation values, is discussed.
The iron-catalyzed oxidation of dithiothreitol is a biphasic process: hydrogen peroxide is involved in the initiation of a free radical chain of reactions.

Dithiothreitol (DTT) is the most common agent used to reduce disulfide bonds in proteins. In the presence of transition metals and O2, however, DTT can induce oxidative damage in biomolecules. By means of polarographic measurements, it was established that the DTT oxidation catalyzed by Fe3+ is a biphasic process, characterized by a lag phase of several minutes during which O2 is consumed at a slow rate, by a mechanism involving the DTT-dependent reduction of Fe3+ to Fe2+ and the conversion of O2 to H2O2. Some lines of evidence indicate that the reduction of Fe3+ is the rate-limiting step: (i) The replacement of Fe3+ with Fe2+ leads to a decrease in the length of the lag phase. (ii) The rate of Fe2+ formation by DTT is the same as the initial rate of O2 uptake, (iii) The rate of sulfhydryl oxidation under anaerobic conditions is very slow. EDTA stimulates the iron-catalyzed oxidation of DTT probably by accelerating Fe3+ reduction. The lag phase is followed by a rapid uptake of O2 involving both O2.(-)-dependent and O2.(-)-independent free radical reactions, which can proceed, albeit more slowly, in the absence of H2O2 (i.e., in the presence of catalase). Glutamine synthetase is inactivated faster when added during the phase of rapid O2 uptake than when added before the beginning of the reaction. In both cases, catalase protects the enzyme, suggesting that only reactive species generated by H2O2 decomposition are able to induce the inactivation.
Bacterial deposition in porous media : Effects of cell-coating, substratum hydrophobicity, and electrolyte concentration

Deposition of seven bacterial strains on spherical glass and Teflon collectors was studied in vertical down-flow columns at an ionic strength (I) of 0.1 M. The various bacteria had either one of the following types of major cell−surface constituents: nonpolysac charide (NP), amphiphilic (AMPH), or anionic polysaccharide (AP) macromolecules. Deposition was analyzed in terms of the clean bed collision efficiency α0 (the probability of a cell to attach upon reaching a substratum free of cells) and a blocking factor B (the ratio of the area blocked by an attached cell to the geometric area of a cell). The value of α0 decreased from 1.0 to about 0.01 in the following order of cell−surface constituents/collector combina tions: NP/Teflon and AMPH/Teflon > NP/glass > AMPH/glass, AP/Teflon, and AP/glass. The value for B, at a Peclet number of 1 × 105, increased from about 3 to 18 in the order NP/low cell charge < NP or AMPH/high cell charge < AP/high cell charge. This indicates that cell−cell repulsion enhances ...
Photoemission from the charge-density wave in Na and K

Angle-resolved photoemission perpendicular to the surface of a Na or K film (for photon energies near 35 and 26 eV, respectively) can reveal the momentum mixing and band bending caused by the charge-density-wave potential.
Towards an autonomic performance management approach for a cloud broker environment using a decomposition-coordination based methodology

Efficient resource allocation of computational resources to services is one of the predominant challenges in a cloud computing environment. Furthermore, the advent of cloud brokerage and federated cloud computing systems increases the complexity of cloud resource management. Cloud brokers are considered third party organizations that work as intermediaries between the service providers and the cloud providers. Cloud brokers rent different types of cloud resources from a number of cloud providers and sublet these resources to the requesting service providers. In this paper, an autonomic performance management approach is introduced that provides dynamic resource allocation capabilities for deploying a set of services over a federated cloud computing infrastructure by considering the availability as well as the demand of the cloud computing resources. A distributed control based approach is used for providing autonomic computing features to the proposed framework via a feedback-based control loop. This distributed control based approach is developed using one of the decomposition-coordination methodologies, named interaction balance, for interactive bidding of cloud computing resources. The primary goals of the proposed approach are to maintain the service level agreements, maximize the profit, and minimize the operating cost for the service providers and the cloud broker. The application of interaction balance methodology and prioritization of profit maximization for the cloud broker and the service providers during resource allocation are novel contributions of the proposed approach. We develop a dynamic resource allocation approach in cloud broker environment with limited resources.The developed approach can also be applied to federated cloud computing environment.The interaction balance principles are utilized in the developed approach.The developed approach maximizes the profitability of the cloud broker and service provider simultaneously.