cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Coping with Corruption

Corruption, Global Security, and World Order. Edited by Robert I. Rotberg Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution Press, 2009. 497 pp., $39.95 (ISBN-13: 978-0-815-70329-7). Robert I. Rotberg's edited volume, Corruption, Global Security, and World Order , is a comprehensive assessment of global corruption that is easily accessible to most upper-level undergraduate students, yet engaging and complex enough to prove useful to the most seasoned academic. The timeliness and relevance of this volume are unquestionable (Transparency International 2010), as Rotberg himself notes in the opening paragraphs: “Corruption is a human condition and an ancient phenomenon….[and] until avarice and ambition cease to be human traits, corruption will continue to flourish” (p. 1). To empirically defend Rotberg's claim, one need only pick up the newspaper, watch the news, or browse the news Web sites to see that the issue of corruption is rampant. One of the more compelling examples of this issue occurred on the Rush Limbaugh program when a GOP House member, Rep. Darrell Issa, called President Obama “one of the most corrupt Presidents in modern times.” He clarified this statement on CNN by saying he meant the Obama administration, not President Obama (Politico 2011, Available at http://www.politico.com/blogs/politicolive/0111/Issa\_clarifies\_remark\_calling\_Obama_corrupt.html?showall, accessed August 4, 2011). This statement is striking not just in the accusation leveled at the Obama administration, but in that Representative Issa must believe that many modern Presidents were corrupt, and the Obama administration is simply the most corrupt. In general, anyone paying attention to the state of global (and domestic) politics is constantly confronted with issues of corruption. Whether this involves the distribution of funds in post-earthquake Haiti, the difficulties in fighting corruption in Afghanistan, or the plethora of other cases, it is evident that …
The Value and Incentive Relevance of Nonrecurring Items: Under Conservative Accounting

I find that the value relevant components of special items and discontinued operations at the industry-level provide useful information to assess the performance of intangibles. Special items send noisy signals about future growth opportunities for firms within an industry, while discontinued operation send clear signals about the values of intangibles in the sector. I also find a significant positive (negative) link between CEO market-based compensation and the signals sent by discontinued operations (special items). My results suggest that compensation committees in firms across an industry consider the information about intangibles relayed by discontinued operations and special items, and selectively alter the level of incentives to encourage managers to send informative signals when reporting these items.
Impact of violence on children and adolescents: Report from a community-based child psychiatry clinic

The Children's National Medical Center is located in the inner-city area of Washington, DC. As is nationally now well publicized, the drug-related violence in Washington has earned the area the dubious title of "murder capital of the world." Our outpatient child and adolescent psychiatry clinic at Children's Hospital provides walk-in services during daytime hours, Monday through Friday. Access to services is available at other times through the emergency room. VioLit summary: OBJECTIVE: The intent of this article by Benoit was to describe the common themes emerging from six cases at a children's medical center which identified psychiatric morbidity as a problem closely associated to violence. METHODOLOGY: The author employed a non-experimental design by describing six adolescents who were treated at the Children's National Medical Center in Washington, DC, some time in the early 1990s. The author then described the special dilemma associated with psychological victimization and widespread violence. FINDINGS/DISCUSSION: The adolescents ranged in age from 5 to 19 and they each demonstrated a combination of maladaptive behaviors such as sadness, suicidal tendencies, an inability to cooperate with peers, paranoia, vigilantism, obsession with guns and violence, excessive fright, sadism, irritability, sleeplessness, and loss of appetite. The author identified the chronic recurrence of community violence as a dilemma unique to this type of post traumatic stress syndrome; in cases of physical or sexual abuse the victim was usually removed from the situation for treatment, in cases of natural disaster the likelihood of an immediate recurrence was low, but in an ongoing culture of violence, treatment could not include full intervention or the victim's mastery over the trauma. AUTHOR'S RECOMMENDATIONS: The author identified primary prevention as the most important element of future endeavors because therapeutic intervention was only moderately helpful in the best cases, but not curative. (CSPV Abstract - Copyright © 1992-2007 by the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, Institute of Behavioral Science, Regents of the University of Colorado) KW - District of Columbia KW - Urban Environment KW - Urban Violence KW - Urban Youth KW - Juvenile Witness KW - Juvenile Patient KW - Child Patient KW - Child Witness KW - Witnessing Community Violence KW - Psychological Victimization Effects KW - Witnessing Violence Effects KW - Exposure to Violence KW - Mental Health Patient KW - Mental Health Institution KW - Witness Treatment KW - Child Treatment KW - Juvenile Treatment KW - Witness Adjustment KW - Emotional Adjustment KW - Child Adjustment KW - Juvenile Adjustment Language: en
Security-enhanced quality of service (SQoS) design and architecture

Security and QoS issues have traditionally been considered separately with different objectives and implementation architectures. No protocol has been designed and implemented so far to parameterize security as QoS parameters. However, it has been noted recently that security and QoS are highly intertwined; security mechanisms may severely affect QoS mechanisms in terms of network performance and data confidentiality, and vice versa. In addition, users are not given a choice on which security services and mechanisms as well as which security level should be applied to the user traffic. We propose a network security framework, referred to as security-enhanced quality of service (SQoS), with two major objectives. One objective is to offer users elastic choices on the treatment of messages with appropriate security mechanisms with respect to their own QoS and budget requirements. Another objective is to facilitate interaction between security and QoS mechanisms in the most efficient manner by providing information to each other and performing tasks requested by each other
Immortalized Testis Cell Lines From Estrogen Receptor (ER) α Knock‐Out and Wild‐Type Mice Expressing Functional ERα or ERβ

The surprising findings that male mice lacking the es- trogen receptor (ER) (ERKO) have atrophic testis and are infertile proved that ER is involved in normal testicular function. To obtain compatible in vitro model systems for ERKO male mice, we im- mortalized different cell lines from the testis of ERKO and wild-type (C57BL/6) mice with the human papilloma virus E6/E7 genes. The established cell lines were characterized for Sertoli, Leydig, and peri- tubular cell markers by means of messenger RNA expression and functional assays. One wild-type-derived cell line showed Leydig cell-specific marker gene expression and produced testosterone af- ter stimulation with cyclic adenosine monophosphate. Most wild-type cell lines expressed androgen receptor and a functional ER as shown by high estrogenic activity in a luciferase-based transactiva- tion assay. Most notably, the wild-type-derived WL3, and the ES4 cell line derived from ERKO mice expressed ER and showed ER- mediated transcriptional activity, but no ER protein expression. These cell lines with and without functional ER or ER enable the analyses of ER subtype-specific responses and their function in tes- ticular cell signaling, morphogenesis, and neoplasia.
Agency in a market setting

This paper examines a market in which a continuum of principals and agents interact in a game. Principals offer contracts while agents decide on sets of acceptable contracts. A mechanism from a class satisfying “efficiency,” “unbiasedness,” and “continuity” properties then matches principals and agents. With risk neutral agents, when the contribution of principals and agents to the total “gains from trade” in a pairing are additively separable, the equilibria of the game coincide with the competitive equilibria for the market. In particular, all contracts used in Nash equilibrium induce first-best effort levels. Both principals and agents have exogenous opportunities outside this market. In equilibrium, agents have endogenously determined outside opportunities available from employment by another principal, and this may be the binding participation constraint in a principal-agent pairing. The results are extended to special non-separable cases and to the case of identical risk averse agents.
Osteoporosis in chickens with hereditary muscular dystrophy

Abstract Osteoporosis has been encountered in New Hampshire chickens homozygous for hereditary muscular dystrophy. Osteoporosis is manifested in a decrease of thickness of the cortex of long bones, an increased bone porosity (coarsening of trabecular pattern), and an increase of the girth of the shaft of the bone. Osteoporosis has also been described in muscular dystrophy of man but it has frequently been ascribed to disuse atrophy due to immobilization of patients debilitated by muscular dystrophy. Such an explanation cannot be applied to osteoporosis as it occurs in hereditary muscular dystrophy of the chicken since both normal and dystrophic chickens were maintained in identical environments and the dystrophic process does not immobilize. It is suggested that the muscular dystrophic chicken may serve as an additional valuable experimental animal by contributing to the understanding of this important and common disorder of bone - osteoporosis.
What High-Achieving Latino Students Need to Apply to College: Environmental Factors, Individual Resiliency, or Both?.

This quantitative study investigated how well environmental and individual factors predicted college-going behavior for college eligible Latino/as. Three questions were addressed: (a) Is there a relationship between individual agency and college-going behavior after controlling for environmental factors? (b) What is the relationship between the individual agency and college-going behavior while controlling for environmental factors? and (c) What role do peers play in the relationship between individual agency and college-going behavior? One hundred and twenty-four college-eligible immigrant Latino/a students completed surveys assessing agency, peer resources, and perceived college-going practices. The odds of submitting a college application were dependent on a combination of individuals’ agency scores and peer resources, with the latter serving a meditational role. The results suggest the need to incorporate peer participation into college-going practices in middle and high school and outreach programs. ...
Determination of Time Period for Full Refund in a Warranty

Abstract Almost all consumer products are associated with a certain warranty time as stipulated by the manufacturer. Such a statement of warranty provides the buyer with an assurance on the performance of the product in the stated period. On the other hand, manufacturers use warranties for promotional and protectional purposes. In most cases, the type of warranty offered is linear pro-rata. This means that the rebate offered to the customer decreases linearly, from the price of the product to zero, as the time of product failure varies between zero and the warranty time. However, in some products, better promotional characteristics are observed if a full refund of the product price is made up to a certain period and linear pro-rata takes place thereafter. The purpose of this paper is to determine the time up to which a full refund is to be made given an allowable proportional increase in the expected rebate, compared to a linear pro-rata plan, that is acceptable to the manufacturer. By providing full refu...
Caregivers and the nutritionalneeds of the patient with Alzheimer's disease: A pilot study

A pilot study was conducted at a day care center for those affected with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The day care center is affiliated with a statewide Department of Mental Health. The purpose of the study was to determine the adequacy of caregivers' knowledge of nutrition in general and of the nutritional needs of the AD affected person, specifically. Also studied was the caregivers'perceived amount of burden and the caregivers' levels of depression.It was found that the caregivers' knowledge of nutrition was below average overall, despite the fact that many were educated beyond high school. A high level of caregiver perceived burden was also discovered. Depression, however did not seem to be a factor with these caregivers.While this was only a pilot study (n=12), one can begin to see the importance of assisting caregivers with nutrition education. The better prepared caregivers are to take care of their elderly, the longer it is before nursing home placement becomes a consideration. Health care workers ar...
Consequences of restudy choices in younger and older learners

Allowing young learners to exert metacognitive control over learning often improves memory performance; however, little research has examined the consequences of giving older adults control over learning. In this study, younger and older adults studied word pairs before choosing half of the word pairs for restudy. Learners either restudied the items they chose (in the honor condition) or the items they did not choose (the dishonor condition; Kornell & Metcalfe, Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition 32:609–622, 2006). Older and younger learners chose the same types of items for restudy, but the effectiveness of these choices differed greatly by age. For young learners, memory was superior in the honor condition, but older learners actually revealed numerically higher performance in the dishonor condition. This reveals a dramatic failure of metacognitive control, in the absence of any obvious monitoring deficit, in older adults. Implications for models of self-regulated learning are discussed.
Melt solidification and late-stage evaporation in the evolution of a FUN inclusion from the Vigarano C3V chondrite

Results are presented on a detailed petrologic, chemical, and isotopic study of the so-called FUN inclusion (1623-5) from the Vigarano C3V chondrite. It is shown that the precursor material from which the Vigarano 1623-5 has formed contained some nuclear isotopic anomalies; this precursor was composed of melted and crystallized spinel, olivine, fassaite, and melilite. The results on the petrologic and isotopic properties of 1623-5 indicate unambiguously the action of volatilization in the evolution of this inclusion.
In vitro responses of cheetah mononuclear cells to feline herpesvirus-1 and Cryptococcus neoformans.

Abstract In vitro T cell function by domestic cats and cheetahs to two common pathogens, feline herpesvirus-1 (FHV-1) and Cryptococcus neoformans, was assessed. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBM) were stimulated with two strains of UV-inactivated FHV-1, whole heat-killed organisms or capsular antigen of Cryptococcus neoformans, and proliferative responses measured. As a group, cheetah PBM responded significantly poorer than domestic cat PBM when cultured with FHV-1. However, individual cheetah responses varied widely. Supplementation of cultures with exogenous interleukin 2 (IL-2) significantly increased the level of response of individual cheetahs to both strains of FHV-1. Cheetah sera contained slightly higher neutralizing antibody titers to FHV-1 than did domestic cat sera, suggesting that B cells function adequately in cheetahs. When stimulated with Cryptococcus neoformans, both species had similar incidences of positive proliferative responses. These data demonstrate that cheetahs exhibit heterogeneous responses to specific antigens, similar to domestic cats. However, a lower group response to FHV-1 in cheetahs suggests species differences occur. In addition, level of variability in major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I-like genes, as determined by Southern blot hybridization, does not appear to correlate with a uniform response in in vitro functional assays. Therefore, additional mechanisms influence the final outcome of the immune response.
Refereed papers: Computer crimes: theorizing about the enemy within

A majority of computer crimes occur because a current employee of an organization has subverted existing controls. By considering two case studies, this paper analyzes computer crimes resulting because of violations of safeguards by employees. The paper suggests that various technical, procedural and normative controls should be put in place to prevent illegal and malicious acts from taking place. Ultimately a good balance between various kinds of controls would help in instituting a cost-effective means to make both accidental and intentional misconduct difficult. This would also ensure, wherever possible, individual accountability for all potentially sensitive negative actions.
Decreasing aqueous mercury concentrations to meet the water quality criterion in fish: examining the water-fish relationship in two point-source contaminated streams.

Abstract East Fork Poplar Creek (EF) and White Oak Creek (WC) are two mercury-contaminated streams located on the United States (U.S.) Department of Energy Oak Ridge Reservation in East Tennessee. East Fork Poplar Creek is the larger and more contaminated of the two, with average aqueous mercury (Hg) concentrations exceeding those in reference streams by several hundred-fold. Remedial actions over the past 20 years have decreased aqueous Hg concentrations in EF by 85% (from > 1600 ng/L to
The natural states of neon

Abstract The 1- and 2-matrices of the neon ground state, computed from a configuration interaction wave function with 74 configurations or 1148 Slater determinants are reported. The wavefunction was constructed over an orthonormal set of Slater-type orbitals and afforded an energy of −128.856918 au. The 1-matrix structure shows extensive correlation in the L-shell. Unlike berylluim, the neon ground state fails to exhibit a supergeminal.
Rational Fabrication of Graphene Nanoribbons Using a Nanowire Etch Mask

We report a rational approach to fabricate graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) with sub-10 nm width by employing chemically synthesized nanowires as the physical protection mask in oxygen plasma etch. Atomic force microscopy study shows that the patterns of the resulted nanoribbons replicate exactly those of mask nanowires so that ribbons or branched or crossed graphene nanostructures can be produced. Our study shows a linear scaling relation between the resulted GNR widths and mask nanowire diameters with variable slopes for different etching times. GNRs with controllable widths down to 6 nm have been demonstrated. We have fabricated GNR field effect transistors (FETs) with nanoribbons directly connected to bulk graphene electrodes. Electrical measurements on an 8 nm GNR-FET show room temperature transistor behavior with an on/off ratio around 160, indicating appreciable band gaps arise due to lateral confinement. We find the on/off ratio in the log scale inversely scales with ribbon width. This approach opens a...
Phonetically inaccurate spelling among learning-disabled, head-injured, and nondisabled young adults.

We applied the Boder and Jarrico (1982, The Boder Test of Reading-Spelling Patterns, New York: Grune & Stratton) criteria to the WRAT spelling list and examined the phonetically inaccurate spelling error patterns of learning-disabled (LD), head-injured (HI), and nondisabled young adults. Phonetically inaccurate (PI) errors were reliably rated (interrater r = .94) and were correlated significantly more strongly with dysphasic errors (r = .33) than with dyscopia (r = .16). ANOVA showed that LD and HI, which did not differ, made significantly more PI errors than both nondisabled and HI. These results indicate that PI errors reflect an underlying language disorder. The results also suggest that PI errors are more frequent in brain-related disorders. Finally, when group differences in cognitive ability are statistically controlled, PI errors are more common only among LD persons.
Mathematics for All: Perspectives and Promising Practices

The Core-Plus Mathematics Project (CPMP, 1995) is one of four comprehensive curriculum development projects that, in 1992, were awarded 5-year grants by the National Science Foundation to design, evaluate, and disseminate innovative high school curricula that interpret and implement the recommendations of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics (NCTM, 1989) and Professional Standards for Teaching Mathematics (NCTM, 1991). This article describes CPMP perspectives on a new curriculum organization for high school mathematics, identifies implications of these perspectives for promoting access and equity for all students, and reports some of the supporting oral data from an ongoing formative evaluation of the curriculum.
Inhomogeneous Gilbert damping from impurities and electron-electron interactions

We present a unified theory of magnetic damping in itinerant electron ferromagnets at order ${q}^{2}$ including electron-electron interactions and disorder scattering. We show that the Gilbert damping coefficient can be expressed in terms of the spin conductivity, leading to a Matthiessen-type formula in which disorder and interaction contributions are additive. In a weak ferromagnet regime, electron-electron interactions lead to a strong enhancement of the Gilbert damping.
The chromophore topography and binding environment of peridinin·chlorophyll a·protein complexes from marine dinoflagellate algae

Abstract 1. 1. The peridinin·chlorophyll a ·protein complex from Amphidinium carterae (Plymouth 450) shows spectroscopic characteristics (absorption, CD, fluorescence polarization, lifetime and energy transfer) essentially identical with peridinin·chlorophyll a ·protein complexes from Glenodinium sp., Gonyaulax polyedra and Amphidinium rhyncocephaleum . 2. 2. The apoprotein of peridinin·chlorophyll a ·protein complexes is globular, with an isotropic rotational relaxation time (e.g. 33 ns for the A. caterae peridinin·chlorophyll a ·protein), as deduced from the dynamic depolarization data. 3. 3. The chromophores (4 peridinins and 1 chlorophyll a for peridinin·chlorophyll a ·protein complexes from Glenodinium sp., G. polyedra and A. rhyncocephaleum and 9 and 2, respectively, for peridinin·chlorophyll a ·protein of A. carterae ) are accommodated in a hydrophobic crevice and not exposed to the solvent. The surface of the protein is highly hydrophilic. 4. 4. No evidence for chlorophyll-chlorophyll interactions in the A. carterae peridinin·chlorophyll a ·protein was obtained. This implies that binding crevices for two chlorophylls and half of peridinins (four to five) are located at some distance from each other. 5. 5. The peridinin·chlorophyll a ·protein complexes function as the photosynthetic antenna pigment. In addition, peridinins effectively protect chlorophyll a from photodecomposition.
Examples of torsion-free groups flat as modules over their endomorphism rings

(1991). Examples of torsion-free groups flat as modules over their endomorphism rings. Communications in Algebra: Vol. 19, No. 1, pp. 1-27.
Domain and range identifier module for semantic web search engines

Semantic web search engine is the new generation of conventional web search engine that brings precise and meaningful information from the Internet. These new search engines answer user queries using Semantic Web Documents (SWDs) that are found in ontologies database. It is likely that a query may have more than one range in a domain. The semantic web search engines such as Hakia, Swoogle, and Watson do not identify domains and ranges of the user's query while retrieving search results. Hence, the retrieved search results are not in a single range from a domain of the user query. In this paper, a novel Domain and Range Identifier (DRI) module is proposed that can be incorporated into the existing semantic web search engines to resolve this problem. The DRI module uses ontologies represented as SWDs to validate the domain, and to identify and classify the ranges in that domain. This will help the semantic web search engines to retrieve more focused information based on user's preferences. A Graphical User Interface is developed for users to select a range and to obtain only the relevant search results.
Asian ethnicity and breast cancer subtypes: a study from the California Cancer Registry

The distribution of breast cancer molecular subtypes has been shown to vary by race/ethnicity, highlighting the importance of host factors in breast tumor biology. We undertook the current analysis to determine population-based distributions of breast cancer subtypes among six ethnic Asian groups in California. We defined immunohistochemical (IHC) surrogates for each breast cancer subtype among Chinese, Japanese, Filipina, Korean, Vietnamese, and South Asian patients diagnosed with incident, primary, invasive breast cancer between 2002 and 2007 in the California Cancer Registry as: hormone receptor-positive (HR+)/HER2− [estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) and/or progesterone receptor-positive (PR+), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2−)], triple-negative (ER−, PR−, and HER2−), and HER2-positive (ER±, PR±, and HER2+). We calculated frequencies of breast cancer subtypes among Asian ethnic groups and evaluated their associations with clinical and demographic factors. Complete IHC data were available for 8,140 Asian women. Compared to non-Hispanic White women, Korean [odds ratio (OR) = 1.8, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.5–2.2], Filipina (OR = 1.3, 95% CI = 1.2–1.5), Vietnamese (OR = 1.3, 95% CI = 1.1–1.6), and Chinese (OR = 1.1, 95% CI = 1.0–1.3) women had a significantly increased risk of being diagnosed with HER2-positive breast cancer subtypes after adjusting for age, stage, grade, socioeconomic status, histology, diagnosis year, nativity, and hospital ownership status. We report a significant ethnic disparity in HER2-positive breast cancer in a large population-based cohort enriched for Asian-Americans. Given the poor prognosis and high treatment costs of HER2-positive breast cancer, our results have implications for healthcare resource utilization, cancer biology, and clinical care.
The professional values of English nursing undergraduates.

The purpose of the study was to examine and describe what English nursing undergraduates internalize as professional values The method was qualitative, specifically, a grounded theory approach was used The sample comprised 12 senior baccalaureate nursing students from two educational institutions in the north of England Informants were volunteers who gave informed consent having been briefed on the purposes of the study and how their confidentiality would be protected Data were collected through audio-taped interviews and the constant comparative method was used to analyse data The findings revealed that informants perceived two concepts as central to their professional values These were respect for patients and ‘caring about the little things' They valued the rights of patients to be treated with respect, to know what was happening to them and to have a say in what happened to them They described the little things' as ‘an approach with patients that gets through to them, ‘getting out the mirror so they can see themselves’, ‘fixing their water so they can reach it’, worrying about someone's dentures or the cat they left at home They expected that their values would be in conflict with common hospital practice They valued ‘fitting in’ and ‘going along’ but retained their own ideas and values until such time as these could be implemented They perceived themselves as powerless to create change as new graduates They believed the overwhelming power resided in the hospital system and the ward sister/charge nurse. They were not inclined toward a career in hospital nursing
Array observations of PKP phases across the Kenya Rift: Implications for structure and tectonics

Abstract PKP travel-time residuals from teleseisms recorded by a 100 × 110 km array centered on the south-central portion of the Kenya Rift show that variations in residuals are as large parallel to the rift as perpendicular to it. Asymmetry in residuals observed across the rift is consistent with half-grabens facing in opposite directions separated by an accommodation zone. The largest time residuals are offset at least 40–50 km west of the rift axis, supporting a rifting model in which a dominant half-graben fault is listric, penetrates the lithosphere, and triggers intrusion from asthenospheric sources. Linear regression of residuals and Bouguer gravity anomalies shows a slope of −0.015 ± 0.002 s / mgal ; the slopes of similar regressions for the tectonically inactive Midcontinent Rift and Sierra Nevada are −0.0025 ± 0.001 s / mgal . One explanation for the observed factor of 5 difference is the presence of partial melt under the Kenya Rift system.
MODELING OF MELTING IN HETEROGENEOUS SNOW COVER ON PERMEABLE FROZEN SOIL

A numerical model is presented to analyze a two-dimensional, time-dependent heat transfer and flow process in a melting, heterogeneous snow cover with the underlying soil layer that is permeable and initially frozen. The model considers flow fingering phenomena due to variation of permeability in layered snow. A unit block ofsnowpack is modeled and divided into a heterogeneous domain with specified number of snow layers and a water-fingering domain with initially uniform properties, in addition to coupling with a formulation of infiltration in the frozen soil. Typical results of snow depth, wetting front location, snow water equivalent, basal ice thickness, and soil infiltration show good agreement with experimental data under field conditions. A parametric study is performed to investigate the sensitivity of several properties and parameters in boundary conditions. Address correspondence to Dr. Y.-X. Tao, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tennessee Slate University, 3500 John A. Merritt Boulevard, Na...
Mammary tumorigenesis in C3Hf/Ki mice: examination of germinal mouse mammary tumor viruses and the int-1 and int-2 putative proto-oncogenes.

Abstract The organization and expression of endogenous mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) proviruses in normal and neoplastic C3Hf/Ki tissues were examined. MMTV-containing EcoRI, HindIII, BamHI and PstI restriction fragments of C3Hf/Ki DNA were identical to those of C3H/StWi DNA. The full-length endogenous MMTV Units Ia ( Mtv-7 ), II ( Mtv-8 ), III ( Mtv-9 ) and IV ( Mtv-10 ), in addition to the subgenomic endogenous MMTV Units I ( Mtv-6 ) and IX ( Mtu-14 ), were germinally transmitted in C3Hf/Ki DNA. The previously uncharacterized Mtv-7 was contained in EcoRI fragments of 16.7 and 11.7 kbp. The endogenous MMTV Unit V ( Mtv-1 ), which is responsible for virus production and mammary tumorigenesis in C3Hf/He mice, was absent from C3Hf/Ki DNA. The 9.0 kb gag-pol , the 3.8 kb env and the 1.7 kb LTR MMTV RNA transcripts were present in C3Hf/Ki mammary glands. MMTV proviruses, in addition to the endogenous C3Hf/Ki MMTV complement, were not detected in C3Hf/Ki mammary tumor DNA. The DNA organization and RNA expression of the putative mammary proto-oncogene regions int-1 and int-2 were also examined in C3Hf/Ki mammary tumors. The int-1 and int-2 regions did not appear rearranged, amplified, or expressed in C3Hf/Ki mammary tumors. These studies indicate that MMTV proviral activation of the int proto-oncogenes is not necessary for C3Hf/Ki mammary tumorigenesis.
Oleate lipase activity in Gardnerella vaginalis and reconsideration of existing biotype schemes.

Background Gardnerella vaginalis is a facultative gram positive organism that requires subculture every 1–2 days to maintain viability. It has been linked with bacterial vaginosis (BV), a syndrome that has been associated with increased risk for preterm delivery, pelvic inflammatory disease and HIV acquisition. About 10% of the G. vaginalis isolates have been reported to produce sialidase, but there have not been any studies relating sialidase production and biotype. Sialidase activity is dramatically increased in the vaginal fluid of women with BV and bacterial sialidases have been shown to increase the infectivity of HIV in vitro. There are 8 different biotypes of G. vaginalis. Biotypes 1–4 produce lipase and were reported to be associated with BV and the association of these biotypes with BV is under dispute. Other studies have demonstrated that G. vaginalis biotype 1 can stimulate HIV-1 production. Because of the discrepancies in the literature we compared the methods used to biotype G. vaginalis and investigated the relationship of biotype and sialidase production.
Collisional properties of ultracold potassium: Consequences for degenerate Bose and Fermi gases

The hyperfine-state-selected scattering properties of potassium atoms at ultralow temperatures are calculated using interaction potentials gleaned from an analysis of recent photoassociation data. We predict that the small, probably negative value of the ${}^{39}\mathrm{K}$ triplet scattering length will hamper efforts to produce a Bose-Einstein condensate, unless experiments utilize a broad, accessible magnetic Feshbach resonance. The large positive value calculated for the ${}^{41}\mathrm{K}$ triplet scattering length makes it a better candidate for condensation at zero magnetic field. The fermionic isotope ${}^{40}\mathrm{K}$ is also predicted to have a large, positive scattering length for elastic collisions between spin states of experimental interest, implying that it can be efficiently evaporatively cooled to the quantum degenerate regime. In addition, certain spin states possess Feshbach resonances that may enable tuning of its interatomic interactions, possibly leading to the formation of Cooper pairs.
Changes in serum complement and fucose after skin grafting in guinea pigs

Abstract A consistent pattern of whole C′ depression has been found in the serum of guinea pigs rejecting skin allografts. This depression reflects primarily depression of the late-acting components in this model and does not occur in autografted animals without rejection. The concentration of serum protein-bound fucose, a sugar moiety of the C′ 3c component of complement, is also consistently lower in the serum of allografted animals with rejection than in autografted animals without rejection. These data support the concept of a role for serum C′ in the effector mechanism of allograft rejection and suggest that measurements of whole C′, C′ components and proteinbound fucose may be useful guides to the diagnosis of rejection.
The impact of brain size on pilot performance varies with aviation training and years of education.

Previous studies have consistently reported age-related changes in cognitive abilities and brain structure. Previous studies also suggest compensatory roles for specialized training, skill, and years of education in the age-related decline of cognitive function. The Stanford/VA Aviation Study examines the influence of specialized training and skill level (expertise) on age-related changes in cognition and brain structure. This preliminary report examines the effect of aviation expertise, years of education, age, and brain size on flight simulator performance in pilots aged 45–68 years. Fifty-one pilots were studied with structural magnetic resonance imaging, flight simulator, and processing speed tasks. There were significant main effects of age (p .1) or education (p > .1), on flight simulator performance. However, even though age and brain size were correlated (r = −0.41), age differences in flight simulator performance were not explained by brain size. Both aviation expertise and education were involved in an interaction with brain size in predicting flight simulator performance (p < .05). These results point to the importance of examining measures of expertise and their interactions to assess age-related cognitive changes. (JINS, 2010, 16, 412–423.)
Robust inference in regression: a comparative study

Outliers are observations of the response variable not consistent with any pattern or trend expressed by the remainder of the response data. It is well known that outliers in a multiple linear regression (MLR) analysis can distort the estimates of the unknown parameters. In addition, inferences made on parameters can also be adversely affected by outliers. In this paper, we study the impact of several types of outliers on the classical inferential techniques used in MLR. We also present several inferential procedures introduced in recent literature designed to be robust against outliers and propose two new alternative robust methods. The power of these robust procedures, along with the power of the classical methods, will then be compared in a simulation study.
Estimation of VO2max: A Comparative Analysis of Five Exercise Tests

Abstract Thirty-eight female subjects (M ± SD = 33 ± 3.0 years) had VO2max measured on the cycle ergometer (M ± SD = 37.3± 6.4 ml·kg−1·min−1) and on the treadmill (M ± SD = 41.3 + 6.6 ml·kg−1·min−1). VO2max was estimated for each subject from heart rate (HR) at submaximal workloads on the cycle ergometer using the Astrand-Rhyming nomogram (A/R) and the extrapolation method (XTP). VO2max was also estimated from three field tests: 1.5-mile run (RUN) (independent variable [IV] = time), mile walk (WALK) (IV = time, age, HR, gender, body weight), and the Queens College Step Test (ST) (IV = HR during 5–20 s recovery). Repeated measure ANOVA revealed significant mean differences between the criterion cycle ergometer VO2max versus A/R and XTP (20 and 12% overestimation). The WALK, RUN, and ST VO2max values were not significantly different from the criterion treadmill VO2max. The correlation between criterion VO2max and VO2max estimated from the WALK and RUN were r = .73 (SEE = 4.57 ml·kg−1·min−1) and r = .79 (SEE...
Neat submodules over integral domains

Neat subgroups of abelian groups have been generalized to modules in essentially two different ways (corresponding to (a) and (b) in the Introduction); they are in general inequivalent, none implies the other. Here we consider relations between the two versions in the commutative case, and characterize the integral domains in which they coincide: these are the domains whose maximal ideals are invertible.
Perturbation calculations of the helium ground state energy

Abstract A comparison is presented for the ground state of the helium atom of high order Rayleigh-Schrodinger perturbation theories based upon a hydrogenic, a screened hydrogenic, a Hartree and a modified Hartree local zero-order hamiltonian. The hydrogenic zero-order schemes are superior to the Hartree zero-order scheme but inferior to the modified Hartree scheme, which yields a substantial improvement in the rate of convergence.
Multi-unit recording of antennal mechano-sensitive units in the central complex of the cockroach, Blaberus discoidalis

The central complex (CC) is a group of midline neuropils in the protocerebrum of all insects (Williams, J Zool, 176:67–86, 1975; Strausfeld, Prog Brain Res, 123:273–284, 1999). Its columnar organization coupled with the anatomical tracts to and from this region suggests that the CC may supervise various forms of locomotion. In cockroach, lesions of the CC affect turning and controlled climbing over blocks (Ridgel et al., J Comp Physiol A, 193:385–402, 2007). Since these behaviors are largely directed by tactile cues detected by antennae, we predicted that some neurons in the CC respond to mechanical antennal stimulation. We used 16-channel probes to record from broad regions within the CC, while mechanically stimulating one or the other antenna. Using cluster cutting procedures, we examined 277 units in 31 preparations. Many of these units responded to mechanical stimulation of the antennae, and of these, most responded equally well to medial or lateral stimulation of either antenna. However, several units either responded to only one antenna or responded significantly more strongly to one of them. Most of the units responding to antennal stimulation were sensitive to changes in the velocity as well as changes in light. Our data reveal a large population of mult-sensory neurons in the CC that could contribute to locomotion control.
Equivalent forces and wavenumber spectra of shaped piezoelectric actuators

Abstract Uniformly polarized flat piezo-actuators of elementary shapes (e.g., rectangular, triangular, circular, elliptic, etc.) are analyzed in terms of their equivalent forces and wavenumber spectra to develop a basic understanding of the influence of actuator shape on the modal response characteristics of a flat plate. A general expression for the equivalent forces is derived and transformed into different co-ordinate systems depending on the actuator shape. Several general trends are noted. Piezoelectric actuators generate line moments along the boundaries of the actuator regardless of shape. The line moments are generally constant, with the exception of elliptic actuators. Transverse point forces exist at the corners of the actuators when the corner is not a right angle and the aspect ratio of the actuator is not unity. In addition to line moments, actuators with curved boundaries generate a transverse line force along the boundary. If the curvature of the boundary varies with angle (as for example in an elliptic actuator), the line moments and line forces will vary with angle. The wavenumber spectra of these shaped piezoelectric actuators surface-bonded to rectangular plates also show several general trends. Uniformly polarized piezo-actuators generally have a higher order mode coupling tendency irrespective of shape. This is primarily due to the line moment exerted along the boundaries and is more pronounced for smaller actuators. The wavenumber spectra of shaped piezo-actuators are generally dominated by line moments, except at low wavenumbers where the effect of the point and line forces become comparatively more pronounced.
Comment on Moravcsik

The responses to Andrew Moravcsik's article discuss the main substantive and methodological points raised in it. Although most of the respondents agree that Moravcsik has properly highlighted the importance of commercial concerns for de Gaulle's policy on European integration, they question the validity of his sharp separation between de Gaulle's political and economic goals for France. Several commentators argue that political and commercial concerns (including agricultural concerns) were closely intertwined in de Gaulle's vision of French grandeur. John Keeler brings up another crucial question: Was French agriculture really an obstacle to France's position in Europe? He argues thatde Gaulle successfully supported and modernized French agriculture because he was convinced that this would contribute to France's geopolitical position in Europe and the Western world. In two longer commentaries, Jeffrey Vanke and Marc Trachtenberg raise questions about Moravcsik's methodology and use of sources. Both agree ...
Complementary and alternative treatments for migraine

A large percentage of patients do not respond to pharmacological interventions for migraine headaches, develop unacceptable side effects, or are reluctant to take medications. As a result, patients have been seeking nontraditional modes of therapy for the management of headaches. Among the alternative approaches are behavioral treatments (relaxation therapy, biofeedback therapy, and cognitive-behavioral therapy), acupuncture, and nutritional therapies (herbal remedies and vitamin or mineral supplementation). This article reviews the scientific evidence for the use of magnesium, riboflavin, coenzyme Q10, α-lipoic acid, feverfew, and butterbur in the treatment of migraine headaches. Drug Dev Res 68:424–427, 2007. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Sexual dysfunction in patients with multiple sclerosis: a multidisciplinary approach to evaluation and management

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common cause of progressive neurological disability in young adults. In addition to spasticity, tremors, weakness, sensory disturbances, depression, cognitive problems, and bladder or bowel dysfunction, sexual dysfunction (SD) is also a prevalent and destructive manifestation of the disease that severely affects quality of life. Evaluation of this disorder requires insight into the primary (changes that directly affect libido, sexual response and orgasm due to direct damage to the nervous system), secondary (complaints which are related to the physical disability of MS, such as fatigue, muscle rigidity, weakness and spasms), and tertiary (emotional, social and cultural aspects of MS) components of MS-associated SD. Given the complexity and multifactorial nature of SD, a multidisciplinary approach is necessary when treating patients with MS. The aim of this Review is to provide a holistic approach to the evaluation and management of SD in patients with MS, incorporating the latest data from the fields of urology, neurology, nursing, social work, and psychology. What is currently known regarding the evaluation and management of SD in patients with MS will be presented from the perspective of these specialties.
Update in Hematology

This Update in Hematology features 12 articles published in 2006. Topics include anticoagulation, antiplatelet therapy, duration of anticoagulation, gender and thrombosis, immune thrombocytopenia, ...
Electrical characteristics of Pt-SBT-Polysilicon (MFIP) capacitors with yttrium oxide as the buffer layer

Abstract MFIS structures with Strontium Bismuth Tantalate (SBT) as the ferroelectric thin film and yttrium oxide as the buffer layer have been fabricated on polysilicon layer as well single crystal silicon. Yttrium oxide film was deposited by electron beam evaporation and SBT was deposited by spin on MOD technique. Preliminary analysis of capacitance vs voltage (C-V) curve shows hysteresis and the direction of hysteresis corresponds to ferroelectric polarization. For an applied DC bias of ± 5 V, the C-V curve shows a memory window of ± 2 V.
TH-F-213AB-02: Biologically Related Models for Treatment Planning

The dose and dose‐volume metrics used in treatment planning are surrogates for the beneficial (tumorcontrol) and adverse (normal tissue complications) biological effects of radiation therapy. It would be clearer to skip the surrogates and go directly to the effects. While this is not currently possible, or safe, planners and physicians are cautiously putting biologically related models into clinical use to assist them in evaluating treatment plan quality and in driving inverse planning algorithms. In this part of the session, we briefly review commonly used models that relate external beam radiationdose distributions to tumorcontrol probability (TCP) or normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) for major complications Topics discussed include: 1. The common TCP and NTCP models 2. Current data supporting these and good sources of updates 3. Limitations of current models 4. Pitfalls ‐ why current models should be used with caution 5. Opportunities for future improvement Learning objectives: 1. Understand where to access NTCP model information and parameters and where to check for updates 2. Understand qualitative features of the dose‐volume dependence of three major dose‐limiting complications 3. Understand some of the pitfalls of taking current models too literally
“Cool” Engagements With YouTube: Part 1

This article discusses the participatory potential of YouTube, a social website that allows users to upload, view, and share video clips. The author provides examples of how YouTube was incorporated into a course as part of a “mosh-pit” pedagogy that involved both students and teachers in engaging with a variety of YouTube videos.