cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Applying a novel cost-evaluation framework to assess video-based neurosurgery education.

Background Analysis of comparative effectiveness uses different metrics to ensure that a new treatment is both effective and economical. However, there is a lack of financial frameworks to estimate the costs of introducing new technologies in medical and surgical education. Methods After conducting a literature review, we created and applied a framework ('REC') for the evaluation of three recent neurosurgery video modules aimed at medical students at Harvard Medical School. Results The most expensive component of these video-based education (VBE) modules was time cost. This cost was highly variable depending on the level of clinical seniority of the individuals involved in the video production process. Conclusion Application of the REC framework to the three modules showed highly variable time and monetary cost differences between the modules. Usage of the REC framework will enable educators to institute effective planning, efficiently use resources, and clearly define a minimal viable education product to achieve desired learning outcomes.
Effects of superheating magnitude on olivine growth

Magmatic superheating is a condition with relevance to natural systems as well as experimental studies of crystallization kinetics. Magmas on Earth and other planetary bodies may become superheated during adiabatic ascent from the mantle or as a consequence of meteorite impact-generated crustal melting. Experimental studies of igneous processes commonly employ superheating in the homogenization of synthetic starting materials. We performed 1-atmosphere dynamic crystallization experiments to study the effects of superliquidus thermal history on the morphologies and compositions of subsequently grown olivine crystals. An ultramafic volcanic rock with abundant olivine was fused above the experimentally determined liquidus temperature (1395 °C), held for 0, 3, or 12 h, cooled at 25 °C h−1, and quenched from 200 °C below the liquidus, all at constant fO2, corresponding to FMQ-2 ± 0.2 log units. An increase in olivine morphologic instability is correlated with superheating magnitude, parameterized as the integrated time the sample is held above the liquidus (“TtL”; °C h). We infer that a delay in nucleation, which intensifies monotonically with increasing TtL, causes crystal growth to be increasingly rapid. This result indicates that the structural relaxation time scale controlling the formation of crystal nuclei is (a) far longer than the time scale associated with viscous flow and (b) exceeds the liquidus dwell times typically imposed in crystallization experiments. The influence of magmatic superheating on crystal morphology is similar in sense and magnitude to that of subliquidus cooling rate and thus, both factors should be considered when interpreting the thermal history of a volcanic rock containing anhedral olivine.
Optimizing Physical Activity during Non-fitness-based Sport Education Seasons

Although fitness can be used as the content for any season, research suggests this rarely occurs. Nonetheless, even when implementing a sport-based season, there are many instructional approaches t...
Systematic reduced order model development of a pitching NACA0012 airfoil

Simple reduced order models (ROMs) for the aerodynamic coefficients - lift, drag, and pitch moment - of a pitching NACA0012 airfoil are presented. The ROMs are designed for quick computation of the...
Demographic features and changing incidence and presentation of Merkel cell carcinoma in a retrospective single-center case series

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is an uncommon aggressive cutaneous neuroendocrine tumor with high mortality. The purpose of this study is to describe the clinical correlates of MCC and identify changing trends over time using a retrospective chart review of 113 cases in a single tertiary center pathology database from 1997 to 2015. MCC occurred mostly in the elderly (median age 77 years), more often in males (n = 60, 53%), was most commonly located on the head and neck region (n = 63, 56%), and most commonly presented on the left side of the body (n = 59, 52%). Overall, there was an increase in MCC diagnoses per year from 1997 to 2015, with 2.3 times more cases diagnosed in the last 3 years of the study period than in the first 3 years. Furthermore, cases diagnosed after 2008 were more likely to occur in younger patients, less than or equal to 77 years of age (OR 2.32, 95% CI 1.08, 4.97, p = 0.04). The median age of diagnosis among females was 76 years and among males was 74 years. There was no change in the overall age of diagnosis among men and a decrease in age of diagnosis among females during the study. There was an overall increase in the MCC cases diagnosed among women, and a slight increase in the proportion of females affected by MCC throughout the course of the study. This retrospective case series elucidates MCC epidemiologic characteristics and describes how incidence, sex, and age at diagnosis have changed over the course of the study.
Improving Peripheral Intravenous Catheter Care for Children with Cancer Receiving Chemotherapy in Malawi.

Abstract Purpose To change pediatric oncology nursing management of peripheral intravenous catheter (PIVC) insertion and care based on current best evidence. Design and methods Practice change strategies were developed, and nurses completed education on proper PIVC insertion, dressing placement, and ongoing PIVC assessment with emphasis on preventing chemotherapy extravasation. Nurses also completed a chemotherapy course as part of their orientation program. The plan for PIVC practice change was based on evidence from published research and established PIVC care guidelines. Pre-assessment data revealed numerous PIVC attempts and a high incidence of extravasation (42%) in children with cancer receiving treatment in Malawi. Results Post-assessment data nine months later resulted in a reduced extravasation rate from 42% to 4% using point prevalence assessments. PIVC insertion attempts reduced following education and guideline implementation; 81% of children required more than 3 PIVC insertion attempts before the practice change. Only 1% of PIVC insertions required more than 3 attempts after education and practice change implementation. Nurses completed a 32-item written examination before the chemotherapy course; the mean score was 50/100. Upon completion of the chemotherapy course, nurses obtained a mean score of 97/100 on the written examination. Conclusions Using an organized approach to nursing practice change improved PIVC care in children with cancer. Practice implications This project provides evidence that nursing practice change strategies can be used in any setting including countries like Malawi with limited resources.
Predictors of bone mineral density in adolescents with atypical anorexia nervosa.

We aimed to evaluate the bone mineral density (BMD) z scores of adolescents with atypical anorexia nervosa (AAN) and investigate the potential predictors of low BMD risk. Potential factors that might have an effect on the femoral neck and lumbar spine dual energy X-ray absorptiometry data of adolescents (11–18 years) with AAN were retrospectively evaluated. Among adolescents with AAN, 13 (34.2%) had a z score lower than − 1 and 25 (65.8%) had a z score equal or greater than − 1. When adolescents with a BMD score lower and higher than − 1 were compared, normal BMD group had a significantly higher mean lifetime maximum BMI (p = 0.0035). Similarly previous overweight history was significantly higher in the normal BMD group (p = 0.005). A positive correlation was found between femoral neck (p = 0.002, r: 0.546) and lumbar spine (p: 0.002, r: 0.505) z scores and lifetime maximum BMI. There was also a positive correlation between lumbar spine BMD scores and BMI at admission (p = 0.001, r: 0.540). Lumbar spine z scores and amenorrhea duration were negatively correlated (p: 0.002, r: − 10.867). In the adolescent period similar to AN, AAN cases are also at risk for disordered bone health. In adolescents with AAN, BMI prior to the illness was estimated to be the significant parameter for the risk of low BMD. Special attention should be paid to the bone health of adolescents with AAN, especially for those who do not have a previous overweight history.
Real-world starting dose and outcomes of palbociclib plus an aromatase inhibitor for metastatic breast cancer.

e13021Background: Palbociclib (PA) has been approved for HR+/HER2–advanced/metastatic breast cancer (mBC) in combination with an aromatase inhibitor (AI) or fulvestrant for more than 6 years. Regar...
Social Factors of Health Care: a Thematic Analysis of First and Second Year Medical Student Reflections.

Addressing health disparities is necessary to ensure appropriate care for patients. This study examined the impact of Clinical Week experiences on students’ recognition of social determinants of health early in their medical education. A 5-day experience each of the first three semesters of medical school provided direct patient care experiences. Two Clinical Weeks were spent in outpatient clinics located primarily in rural areas. Students completed a reflective writing assignment about their experiences after each 5-day experience. Ninety-two reflections during AY 2018–2019 included discussions about social determinants of health. Two investigators analyzed these essays independently using narrative inquiry techniques. After inductive coding was complete, researchers discussed themes and their broader meaning. Themes emerged related to health disparities experienced by rural communities, minority populations, and both uninsured and underinsured patients. Reflections emphasized a lack of public accommodations in rural settings, such as public transportation and access to healthy food. Students noted how ethnic, cultural, and linguistic identity affect a patient’s experience with healthcare. Other themes involved the challenges patients face affording treatment plans and conversely how health status can impact economic stability. Finally, students emphasized the importance of physician advocacy in overcoming such barriers to quality health care. Although not the emphasis of Clinical Week, students’ reflections identified critical social issues impacting the health of patients they encountered. This experience could be adapted at other institutions.
Ultrahigh thermal conductivity in three-dimensional covalent organic frameworks

Abstract Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are a new, growing class of crystalline polymers with exceptional characteristics such as low density, mechanical strength, and flexibility. Taking three-dimensional (3D) COF-300 derivatives as an example, we apply molecular dynamics simulations to show that ultrahigh thermal conductivity (>15 W/(mK)) is achieved at a pore size of d = 0.63 nm. This is the first observation of such an outstanding intrinsic thermal conductivity of a 3D polymer in all directions. Further temperature-dependent thermal conductivity calculations and X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns highlight the importance of maintaining microscopic order for a large thermal conductivity. We also demonstrate that the tunability and anisotropy in COFs provide sufficient room to engineer and obtain desired thermal conductivity. These findings provide a fundamental understanding of structure-thermal conductivity relation in COFs and shine a light on high-thermal-conductivity COFs for thermal management applications.
Sex differences in cardiovascular adaptations in recreational marathon runners.

There are well-established sex differences in central hemodynamic and cardiac adaptations to endurance exercise; however, controversial evidence suggests that excessive endurance exercise may be related to detrimental cardiovascular adaptations in marathoners. To examine left ventricle (LV) structure, LV function, 24-h central hemodynamics and ventricular–vascular coupling in male and female marathoners and recreationally active adults. 52 marathoners (41 ± 5 years, n = 28 female, completed 6 ± 1 marathons/3 years) and 49 recreationally active controls (42 ± 5 years, n = 25 female) participated in the study. Three-Dimensional Echocardiography (3DE) was used to measure LV mass index and LV longitudinal (LS) circumferential (CS), area (AS), and radial strain (RS). An ambulatory blood pressure (BP) cuff was used to measure 24-h central hemodynamics (BP, pulse wave velocity, PWV, wave reflection index, RIx). Hemodynamic and 3DE measures were combined to derive the ratio of arterial elastance (Ea) to ventricular elastance (Elv) as a global measure of ventricular–vascular coupling. There were no sex or group differences in LS, CS, AS, and RS (p > 0.05). Females marathoners had similar aortic BP (116 ± 9 vs. 113 ± 1 mmHg), and PWV (5.9 ± 0.5 vs. 5.9 ± 1.1 m/s) compared to female controls but lower aSBP (116 ± 9 vs. 131 ± 10 mmHg) and PWV (5.9 ± 0.5 vs. 6.2 ± 0.5 m/s) compared to male marathoners (p < 0.05). Female marathoners had lower Ea/Elv than female controls (0.67 ± 0.20 vs. 0.93 ± 0.36) and male marathoners (0.67 ± 0.20 vs. 0.85 ± 0.42, p < 0.05). Women that have completed multiple marathons do not have reduced LV function or increased aortic stiffness and may have better ventricular–vascular coupling compared to male marathoners and their female untrained counterparts.
Capturing and view-dependent rendering of billboard models

In this paper, we propose a method for obtaining a textured billboards representation of a static scene, given a sequence of calibrated video images. Each billboard is a textured and partially transparent plane into which the input images are mapped using perspective projection. Binning using Hough transform is used to find the position of the billboards, and optic flow measures are used to determine their textures. Since these billboards are correct only from specific view-points, view-dependent rendering is used to choose and display appropriate billboards to reproduce the input.
Apple fruit infested with codling moth are more attractive to neonate codling moth larvae and possess increased amounts of (E, E)-α-farnesene

Apple fruit artificially infested with codling moth larvae attracted significantly more neonate larvae of the codling moth, Cydia pomonella than uninfested fruit. A greater number of larvae responded to odor in an olfactometer from codling moth-infested cold-stored Red Delicious thinning apples than uninfested apples. Immature Granny Smith, Red Delicious, or Golden Delicious apples that were infested on the tree for five days by codling moth larvae were more attractive to neonate codling moth larvae than similar but uninfested fruit of the same varieties. Apples infested on the tree and sampled five days later also contained significantly greater amounts of the larval attractant (E,E )-a-farnesene, compared to uninfested apples. Other types of injury to apple fruit did not produce results similar to that from codling moth infestation, either in increased attractiveness to codling moth larvae or in increased quantities of (E,E )-a-farnesene. These results are consistent with the reported attractiveness of (E,E )-a-farnesene to neonate codling moth larvae.
On-Road Use of Fischer-Tropsch Diesel Blends

Alternative compression ignition engine fuels are of interest both to reduce emissions and to reduce U.S. petroleum fuel demand. A Malaysian Fischer-Tropsch gas-to-liquid fuel was compared with California No.2 diesel by characterizing emissions from over the road Class 8 tractors with Caterpillar 3176 engines, using a chassis dynamometer and full scale dilution tunnel. The 5-Mile route was employed as the test schedule, with a test weight of 42,000 lb. Levels of oxides of nitrogen (NO{sub x}) were reduced by an average of 12% and particulate matter (PM) by 25% for the Fischer-Tropsch fuel over the California diesel fuel. Another distillate fuel produced catalytically from Fischer-Tropsch products originally derived from natural gas by Mossgas was also compared with 49-state No.2 diesel by characterizing emissions from Detroit Diesel 6V-92 powered transit buses, three of them equipped with catalytic converters and rebuilt engines, and three without. The CBD cycle was employed as the test schedule, with a test weight of 33,050 lb. For those buses with catalytic converters and rebuilt engines, NO x was reduced by 8% and PM was reduced by 31% on average, while for those buses without, NO x was reduced by 5% and PM was reduced by 20% on average. It is concluded that advanced compression ignition fuels from non-petroleum sources can offer environmental advantages in typical line haul and city transit applications.
Pouchitis After Ileal Pouch-Anal Anastomosis

Pouchitis is defined as inflammation of the ileal reservoir in patients status post proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA). Proctocolectomy with IPAA has emerged as the surgical procedure of choice for patients diagnosed with ulcerative colitis (UC) and familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) syndrome. Pouchitis is the most common long-term complication of IPAA and is a significant cause of morbidity related to the procedure. Important risk factors in the development of pouchitis include immune dysregulation, bacterial overgrowth and dysbiosis, fecal stasis, malnutrition, ischemia, and undiagnosed Crohn’s disease (CD). Pouchitis is classified by severity, duration, frequency, and response to therapy. Treatment approaches include both primary prophylaxis and following the development of symptoms with probiotics, antibiotics, topical therapy, immunosuppression, and, if needed, surgery.
Obstacles to services for the mentally retarded

Diana L. Brown, MSW, is Chief Social Worker, Mount Carmel Guild Child Study Center, Al hambra Pavilion, Newark, New Jersey. This paper is based on one presented at the annual meeting of the American Association on Mental Deficiency, Houston, Texas, June 16, 1971. During the past ten years, services for the mentally retarded in the United States have grown tremendously. However, the pattern of this growth has been erratic, with a con comitant lack of coordination. Some ser
An efficient nonsymmetric Lanczos method on parallel vector computers

Abstract In this paper, we introduce the s-step biorthogonal Lanczos method for finding a few eigenvalues of a large sparse nonsymmetric matrix, and we prove that the s-step method generates reduction matrices which are similar to reduction matrices generated by the standard method. We prove that the breakdown conditions of the s-step method are less stringent than the standard one. One iteration of the s-step biorthogonal Lanczos algorithm corresponds to s iterations of the standard biorthogonal Lanczos algorithm, and the s-step method has improved data locality and minimized global communication and superior parallel properties to the standard one on parallel machines (Chronopoulos and Gear (1989) and Kim and Chronopoulos (1991)). We implement the s-step biorthogonal Lanczos method on the CRAY-2 super computer and discuss the breakdown conditions and demonstrate the superior performance of the s-step method to the standard one
Do perceptions of friends' behaviors affect age at first sex? Evidence from Cebu, Philippines.

Abstract Purpose To explore the effect of perceptions of friends' romantic and physical behaviors on adolescent sexual behavior and the relative influence of friends' sexual behaviors and maternal attitudes on age at first sex. Methods Using longitudinal data collected from 1943 adolescents who have never had sex at baseline in Cebu, Philippines, logistic regression assessed whether adolescents' perceptions of friends' sexual behaviors, measured at ages 14 to 16 years, were associated with age at first intercourse. Survival analysis assessed the hazard of having first intercourse by ages 17 to 19 years. Final models adjusted for sociodemographics, mothers'/caretakers' disapproval of premarital sex, living with a caretaker, and the adolescents' own behaviors at baseline. Results Boys and girls, who at ages 14 to 16 years, perceived that their friends had ever had boyfriends/girlfriends, dated, held hands, kissed, petted or had sex were significantly more likely to have experienced that behavior by ages 17 to 19 years. For each additional behavior an adolescent perceived his or her friends to have experienced, the hazard of having sex at a younger age increased by 1.15 ( p = .02) among boys and 1.19 ( p Conclusions These results demonstrate the important role of peers in light of competing influences in adolescents' lives. They provide support for asking at early ages what romantic and physical behaviors adolescents think their friends have experienced. Interventions can use such information to better prepare adolescents to make responsible and informed decisions about sexuality.
Predictors of Health Care System and Physician Distrust in Hospitalized Cardiac Patients

Trusting relationships among patients, physicians, and the health care system is important in encouraging self-care behaviors in cardiovascular patients. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of health care system and physician distrust in this population, compare the 2 forms of distrust, and describe the demographic, socioeconomic, and psychosocial predictors of high distrust. A total of 1,232 hospitalized adults with acute coronary syndrome or heart failure were enrolled in a prospective, observational study assessing health care system distrust and physician distrust. High health care system distrust (35%) was observed across the population, with lower levels of interpersonal physician distrust (16%). In a multivariate analysis, poor social support and coping skills were strong predictors of both health care system (p=.026, p=.003) and physician distrust (p<.001, p=.006). Individuals with low or marginal health literacy had a higher likelihood of physician distrust (p<.001), but no relation was found between health literacy and health care system distrust. In conclusion, distrust is common among acutely ill cardiac patients. Those with low social support and low coping skills are more distrusting of physicians and the health care system.
First-order politeness in rapprochement and distancing cultures: Understandings and uses of politeness by Spanish native speakers from Spain and Spanish nonnative speakers from the U.S.

The close link between politeness and culture has often been highlighted, with some scholars having proposed taxonomies of cultures based on the diverse uses and conceptions of politeness. Generally, research (Hickey 2005; Ardila 2005) places Spanish-speaking cultures in the group of rapprochement cultures, which relate politeness to positively assessing the addressee and creating bonds of friendship and cooperation; and English-speaking cultures in the group of distancing cultures, which primarily use politeness to generate respect and social differentiation. This means that English politeness is not only supposed to be different from Spanish politeness, but diametrically opposed to it. The main goal of this study is to check these predictions against the understandings and use of politeness by native speakers of Spanish from Spain and nonnative speakers of Spanish from the U.S. Thus, this research is grounded in first-order politeness norms, which are then correlated with the informants’ behavior as reported in written questionnaires. The results confirmed these predictions and further showed that the more advanced learners were able to align themselves better with Spanish norms. Nevertheless, even they found some aspects of Spanish politeness –– such as the turn-taking system –– harder to adapt to, suggesting that certain aspects of native norms may be more difficult to abandon. We propose that firstorder notions of politeness may be prototypically structured, with some aspects being more central to its definition and therefore less easily foregone than others.
Organizationl Response To Environmental Pressures: The Policy of Affirmative Action

This article outlines a strategy for examining the effect of environmentally induced change on organizational behavior. The major concern is the response of organi zations to demands to hire greater numbers of women and minorities. Central to predicting organizational response to change is a reformulation of the concept of technological core with respect to one type of structure—the public federative organi zation. Given the literature on organizational environment and change, it is predicted that organizations will accede to demands to hire more women and minorities but will channel them into positions that are thought to confer the least cost and the greatest benefit on the organization itself irrespective of the goals of affirmative action. The implications of the study are important for predicting major obstacles to policy implementation.
Delocalization of vaccinia virus components observed by atomic force and fluorescence microscopy

Better understanding of viral genomes is emerging as an urgent need as these genomes evolve and pandemic fears surface and for better understanding of viral infection processes. To address this need, we report a method to visualize intact, viral DNA and its interaction with viral proteins with the use of the atomic force microscope (AFM) in conjunction with fluorescence microscopy. Through a series of multifaceted experiments, we were able to visualize time-dependent progressive stages of proteolytic digestion and disassembly of extracellular enveloped vaccinia virus particles. After a 1-h treatment, the viral particles were partially digested and the viral cores showed slight disassociation in the AFM as evidenced by height analysis of individual virions. Most of the components of the virions were still intact. Further verification with florescence microscopy with nucleophilic and lipophilic stains demonstrated that viral DNA was, indeed still, co-localized within the viral core. However, with prolonged treatment with proteinase K and sodium dodecylsulfate, the AFM revealed that the viral core completely collapsed onto the substrate and had delocalized from the enclosed DNA. This process was again verified using fluorescence microscopy, the viral DNA was observed to be completely released from the viral core, in globular condensed form. These studies suggest that AFM imaging and fluorescence microscopy verification with stains specific for different constituents of viral particles is a valuable method to study the structural and mechano elastic properties of virus morphology and interactions of viral nucleoproteins with its DNA core.
In vitro and in vivo interactions of cells with biomaterials

The biocompatibility of materials at an implant site involves a complex interaction of cells and tissues with the biomaterial. This cell-cell and cell-polymer interaction evokes the release of mediators such as chemotactic and growth factors that elicit and sustain inflammatory responses at the implant site. In this review, we summarize the interaction of cells with biomaterials in vitro and in vivo.
Oxidative stress and increased levels of apoptosis (Cytochrome C, Caspase 3 and 9) in patients with male-factor infertility.

(CYTOCHROME C, CASPASE 3 AND 9) IN PATIENTS WITH MALEFACTOR INFERTILITY Xia Wang, Rakesh K. Sharma, Pavithra Ranganathan, Anthony J. Thomas, Tommaso Falcone, Ashok Agarwal, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation Objective: Increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) results in abnormal seminal quality, DNA damage and the inability of the spermatozoa to fertilize. Mitochondria produces ROS during oxidative phosphorylation, and mitochondrial cytochrome C, a trigger of apoptosis activates caspase 9 and 3 resulting in mitochondrial and subsequently nuclear DNA damage. The objective of the study was to determine the pathway of apoptosis leading to mitochondrial DNA damage. We evaluated, 1) the apoptosis factors in the semen of patients with male-factor infertility, and 2) the association between semen quality and apoptosis in the presence of oxidative stress.
Behavior of a multivariate algorithm for ecological edge detection

Abstract Ecologically important edges are best characterized by multivariate data, and represent organizational changes of varying intensities. Squared Euclidean Distances ( sed ) calculated by a moving window algorithm have paradoxical properties of representing experiences and realities on well studied transects, while at the same time presenting several mathematically undesirable properties. A simulation study was conducted to examine the behavior of the sed metric on data with known properties. Data with known properties were generated from simulation models to represent simple edges and increasing levels of edge and patch complexity. Different organizations of patches show different edge signatures. Some edges in complex patchiness patterns are not detected. Edges become more distinct from background noise as window-width is increased. Edge recognition becomes difficult as edges become smaller relative to background heterogeneity. Simulations provide a way to relate described properties of the sed algorithm to interpretations of field data.
Tcf binding sequence and position determines β-catenin and Lef-1 responsiveness of MMP-7 promoters

The matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP-7) gene is a target of beta-catenin transactivation. Expression of the T-cell factor, Lef-1, enhances transcriptional activation of the human MMP-7 promoter by beta-catenin, but represses activation of the mouse MMP-7 promoter, both activities through consensus Tcf binding sites. The mouse promoter has a single Tcf binding element (mTBE) located downstream of the transcriptional start site, while the human promoter has two Tcf binding elements (hTBE1, hTBE2), both located upstream of the transcriptional start. hTBE1 and hTBE2 also differ in sequence from mTBE. Here we demonstrate that positioning of mTBE, upstream or downstream of the transcriptional start site dictated whether Lef-1 functioned as an activator or repressor, respectively. Sequence differences between mTBE and hTBE sites determined the potency of these activities, with hTBE sites being weaker. Mutational analysis of mTBE showed that increased Lef-1 activity mapped to G . C base pairings at 5' and 3' ends, and correlated with a threefold increase in Lef-1 binding affinity in vitro. Heterologous promoters with high affinity binding sites were 115-fold more responsive to beta-catenin than those with low affinity sites. Converting low affinity Tcf binding sites to high affinity sites increased beta-catenin responsiveness of the mouse and human promoters by 2-3 fold, and ectopic expression of Lef-1 increased beta-catenin responsiveness for promoters with low affinity binding sequences. We concluded that sequence and position of Tcf binding sites can determine the extent of beta-catenin-Lef-1 responsiveness for beta-catenin target genes.
Periodical Access in an Era of Change: Characteristics and a Model.

Abstract The issues involved in integrating new methods of bibliographic and physical access with old ones in order to create a unified system of periodical article identification and access are identified. The article presents desirable characteristics of a system, a possible model, and further research needs.
The cerebral vasculature as a therapeutic target for neurological disorders and the role of shear stress in vascular homeostatis and pathophysiology

It is widely accepted that vascular mechanisms are involved in the genesis of many neurological disorders. In particular, blood-brain barrier (BBB) dysfunction has been related to the severity of Alzheimer's disease, encephalopathy due to meningitis, multiple sclerosis, HIV-associated encephalopathy, epilepsy, gliomas and metastatic brain tumors. The BBB may constitute an important therapeutic target to protect neurons after CNS diseases. Both in vivo and in vitro, the functional phenotype of vascular endothelium is dynamically responsive to circulating cytokines, growth factors and puslatile blood flow (shear stress). Shear stress can play a critical role in vascular homeostasis and pathophysiology; it is a major regulator of remodeling in developed blood vessels and in blood vessels affected by atherosclerotic lesions. The physiological fluid mechanic stimulus, shear stress, could be considered to be an important 'differentiative' stimulus capable of modulating endothelial phenotype in vivo. Endothelial cells undergo cell cycle arrest after exposure to physiological levels of shear stress. As for mature endothelial cells, in which flow mediated shear stress may play a role in the induction, progression and/or prevention of atherosclerosis by changing their function, stress may play a role in endothelial cell differentiation from hemopoietic stem cells and/or from embryonic stem cells. Stem cells may be used to repair vascular damage, including loss of EC, due to a variety of diseases (e.g. myocardial neovascularization by adult bone marrow derived angioblasts). In the brain, it was proposed that neuron-producing stem cells may be used to treat Alzheimer's disease, paralysis, etc. Surprisingly, very few investigators are exploring the use of endothelial precursors to revert or prevent cerebrovascular disease. This review summarizes the most recent data related to cerebral vasculature as a therapeutic target for neurological disorders and the role of shear stress in blood-brain barrier homeostasis and pathophysiology.
Induction in the developing compound eye of Drosophila: Multiple mechanisms restrict R7 induction to a single retinal precursor cell

The development of the Drosophila R7 photoreceptor cell is determined by a specific inductive interaction between the R8 photoreceptor cell and a single neighboring precursor cell. This process is mediated by bride of sevenless (boss), a cell-surface bound ligand, and the sevenless (sev) tyrosine kinase receptor. The boss ligand is expressed specifically on the surface of the R8 cell, whereas the sev receptor is expressed on 5 cells contacting the developing R8 cell and other cells not in contact with R8. By altering the spatial and temporal expression of boss, we demonstrate that sev-expressing cells that do not contact R8 can assume an R7 cell fate. By contrast, the sev-expressing precursor cells to the R1-R6 photoreceptor cells that do contact R8 are nonresponsive to the inductive cue. Using the rough and Nspl mutations, we demonstrate that an early commitment to an R1-R6 cell fate blocks the pathway of sev activation in these cells.
In-plane tunneling spectrum into a [110]-oriented high- T c superconductor in the pseudogap regime

Both the differential tunneling conductance and the surface local density of states (LDOS) of a [110]-oriented high-temperature superconductor in the pseudogap (PG) regime are studied theoretically. As a competing candidate for the mechanism of PG state, the charge-density-wave (CDW), spin-density-wave (SDW), d-density-wave (DDW), and d-wave superconducting (DSC) orderings show distinct features in the tunneling conductance. For the CDW, SDW, and DSC orderings, the tunneling conductance approaches the surface LDOS as the barrier potential is increased. For the DDW ordering, we show that there exist midgap states at the [110] surface, manifesting themselves as a sharp zero-energy peak in the LDOS, as in the case of DSC ordering. However, due to the particle-hole pair nature of the DDW state, these states do not carry current, and consequently the one-to-one correspondence between the tunneling conductance and the surface LDOS is absent.
Epidemiology of severe myoclonic epilepsy of infancy

Severe myoclonic epilepsy of infancy (SMEI) is a newly recognized epileptic syndrome. It is characterized by multiple febrile seizures, often prolonged, subsequent development of uncontrollable mixed-myoclonic seizures, and, eventually, psychomotor retardation. Drugs for myoclonic epilepsy--valproate (VPA), the suximides, and the benzodiazepines--have been shown to be useful in SMEI. Among children with seizures in the National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke Collaborative Perinatal Project (NCPP), one individual with SMEI was identified. This finding from the NCPP suggests that the incidence of SMEI is approximately 1 in 40,000 children. Such an incidence is supported by observations at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.
Syndicated Euro-Credit Sovereign Risk Assessments, Market Efficiency and Contagion Effects

This study investigates the informational efficiency of the syndicated Euro-credit market by analyzing the adjustment of spreads to “news” characterizing the state of sovereign borrowers' creditworthiness. In addition, the potential for an interlinked crisis (contagion effects) between three major borrowing countries is examined. That is, contagion tests are conducted to see how “news” for one borrower affects the spreads charged to the others. The evidence suggests that the Euro-credit pricing process has been informationally efficient. However, with respect to the contagion effects it was found that noncountry-specific risk factors systematically influence country-specific spreads.
Influence of docosahexaenoic acid and cholesterol on lateral lipid organization in phospholipid mixtures.

We investigated lateral lipid organization in membranes with a lipid composition relevant to neural and retinal membranes [phosphatidylcholine (PC)/phosphatidylethanolamine (PE)/phosphatidylserine (PS)/cholesterol, 4/4/1/1, mol/mol/mol/mol]. The mixed-chain phospholipids contained saturated stearic acid (18:0) in the sn-1 position and the monounsaturated oleic acid (18:1) or polyunsaturated docosahexaenoic acid (22:6) in sn-2. Lateral lipid organization was evaluated by 2H NMR order parameter measurements on stearic acid of all individual types of phospholipids in the mixture and, through a novel approach, two-dimensional NOESY 1H NMR spectroscopy with magic angle spinning (MAS). The docosahexaenoic acid chain order was evaluated from 1H NMR chain signal MAS-sideband intensities. Averaged over all lipids, the cholesterol-induced increase in sn-1 chain order is 2-fold larger in monounsaturated than in polyunsaturated lipids, and the order of both saturated and polyunsaturated hydrocarbon chains increases. ...
FEMINIZATION UNVEILED: MANAGEMENT QUALITIES IN CONTEMPORARY WRITINGS

Qualities that are culturally associated with females are appearing in descriptions of managerial work in the texts of contemporary writers, and these texts function as carriers of a feminine ethos to practicing managers. The article describes a mechanism—management writings—used to disseminate and legitimate a management idea. It examines the nature of the rhetoric used in management writings and the implication of authors' failure to label the idea by its name: feminization. This “feminization” is discussed from both women's voice and poststructuralist perspectives. Implications for management theorizing and future research are described.
Racial Differences in the Division of Labor between Primary and Secondary Caregivers

In this study, Black and White family caregivers are compared in terms of the division of labor among primary caregivers and secondary helpers. Three patterns of the division of labor were distinguished: (1) the primary caregiver as exclusive provider of care, (2) supplemental care (at least some care tasks are shared among at least two providers), and (3) specialization (different tasks are carried out by different providers). Employing both matching (by care recipients' diagnosis and number of functional impairments) and statistical controls of relevant confounders (income, employment, gender, type of residency, etc.), African American caregivers were found to be significantly less likely to provide all care alone without the help of secondary helpers.
Dilemma of Regulating Dietary Supplements

ABSTRACT The manufacturing of herbal preparations or dietary supplements, has become a multibillion dollar industry in the United States. Presently, dietary supplements are not considered drugs by the government, but are classified as food supplements. The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA) has defined dietary supplements as a product intended to supplement the diet that contains one or more of a vitamin, mineral, an herb or other botanical, an amino acid or a dietary substance to supplement the diet by increasing the total dietary intake, or concentrates, metabolites, constituents, extracts or combinations of any ingredients described above. The main limitation of DSHEA is that it deals only with herbs as dietary supplements, i.e., as foods and not as drugs. A quandary still exists among: (1) the consumers who want to use these products safely; (2) the government that wishes to protect its citizens from potential hazards; and (3) the conventional medical community still questioni...
The RNA-binding protein HuR stabilizes survivin mRNA in human oesophageal epithelial cells.

Overexpression of survivin, a member of the IAP (inhibitor of apoptosis) family, has been correlated with poorer outcomes in multiple malignancies, including oesophageal cancer. The regulatory mechanisms, particularly at the post-transcriptional level, involved in survivin overexpression are not well understood. Previous work from our group has shown that the RNA-binding protein HuR (Hu antigen R), which is also overexpressed in several malignancies, stabilizes the mRNA of XIAP (X-linked IAP), another IAP family member. In the present study, we demonstrate the binding of HuR to a 288 bp fragment in the 3′-UTR (untranslated region) of survivin mRNA in human oesophageal epithelial cells. Unexpectedly, overexpression of HuR led to a decrease in survivin expression. This was associated with decreased survivin mRNA and promoter activity, suggesting a decrease in transcription. Levels of p53, a negative transcriptional regulator of survivin, increased following HuR overexpression, in conjunction with enhanced p53 mRNA stability. Silencing p53 prior to HuR overexpression resulted in increased survivin protein and mRNA stability. These results demonstrate that, in the absence of p53, HuR overexpression results in increased survivin mRNA stability and protein expression. This provides an additional explanation for the increased survivin expression observed in oesophageal cancer cells that have lost p53.
The influence of Tai Chi training on the center of pressure trajectory during gait initiation in older adults

Abstract Hass CJ, Gregor RJ, Waddell DE, Oliver A, Smith DW, Fleming RP, Wolf SL. The influence of Tai Chi training on the center of pressure trajectory during gait initiation in older adults. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2004;85:1593–8. Objective To determine if a program of intense Tai Chi exercise that has been shown to reduce the risk of falling in older adults improves postural control by altering the center of pressure (COP) trajectory during gait initiation. Design Before-after trial. Setting Biomechanics research laboratory. Participants Twenty-eight older adults transitioning to frailty who participated in either a 48-week intervention of intense Tai Chi training or a wellness education (WE) program. Interventions Eight Tai Chi forms emphasizing trunk rotation, weight shifting, coordination, and narrowing of lower-extremity stance were taught twice weekly. WE program participants met once a week and received lectures focused on health. Main outcome measures The COP was recorded during gait initiation both before and after the 48-week intervention by using a forceplate sampling at 300Hz. The COP trajectory was divided into 3 periods (S1, S2, S3) by identifying 2 landmark events. Displacement and average velocity of the COP trace in the anteroposterior ( x ) and mediolateral ( y ) directions, as well as smoothness, were calculated. Results Tai Chi training increased the posterior displacement of the COP during S1 and improved the smoothness of the COP during S2. Conclusions Tai Chi improved the mechanism by which forward momentum is generated and improved coordination during gait initiation, suggesting improvements in postural control.
Oxygen determination on compounds containing loosely bound water or volatile solvents

Abstract Loosely bound water or volatile solvents are shown to be at least partially lost from the sample during the normal sweeping procedure of the oxygen determination. When the determination is run with the samples in a quartz capillary 1.3 mm. inside diameter, 50 mm. long and closed on one end, water or solvent is not lost on sweeping, and values are found which agree with other element and direct water determination. Data is shown for substances containing water or methyl alcohol. The procedure is very simple and considered superior to the freezing technique.
Comparison of traditional methods with 3D computer models in the instruction of hepatobiliary anatomy

This study was designed to determine whether an interactive three-dimensional presentation depicting liver and biliary anatomy is more effective for teaching medical students than a traditional textbook format presentation of the same material. Forty-six medical students volunteered for participation in this study. Baseline demographic information, spatial ability, and knowledge of relevant anatomy were measured. Participants were randomized into two groups and presented with a computer-based interactive learning module comprised of animations and still images to highlight various anatomical structures (3D group), or a computer-based text document containing the same images and text without animation or interactive features (2D group). Following each teaching module, students completed a satisfaction survey and nine-item anatomic knowledge post-test. The 3D group scored higher on the post-test than the 2D group, with a mean score of 74% and 64%, respectively; however, when baseline differences in pretest scores were accounted for, this difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.33). Spatial ability did not statistically significantly correlate with post-test scores for the 3D group or the 2D group. In the post-test satisfaction survey the 3D group expressed a statistically significantly higher overall satisfaction rating compared to students in the 2D control group (4.5 versus 3.7 out of 5, P = 0.02). While the interactive 3D multimedia module received higher satisfaction ratings from students, it neither enhanced nor inhibited learning of complex hepatobiliary anatomy compared to an informationally equivalent traditional textbook style approach. .
Second order linear O.D.E. and Riccati equations

Abstract We prove that approximate solutions of the Riccati equation ϑ′ + ϑ2 = a(x) yield asymptotic solutions y = e∝xϑ(s)ds of the second order linear equation y″ = a(x)y. We show that the iterative scheme ϑ0 = a, ϑn + 12 = a − ϑn′ leads to asymptotic solutions of the cited linear equation in many interesting cases.
Clausewitz: Some thoughts on what the Germans got right

(1986). Clausewitz: Some thoughts on what the Germans got right. Journal of Strategic Studies: Vol. 9, Clausewitz and Modern Strategy, pp. 267-286.
Maximum likelihood parameter estimation for identifying a class of unknown image blurs

A maximum likelihood formulation of the problem of determining the blur directly from the degraded image itself is discussed. The ultimate objective is restoration of images degraded by unknown blurs by first identifying the blur, and then estimating the original via a recursive restoration procedure.