cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SU-GG-I-102: Evaluation of Nine Similarity Metrics for Intensity-Based CT-To-CBCT Prostate Registrations

Purpose: The prostate can be localized automatically on daily cone‐beam CT(CBCT)images by means of intensity‐based 3D/3D image registrations. The goal of this study is to evaluate nine different similarity metrics for the best localization accuracy. Method and Materials: Seven prostate patients were retrospectively selected with natural prostate calcifications, which resulted in a dataset of 220 CBCT and 7 simulation CT (SimCT) images. On each SimCT image, a region of interest (ROI) was defined by expanding the treatment planning prostate structure by 6 mm and subtracting the rectum with 10 mm expansion. The expansions were chosen empirically. Then, all CBCTimages were registered to the corresponding SimCT images by maximizing the similarity within the defined ROI. Downhill simplex method was employed for optimization with full 6D rigid‐body transformation. The pixel values corresponding to bone and air were also excluded from similarity calculations. After each registration, the calcification mismatch was recorded as a measure of prostate localization error. The registrations were repeated for each similarity metric. The nine similarity metrics investigated were: normalized cross‐correlation (NCC), entropy of difference (EOD), mutual information (MI), correlation ratio (CR), sum of absolute difference (SAD), sum of squared difference (SSD), gradient correlation (GC), gradient difference (GD), and pattern intensity (PI). Results: The absolute error means (±standard deviations) were 2.1(±1.6) mm for GD and GC, 2.6(±2.8) mm for PI, 3.9(±4.3) mm for NCC, and 6.4 (±8.0) mm for MI. The others showed over 10 mm mean errors. The directional errors of GD were −0.1(±0.5) mm, 0.1(±1.4) mm, and −0.2(±2.1) mm in the left‐right, anterior‐posterior, and superior/inferior directions respectively. Conclusion: Among the investigated similarity metrics, registrations using GD and GC showed the most accurate prostate localizations on daily CBCTimages.
The Mismatch Between Anthropology Graduate Training and the Work Lives of Graduates

A glaring mismatch exists between anthropology graduate programs in the United States and the careers of their graduates. Here, I focus on gaps in Ph.D. curricula, but similar patterns characterize many M. A. programs as well. In this article, I challenge the academic anthropology establishment to show that it is providing doctoral students with the knowledge, perspectives, and skills they need to realize optimal work lives. In my view, they are not. Nor are most students being prepared to weigh the ethics of getting the job done outside the ivory towers. Below I present data concerning curriculum offerings and degree requirements at the twenty largest anthropology Ph.D. programs in the nation. To provide context, I first remind the reader of employment patterns for new anthropology Ph.D.s. in the United States.
Therapeutic burden in cancer revealed by molecular staging

Scott A Waldman1† & Andre Terzic2 †Author for correspondence 1Thomas Jefferson University, Department of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine, 132 South 10th Street, 1170 Main Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA Tel.: +1 215 955 6086; Fax: +1 215 955 5681; Email: scott.waldman@ jefferson.edu 2Mayo Clinic, Divisions of Cardiovascular Diseases & Clinical Pharmacology, Departments of Medicine, Molecular Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics and Medical Genetics, Rochester, Minnesota, USA Tel.: +1 507 284 5514; Fax: +1 507 284 9111; Email: terzic.andre@ mayo.edu ‘... the presence of tumor cells in lymph nodes serves as a predictive marker, identifying cohorts of patients who optimally benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy.’
Central cardiovascular and antidiuretic action of adrenergic drugs.

Abstract Central noradrenergic mechanisms are reportedly involved in blood pressure and fluid balance regulating mechanisms. The results of the present experiments suggest that, in unanaesthetized water-loaded rats. intracranial injections of norepinephrine and tyramine will produce presser and antidiuretic effects by the release of antidiuretic hormone (ADH). These responses are blocked by central α-adrenergic blockade but not by peripheral ganglionic blockade with hexamelhonium. Longer latency depressor responses were also seen with α-adrenergic stimulation. Central injections of clonidine, an α-adrenergic agonist, produced depressor effects, but no antidiuresis. Clonidine also inhibited the antidiuretic effects of central angiotensin II stimulation. These results suggest that central α-adrenergic stimulation can produce pressor and depressor effects. ADH release or inhibition of that release. These seemingly conflicting effects may be resolved by pharmocological characterization of central α-adrenergic receptors or isolation of separate sites of action within the brain.
Electronic properties of K-doped C60(111): Photoemission and electron correlation.

High-resolution photoemission provides the signatures of ${\mathrm{K}}_{3}$${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$(111), ${\mathrm{K}}_{4}$${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$, ${\mathrm{K}}_{6}$${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$, and the dilute solid solution of K in ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$(111), showing the effects of electron-electron correlation in all of the K-${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ phases. ${\mathrm{K}}_{3}$${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$(111) is a metal with a distinct Fermi-level cutoff but with spectral broadening near ${\mathit{E}}_{\mathit{F}}$ not predicted by band calculations. ${\mathrm{K}}_{4}$${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ is an insulator, although band calculations predict metallic character. Photoemission and low-energy-electron-diffraction results demonstrate kinetically limited growth for K-${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ films produced by vapor deposition.
A Calculation of the Formation and Migration Entropies of Surface Defects in Copper

Formation entropies, frequency factors, and associated migration entropies have been calculated on copper surfaces of (100), (110), and (111) orientations for both terrace vacancies and adatoms, using a discrete vibrational approach. The vibrational spectra for the various defect configurations have been obtained using a quasi-harmonic Einstein model in conjunction with a modified Morse function force law. - The calculated quantities have been used to estimate Arrhenius D0's for intrinsic, single-defect-controlled diffusion. When these quantities are taken together with previously calculated activation energies for surface self-diffusion, it is possible to obtain theoretical Arrhenius plots for each defect on a given surface orientation. The results are also helpful in the evaluation of earlier mechanistic interpretations of the observed curvature in the experimental Arrhenius plots.
Thermodynamic Properties of Supersaturated Protein Solutions

The purpose of this work is to investigate water and protein (lysozyme) activities in supersaturated aqueous protein solutions. An electrodynamic levitation trap (ELT) is used to suspend a single charged droplet of aqueous protein solution without a container. This technique allows investigation of homogeneous nucleation and measurements of water activity deep into the metastable zone of a supersaturated droplet. The system was treated as a ternary one (protein + solvent + “ideal” salt), and the protein activity is calculated employing the Gibbs−Duhem equation. The trend of logarithm (aprotein/ ) with protein concentration shows initially a sharp increase, but then at higher protein concentrations the trend starts to level off. The same trend is seen in salt-water systems and organic−water systems and follows the expected behavior of supersaturated solutions. As the system is brought closer and closer to the spinodal curve, the second derivative of the Gibbs free energy of the solution with respect to pro...
Physiological characterization of human ovarian cancer cells in a rat model of intraperitoneal antineoplastic therapy.

Destruction of cancer cells by therapies directed against new molecular targets requires their effective delivery to the tumor. To study diffusion and convection of intraperitoneal (ip) therapy to ...
Risk Factors for Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn

OBJECTIVE. Persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn, a clinical syndrome that results from the failure of the normal fetal-to-neonatal circulatory transition, is associated with substantial infant mortality and morbidity. We performed a case-control study to determine possible antenatal and perinatal predictors of persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn. METHODS. Between 1998 and 2003, the Slone Epidemiology Center enrolled 377 mothers of infants with persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn and 836 mothers of matched control subjects. Within 6 months of delivery, study nurses interviewed participants regarding demographic, medical, and obstetric characteristics. RESULTS. Factors that were independently associated with an elevated risk for persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn were infant male gender and black or Asian maternal race compared with white race. High prepregnancy BMI (>27 vs CONCLUSIONS. Our findings suggest an increased risk for persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn associated with cesarean delivery; late preterm or postterm birth; being large for gestational age; and maternal black or Asian race, overweight, diabetes, and asthma. It remains unclear whether some of these factors are direct causes of persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn or simply share common causes with it; however, clinicians should be alert to the increased need for monitoring and intervention among pregnancies with these risk factors.
Variability of diffusion of argon in albite, pyroxene, and olivine in shocked and unshocked samples

Abstract We analyzed the argon diffusion parameters of albite and pyroxene as a function of shock, as well as an olivine of unknown shock pressure. In albite, shock pressures of ∼30–60 GPa all have an equal effect on the diffusion parameters, lowering the activation energy (E) from ∼45 to ∼25 kcal/mol, and the log D0/a2 from ∼4 to ∼1 s−1. In a mixture of low-Ca and high-Ca pyroxene, similar shock pressures also have an equal effect, lowering the E from ∼130 to ∼80 kcal/mol, and the log D0/a2 from ∼14 to ∼7 s−1. However, given that some shocked and unshocked pyroxene splits have similar release patterns, making a clear distinction between the two is difficult. Additionally, splits of pure unshocked high-Ca pyroxene have an E of ∼100 kcal/mol and a log D0/a2 of ∼10 s−1, intermediate to the values of mixed pyroxene when shocked and unshocked. The olivine (Fa18) has an E of ∼45 kcal/mol and a log D0/a2 of ∼1 s−1, somewhat similar to that of feldspar. These results will be useful in interpreting complex argon release patterns from shocked multi-mineral samples too fine-grained for easy mineral separation (such as chondrites).
Brillouin-active fibers for optical sensing, logic, and computation in smart structures

We have studied stimulated Brillouin scattering in single-mode optical fibers as a sensor for both temperature and strain. Shape Memory alloy Nitinol is also studied for enhancement of active sensing and control in structures. We have introduced the hybrid sBs amplifier/oscillator scheme, in which the short fiber amplifier performs sensing and the long oscillator fiber provides the required signal. The sensing fiber can be coated with SMA thin film for ruggedness, increased sBs sensitivity to temperature and strain, and memory or trainability. The oscillator/amplifier scheme also serves as a building block in the design of optical threshold logic circuits, optical computation, and more sophisticated sensing schemes. Such sensing schemes can be highly competitive with those based on fiber Bragg grating. The incorporation of SMA thin films provides memory capability to all these applications.
Using an animal learning model of the hippocampus to simulate human fMRI data

Recent human fMRI studies have shown that the hippocampal region is essential for probabilistic category learning, memory formation-retrieval and context based performance. We present an artificial neural network model that can qualitatively simulate the BOLD signal for these tasks. The model offers ideas on the functional architecture and the relationship between the hippocampus and other brain structures. We also show that symptoms of neurobiological diseases like Parkinson's disease (PD) and Schizophrenia can be simulated and studied using the model.
An Experimental Analysis of Capacity‐Sensitive Setup Parameters for MRP Lot Sizing

Most material requirements planning (MRP) systems apply standard costing (absorption costing) approaches to define setup costs that are used as fixed (time invariant) setup parameters in single-level lot-sizing methods. This paper presents a computationally simple approach for estimating more appropriate setup parameters based on estimates of work-center shadow prices. These setup parameters then are used in traditional single-level MRP lot-sizing procedures. The shadow price of capacity at each work center is calculated as the increase in the overall inventory carrying cost for each additional hour of capacity lost to setups. The opportunity cost of a setup for an order subsequently is determined based on the routing information for each order and is used by traditional MRP lot-sizing procedures to calculate lot sizes. A simulation experiment compares the performance period order quantity lot sizing with capacity-sensitive setup parameters with the fixed accounting-based setup parameters. The simulation replicates the planning and control functions of a typical MRP system. The results of the experiment show that capacity-sensitive setup parameters can make significant reductions in both carrying cost and lateness and can achieve many of the benefits of optimized production technology in the context of an MRP system.
The annual lipid cycle and feeding behavior of Alaskan redpolls.

Total lipids were extracted from 161 redpolls (Acanthis spp.) collected each month of the year from October 1962 to September 1963, in interior Alaska. A lipid index (Weight of ether extract x100/live body weight) was calculated for each sample. Lipids were also extracted from sections of pectoral muscle, livers and hearts representing each month. Body weight and lipid index were significantly positively correlated being highest in January and lowest in September. Total lipid content was significantly inversely correlated with air temperature; the high autumn and spring pre-migratory lipid peaks of migratory species were only weakly expressed in the redpolls. Liver lipid showed a significant annual variation being highest in December and lowest in August, while lipid from heart and pectoral muscle did not vary seasonally. Five birds were held in captivity during spring and summer at a constant temperature of 22°C. Food consumption was 5.1 g/day or 22.4 kcal. The caloric value of the most extensively utilized natural food, birch seed (Betula papyrifera), was determined (5.4–5.5 kcal/g dry wt). When esophageal diverticulae are full (2.0 g wet wt) of birch seeds, the resulting energy yield may sustain an individual for only a fraction of a 24 h winter day in contrast to other arctic herbivores (e.g. ptarmigan, Lagopus sp.) in which a full crop may suffice for the full 24 h period.
The stem cell shell game. Focus on "The postnatal rat aorta contains pericyte progenitor cells that form spheroidal colonies in suspension culture".

stem cells, initially thought to exist exclusively during embryonic stages of development, have now been shown to remain present in the adult body. They represent a potential means for lifelong repair and regeneration of injured tissues. The possibility of exploiting this regenerative potential is
Chronic expansion of the renal pelvis: a new method for reconstruction of upper ureteral defects.

Abstract Objectives. To evaluate whether the dilated renal pelvis can be used as an autologous source for the surgical reconstruction of upper ureteral defects or strictures. Methods. In 7 female pigs, the renal pelvis was expanded by a percutaneously placed Council balloon catheter. Every other day for 4 weeks, the renal pelvis was progressively dilated with a bolus injection of saline and contrast medium, which allowed expansion of the renal pelvis to 70 to 75 mL. Four to six weeks after the initial intervention, 5 to 7 cm of the proximal ureter was resected in an open operation and replaced with a tubularized spiral flap made from the expanded renal pelvis. Three weeks later, the animals were killed, and the area of manipulation was resected for pathologic evaluation. Results. All animals reached the desired expansion of the renal pelvis, and in all cases, the spiral flap was fashioned and anastomosed to the distal ureteral segment, bridging the initial defect (mean length 7 cm). Two animals died from sepsis, 4 and 6 days after the spiral flap reconstruction. A viable ureteral lumen with a patent anastomosis and a functioning pelvocaliceal unit was observed on intravenous urography in all animals. The main histologic findings were a chronic inflammatory process with concomitant mucinous metaplasia and reactive atypia of the tubules. Conclusions. The use of a balloon expander in the renal pelvis is a safe and effective technique for producing native tissue for the reconstruction of defects or strictures of the upper ureteral segment.
Gestational exposure to methylmercury alters the developmental pattern of trk-like immunoreactivity in the rat brain and results in cortical dysmorphology

Abstract Nerve growth factor signal transduction mediated through the trk receptor has been implicated in neuronal growth, differentiation, and survival. In this study, we examined the effects of gestational exposure to the developmental neurotoxicant methylmercury (CH3Hg) on the ontogeny of trk-immunoreactivity (IR). Long–Evans dams were dosed on gestational days 6–15 (p.o.) with 0, 1, or 2 mg/kg CH3Hg dissolved in saline. Pups were sacrificed and perfused with buffered paraformaldehyde on postnatal days (PND) 1, 4, 10, 21 and 85. The brains were sectioned sagitally, Nissl-stained or stained immunohistochemically for trk receptors or glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and examined throughout the medial to lateral extent of the brain. The greatest density of IR in neural cell bodies was seen in the olfactory bulb, hippocampus, cerebral, and cerebellar cortex, striatum, septum, nucleus basalis, inferior colliculus, pons, and brain stem nuclei. trk IR was not limited to nerve cell bodies, with prominent axonal and dendritic staining in the brainstem, neocortex, hippocampus, cerebellum, and olfactory tract. The regional pattern of trk IR varied in an age-dependent manner. In controls, trk-like IR appeared to peak in most regions between PND4–10 and decreased dramatically after PND21. This age-related difference in trk IR was supported by western blot analysis of PND10 and adult neocortex. This reduced and more adult-like pattern of trk IR was apparent on PND21 with some persistent trk-like IR in the olfactory bulb, hippocampus, neocortex, cerebellum and basal forebrain. In contrast to the normal regional patterns of trk IR, CH3Hg produced a dose-related decrease in trk-like IR in the absence of overt maternal toxicity or neonatal toxicity. CH3Hg-induced decreases in trk-like IR were especially apparent during the early postnatal period when trk IR was the greatest. The effects of CH3Hg exposure were restricted regionally, with the largest decrease in trk-like IR apparent in cortical regions, basal forebrain nuclei, and brain stem nuclei. Subsequent to the effects of CH3Hg on cortical trk-like IR were alterations in the development of cortical laminae on PND10 and 21 of neocortex. These alterations were characterized by quantifiable decreases in cell density, cell size and the widths of the layers of posterior neocortex. Not all of the CH3Hg-induced effects were characterized by decreased trk-like IR. Robust increases in trk IR in glial cells in the corpus callosum and brain stem were observed coincident with increased GFAP IR in cells of similar morphology. The present results localize the cellular and regional ontogeny of trk and suggest that developmental exposure to CH3Hg alters the normal ontogeny of this trophic factor receptor which may be associated with the developmental neurotoxicity of this chemical.
Elastic Deformation of Carbon‐Nanotube Nanorings

A combined experimental-theoretical study of the mechanical deformation of carbon-nanotube (CNT) nanorings is presented. The CNT ring employed is formed by folding a long and thin single-walled-CNT bundle. The mechanical deformations of the CNT ring when it is pushed against and pulled away from a flat substrate are experimentally characterized in situ, inside a high-resolution scanning electron microscope through nanomanipulation. The experimental measurements clearly reveal that the CNT ring displays a purely elastic behavior during multiple repeated large-displacement deformation processes. A theoretical model based on nonlinear elastica theory is used to quantitatively study the mechanical behavior of the CNT ring and to interpret the experimental results. This work shows for the first time that van der Waals interactions between the CNT ring and the substrate have significant effects on the ring's elastic deformation, including a bifurcation in its force-displacement profile. The results suggest that CNT nanorings can be used as ultrasensitive force sensors and flexible and stretchable structural components in novel nanoscale mechanical and electromechanical systems.
Religious development: A psychoanalytic point of view

Psychoanalysis occupies a unique position in the systematic study of religious development. Its method permits access to the subjective, individual aspects of the development of belief and of the relationship to the divinity, as well as to the critical moments of their developmental reorganization.
High Intercommunity Variation in Adolescent Cigarette Smoking in a 10-Community Field Experiment

The authors report levels of intercommunity variation in rates of cigarette smoking observed during the course of an evaluation of the influence of three mass media campaigns on the initi ation of adolescent cigarette smoking. Despite careful design and statistical adjustment for a set of 10 known sociodemographic and personality correlates of adolescent cigarette smoking, high intercommunity variation precluded the detection of media campaign effects in this study. The authors discuss the general implications of high intercommunity variation for studies using the individual as the unit of analysis when the unit of randomization is the community.
METAL COMPLEXES OF BIOLOGICALLY OCCURRING AMINOPHOSPHONIC ACIDS

Abstract The interaction of 1-aminoethylphosphonic acid, 2-aminoethylphosphonic acid and 2-amino-3-phosphomopropionic acid with Cu(II), Ni(II), Zn(II), Co(II), Mn(II), Mg(II) and Ca(II) has been investigated potentiometrically. Stability constants for the protonated and normal 1:1 and 1:2 metal-ligand complexes are reported at 25.0° and μ = 0.2(KNO3). The transition and alkaline earth metal ions show preferential binding to different sites on the ligands, the former interacting with carboxylate, phosphonate, and amine groups, while the latter show predominant interaction with the phosphonate moiety. The present study shows that compounds containing C–P bonds form more stable metal complexes than the corresponding compounds containing C–O–P bonds. This is partly due to the higher basicity of the phosphonate ligands and partly due to more favourable chelate ring formation. Structures are suggested for the various complexes.
Effect of peroxide crosslinking on the dynamic modulus of silicone rubber

The effect of peroxide crosslinking on the dynamic modulus of a silica-reinforced silicone [poly(dimethylsiloxane)] elastomer was investigated. Three different peroxides (t-butyl peroxide, t-butyl perbenzoate, and benzoyl peroxide) were employed at various practical loadings and differences in the nonlinear behavior of the dynamic modulus were found. Results are discussed with respect to changes in crosslinking density and the identity of the peroxide. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 97: 1504–1512, 2005
Basic Concepts of Statistical Analysis for Surgical Research

Appropriate statistical analyses are an integral part of surgical research. The purpose of this work is to assist surgeons and clinicians with the interpretation of statistics by providing a general understanding of the basic concepts that lead to choosing an appropriate statistical test for common study designs. It is extremely important to understand the nature of the data before embarking on a statistical analysis. A researcher must design an appropriate study around the research hypothesis. Initially, data should be inspected using frequency distributions and graphical techniques. If the data are continuous, the normality of the distribution must be assessed. In addition, the data must be defined as independent or dependent. For normally distributed and independent samples, a two-sample t test is appropriate. A paired t test should be used for dependent data. The nonparametric counterpart to the t test is the Mann-Whitney U and the paired counterpart is the Wilcoxon signed rank. For binary data, contingency table methods such as a chi2 test apply unless the expected value is < 5; then, use the Fisher's exact test. The McNemar test applies to paired binary data. Correlation coefficients assess the association between two continuous distributions. Linear regression assesses trend. Multiple regression analysis is appropriate for multivariate analyses with a continuous outcome variable. Logistic regression methods would apply for binary outcomes. The quality of the analysis and subsequent results of any research project depend on an appropriate study design, data collection, and analysis to make meaningful conclusions.
Effects of Added Dietary Sodium Chloride on Heart Size and Weight in Chicks

Abstract In an attempt to determine the effect of sodium chloride on chickens when fed at levels higher than those commonly recommended, some interesting effects on the hearts were noted. In this trial 100 twenty-five-day-old Peterson-White Rock cross chicks were used. The experiment was terminated after 10 days. A standard commercial 16% crude protein feed containing 0.5% iodized sodium chloride was used as a basic ration. To this, non-iodized sodium chloride was added at levels of 2%, 4%, 8%, and 12% of total ration. Ten battery brooders containing 10 chicks each were used. Two groups of 10 birds each were fed each of the rations with the varying salt levels. The birds were given unlimited water. Room temperature varied from approx. 80–95 degrees (F.). A bird from one pen on 8% added sodium chloride died after 2 days and another after 9 days on this ration. In one pen on…
A means of raising the threshold current for anode spot formation in metal-vapor arcs

Of the various processes occurring in an arc at high currents one of the most important with regard to application is the formation of an anode spot and the consequent melting associated with it. Vacuum arc devices depend for their operation on the formation of a high current transient metal-vapor arc. The limiting current in a particular design may be set by destructive melting at the anode. It is shown that it is possible to raise the threshold current for anode spot formation in a metal-vapor arc by suitably changing the electrode geometry. From a study of a few simple electrode geometries a set of guidelines has been evolved governing the choice of electrode geometry. As an illustration of the efficacy of these guidelines and the means of implementing them in practice it is shown how it is possible, with successive modifications of a coaxial-cylindrical electrode structure, to attain a peak current of 72 kA for a damped 60-Hz current wave without electrode melting.
Klotho: a novel phosphaturic substance acting as an autocrine enzyme in the renal proximal tubule

Klotho has profound effects on phosphate metabolism, but the mechanisms of how Klotho affects phosphate homeostasis is unknown. We detected Klotho in the proximal tubule cell, brush border, and urinary lumen, where phosphate homeostasis resides. Increasing Klotho in the kidney and urine chronically by transgenic overexpression or acutely by intravenous infusion caused hypophosphatemia, phosphaturia from decreased proximal phosphate reabsorption, and decreased activity and protein of the principal renal phosphate transporter NaPi-2a. The phosphaturic effect was present in FGF23-null mice, indicating a direct action distinct from Klotho’s known role as a coreceptor for FGF23. Direct inhibition of NaPi-2a by Klotho was confirmed in cultured cells and in cell-free membrane vesicles characterized by acute inhibition of transport activity followed by decreased cell surface protein. Transport inhibition can be mimicked by recombinant β-glucuronidase and is associated with proteolytic degradation and reduced surface NaPi-2a. The inhibitory effect of Klotho on NaPi-2a was blocked by β-glucuronidase inhibitor but not by protease inhibitor. Klotho is a novel phosphaturic substance that acts as an enzyme in the proximal tubule urinary lumen by modifying glycans, which cause decreased transporter activity, followed by proteolytic degradation and possibly internalization of NaPi-2a from the apical membrane.—Hu, M. C., Shi, M., Zhang, J., Pastor, J., Nakatani, T., Lanske, B., Shawkat Razzaque, M., Rosenblatt, K. P., Baum, M. G., Kuro-o, M., Moe, O. W. Klotho: a novel phosphaturic substance acting as an autocrine enzyme in the renal proximal tubule.
Prevention of Fatal Clostridium difficile–Associated Disease during Continuous Administration of Clindamycin in Hamsters

Clostridium difficile-associated disease (CDAD) due to toxigenic strains is prevented in hamsters by colonization by nontoxigenic C. difficile after administration of clindamycin (Cm). To prevent CDAD during treatment with antibiotics, we gave a Cm-resistant nontoxigenic C. difficile strain, M13 (minimal inhibitory concentration [MIC], >256 microg/mL), and a Cm-susceptible strain, M3 (MIC, 0.5 microg/mL), to hamsters receiving Cm daily for days 1-5. Either M13 or M3 was given orogastrically (1 x 10(6) spores/day) to each hamster in 3 groups of 5 each, on either day 3, days 3-5, or days 3-7. M13 colonized at a higher rate and faster than did M3 (P<.001). When hamsters were challenged by toxigenic strain B1 on days 5, 7, or 9, M13 prevented CDAD in 100% of the hamsters. M3 protected no hamsters challenged by B1 on day 5, 20% on day 7, and 100% on day 9. M13 contains the erm(B) resistance gene but not the mobilizable element Tn5398. The benefits of use of Cm-resistant nontoxigenic C. difficile to prevent CDAD must be balanced against the risk that resistance might be transferred to other enteric bacteria.
Prostate cancer risk in U.S. blacks and whites with a family history of cancer

Prostate cancer occurs more frequently in U.S. blacks than whites. A population-based case-control study which investigated the association with family history of cancer was carried out among 981 men (479 black, 502 white) with pathologically confirmed prostate cancer, diagnosed between August 1, 1986, and April 30, 1989, and 1,315 controls (594 black, 721 white). Study subjects, aged 40–79, resided in Atlanta, Detroit, and 10 counties in New Jersey, geographic areas covered by population-based cancer registries. Prostate cancer risk was significantly elevated among those who reported a history of prostate cancer in first-degree relatives (O.R. = 3.2; 95% C.I.: 2.0–5.0), with blacks and whites having similarly elevated risks. These risks were unchanged by statistical adjustment for job-related socio-economic status, education, income, and marital status. Overall, the ORs associated with history of prostate cancer in fathers and brothers were 2.5 (95% C.I.: 1.5–4.2) and 5.3 (95% C.I.: 2.3–12.5), respectively. Risks associated with a family history of prostate cancer were consistently elevated among younger and older subjects. Only small non-significant excesses of prostate cancer risk were associated with a family history of breast, colorectal, or other cancers. While familial occurrence is a key risk factor for prostate cancer and likely to be genetically based, the similar familial risks among blacks and whites suggest that the ethnic disparity in incidence is influenced by environmental factors. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Inhibition of Hedgehog and Androgen Receptor Signaling Pathways Produced Synergistic Suppression of Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer Progression

Metastatic prostate cancer is initially treated with androgen ablation therapy, which causes regression of androgen-dependent tumors. However, these tumors eventually relapse resulting in recurrent castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Currently, there is no effective therapy for CRPC and the molecular mechanisms that lead to the development of CRPC are not well understood. Here, we evaluated the hypothesis that combined inhibition of Hedgehog (Hh) and androgen receptor (AR) signaling will synergistically attenuate the growth of CRPC in vitro and in vivo . Androgen deprivation induced full-length androgen receptor protein levels in CRPC cells, but decreased its nuclear localization and transcriptional activity. However, androgen deprivation also increased a truncated form of androgen receptor (lacking ligand-binding domain) that possessed transcriptional activity in CRPC cells. Androgen deprivation also promoted the expression of Hh signaling components in CRPC cells, xenograft tumors, and the prostate glands of castrated mice. Importantly, although inhibition of either Hh or androgen receptor signaling alone was only moderately effective in blocking CRPC cell growth, combination of an Hh pathway inhibitor and a noncompetitive androgen receptor inhibitor synergistically suppressed the growth of CRPC cells in vitro and in vivo . Finally, noncompetitive inhibition of androgen receptor, but not competitive inhibition, was effective at limiting the activity of truncated androgen receptor leading to the inhibition of CRPC. Implications: Combined therapy using Hh inhibitors and a non-competitive AR inhibitor may limit CRPC growth. Mol Cancer Res; 11(11); 1448–61. ©2013 AACR .
LIQUEFACTION-INDUCED SETTLEMENT OF SHALLOW FOUNDATIONS AND REMEDIATION: 3D NUMERICAL SIMULATION

Calibrated Finite Element (FE) simulations are increasingly providing a reliable environment for modelling liquefaction-induced ground deformation. Effects on foundations and super-structures may be assessed and associated remediation techniques may be explored, within a unified framework. Current capabilities of such a FE framework are demonstrated via a simple 3-dimensional (3D) series of simulations. Ground liquefaction and settlement under the action of a surface load is investigated. Liquefaction hazard mitigation is explored by soil compaction and/or increase of permeability below and around the applied surface load. The potential and limitations of numerical simulation are discussed, along with future research needs and challenges towards more reliable practical application.
How Protective is D&O Insurance in Securities Class Actions?

This article provides basic descriptive statistics on actual payments by D&O insurers for amounts paid in settling securities class actions. Insurers cover 100% of settlements in over 50% of cases and something less than 100% in another 35% of cases. Officers and (rarely) directors pay in 6% of cases.
From Pluralism to Individualism: Berle and Means and 20th-Century American Legal Thought

This article is an intellectual history of Adolf A. Berle, Jr. and Gardiner C. Means, The Modern Corporation and Private Property (1932). I argue that Berle and Means's concern was not the separation of ownership from control in large pubic corporations, as many scholars have suggested, but rather the allocation of power between the state and a wide range of institutions. As I demonstrate, Berle and Means shared a legal pluralist vision of the modern state. Legal pluralism treated organizations as centers of power that had to be accommodated within the political and legal structure. Berle and Means viewed collective entities such as corporations as the foundation of the modern state, at the same time that their concern about the power that these entities could exercise led them to proclaim that corporate power (like sovereign power) should be exercised to benefit the community at large. The article further explores how Berle and Means's legal pluralist vision was eclipsed in the second half of the twentieth century as the attention of lawyers, legal scholars, and government officials shifted from collective entities to the individual as the basis for legal and political analysis (postwar interest group pluralism reflected this shift). The article then shows how this transformation helped legitimate the view that corporate entities were nexuses of private, contractual relationships. Informed by neoclassical economics, advocates of this new vision of the firm emphasized the role of economic markets in regulating corporate power. With deregulation and free markets in mind, neoclassicists came to treat The Modern Corporation and Private Property as a book about the limited question of the effects of the separation of ownership from control on efficiency and profit maximization, not as a book about corporate power as Berle and Means had intended.
Activation of γδ T Cells in Malaria: Interaction of Cytokines and a Schizont-Associated Plasmodium falciparum Antigen

A soluble Plasmodium falciparum antigen that specifically stimulates gammadelta T cells has been found associated predominantly with schizonts rather than ring forms, trophozoites, or gametocytes. This schizont-associated antigen (SAA) is resistant to protease digestion, is anionic at pH 8.5, is heat- and pH-resistant, and contains a phosphate group(s) that is crucial for biologic activity. Partially purified SAA induced proliferative responses and interferon-gamma production by gammadelta T cells. These stimulatory effects were greatly enhanced by monocyte-derived cytokines, interleukin (IL)-10, IL-12, and IL-1beta, but not by tumor necrosis factor-alpha. Taken together, these results suggest that concurrent stimulation of gammadelta T cells by SAA and by cytokines released from activated monocytes (IL-10, IL-12, IL-1beta) may represent the major mechanism underlying the selective activation of gammadelta T cells that is consistently observed in clinical cases of P. falciparum infection.
Health-related quality of life predicts future health care utilization and mortality in veterans with self-reported physician-diagnosed arthritis: The veterans arthritis quality of life study

Objective To investigate whether health-related quality of life (HRQOL) measures predict health care utilization and mortality in a cohort of veterans with self-reported physician-diagnosed arthritis. Methods A cohort of veterans from the Upper Midwest Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) was mailed a self-administered questionnaire that was composed of the SF-36V (modified from SF-36 for use in veterans) and questions regarding demographics, current smoking status, limitation of activities of daily living (ADLs), and preexisting physician-diagnosed medical conditions, including arthritis. Within subjects reporting physician-diagnosed arthritis, we analyzed the associations between the SF-36V component summary scales (physical and mental component summary, PCS and MCS, respectively) and the occurrence of any hospitalization, number of hospitalizations, number of outpatient visits, and mortality, for the year after survey administration, using multivariable regression analyses. Results Of 34,440 survey responders who answered a question regarding arthritis, 18,464 (58%) subjects reported physician-diagnosed arthritis. Arthritic patients in the lowest tertile of PCS scores had significantly higher odds of any hospitalization (Odds ratio (OR) 1.49, 95% confidence interval (CI) [1.25–1.76]) and mortality (OR 1.69, 95% CI [1.18–2.42]), and a significantly higher number of hospitalizations/year (Rate ratio (RR) 1.09, 95% CI [1.05–1.13]) and outpatient visits/year (RR 1.07, 95% CI [1.03–1.11]). Arthritic patients in the lowest tertile of MCS scores had significantly higher odds of any hospitalization (OR 1.20, 95% CI [1.02–1.41]), mortality (OR 2.14, 95% CI [1.56–2.94]), and a significantly higher number of hospitalizations/year (RR 1.05, 95% CI [1.02–1.09]) and outpatient visits/year (RR 1.07, 95% CI [1.03–1.11]). Conclusions HRQOL, as assessed by the SF-36V, predicts future inpatient and outpatient health care utilization and mortality in veterans with self-report of physician-diagnosed arthritis.
Temperature and nutrient supply interact to control nitrogen fixation in oligotrophic streams: An experimental examination

We performed two experiments to examine how temperature and nutrients interact to control dinitrogen (N2) fixation, chlorophyll a (Chl a) biomass, and community composition of periphyton in subalpine oligotrophic streams in the Sawtooth Mountains of Idaho. We grew periphyton on nutrient-diffusing substrata (NDS) in a cold lake inlet (7uC) and a warm lake outlet (18uC). We then switched substrata between the two stream sites to test the effect of incubation temperature on N2-fixation rates. Periphyton on substrata grown at both sites exhibited greater N2-fixation rates when incubated in the warm outlet, which indicates physiologic temperature control. Periphyton on P-enriched NDS grown in the warm outlet had the greatest N2-fixation rates, largest Chl a biomass, and largest percentage of N2-fixing taxa of any treatment, which indicates that temperature and P interact to influence the community. In the second experiment, colonized rocks and uncolonized NDS were placed in cold (13uC) and warm (18uC) mesocosms. Within 2 days, warm temperature stimulated N2 fixation by the rock periphyton community two times above cold temperatures, which indicates physiologic temperature control. After 45 days, warm temperatures and P enrichment led to Anabaena sp. in the periphyton community and the greatest rates of N2 fixation observed in the experiment, which also indicates temperature and nutrient control at the community level. This study indicates that N2 fixation and periphyton community composition in oligotrophic streams are controlled by both temperature and P supply, with temperature modulating the response to P.
Using Pharmacogenetics in Real Time to Guide Warfarin Initiation: A Clinician Update

A 75-year-old white woman is initiated on warfarin for atrial fibrillation. Empirical dosing generally would begin with 5 mg/d.1 If age, weight (132 kg), and height (63 in) are taken into account, the maintenance dose is estimated at 3.5 to 4 mg/d. In this case, a pharmacogenetic approach is chosen to guide initial dose selection. To augment clinical information, a rapid-turnaround assay (<4 hours) is used. Genotyping for CYP2C9 identifies the *2 CC (wild-type) and *3 AC (reduced-function heterozygote) alleles; genotyping for VKORC1 identifies an AA variant (reduced-function homozygote). With the use of a freely available Web-based algorithm (www.warfarindosing.org), a daily maintenance dose of 1.8 mg is calculated, with an optional miniloading dose of 2.7 mg/d on day 1. These calculated doses are rounded to doses of 2.5 mg on day 1 and 2.0 mg on days 2 and 3. A prothrombin time international normalized ratio (INR) measurement is planned on day 4 to guide dose adjustment if needed. Empirical dosing or dosing using only clinical characteristics would likely result in excessive anticoagulation with an increased risk of early out-of-range INRs and bleeding. Since its introduction as the mainstay of oral anticoagulation therapy, warfarin has achieved an unfavorable reputation among physicians and patients alike. This relates to the difficulty in achieving and maintaining the narrow therapeutic range of the drug (commonly INR of 2–3), a process that requires frequent INR testing and dose adjustment. Even dedicated anticoagulation clinics achieve a time in therapeutic range of only ≈60%. A major cause of this challenge is highly variable interindividual dosing requirements. Subtherapeutic anticoagulation may lead to thromboembolic events, whereas excessive anticoagulation increases the risk of bleeding. Not surprisingly, some of the most commonly reported drug-associated adverse events are warfarin related.2 An important part of interindividual dose variability arises from variation …
Muscle Glycogen Content in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Muscle contains the largest reservoir of glycogen (Glyc), a depot that is closely regulated and with influence on insulin sensitivity. The current study examines muscle Glyc in type 2 diabetes mell...
Rationality and the Human Good

In this essay I want to look at some questions concerning the relation between morality and rationality in the recommendations they make about the best way to live our lives and achieve our good. Specifically, I want to examine ways in which the virtue of practical rationality (conceived in neo-Humean terms as the most authoritative practical excellence) and the various moral virtues might be thought to part company, giving an agent conflicting directives regarding how best to live his (or her) life. In conducting this enquiry, I shall at some crucial points be presupposing something of an Aristotelian perspective, but only in the most general way.IIn what follows, I shall distinguish reason, the faculty or power, from rationality, the excellence or virtue (taken in the broadest sense) of that faculty. By practical reason I mean that part of reason that tells us what to do and how to live. By practical rationality (or, henceforth, rationality) I mean the excellence of that part of reason in virtue of which an agent is practically rational as opposed to irrational. By a neo-Humean conception of rationality I mean one that makes the goal of practical reason the maximal satisfaction of an agent's desires and preferences, suitably corrected for the effects of misinformation, wishful thinking, and the like. There are various versions of neo-Humean theory, and I shall not here be concerned with their specific differences. Their common essence lies in an appeal (1) to a notion of basic desires or preferences, which are not subject to intrinsic criticism as irrational and are subject to extrinsic criticism only by ways in which their joint satisfaction may not be possible, and (2) to a notion of derived desires or preferences, which are criticizable only instrumentally.
Review of Granular Applicators for Turfgrass

ADDITIONAL INDEX WORDS. spreader, granules, application, granular fertilizer, granular pesticide SUMMARY. Application of granular materials is an important part of most turf- grass maintenance programs, but is not often studied by horticulturists. Agricul- tural engineers have conducted many research studies over the past 50 years on the theory, testing, and use of granular applicators. Understanding the theory of granular distribution can aid horticulturists and turfgrass professionals in the effective use of spreaders. This article will review relevant engineering studies and interpret some of the results to provide help in using spreaders more ef- fectively. Proper operating mode, proper pattern adjustment, and the use of an appropriate swath width can greatly improve pattern uniformity. For instance, a half-width pattern has been proven more effective at pattern improvement than right-angle patterns, and the detrimental effect of humidity on spreader pattern has been demonstrated.
Pushing concentration of stationary solar concentrators to the limit

We give the theoretical limit of concentration allowed by nonimaging optics for stationary solar concentrators after reviewing sun–earth geometry in direction cosine space. We then discuss the design principles that we follow to approach the maximum concentration along with examples including a hollow CPC trough, a dielectric CPC trough, and a 3D dielectric stationary solar concentrator which concentrates sun light four times (4x), eight hours per day year around.