cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Male-female differences in the potential for union growth outside traditionally unionized industries

Using recent NLS data on preferences for union representation, this paper examines whether differences by sex exist in the potential for union organizing outside of traditionally unionized industries. The methodology distinguishes between workers’ preferences for union representation and the relative supply of union jobs in explaining interindustry differences in the extent of unionization. Within the private sector, women employed in industries other than those traditionally unionized are found to have at least as strong a preference for unionization as do comparable men but a considerably lower opportunity for unionized employment given the desire for union representation. Comparing the public sector with traditionally organized industries, the greater extent of unionization in the public sector is largely explained by a stronger desire for union representation on the part of both male and female public sector employees.
Linkage of low and high affinity anti-fluorescein idiotype families

Abstract Data presented in this study describes the isolation and characterization of two anti-fluorescein (Fl) hybridoma proteins 3–24 and 12–40, both IgG 1 , ϰ with a K a = 2.8 and 3.4 × 10 6 M −1 , respectively, at 37°C. These clones inhibited (6.8 ± 2.8 − 20.8 ± 0.6% at l μg/well) the idiotype-anti-idiotype interactions (IAII) of anti-Fl clones 3–13 and 3–17, which define a previously described low affinity idiotype family. Antibodies 3–24 and 12–40 also inhibited (45.0 ± 3.0 and 61.3 ± 5.6%, respectively, at 1 μg/well) an IAII denfied by a high affinity ( K a = 5.2 ± 1.5 × 10 9 M −1 at 37° C ) anti-Fl clone, 4-4. Hybridoma proteins 3–13 and 3–17 possess similar affinities for Fl ( K a = 3.8 ± 5.1 and 5.9 ± 4.0 × 10 4 M −1 ) and are known to be idiotypically unrelated to clone 4-4. While 3–24 and 12–40 appeared very similar, non-identity of their active sites was established by heterologous idiotypic inhibitions, fine specificity of binding and spectral measurements ( Q max and λ max ) of bound Fl. All IAII (3–13, 3–17, 9–40 and 4-4) were inhibited >80% by the presence of 10 −4 M F1 or F1-BSA, In addition, four intermediate affinity (6.0 × 10 6 ⩽ K a ⩽ 5.3 × 10 8 M −1 ) anti-FI clones, comprising a second previously described idiotype family (designated the 9–40 family) were further analyzed. Inhibition of the 9–40 IAII by all heterologous proteins in the 9–40 family (except clone 5–27), and clones 3–24, 12–40 and 4-4 ranged from 87.7 ± 1.3 to 95.4 ± 1.0% at 1μg/well. Titration of the 9–40 IAII inhibition by antibodies 9–40, 3–24, 12–40 or 4-4 generated essentially superimposable profiles. In reciprocal inhibition experiments, using the 4-4 IAII, clones 3–24, 12–40, 9–40 and 4-4 gave distinct idiotypic titration patterns. Thus, members of the 9–40 family, 3–24 and 12–40 were more closely related to intermediate affinity clone 9–40 than high affinity clone 4-4. Finally all members of the 9–40 family also significantly inhibited both the 3–13 and 3–17 IAII (11.8 ± 3.1 − 32.9 ± 6.1 at 1 μg/well) and gave distinct idiotypic inhibition profiles. Clones 3–24 and 12–40, characterized in this report, and the 9–40 family provide linkage between idiotypically distinct anti-Fl hybridoma proteins differing in affinity by > 20,000-fold. This linkage provides a greater span in affinity, than in all previously reported idiotypic families, within restricted or unrestricted systems.
Sinonasal Hemangiopericytoma: DNA Content and Pathological Features:

Hemangiopericytomas are rare vasoformative tumors representing varied clinical courses and histology. Sinonasal hemangiopericytomas (SNHP) are thought to be low grade malignancies with possible lat...
Report from the Society for Gynecologic Investigation, Atlanta, Georgia, March 11-14, 1998

The 45th annual meeting of the Society for Gynecologic Investigation (SGI)included three sessions speciﬁcally devoted to immunology. A concurrent slidesession on Thursday, March 12th moderated by Ware Branch (Salt Lake City)and Deborah Anderson (Boston) included six oral presentations. There weretwo poster sessions, Thursday and Friday, entitled ‘Infertility: AutoimmuneDisorders and IVF’ with eight poster presentations and ‘Immunology’ with10 presentations. Two breakfast sessions also highlighted immunologic topics.On Friday morning a discussion of ‘Immunotherapies of HPV InducedDiseases’ was held by Dr Ellen Sheets and Peggy Crowley-Nowick (Crowley-Nowick et al., 1998), (Boston). On Saturday morning ‘Controversies in theManagement of Recurrent Pregnancy Loss’ were discussed by ProfessorLesley Regan (London) and Dr Ware Branch (Salt Lake City). There wereseveral other immunological presentations in other sessions. Overall, six of66 (9%) of oral presentations, 25 of 576 (4.2%) of poster presentations andtwo of 20 (10%) of the breakfast sessions were devoted to immunologic topics.It was also commendable for reproductive immunologists that Dr DeborahAnderson (Boston) was awarded the Distinguished President’s Young Inves-tigator prize at this meeting for her research.
Visual detectability gradients: effect of high-speed visual experience.

The detectability of a target pattern presented briefly with a number of similar nontarget patterns varies as a function of the spatial location of the target. Previous work attributes these detectability gradients to a visual search process--a non-eye movement serial scan--that examines a decaying neural representation of the image. (Heron, 1957; Efron, Yund, & Nichols, 1987, 1990a,b,c; Yund, Efron, & Nichols, 1990a,b,c). The results reported in the companion paper (Ostrosky-Solis, Efron, & Yund, 1991) indicated that literacy did not affect overall performance levels but did influence scanning behavior: "...reading, or learning to read, caused the scanning mechanisms of literate subjects to adopt more consistent scan paths, from subject to subject, than they would have adopted without this reading experience." The purpose of the present experiment was to determine the effect on this scanning mechanism, if any, of an entirely different type of visual experience--the high-speed visual processing required of tennis players. Unlike reading which requires the linguistic interpretation of a highly structured visual input, tennis skill requires rapid target detection and tracking in three-dimensional visual space as well as large scale visual-motor coordination. As in the previous experiments, subjects were required to detect a vertical stripe pattern among a number of similar non-target patterns. The experiment was performed on a group of 52 tennis players and on an age- and sex-matched group of 52 non-tennis players. The overall accuracy of target detection was greater among the tennis players than among the non-tennis players and, of more interest, there was a significant difference in the detectability gradients. The detection advantage of the tennis group seemed to reach its maximum in the first half of the scan and then to deteriorate as the scan proceeded. These results indicate that visual experience other than reading can affect the habitual activity of the scanning mechanism.
Chronic growth stimulation of human adult melanocytes by inflammatory mediators in vitro: implications for nevus formation and initial steps in melanocyte oncogenesis.

Abstract In the human epidermis, melanocytes are distributed at a distance from each other. In contrast, melanocytes in nevi, which are considered benign neoplasms of melanocytes, are grouped in nests. Although still not well defined, environmental factors are thought to play an important role in the development of nevi. We found that chronic growth stimulation by leukotriene C4, a compound found in increased amounts in inflamed skin, induced pleiotropic modifications in the normal melanocyte phenotype. These changes include loss of contact inhibition and formation of structures resembling tumor spheroids. In parallel with these changes, there was a constitutive expression of Fos protein. Switching these cultures to medium supplemented with phorbol ester sustained growth with reversion of the altered phenotype. In contrast, a cAMP stimulator, cholera toxin, induced features of terminal differentiation. Our findings suggest a role for inflammatory mediators in human epidermal melanocytes. This observation provides insight into melanocyte growth alterations which may have relevance in early stages of melanocyte oncogenesis.
Polyvalency: A promising strategy for drug design

The simultaneous binding of multiple ligands on one entity to multiple receptors on another can result in an affinity that is significantly greater than that for the binding of a single ligand to a single receptor. This concept of "polyvalency" can be used to design molecules that are potent inhibitors of toxins and pathogens. We describe the design of potent polyvalent inhibitors that neutralize anthrax toxin in vivo as well as our attempts to elucidate the relationship between inhibitor structure and activity. We also highlight promising future avenues for research in polyvalent drug design.
Novel antiangiogenic therapies in ovarian cancer.

Epithelial ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death in the developed world for women with gynecologic carcinomas. Despite the effectiveness of platinum salts and taxanes as primary treatments, approximately 80% of women will recur and for them prognosis with available treatments is poor. Of the novel mechanisms under active investigation, there is ample evidence to indicate that angiogenesis is important to the development, progression and poor prognosis of ovarian cancer. Novel treatments are therefore required. A number of agents are undergoing evaluation, including vascular disrupting agents, angiogenesis inhibitors, tyrosine kinase inhibitors and agents targeting the folate receptor. At present, Phase III data are only available for the VEGF-targeted monoclonal antibody, bevacizumab, and that has demonstrated a progression-free survival benefit when used in combination with first-line paclitaxel/carboplatin and continued as maintenance therapy. The strategy of inhibiting angiogenesis in ovarian ca...
Presidential Use of Executive Orders, 1953-1994

The frequency with which presidents issue executive orders is an important area of inquiry for students of executive politics, because this instrument can shape policy in a quick, direct manner tha...
Keeping an Eye on Lacunar Infarction

See related article, pages 1349–1355. Mild hypertensive retinopathy independently predicts lacunar infarction, according to a report in this issue of Stroke from the ever-bountiful Atherosclerosis in Communities (ARIC) prospective cohort study.1 It is important news, giving us a new way to explore a poorly understood infarct subtype. Although some might still wonder whether we haven’t known for decades that hypertension leads to lacunar infarction, the story is not so simple. Careful meta-analysis of case-control studies evaluating risk factors for infarct subtypes found only a slightly higher prevalence of hypertension in lacunar compared with nonlacunar infarct cases.2 The observation raises the question: Why do some people with high blood pressure suffer lacunes when others do not? The causal pathway is probably complex, and it bears noting that when C. Miller Fisher connected hypertension to lacunar infarction in 1953, he took pains to clarify that “… hypertension itself does not lead to closure of cerebral vessels ….”3 It makes sense to look at retinal vessels to try to tease out what is happening to cerebral vessels. …
In vivo detection of residues required for ligand-selective activation of the S-locus receptor in Arabidopsis.

Summary The self-incompatibility response of crucifers is a barrier to fertilization in which arrest of pollen tube development is mediated by allele-specific interactions between polymorphic receptors and ligands encoded by the S-locus haplotype. Activation of stigma-expressed S-locus receptor kinase (SRK) [1] by pollen coat-localized S-locus cysteine-rich (SCR) ligand [2–5] and the resulting rejection of pollen occurs only if receptor and ligand are encoded by the same S haplotype [4, 6–8]. To identify residues within the SRK extracellular domain (eSRK) that are required for its ligand-selective activation, we assayed chimeric receptors and receptor variants containing substitutions at polymorphic sites in Arabidopsis thaliana [9, 10]. We show that only a small number of the ∼100 polymorphic residues in eSRK are required for ligand-specific activation of self-incompatibility in vivo. These essential residues occur in two noncontiguous clusters located at equivalent positions in the two variants tested. They also correspond to sites showing elevated levels of substitutions in other SRKs, suggesting that these residues could define self-incompatibility specificity in most SRKs. The results demonstrate that the majority of eSRK residues that show signals of positive selection and previously surmised to function as specificity determinants are not essential for specificity in the SRK-SCR interaction.
One-loop quantum energy densities of domain wall field configurations

We discuss a simple procedure for computing one-loop quantum energies of any static field configuration that depends nontrivially on only a single spatial coordinate. We specifically focus on domain-wall-type field configurations that connect two distinct minima of the effective potential, and may or may not be the solutions of classical field equations. We avoid the conventional summation of zero-point energies, and instead exploit the relation between functional determinants and solutions of associated differential equations. This approach allows ultraviolet divergences to be easily isolated and extracted using any convenient regularization scheme. Two examples are considered: two-dimensional ${\ensuremath{\varphi}}^{4}$ theory, and three-dimensional scalar electrodynamics with spontaneous symmetry breaking at the one-loop level.
Forebrain Structures which Mediate the Effects of Stress on Prolactin and Growth Hormone Secretion in the Rat

A major aim of this study was to determine whether telencephalic structures are essential for stress-induced stimulation of PRL secretion. Another aim was to determine whether the basal telencephalon, left in connection with the diencephalon, is sufficient to support the normal inhibitory effects of stress on GH secretion. A final aim was to assess whether the medial forebrain bundle (MFB) mediates the effects of stress on PRL secretion. In the first experiment, male rats were subjected to removal of the telencephalon, partial telencephalon removal (sparing basal structures such as parts of the diagonal band, preoptic area, bed nucleus of stria terminalis, and nucleus accumbens septi), or sham telencephalon removal. Twenty-four hours after surgery, nonstress plasma PRL concentrations were similar in the three groups. Whereas a 10-min leg restraint-blood withdrawal stress stimulated PRL secretion in sham-operated controls and rats in which the basal telencephalon was spared, the PRL response was abolished ...
Calcium Intake and the Incidence of Forearm and Hip Fractures among Men

High calcium intakes are thought to be associated with strong bones and lower risk of fractures. However, findings from epidemiologic studies have not been consistent. In addition, the vast majority of such studies were conducted among women, leading to a relative lack of data concerning men. The objective of this study therefore was to investigate the relation between adult calcium intake and risk of fractures among men in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS). During 331,234 person-years of follow-up over an 8-y period, 201 forearm and 56 hip fractures due to low or moderate trauma were reported among 43,063 men 40-75 y of age in 1986 when they first completed a questionnaire about diet and lifestyle factors. After controlling for age, smoking status, body mass index (BMI), physical activity, alcohol consumption and total energy intake, the relative risk (RR) of forearm fractures for men in the highest quintile of calcium intake (from foods plus supplements) compared with those in the lowest quintile was 0.98 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.59-1.61; P for trend = 0.78]; for hip fractures, the comparable RR was 1.19 (95% CI = 0.42-3.35; P for trend = 0.58). Relative risks for consuming >2.5 glasses (600 mL) of milk per day compared with one (240 mL) or fewer per week were 1.06 (95% CI = 0.69-1.62; P for trend = 0.82) for forearm fractures and 0.97 (95% CI = 0.39-2.42; P for trend = 0.56) for hip fractures. In conclusion, these results do not support a relation between calcium intake and the incidence of forearm or hip fractures in men.
Frequency and Causes of Combined Obstruction and Restriction Identified in Pulmonary Function Tests in Adults

BACKGROUND: The frequency of combined obstruction and restriction identified in pulmonary function tests has not been well described. Moreover, although the causes of combined-obstructionand-restriction patterns are known, the frequency of the various etiologies has received little attention. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed medical records and surveyed pulmonologists. RESULTS: 43,212 PFT sessions were evaluated, which yielded 130 patients who satisfied our criteria for spirometry evidence of combined obstruction and restriction. Their demographic features were: mean SD age 54 14 y, 51% male, mean SD body mass index 28.8 6.7 kg/m 2 , mean SD height 174 9 cm (men) and 162 7 cm (women). The causes of combined obstruction and restriction were classified as either a pulmonary parenchymal disorder (Group A, n 49, 38%) or a combination of pulmonary parenchymal and non-pulmonary diseases (Group B, n 63, 48%). In 18 patients (14%) no clear etiology of combined obstruction and restriction could be determined. The most common pulmonary disease was chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (45/130, 35%), and the most common non-parenchymal disease was congestive heart failure (27/130, 21%). We electronically sent a survey to 55 pulmonary physicians, of whom 30 (55%) responded. The respondents estimated that combined obstruction and restriction occurs in approximately 20% of all the pulmonary function tests performed in their practices and that pulmonary parenchymal diseases were responsible for 35% of all instances of combined obstruction and restriction. CONCLUSIONS: Combined obstruction and restriction occurs infrequently and is more commonly caused by a combination of pulmonary parenchymal and non-pulmonary disorders. Pulmonologists’ impressions regarding the frequency and causes are generally discordant with the observed frequencies.
Explicit Neural Representations, Recursive Neural Networks and Conscious Visual Perception

The fundamental question as to whether the neural correlates of any given conscious visual experience are expressed locally within a given cortical area or more globally within some widely distributed network remains unresolved. We inquire as to whether recursive processing-by which we mean the combined flow and integrated outcome of afferent and recurrent activity across a series of cortical areas-is essential for the emergence of conscious visual experience. If so, we further inquire as to whether such recursive processing is essential only for loops between extrastriate cortical areas explicitly representing experiences such as color or motion back to V1 or whether it is processing between still higher levels and the areas computing such explicit representations that is exclusively or additionally essential for visual experience. If recursive processing is not essential for the emergence of conscious visual experience, then it should also be possible to determine whether it is only the intracortical sensory processing within areas computing explicit sensory representations that is required for perceptual experience or whether it is the subsequent processing of the output of such areas within more anterior cortical regions that engenders perception. The present analysis suggests that the questions posed here may ultimately become experimentally resolvable. Whatever the outcome, the results will likely open new approaches to identify the neural correlates of conscious visual perception.
BONE MARROW ORIGIN OF IMMUNOLOGICALLY COMPETENT LYMPHOCYTES IN THE RAT

Rat bone marrow is deficient in immunologically competent cells when compared with the peripheral pool of circulating small lymphocytes. However, circulating lymphocytes capable of initiating a lethal graft vs. host reaction can develop from myeloid precursors. In adult rats inoculated at birth with parental strain bone marrow cells, the thoracic duct lymph contains cells having the immunological capability of the marrow donor. The evidence suggests that immunologically competent lymphocytes derive from cells normally resident in bone marrow and probably not from precursors in the peripheral lymphocyte pool.
Effects of dietary coarsely ground corn and litter type on broiler live performance, litter characteristics, gastrointestinal tract development, apparent ileal digestibility of energy and nitrogen, and intestinal morphology

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of the dietary inclusion of 2 coarsely ground corn (CC) levels (0 or 50%) in diets of broilers reared on 2 litter types (new wood shavings or used litter) on live performance, litter characteristics, gastrointestinal tract (GIT) development, apparent ileal digestibility (AID) of energy and nitrogen (N), and intestinal morphology. No interaction effects between CC level and litter type were observed on live performance. No litter effect was observed on live performance. Dietary inclusion of 50% CC increased BW at 35 d (P<0.01) and improved cumulative feed conversion ratio (FCR) at 35 and 49 d of age (P<0.01). The 50% CC treatment increased absolute and relative gizzard weight (P<0.01) and decreased jejunum unit weight (g/cm) (P<0.01). The new litter treatment (litter N) increased absolute and relative proventriculus weight (P<0.05) but did not affect gizzard weight. An interaction effect between CC level and litter type was observed for litter N, where the 50% CC treatment reduced litter N regardless of litter type (P<0.01), but litter N was reduced by new litter only among birds fed 0% CC (P<0.05). The 50% CC inclusion increased litter pH (P<0.05) and improved the AID of energy and N by 6.8% (P<0.01) and 3.5% (P<0.05), respectively. The 50% CC treatment increased jejunum villi tip width (P<0.05) and villi surface area (P<0.01), and decreased the muscularis layer thickness (P<0.01), whereas new litter increased jejunum villi and ileum villi height (P<0.05), jejunum villi surface area (P<0.01), and the ratio of jejunum villi height to crypt depth (P<0.01). This study showed that birds fed pelleted and screened diets containing 50% CC exhibited improved BW, FCR, and AID of energy and N, in conjunction with altered morphology of the GIT and intestinal mucosa. Litter type affected some GIT traits and functions but did not affect live performance.
Penetration effects in the internal conversion of 203Tl

Abstract Recent experimental studies of the penetration effects in the K-conversion coefficient of the 279 keV transition in 203Tl have yielded the value λ ≈ 7 for the penetration parameter. A pure shell-model calculation predicts λ ≈ 10. On the other hand, it has been showed that 205Tl is well described by a proton hole coupled to a vibrating core and it is interesting to know what value of λ is predicted if one applies that model to 203Tl. The results of such a calculation are presented and discussed in connection with the conclusions derived from a recent measurement of the magnetic moment of the 3 2 + level.
High Performance and Reliability Trench Gate Power MOSFET With Partially Thick Gate Oxide Film Structure (PTOx-TMOS)

We have developed a novel Trench-Gate MOSFET (TMOS) with Partially Thick Gate Oxide Film Structure (PTOx) performing lower dissipation and higher reliability. The PTOx structure consists of thick oxide around trench top (Ttt), thin oxide at trench side (Tts), and thick oxide at trench bottom (Ttb), and is formed by our original simple process characterized by remaining SiN film in trench side oxide. We found out the optimum thickness in Ttb in terms of maximum drain breakdown voltage (Vdss), and the thickness of Ttb is 2 to 3 times larger than that of Tts. For 250V device, optimum thickness of Ttb is 150nm, while Tts is 60nm. We clarified Ron*Qgd reductions of PTOx-TMOS for wide blocking voltage range up to 250V for the first time. Estimated Ron*Qgd reductions compared with conventional devices are 32% at 60V, 28% at 100V, and 25% at 250V. Fabricated PTOx-TMOS of 100V and 250V denote high performance corresponding with estimation, and stress reduction in those gate oxides against high electric field is successfully achieved and promising high reliability.
The wall of bacteria serves the roles that mechano-proteins do in eukaryotes

Bacteria and 'higher' organisms face many common problems, but have solved them quite differently. Within their own restrictions, the strategies of both kinds of organisms are very sophisticated because both have resulted from a total of 3 to 4 billion years of evohttion, however the approach of eukaryotic organisms is more versatile, efficient, and rapid, while the prokaryote has specialized in being small, resistant, simple, metabolically diverse, etc. The dichotomy of the prokaryotes and eukaryotes is well known with respect to nuclear organization, gene transcription,
Empathy as a mediator of the relations between parent and peer attachment and prosocial and physically aggressive behaviors in Mexican American college students

Attachment and social support theories are normative developmental approaches that postulate positive social behavioral outcomes for individuals who develop strong relationships to parents and peers; however, research on positive aspects of Latinos in the United States is scarce. One hundred and forty-five Mexican American college students (M age = 23.05 years; 99 females) from state universities in the United States completed measures of parent and peer attachment, empathy, prosocial behaviors, and physical aggression. Structural equation models showed that both parent and peer attachments were associated with prosocial and physically aggressive behaviors. In general, empathy mediated the relations between peer attachment and both types of social behaviors but mostly for men and not women. Discussion focuses on the importance of attachment relationships and empathy in understanding prosocial and physically aggressive behaviors among Mexican American college students.
The sacred cows of English

Will ‘native speakers’ of English have to change some of their most cherished and least examined assumptions as the language approaches the 21st century?
Strabismus Secondary to Adnexal Restrictions

Adnexal restriction due to anomalous orbital structures is a rare cause of strabismus. These anomalous structures include accessory muscles and fibrous bands that insert in abnormal locations on th...
Talking to God Among a Cloud of Witnesses: Collective Prayer as a Meaningful Performance

There has been much work on the effects that individual prayer has on a variety of social-psychological indicators, yet there remains a lack of research on collective prayer. While it is tempting to assume that collective prayer may be analyzed as the aggregate of individual prayers, the research presented in this article suggests that worshipers pray differently when in community than when by themselves. To understand the role of collective prayer in the practices of faith communities, I draw on work on group culture and ritual to create a framework for analyzing collective prayer. I assert that collective prayer represents a meaningful social performance that locates those conducting it within wider fields of meaning. I conclude with suggestions for future work, including examining how collective prayer acts as an element of conflict as well as unity.
ESTIMATING EXPOSURE-SPECIFIC DISEASE RATES FROM CASECONTROL STUDIES USING BAYES' THEOREM

The methods used for selecting subjects yield three types of case-control studies: 1) incident cases are compared to non-cases chosen to be representative of the exposure distribution among the person-years which produced the cases. In this type of study the exposure-odds ratio equals the incidence density ratio; 2) incident cases are compared to residual non-cases at the end of the risk period (exposure-odds ratio = cumulative incidence-odds ratio); 3) prevalent cases are compared to non-cases (exposure-odds ratio = prevalence odds ratio). In study type 1 the equivalence of odds ratio to rate ratio requires no "rare disease assumption;" this permits estimation of exposure-specific illness rates when the overall rate is known. In study types 2 and 3 the exposure-odds ratio equals the corresponding rate ratios only when exposure-specific rates are low. Nonetheless, exposure-specific rates can be calculated without making any rare disease assumption using Bayes' theorem and information on the overall disease rate. A method for obtaining approximate confidence limits around the exposure-specific rates is presented.
Computerized Histologic Image-Based Risk Score (IbRiS) Classifier for ER+ Breast Cancer.

Background: Measurement of estrogen receptor (ER) expression is a routine part of clinical evaluation of individual breast cancers and is used to guide treatment. However not all ER+ breast cancers show equal benefit from hormonal or other treatment. The RT-PCR based Oncotype Dx assay, has been recently shown to robustly stratify early stage ER+ breast cancer and identify those tumors that will have low recurrence rates when treated with adjuvant hormonal therapy alone. Interestingly, standard pathologic grading, based on visual analysis of tumor morphology by trained pathologists, has a strong correlation with Oncotype Dx recurrence scores; low recurrence tumors are mostly low grade, and high recurrence tumors are mostly high grade. However, a major problem with use of pathologist-assigned histologic grade as a prognostic tool is the lack of reproducibility of histological grading between different pathologists. Computer aided image analysis and machine learning techniques offer a way to obtain highly reproducible image-based classification of ER+ breast cancer. These analyses can be performed on digital images of routinely obtained breast cancer histology and be incorporated into a prognostic assay.Materials and Methods: High resolution digital images were obtained for a series of ER+ breast cancers for which associated Oncotype Dx Assay results were available. Regions of invasive breast cancer were identified and then processed by computer-assisted image analysis methods. An automated nuclear detection scheme based on Expectation Maximization algorithm was used to identify cancer cell nuclei, followed by graph-based feature extraction using the Voronoi graph, Delaunay Triangulation and Minimum Spanning Trees, and dimensionality reduction using Graph Embedding with Support Vector Machine based classification. The final manifold generated by GE was unwrapped into a linear space and a Euclidean distance metric was used to generate a single score (Image Based Risk Score- (IbRiS)) for each sample. Correlations between IbRS, clinical features such as grade, and Oncotype Dx Recurrance Score were determined.Results: Unsupervised analysis of image-based features of high resolution digital images of ER+ breast cancer histology leads to natural separation of tumors, with low grade tumors separating from high grade tumors. There is also a robust separation of tumors with high Oncotype Dx Recurrance Scores from tumors with low Recurrance Scores.Discussion: Unsupervised analysis of high resolution image-based features can stratify ER+ breast cancers in a fashion that correlates well with a gene-expression based prognostic assay, Oncotype Dx. These data suggest that tumors with distinct gene-expression profiles also have distinct image-based features that can be measured by computer-aided image analysis and used to build prognostic and predictive assays. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(24 Suppl):Abstract nr 3046.
Paraguayans and the Making of the Brazilian Far West, 1870-1935*

One of the most important aspects of the recent mass migrations of Latin Americans into previously remote regions of the hemisphere is the impact these have had on areas cut by international boundaries. With the exception of the United States-Mexico border, however, historical examination of the process is still in its infancy. And few observers have developed a satisfactory theoretical basis explaining an admittedly complex process. One exception was Cuban historian Jorge Manach, who spoke of “balanced” and “unbalanced” frontiers, largely in the context of the United States-Mexican boundary. He believed that power distribution between nations determined the degree to which their frontier interrelationships were equal or unequal. In Manach's view, when a politically or economically weaker nation shares a boundary with one that is stronger, overall communication is sacrificed and the stronger power inevitably “spills over” into the neighboring region, economically and culturally.
Superheroes of disease resistance.

Individuals who remain healthy despite carrying a disease-causing mutation are identified in an analysis of over a half million people.
Hydration free energies using semiempirical quantum mechanical Hamiltonians and a continuum solvent model with multiple atomic-type parameters.

To build the foundation for accurate quantum mechanical (QM) simulation of biomacromolecules in an aqueous environment, we undertook the optimization of the COnductor-like Screening MOdel (COSMO) atomic radii and atomic surface tension coefficients for different semiempirical Hamiltonians adhering to the same computational conditions recently followed in the simulation of biomolecular systems. This optimization was achieved by reproducing experimental hydration free energies of a set consisting of 507 neutral and 99 ionic molecules. The calculated hydration free energies were significantly improved by introducing a multiple atomic-type scheme that reflects different chemical environments. The nonpolar contribution was treated according to the scaled particle Claverie–Pierotti formalism. Separate radii and surface tension coefficient sets have been developed for AM1, PM3, PM5, and RM1 semiempirical Hamiltonians, with an average unsigned error for neutral molecules of 0.64, 0.66, 0.73, and 0.71 kcal/mol, re...
Intense sweeteners and energy density of foods: implications for weight control.

Energy density of foods, as opposed to their sugar or fat content, is said to be a key determinant of energy intakes. Recent laboratory studies have shown that, under ad lib conditions, subjects consume a constant weight or volume of food, so that their energy intakes depend on the energy density of the diet. Because low energy-density foods provide fewer calories per eating bout, they should—in theory—lead to reduced energy intakes and therefore weight loss. However, there is some question whether energy-dilute foods are as palatable as the more energy-dense foods. Generally high energy density equals high palatability and vice versa. Intense sweeteners represent an exception to the rule, since they maintain sweetness while reducing energy density. While many studies have explored the effects of intense sweeteners on short-term regulation of food intake, fewer studies have addressed the effectiveness of intense sweeteners in reducing energy density for weight control. Issues of energy density, palatability, and satiety, as applied to intense sweeteners are the topic of this review.
When Are Imaging Studies Indicated and What Do They Tell Us

Ordering an X-ray or an MRI can sometimes become reflexive. A patient has lower back pain so an X-ray is ordered. Why is it ordered? What does it hope to detect or rule out? Let us pause for a moment to consider what imaging studies tell us, what they don’t tell us, and when they should be ordered for disorders of the lumbosacral spine.
Meningiomas: Immunocytochemistry and Steroid Hormone Receptors

This paper will serve as a review of published studies commenting on the immunocytochemical findings and steroid hormone receptor assays performed on several series of intracranial meningiomas.
Safety Considerations in Radiation Therapy

Approximately half of all cancer patients are treated with radiation therapy at some point in the management of their disease. These treatments are delivered in one of the most complex disciplines in healthcare, with the complexity and technology growing each year. In spite of this complexity a vast majority of treatments are delivered in a safe and effective manner. However, as recent data from cooperative group trials indicates there is a quality gap in the delivery of care. This underscores the need to improve care. Numerous healthcare-IT-related issues are at work in this context and two case studies serve to illustrate important causal factors. In the first case, a patient received a lethal overdose of radiation (seven times the prescribed amount) due to a single point of failure, i.e., a computer crash during the stage of preparing for the treatment. In the second case there was an accidental misalignment of the radiation field to treat the wrong location in a patient due to the misidentification of a landmark point in the computer planning interface. Though many complex factors were at work in these error scenarios, a common theme is a deficiency in the human–computer interface (HCI). HCI-related shortcoming can guide the user toward error rather than away from it. Poor HCI can also prevent staff from identifying problems as they develop. Pioneering efforts are underway to improve HCI system to help prevent errors. Efforts are also being aimed at developing new algorithms which automatically detect abnormalities in the IT systems as they develop. The newly released national incident learning system, RO-ILS™: Radiation Oncology Incident Learning System, should provide valuable information in the coming years as to common error pathways, contribution of IT systems, and methods to prevent and control error.
Cystic Fibrosis: Carrier Testing, Newborn Screening, and Diagnostic Testing

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common life-shortening autosomal recessive genetic disorder in the Caucasian population. CF is due to mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator (CFTR) gene, located on chromosome 7 at 7q31.2, which encodes a cyclic AMP-activated chloride channel [1, 2]. The disorder has a broad range of severity, but classical CF is manifested by chronic pulmonary disease, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, and elevated concentrations of chloride in sweat. Approximately 85 % of individuals with CF do not retain sufficient exocrine pancreatic function to adequately digest food. Thus, without oral pancreatic enzyme supplementation, severe malnutrition and growth failure can occur within the first years of life. The major cause of morbidity and mortality in CF is the chronic, suppurative pulmonary disease. The CF lung is extremely susceptible to infection, particularly with the mucoid form of the gram negative bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa and the gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus [3]. Although the details are still unclear, the mechanism of the lung disease is thought to originate in the relative lack of airway surface hydration due to abnormal sodium and chloride transport and the associated movement of water across the apical epithelia. The dehydrated mucus lining the airways becomes difficult for the cilia to move and clear trapped particulate matter, including inhaled bacteria. Subsequent bacterial growth stimulates inflammation and mucus hypersecretion, which in turn becomes dehydrated and difficult to expel. Thus, there is cycle of increasing pulmonary obstruction and inflammation that leads, without treatment, and in some cases, in spite of treatment, to bronchiectasis and end-stage lung disease [4].
Staining of Gels for Carbohydrates

The periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining procedure for carbohydrate-containing macromolecules, such as glycoproteins, is given here, based on the publication of Zacharius et al, (1969), which is a modification of the method published earlier by Clarke (1964). At some points we applied modifications used by Kapitany and Zebrowski (1973).
Concentration-dependent linkage of dietary methionine restriction to the components of its metabolic phenotype.

Objective Restricting dietary methionine to 0.17% produces a series of physiological responses through coordinated transcriptional effects in liver and adipose tissue. The goal of the present work was to determine the threshold concentrations above and below 0.17% at which the beneficial responses to 0.17% dietary methionine are preserved. Methods Diets were formulated to restrict methionine to different degrees, followed by evaluation of the transcriptional and physiological responses to the different diets. Results Restriction of dietary methionine to 0.25%, but not 0.34%, was partially effective in reproducing the metabolic phenotype produced by restriction of methionine to 0.17%, while restriction of methionine to 0.12% reproduced the responses produced by restriction to 0.17% but failed to support growth and caused excessive weight loss. Restriction beyond 0.12% initiated responses characteristic of essential amino acid deprivation including food aversion and rapid weight loss. Conclusions Restriction of dietary methionine to levels above 0.25% was without effect, while restriction to levels below 0.12% produced responses characteristic of essential amino acid deprivation. In addition, although restriction of dietary methionine to 0.12% did not evoke essential amino acid deprivation responses, it provided insufficient methionine to support growth. The ideal range of dietary methionine restriction was from 0.17% to 0.25%.
Target location estimation performance evaluation for a 2D Hybrid-MIMO Radar

The Hybrid Multiple-Input Multiple-Output Phased Array Radar (HMPAR) is a notional concept that merges together the traditional Phased Array and the Multiple-Input Multiple-Output radars. The radar system that we are considering is composed of MP elements, organized intoMsub-arrays of P elements each. Initial publications focused the attention towards possible signaling strategies and achievable beampatterns. Here we assume an HMPAR driven by quasi-orthogonal signals and fanned sub-arrays. We provide a possible target estimation algorithm and evaluate its performance with respect to the CRLB. Results show that, as the SNR increases, the MSE reaches the CRLB values. Furthermore, as the HMPAR main beam size decreases (and thus more energy is focused in a smaller area), it takes less SNR for the MSE to reach the CRLB.
3D Printing Polymers with Supramolecular Functionality for Biological Applications.

Supramolecular chemistry continues to experience widespread growth, as fine-tuned chemical structures lead to well-defined bulk materials. Previous literature described the roles of hydrogen bonding, ionic aggregation, guest/host interactions, and π–π stacking to tune mechanical, viscoelastic, and processing performance. The versatility of reversible interactions enables the more facile manufacturing of molded parts with tailored hierarchical structures such as tissue engineered scaffolds for biological applications. Recently, supramolecular polymers and additive manufacturing processes merged to provide parts with control of the molecular, macromolecular, and feature length scales. Additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, generates customizable constructs desirable for many applications, and the introduction of supramolecular interactions will potentially increase production speed, offer a tunable surface structure for controlling cell/scaffold interactions, and impart desired mechanical properties throug...
Corrosion of stainless steel, nickel-titanium, coated nickel-titanium, and titanium orthodontic wires

Orthodontic wires containing nickel have been implicated in allergic reactions. The potential for orthodontic wires to cause allergic reactions is related to the pattern and mode of corrosion with subsequent release of metal ions, such as nickel, into the oral cavity. The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a significant difference in the corrosive potential of stainless steel, nickel titanium, nitride-coated nickel titanium, epoxy-coated nickel titanium, and titanium orthodontic wires. At least two specimens of each wire were subjected to potentiostatic anodic dissolution in 0.9% NaCl solution with neutral pH at room temperature. Using a Wenking MP 95 potentiostat and an electrochemical corrosion cell, the breakdown potential of each wire was determined. Photographs were taken of the wire speci mens using a scanning electron microscope, and surface changes were qualitatively evaluated. The breakdown potentials of stainless steel, two nickel titanium wires, nitride-coated nickel titanium, epoxy-coated nickel titanium, and titanium were 400 mV, 300 mV, 750 mV, 300 mV, 1800 mV, and >2000 mV, respectively. SEM photographs revealed that some nickel titanium and stainless steel wires were susceptible to pitting and localized corrosion. The results indicate that corrosion occurred readily in stainless steel. Variability in breakdown potential of nickel titanium alloy wires differed across vendors' wires. The nitride coating did not affect the corrosion of the alloy, but epoxy coating decreased corrosion. Titanium wires and epoxy-coated nickel titanium wires exhibited the least corrosive potential. For patients allergic to nickel, the use of titanium or epoxy-coated wires during orthodontic treatment is recommended.
Peg-manipulation capabilities of middle-aged adults have a greater influence on pegboard times than those of young and old adults

Declines in manual dexterity are frequently quantified as the time it takes to complete the grooved pegboard test. The test requires individuals to manipulate 25 pegs, one at a time, by removing them from a well and inserting them into a prescribed hole. The manipulation of each peg involves four phases: selection, transport, insertion, and return. The purpose of our study was to compare the times to complete the four phases of peg manipulation and the forces applied to the pegboard during peg insertion as young, middle-aged, and old adults performed the grooved pegboard test. The relative significance of the peg-manipulation attributes for 30 young (24.0 ± 4.4 years), 15 middle-aged (46.5 ± 6.5 years), and 15 old (70.4 ± 4.0 years) adults was assessed with a multiple-regression analysis. The grooved pegboard test was performed on a force plate. Pegboard times for the old adults (81 ± 17 s) were longer than those for young (56 ± 7 s) and middle-aged (58 ± 11 s) adults. Regression analysis indicated that the explanatory variables for the pegboard times of young (R2 = 0.33) and middle-aged (R2 = 0.78) adults were the times for the peg insertion and return phases, whereas the predictors for old adults (R2 = 0.49) were the times for the peg selection and transport phases. The relative influence of peg-manipulation capabilities on a pegboard test of manual dexterity was greater for middle-aged adults than for young and old adults.
Protectionism and Increasing Returns

We reconsider the economics of protection with an industry subject to increasing returns. On the whole the case for free trade is actually greater than without increasing returns. Exceptionally high tariffs are required to protect a high-cost increasing-returns industry. However, beneficial tariffs or subsidies for a country with a comparative disadvantage become prominent when its partner country with a comparative advantage faces a relevant capacity constraint.