cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mutual Fund Voting of Portfolio Shares: Why Not Disclose?

U.S. mutual funds control nearly one-third of U.S. equity voting power, yet they exercise their voting/governance power in obscurity. No rules (private or public) compel disclosure of the methods, policies and practices of mutual fund voting of portfolio shares. Why not disclose? Mutual funds are financial intermediaries that make diversification, asset allocation and risk management available to individual investors. As financial intermediaries, they are heavily regulated. Federal law specifies the governance structure and diversification levels of publicly-sold mutual funds, and mandates detailed information about fund investment policies, risk profiles, securities holdings and fees charged. Absent, however, is any mandate to disclose voting of portfolio shares and other corporate governance activities. Mutual funds have become the swing vote in U.S. corporate governance. Operating within fund families or in coordination with proxy service firms, principally Institutional Shareholder Services, mutual funds have lately been pivotal in shareholder voting. But mutual fund voting of portfolio shares is regulated only if the fund seeks control or concentrates its holdings in any one issuer. In the 1970s the SEC twice considered mandating disclosure of mutual fund voting policies and practices, but each time abandoned the project. The article outlines a proposal for the mandatory disclosure by mutual funds of their voting and governance activities. It considers possible arguments against such a regime. Perhaps existing price disclosure and redemption liquidity, combined with apparent apathy of mutual fund investors, render voting disclosure unnecessary. Perhaps greater transparency would undermine the current effectiveness of behind-the-scenes mutual fund voting/governance activities. Or perhaps it would create perverse incentives for mutual fund managers to politicize the voting function. These concerns, however, are belied by the handful of funds that disclose their voting policies and activities. On inspection, transparency - touted by the mutual fund industry with respect to portfolio companies - offers many potential benefits at relatively low cost.
Two-dimensional Sentiment Analysis of text.

Sentiment Analysis aims to get the underlying viewpoint of the text, which could be anything that holds a subjective opinion, such as an online review, Movie rating, Comments on Blog posts etc. This paper presents a novel approach that classify text in two-dimensional Emotional space, based on the sentiments of the author. The approach uses existing lexical resources to extract feature set, which is trained using Supervised Learning techniques.
Are obstetrical, perinatal, and infantile difficulties associated with pediatric bipolar disorder?

Martelon MK, Wilens TE, Anderson JP, Morrison NR, Wozniak J. Are obstetrical, perinatal, and infantile difficulties associated with pediatric bipolar disorder? Bipolar Disord 2012: 14: 507–514. © 2012 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Objectives: Despite increasing acknowledgement of bipolar disorder (BD) in childhood, there is a paucity of literature that has investigated obstetrical, perinatal, and infantile difficulties and their potential link with BD. To this end, we examined difficulties during delivery, immediate post-birth, and infancy and the association with BD in childhood. Methods: From two similarly designed, ongoing, longitudinal, case-control family studies of pediatric BD (N = 327 families), we analyzed 338 children and adolescents [mean (± standard deviation) age: 12.00 ± 3.37 years]. We stratified them into three groups: healthy controls (N = 98), BD probands (N = 120), and their non-affected siblings (N = 120). All families were comprehensively assessed with a structured psychiatric diagnostic interview for psychopathology and substance use. Mothers were directly questioned regarding the pregnancy, delivery, and infancy difficulties that occurred with each child using a module from the Diagnostic Interview for Children and Adolescents-Parent Version (DICA-P). Results: Mothers of BD subjects were more likely to report difficulties during infancy than mothers of controls [odds ratio (95% confidence interval) = 6.6 (3.0, 14.6)]. Specifically, children with BD were more likely to have been reported as a stiffened infant [7.2 (1.1, 47.1)] and more likely to have experienced ‘other’ infantile difficulties [including acting colicky; 4.9 (1.3, 18.8)] compared to controls. We found no significant differences between groups in regards to obstetrical or perinatal difficulties (all p values > 0.05). Conclusions: While our results add to previous literature on obstetrical and perinatal difficulties and BD, they also highlight characteristics in infancy that may be prognostic indicators for pediatric BD.
Active data collection for inadequate models

Obtaining informative measurements is a fundamental problem when inadequate models are used to guide the design of experiments. A comprehensive approach to experimental design for inadequate physics-based models is proposed by focusing on the coupling between the structural uncertainty modeling and the adaptive data collection process. First, by taking advantage of the structure of physics-based models, unlike current approaches, rigorous structural uncertainty models are created to yield solutions, which satisfy physical constraints such as conservation of mass. Second, new adaptive data collection strategies are proposed by combining two current approaches, model driven and model free experimental design, to optimally trade off between model exploitation and design space exploration. The applicability and feasibility of these new ideas will be demonstrated on dispersion models, which are widely used in practice from regulatory applications to emergency response in chemical, nuclear, biological and radiological releases. These dispersion models are polluted by structural errors due to various assumptions (e.g. diffusion coefficients) that can only be informed using limited experimental data.
Mass weighted urn design--A new randomization algorithm for unequal allocations

Unequal allocations have been used in clinical trials motivated by ethical, efficiency, or feasibility concerns. Commonly used permuted block randomization faces a tradeoff between effective imbalance control with a small block size and accurate allocation target with a large block size. Few other unequal allocation randomization designs have been proposed in literature with applications in real trials hardly ever been reported, partly due to their complexity in implementation compared to the permuted block randomization. Proposed in this paper is the mass weighted urn design, in which the number of balls in the urn equals to the number of treatments, and remains unchanged during the study. The chance a ball being randomly selected is proportional to the mass of the ball. After each treatment assignment, a part of the mass of the selected ball is re-distributed to all balls based on the target allocation ratio. This design allows any desired optimal unequal allocations be accurately targeted without approximation, and provides a consistent imbalance control throughout the allocation sequence. The statistical properties of this new design is evaluated with the Euclidean distance between the observed treatment distribution and the desired treatment distribution as the treatment imbalance measure; and the Euclidean distance between the conditional allocation probability and the target allocation probability as the allocation predictability measure. Computer simulation results are presented comparing the mass weighted urn design with other randomization designs currently available for unequal allocations.
Medical marijuana: a viable tool in the armamentaria of physicians treating chronic pain? A case study and commentary.

THE CASE: You are a physician—specialty not important, as so many different specialists and generalists treat chronic pain. A patient in his 30s with a history of polysubstance addiction walks into your office, complaining of moderate-to-severe chronic pain—which has been legitimized through history, physical examination, and diagnostic imaging. This patient lacks the resources to receive anything beyond pharmacological treatment. He requests authorization for medical marijuana (it is assumed that you are practicing in a state in which medical marijuana is legal). Do you provide him with authorization or not, and on what basis do you make your choice?
Extracellular calcium-sensing receptors in the parathyroid gland, kidney, and other tissues.

Purpose of review The discovery of the extracellular calcium-sensing receptor, CasR has broadened our understanding of calcium homeostasis and led to the development of new pharmacological agents, calcimimetics, for treating hyperparathyroidism. In the present review, I discuss the function of CasR as well as provide evidence for the presence of additional calcium-sensing mechanisms in the skeleton and possibly other tissues. Recent findings Inactivating and activating mutations of the CasR respectively cause hereditary hyperparathyroidism, and demonstrate the predominant role of the CasR in controlling parathyroid gland function. Calcimimetics, which increase the sensitivity of CasR to extracellular calcium have been developed to treat secondary and primary hyperparathyroidism. In recent clinical trials in patients with end stage kidney disease, the calcimimetic cinacalcet suppressed parathyroid hormone to a greater degree than conventional therapy with vitamin D analogues without causing hypercalcemia or hyperphosphatemia. CasR receptor also has functions in other tissues, including regulation of renal calcium excretion and calcitonin secretion by thyroidal C-cells, but the presence of redundant sensing mechanisms for extracellular calcium in other tissues, including bone, confounds the assessment of the receptor's function at these sites. Mouse genetic approaches have so far failed to identify any essential, non-redundant role for the calcium-sensing receptor in regulating chondrogenesis or osteogenesis, and have failed to establish a function for the protein outside of the parathyroid gland, kidney, and thyroidal C-cells. Rather, there is evidence for other putative calcium sensing receptor-like mechanisms in osteoblasts that remain to be identified. Summary Sensing of extracellular calcium by CasR is important in regulating calcium homeostasis, but CasR may have vestigial function in various tissues where it is expressed in low abundance. The relative importance of CasR and the novel calcium-sensing mechanisms in mediating response to extracellular calcium in many of these tissues remain to be determined.
Diatom biomass and productivity in oceanic and plume-influenced waters of the western tropical Atlantic ocean

Abstract Whereas diatoms (class Bacillariophyceae ) often dominate phytoplankton taxa in the Amazon estuary and shelf, their contribution to phytoplankton dynamics and impacts on regional biogeochemistry are poorly understood further offshore in the western tropical Atlantic Ocean (WTAO). Thus, relative contribution of diatoms to phytoplankton biomass and primary production rates and associated environmental conditions were quantified during three month-long cruises in January–February 2001, July–August 2001, and April–May 2003. The upper water column was sampled at 6 light depths (100%, 50%, 25%, 10%, 1% and 0.1% of surface irradiance) at 64 stations between 3° and 14°N latitude and 41° and 58°W longitude. Each station was categorized as ‘oceanic’ or ‘plumewater’, based on principal component analysis of eight physical, chemical and biological variables. All stations were within the North Brazil Current, and plumewater stations were characterized by shallower mixed layers with lower surface salinities and higher dissolved silicon (dSi) concentrations than oceanic stations. The major finding was a much greater role of diatoms in phytoplankton biomass and productivity at plumewater stations relative to oceanic stations. Mean depth-integrated bSi concentrations at the plumewater and oceanic stations were 14.2 and 3.7 mmol m −2 , respectively. Mean depth-integrated SiP rates at the plumewater and oceanic stations were 0.17 and 0.02 mmol m −2 h −1 , respectively. Based on ratios of SiP and PP rates, and typical Si:C ratios, diatoms contributed on average 29% of primary productivity at plumewater stations and only 3% of primary productivity at oceanic stations. In contrast, phytoplankton biomass (as chlorophyll a concentrations) and primary production (PP) rates (as 14 C uptake rates) integrated over the euphotic zone were not significantly different at plumewater and oceanic stations. Chlorophyll a concentrations ranged from 8.5 to 42.4 mg m −2 and 4.0 to 38.0 mg m −2 and PP rates ranged from 2.2 to 11.2 mmol m −2 h −2 and 1.8 to 10.8 mmol m −2 h −2 at plumewater and oceanic stations, respectively. A conservative estimate of annual integrated SiP in offshore waters of Amazon plume between April and August is 0.59 Tmol Si, based on mean SiP rates in plumewaters and satellite-derived estimates of the area of the Amazon plume. In conclusion, river plumewaters dramatically alter the silicon dynamics of the WTAO, forming extensive diatom-dominated phytoplankton blooms that may contribute significantly to the global Si budget as well as contributing to energy and matter flow off of the continental shelf.
A New Hybrid Technique for Dermatological Image Registration

Malignant melanoma is nowadays one of the most malignant tumors among white-skinned populations around the world. The key element in malignant melanoma treatment is the detection of melanomas and their changes at an early stage, before they develop irreversible clinically significant and potentially fatal damage to the patients. Computer automatic diagnosis of skin lesions using early symptoms would be particularly useful as an aid in primary care. During such computer systems, there is a significant clinical demand for accurate dermatological image registration. In this paper, we introduce a new algorithm for the registration of melanomas in successive dermatological image. We reduce the melanoma registration problem to a bipartite graph matching problem. The Voronoi cells are used to measure the similarity between melanomas and build the weighted bipartite graph. A minimum weight maximum cardinality matching is employed to find the global correspondences between dermatological images. Distances order and dynamic programming method are applied into the bipartite graph matching to preserve topology of melanoma distribution. The dermatoscopy images are used to validate the effectiveness of our approach. Since our method is a general registration method for melanomas, it can also be used in other dermatological images.
Dependence of stability on inter-enzyme distance in cooperative systems

Abstract A formulation in terms of quasilinear parabolic equations is given for a two-component cooperative system, with components free to diffuse in one dimension and cooperative reactive sites fixed at the boundaries of the interval. Localization of enzymes introduces Dirac delta functions into the equations. A unique, space-independent steady state is found, which is unstable with respect to diffusion and inter-enzyme distance. The biological implications of the results are formulated as a mechanism for “off-on” switching, or coupling of structure and function, in mitochondria.
Hindered Rotation of Water near C60

Cross-polarization (CP) nuclear magnetic resonance experiments show that water within about 1 nm of C60 molecules is anisotropic and undergoes rotational motion that is greatly hindered compared with motion in bulk. The experimental observation of a Hartmann−Hahn CP contact shows that the motion of water is slow enough for intermolecular 1H (water)−13C (C60) dipolar coupling to occur, suggesting that the time scale of the rotational (tumbling) motion of the water adjacent to the C60 is slower than the microsecond range. This is much slower than the picosecond range previously observed for bulk water. The dipolar coupling decreases with temperature in the range of 3−22 °C. This work provides molecular-scale evidence that a small hydrophobic particle can order surrounding liquid water molecules.
Development of ganglion cell topography in the postnatal cochlea.

In mammals, the size and number of spiral ganglion cells can vary significantly along the length of the cochlea. At present, it is unclear how these topologic differences in spiral ganglion cell morphology and density emerge during development. We addressed this issue by quantifying developmental changes in the number, density, and size of auditory ganglion cells within the cochlea of Mongolian gerbils throughout the first 3 weeks of postnatal life. In each cochlea, cells were measured at five standardized locations along the length of the spiral ganglion, as determined from serial reconstruction of Rosenthal's canal. During the first postnatal week, the total number of gerbil spiral ganglion cells decreased significantly by 27%, without further change thereafter. This brief period of neuronal cell death coincides with a major remodeling in the afferent neural projections to gerbil auditory hair cells (Echteler [1992] Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89:6324-6327). The resulting reduction in neuronal density varied with location, being most prominent within the upper basal and lower middle turns of the cochlea. These same regions contained the smallest auditory ganglion cells found within the gerbil ear and exhibited the least amount of developmental expansion in the circumference of Rosenthal's canal. These results suggest the possibility that regional differences in auditory neuron size and number might be influenced by local extrinsic factors, such as the availability of canal space.
Purinergic and cholinergic components of bladder contractility and flow.

Abstract The role of ATP as a neurotransmitter/neuromodulator in the urinary tract has been the subject of much study, particularly whether ATP has a functional role in producing urine flow. Recent studies suggested significant species variation, specifically a variation between cat and other species. This study was performed to determine the in vivo response of cat urinary bladder to pelvic nerve stimulation (PNS) and to the exogenous administration of cholinergic and purinergic agents. In anesthetized cats, bladder contractions and fluid expulsion was measured in response to PNS and to the exogenous administration of cholinergic and purinergic agents. Fluid was instilled into the bladder and any fluid expelled by bladder contractions induced by PNS or exogenous agents was collected in beaker. The volume was measured in a graduated cylinder and recorded. PNS, carbachol and APPCP produced sustained contractions with significant expulsion of fluid. ATP, ACh and hypogastric nerve stimulation did not produce any significant expulsion of fluid. Atropine, a cholinergic antagonist, inhibited PNS contractions and fluid expulsion with no effect on purinergic actions. There was a significant relationship between the magnitude of the contraction, duration of the contractions and volume of fluid expelled. The data and information from other studies, strongly suggests a functional role for ATP as a cotransmitter in the lower urinary tract different from ACh's role. ATP stimulation of a specific purinergic receptor plays a role in initiation of bladder contractions and perhaps in the initiation of urine flow from the bladder. ACh's role is functionally different and appears to be more involved in maintenance of contractile activity and flow.
A Gas-Controlled Aquarium System for Ocean Acidification Studies

Ocean carbon sequestration by direct carbon dioxide injection to the deep-sea or by the fertilization of the upper ocean with iron to accelerate the biological pump are methods under consideration to mitigate rapidly rising atmospheric carbon dioxide levels and avoid, in part, excessive greenhouse gas warming. Both sequestration efforts will elevate carbon dioxide levels in the deep ocean, which after reaction with the seawater carbonate system, will decrease the pH of the ocean. In addition, ocean acidification is occurring through the passive influx of carbon dioxide through the ocean surface. Efforts to understand the effects of accelerating ocean acidification from carbon sequestration efforts or passive CO2 absorbance will require study of marine ecosystems from the surface to the deep-sea. In many deep-sea environments, hypoxia can also be stressful for marine organisms. Therefore, studies to assess the impacts of ocean acidification in deep-sea habitats should also include examination of the effects of hypoxia, due to the potentially synergistic interaction between these stressors. In this report, we describe the development of a gas-controlled aquarium (GCA) system used for laboratory studies of the effects of hypoxia or ocean acidification or both on marine animals. The GCA system is capable of regulating the temperature, oxygen, and carbon dioxide content of waters in three aquarium tanks for use in assays of growth and metabolic rate studies or various marine animals. The GCA design uses a main reservoir and 3 aquarium tanks in which different set-points for oxygen and carbon dioxide levels are possible. Membrane contactors connected to recirculation pumps and gas sources are used to control gas concentrations in each tank. A LabVIEW software system integrated with mass flow controllers for oxygen, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen sources allows real-time, automated regulation of gas concentrations in each tank.
The angular momenta of solar system bodies: Implications for asteroid strengths

Abstract The angular momentum H is plotted versus mass M for the planets and for all asteroids with known rotation rates and shapes, primarily taken from D. C. McAdoo and J. A. Burns [Icarus 18, 285–293 (1973)]. An asteroid's angular momentum is derived from its rotation rate as determined by the period of its lightcurve, its shape as indicated by the lightcurve amplitude, and where possible its size as given by polarimetry or radiometry. The asteroid is assumed to be rotating about its axis of maximum moment of inertia. As previously found by F. F. Fish [Icarus 7, 251–256 (1967]) and W. K. Hartmann and S. M. Larson [Icarus 7, 257–260 (1967)], H is approximately proportional to M 5 3 , which shows that the asteroids and most planets spin with nearly the same rate. The very smallest asteroids on the plot deviate from the above reaction, usually containing excess angular momentum. This suggests that collisions have transferred substantial angular momentum to the smallest asteroids, perhaps causing their internal stress states to be substantially modified by centrifugal effects. The forces produced by gravitation are then compared to centrifugal effects for a rotating, triaxial ellipsoid of density 3 g cm−3. For all asteroids with known properties the gravitational attraction is shown to be larger than the centrifugal acceleration of a particle on the surface: thus the observed asteroid regoliths are gravitationally bound. Poisson's equation for the gravitational potential is investigated and it is shown by mathematical and physical arguments that any arbitrarily shaped ellipsoid with the attractive surface force boundary condition found above will have only attractive internal forces. Thus the internal stress states in asteroids are always compressive so that asteroids could be internally fractured without losing their integrity.
Endometriosis in the adolescent and teenage female

Abstract Approximately half of the adolescents complaining of refractory dysmenorrhea or chronic pelvic pain will be diagnosed with endometriosis. The most frequent presenting symptom is pelvic pain, and the most common sign is pelvic tenderness. Treatment options include medical therapy such as prostaglandin synthetase inhibitors, oral contraceptives, progestins, danazol, or gonadotropin releasing hormone agonists; surgical options include laparoscopy using either cautery or laser, or laparotomy with conservative surgery. Most patients treated surgically are found to have minimal or mild disease, most frequently located in the cul-de-sac. Although endometriosis is thought to be a progressive disease, little is known about the long-term effectiveness of early treatment or the future fertility of these patients.
Mesenchymal Cell Contributions to the Stem Cell Niche

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are heterogeneous and primitive cells discovered first in the bone marrow (BM). They have putative roles in maintaining tissue homeostasis and are increasingly recognized as components of stem cell niches, which are best defined in the blood. The absence of in vivo MSC markers has limited our ability to track their behavior in vivo and draw comparisons with in vitro observations. Here we review the historical background of BM-MSCs, advances made in their prospective isolation, their developmental origin and contribution to maintaining subsets of hematopoietic cells, and how mesenchymal cells contribute to other stem cell niches.
Music segment similarity using 2D-Fourier Magnitude Coefficients

Music segmentation is the task of automatically identifying the different segments of a piece. In this work we present a novel approach to cluster the musical segments based on their acoustic similarity by using 2D-Fourier Magnitude Coefficients (2D-FMCs). These coefficients, computed from a chroma representation, significantly simplify the problem of clustering the different segments since they are key transposition and phase shift invariant. We explore various strategies to obtain the 2D-FMC patches that represent entire segments and apply k-means to label them. Finally, we discuss possible ways of estimating k and compare our competitive results with the current state of the art.
Nanostrukturierte Elektroden für Hochleistungs‐Pseudokondensatoren

Der Ruckgang der klassischen Energieressourcen und der Wunsch nach Reduktion des hohen CO2-Ausstoses bei der Energieproduktion sind Grunde dafur, dass die Frage nach der Energiespeicherung einen immer hoheren Stellenwert einnimmt. Energiespeichersysteme wie Superkondensatoren oder Batterien benotigen jedoch dringend neue funktionale Elektrodenmaterialen, um den immer weiter steigenden Bedarf an hoherer Energie- und Leistungsdichte zu decken. Diese Herausforderungen konnen nur mithilfe der Nanotechnologie bewaltigt werden. So mussen Synthesewege fur Nanomaterialien mit verbesserten Eigenschaften gefunden werden. In diesem Kurzaufsatz erortern wir Entwicklungen bei nanostrukturierten Elektroden fur Pseudokondensatoren und fassen die drei wichtigsten Parameter zusammen, die fur die Leistungsfahigkeit des Elektrodenmaterials entscheidend sind. Zusatzlich stellen wir eine Technik vor, wie diese Parameter fur hohe Energie- und Leistungsdichten gleichzeitig optimiert werden konnen.
Playscript Classification and Automatic Wikipedia Play Articles Generation

In this work, we aim to create Wikipedia pages on plays automatically by extracting relevant information from various web sources. Our approach involves building an efficient classifier that can classify web documents as play scripts. From the set of correctly classified instances of play scripts, we extract relevant play-related information from the documents and use it to obtain additional information from various sources on the web. This information is aggregated and human-readable Wikipedia pages are created using a bot. The results of our experiments show that classifiers trained by combining our designed features along with "bag-of-words" (bow) features outperform classifiers trained using only bow features. Our approach further shows that good quality human-readable pages can be created using our bot. Such automatic page generation process can eventually ensure a more complete Wikipedia.
Muscle Injuries in Athletes: Enhancing Recovery Through Scientific Understanding and Novel Therapies

Context:Muscle injuries are extremely common in athletes and often produce pain, dysfunction, and the inability to return to practice or competition. Appropriate diagnosis and management can optimize recovery and minimize time to return to play.Evidence Acquisition:Contemporary papers, both basic science and clinical medicine, that investigate muscle healing were reviewed. A Medline/PubMed search inclusive of years 1948 to 2012 was performed.Results:Diagnosis can usually be made according to history and physical examination for most injuries. Although data are limited, initial conservative management emphasizing the RICE principles and immobilization of the extremity for several days for higher grade injuries are typically all that is required. Injection of corticosteroids may clinically enhance function after an acute muscle strain. Additional adjunctive treatments (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, platelet-rich plasma, and others) to enhance muscle healing and limit scar formation show promise but ...
Sox3 Functions in a Cell-Autonomous Manner to Regulate Spermatogonial Differentiation in Mice

The X-linked Sox3 gene encodes a member of the Sry high-mobility group box proteins, which play a role in many developmental processes including neurogenesis and testis development. This study further examined the role of Sox3 in spermatogenesis. Males without Sox3 expression exhibited a similar number of germ cell nuclear antigen-positive germ cells at 1, 5, and 10 d postpartum (dpp) compared to their wild-type littermates, but there was significant germ cell depletion by 20 dpp. However, spermatogenesis later resumed and postmeiotic germ cells were observed by 56 dpp. The VasaCre transgene was used to generate a germ cell-specific deletion of Sox3. The phenotype of the germ cell-specific Sox3 knockout was similar to the ubiquitous knockout, indicating an intrinsic role for Sox3 in germ cells. The residual germ cells in 20 dpp Sox3−/Y males were spermatogonia as indicated by their expression of neurogenin3 but not synaptonemal complex protein 3, which is expressed within cells undergoing meiosis. RNA expression analyses corroborated the histological analyses and revealed a gradual transition from relatively increased expression of spermatogonia genes at 20 dpp to near normal expression of genes characteristic of undifferentiated and meiotic germ cells by 84 dpp. Fluorescent-activated cell sorting of undifferentiated (ret tyrosine kinase receptor positive) and differentiated (kit receptor tyrosine kinase-positive) spermatogonia revealed depletion of differentiated spermatogonia in Sox3−/Y tubules. These results indicate that Sox3 functions in an intrinsic manner to promote differentiation of spermatogonia in prepubertal mice but it is not required for ongoing spermatogenesis in adults. The Sox3−/Y males provide a unique model for studying the mechanism of germ cell differentiation in prepubertal testes.
Plagioclase-ultraphyric basalts of the galapagos archipelago

Abstract Basalts containing as much as 50% plagioclase phenocrysts that attain lengths of several centimeters are common on the northern islands of the Galapagos Archipelago. Mineralogic and geochemical evidence requires that the large anorthitic phenocrysts nucleated and grew from a less evolved magma than that in which they were erupted. We suggest that plagioclase-ultraphyric basalts (PUBs) form when a buoyant phenocryst-laden magma enters a chamber containing a denser, more evolved magma. As the new magma mixes with the old, anorthitic plagioclase phenocrysts may accumulate near the roof in a hybrid liquid. Thinner crust under the northern islands increases the probability that viscous plagioclase-rich magmas can ascend to shallow magma chambers and may account for the fact that PUBs are more common on the northern islands, than in the rest of the Archipelago.
Applying game theory rules to enhance decision support systems in credit and financial applications

This paper examines the potential of applying Game Theory to Data Mining mechanisms to enhance the accuracy of predicting risk in financial settings. There have been many attempts made in the past to enhance Data Mining results using different methods including Game Theory principles. Despite the promising results of previous work in integrating Game Theory and Data Mining, further research is needed to explore the potential of creating a combined model that can be applied to a range of datasets to successfully enhance risk prediction. We use the German credit dataset using a variety of different data mining mechanisms then we propose a combined model to enhance the results using Game Theory principles and the decision tree “J48” algorithm as a data mining mechanism.
Stability of binary asteroids

The dynamics of binary asteroids was modeled by the restricted problem of 2 + 2 bodies (Whipple and Szebehely, 1984). The Sun and Jupiter are the primary masses of the problem and the two asteroids constitute the minor bodies of the system. Numerical integration of the equations of motion was performed to study the stability of such systems.
Competition and Cooperation in Marketing Channel Choice: Theory and Application

This paper discusses the problem of choosing a vertical marketing channel in a product-differentiated duopolistic market. Firms choose product price and the form of the marketing channel to maximize profits. It is shown that integration of the marketing function results in greater price competition and lower prices than does the use of independent marketing middlemen. The profitability of reducing price competition by using such middlemen is investigated. Two hypotheses---that integration is negatively associated with the products' substitutability and that symmetric channel structures are stable---are tested in a preliminary way and supported with survey data from the international semiconductor industry.
The far lateral-combined supra- and infratentorial approach: clinical experience.

Four patients underwent a far lateral-combined craniotomy procedure for extensive tumors of the clivus and craniocervical junction. Their presentation, operative, and clinical course are discussed. All patients had improved at their follow-up examination (mean follow-up, 10.7 months). This approach can now be applied to extensive tumors of the petroclival region and craniocervicai junction to decrease morbidity.
Importance of climate-driven forest–savanna biome shifts in anthropological and ecological research

In a recent issue of PNAS, Carson et al. (1) show evidence for forest expansion over human-occupied savannas ∼2,000 y ago in northeast Bolivia. This study fundamentally changes our understanding of the magnitude and nature of pre-Columbian land use in the Amazon region. The authors conclude that previous theories of land management, as well as its expected impact on global biogeochemical cycles, are “potentially flawed” because they did not consider climate-driven forest–savanna biome shifts. One important aspect not explored by the authors is that such forest–savanna shifts and, by extension, their ecological and anthropological implications are by no means unique to that region.
Discovery of an Oral Potent Selective Inhibitor of Hematopoietic Prostaglandin D Synthase (HPGDS)

Hematopoietic prostaglandin D synthase (HPGDS) is primarly expressed in mast cells, antigen-presenting cells, and Th-2 cells. HPGDS converts PGH2 into PGD2, a mediator thought to play a pivotal role in airway allergy and inflammatory processes. In this letter, we report the discovery of an orally potent and selective inhibitor of HPGDS that reduces the antigen-induced response in allergic sheep.
A review of 308 cases of revision stapedectomy.

Objective/Hypothesis: Identify causes of primary and revision stapedectomy failure in 308 patients, assess whether these are different based on source of initial surgery, and evaluate hearing results in revision stapedectomy to improve outcome. Study Design: Retrospective, nonrandomized chart review of patients undergoing revision stapedectomy in a referral otology practice in a large metropolitan region. Materials and Methods: Intraoperative findings, preoperative and postoperative revision stapedectomy air and bone conduction pure-tone averages, speech discrimination scores, postoperative air-bone gaps, complications, and repeated revisions were noted in 308 patients. Results: Leading causes of primary stapedectomy failure included dislocated prosthesis (24.4%), inadequate prosthesis length (14%), long process resorption (14%), and fibrous adhesions (13.6%). Revision stapedectomy air-bone gaps were less than 10 dB in 80% and greater than 30 dB in 6.8% of cases. Increased sensorineural hearing loss occurred in 0.8% of revision stapedectomy cases. Five of seven cases of vertigo associated with primary stapedectomy resolved after revision surgery. Conclusion: Revision stapedectomy by experienced surgeons is highly effective in attaining successful air-bone gap closure in 80% and improved closure in 84.8% of operative cases. Risk of vertigo and/or sensorineural hearing loss was not any higher in this patient population when compared with reports of primary stapedectomy.
Effects of Treatment on Endocrine Function in Patients with Epilepsy.

Antiepileptic drug (AED) treatment is associated with multiple short- and long-term side effects. Effects on endocrine function, including weight change, reproductive function, thyroid function, and bone health are examples of these side effects. Some AEDs affect weight, resulting in weight gain or loss. Levetiracetam and lamotrigine are weight-neu-tral agents, whereas valproate is associated with weight gain. Reproductive dysfunction is reported in women and men with epilepsy treated with AEDs. In women, the most common symptoms are hyperandrogenism, menstrual disorders with ovulatory failure, polycystic ovary-appearing ovaries or polycystic ovary syndrome, and hyperinsulinemia. These symptoms may be secondary to epilepsy or to AED treatment, particularly with valproate. In men, effects on sperm quality and motility, delayed sexual development, and small testicular size have been described in association with AED treatment. Car-bamazepine reduces testosterone levels, whereas valproate increases androgen levels. Oxcarbazepine is not associated with changes in testosterone levels. Treatment with all of these agents can result in changes in sperm, including concentration, morphology, and motility. Enzyme-inducing AEDs are known to result in decreased thyroid hormones. Recent studies found reduced serum thyroid hormone concentrations in men and young girls treated with carbamazepine and oxcarbazepine. However, all patients were clini-cally euthyroid, and these changes were reversible after AED withdrawal. Persons with epilepsy treated with AEDs are at increased risk for fracture. Not only is this increased because of seizure activity, but also because of treatment with AEDs. AED treatment results in decreased bone mineral density, the most sensitive predictor of fracture and changes in biochemical indices of bone metabolism, including calcium, vitamin D, and markers of bone formation and resorption. Identifying each of these endocrine abnor-malities is important because it may be necessary and beneficial to change AED treat-ment. In addition, multiple therapies exist for the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome, infertility, and decreased bone mineral density.
PM synthesis and properties of steel foams

Abstract Steel foam steel was synthesized by a powder metallurgical route, resulting in densities less than half that of steel. Process parameters for foam synthesis were investigated, and two standard powder formulations were selected consisting of Fe–2.5%C and 0.2 wt.% foaming agent (either MgCO3 or SrCO3). Using the PM approach, foams with relative density ranging between 0.38 and 0.64 were obtained. Compression tests were performed on annealed and pre-annealed foam samples of different density to determine mechanical response and energy absorption behavior. The stress–strain response was strongly affected by annealing, which reduced the carbon content and converted much of the pearlitic structure to ferrite. These microstructural changes led to a more ductile response during compressive loading, in which a long stress plateau typically occurred after initial yielding. In fact, annealed steel foams behaved much like aluminum foams under compressive loading, despite pore structures that were considerably more coarse than those reported for aluminum foams.
Indirubin-3'-(2,3 dihydroxypropyl)-oximether (E804) is a potent modulator of LPS-stimulated macrophage functions.

Abstract Indirubin is a deep-red bis-indole isomer of indigo blue, both of which are biologically active ingredients in Danggui Longhui Wan, an ancient Chinese herbal tea mixture used to treat neoplasia and chronic inflammation and to enhance detoxification of xenobiotics. Multiple indirubin derivatives have been synthesized and shown to inhibit cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) and glycogen-synthase kinase (GSK-3β) with varying degrees of potency. Several indirubins are also aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) agonists, with AhR-associated activities covering a wide range of potencies, depending on molecular structure. This study examined the effects of indirubin-3′-(2,3 dihydroxypropyl)-oximether (E804), a novel indirubin with potent STAT3 inhibitory properties, on basal and LPS-inducible activities in murine RAW264.7 macrophages. Using a focused commercial qRT-PCR array platform (SuperArray®), the effects of E804 on expression of a suite of genes associated with stress and toxicity were determined. Most genes up-regulated by LPS treatment were suppressed by E804; including LPS-induced expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and receptors, apoptosis control genes, and oxidative stress response genes. Using qRT-PCR as a follow up to the commercial arrays, E804 treatment suppressed LPS-induced COX-2, iNOS, IL-6 and IL-10 gene expression, though the effects on iNOS and COX-2 protein expression were less dramatic. E804 also inhibited LPS-induced secretion of IL-6 and IL-10. Functional endpoints, including iNOS and lysozyme enzymatic activity, phagocytosis of fluorescent latex beads, and intracellular killing of bacteria, were also examined, and in each experimental condition E804 suppressed activities. Collectively, these results indicate that E804 is a potent modulator of pro-inflammatory profiles in LPS-treated macrophages.
γ-Synuclein: Cell-Type-Specific Promoter Activity and Binding to Transcription Factors

Gamma-synuclein, also referred to as breast-cancer-specific gene 1, is the third member of the neuronal protein family synuclein. Synucleins attracted the attention of many investigators because of their role in human diseases. Gamma-synuclein participates in the pathogenesis of several types of cancer and some neurodegenerative diseases. Its role in tumorigenesis is due to the upregulation of transcription and the effect on downstream targets, including signaling pathways and transcription factors. Gamma-synuclein is also expressed in neurons and glial cells, but the regulation of its expression, as well as the mechanism of transition from normal functions to pathology in these cell types, is not studied. Here, we examined how gamma-synuclein promoter is regulated in neuronal and glial cells. We also show that gamma-synuclein is able to bind directly to several transcription factors. These results are discussed in connection with the implication of gamma-synuclein in diseases.
Projecting county pulpwood production with historical production and macro-economic variables☆

We explored forecasting of county roundwood pulpwood production with county-vector autoregressive (CVAR) and spatial panel vector autoregressive (SPVAR) methods. The analysis used timber products output data for the state of Florida, together with a set of macro-economic variables. Overall, we found the SPVAR specification produced forecasts with lower error rates compared to CVAR specifications. Nonetheless, high forecast errors across counties revealed the uncertainty associated with projecting volumes of county pulpwood production.
Relationship of insulin secretory pulses to sex hormone-binding globulin in normal men.

Insulin has emerged as a regulator of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) production in vitro and in vivo. A role for insulin in regulating SHBG exists in insulin resistant states such as obesity and polycystic ovary syndrome. The relationship of in vivo insulin secretion rates to SHBG levels in healthy normal men is less well documented. Hepatic synthesis of SHBG may be influenced by quantitative insulin exposure as well as qualitative characteristics such as frequency and amplitude of insulin secretory pulses. The present study was undertaken to assess these relationships in 10 normal men. Adiposity was determined by the body mass index and fat distribution by the waist hip ratio. Peripheral insulin sensitivity was determined by the euglycemic clamp technique at an insulin infusion rate of 287 pmol/min.m2. SHBG levels were determined in the fasting state by RIA. Arterialized venous samples for C-peptide were obtained every 2 min for 90 min in the basal state. Individual C-peptide kinetics were derived after a bolus injection of biosynthetic human C-peptide and a previously validated two compartmental model. Insulin secretion rates at each time point were calculated using the plasma C-peptide values and the C-peptide kinetics. Insulin secretion rates were unrelated to SHBG concentrations (r = -0.29, P > 0.05). The insulin secretory pulse interval had a significant positive association with SHBG levels (r = 0.86, P < 0.05). Insulin secretory pulse amplitude, body mass index, waist hip ratio, and peripheral insulin sensitivity were not associated with SHBG concentrations in a regression analysis. We postulate that insulin secretory pulse frequency may be an important determinant of SHBG synthesis in normal man.
Non-uniform Ca2+ buffer distribution in a nerve cell body.

In nerve cells, Ca2+ influx through voltage-dependent channels in the membrane causes a transient rise in the intracellular, free Ca2+ concentration1–3. Such changes have been shown to be important for the release of transmitter at the axon terminal3,4 and for the control of the movement of ions through channels in the soma membrane5,6. The transient behaviour of the rise in Ca2+ concentration can, in part, be explained by the presence of sequestering systems in the cell which tend to limit the magnitude and duration of changes in internal Ca2+ (refs 7–10). It is possible that systems involved in buffering changes in internal Ca2+ are not distributed uniformly throughout the cell. This is particularly likely in the cell body, where a significant portion of the cytoplasm is occupied by the nucleus, whose buffering capacity may differ from that of other cellular regions. We report here that in the soma of a molluscan pacemaker neurone, the machinery responsible for short-term buffering of Ca2+ ions is localized near the inner surface of the plasma membrane.
Epr Spectroscopic Studies of Detection of a Carbon-Centered Free Radical During Acetylcholine-Induced and Endothelium-Dependent Relaxation of Guinea Pig Pulmonary Artery

Vascular smooth muscle relaxation by several vasodilators, including acetylcholine (Ach) and ATP, depends on the presence of intact endothelium. Ach is thought to activate muscarinic receptors on endothelium to release an endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) which brings about relaxation of smooth muscle. In order to assess the role of free radicals in the endothelium-dependent relaxation of blood vessel, we have studied the effect of a spin-trapping agent, phenyl t-butyl nitrone (PBN). on Ach-, ATP-, and sodium nitroprusside-induced relaxation of guinea pig pulmonary artery. Arterial strips were mounted in a 5-ml organ bath containing Krebs solution equilibrated with 95% O2 and 5% CO2 at 37°C. After increasing vascular tone by a synthetic prostaglandin endoperoxide analog (50 ng/ml), the strips relaxed dose-dependently in response to Ach (5 × 10−8M), ATP (1.5 × 10−6M) or sodium nitroprusside (6 × 10−9 M). Removal of the endothelium abolished the relaxation by Ach or ATP, but did not affect the rela...