cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
EVOLUTION OF THE HELIORNITHIDAE: RECIPROCAL ILLUMINATION BY MORPHOLOGY, BIOGEOGRAPHY AND DNA HYBRIDIZATION (AVES: GRUIFORMES)

Abstract Abstract —Finfoots (Heliornithidae) were chosen to test the possibility that there has been a dramatic reversal in a suite of morphological characters, intimated by an earlier phylogenetic reconstruction of Gruiformes based on DNA hybridization. There are three nodes where unstudied finfoots could stem from the existing reconstruction. The resulting alternate trees have largely exclusive implications for morphological character suite polarity, biogeography and fossil identifications. A new DNA hybridization study that includes all relevant taxa was intended to form the basis for independent evaluation of the trees, but it produced results that conflict with the earlier DNA study. So, instead, DNA trees were evaluated by their reproducibility and consensus with most-parsimonious trees, biogeography, paleontology and traditional classifications, I concur with traditional classifications that finfoots are monophyletic, and that Limpkin (Gruiformes: Aramidae) is the sister of cranes (Gruiformes: Gruidae). Limpkin is not supported as the sister of the Sungrebe ( Heliornis fulica ) or as a member of the Heliornithidae, as reported in the earlier DNA study. It is alarming that the gross lack of consensus with traditional characters and concomitant implications for character suite polarity in this case went unquestioned.
A brief history of GLOBE

This paper discusses the issues relating to the origin, development, and management of the Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness research program (GLOBE) project. GLOBE is a cross‐cultural research program involving 160 scholars in research teams in 60 nations. The discussion includes designing the research program; recruiting participating scholars; obtaining commitment to the program objectives; replacing country teams which fail to meet their objectives; establishing electronic and Web links; designing the documentation for data collection and coding; establishing rights to data sharing and authorship; and dividing responsibility for data analysis and writing. Special attention is given to lessons learned from managing the project.
A resource reconciliation mechanism for a manufacturing federation coordinated using an MRP/ERP system

This paper presents a top-down mechanism for coordinating distributed discrete event simulation (DDES) models using an MRP/ERP system as the federation coordinator. The same MRP/ERP system, which is typically used as a coordination tool for interactions between complex highly variable manufacturing systems, serves to coordinate and synchronize complex highly variable simulation models of these same systems. This research focuses on enabling each system entity modeled by DDES models to constantly correct its performance with respect to reference trajectories which consist of planned orders and the size of a time bucket generated by an MRP/ERP system, and trigger a global coordinator which consists of the MRP/ERP system and adapter if necessitated by any discrepancies observed by the entity through simulation models. A global coordinator can synchronize timing of DDES models and provide adaptive time buckets using the cost-based mathematical model and corrected plans using the updated time bucket.
An Evaluation of the Dna Array for Use in Toxicological Studies

Important issues facing toxicologists when assessing the risks of chemical exposure include incomplete understanding of the mechanisms of toxicity and the need to predict the outcome of exposure to new compounds. New technologies capable of providing vast amounts of information hold promise for both mechanistic understanding and outcome prediction. High-density nucleic acid arrays, or DNA arrays, are one such technology. Before being used as a predictive or mechanistic tool, it is critical that DNA array technology be evaluated in a toxicological setting.In the present study, a series of experiments was conducted to determine the reliability of the DNA array. An acceptable degree of reproducibility was observed in replicate and interanimal comparisons. These data provide criteria to define significance for gene expression ratios generated in control and experimental conditions. Subsequently, ex vivo experiments were conducted to evaluate the utility of the DNA array in predicting toxicological endpoints. ...
RESEARCH ARTICLE: Soil Contaminant Attenuation Characterization in an Army Impact Area

Chemical contaminants—such as explosives from unexploded ordnance and impact—found within cratered areas on military firing ranges are subject to environmental fate and transport processes. Depending on the solubility and charge of the pollutant, soils with higher fractions of organic carbon and/or higher cation exchange capacities may inhibit movement of contaminants and provide time for contaminant transformation and degradation to take place before resources such as groundwater are impacted. Cation exchange capacity should allow the use of the retardation factor approach in determining the relative risk for organic contaminant releases to soils. A soil property investigation, involving the collection of soil samples from an active impact area and subsequent mathematical modeling and statistical analysis of soil laboratory results, was used to determine the soil properties that best predict soil cation exchange capacity and describe crater disturbance, in terms of the resulting loss of organic matter. O...
COMPUTER MODELS FOR DAMAGE ASSESSMENT: ESTIMATES OF USE AND RESULTS1

ABSTRACT Through the process of natural resource damage assessment (NRDA), certain public agencies have the authority to recover monetary damages from parties responsible for injury to natural resources from a discharge of oil or a release of a hazardous substance. Computer simulation models have been developed as simplified procedures for these natural resource trustees to use in calculating damages without undertaking extensive field studies. The revised Natural Resource Damage Assessment Model for Coastal and Marine Environments (NRDAM/CME) and the Natural Resource Damage Assessment Model for the Great Lakes Environments (NRDAM/GLE) are being developed to serve an expanding user community of public natural resource trustees. These tools may enable natural resource managers to expedite settlements and execute environmental restoration. To estimate the potential use of the NRDA models for oil spills, the authors have developed a set of candidate spill occurrences based on the historical record. Represent...
EFFECT OF HYPERBARIC OXYGEN THERAPY ON TESTICULAR ISCHEMIA-REPERFUSION INJURY

AbstractPurpose: Testicular torsion is a urologic emergency representing a form of ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury that requires prompt care to achieve tissue salvage and a reduction in post-torsion morbidity. Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) has shown benefits in previous musculoskeletal models of IR. We evaluated the efficacy of HBO treatment in a rat testicular torsion model.Materials and Methods: Four groups of male Wistar rats were included in this study: 1) Sham (n = 16), spermatic cord exposed but not occluded; 2) Control (n = 16), 4 hours of bilateral spermatic cord occlusion; 3) HBO during ischemia (n = 18), 4 hours of occlusion and administration of HBO during the last 90 minutes of ischemia; and 4) HBO on reperfusion (n = 8), HBO administered immediately upon reperfusion of the testes. The animals were sacrificed at two weeks and architecture and germinal epithelial cell thickness were determined by histological examination on each testicle. Average thickness (in cell layers) of each group was compared...
Association of Pre- and Postoperative Plasma Levels of Transforming Growth Factor β1 and Interleukin 6 and Its Soluble Receptor with Prostate Cancer Progression

Purpose: We have shown that preoperative plasma levels of transforming growth factor-β 1 (TGF-β 1 ), interleukin 6 (IL)-6, and its receptor (IL-6sR) are associated with prostate cancer progression and metastasis. The objectives of this study were to confirm these findings and to examine the association of changes in plasma levels of these markers after surgery with disease progression in a large consecutive cohort of patients. Experimental Design: Plasma levels of TGF-β 1 , IL-6, and IL-6sR were measured pre- and postoperatively (6–8 weeks after surgery) in 302 consecutive patients who underwent radical prostatectomy for clinically localized disease. Results: Pre- and postoperative levels of TGF-β 1 were significantly elevated in patients with extraprostatic extension, seminal vesicle involvement, and metastases to lymph nodes. In contrast, preoperative levels of IL-6 and IL-6sR, but not postoperative levels, were significantly associated with tumor volume, prostatectomy Gleason sum, and metastases to lymph nodes. In a postoperative model that included pre- and postoperative TGF-β 1 , IL-6, and IL-6sR and standard postoperative parameters, postoperative TGF-β 1 and prostatectomy Gleason sum were significant predictors of overall and aggressive disease progression. Although, for all patients, plasma levels of all three markers declined significantly after prostate removal, for patients that experienced disease progression, only IL-6 and IL-6sR levels decreased significantly. Conclusions: For patients undergoing radical prostatectomy, preoperative plasma levels of TGF-β 1 and IL-6sR are associated with metastases to regional lymph nodes, presumed occult metastases at the time of primary treatment, and disease progression. After prostate removal, postoperative TGF-β 1 level increases in value over preoperative levels for the prediction of disease progression.
A Sound Foundation: The FASB Got Its Conceptual Framework Right, The IASB Didn't

In the wake of recent economic crises and the expanding pace of global business, the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) are under pressure to improve and converge accounting standards. They expect a conceptual framework (CF) will advance the development of worldwide accounting standards and comparable financial reporting. The IASB-FASB joint CF project has as a goal the creation of a sound foundation for accounting standards. But, how will they know the goal is satisfied? This study offers CF authors and users a verifiable, rigorous decision process to assess whether the objective is accomplished.
A wiki instance in the enterprise: opportunities, concerns and reality

We describe the design and deployment of a wiki-based application that supports yearly planning work by members of a globally distributed, 900-member research organization. The goal of the ResearchWiki is to enable greater transparency in the work of the organization and to provide a basis for broader collaboration among researchers. We motivate the design based on results from 40 interviews and discuss two cycles of usage of the ResearchWiki based on analyses of logs and an additional 20 interviews. We conclude with a discussion of the interplay of technology, work practice and organizational change and with design recommendations.
The Diet Factor in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

This article is intended to provide a comprehensive overview of the role of dietary methods for treatment of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) when pharmacotherapy has proven unsatisfactory or unacceptable. Results of recent research and controlled studies, based on a PubMed search, are emphasized and compared with earlier reports. The recent increase of interest in this form of therapy for ADHD, and especially in the use of omega supplements, significance of iron deficiency, and the avoidance of the "Western pattern" diet, make the discussion timely. Diets to reduce symptoms associated with ADHD include sugar-restricted, additive/preservative-free, oligoantigenic/elimination, and fatty acid supplements. Omega-3 supplement is the latest dietary treatment with positive reports of efficacy, and interest in the additive-free diet of the 1970s is occasionally revived. A provocative report draws attention to the ADHD-associated "Western-style" diet, high in fat and refined sugars, and the ADHD-free "healthy" diet, containing fiber, folate, and omega-3 fatty acids. The literature on diets and ADHD, listed by PubMed, is reviewed with emphasis on recent controlled studies. Recommendations for the use of diets are based on current opinion of published reports and our practice experience. Indications for dietary therapy include medication failure, parental or patient preference, iron deficiency, and, when appropriate, change from an ADHD-linked Western diet to an ADHD-free healthy diet. Foods associated with ADHD to be avoided and those not linked with ADHD and preferred are listed. In practice, additive-free and oligoantigenic/elimination diets are time-consuming and disruptive to the household; they are indicated only in selected patients. Iron and zinc are supplemented in patients with known deficiencies; they may also enhance the effectiveness of stimulant therapy. In patients failing to respond or with parents opposed to medication, omega-3 supplements may warrant a trial. A greater attention to the education of parents and children in a healthy dietary pattern, omitting items shown to predispose to ADHD, is perhaps the most promising and practical complementary or alternative treatment of ADHD.
Cognitive inflexibility and suicidal ideation: mediating role of brooding and hopelessness.

Previous research suggests that cognitive inflexibility prospectively increases vulnerability to suicidal ideation, but the specific cognitive factors that may explain the relation have not been examined empirically. The present study examined the brooding subtype of rumination and hopelessness as potential mediators of the prospective relation between cognitive inflexibility and suicidal ideation. Fifty-six young adults who completed a measure of cognitive inflexibility and suicidal ideation at baseline were followed up 2–3 years later and completed measures of brooding, hopelessness, and suicidal ideation. Cognitive inflexibility at baseline predicted suicidal ideation at follow up, adjusting for baseline ideation. This relation was mediated by brooding but not by hopelessness. However, there was an indirect relation between perseverative errors and suicidal ideation through brooding, followed by hopelessness, such that brooding was associated with greater hopelessness and hopelessness, in turn, was associated with greater suicidal ideation. Cognitive inflexibility may increase vulnerability to suicidal thinking because it is associated with greater brooding rumination, while brooding, in turn, is associated with hopelessness.
A Reduced-PAR Opportunistic STBC Scheme for Frequency-Selective Channels in the Presence of Frequency Offset

Opportunistic space-time block codes (STBC) have been investigated for flat-fading channels in the literature. In this paper, we present a novel scheme for integrating them with orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) for frequency-selective channels with an unequal error protection capability making it attractive for multimedia and multicasting applications. In addition, our new scheme optimizes the tradeoff between coding gain and peak-to-average ratio (PAR) while minimizing inter-carrier interference in the presence of carrier frequency offset. We show that our scheme achieves a 2 dB reduction in PAR over the conventional scheme.
Simulation and performance evaluation of a parallel architecture for signal processing

The authors have developed a conceptual design for a multiprocessor system to implement multidimensional digital signal processing applications. Their approach is to develop an application specific computing system instead of a specific hardware solution. The application specific computing system can be used as a research tool for exploring new approaches to problems. In addition, it can be used to achieve high performance at reasonable costs since it can use commercially available processors. They present a performance evaluation of our system using the 2-D FIR filter as an example. They explain their approach to implementing the 2-D FIR filter by first reviewing their previous implementation of the 2-D IIR filter. >
A framework for accounting for process model uncertainty in statistical static timing analysis

In recent years, a large body of statistical static timing analysis and statistical circuit optimization techniques have emerged, providing important avenues to account for the increasing process variations in design. The realization of these statistical methods often demands the availability of statistical process variation models whose accuracy, however, is severely hampered by limitations in test structure design, test time and various sources of inaccuracy inevitably incurred in process characterization. Consequently, it is desired that statistical circuit analysis and optimization can be conducted based upon imprecise statistical variation models. In this paper, we present an efficient importance sampling based optimization framework that can translate the uncertainty in the process models to the uncertainty in parametric yield, thus offering the very much desired statistical best/worst-case circuit analysis capability accounting for unavoidable complexity in process characterization. Unlike the previously proposed statistical learning and probabilistic interval based techniques, our new technique efficiently computes tight bounds of the parametric circuit yields based upon bounds of statistical process model parameters while fully capturing correlation between various process variations. Furthermore, our new technique provides valuable guidance to process characterization. Examples are included to demonstrate the application of our general analysis framework under the context of statistical static timing analysis.
Intracellular K+ sensing of SKOR, a Shaker‐type K+ channel from Arabidopsis

Most K+ channels in plants are structurally classified into the Shaker family named after the shaker K+ channel in Drosophila. Plant K+ channels function in many physiological processes including osmotic regulation and K+ nutrition. An outwardly rectifying K+ channel, SKOR, mediates the delivery of K+ from stelar cells to the xylem in the roots, a critical step in the long-distance distribution of K+ from roots to the upper parts of the plant. Here we report that SKOR channel activity is strictly dependent on intracellular K+ concentrations. Activation by K+ did not affect the kinetics of voltage dependence in SKOR, indicating that a voltage-independent gating mechanism underlies the K+ sensing process. Further analysis showed that the C-terminal non-transmembrane region of the SKOR protein was required for this sensing process. The intracellular K+ sensing mechanism couples SKOR activity to K+ nutrition status in the 'source cells', thereby establishing a supply-based unloading system for the regulation of K+ distribution.
Desert-scrub as the cause of reduced reflectances in protected versus impacted sandy arid areas

High contrast, commonly in the 1-3— 1-5 range, was observed from satellite multi-spectral radiometers between overgrazed sandy terrain and adjacent protected (fenced-off) areas. Approximately the s...
Progressive systemic sclerosis of the gastrointestinal tract and hereditary hollow visceral myopathy: Two distinguishable disorders of intestinal smooth muscle

Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine whether progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS) of the gastrointestinal tract and hereditary hollow visceral myopathy are two distinguishable disorders of intestinal smooth muscle. We coded and blindly reviewed 50 specimens of tissue from the small intestine of 15 normal controls, 4 patients with visceral myopathy, 5 patients with PSS and intestinal pseudoobstruction, and 5 patients with PSS but no pseudoobstruction. We determined that there is a fundamental difference between the pathology of these two disorders. In visceral myopathy, the smooth muscle is characterized by vacuolar degeneration and fibrosis. In PSS, smooth muscle fibrosis is present but vacuolar degeneration is absent. Although smooth muscle cells are decreased in number in both disorders, those that are present in PSS are morphologically normal by light microscopy, whereas most of those present in visceral myopathy are degenerated. Visceral myopathy and gastrointestinal PSS are two distinct disorders of smooth muscle which are easily distinguished by conventional light microscopy. Their dissimilar appearances and the familial nature of visceral myopathy suggest that they result from quite different causes.
Single-shot photometric stereo by spectral multiplexing

Spectral multiplexing allows multiple channels of information to be captured simultaneously, using readily available color cameras. Information may be multiplexed across the color channels of a camera by use of colored lights (e.g. [Woodham 1980; Hernandez and Vogiatzis 2010]) or colored filters (e.g. [Bando et al. 2008]). We propose a novel method for single-shot photometric stereo by spectral multiplexing. The output of our method is a simultaneous per-pixel estimate of the surface normal and full-color reflectance. Our method is well suited to materials with varying color and texture, requires no time-varying illumination, and no high-speed cameras. Being a single-shot method, it may be applied to dynamic scenes without any need for optical flow. Our key contributions are a generalization of three-color photometric stereo to multiple (more than three) color channels, and the design of a practical six-color-channel system using off-the-shelf parts only.
Abstract 544: Nrp-1+Foxp3-CD4 T Cells Are a Novel Subset of T Lymphocytes that Are Induced in Aorta During Development of Atherosclerosis

Neuropilin 1 (Nrp-1) is a type I transmembrane protein that plays an important role in axonal guidance and neuronal development as well as vascular sprouting and angiogenesis through the interaction with Semaphorin-3A and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), respectively. Recently, Nrp-1 was found on a subset of thymus-derived regulatory T cells (Treg) that migrated into VEGF producing tumors. Moreover, Nrp-1+ CD4 T cells were protective in a murine experimental model of autoimmune encephalomyelitis, suggesting that these cells may have a participating role in other inflammatory diseases. Since atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease where T cells, macrophages, and other immune cells orchestrate disease progression, we hypothesized that Nrp-1+ CD4 T cells are induced in the aorta during atherosclerosis development and play a role during disease progression. We fed ApoE-/- mice a western diet for 15 weeks and found a 2-fold increase in Nrp-1+Foxp3- CD4 T cells in the spleens, peri-aortic lymph nodes and aortas of western diet fed mice compared to chow-fed mice. In addition, these Nrp-1+Foxp3- CD4 T cells expressed higher levels of the memory marker CD44 and produced more IFNγ when compared to Nrp-1- CD4 T cells, suggesting that these cells are more activated. Treatment of CD4 T cells with oxidized LDL (OxLDL), but not minimally modified LDL (mmLDL), oxidized cholesterol ester (OxCE) or oxidized phospholipids (POVPC), caused upregulation of Nrp-1 on CD4 T cells. Using a transwell migration assay, we found that Nrp1+ CD4 T cells had a 2-fold higher migration index towards VEGF165, a splice variant of VEGF, than did Nrp1- CD4 T cells; thus this migration was dependent on Nrp-1 expression. Similarly, CD4 T cells from ApoE-/- mice fed a western diet, which expressed more Nrp-1, had a higher migration index towards VEGF165 compared to cells from chow controls. In conclusion, we have identified a novel subset of Nrp-1+CD4+ T lymphocytes that is increased during atherosclerosis development, and is induced by OxLDL. Our data suggest that Nrp-1 may play a role in the migration of CD4 T cells to the aorta during atherosclerosis development.
Na Deposition on MnO(100)

Abstract Na deposition on the MnO(100) surface was investigated by temperature programmed desorption (TPD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and low energy electron diffraction (LEED). Na TPD and XPS results indicate that adsorbed Na interacts strongly with the MnO substrate to form an irreversibly-adsorbed, oxidic Na compound on the surface for coverages up to 1 monolayer (ML). This strongly-bound Na diffuses into the MnO subsurface and bulk at elevated temperatures above 500 K. For Na coverages above 1 ML, metallic Na is present and desorbs from the surface below 500 K. The deposition of Na on MnO(100) follows a Stranski–Krastanov (SK) growth mode, with the formation of metallic Na islands following completion of the first Na monolayer. After Na deposition, the surface exhibits a diffuse (1 × 1) LEED pattern, suggesting the formation of disordered Na overlayers. After heating to 1000 K, the surface presents a (2 × 2) LEED pattern indicating that a surface reconstruction is induced by the diffusion of Na into the near surface region. CO2 can be used as a probe molecule in TPD to distinguish between metallic Na islands and oxidic Na in the first ML, and to indicate when Na that is still observable by XPS goes subsurface.
Human intention inference and motion modeling using approximate E-M with online learning

In this paper, we present an algorithm to infer the intent of a human operator's arm movements based on the observations from a Microsoft Kinect sensor. Intentions are modeled as goal locations in 3-dimensional (3D) space where the human is intending to reach. Human intention inference is a critical step towards realizing safe human-robot collaboration. This work models the human arm's nonlinear motion dynamics using an unknown nonlinear function with intentions modeled as parameters. The unknown model is learned using a neural network (NN). Based on the learned model, an approximate expectation-maximization (E-M) algorithm is developed to infer human intentions. Furthermore, an identifier-based online model learning algorithm is developed to adapt to variations in the arm motion dynamics, trajectory of motion, goal locations, and initial conditions of different human subjects. We show the results of our algorithm using two sets of experiments conducted on data obtained from different users.
The Uncertainty Resolution of FOMC Meeting Days

We examine the link between scheduled FOMC meetings and the VIX uncertainty measure. Our results indicate that regardless of the pre-scheduled status of such meetings, the VIX significantly declines on meeting dates, which we attribute to the resolution of uncertainty regarding future interest rates provided by the meetings. Additionally, we examine returns to options positions on VIX. We find that even though a decline in the VIX level commonly occurs on FOMC meeting dates, significant returns may be garnered from taking short VIX positions in the derivative markets, even after accounting for the bid-ask spread.
Stimulated Emission Enhancement Using Shaped Pulses

Controlling stimulated emission is of importance because it competes with absorption and fluorescence under intense laser excitation. We performed resonant nonlinear optical spectroscopy measurements using femtosecond pulses shaped by π- or π/2-step phase functions and carried out calculations based on density matrix representation to elucidate the experimental results. In addition, we compared enhancements obtained when using other pulse shaping functions (chirp, third-order dispersion, and a time-delayed probe). The light transmitted through the high optical density solution was dominated by an intense stimulated emission feature that was 14 times greater for shaped pulses than for transform limited pulses. Coherent enhancement depending on the frequency, temporal, and phase characteristics of the shaped pulse is responsible for the experimental observations.
Abstract PR-05: Effects of presurgical administration of tea polyphenols in women with operable breast cancer

Background: Various epidemiologic studies have demonstrated an inverse association between green tea consumption and breast cancer risk. The primary polyphenol of green tea, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), is a potent antioxidant that acts on multiple stages of carcinogenesis, including proliferation and angiogenesis. The hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)/c-Met pathway is deregulated in breast cancer, with high levels of serum HGF and its tissue receptor c-Met being associated with a poorer prognosis in the clinical setting. Polyphenols have been shown to modulate these pathways in human breast cancer cell lines and mouse xenograft models, however, studies in humans are notably lacking. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of short-term presurgical administration of an oral green tea extract, Polyphenon E (Poly E), on serum and tissue-based biomarkers in patients with operable breast cancer. Methods: This is a phase II single-arm open-label trial of oral Poly E 800 mg daily for 2-4 weeks in women with histologically confirmed breast cancer on core biopsy who were scheduled for surgical resection. Poly E is a purified tea fraction containing 800 mg of EGCG and lesser amounts of other green tea catechins. Safety was assessed by monitoring clinical and laboratory parameters at baseline and the end of treatment. Serum was collected at baseline and the day prior to surgery and analyzed for HGF and VEGF levels by ELISA. All pretreatment and posttreatment samples were run in the same batch and analyzed in a blinded fashion. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor tissue from the diagnostic core biopsy (pretreatment) and surgical specimen (posttreatment) were analyzed for expression of the Ki-67 proliferation index by immunohistochemistry. Pre- and posttreatment values for each biomarker were compared using paired t-test or nonparametric analog. All statistical analyses were two-sided and performed using SAS version 9.1. Results: From February 2008 to September 2009, 25 women were enrolled of which 21 are evaluable. Median age: 49 (33-71); White/Hispanic/Black: 7/13/1; Stage 0/I/II/III: 3/11/4/2; Tumor hormone receptor +/−: 18/3. The study drug was well tolerated with no grade 2 or higher toxicities. Poly E administration was associated with a trend toward decreasing serum HGF levels (mean absolute change of −240 pg/ml, mean % change of −13.5%, p=0.077). No significant change in serum VEGF levels was observed. Tissue-based biomarker analyses are currently ongoing. Conclusions: Our results show a nonsignificant trend towards a decrease in serum HGF levels in women with newly diagnosed early stage breast cancer after short-term administration of Poly E. The treatment was well tolerated, with no significant elevation of liver or pancreatic enzymes. This presurgical study design is a useful and feasible model for testing the biologic effects of potential agents for breast cancer treatment and prevention. Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2010;3(12 Suppl):PR-05.
Bionomical Observations on Tarantula-Hawks and Their Prey (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae: Pepsis)

At Portal, Arizona, a female Pepsis f. formosa (Say) was discovered at 9 PM dragging a paralyzed male tarantula, Aphonopelma chalcodes Chamberlin, and was kept under observation for 4½ hours. In the first half-hour the wasp spent 8 min in moving the spider a total distance of more than 15 m, 2 min in antennating its prey, and 20 min in selecting a nesting site. Digging operations, begun at 9:33 PM and still unfinished at 1:25 AM, were repeatedly interrupted to antennate the spider, to move it in various directions and for various distances (up to 137 cm), and once apparently to sting it in its thoracic venter. At 7:30 AM the burrow was found completed and camouflaged by the wasp. This burrow, at a 45° angle with the surface, was 54 cm in total length, ranged from 23 to 28 mm in diameter, was enlarged into an empty cavity 45×64×45 mm about midway of its length, and terminated in a nest cell 57×32×38 mm, located 35.6 cm below the ground level. The prey apparently was dragged backward into the cell, where it lay venter down, with legs extended forward, and with a Pepsis egg glued on the side of its abdomen. It was not packed in the cell with dirt, but the burrow was plugged for most of its length. In the laboratory the egg, still attached to the spider, had not hatched at the end of 9 days. Another female of P. f. formosa was observed to spend the night in the entrance of a burrow made by another wasp, Cerceris macrosticta Viereck and Cockerell, at the bottom of an excavation made, perhaps, by a rodent. Females of Pepsis thisbe Lucas were used experimentally to flush female tarantulas from their burrows. They did this by antennating the web over the entrance, by vibrating it with their front tarsi or by actually entering the burrow—sometimes with fatal results to themselves. P. mexicana Lucas was once seen to flush a female A. chalcodes, only to walk away and leave the tarantula standing over the burrow entrance. Odors emitted by the wasps may perhaps play an important role in this hunting behavior. The ability of Pepsis to flush tarantulas at will from their burrows may account in large part for their diurnal and offseason success in collecting both male and female prey; males are more readily available in the mating season, when they are out of their burrows and searching for females in the late afternoon or at dusk. Although with most pompilids the sequence of events begins with hunting, proceeds through paralyzation and transportation of the prey, excavation, and oviposition, and ends with closure of the burrow, this sequence may vary with different species of Pepsis or with different individuals of the same species. They may prepare the burrow first, or sometimes may utilize the burrows of their prey. Occasionally one may hunt and paralyze a tarantula, only to abandon it entirely, though a nest cell may be excavated for it and then closed without an occupant.
Correlation of plasma catecholamines, renal function, and the effects of dibenzyline on cardiac patients undergoing corrective surgery.

Summary 1. Glomerular filtration rates and effective renal plasma flows were determined pre- and postoperatively in 31 patients undergoing heart surgery and correlated with plasma norepinephrine and epinephrine levels during corrective surgery. 2. It appears that an increased level of catecholamines is responsible in part for the efferent arteriolar constriction seen in patients with chronic heart disease. 3. Dibenzyline appeared to be effective in preventing postoperative renal ischemia by inhibiting norepinephrine and epinephrine action upon the renal vasculature. 4. In the postoperative period in 27 patients receiving Dibenzyline, a dramatic reduction in glomerular filtration rate was noted, while the effective renal plasma flow was not significantly changed, even though plasma catecholamine concentrations were noted to increase significantly. Possible mechanisms for these phenomena are discussed.
Designing Federalism: Political Parties in a Federal State

Political parties created democracy and … modern democracy is unthinkable save in terms of parties. Schattschneider 1942: 1 Here is a factor in the organization of federal government which is of primary importance but which cannot be ensured or provided for in a constitution – a good party system. Wheare 1953: 86 Whatever the general social conditions, if any, that sustain the federal bargain, there is one institutional condition that controls the nature of the bargain in all instances … with which I am familiar. This is the structure of the party system, which may be regarded as the main variable intervening between the background social conditions and the specific nature of the federal bargain. Riker 1964: 136 In a country which was always to be in need of the cohesive force of institutions, the national parties, for all their faults, were to become at an early hour primary and necessary parts of the machinery of government, essential vehicles to convey men's loyalties to the state. Hofstadter 1969: 70–1 An Extreme Hypothesis Hofstadter's argument is drawn from his assessment of the United States, but like the views of Schattschneider, Wheare, and Riker, that argument can apply to any stable democratic state. If the primary objective of political elites in a democracy is to win and maintain office and if political parties are the primary organizational vehicle for achieving that end, then parties and their relation to the state must play a pivotal role in any understanding not only of democracy generally but of the intergovernmental relations of federations in particular: “[P]olitical parties are the main means not only whereby provincial greivances are aired but also whereby centralist and decentralist trends are legitimized” (McKay 2001: 16).
Molecular Biology and Gene Regulation of Vasopressin

Publisher Summary Molecular cloning has confirmed that vasopressin receptor subtypes are members of the G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) superfamily, consisting of seven hydrophobic transmembrane alpha-helices joined by alternating intracellular and extracellular loops, an extracellular N-terminal domain, and a cytoplasmic C-terminal domain. The vasopressin receptor subtypes, including the oxytocin receptor, display a high degree of sequence identity, showing about 102 invariant amino acids among the 370–420 amino acids in the human receptors. As anticipated, these receptor subtypes exhibit structural features that are characteristics of most of the GPCRs such as the presence of a disulfide bridge between two highly conserved cysteine residues in the second and third extracellular domains, glycosylation on asparagine residues present in the extracellular domains, and two relatively well-conserved cysteine residues within the C-terminal domain, which have been shown to be palmitoylated in other GPCRs. The disulfide bond appears to be required for the correct folding of vasopressin receptors. Upon binding with arginine vasopressin, they activate G-proteins and initiate a cascade of intracellular signaling events. The ligand-binding site on the receptor is proposed to be in a pocket-like structure formed by the arrangement of the seven transmembrane domains.
A unique factor XIII inhibitor to a fibrin-binding site on factor XIIIA.

An 81-year-old woman, who presented with sudden episodes of spontaneous bleeding, was found to have a specific inhibitor of factor XIII. Her fibrin clots had approximately 70% gamma-gamma and no alpha polymer formation, under conditions where normal fibrin was fully cross-linked; the patient9s clots were soluble in urea or monochloroacetic acid. Factor XIII activity in her plasma was 24%, measured by the dansylcadaverine incorporation assay. When mixed with normal plasma, the patient9s plasma inhibited fibrin cross-linking; however, in mixtures of patient and normal plasma, there was no inhibition of factor XIII activity when assayed by the incorporation of dansylcadaverine into casein. Thus, this inhibitor was active against fibrin cross-linking but not against ligation of small molecules to casein. Consequently, gel electrophoresis of reduced, sodium dodecyl sulfate-solubilized fibrin clots was a simple, quantitative method that was used to measure inhibitor activity. This inhibitor is unique and has been designated inhibitor New Haven. It was neutralized by anti-IgG and anti-kappa. It did not inhibit the activation of factor XIII but did inhibit fibrin cross-linking. There was complex formation between the inhibitor and activated factor XIII (A′, A*) but not between A2 or fibrinogen. Only A′, A* and the 56-Kd fragment bound to affinity columns made with this IgG. The inhibitor significantly decreased the binding of A′, A* to fibrin clots. These data indicate that the epitope for this inhibitor is in a fibrin binding site. It is hidden in the zymogen and expressed on A′ and A*, indicating that the conformational change occurring with the cleavage of the activation peptide is sufficient to expose the fibrin binding site.
A review of adsorbate and temperature-induced zeolite framework flexibility

Abstract It has been known for over 50 years that zeolite frameworks are flexible, yet, until recently, this characteristic has not been exploited. Framework flexibility can have significant implications on the processes that utilize zeolite materials for catalysis, sorption, or, most importantly, separations. The flexibility can result from adsorption and/or temperature changes and leads to either expansion or contraction of the unit cell. These unit cell changes have particularly significant effects on zeolite membranes, enabling defects to be closed off through framework expansion and ultimately leading to membranes with much higher selectivities than as-synthesized membranes. This review provides a general background for zeolite framework flexibility and summarizes the present literature data for adsorbate and thermally-induced flexibility.
Coresident and Noncoresident Emerging Adults' Daily Experiences With Parents.

Coresidence between emerging adults and parents is now common in the United States, but we know little about how coresidence influences daily experiences in these ties. Coresident (n = 62) and noncoresident (n = 97) emerging adults (aged 18–30) reported daily experiences with parents and mood for 7 days. During the study week, compared to offspring who lived apart from parents, coresident offspring were more likely to experience positive encounters, receive more support, wish parents would change, feel irritated, and report that their parents got on their nerves. Coresident offspring did not differ from noncoresident offspring with regard to stressful thoughts. Stressful thoughts about parents were associated with more negative daily mood; this effect did not differ for coresident and noncoresident offspring. Findings are discussed with regard to intergenerational ambivalence. In sum, coresident emerging adults were more involved with parents but not more affected by daily experiences with parents.
Spectral Response and Effective Viscoelastic Properties of Mwnt-Reinforced Polycarbonate:

The impact of embedded carbon nanotubes on the effective viscoelastic response of a nanotube-reinforced polycarbonate system is characterized by studying the temperature- and frequency-dependent be...
Caring for the Child Welfare Client: Am I Good Enough?

ABSTRACTGiven the demographics of youth served by the child welfare system, culturally responsive approaches are critical to effective social work practice and desperately needed. Like many adolescents who grow up in the child welfare system, Paul, a White adolescent male in foster care, was beset by a lack of adequate environmental resources and multiple stressors and had little hope or motivation to work on improving his situation. This article highlights the author's “use of self” as an African American male therapist who worked with Paul, using a Winnicottian and caring framework. Because child welfare workers are often overburdened by the demands of work, including large caseloads and clients with few to no resources, they find it difficult to consistently provide empathic and caring behaviors for their clients. The author highlights his therapeutic work and struggles with Paul and offers cultural insights and Winnicottian strategies when working with adolescents in the child welfare system who are u...
Singular Bifurcation in Reaction — Diffusion Systems

Bifurcation Theory is a study of the branching of solutions of equations as a parameter λ, called the bifurcation parameter, is varied. The branching, or bifurcation points, are singular points of the solutions. In Bifurcation Theory solutions are analyzed near bifurcation points.
Microwave Imaging From Sparse Measurements for Near-Field Synthetic Aperture Radar

This paper reports the experimental studies for four image reconstruction methods from sparse measurement using wideband microwave synthetic aperture radar systems. The four methods include two denoising methods using zero filling (ZF) and nonuniform fast Fourier transform (NUFFT), and two compressed sensing (CS) methods using the orthogonal matching pursuit and the conjugate gradient algorithms. The specimens under test (SUTs) consist of a tray of small rocks with different densities with/without one piece wrapped in an aluminum foil. The raw measurements of the SUTs are randomly undersampled in the spatial domain, and the images are reconstructed from the measurements of 10%–60% sparse-sampling rates. The results show that the CS method achieves good image quality with as low as 30% sparse-sampling rate, while ZF and NUFFT require 50% to obtain acceptable quality. An enhanced Otsu’s method is also proposed to detect the foiled rock from sparse reconstructions, which improves detection performance for the sparse-sampling rate of 5%–15%. The reduction of spatial measurement leads to reduced cost or reduced measurement time.
Systemic therapy of atopic dermatitis: Welcome to the revolution

Until recently, systemic therapy of atopic dermatitis was limited to off-label use of immunomodulators, which can pose significant safety concerns, and treatment with systemic corticosteroids, not recommended in the most recent guidelines. The introduction of dupilumab in 2017 marked a major advance in systemic therapy for atopic dermatitis. It has demonstrated long-term efficacy in adults with moderate to severe disease, and is being studied in children. Several other biologic agents and "small molecules" with varying mechanisms of action are in phase 2 or 3 development. Semin Cutan Med Surg 36(supp4):S103-S105.
Predicting the mental health of college students with psychological capital.

Background: Behavioral health treatment is grounded in the medical model with language of deficits and problems, rather than resources and strengths. With developments in the field of positive psyc...
Discussion: Mineral Resources and Prehispanic Mining

My discussion primarily addresses the second half of this book (Chaps. 7–14) that presents case studies of pre-Hispanic mining, the process of extracting a wide range of minerals from the earth, commonly metallic ores for smelting and decorative purposes. Richard Burger comments on the first half that relates more closely to quarrying, a type of mining that in archaeology commonly refers to the extraction of dimension, or architectural, stones for construction and decorative purposes and noncrystalline and microcrytalline minerals and rocks for tool making. My comments are thematically organized and written from the vantage of personal knowledge and experience garnered over 3 decades on diverse aspects of the integrated process of pre-Hispanic mining and metallurgy in the Andes, particularly on the north coast of Peru.