cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interleukin-2: Old and New Approaches to Enhance Immune-Therapeutic Efficacy

Interleukin-2 (IL-2) is a very well-known cytokine that has been studied for the past 35 years. It plays a major role in the growth and proliferation of many immune cells such NK and T cells. It is an important immunotherapy cytokine for the treatment of various diseases including cancer. Systemic delivery of IL-2 has shown clinical benefit in renal cell carcinoma and melanoma patients. However, its use has been limited by the numerous toxicities encountered with the systemic delivery. Intravenous IL-2 causes the well-known “capillary leak syndrome,” or the leakage of fluid from the circulatory system to the interstitial space resulting in hypotension (low blood pressure), edema, and dyspnea that can lead to circulatory shock and eventually cardiopulmonary collapse and multiple organ failure. Due to the toxicities associated with systemic IL-2, an aerosolized delivery approach has been developed, which enables localized delivery and a higher local immune cell activation. Since proteins are absorbed via pulmonary lymphatics, after aerosol deposition in the lung, aerosol delivery provides a means to more specifically target IL-2 to the local immune system in the lungs with less systemic effects. Its benefits have extended to diseases other than cancer. Delivery of IL-2 via aerosol or as nebulized IL-2 liposomes has been previously shown to have less toxicity and higher efficacy against sarcoma lung metastases. Dogs with cancer provided a highly relevant means to determine biodistribution of aerosolized IL-2 and IL-2 liposomes. However, efficacy of single-agent IL-2 is limited. As in general, for most immune-therapies, its effect is more beneficial in the face of minimal residual disease. To overcome this limitation, combination therapies using aerosol IL-2 with adoptive transfer of T cells or NK cells have emerged.
External Beam Radiotherapy for Palliation of Pain from Metastatic Carcinoma of the Prostate

Radiotherapy often is used for palliation of bone pain from metastatic cancer of the prostate but an objective evaluation of its efficacy in a large series of patients is unavailable. We report the results of external beam irradiation in 62 patients who had bone pain secondary to stage D carcinoma of the prostate. The variables used to judge pain before and after radiotherapy included subjective evaluation of pain, status of activity and quantitation of analgesic use. Complete relief of pain was achieved in 26 patients (42 per cent), partial relief in 22 (35 per cent) and no relief in 14 (23 per cent). On the basis of our experience external beam irradiation is useful palliative therapy for pain from metastatic cancer of the prostate.
Gene Duplication, Co-option, Structural Evolution, and Phenotypic Tango in the Courtship Pheromones of Plethodontid Salamanders

Abstract Rapid evolution is a hallmark of proteins involved in reproduction. The protein courtship pheromones in plethodontid salamanders are classic examples of such rapidly evolving reproductive proteins, with male pheromones likely coevolving with female receptors to improve reproductive success. Over the past 66 million years of plethodontid evolution, the structure and composition of the male mental gland has evolved with changes in courtship timing and behavior. More than 20 yr of biochemical and molecular studies have provided insight into how multiple gene families have been duplicated, mutated, and co-opted for pheromone roles. Sequencing and mass spectral proteomic analyses have enabled identification and characterization of multiple pheromone families, some with lineage-specific expression. In this review, we provide a phenotypic tango model to better understand male pheromone and female receptor coevolution that has driven the rapid evolution of multiple diverse pheromone families. To offer su...
Economic feasibility analysis of soybean oil production by hexane extraction

Abstract Hexane extraction is the most common method used in the industry to produce soybean oil due to its high oil recovery and lower production cost. With the demands of soybean oil increasing either in food or industrial applications, expansion plans are considered by many companies to increase production capacity. Techno-economic analysis is performed to evaluate the economic feasibility of soybean oil production by hexane extraction based on historical scenarios from 1980 to 2015. Capital investment, operating costs, revenues, and profits are main parameters to consider when estimating profits, gross margin, return on investment (ROI), and payback time and are the indices used to evaluate the profitability of the process. As the plant capacity increases in scale to over 34.64 million kg of annual soybean oil production, the break-even is met and the producing stream is able to earn profits. Additionally, sensitivity analysis is also applied to examine which factor affects profit the most. In the hexane extraction process, material costs, especially for soybean prices, have the most significant effect on profit. However, soybean meal is the main driving force for soybean oil production due to its significant amount of productivity and revenues.
Gender, Social Networks, and Stroke Preparedness in the Stroke Warning Information and Faster Treatment Study.

Background and Purpose The study aimed to investigate the effect of gender on the association between social networks and stroke preparedness as measured by emergency department (ED) arrival within 3 hours of symptom onset. Methods As part of the Stroke Warning Information and Faster Treatment study, baseline data on demographics, social networks, and time to ED arrival were collected from 1193 prospectively enrolled stroke/transient ischemic attack (TIA) patients at Columbia University Medical Center. Logistic regression was conducted with arrival to the ED ≤3 hours as the outcome, social network characteristics as explanatory variables, and gender as a potential effect modifier. Results Men who lived alone or were divorced were significantly less likely to arrive ≤3 hours than men who lived with a spouse (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: .31, 95% confidence interval [CI]: .15-0.64) or were married (aOR: .45, 95% CI: .23-0.86). Among women, those who lived alone or were divorced had similar odds of arriving ≤3 hours compared with those who lived with a spouse (aOR: 1.25, 95% CI: .63-2.49) or were married (aOR: .73, 95% CI: .4-1.35). Conclusions In patients with stroke/TIA, living with someone or being married improved time to arrival in men only. Behavioral interventions to improve stroke preparedness should incorporate gender differences in how social networks affect arrival times.
Characterizing Residue-Bilayer Interactions Using Gramicidin A as a Scaffold and Tryptophan Substitutions as Probes.

Previous experiments have shown that the lifetime of a gramicidin A dimer channel (which forms from two nonconducting monomers) in a lipid bilayer is modulated by mutations of the tryptophan (Trp) residues at the bilayer-water interface. We explore this further using extensive molecular dynamics simulations of various gA dimer and monomer mutants at the Trp positions in phosphatidylcholine bilayers with different tail lengths. gA interactions with the surrounding bilayer are strongly modulated by mutating these Trp residues. There are three principal effects: eliminating residue hydrogen bonding ability (i.e., reducing the channel-monolayer coupling strength) reduces the extent of the bilayer deformation caused by the assembled dimeric channel; a residue’s size and geometry affects its orientation, leading to different hydrogen bonding partners; and increasing a residue’s hydrophobicity increases the depth of gA monomer insertion relative to the bilayer center, thereby increasing the lipid bending frustra...
A prospective study of physical activity and fecundability in women with a history of pregnancy loss.

Study question Is physical activity (PA) associated with fecundability in women with a history of prior pregnancy loss? Summary answer Higher fecundability was related to walking among overweight/obese women and to vigorous PA in women overall. What is known already PA may influence fecundability through altered endocrine function. Studies evaluating this association have primarily utilized Internet-based recruitment and self-report for pregnancy assessment and have yielded conflicting results. Study design, size, duration This is a secondary analysis of the Effects of Aspirin in Gestation and Reproduction (EAGeR) trial (2007-2011), a multisite, randomized controlled trial of preconception-initiated low-dose aspirin. Participants/materials, setting, methods Healthy women (n = 1214), aged 18-40 and with 1-2 prior pregnancy losses, were recruited from four US medical centers. Participants were followed for up to six menstrual cycles while attempting pregnancy and through pregnancy for those who became pregnant. Time to hCG detected pregnancy was assessed using discrete-time Cox proportional hazard models to estimate fecundability odds ratios (FOR) adjusted for covariates, accounting for left truncation and right censoring. Main results and the role of chance The association of walking with fecundability varied significantly by BMI (P-interaction = 0.01). Among overweight/obese women, walking ≥10 min at a time was related to improved fecundability (FOR = 1.82, 95% CI: 1.19, 2.77). In adjusted models, women reporting >4 h/wk of vigorous activity had significantly higher fecundability (FOR = 1.69, 95% CI: 1.24, 2.31) compared to no vigorous activity. Associations of vigorous activity with fecundability were not significantly different by BMI (P-interaction = 0.9). Moderate activity, sitting, and International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) categories were not associated with fecundability overall or in BMI-stratified analyses. Limitations, reasons for caution Some misclassification of PA levels as determined by the short form of the IPAQ is likely to have occurred, and may have led to non-differential misclassification of exposure in our study. Information on diet and change in BMI was not collected and may have contributed to some residual confounding in our results. The generalizability of our results may be limited as our population consisted of women with a history of one or two pregnancy losses. Wider implications of the findings These findings provide positive evidence for the benefits of PA in women attempting pregnancy, especially for walking among those with higher BMI. Further study is necessary to clarify possible mechanisms through which walking and vigorous activity might affect time-to-pregnancy. Study funding/competing interest(s) This work was funded by the Intramural Research Program of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work. Trial registration number #NCT00467363.
Faculty Satisfaction and Retention in Obstetrics and Gynecology

Given the resources that medical schools expend in developing their faculty, the academic medicine community has a longstanding interest in faculty satisfaction and retention. This chapter investigates retention rates of first-time assistant professors in obstetrics and gynecology (i.e., faculty with no prior appointments at or above the rank of assistant professor) compared with other core clinical specialties.
Picturing Revisited: Picturing the Spiritual

Robert Sokolowski writes in his essay on ‘Ticturing”1 that a cardinal thing we human beings do is to let things appear. This achievement of letting things appear takes many forms, and one of these is picturing.
Maintainance of Specificity, Information, and Thermostability in Thermophilic Bacillus sp. Glutamine Synthetase

Glutamine synthetase has been purified to homogeneity from B. subtilis (37°) B. stearothermophilus (55°), and B. caldolyticus (75°). Those characteristics compared include size (6.0 ± 0.3 x 105 daltons), quaternary structure (12 SU) amino acid content, substrate Km’s and specificity for structural analogs, metal ion activation, number and kind of separate feedback modifier sites, and the complexity of modifier-substrate and modifier-modifier site interactions. Although the 37° and 55° systems are quite similar, the 75° system shows important alterations in substrate specificity and modes of modifier action. Whereas at 37° and 55° AMP inhibits synergistically with amino acids (glycine, glutamine, histidine), the 75° enzyme is inhibited directly by the products ADP, (which assumes the role of AMP) and glutamine, plus other ligands. Ligand binding domains are compared and found to be very different. Thermostabilization occurs by (a) protection by bound L-glutamate, (b) protein aggregation, (c) trends in the content of total polar residues, total Asx + Glx residues, the average hydrophobicity, and (d) disulfide bond cross-linking. Such studies provide insights to molecular evolution occurring with changes in environmental stress.
Winning awards and gaining recognition: An impact analysis of APSA section book prizes

Abstract This study has two objectives: to rank order the top ten publishers of all 609 “best book” awards by APSA sections from 1985 to 2016 and to show using multiple regression analysis which variables best explain why some award-winning volumes receive more scholarly citations than other books. Our dependent variable is average yearly citation counts from copyright date to 2017, and five independent variables were tested in the analysis: (1) prestige ranking of the publisher; (2) number of authors; (3) size of APSA section; (4) subfield specialization; and (5) gender (male or female authors). The top ten publishers account for 74% of the award-winning volumes, and the multiple regression analysis confirms that all variables were statistically significant and consistent with our hypotheses, except subfield. More citations were earned by the smallest subfields of Political Theory and Methodology rather than the largest subfield of American Politics. Three validation tests largely confirm that award-winning books garner more citations than other political science scholarly volumes: comparison with books winning Honorable Mentions; a random sample of Cambridge University Press and University of Chicago Press volumes; and a random sample of all political science volumes from nine award-winning publishers in 2009.
Super-Competitors Game the Fitness Sensing System.

Competitive interactions between neighboring cells require fitness comparison and local killing, but the signals regulating these processes are unknown. In this issue, Alpar et al. (2018) demonstrate that fitter cells secrete serine proteases to create a local burst of active Spatzle, triggering Toll signaling and apoptosis in less fit neighbors.
Characterizing Work Practices in Packaged Software: A Metaphorical Analysis

This paper considers the resistance and accommodation that accompany new computer-mediated work practices and adopts a sociomateriality approach to study implementation and post-implementation use ...
Variation in groundwater recharge and surface-water quality due to climatic extremes in semi-arid mountainous watersheds

Climate change has the potential to substantially impact groundwater recharge, groundwater/surface-water dynamics, and surface-water quality. Changes in climate could be manifested as decreasing overall snowpack or an increase in the variability of snowpack year-to-year, and may affect wildfire occurrence and severity. Observed climatic extremes, including abnormal seasonal snowfall (both drought and extreme precipitation) and wildfires, have occurred in recent years in a semi-arid region of the Great Basin in the western United States. These climatic extremes have caused focused groundwater recharge following winters with elevated snowfall (2011 and 2017). Groundwater recharge calculated using the water-table fluctuation method, for periods following the elevated snowfall, was more than 10 times greater than previous studies in the basin that utilized distributed recharge calculation methods. Caution must be exercised when using results of these calculations in subsequent analyses such as groundwater flow modeling, to assure that all required assumptions are met and that calculated recharge rates are spatially applicable. Although water-quality changes due to the elevated snowfall were not evident in the surface-water data, several geochemical constituents (Ba, Ca, K, Mg, Na, pH, and specific conductance) indicated statistically significant concentration differences following a downstream wildfire in the watershed (representing the climatic extreme of drought). Both recharge calculations and statistical evaluations of water chemistry were completed using an easily modified Python script, which could be utilized by water managers to aid in water-resource planning under potentially variable future climatic conditions.
Uncovering Source Ranges From Range Differences Observed by Sensors at Unknown Positions: Fundamental Theory

This paper establishes the theory for the fundamental problem of uncovering the ranges of unknown transmitting sources from the range differences acquired by a number of sensors whose positions are not available. Obtaining the range differences from ranges is direct and the reverse problem is non-trivial, or even may not be solvable. The work is a pioneering study to the problem with a concrete investigation. Through the construction of a range difference expansion matrix and the application of linear algebra, we derive first, the minimum number of sources and that of receivers necessary for the problem to be solvable, second, the sufficient condition on the rank of the expansion matrix to ensure the recovery of the ranges, and finally, the algebraic solution to obtain the ranges from range differences. Simulations validate the theory and apply the proposed range solution to joint source and sensor localization.
A current appraisal of evidence for the approach to sepsis and septic shock

Sepsis is a life-threatening syndrome of a dysregulated host response to infection. Despite advances in diagnosis and treatment, sepsis remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. Many aspects of the diagnosis and clinical management of sepsis require further study and remain controversial. This review aims to summarize relevant literature and controversies regarding the evaluation and management of sepsis and septic shock.
Integrating social justice and advocacy into training psychologists: A practical demonstration.

Training psychologists to engage in advocacy and social justice is critical to professional development. Scholars recommend a variety of methods to accomplish this training. One approach is to offer goal-driven instruction that aligns with a clear mission, a safe and supportive environment for constructive dialogue, and the opportunity to engage in experiential learning. Experiential learning opportunities may be most impactful if structured as a longitudinal process; however, few practical training examples exist to demonstrate such a procedure. The purpose of this article is to offer a structured, longitudinal training demonstration of psychology doctoral trainees engaged in social justice and advocacy work at a midsize, diverse urban public university. This multiyear effort included (a) a comprehensive needs assessment; (b) qualitative interviews and focus groups with students and staff; and (c) supporting the development and coordination of care at a campus center to address student housing instability, food insecurity, and other critical needs. Implications of this work on advocacy in public service settings are described. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
Shaping Chromatin States in Prostate Cancer by Pioneer Transcription Factors

The androgen receptor (AR) is a critical therapeutic target in prostate cancer that responds to antagonists in primary disease, but inevitably becomes reactivated, signaling onset of the lethal castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) stage. Epigenomic investigation of the chromatin environment and interacting partners required for AR transcriptional activity has uncovered three pioneer factors that open up chromatin and facilitate AR-driven transcriptional programs. FOXA1, HOXB13, and GATA2 are required for normal AR transcription in prostate epithelial development and for oncogenic AR transcription during prostate carcinogenesis. AR signaling is dependent upon these three pioneer factors both before and after the clinical transition from treatable androgen-dependent disease to untreatable CRPC. Agents targeting their respective DNA binding or downstream chromatin-remodeling events have shown promise in preclinical studies of CRPC. AR-independent functions of FOXA1, HOXB13, and GATA2 are emerging as well. While all three pioneer factors exert effects that promote carcinogenesis, some of their functions may inhibit certain stages of prostate cancer progression. In all, these pioneer factors represent some of the most promising potential therapeutic targets to emerge thus far from the study of the prostate cancer epigenome.
Social Rejection Reduces Intelligent Thought and Self-Regulation

This chapter reviews evidence that social rejection reduces intelligent thought and self-regulation. Correlational research has demonstrated that social rejection and low intellectual performance are related, as loneliness is associated with poor cognitive functioning. Experimental research has shed light on the correlational findings, as participants assigned to be rejected performed slowly and inaccurately on reasoning problems relative to participants assigned to control conditions. Hence, social rejection reduces intelligent thought. Evidence also indicates that rejection reduces self-control, as people who are rejected perform poorly on a wealth of self-control tasks.
For Whom Are Non-Profit Managers Trustees? The Contractual Revolution in Charity Governance

This chapter chronicles an unnoticed aspect of the intellectual history of the “contractarian” paradigm, the descriptive claim that firms are best characterized as nexus of contracts. Although the paradigm’s rise in the 1980s in the corporate world is well known, little has been said about its success in rewriting both theory and doctrine in charitable and not-for-profit law. The contract paradigm has reshaped the questions that not-for-profit scholarship attempts to answers, and it is tightly linked to developments in not-for-profit doctrine and practice. Key examples include the growth of donor standing — the notion that not-for-profits have a fiduciary duty to their donors, and that donors may bring suit for breaches — and the growing obsession with “donor intent” throughout the not-for-profit sphere. I contrast contractarianism with an institutionalist “public trust” conception of charities, which was the prevailing intellectual paradigm for most of the 20th century.
Stroke Prophylaxis in Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation increases the risk of stroke. Anticoagulation reduces the risk of stroke associated with atrial fibrillation but increases the risk of bleeding complications. The CHA2DS2-VASc calculator predicts annual stroke risk and the HAS-BLED calculator predicts patients’ risk of a major bleeding event while on anticoagulation. Both calculators should be used to determine if a patient should be anticoagulated, and if any patient variables can be modified to reduce the risk of bleeding.
Anti-VEGF agents in the management of diabetic macular edema

Diabetic macular edema (DME) is a common cause of vision loss in patients with diabetic retinopathy and occurs in a substantial proportion of patients with long-standing diabetes. Intravitreal anti...
Diamond-Based Magnetic Imaging with Fourier Optical Processing

Magnetic sensing and imaging using ensembles of nitrogen-vacancy (N-$V$) centers in diamond recently have found application in disciplines as wide-ranging as condensed matter physics, biology, and paleomagnetism. However, distinguishing the signals from the four inequivalent N-$V$ orientations requires an external magnetic field, which can hinder the study of some magnetic samples. The authors present an $a\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}l\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}l-o\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}p\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}t\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}i\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}c\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}a\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}l$ method to tease apart the signals at arbitrary bias fields, by exploiting the distribution of photoluminescence at the Fourier plane of a microscope. Their technique will help N-$V$-based magnetic sensing reach its full potential.
Öffentlichkeit als ,Moving Target‘: Die Komplexität der Teilhabe an politischer(n) Öffentlichkeit(en) im digitalen Zeitalter

Digitalisierungs- und Datafizierungsprozesse transformieren nicht nur die Vielzahl gesellschaftlicher(n) Offentlichkeit(en) und ihre alltagliche Beobachtbarkeit, sondern auch die wissenschaftliche(n) Beobachterperspektive(n) und damit auch die theoretische Modellierung von Offentlichkeit. Die kommunikationswissenschaftliche Offentlichkeitsforschung muss sich also der doppelten Herausforderung stellen, dass sie nicht nur ein ‚Moving Target‘ infolge der Transformation von Offentlichkeit durch Digitalisierung, sondern vielmehr ein ,Changing Target‘ infolge der Veranderung von Beobachtung und Beobachtbarkeit durch Digitalisierung fokussiert.
Selecting Foreign Entry-Mode for Manufacturing SMEs: The Role of Trust in Conjunction with, Transaction Cost, Resource-Based and Eclectic Theories

Due to globalization and the fast-changing international business environment, manufacturer SMEs have difficulties finding a well-fitting entry mode for themselves. In this study, we have used resource-based, transaction cost, and eclectic theories to explain how we can create a new entry mode by grouping Manufacturer SMEs (MSME) with the moderating effect of trust. Trust is one of the main issues that organizations face when they try to internationalize. Every entry mode has advantages and disadvantages; however, regardless of the magnitude, they all have one common barrier that is very difficult to overcome: Trust. Trust and transaction cost are very much related, they have a negative significant relationship, and transaction cost also directly affects the firms' performance and the dynamic competitive advantage. It is challenging to create an entry mode that does not require a trusting relationship; however, in this study, we proposed an entry mode that MSMEs has an interweaving relationship among the group which bonds them together, where the reliability to each other strengthens the trust while keeping the extreme flexibility of the relationship with a minimal sunken cost. As an MSME, to achieve a dynamic competitive advantage, grouping strategy has an important role. Groups need to be heterogeneous; therefore, decomposing the resources and capabilities is essential for building a more substantial non-overlapping group. The interweaving process strengthens the group and gives flexibility to the group. Since the group is organically connected, trust among the group members increases. Having utilized resources and capabilities and a high trusting relationship inside the group leads to a dynamic competitive advantage.
Effects of Antihypertensive De-prescribing Strategies on Blood Pressure, Adverse Events, and Orthostatic Symptoms in Older Adults: Results from TONE.

BACKGROUND The Trial of Nonpharmacologic Interventions in the Elderly (TONE) demonstrated the efficacy of weight loss and sodium reduction to reduce hypertension medication use in older adults. However, the longer-term effects of drug withdrawal (DW) on blood pressure (BP), adverse events, and orthostatic symptoms were not reported. METHODS TONE enrolled adults, ages 60-80 yrs, receiving treatment with a single antihypertensive and systolic BP (SBP)/diastolic BP (DBP) <145/<85 mmHg. Participants were randomized to weight loss, sodium reduction, both, or neither (usual care) and followed up to 36 months; ~3 months post-randomization, the antihypertensive was withdrawn and only restored if needed for uncontrolled hypertension. BP and orthostatic symptoms (light-headedness, feeling faint, imbalance), were assessed at randomization and throughout the study. Two physicians independently adjudicated adverse events, masked to intervention, classifying symptomatic (lightheadedness, dizziness, vertigo) or clinical events (fall, fracture, syncope). RESULTS Among the 975 participants (mean age 66 yrs, 48% women, 24% black), mean (±SD) BP was 128±9/71±7 mmHg. Independent of assignment, DW increased SBP by 4.59 mmHg (95% CI:3.89,5.28) compared to baseline. There were 113 adverse events (84 symptomatic, 29 clinical), primarily during DW. Compared to usual care, combined weight loss and sodium reduction mitigated the effects of DW on BP (β=-4.33 mmHg;95%CI:-6.48,-2.17) and reduced orthostatic symptoms long-term (OR=0.62;95%CI:0.41,0.92), without affecting adverse events (HR=1.81;95%CI:0.90,3.65). In contrast, sodium reduction alone increased risk of adverse events (HR=1.75;95%CI:1.04,2.95), mainly during DW. CONCLUSION In older adults, antihypertensive DW may increase risk of symptomatic adverse events, highlighting the need for caution in withdrawing their antihypertensive medications.
Gender Differences in Neurological Conditions of Children

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses some of the differences between the brains of boys and girls, in terms of early brain growth, normal development, and in some specific neurological conditions. It is not meant to be a comprehensive review, but rather an overview. At the end of the chapter there is a listing of several other neurological conditions/diseases in which there is a gender predilection. Neurologic disease can present in very different ways in children and adults, and also differs in boys and girls. Diseases may be specific to a certain developmental period (autism, Rett's syndrome, absence seizures) or they may affect the physical development of the brain (neuronal migration disorders). In some conditions, only children are affected due to shortened lifespan. In others life expectancy is normal and disease may be diagnosed in childhood and continue into adulthood (Tourette's syndrome). Children also may experience the same disease as adults, but with different symptomatology (migraines). With increasingly precise understanding of many genetic disorders, early diagnosis in childhood will permit appropriate genetic and prognostic counseling for families.
A low-cost robot using omni-directional vision enables insect-like behaviors

RAMBLER Robot is designed for researching insect inspired behavioral control algorithms. To evaluate these algorithms, RAMBLER Robot needs autonomous localization without typical sensors like wheel odometers or GPS. The primary objective of this work is to independently, accurately, and robustly recover the path of a moving robotic system with low-cost sensors available off-the-shelf. The computationally efficient power center method of triangulation is compared to a particle filter approach. With three passive indistinguishable landmarks at corners of a small arena, RAMBLER Robot successfully localizes with an RMS error of 2.27cm compared to an overhead camera ground truth.
Nucleotide Sequence Analysis of Deoxyribonucleic Acid VI. DETERMINATION OF 3'-TERMINAL DINUCLEOTIDE SEQUENCES OF SEVERAL SPECIES OF DUPLEX DEOXYRIBONUCLEIC ACID USING ESCHERICHIA COLI DEOXYRIBONUCLEIC ACID POLYMERASE I

Abstract At 5° and 180 mm salt concentration, Escherichia coli DNA polymerase I (Kornberg, A. (1969) Science 163, 1410) catalyzes both repair incorporation of deoxynucleotides into DNA substrates and the interchange of radioactive label between free deoxynucleoside triphosphates and the 3'-terminal nucleotides of duplex DNA. The interchange reaction is the result of an equilibrium between the 3' → 5' exonuclease activity and the 5' → 3' polymerase activity associated with the DNA polymerase molecule. The interchange reaction has been used to determine the two 3'-dinucleotide sequences of native T7 DNA, T7 DNA fragments produced by Hemophilus influenza endonuclease R, and λDNA in which the cohesive ends have been completely repaired. It has also been used to determine one 3'-dinucleotide sequence of 186 DNA. Under the conditions studied the initial rate of polymerization is at least three times faster than the rate of interchange using 186 DNA, a DNA substrate in which both reactions can be measured simultaneously.
REGULATION OF RAT AMP DEAMINASE 3 (ISOFORM C) BY DEVELOPMENT AND SKELETAL MUSCLE FIBRE TYPE

AMP deaminase (AMPD) is characterized by a multigene family in rodents and man. Highly conserved rat and human AMPD1 and AMPD2 genes produce protein products that exhibit cross-species immunoreactivities (AMPD1, rat isoform A and human isoform M; AMPD2, rat isoform B and human isoform L). A third gene, AMPD3, has been described in humans, but antisera raised against its purified protein product (isoform E) reportedly does not cross-react with a third activity purified from rat tissues (isoform C). This study was designed to address this latter issue by cloning, sequencing and expressing rat AMPD3 cDNA species. Similarly to the human AMPD3 gene, the rat AMPD3 gene produces multiple transcripts that differ at or near their 5' ends. The boundary at which these alternative sequences diverge is precisely conserved in both species. Across the region that is common to all rat and human AMPD3 cDNA species, nucleotide and predicted amino acid sequences are 89% and 93% identical respectively, although the rat open reading frame is lacking two separate in-frame codons in the 5' end. Extreme 5' regions between the two species are entirely divergent, and one alternative rat sequence is predicted to confer at least 36 additional N-terminal residues to its encoded AMPD3 polypeptide. A comparison of 3' untranslated regions indicates that the rat sequence is 250 bp longer and contains multiple consensus polyadenylation signals. Examination of relative rat AMPD3 gene expression shows (1) variable patterns of alternative mRNA abundance across adult tissues, (2) developmental regulation in skeletal muscle and liver, and (3) greater mRNA abundance in adult red (soleus) than in mixed (plantaris) and white (outer gastrocnemius) skeletal muscle. Finally, baculoviral expression of rat and human AMPD3 proteins produces enzymes that are chromatographically and kinetically similar. Moreover, both recombinant activities immunoreact with anti-C and anti-E serum. These combined results demonstrate that rat isoform C and human isoform E are homologous cross-species AMPD3 proteins.
Legal and racial elements of public willingness to transfer juvenile offenders to adult court

Abstract This article examines the issue of public support for the harsher treatment of criminals through analysis of the variables underlying individuals’ willingness to treat juvenile offenders as adults subject to criminal penalties. It explores the relationship of legal elements (e.g., assaultive features) and extralegal elements (e.g., race of the offender) of a case with regard to citizens’ willingness to transfer youthful offenders from juvenile to adult criminal court. Analysis of survey data produced by phone interviews of a random sample of residents of the New Orleans metropolitan area indicates that, in line with recent Louisiana legislation, the public feels that more violent youth should be tried in criminal court. Countering that same legislation, however, the public remains willing to entertain the age of the offender in the same decision. Even when the crime in question is seriously violent, citizens are less likely to desire the transfer of a younger juvenile. An offender’s prior record seems generally ignored in citizens’ evaluation of a case for potential transfer, as are the victim’s gender, age, and race. Though the race of the respondent plays no role in the desire to transfer youth to adult court, the race of the offender clearly does. Whether Black or White, citizens are somewhat more likely to express a preference for transfer if the juvenile in question is Black. The implications of these findings for the larger societal response to the “crime problem” are explored.
X-ray cross sections in helium for electron capture to excited states by bare nuclei with 5 < or = Z/sub 1/ < or = 9

Experimental data are presented for $K$-shell x-ray cross sections for electron capture to excited states by bare nuclei of F, O, N, C, and B in the energy range from \ensuremath{\sim}0.25 to 2.3 MeV/amu. For these projectiles the capture to excited states dominates the capture of the loosely bound electrons available in helium, and the projectile x-ray cross section is closely related to the total capture cross section. The experimental x-ray production cross sections are compared to predictions based on a closed-form electron-capture calculation in the Brinkman-Kramers (BK) approximation, even though the magnitude of the theoretical results is a factor of 7 in excess of experiment. Using a single normalization constant, the calculated cross sections for electron capture to excited states preserved the trends of the experimental data with these bare nuclei over the entire energy range of the experiment. At the lowest energy, the experimental and normalized BK cross sections are still below, but rapidly approaching, the maximum in the capture cross section estimated from calculations for bare nuclei in hydrogen by Salop and Olson using a Landau-Zener model.
Aerosol Light Scattering Measurements as a Function of Relative Humidity

The hygroscopic nature of atmospheric fine aerosol was investigated at a rural site in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park during July and August 1995. Passing the sample aerosol through an inlet, which housed an array of Perma Pure diffusion dryers, controlled the sample aerosol's relative humidity (RH). After conditioning the aerosol sample in the inlet, the light scattering coefficient and the aerosol size distribution were simultaneously measured. During this study, the conditioned aerosol's humidity ranged between 5% < RH < 95%. Aerosol response curves were produced using the ratio bspw/bspd; where bspw is the scattering coefficient measured at some RH greater than 20% and bspd is the scattering coefficient of the "dry" aerosol. For this work, any sample RH values below 15% were considered dry. Results of this investigation showed that the light scattering ratio increased continuously and smoothly over the entire range of relative humidity. The magnitude of the ratio at a particular RH value, however, varied considerably in time, particularly for RH values greater than approximately 60%. Curves of the scattering coefficient ratios as a function of RH were generated for each day and compared to the average 12-hour chemical composition of the aerosol. This comparison showed that for any particular RH value the ratio was highest during time periods of high sulfate concentrations and lowest during time periods of high soil or high organic carbon concentrations.
Characterization of Inpatient Moyamoya in the United States: 1988–2004

Background and Purpose: Moyamoya disease has been classically described by the Asian experience, yet clinical aspects of moyamoya phenomena in the United States remain vastly undefined. The multifocal occlusive arterial disorder may be linked with numerous conditions; however, later stages of this syndrome share common vascular pathophysiology. This study is aimed at characterizing inpatient moyamoya cases in the United States over a broad time span. Methods: A comprehensive analysis of the Nationwide Inpatient Sample of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (Releases 1-13, 1988-2004) based on ICD-9-CM code 437.5 was performed. Annual percentages and trends analyses were conducted for demographic variables, admission characteristics, co-morbidities, and procedures. Results: 2247 admissions of moyamoya cases were analyzed from a wide geographic distribution throughout the United States between 1988 and 2004. Age at admission varied considerably (mean 29.6 ± 18.5 years), affecting women more frequently than men (61.9%). Various racial groups were identified (35.4% White, 19.7% African American, 5.6% Hispanic, 8.3% Asian or Pacific Islander, 1.4% Native American). Admissions were typically emergent (38.8%) or urgent (18.7%), although elective admissions occurred (24.4%). Aside from moyamoya, sickle cell disease was diagnosed in 13.6%, ischemic stroke in 20.7%, intracerebral hemorrhage in 7.4%, TIA in 3.4%, and subarachnoid hemorrhage in 3.1%. Cerebral angiography was performed in 24.9% while extracranial-intracranial bypass was done in 8.4% of patients. Conclusions: Moyamoya in the United States is a heterogeneous condition affecting individuals of all ages across a diverse racial spectrum and wide geographic distribution. Further recognition of moyamoya syndrome may facilitate ongoing research and future therapeutic approaches.
Tolerance induction by costimulator blockade in 100 cGy treated hosts with varying degrees of genetic disparity.

Long-term multilineage allochimerism can be obtained in H2-mismatched B6.SJL to BALB/c transplants with host irradiation of 100 cGy, donor spleen cell pre-exposure and costimulator blockade with anti-CD40 ligand (CD40L) antibody. We evaluated this allochimerism approach in murine marrow transplants with different degrees of major histocompatibility complexe (MHC) mismatching; these include: (1) H2-mismatched transplant H2Kk to H2Kb, (2) full haplo-identical transplant H2Kbd to H2Kbk, (3) a partial haplo-identical transplant H2Kd to H2Kbd and (4) an MHC class II mismatch. Levels of chimerism increased up to 12 weeks and then stayed relatively stable up to 1 year after transplant. At 18 weeks post-transplant, the H2-mismatched, haplo-identical, partial haplo-identical and class II-mismatch transplants evidenced 17.9+/-4.4, 40.7+/-0.9, 25.1+/-4.19 and 33.7+/-3.5% donor chimerism, respectively. Dropping the anti-CD40 antibody treatment and spleen cells or changing the schedule of antibody to one injection, in haplo-identical or full-mismatched transplants resulted in no donor-derived chimerism. On the other hand, these still resulted in minor chimerism in class II-mismatched transplants. Lineage analysis of peripheral blood at 6 and 12 months post-transplant demonstrated a significant shift toward increased chimeric lymphocytes and decreased chimeric granulocytes in the full H2 as compared with haplo-identical or class II transplants. Transplantation with anti-CD40L antibody eliminated both graft-versus-leukemia and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and delayed lymphocyte infusion did not rescue animals from fatal leukemia. In conclusion, under the conditions of our tolerization regimen, a haplo transplant gives higher engraftment levels than a full H2 mismatch, and despite lower engraftment levels, a class II-mismatched transplant can be successfully accomplished with only 100 cGy and no CD40L blockade.
Role of interfacial and matrix creep during thermal cycling of continuous fiber reinforced metal–matrix composites

Abstract A uni-dimensional micro-mechanical model for thermal cycling of continuous fiber reinforced metal–matrix composites is developed. The model treats the fiber and matrix as thermo-elastic and thermo-elasto-plastic-creeping solids, respectively, and allows the operation of multiple matrix creep mechanisms at various stages of deformation through the use of unified creep laws. It also incorporates the effect of interfacial sliding by an interface-diffusion-controlled diffusional creep mechanism proposed earlier (Funn and Dutta, Acta mater. , 1999, 47 , 149). The results of thermal cycling simulations based on a graphite fiber reinforced pure aluminum–matrix composite were compared with experimental data on a P100 graphite–6061 Al composite. The model successfully captured all the important features of the observed strain responses of the composite for different experimental conditions, such as the observed heating/cooling rate dependence, strain hysteresis, residual permanent strain at the end of a cycle, as well as both intrusion and protrusion of the fiber-ends relative to the matrix at the completion of cycling. The analysis showed that the dominant deformation mechanism operative in the matrix changes continually during thermal cycling due to continuous stress and temperature revision. Based on these results, a framework for the construction of a transient deformation mechanism map for thermal excursions of continuous fiber composites is proposed.
The Influence of Peers on Children's Socialization to Gender Roles

As children move through childhood, there are many environmental influences on their socialization to adult roles. These influences include parents, school, the media, and peers. Peer relationships play an important role in the development of a child's self concept and have a strong impact on how children view the roles of males and females in our society. The perpetuation of gender biases and stereotypes often is begun in the home and then further reinforced by the peer group. This overview of literature dealing with the influence of peers on children's gender role socialization suggests that strict adherence to traditional gender roles, while limiting to children, is strongly encouraged by the peer group and is reinforced by parents, schools, and the media.
Neural network-based optimal control for trajectory tracking of a helicopter UAV

Helicopter unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) may be widely used for both military and civilian operations. Because these helicopters are underactuated nonlinear mechanical systems, high-performance controller design for them presents a challenge. This paper presents an optimal controller design for trajectory tracking of a helicopter UAV using a neural network (NN). The state-feedback control system utilizes the backstepping methodology, employing kinematic and dynamic controllers. The online approximator-based dynamic controller learns the infinite-horizon Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman (HJB) equation in continuous time and calculates the corresponding optimal control input to minimize the HJB equation forward-in-time. Optimal tracking is accomplished with a single NN utilized for cost function approximation. The overall closed-loop system stability is demonstrated using Lyapunov analysis, with the position, orientation, angular and translational velocity tracking errors, and NN weight estimation errors uniformly ultimately bounded (UUB) in the presence of bounded disturbances and NN functional reconstruction errors.
Marine fishery management in PR China

PR China’s marine fisheries have grown rapidly for decades. Total fisheries production reached 11 480 000 tons in 1989, ranking China third in the leading fishing nations of the world. During th; 1980s: aquaculture (with a production of some 5 710 000 tons in 1989) was the fastest growing element of total production. The marine catch amounted to 5 080 000 tons, about 44% of the total. However, China’s marine fisheries have also suffered from offshore overfishing and depletion of fishery resources, particularly stocks of yellow croakers and hairtails. A criticial review is presented of offshore fishery management in China, describing and analysing the history, problems, lessons and constraints. Suggestions are made to update offshore fisheries regulations.
Anthropological perspectives of the menopause and middle age

Abstract A review of how the anthropologist has studied the menopause, the climacteric and middle age is given. The types of field methodology used by the anthropologist in the above-mentioned studies are described, and their application for research in other fields is suggested. Research problems which have yet to be addressed in the study of the climacteric and middle age, are suggested for anthropologists, as well as other researchers. The application of anthropological perspectives to these aspects of life is illustrated with an example of middle-aged women in the U.S., whom the author has studied in the past and is currently studying.