cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inference of geometrical and behavioural parameters of individual fish from echo-trace-analysis

The volume scattering strength of swim-bladdered fish is very sensitive to fish size, shape, and orientation. However, the appropriate geometrical and behavioral parameters necessary to determine these parameters are not always available. Inadequate knowledge of these parameters limits our ability to correctly estimate lengths and abundances of fish with acoustic technology. A method for extracting geometrical and behavioral parameters of individual fish using a scattering model-based echo-trace-analysis (ETA) is presented. The scattering model used in the ETA is based on the Kirchhoff approximation and a prolate spheroid is used to approximate the shape of the swimbladder. The geometric shape of a resolved echo from an individual fish is used in a least-squares algorithm to infer information about the swimming speed, direction, and orientation of the fish. The acoustic intensity distribution of an individual fish along a resolved echo trace is used in a least-squares algorithm to infer information about the size, aspect ratio, and orientation of the swimbladder. Results from the ETA were more sensitive to variations in vertical swimming speed and orientation of the swimbladder than to variations in horizontal swimming speed and aspect ratio of the swimbladder. The proposed ETA was applied to field data, a 38 kHz echogram of a school of Atlantic cod recorded with a Simrad EK500 echo sounder. The inferred sizes and orientations of a number of the resolved echo traces for individual fish were consistent with available observation data. One of the advantages of the ETA method presented here is that it can be easily extended to a dual beam, a split-beam, or a multi-beam acoustic system.
Using Sartre’s Critique of Dialectical Reason for Managerial Decision-Making

This article will offer an alternative understanding of managerial decision-making drawing from Sartre’s Critique of Dialectical Reason rather than simply Being and Nothingness. I will begin with a brief explanation of Sartre’s account of freedom in Being and Nothingness. I will then show in the second section how Andrew West uses Sartre’s conception of radical freedom from Being and Nothingness for a managerial decision-making model. In the third section, I will explore a more robust account of freedom from Sartre’s Critique of Dialectical Reason. I will attempt to show that freedom is not simply a matter of choosing (or not choosing) to perform an action, but entails external constraints—including other people. Finally, I will provide the implications of this account of freedom for managerial decision-making. I will show that it’s unreasonable to place full responsibility and/or blame on managers given their constraints. This does not absolve them from responsibility, but better accounts for the way in which we ought to hold them responsible.
Comparison of cDNA and genomic forms of tyrosine hydroxylase gene therapy of the brain with Trojan horse liposomes.

Background The present study examines whether chromosomal derived forms of therapeutic genes can be delivered to brain following intravenous administration. The brain expression of a rat tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) cDNA is compared to the brain expression of a plasmid DNA encoding the 18 kb rat TH gene. Methods TH gene expression is measured in cell culture and in vivo in brain in experimental Parkinson's disease (PD). A total of four eukaryotic expression plasmids encoding rat TH were engineered wherein the size of the TH expression cassette ranged from 1.5 kb, in the case of the cDNA form of the gene, to 17.5 kb, in the case of the largest size genomic construct. The TH expression plasmids were delivered to either cultured cells or to rat brain in vivo with Trojan horse liposomes (THLs), which target the non-viral plasmid DNA to cells via cell membrane receptors. Results The pattern of TH gene expression in cell culture and in vivo was similar: the cDNA form of the TH gene was fast-acting with short duration of action, and the genomic form of the TH gene was slow-acting with longer duration of action. The most sustained replacement of striatal TH enzyme activity in experimental PD was produced by combination gene therapy where both the cDNA and the genomic forms of the TH gene were administered simultaneously. Conclusions Eukaryotic expression plasmids encoding genomic forms of therapeutic genes, as large as 18 kb, can be successfully incorporated in THLs and delivered to brain following intravenous administration. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Subsidence in the Northeastern Nile Delta: Rapid Rates, Possible Causes, and Consequences

Holocene fluvial and marine deposits have accumulated in a graben-like structure on the northeastern margin of the Nile delta. This part of the delta, which includes Lake Manzala, Port Said, and the northern Suez Canal, has subsided rapidly at rates of up to 0.5 centimeter per year since about 7500 years ago. This subsidence has diverted at last four major distributaries of the Nile River into this region. The combined effects of continued subsidence and sea level rise may flood a large part of the northern delta plain by as much as 1 meter by the year 2100. The impact of continued subsidence, now occurring when sediment input along the coast has been sharply reduced because of the Aswan High Dam, is likely to be substantial, particularly in the Port Said area and as far inland as south of Lake Manzala.
Metals for the containment of nitric acid solutions of plutonium-238

Results of a study of the corrosion of various transition-metal alloys, tantalum, and tantalum/2.5% tungsten are reported. The solvent contained nitric acid, hydrofluoric acid, and ammonium hexanitratocerate. It was designed to imitate the corrosiveness of the nitric acid, hydrofluoric acid mixture used to dissolve 238-plutonium dioxide.
Use of precordial ST-segment mapping

Serial precordial ST-segment ECG mapping with a grid consisting of 49 recording marks made on the anterior thorax of patients with acute anterior transmural myocardial infarction has been applied in the study of usefulness of this technique. It has been found that a pattern of variable devolution of the magnitude of ST-segment elevations is seen in uncomplicated myocardial infarction. Extension of the infarct has been characterized by re-elevation of ST-segments. Beneficial therapeutic interventions have resulted in reduction of the magnitude of ST-segment elevation. However, the technique cannot be applied in patients with inferior transmural myocardial infarction or in patients with functioning pacemakers, bundle branch blocks, or pericarditis. The significance of adherence to strict guidelines in performing ST-segment mapping and the analysis of mapping data in the light of the total clinical picture at the time of recordings is emphasized.
UNITS OF ANALYSIS IN TASK‐ANALYTIC RESEARCH

We develop and discuss four criteria for evaluating the appropriateness of units of analysis for task-analytic research and suggest potential alternatives to the units of analysis currently used. Of the six solutions discussed, the most commonly used unit of analysis in current behavior analytic work, percentage correct, meets only one of the four criteria. Five alternative units of analysis are presented and evaluated: (a) percentage of opportunities to perform meeting criterion, (b) trials to criteria, (c) cumulative competent performances, (d) percentage correct with competent performance coded, and (e) percentage correct with competent performance coded and a grid showing performance on individual steps of the task analysis. Of the solutions evaluated, only one--percentage correct with competent performance coded and a task analysis grid--met all four criteria.
The Detrimental Effects of Missing School: Evidence from Urban Siblings

There is evidence suggesting that missing school negatively relates to academic achievement. However, it is a difficult task to derive unbiased empirical estimates of absences in their influence on performance. One particular challenge arises from the unobserved heterogeneity in the family environment, which may relate to both absence behavior and school performance. This article provides the first analysis aimed at reducing the family-specific omitted variable bias pertaining to measures of absences in their influence on standardized testing achievement. It does so by employing a model of family fixed effects on a longitudinal sample of siblings within the same household in a large urban school district over six years of observations. The results indicate a stronger, statistically significant negative relationship between absences and achievement than what would have been suggested otherwise. Implications are discussed.
An Overview of Paroxetine in the Elderly

Depression in the elderly is an increasingly prevalent problem affecting some 15% of the elderly population and can be difficult to diagnose and treat. Complicating factors include poor compliance, the high frequency of concomitant disease, and the alterations in drug absorption and metabolism with age. This paper reviews controlled studies of the treatment of depression in elderly patients using paroxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor. The studies demonstrate that paroxetine has efficacy in these patients which is similar to that of comparative compounds. The side effect profile of paroxetine is favourable, as compared with tricyclics, in terms of cardiovascular effects. The side effects of paroxetine in the elderly are similar to those reported in younger individuals. The improved tolerability profile of paroxetine is particularly welcome for the treatment of the elderly who have an increased sensitivity to adverse effects of drug therapy.
Effect of Inoculum and of Beta-Lactamase on the Anti-Staphylococcal Activity of Thirteen Penicillins and Cephalosporins

Because there are few persuasive data for selecting one semisynthetic penicillin or cephalosporin over another for treatment of serious staphylococcal infections, 118 recent clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus were studied to determine to what extent the presence of beta-lactamase affected the relative anti-staphylococcal activity of six penicillins and seven cephalosporins. In addition, the effect of inoculum was studied for its possible effect on the anti-staphylococcal activity of the 13 beta-lactam antibiotics. By all criteria, methicillin and nafcillin were clearly more resistant to both the inoculum effect and the production of staphylococcal beta-lactamase, whereas benzylpenicillin and cephaloridine (especially benzyl-penicillin) were the most susceptible to these effects. Cephazolin was clearly more susceptible to staphylococcal beta-lactamase and heavy inocula than the other cephalosporins (with the exception of cephaloridine), whereas cephalothin was the most resistant cephalosporin to these factors. The minimal inhibitory concentration for benzylpenicillin for tests with undiluted inoculum, compared to results with inoculum diluted 10(-4), differed by a factor up to 16,384, whereas with methicillin and nafcillin the differences were rarely more than twofold. Ratios for the other 10 antibiotics fell between these extremes. These results suggest that methicillin or nafcillin is most stable to staphylococcal beta-lactamase, and that benzylpenicillin and cephaloridine are the most susceptible.
Transformational and contingent reward leadership: Individual, dyad, and group levels of analysis

Abstract Using multiple levels of analysis in both conceptualization and testing procedures, this study sought to enhance understanding of relationships between transformational and contingent reward leadership and key consequences. Multi-source data were collected from a sample of salespersons, their superiors (sales managers), and company records. Confirmatory factor analysis using LISREL and Within and Between Analysis (WABA) procedures were conducted. Contrary to the hypotheses that included levels of analysis specifications, dyad-level effects and group-level effects were not obtained. Results indicated that relationships among transformational and contingent reward leadership and consequences were based solely on individual differences, individual-level effects. In other words, leaders and followers did not link in dyadic- nor group-based relationships as suggested by transformational leadership theory. Compatibility of the results with previous work and implications of the findings for future leadership research are discussed.
Electron microscopy of beta leaves infected with beet yellow stunt virus

Abstract Beta vulgaris L. leaves infected with beet yellow stunt virus contain flexuous rods resembling the particles of beet yellows virus. The rods usually occur in the cytoplasm and form aggregates of various sizes. They tend to be arranged parallel to one another in the aggregates and may also form parallel layers within the larger aggregates. Thus far, the rods were seen only within the phloem, in parenchyma cells associated with sieve elements, and in mature sieve elements. The rods are assumed to be the virus particles. Degenerative changes were observed in chloroplasts of mesophyll and phloem parenchyma and in plastids of sieve elements. The presumed virus particles were absent in these cells. Some phloem parenchyma cells with virus either present or absent underwent complete breakdown.
Real ear to 6-cm3 coupler differences in young children

Real-ear sound pressure levels under supra-aural earphones were measured for a group of young children (9 months to 7 years) and adults. Pure-tone signals were presented at nine test frequencies from 250 to 6000 Hz, and real ear to 6-cm3 coupler differences were computed for each frequency. Results suggest that, by 2 years of age, average real ear to 6-cm3 coupler differences are similar for adults and children. The intersubject variability for all groups supports the need for real-ear threshold measures on an individual basis in cases where the ability to amplify the speech spectrum to a level that is audible across the frequency range is in question.
Cause-Related Marketing: Keys to Successful Relationships with Corporate Sponsors and Their Customers

SUMMARY An increasingly popular method for nonprofits to raise awareness, educate the public, and receive financial support from corporations is through cause-related marketing. The distinctive feature of cause-related marketing is the corporate sponsor's contribution to a designated cause being tied to customers' participating in revenue-producing transactions with the sponsor. The sponsor benefits from favorable publicity and increased sales. This article discusses factors contributing to the potential success of a cause-related marketing campaign: the sponsor's product quality, fair pricing, and customer traits; the nonprofit's and the sponsor's reputation, shared values, good communication, and commitment; a well-planned and executed campaign, and specific terms that protect both party's assets and clearly outline each party's responsibilities.
Knowledge reuse in multiple classifier systems

Abstract We introduce a framework for the reuse of knowledge from previously trained classifiers to improve performance in a current and possibly related classification task. The approach used is flexible in the type and relevance of reused classifiers and is also scalable. Experiments on public domain data sets demonstrate the usefulness of this approach when one is faced with very few training examples or very noisy training data.
Pediatric intracranial pressure monitoring in hypoxic and nonhypoxic brain injury.

We reviewed the results of all pediatric patients undergoing intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring in a 2-year period at our institution. The outcome of patients suffering hypoxia or ischemic injuries (HII) is compared to those suffering non-hypoxic or non-ischemic injuries (NHII). Thirty-four patients had ICP monitors placed during the study period. Inconplete patient information led to the exclusion of 5 patients. An additional 5 patients were excluded because no measures to control ICP were taken after the monitor was placed. Twenty-four patients required treatment for raised ICP (hyperventilation, 24; mannitol, 19; barbiturate coma, 6). Admission Glasgow Coma Score in patients suffering HII (median score 5) and NHII (median score 6) were not significantly different (Mann-Whitney U Test). Only 2 of 8 patients with HII were near-drowning vietims. The remaining 6 had HII from other causes (5 survivors of various forms of asphyxia and 1 of cardiac arrest). All 8 patients had poor outcomes (1 severely disabled; 7 died). The 16 patients with NHII had a variety of diagnoses (6 trauma, 5 encephalitis, 4 bacterial meningitis, 1 diabetic ketoacidosis). Among these, 6 had good outcomes and 10 poor outcomes (2 severely disabled, 2 vegetative, and 6 died). The difference in outcome between patients with NHII and HII is significant at P=0.059 (Fischer Exact test). Patients with NHII may benefit from ICP monitoring. Patients with HII from near-drowning and other causes did not appear to benefit from ICP monitoring and interventions directed at controlling ICP.
Molecular phylogenetic analysis of Fringillidae, “New World nine-primaried oscines” (Aves: Passeriformes)

Systematic studies of Fringillidae have long been problematic due to their apparent recent and explosive diversification. We present phylogenetic hypotheses of 44 fringillids that represent the overall diversity of the family, based on 3.2 kb of mitochondrial DNA sequences, and phylogenetic analyses for a subset of fringillids based on new and published mitochondrial cytochrome b sequences. Monophyly of Fringillidae and its two constituent subfamilies, Fringillinae and Emberizinae, was consistently supported with the exceptions of Peucedramus being placed outside of Fringillinae and Euphonia being placed within Fringillinae instead of within Emberizinae. Within Emberizinae, Thraupini (tanagers), Cardinalini (cardinals and grosbeaks), and Emberizini (New World sparrows) did not form separate monophyletic groups. Our results indicate that Emberizinae consists of three clades, each with a different overall geographical distribution. Several taxa traditionally considered members of Thraupini fall outside of the thraupine clade, including the only North American genus, Piranga. Consequently, the thraupine clade includes only Neotropical species. Increasing evidence suggests that Fringillidae, often called "New World nine-primaried oscines," does not in fact have a New World origin.
Vesicular endophytes in roots of the Pinaceae

Vesicles and hyphae typical of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae (VAM) were common in seedlings of Pseudotsuga menziesii, Abies lasiocarpa and Tsuga mertensiana growing in openings where herbaceous hosts of these fungi were common. Seedlings of A. lasiocarpa, Tsuga heterophylla, and T. mertensiana growing under closed forest canopies also had vesicles but at a much lower incidence than seedlings in the openings. The Pinaceae are generally assumed to be ectomycorrhizal, but Glomus-type colonizations occurred on the same seedlings as the ectomycorrhizae. The ecological significance of abundant VAM-type endophytes in otherwise ectomycorrhizal hosts deserves comprehensive study.
Recurrent endometrial adenocarcinoma with rearrangement of chromosomes 1 and 11.

Abstract A chromosome study was performed in a recurrent endometrial cancer. The cytogenetic analysis performed with a quinacrine-Hoechst banding technique revealed rearrangements of chromosomes #1 and #11 [i.e.: der(11),t(1;11)(q21;q23)], which was found in all metaphases. In addition, a deletion of chromosome 6(q21), trisomy of chromosomes #7 and #10, monosomy X, and −4 as the clonal changes. Partial trisomy for a long arm of chromosome #1 also was observed in almost all analyzed metaphases (11 of 12 cells). These data showed the association of rearrangement of 1q in endometrial cancer and/or redevelopment of tumor, and also suggest the possible participation of chromosome #11 on which the human protooncogene c-ets was mapped.
Organic Rankine Cycle for Waste Heat Recovery in a Hybrid Vehicle

The Rankine cycle is used commercially to generate power in stationary power plants using water as the working fluid. For waste heat recovery applications, where the temperature is lower, water is typically replaced by a carefully selected organic fluid. This work is based on using the waste heat in an automobile to generate electricity using the Organic Rankine cycle (ORC) with R245fa (1, 1, 1, 3, 3 penta-fluoropropane) as the working fluid. The electricity thus generated can be used to drive the accessory load or charge the battery which in any case helps improve the fuel economy. A simple transient numerical model has been developed that is capable of capturing the main effects of this cycle. Results show that exhaust heat alone can generate enough electricity that is capable of bringing about an improvement to the fuel economy under transient drive cycle conditions. Power output during EPA Highway drive cycle is much higher than EPA City due to higher exhaust mass flow rate and temperature. Time needed to reach operating conditions or in other words, the warm-up time plays an important role in the overall drive cycle output. Performance is found to improve significantly when coolant waste heat is used in conjunction with the residual exhaust heat to pre-heat the liquid. A sizing study is also performed to keep the cost, weight, and packaging requirement down without sacrificing too much power. With careful selection of heat exchanger design parameters, it has been demonstrated that the backpressure on the engine can be actually lowered by cooling off the exhaust gas. This lower backpressure will further boost the fuel economy gained by the electricity produced by the Rankine bottoming cycle.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Impact of the genetic screening revolution: understanding and meeting the needs of previvors with a known family mutation in BRCA/BRCA2

Commentary on: CB Crotser, SS Dickerson. Women receiving news of a family BRCA1/2 mutation: messages of fear and empowerment. J Nurs Scholarsh2010;42:367–78.
Semiclassical calculation of the photon propagator in two-dimensional scalar QED

This paper proposes a new semiclassical approach for calculating closed-loop quantities in scalar QED. This is carried through by the replacement of field degrees of freedom with particle coordinates, and then expanding about classical trajectories which dominate the theory. The one-charged-scalar closed-loop contribution to the photon propagator in two-dimensional scalar QED is calculated using this method. The semiclassical approximation developed gives the asymptotic behavior of the large-order terms in the perturbation expansion of the one-loop contribution to the photon self-energy.
Similarity space for auditory signals differing in frequency and intensity

Zagorski (1973) found that listeners appear to ignore the value of a fixed variable when adjusting the value of another variable in equisimilarity matching to tones differing with respect to two variables. We explore the robustness of this finding and explore the form of instructions required for the listeners’ adjustments to be sensitive to both variables.
The Effects of Cumulative Violence Clusters on Young Mothers’ School Participation Examining Attention and Behavior Problems as Mediators

Using a cluster analysis approach with a sample of 205 young mothers recruited from community sites in an urban Midwestern setting, we examined the effects of cumulative violence exposure (community violence exposure, witnessing intimate partner violence, physical abuse by a caregiver, and sexual victimization, all with onset prior to age 13) on school participation, as mediated by attention and behavior problems in school. We identified five clusters of cumulative exposure, and found that the HiAll cluster (high levels of exposure to all four types) consistently fared the worst, with significantly higher attention and behavior problems, and lower school participation, in comparison with the LoAll cluster (low levels of exposure to all types). Behavior problems were a significant mediator of the effects of cumulative violence exposure on school participation, but attention problems were not.
Home Range, Social Behavior, and Dominance Relationships in the African Unstriped Ground Squirrel, Xerus rutilus

A field study of home range, social behavior, and dominance relationships in the African unstriped ground squirrel, Xerus rutilus , was conducted in semi-arid bushland near Kibwezi, Kenya. Ground squirrels lived alone or in small groups in isolated burrow systems and had broadly overlapping home ranges. They were neither territorial nor colonial. Home ranges were estimated by visual observation of marked animals and those of males were considerably larger (mean = 7.01 hectares (ha); n = 4) than those of females (mean = 1.37 ha; n = 6). A continuum of agonistic behavior ranging from threat to combat is described, although actual combat was rarely observed. Sexual behavior includes a stereotyped tail display by adult males. Dominance relationships, based on 542 observed encounters between marked individuals, include a consistent male dominance over females and a fairly constant linear hierarchy among all individuals with shared home ranges. Similarities in the behavior of African ground squirrels and tree squirrels ( Sciurus ) are discussed.
Forecasting the 2006 National Elections to the U.S. House of Representatives

Drawing on several theories of congressional election change, this article presents a forecasting equation for seat change in U.S. House elections. The equation addresses the problem of the over time comparability of seat change when levels of competition at the congressional district level have declined dramatically, a decline that has substantially reduced the magnitude of net partisan seat change in recent decades. The equation is estimated using both on-year and midterm elections since 1944. It indicates that the 2006 midterm will likely be a good year for the Democrats. However, because of reduced levels of competition restricting the number of seats that are effectively “in play,” Democratic Party gains are likely to be in the teens. Though Republicans may narrowly retain their control of the House, there is a very real possibility that Democrats will end the six election string of Republican House majorities.
On computing givens rotations reliably and efficiently

We consider the efficient and accurate computation of Givens rotations. When f and g are positive real numbers, this simply amounts to computing the values of c = f/√f2 + g2, s = g/√f2 + g2, and r = √f2 + g2. This apparently trivial computation merits closer consideration for the following three reasons. First, while the definitions of c, s and r seem obvious in the case of two nonnegative arguments f and g, there is enough freedom of choice when one or more of f and g are negative, zero or complex that LAPACK auxiliary routines SLARTG, CLARTG, SLARGV and CLARGV can compute rather different values of c, s and r for mathematically identical values of f and g. To eliminate this unnecessary ambiguity, the BLAS Technical Forum chose a single consistent definition of Givens rotations that we will justify here. Second, computing accurate values of c, s and r as efficiently as possible and reliably despite over/underflow is surprisingly complicated. For complex Givens rotations, the most efficient formulas require only one real square root and one real divide (as well as several much cheaper additions and multiplications), but a reliable implementation using only working precision has a number of cases. On a Sun Ultra-10, the new implementation is slightly faster than the previous LAPACK implementation in the most common case, and 2.7 to 4.6 times faster than the corresponding vendor, reference or ATLAS routines. It is also more reliable; all previous codes occasionally suffer from large inaccuracies due to over/underflow. For real Givens rotations, there are also improvements in speed and accuracy, though not as striking. Third, the design process that led to this reliable implementation is quite systematic, and could be applied to the design of similarly reliable subroutines.
Erasing the Engram: The Unlearning of Procedural Skills

Huge amounts of money are spent every year on unlearning programs – in drug-treatment facilities, prisons, psychotherapy clinics, and schools. Yet almost all of these programs fail, since recidivism rates are high in each of these fields. Progress on this problem requires a better understanding of the mechanisms that make unlearning so difficult. Much cognitive neuroscience evidence suggests that an important component of these mechanisms also dictates success on categorization tasks that recruit procedural learning and depend on synaptic plasticity within the striatum. A biologically detailed computational model of this striatal-dependent learning is described (based on Ashby & Crossley, 2011, J. of Cognitive Neuroscience). The model assumes that a key component of striatal-dependent learning is provided by interneurons in the striatum called the Tonically Active Neurons (TANs), which act as a gate for the learning and expression of striatal-dependent behaviors. In their tonically active state, the TANs prevent the expression of any striatal-dependent behavior. However, they learn to pause in rewarding environments and thereby permit the learning and expression of striatal-dependent behaviors. The model predicts that when rewards are no longer contingent on behavior, the TANs cease to pause, which protects striatal learning from decay and prevents unlearning. In addition, the model predicts that when rewards are partially contingent on behavior, the TANs remain partially paused leaving the striatum available for unlearning. The results from three human behavioral studies support the model predictions and suggest a novel unlearning protocol that shows promising initial signs of success.
Insulin-like Growth Factor-I (IGF-I) Receptor Activation Rescues UV-damaged Cells through a p38 Signaling Pathway: POTENTIAL ROLE OF THE IGF-I RECEPTOR IN DNA REPAIR

The activated insulin-like growth factor-I receptor (IGF-IR) is implicated in mitogenesis, transformation, and anti-apoptosis. To investigate the role of the IGF-IR in protection from UV-mimetic-induced DNA damage, 4-nitroquinoline N-oxide (4-NQO) was used. In this study we show that the activation of the IGF-IR is capable of rescuing NWTb3 cells overexpressing normal IGF-IRs from 4-NQO-induced DNA damage as demonstrated by cellular proliferation assays. This action was specific for the IGF-IR since cells expressing dominant negative IGF-IRs were not rescued from 4-NQO UV-mimetic treatment. DNA damage induced by 4-NQO in NWTb3 cells was significantly decreased after IGF-IR activation as measured by comet assay. IGF-I was also able to overcome the cell cycle arrest, observed after 4-NQO treatment, thereby enhancing the ability of NWTb3 cells to enter S phase. Interestingly, the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway was shown to represent the main signaling pathway involved in the IGF-IR-mediated rescue of UV-like damaged cells. The ability of the IGF-IR to induce DNA repair was also demonstrated by infecting NWTb3 cells with UV-irradiated adenovirus. Activation of the IGF-IR resulted in enhanced beta-galactosidase reporter gene activity demonstrating repair of the damaged DNA. This study indicates a direct role of the IGF system in the rescue of damaged cells via DNA repair.
NMR investigation of spin density wave motion and fluctuations in (TMTSF)2PF6.

We report low field proton NMR measurements in the spin density wave (SDW) state of (TMTSF${)}_{2}$${\mathrm{PF}}_{6}$ that show a narrowing of the linewidth when the SDW is depinned by an electric field. The NMR absorption amplitude affirms that sample heating is negligible. A shortening of the spin-phase memory time corresponding to the line narrowing is also observed. Low field measurements of the spin-lattice relaxation rate show a fluctuation enhancement just below the spin density wave transition and a rapid drop below 3 K that lack a quantitative understanding.
Interval between hysterectomy and start of radiation treatment is predictive of recurrence in patients with endometrial carcinoma.

Purpose: Adjuvant radiation therapy (RT) has been shown to improve local control in patients with endometrial carcinoma. We analyzed the impact of the time interval between hysterectomy and RT initiation in patients with endometrial carcinoma. Methods and Materials: In this institutional review board-approved study, we identified 308 patients with endometrial carcinoma who received adjuvant RT after hysterectomy. All patients had undergone hysterectomy, oophorectomy, and pelvic and para-aortic lymph node evaluation from 1988 to 2010. Patients' demographics, pathologic features, and treatments were compared. The time interval between hysterectomy and the start of RT was calculated. The effects of time interval on recurrence-free (RFS), disease-specific (DSS), and overall survival (OS) were calculated. Following univariate analysis, multivariate modeling was performed. Results: The median age and follow-up for the study cohort was 65 years and 72 months, respectively. Eighty-five percent of the patients had endometrioid carcinoma. RT was delivered with high-dose-rate brachytherapy alone (29%), pelvic RT alone (20%), or both (51%). Median time interval to start RT was 42 days (range, 21-130 days). A total of 269 patients (74%) started their RT <9 weeks after undergoing hysterectomy (group 1) and 26% started ≥9 weeks after surgery (group 2). There were a total of 43more » recurrences. Tumor recurrence was significantly associated with treatment delay of ≥9 weeks, with 5-year RFS of 90% for group 1 compared to only 39% for group 2 (P<.001). On multivariate analysis, RT delay of ≥9 weeks (P<.001), presence of lymphovascular space involvement (P=.001), and higher International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics grade (P=.012) were independent predictors of recurrence. In addition, RT delay of ≥9 weeks was an independent significant predictor for worse DSS and OS (P=.001 and P=.01, respectively). Conclusions: Delay in administering adjuvant RT after hysterectomy was associated with worse survival endpoints. Our data suggest that shorter time interval between hysterectomy and start of RT may be beneficial.« less
Fuzzy C-Means clustering based secure fusion strategy in collaborative spectrum sensing

Collaborative spectrum sensing in Cognitive Radio Networks is vulnerable to Spectrum Sensing Data Falsification (SSDF) attack. Many existing SSDF attack defending algorithms need the assistance of reference sensing devices with high spectrum sensing performance, which are difficult and costly to be implemented in reality. Most of other existing approaches are based on statistic characteristics of sensing information. These approaches assume there is a small fraction of malicious users, and the flip rates of malicious users are fixed and identical. However, some effective attacks such as Sybil attack can be easily launched with which large number of different malicious identities can be generated. To solve these problems, we propose a Fuzzy C-Means clustering based secure fusion strategy. Simulations show this secure fusion strategy outperforms the traditional reputation based approach, at almost any malicious user ratio and varying attack flip rate.
Pneumonia from Human Coronavirus in a Macaque Model

A novel coronavirus that has emerged in the Middle East and that has been associated with several human deaths was shown to cause a similar disease in macaques, thus approximating Koch's postulates.
Private and public antigens of the mouse H-2 system.

IT was observed rather early in the history of the mouse histocompatibility-2 (H-2) system that some antigens of the system are limited to only one or very few H-2 alleles, whereas others are shared by several alleles1. Antigens with limited distribution were called “private”, as opposed to “general” antigens present in many different H-2 alleles2. It has been tacitly assumed that the distinction between private and general antigens (the latter will be called “public” here) is an artificial one and that the difference between, them would disappear when new strains and new H-2 alleles were analysed. This, however, proved not to be the case. So far H-2 alleles of some seventy strains and stocks have been determined, and the distinction into private and public antigens still holds. It can be argued, of course, that because most of the strains of the laboratory mouse are related to each other in their origin3, the differences in frequencies of individual H-2 antigens are still only apparent.
A controlled-oxidation synthesis of substituted aryl 1-methyl-4-nitro-5-imidazolyl sulfones

Aryl imidazolyl sulfones bearing pendant hemisuccinamido groups for conjugation to biopolymer transport systems were synthesized from sulfide precursors. The peroxide-effected oxidation at sulfur was invariably accompanied by some cleavage-oxidation of the carboxamido groups to nitro functionalities, a process which could be minimized by careful control of the reaction conditions.
Substituent effects on carbocation photophysics: 9-arylxanthyl and 9-arylthioxanthyl carbocations

Substituent effects on the photophysical properties of 9-arylxanthyl and 9-arylthioxanthyl cations have been examined. These properties include fluorescence quantum yields, excited-state lifetimes, radiative and non-radiative rate constants. A dramatic substituent effect is observed on these properties for the xanthyl cations, with an increase in the electron-donating ability of the substituents resulting in a decrease in the fluorescence lifetimes and quantum yields and a corresponding increase in the non-radiative rate constants. In contrast, little or no substituent effect is seen in the thioxanthyl cation series. Possible explanations for the differing substituent effects are considered.
Navigating the Murky Waters of Colorectal Cancer Screening and Health Reform

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) mandates that both Medicaid and insurance plans cover life-saving preventive services recommended by the US Preventive Services Task Force, including colorectal cancer (CRC) screening and choice between colonoscopy, flexible sigmoidoscopy, and fecal occult blood testing (FOBT).People who choose FOBT or sigmoidoscopy as their initial test could face high, unexpected, out-of-pocket costs because the mandate does not cover needed follow-up colonoscopies after positive tests. Some people will have no coverage for any CRC screening because of lack of state participation in the ACA or because they do not qualify (e.g., immigrant workers).Existing disparities in CRC screening and mortality will worsen if policies are not corrected to fully cover both initial and follow-up testing.
Alfuzosin for Symptomatic Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia: Long-Term Experience

Purpose: Evidence of the long-term efficacy and safety of alfuzosin treatment for LUTS indicative of BPH was examined.Materials and Methods: An English literature search of MEDLINE, PubMed and proceedings from scientific meetings from 1974 to 2004 was done. Search terms included benign prostatic hyperplasia, alfuzosin, treatment, α1-adrenergic receptor blocker, long-term, followup, lower urinary tract symptoms, complications or adverse events, sexual, retention and cardiovascular.Results: Currently α1-adrenergic receptor blocking agents are first line treatment for BPH. Although all α-blocking compounds show similar levels of efficacy for LUTS treatment, newer agents such as alfuzosin tend to demonstrate improved selectivity for the prostate and bladder with few vasodilatory effects and they have tolerability advantages over older α-blocking compounds. Immediate, sustained and newer extended release alfuzosin formulations significantly improve LUTS indicative of BPH but extended release alfuzosin may be m...
The MAM rodent model of schizophrenia

Rodent models of human disease are essential to obtain a better understanding of disease pathology, the mechanism of action underlying conventional treatments, as well as for the generation of novel therapeutic approaches. There are a number of rodent models of schizophrenia based on either genetic manipulations, acute or sub-chronic drug administration, or developmental disturbances. The prenatal methylazoxymethanol acetate (MAM) rodent model is a developmental disruption model gaining increased attention because it displays a number of histological, neurophysiological, and behavioral deficits analogous to those observed in schizophrenia patients. This unit describes the procedures required to safely induce the MAM phenotype in rats. In addition, we describe a simple behavioral procedure, amphetamine-induced hyperlocomotion, which can be utilized to verify the MAM phenotype.
Warp architecture and implementation

This paper describes the scan line array processor (SLAP), a new architecture designed for high-performance yet low-cost image computation. A SLAP is a SIMD linear array of processors, and hence is easy to build and scales well with VLSI technology; yet appropriate special features and programming techniques make it efficient for a surprisingly wide variety of low and medium level computer vision tasks. We describe the basic SLAP concept and some of its variants, discuss a particular planned implementation, and indicate its performance on computer vision and other applications.
The Effect of Nanoparticle Coating on the Thermal Conductivity of Nanofluids

Nanofluids are engineered colloidal suspensions of nanometer-sized particles in a carrier fluid and are receiving significant attention because of their potential applications in heat transfer area. Theoretical investigations have shown that the enhanced thermal conductivity observed in nanofluids is due to nanoparticle clustering and networking. This provides a low resistance path to the heat flowing through the fluid. However, the surface coating of the nanoparticles, which is often used to provide stable dispersion over the long term, may act as a thermal barrier, reducing the effective thermal conductivity of the nanofluid. Moreover, nanofluids with the same type of nanoparticles may exhibit different effective thermal conductivities, depending upon the thermal properties and thickness of the coating. In this context, thermal conductivity characterization of well dispersed iron oxide nanoparticles with two different surface coatings was carried out employing the transient hot wire technique. The diameter of the iron oxide core was 35 nm and the coatings used were aminosilane and carboxymethyl-dextran (CMX) of 7nm in thickness. Preliminary results suggest that effective thermal conductivity of CMX coated nanoparticle suspensions is slightly higher than that of aminosilane coated nanoparticles. In both cases, the effective thermal conductivity is higher than that predicted by the Maxwell model for composite media.
Synthetic chimeras of mouse growth factor-associated glandular kallikreins. II. Growth factor binding properties

Six chimeric constructs of the sequentially similar growth factor-associated kallikreins-epidermal growth factor binding protein (EGF-BP) and the gamma-subunit of nerve growth factor (gamma-NGF)--have been expressed, and their ability to generate complexes with epidermal growth factor (EGF) and beta-NGF, analogous to the high molecular weight forms (7S NGF and HMW-EGF) found in the mouse submaxillary gland, evaluated. The chimeras are distinguished by the interchange of three regions composing the amino, middle, and carboxyl terminal regions that encompass four surface loops possibly involved in specific growth factor interactions. Native beta-NGF (along with native alpha-NGF) formed complexes indistinguishable from naturally occurring 7S NGF, characterized by an alpha 2 beta gamma 2 structure (where beta-NGF is itself a dimer), with recombinant (r) gamma-NGF and with a chimera in which the amino terminal region from EGF-BP was substituted. Two other chimeras containing either the middle or carboxyl terminal regions of gamma-NGF showed weaker ability to form 7S complexes. Thus, all chimeras containing two segments from gamma-NGF retained at least some ability to form the 7S complex. rEGF-BP reacted weakly with EGF, but the chimera composed of the amino and middle segments of EGF-BP and the carboxyl terminal segment of gamma-NGF formed a nativelike HMW-EGF complex. None of the other chimeras appeared to bind EGF. These results identify amino acid positions within each kallikrein that participate in strong growth factor interactions and demonstrate that, outside of active site contacts, different regions of the kallikreins are involved in the binding of EGF and beta-NGF, respectively.
Fever in Liver Transplant Recipients: Changing Spectrum of Etiologic Agents

Febrile episodes in liver transplants were prospectively evaluated. Fever was due to infections in 78% of the episodes (35 of 45) and due to noninfectious causes in 22% (10 of 45). The predominant sources of fever were bacterial infections (62%; 28 of 45) and viral infections (6%; 7 of 45), whereas rejection accounted for only 4% of the episodes (2 of 45). Forty percent of the infections were unaccompanied by fever; fungal infections were significantly less likely to be associated with fever than were viral or bacterial infections (P = .001). Eighty-six percent (6) of the 7 febrile viral infections were due to viruses other than cytomegalovirus, of which human herpesvirus-6 was the predominant pathogen (71%; 5 of 7). Eighty percent (four) of the five febrile episodes with leukopenia were due to human herpesvirus-6. Episodes of fever were most likely to occur within 12 weeks (58%) or 1 year (29%) after transplantation; 100% of the latter episodes were in patients with recurrent hepatitis due to hepatitis C virus, malignancy, or chronic hemodialysis. In conclusion, cytomegalovirus and rejection were no longer the predominant etiologies of fever in liver transplant recipients, and viruses other than cytomegalovirus (e.g., human herpesvirus-6) are emerging as a significant cause of febrile viral illnesses in these patients.
Juvenile methylphenidate reduces prefrontal cortex plasticity via D3 receptor and BDNF in adulthood

Background: Early drug intervention in childhood disorders aims to maximize individual potential in the short- and long-term. Consistently, juvenile exposure to psychostimulants, such as methylphenidate (MPH), reduces risk for substance use in animals and sub-populations of individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). We investigated the effects of MPH on brain plasticity via dopamine receptor D3 (D3R) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression in developing rats. Methods: Between postnatal days 20‐35, rat pups were administered saline vehicle (Veh) or MPH (2mg/kg), the D3R-preferring agonist ±7-OHDPAT, or the antagonist nafadotride (0.05mg/kg) alone, or in combination with MPH twice a day. In adulthood, subjects were challenged to Veh or cocaine (10mg/kg for two days). The prefrontal cortex was analyzed for protein and mRNA levels of total BDNF, its splice variants I, IIc, III/IV, and IV/VI, and D3 receptors. A separate group of subjects was assessed for splice variants at 20, 35, 40, and 60 days of age. Results: Across age strong correlations were evident between Drd3 and Bdnf mRNA levels (r = 0.65) and a negative relationship between Drd3 and exon IIc after MPH treatment (r =− 0.73). BDNF protein levels did not differ between Veh- and MPH subjects at baseline, but were significantly lower in MPH-treated and cocaine challenged subjects (30.3 ± 9.7%). Bdnf mRNA was significantly higher in MPH-treated subjects, and reversed upon exposure to cocaine. This effect was blocked by nafadotride. Furthermore, Bdnftotal and Bdnf splice variants I, IIc, III/IV, and IV/VI changed across the transitions between juvenility and late adolescence. Conclusions: These data suggest a sensitive window of vulnerability to modulation of BDNF expression around adolescence, and that compared to normal animals, juvenile exposure to MPH permanently reduces prefrontal BDNF transcription and translation upon cocaine exposure in adulthood by a D3R-mediated mechanism.