cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
101 Comparing novel to conventional methods for defining adolescents’ environmental exposures using granular spatial data

Statement of Purpose Examine conventional versus innovative approaches to measuring environmental exposures posing violence risks during adolescents’ daily activities. Methods/approach Using data from a case-control study of daily activities and assault injury among 283 10–24 years old males in Philadelphia, we compared participants’ exposure to 27 environmental risk factors using three Methods home address-based measurement (kernel density (KD)/inverse distance weighting (IDW)), minute-by-minute GIS activity path-based measurement (KD/IDW), and measured differences between actual and potential shortest trip paths (60 ft/660 ft buffers). First, we used R-squared to quantify the extent to which home address-based measures explained gold standard activity path-based measurement. Next, we divided participant’s activity paths into origin-destination segments and used intercept-only linear regressions to test for differences in environmental exposures along actual versus shortest potential trip paths. Results Defining environmental exposures based on participant home address resulted in significant misclassification compared to activity path measures, with home address-based measures only partially explaining exposures (R-squared range: 0.05–0.81). Additionally, we found that participants’ actual trip paths often differed from shortest potential trip paths, and resulted in statistically significant differences in exposure to vandalism, narcotics arrests, disorderly conduct, public drunkenness, alcohol outlets, and vacant properties (p Conclusions Defining environmental exposures based on participant home address fails to fully account for individual variability in exposure levels accrued over daily activity. Participants often selected trip paths that differed from the shortest potential trip paths, resulting in statistically significant differences in calculated exposures. Significance/Contribution to Injury and Violence Prevention Science Selecting among different methods for ascribing environmental risk factors to measure participants’ experiences can yield different exposure estimates, and impair our ability to accurately assess associations between environmental exposures and violence. Future research on how environments relate to injury outcomes can utilise the innovative spatial methods explored herein to measure exposures more accurately for a given hypothesis.
WNT-Mediated Regulation of FOXO1 Constitutes a Critical Axis Maintaining Pubertal Mammary Stem Cell Homeostasis

Puberty is characterized by dynamic tissue remodeling in the mammary gland involving ductal elongation, resolution into the mature epithelial bilayer, and lumen formation. To decipher the cellular mechanisms underlying these processes, we studied the fate of putative stem cells, termed cap cells, present in terminal end buds of pubertal mice. Employing a p63CreERT2-based lineage-tracing strategy, we identified a unipotent fate for proliferative cap cells that only generated cells with basal features. Furthermore, we observed that dislocated "cap-in-body" cells underwent apoptosis, which aided lumen formation during ductal development. Basal lineage-specific profiling and genetic loss-of-function experiments revealed a critical role for FOXO transcription factors in mediating these proliferative versus apoptotic fates. Importantly, these studies revealed a mode of WNT signaling-mediated FOXO1 inhibition, potentially mediated through AKT. Together, these data suggest that the WNT pathway confers proliferative and survival advantages on cap cells via regulation of FOXO1 localization.
Fund Governance and Trade Events in a Student-Managed Portfolio

Student-managed portfolios provide opportunities for real investment decision making experiences. Students function in clearly defined professional roles, gain experience, and are accountable for the fund’s processes and decisions. The authors describe the $2 million student-managed portfolio at the University of Delaware and detail its governance processes. A student team of 45 analyzes equity investment ideas and authorizes and carries out trades. The fund’s governance means its implementation of ideas is slower than it would be with a professional money manager. The authors test a hypothesis that the fund’s inclusive and deliberate governance and its process of authorizing and making trades negatively impact returns in the short run. If prices move systematically during the wait between when the selection of a buying or selling opportunity and the trade, then the delayed execution could “leave money on the table.” The analysis of all 61 trades made in an 18-month period ending March 31, 2017, shows that the student-managed portfolio does not miss out on short-term abnormal returns from its trade ideas. In fact, the fund’s buys are marked by a −2.2% CAR in the (−10, −6) pre-trade period. The fund’s governance and value orientation seem to lead to buying stocks that underperformed prior to the trade.
Shadow markets and hierarchies: comparing and modeling networks in the Dark Net

This paper analyzes the determinants of network structure, as measured by hierarchy and monopolization, by examining various black market networks. We examine structures of networks on the Internet Dark Net (Virtual) and compare it to network structures of traditional black markets (Ground), using agent-based modeling. The purpose of modeling these two different types of illicit markets is to understand the network structure that emerges from the interactions of the agents in each environment. Traditional black markets are relatively hierarchical, with high degree and high betweenness. We compare the density and average length of the shortest path of the simulated Ground black market networks with our simulated Virtual network. We find that hierarchy and monopolization tendencies in networks are products of different transaction costs and information asymmetries. The Internet is an effective way to lower multiple aspects of network structure. We observe that the network structure surrounding the interactions in the Virtual black market is less hierarchical and slightly more monopolistic than the network structure of the Ground market.
Cardiovascular Mortality of Oral Antidiabetic Drugs Approved Before and After the 2008 US FDA Guidance for Industry: A Systemic Review and Meta-Analysis

Both diabetes and antidiabetic drugs (ADDs) increase the risk for cardiovascular (CV) diseases. Due to the increasing concern about CV safety associated with ADDs, the US FDA revised regulatory guidelines in 2008 to include CV safety as an endpoint. The objective of the current study was to conduct a systematic review with meta-analysis to compare CV mortality of oral ADDs approved before and after the FDA’s 2008 guidance. Three electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, and the Clinical Trial Registry) were searched to retrieve studies published up to 24 February 2017. Randomized clinical trials were included in this study if they (1) were published in the English language; (2) included adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus with or without CV risk factors, who were taking at least one oral antidiabetic drug; and (3) had at least one study outcome as CV mortality. Meta-analysis was performed using a random-effects model. Small-study effects were accessed using funnel plot symmetry. The primary outcome was CV mortality. We found that there was no significant increase in CV mortality for drugs approved before and after 2008. The overall odds ratio (OR) and the upper bound of the two-sided 95% confidence interval (CI) for all drugs approved after 2008 (OR 0.74, 95% CI 0.52–1.07) were lower than the overall OR for all drugs approved before 2008 (OR 1.03, 95% CI 0.89–1.19). In addition, the upper bounds of the two-sided 95% CI for both groups of drugs before and after 2008 were below 1.3. Empagliflozin, which was approved after the guidance, was significantly associated with a reduction in CV mortality. The 2008 FDA guidance appears to have a positive impact on CV risk assessment of recently marketed drugs for the management of diabetes.
The Consequences of Legislative Term Limits for Policy Diffusion

Policy diffusion scholarship has long sought to understand when lawmakers will imitate innovations adopted by other jurisdictions and when they actually invest the time and resources necessary to learn about potential policies. We develop the theoretical rationale that term limits will reduce the incentive and capacity of state legislatures to gather information about policies available from previous adoptions in other states. We hypothesize that this will decrease the importance of previous adopters when term-limited legislators consider policy innovations. A multilevel analysis of the diffusion of eighty-seven policies between 1960 and 2009 provides support for this expectation. Our findings provide insight into the way in which institutional features shape policy diffusion.
Giant anorectal condyloma acuminatum of Buschke-Löwenstein presents difficult management decisions.

Condyloma acuminata, or anogenital warts, caused by human papillomavirus are the most common sexually transmitted disease. In rare cases, the disease could progress to an extensive neoplasm called Buschke-Lowenstein tumor (BLT), also known as giant condyloma acuminatum. BLT differs from normal condyloma acuminata by presenting with locally invasive growth, lack of spontaneous resolution, tendency for recurrence after treatment and potential for malignant transformation. We examine a BLT case reaching large dimensions in the anorectal region treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy and surgical excision of residual lesions. Furthermore, continuous follow-up care can help identify and prevent recurrence or malignant transformation of the tumor.
Cortical Extracellular Sodium Transients after Human Head Injury: An Indicator of Secondary Brain Damage?

Animal studies indicate that elevated extracellular sodium can increase glutamate-induced excitotoxicity. Therefore, we investigated the relationship between sodium and glutamate and the effect of changes in sodium concentrations on the outcome of head-injured patients. Thirty-four (34) patients were selected for this study and divided into a group of patients having episodes (≥;30-min) of high sodium in dialysates (≥200 mM; HIGH, n = 11) and a group of patients having no such episodes (NORMAL, n = 23). Levels for sodium (226 ± 5.7 mM), glutamate (12.53 ± 2.2 μM) and ICP (32.2 ± 4.0 mm Hg,) were relatively high during the high sodium episodes. Overall, mean values for glutamate, ICP and outcome did not differ amono both groups. The mean dialysate sodium concentration, however, was significantly higher in the HIGH (178 ± 6 mM) compared to the NORMAL group (158 ± 3mM; p < 0.01). Spearman rank correlation between sodium and glutamate or ICP were not significant. The HIGH sodium group did not have significantly more patients with poor outcome than the NORMAL group. The results indicated sodium concentrations did not affect the outcome of head-injured patients. However, other sodium monitoring techniques are desirable to elucidate these apparent potentially major sodium transients, which we have observed in the human cortex, after severe head injury.
Genetic algorithms for optimization of Lego assemblies

This research presents an approach to the automatic generation of engineering designs. We apply Messy Genetic Algorithm optimization techniques to the evolution of assemblies composed of the Lego elements. We have selected the Lego assembly domain because it represents a sufficiently complex, multi-disciplinary design environment that includes a wide variety of realistic engineering constraints. Solution of this problem has great practical value. First, the growing popularity of Lego robot competitions creates a practical test bed for design generation and optimization tools. Second, optimization of Lego assemblies is closely related to the generation of real engineering artifacts, so similar principles and tools can be adapted to larger problems.
Membrane-Associated Proteinase 3 on Granulocytes and Acute Myeloid Leukemia Inhibits T Cell Proliferation

Proteinase 3 (P3), a serine protease expressed by myeloid cells, localized within azurophil granules, and also expressed on the cellular membrane of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN), is the target of autoimmunity in granulomatosis with polyangiitis. PR1, an HLA-A2 restricted nonameric peptide derived from P3, has been targeted effectively in myeloid leukemia. We previously showed (Molldrem et al. 2003. JClinInvest 111: 639-647) that overexpression of P3 in chronic myeloid leukemia induces apoptosis of high-affinity PR1-specific T cells, leading to deletional tolerance and leukemia outgrowth. In this study, we investigated the effect of membrane P3 (mP3)-expressing PMN and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) blasts on the proliferation of CD4 and CD8 T cells in vitro. We demonstrate that mP3-expressing PMN significantly inhibits autologous healthy donor T cell proliferation but does not affect cytokine production in activated T cells and that this effect requires cell proximity and was abrogated by P3 blockade. This inhibition required P3 enzyme activity. However, suppression was not reversed by either the addition of catalase or the inhibition of arginase I. In addition to P3 blockade, anti-low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 (LRP1) Ab also restored T cells' capacity to proliferate. Last, we show dose-dependent inhibition of T cell proliferation by mP3-expressing AML blasts. Together, our findings demonstrate a novel mechanism whereby PMN- and AML-associated mP3 inhibits T cell proliferation via direct LRP1 and mP3 interaction, and we identify P3 as a novel target to modulate immunity in myeloid leukemia and autoimmune disease.
Recent Progress in Path Integral Calculations of Nuclei

Path Integral methods have proven valuable in studying structure and dynamics in light nuclei. We illustrate the strengths and weaknesses of this approach, and review recent progress. In particular, we discuss calculations of the electromagnetic response of 3 and 4 body nuclei as well as the first calculations of the A=6 ground state and low-lying excitations. Physics issues which can be addressed in studies of light P-shell nuclei are also discussed.
Higher Flow on Cardiopulmonary Bypass in Pediatrics Is Associated With a Lower Incidence of Acute Kidney Injury

Adequate perfusion is of paramount concern during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and different methodologies are employed to optimize oxygen delivery. Temperature, hematocrit, and cardiac index (CI) are all modulated during CPB to ensure appropriate support. This study examines 2 different perfusion strategies and their impact on various outcome measures including acute kidney injury (AKI), urine output on CPB, ICU length of stay, time to extubation, and mortality. Predicated upon surgeon preference, the study institution employs 2 different perfusion strategies (PS) during congenital cardiac surgery requiring CPB. One method utilizes a targeted 2.4 L/min/m2 CI and nadir hematocrit of 28% (PS1), the other a 3.0 L/min/m2 CI with a nadir hematocrit of 25% (PS2). This study retrospectively examines CPB cases during which the 2 perfusion strategies were applied to determine potential differences in packed red blood cell administration, urine output during CPB, AKI post-CPB as defined by the KDIGO criteria, and operative survival as defined by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Significant differences were found in urine output while on CPB (P
Unraveling Heterogeneity in Epithelial Cell Fates of the Mammary Gland and Breast Cancer

Fluidity in cell fate or heterogeneity in cell identity is an interesting cell biological phenomenon, which at the same time poses a significant obstacle for cancer therapy. The mammary gland seems a relatively straightforward organ with stromal cells and basal- and luminal- epithelial cell types. In reality, the epithelial cell fates are much more complex and heterogeneous, which is the topic of this review. Part of the complexity comes from the dynamic nature of this organ: the primitive epithelial tree undergoes extensively remodeling and expansion during puberty, pregnancy, and lactation and, unlike most other organs, the bulk of mammary gland development occurs late, during puberty. An active cell biological debate has focused on lineage commitment to basal- and luminal- epithelial cell fates by epithelial progenitor and stem cells; processes that are also relevant to cancer biology. In this review, we discuss the current understanding of heterogeneity in mammary gland and recent insights obtained through lineage tracing, signaling assays, and organoid cultures. Lastly, we relate these insights to cancer and ongoing efforts to resolve heterogeneity in breast cancer with single-cell RNAseq approaches.
Blurring the Dichotomy of Good and Evil: The Idiosyncratic Helping Strategies Associated with Unmitigated‐Agentic and Unmitigated‐Communal Personalities

We theorized that unmitigated–agentic personality constructs (UAPs)—prioritizing ‘getting ahead’ over ‘getting along’—and unmitigated–communal personality constructs (UCPs)—prioritizing getting alo...
How Much Can the U.S. Congress Resist Political Money? A Quantitative Assessment

The extent to which governments can resist pressures from organized interest groups, and especially from finance, is a perennial source of controversy. This paper tackles this classic question by analyzing votes in the U.S. House of Representatives on measures to weaken the Dodd-Frank financial reform bill in the years following its passage. To control as many factors as possible that could influence floor voting by individual legislators, the analysis focuses on representatives who originally cast votes in favor of the bill but then subsequently voted to dismantle key provisions of it. This design rules out from the start most factors normally advanced by skeptics to explain vote shifts, since these are the same representatives, belonging to the same political party, representing substantially the same districts. Our panel analysis, which also controls for spatial influences, highlights the importance of time-varying factors, especially political money, in moving representatives to shift their positions on amendments such as the “swaps push out” provision. Our results suggest that the links between campaign contributions from the financial sector and switches to a pro-bank vote were direct and substantial: For every $100,000 that Democratic representatives received from finance, the odds they would break with their party’s majority support for the Dodd-Frank legislation increased by 13.9 percent. Democratic representatives who voted in favor of finance often received $200,000–$300,000 from that sector, which raised the odds of switching by 25–40 percent.
High-surety isothermal amplification and detection of SARS-CoV-2, including with crude enzymes

Isothermal nucleic acid amplification tests (iNAT), such as loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), are good alternatives to polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based amplification assays, especially for point-of-care and low resource use, in part because they can be carried out with relatively simple instrumentation. However, iNATs can generate spurious amplicons, especially in the absence of target sequences, resulting in false positive results. This is especially true if signals are based on non-sequence-specific probes, such as intercalating dyes or pH changes. In addition, pathogens often prove to be moving, evolving targets, and can accumulate mutations that will lead to inefficient primer binding and thus false negative results. Internally redundant assays targeting different regions of the target sequence can help to reduce such false negatives. Here we describe rapid conversion of three previously described SARS-CoV-2 LAMP assays that relied on non-sequence-specific readout into assays that can be visually read using sequence-specific fluorogenic oligonucleotide strand exchange (OSD) probes. We evaluate one-pot operation of both individual and multiplex LAMP-OSD assays and demonstrate detection of SARS-CoV-2 virions in crude human saliva.
FilmArray GI-panel performance for the rapid and multiple detection of gastrointestinal microorganisms in foodborne illness outbreaks in Shenzhen during 2018-2019.

Abstract Foodborne illness outbreaks can be caused by a great many of gastrointestinal microorganisms including bacteria, viruses and parasites. Acute gastroenteritis is most commonly found in such patients infected with at least one pathogen through food intake. The stool culture has been conventionally used to guide a single diagnosis and therapy. However, traditional methods for identification of a pathogen are time-consuming and have limited sensitivity, leading to false negatives and co-infection omission. The aim of this study was to characterize the multiple etiology of each foodborne illness outbreak in Shenzhen during 2018–2019 by the FilmArray GI panel, and to reveal the seasonality of each causative organism incurring outbreaks. All patients included had a FilmArray GI panel performance and the seasonal characteristics were recorded. A total of 173 patients suffered from foodborne illnesses in 32 outbreaks in Nanshan District of Shenzhen. In total, 365 microorganisms were detected of which 83.8% (306/365) corresponded to bacteria and 16.2% (59/365) to viruses. Co-infections with more than one microorganism were detected in 81.3% (26/32) of the outbreaks. In 153 (88.4%) of 173 patients at least two pathogens were identified. The most common diarrheal pathogen related to outbreaks was EPEC (56%), followed by ETEC (38%), Norovirus (34%), EAEC (28%), Vibrio (25%), Salmonella (22%), P. shigelloides (22%), C. difficile (16%), STEC (3%) and Sapovirus (3%). Bacterial outbreaks occurred with a seasonal distribution with the exception of C. difficile whereas Norovirus outbreaks predominated during the autumn–winter months. The use of the FilmArray GI panel has given us worthy information regarding the epidemiology of pathogens detected in patients with acute diarrhea. It also highlights the importance of multi-pathogen infections and the frequency of diarrheogenic E. coli in foodborne disease outbreaks. More significantly, the rapid and multiple findings may help quickly taking an appropriate precaution, control and treatment.
Preparing for the New Joint Commission Requirements: a Model for Tracking Outcomes of an Ambulatory Antibiotic Stewardship Program in Primary Care

Since 2007, inpatient antibiotic stewardship programs have been required for all Joint Commission-accredited hospitals in the USA. Given the frequency of ambulatory antibiotic prescribing, in June 2019, the Joint Commission released new standards for antibiotic stewardship programs in ambulatory healthcare. This report identified five elements of performance (EPs): (1) Identify an antimicrobial stewardship leader, (2) establish an annual antimicrobial stewardship goal, (3) implement evidence-based practice guidelines related to the antimicrobial stewardship goal, (4) provide clinical staff with educational resources related to the antimicrobial stewardship goal, and (5) collect, analyze, and report data related to the antimicrobial stewardship goal. We provide eight practical tips for implementing the EPs for antimicrobial stewardship: (1) Identify a collaborative leadership team, (2) partner with informatics, (3) identify national prescribing patterns, (4) perform a needs assessment based on local prescribing patterns, (5) review guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of the selected condition, (6) identify systems-level interventions to help support providers in making appropriate treatment decisions, (7) prioritize individual EPs for your institution, and (8) re-assess local data to identify areas of strength and deficiency in local practice.
Education, neighbourhood context and depression of elderly Chinese:

Research on depression among older adults has begun to take a contextual approach. This study advances scholarship by examining the relevance of education and neighbourhood context for individual d...
Inter-specialty variation of the Press Ganey Outpatient Medical Practice Survey.

ABSTRACT Measuring patient satisfaction scores and interpreting factors that impact their variation is of importance as scores influence various aspects of health care administration. Our objective was to evaluate if Press Ganey scores differ between medical specialties.New patient visits between January 2014 and December 2016 at a single tertiary academic center were included in this study. Press Ganey scores were compared between specialties using a multivariable logistic mixed effects model. Secondary outcomes included a comparison between surgical versus non-surgical specialties, and pediatric versus adult specialties. Due to the survey's high ceiling effect, satisfaction was defined as a perfect total score.Forty four thousand four hundred ninety six patients met inclusion criteria. Compared to internal medicine, plastic surgery, general surgery, dermatology, and family medicine were more likely to achieve a perfect overall score, as, with odds ratios of 1.46 (P = .02), 1.29 (P = .002), 1.22 (P = .004), and 1.16 (P = .02) respectively. Orthopaedics, pediatric medicine, pediatric neurology, neurology, and pain management were less likely to achieve satisfaction with odds ratios of 0.85 (P = .047), 0.71 (P < .001), 0.63 (P = .005), 0.57 (P < .001), and 0.51 (P = .006), respectively. Compared to pediatric specialties, adult specialties were more likely to achieve satisfaction (OR 1.73; P < .001). There were no significant differences between surgical versus non-surgical specialties.Press Ganey scores systematically differ between specialties within the studied institution. These differences should be considered by healthcare systems that use patient satisfaction data to modify provider reimbursement.
Remembrances of Alan

Alan L. Selman, who profoundly shaped the eld of computational complexity and who sup- ported and encouraged students and colleagues in so many ways, died on January 22, 2021 at the age of 79. On the pages that follow are six remembrances of him and his work from people who knew him well, ranging from the personal to the technical. I'd like to thank them all profusely|Lance Fortnow, Steven Homer, Mitsu Ogihara, Ken Regan, Jin-Yi Cai, Aduri Pavan|for their contribu- tions on such short notice, and I apologize in advance for not reaching out to others, simply for lack of time.
Scalable and sustainable synthesis of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles using new tubular electrochemical system

A new tubular electrochemical system (TES) was developed to overcome scalability and sustainability challenges during synthesis of superparamagnetic iron oxide (Fe3O4) nanoparticles (SPIONs). The SPION yield and productivity were 8.3 mg mol−1 Fe and 163 µg mol−1 Fe min−1, respectively. The TES functions efficiently with electrolyte reuse and supplementation without any reduction in productivity. Gradual electrolyte supplementation (0.5 mL min−1) resulted in 75% higher yield than the non-supplemented system. TEM and XRD analyses confirmed the presence of Fe3O4. TES enables the use of a new reaction parameter—flow rate—for controlling SPION properties. Increasing electrolyte flow rate caused a decrease in SPION average size and size distribution. TES offers advantages of scalability and sustainability for large-scale production of Fe3O4 nanoparticles.
Beyond words: Parental perceptions on human papilloma virus vaccination recommendations and its impact on uptake

Abstract The goal was to evaluate how provider recommendations regarding Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination impact uptake in a rural setting. The study used a cross-sectional, population-based design with cluster sampling to survey parents/guardians of children ages 9 to 18 in 2019 in Alabama. In addition to demographics/knowledge questions, participants were asked about type of healthcare provider recommendation and impressions they had from this interaction. The primary outcome variable was the result of the healthcare provider recommendation with options including: child got vaccinated day of recommendation, HPV vaccination was scheduled, or HPV vaccination was not scheduled. Bivariate analysis and multinomial logistic regression were performed. Of the 358 respondents, approximately 40% indicated receiving a recommendation from a provider to vaccinate their child. Age of the parent, race/ethnicity, educational attainment, and health insurance coverage were similar across groups. Female parents were more likely to report receiving HPV vaccination recommendation than males (44.1% vs. 23.3%; p = 0.009). The type of provider recommendation was not significantly associated with HPV vaccination uptake. The impression from the recommendation of HPV vaccination being “important” was significantly associated with the child being vaccinated that day (OR = 7.31, 95% CI = 2.20–24.3) as well as scheduling HPV vaccination (OR = 3.17, 95% CI 1.01–9.92). Parents who got the impression that “there was no hurry” were less likely to vaccinate their child that day (OR = 0.23, 95% CI = 0.09–0.59). Provider recommedation is well-established as a significant predictor of HPV vaccination, these findings indicate that how the recommendation is perceived may play a more important role in HPV vaccination uptake.
Compositions of Darboux-Like Functions

An example is given of a real connectivity function which is not the composition of any finite collection of almost continuous functions. We also investigate conditions under which the composition of two real Darboux functions can be continuous. In [6] I asked if every Darboux function from < to < is the composition of two almost continuous functions. In the present note it is shown that the answer is “no”. In fact, there exits a connectivity function which cannot be written as the composition of finitely many almost continuous functions. This example is not particularly difficult. I think we have overlooked this example until now because no one expected it to exist. The composition of almost continuous functions can be very nasty. Our function which is not such a composition is as well behaved as a Darboux function can be and not be almost continuous. Natkaniec [7] has shown that if f is Darboux and nasty–that is, f−1(x) is c-dense for every x, then f is the composition of two almost continuous functions. To look at the other extreme, we need a Darboux function which is not almost continuous but as nice as possible. Since a Darboux function of Baire class 1 is almost continuous [1], the function we want must be totally discontinuous on some perfect set. Jones and Thomas [5] give an example of a function which is connectivity, continuous on the complement of the Cantor set, but not almost continuous. Our example is a simple modification of the Jones and Thomas example. A function f : < → < is almost continuous if, given a closed set K ⊂ < such that graph(f) ∩ K = ∅, there exists a continuous function g : < → <
The KANTOO MT System: Controlled Language Checker and Lexical Maintenance Tool

We will present the KANTOO machine translation environment, a set of software servers and tools for multilingual document production. KANTOO includes modules for source language analysis, target language generation, source terminology management, target terminology management, and knowledge source development (see Figure 1).
Diagnosis of the failing component in RF receivers through adaptive full-path measurements

Decreasing profit margins and time-to-market windows for radiofrequency transceivers, rule out the traditional component-based testing and diagnosis methods. Over the past few years, there has been a significant shift in the transceiver test methods towards full-path and loop-back testing. However, the benefits of path-based testing cannot be fully attained unless complimentary diagnosis methods can be developed. In this paper, we present an adaptive diagnosis methodology to identify the failing component in RF receivers. Once the fault type (hard fault or soft fault) is identified using eigensignature correlations, input signals are selected and ambiguity groups determined. A new input signal is applied based on the ambiguity groups until full diagnostic resolution is reached or test inputs are exhausted. While it is typically believed that partitioned parameters, such as the gain of an individual component, cannot be fully diagnosed, the inherently non-linear behavior of analog blocks results in distinguishable response patterns even for scalar parameters. Experimental results confirm that diagnosis using only path-based measurements is viable.
Heparin-Binding Epidermal Growth Factor-Like Growth Factor: Hypoxia-Inducible Expression In Vitro and Stimulation of Neurogenesis In Vitro and In Vivo

Heparin-binding epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like growth factor (HB-EGF) is found in cerebral neurons, and its expression is increased after hypoxic or ischemic injury, which also stimulates neurogenesis. To investigate the possible role of HB-EGF in hypoxic–ischemic induction of neurogenesis, we measured its expression, effects, and target receptors in embryonic murine cerebral cortical cultures and in adult rat brain. Hypoxia increased HB-EGF expression by ∼50% in cortical cultures, where expression was associated with mature and immature neurons. HB-EGF (5–100 ng/ml) stimulated by ∼80% the incorporation of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) into cultured cells that expressed the HB-EGF receptors epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)/avian erythroblastic leukemia viral oncogene homolog 1 (ErbB1) and N- arginine dibasic convertase (NRDc). Intracerebroventricular administration of HB-EGF in adult rats increased BrdU labeling in the subventricular zone and in the subgranular zone of dentate gyrus, where EGFR/ErbB1 and NRDc were also expressed and where ischemia-induced neurogenesis is observed. We conclude that HB-EGF stimulates neurogenesis in proliferative zones of the adult brain that are also affected in ischemia and that it does so by interacting with EGFR/ErbB1 and possibly NRDc. Therefore, HB-EGF may help to trigger proliferation of neuronal precursors in brain after hypoxic or ischemic injury.
Completion of premaintenance phases in total therapies 2 and 3 improves clinical outcomes in multiple myeloma: an important variable to be considered in clinical trial designs.

BACKGROUND. Total Therapy (TT) programs are complex and their execution over the course of several years is fraught with patient attrition due to failure and toxicity of therapy and patient/physician acceptance. METHODS. The impact of completion versus noncompletion of intended treatment steps was examined in protocols TT2 (n = 668) and TT3 (n = 303) on overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS). RESULTS. By using appropriate landmarks of 36 months with TT2 and 18 months with TT3, representing the maxima to completion of premaintenance phases, postconsolidation OS was superior for 211 patients completing versus 311 patients not completing premaintenance steps on TT2 (P = .001), which also pertained to the 161 patients completing versus 47 not completing intended treatment steps on TT3 (P = .01). On multivariate analysis that included all patients, completion of therapy independently favored longer OS and EFS in the context of both standard prognostic factors and gene expression profiling-defined risk; in addition, TT3 prolonged EFS over results obtained with TT2. CONCLUSIONS. 1) Completion of intended therapy was a significant independent variable conferring superior OS and EFS in TT programs; and 2) after adjusting for completion of therapy, EFS was still superior with TT3 versus TT2, supporting the beneficial role of bortezomib included in TT3. Collectively, these data point to the importance of designing clinical trials that balance the treatment requirements for disease control with host acceptance and tolerance. Cancer 2008. © 2008 American Cancer Society.
Recipient age determines the success of intraperitoneal transplantation of peritoneal cavity B cells.

In vivo studies of lymphocyte biology have used intravenous (i.v.) injection as the primary mode of cell transfer, a protocol consistent with the anatomic distribution of most lymphocytes. However, for study of peritoneal cavity B cells, i.v. injection does not correlate with anatomical localization. This report describes the restoration of B-cell function in B lymphocyte-defective X-chromosome-linked immune-defective (XID) mice after intraperitoneal transfer of immunoglobulin heavy chain (Igh)-disparate peritoneal cavity (PerC) cells. In contrast to i.v. transfer, intraperitoneal (i.p.) transfer restored B-cell function in young, but not adult (> 8 weeks), XID mice. When host and donor Igh allotype matched, PerC B-cell engraftment was noted in older recipients; this reconstitution however, was also age-dependent. Migration from the peritoneum to systemic circulation was necessary for serum IgM production as shown by the presence of donor antibody-secreting cells in the host spleen. Host lymphocytes also influenced the success of i.p. transplantation as severe combined immune-deficient mice, regardless of age, exhibited donor serum IgM production. Recipient age, Igh allotype, and immune-deficiency were found to have an impact on the ability of i.p.-transferred PerC B cells to restore B-cell function in XID mice.
Eosinophilic granuloma of the temporal bone: radiological approach in the pediatric patient.

Eosinophilic granuloma is one of the three clinical variants of Histiocytosis-X (eosinophilic granuloma, Hand-Schuller-Christian and Letterer-Siwe disease). Involvement of the temporal bone is relatively rare and initially silent. However, it can erode the mastoid cortex, destroy the tegmen and extend into the cranial vault, as well as erode the semicircular canals or cochlea. It usually presents as an aural polyp or postauricular swelling. Chronic otorrhea is what brings the patient to the ORL-Clinic. It is frequently confused with infectious diseases or neoplastic conditions of the temporal bone. In this paper we report 6 cases of eosinophilic granuloma in the temporal bone, discuss the plain radiological and CT findings and review the literature.
Does hormone replacement therapy affect disease activity in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

Does hormone replacement therapy affect disease activity in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus?
Evaluation of investment portfolios: some tests of robustness and diversification

Investment portfolis of ten mutual funds randomly selected from a set of 115 funds considered previously by Jensen (1969) and Mains (1977) are analysed here for efficiency in diversification and robustness. Statistical tests show three broad results which emphasize the socially desirable service performed by these portfolis of mutual funds: (1) there exist mutual funds and investment portfolis which perform much better than the market portfolio insofar as diversification of insurable risk is concerned, (2) the so-called balanced funds and balanced portfolios are much robust than the market portfolio, and (3) the risk-return efficiency frontiers provide a valuable insight to the superior performance of selected portfolios.
The effect of forefoot and arch posting orthotic designs on first metatarsophalangeal joint kinematics during gait.

Study Design: Repeated-measures analysis of variance. Objective: To examine the effect of 2 different orthotic posting designs on first metatarsophalangeal (first MTP) joint kinematics during gait. Background: Common orthotic designs used to control abnormal pronation incorporate the use of a medial post in the forefoot and/or rearfoot locations. Although this design may favorably alter rearfoot and lower-limb kinematics, the incorporation of a forefoot post has been theorized to negatively impact first MTP joint function by limiting hallux dorsiflexion during push off. An alternative design that has been proposed to be more favorable for function of the hallux and first metatarsal is the medial arch support. Methods and Measures: Eighteen subjects with a mean age of 28.2 years (SD, 8.3 years) completed the study. All subjects were judged to have excessive pronation based on a clinical orthopaedic examination. Two different pairs of orthoses were custom molded for each subject. One design incorporated an ...
Cyclization reactions of N-acryloyl-2-aminobenzaldehyde derivatives: formal total synthesis of martinellic acid

Abstract N-Alkyl acryloylamides derived from o-aminobenzaldehyde derivatives react with N-alkyl glycine derivatives to provide cis-fused pyrrole[3,2-c]quinolones in moderate yield and high diastereoselectivity. These same substrates engage in a tandem Michael–Mannich pathway on treatment with a secondary amine, providing corresponding quinolone derivatives. The elaboration of a pyrroloquinolone derivative via addition of an in situ generated functionalized copper acetylide to an in situ generated iminium ion provided the C2-substituted derivative. Global deprotection and reduction of the alkyne afford the tricyclic triamine core (as the HCl salt) found in martinellic acid.
An anatomical study of 110 cases with deficiency of the aorticopulmonary septum with emphasis on the role of the arterial duct

To assess the prevalence and role of the arterial duct in hearts with incomplete development of the aorticopulmonary septum, 110 autopsy specimens, comprising 100 examples of common arterial trunk and 10 cases with aorticopulmonary window, were studied. In addition to intracardiac malformations, these specimens were analyzed to determine the side of the aortic arch, the presence and location of any interruption of the arch, the presence of any anomaly of origin and course of the subclavian arteries, and the status of the arterial duct. The arterial duct was present in 33 cases, absent in 63 cases and undetermined in four cases with common arterial trunk. The duct provided an essential pathway for flow in the 20 cases with interrupted aortic arch, and in two cases with interruption of the proximal portion of the left pulmonary artery. The presence of the duct in 11 cases, in functional terms, was not essential. In the 10 hearts with aorticopulmonary window, the duct was present in eight. It was an obligatory part of the circulatory pathways in three cases where the aortic arch was interrupted. The prevalence of non-obligatory ducts was 71% in hearts with aorticopulmonary window compared to 15% in hearts with common arterial trunk. The prevalence of the duct in cases with aorticopulmonary window suggests this lesion is a later developmental defect. The functional role of an arterial duct in these hearts should be properly assessed in the clinical situation.
Exploring the correlations between sequence evolution rate and phenotypic divergence across the Mammalian tree provides insights into adaptive evolution

Sequence evolution behaves in a relatively consistent manner, leading to one of the fundamental paradigms in biology, the existence of a ‘molecular clock’. The molecular clock can be distilled to the concept of accumulation of substitutions, through time yielding a stable rate from which we can estimate lineage divergence. Over the last 50 years, evolutionary biologists have obtained an in-depth understanding of this clock’s nuances. It has been fine-tuned by taking into account the vast heterogeneity in rates across lineages and genes, leading to ‘relaxed’ molecular clock methods for timetree reconstruction. Sequence rate varies with life history traits including body size, generation time and metabolic rate, and we review recent studies on this topic. However, few studies have explicitly examined correlates between molecular evolution and morphological evolution. The patterns observed across diverse lineages suggest that rates of molecular and morphological evolution are largely decoupled. We discuss how identifying the molecular mechanisms behind rapid functional radiations are central to understanding evolution. The vast functional divergence within mammalian lineages that have relatively ‘slow’ sequence evolution refutes the hypotheses that pulses in diversification yielding major phenotypic change are the result of steady accumulation of substitutions. Patterns rather suggest phenotypic divergence is likely caused by regulatory alterations mediated through mechanisms such as insertions/deletions in functional regions. These can rapidly arise and sweep to fixation faster than predicted from a lineage’s sequence neutral substitution rate, enabling species to leapfrog between phenotypic ‘islands’. We suggest research directions that could illuminate mechanisms behind the functional diversity we see today.
Low-loss large-area GaAs/GaAsP heterostructure as optical waveguide at 10.6 μm☆

Abstract GaAs/GaAsP heterostructures are fabricated as optical waveguides at 10.6 μm. The wafers are being grown with maximum dimensions of the order of 5 cm by vapor phase epitaxy. An attenuation rate of 2 dB/cm for a single mode waveguide and 1.5 dB/cm for a two-mode waveguide has been measured for the TE0 mode.
Size of DNA determined by viscoelastic measurements: Results on bacteriophages, Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coti

Abstract A viscoelastic method is described which is particularly useful for determining the sizes of very large DNA molecules. The instrument used is a development of a Cartesian-diver rotating-cylinder instrument previously described (Chapman, Klotz, Thompson & Zimm, 1969). In this instrument the viscosity of the solution can be measured as usual, but in addition the elastic recoil, occurring after the driving stress is removed, can be observed. With solutions of large DNA molecules this recoil decays exponentially at long times; the time constant, called the retardation time, is a sensitive function of the molecular weight of the DNA. Measurement of both intrinsic viscosity and retardation time gives three methods of calculating molecular weight: from intrinsic viscosity alone, from retardation time alone and from the ratio of retardation time to intrinsic viscosity. Results of measurements on solutions of T2 bacteriophage DNA, T7 bacteriophage DNA, and the DNA in stationary-phase cell lysates of Bacillus subtilis W23 and Escherichia coli B are presented. For the bacteriophage DNA's, the molecular weights calculated by all three methods, assuming that the DNA molecules are random coils, agree well with the accepted values. For the cell-lysate DNA's, the most reliable method of calculating molecular weight (from the retardation time alone) gives reasonable values (2.0 × 109 for B. subtilis and 2.7 × 109 for E. coli). The results from the other two methods are in some disagreement, which may be due to degradation of part of the DNA, an error in the empirical formula relating intrinsic viscosity to molecular weight, or a combination of both. In any case it is clear that at least half of the DNA in these lysates corresponds to the whole chromosome. The retardation time is insensitive to many possible artifacts in the cell lysates, such as degradation of part of the DNA, effects of shear stress and shear-dependent aggregation effects (rheopexy), so it is a particularly useful quantity. Viscosity is sensitive to all three of the above. The results presented here indicate that viscosity and retardation time measurements obtained on this instrument are useful for studying DNA of molecular weight up to at least 1010 daltons.