cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
What is Ideology? Theoretical Problems and Lessons from Soviet-Type Societies

The article contrasts two approaches to ideology which view it, respectively, as a belief system and as a form of discourse, and argues for the second. Viewing ideology as a belief system involves unwarranted assumptions about the uniformity of convictions among the adherents of an ideology and reduces its causal power to its contingent capacity to condition beliefs. Viewing ideology as a discourse enables a more adequate account of the diversity of beliefs among members of an ideological movement and also locates its causal power at the level of social conventions rather than individual psychology. The power of ideology is based on respect, not faith. This theoretical discussion is linked with the case of Soviet-type societies, serving as the basis for a reinterpretation of ideology's role in the maintenance and more recent decline of these political systems.
Treatment approach and outcomes of vaginal melanoma.

Objective To describe the characteristics of primary vaginal melanoma patients in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Result database and to determine the outcome from the treatment approaches. Materials/Methods From the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Result registry, 201 patients with vaginal melanoma were identified. Patients’ characteristics and prognostic factors including age, race, extent of surgery, and use of radiation therapy were obtained. Results The median age was 68 years (range, 28–100 years). The population was 73% white, 11% black, and 16% Asian/American Indian. International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics staging results were stage I (46%), stage II (18%), stage III (3%), stage IVA (3%), stage IVB (12%), and unknown (18%). Treatment approach included surgical resection of the primary site in 70%, whereas 35% of the patients underwent lymph node resection. Approximately 40% of the patients received radiotherapy, which was primarily used in the adjuvant setting. Overall survival at 2 and 5 years was 24% and 15%, respectively. Presence of lymph nodes at diagnosis was associated with worse overall survival (hazard ratio, 1.98; P = 0.02). Adjuvant radiation did not offer a statistically significant overall survival advantage compared to surgery alone. Conclusions Vaginal melanoma is a rare diagnosis primarily affecting the elderly. Overall survival is low even for patients presenting with disease limited to the vagina. Lymph node involvement at diagnosis is strongly predictive of worse overall survival. Most patients are treated with surgical resection with varying use of adjuvant radiotherapy. Further research is needed to identify the etiology and improve the outcome of this aggressive disease.
Effect of lithium and rubidium on the ganglionic inhibitory action of norepinephrine

Abstract Close intraarterial infusion of lithium chloride (2 and 4 mEq/kg) transiently suppressed evoked postganglionic potentials in the superior cervical ganglion of the cat; lower doses (0.5 and 1 mEq/kg) had no effect on transmission. Potentiation of the ganglionic inhibitory effect of norepinephrine (NE) occurred at plasma concentrations of lithium equivalent to those found to be therapeutic in man. Concurrent administration of lithium (1 mEq/kg) and doxepin (25 mcg/kg) produced greater facilitation of the ganglionic suppressant effect of NE than either lithium or doxepin alone. Rubidium chloride (0.1, 0.5 and 1 mEq/kg) produced temporary blockade of ganglionic transmission; lower doses (0.05 and 0.075 mEq/kg) did not exhibit a ganglioplegic effect. Reduction of the ganglionic inhibitory activity of NE was observed at each dose level of rubidium. Administration of doxepin (25 mcg/kg) immediately after rubidium (0.075 mEq/kg) significantly reduced the inhibitory effect of the cation on NE activity. These results suggest that, in the cat superior cervical ganglion, lithium may block NE uptake and rubidium may promote NE release.
Backward and forward masking in listeners with severe sensorineural hearing loss

Using synthetic stimuli, backward and forward masking by a first-formant stimulus were measured for two tasks: (1) discrimination of a second-formant transition and (2) pure-tone detection. 16 listeners with moderate to severe sensorineural hearing impairment were studied. Many of the listeners showed backward and forward discrimination masking, sometimes extending as far as 200 ms before or after the first-formant interval. There were large individual differences in degree and temporal extent of masking. The masking contribution of sensitivity shifts, as indicated by pure-tone detection levels, appeared to be limited to a range of only 50 ms before or after the first-formant masker.
Theory of Damped Surface Magnetoplasmons in n-Type InSb.

Abstract A theoretical investigation of surface magnetoplasmons in n-type InSb has been carried out with the effect of damping taken into account. Part of the investigation included surface magnetoplasmons interacting with surface optical phonons. The calculated dispersion curves show backbending, in contrast to the situation were damping is neglected. In addition, there are gaps in the dispersion curves for certain frequency ranges.
Multiple 5'-untranslated exons in the nuclear respiratory factor 1 gene span 47 kb and contribute to transcript heterogeneity and translational efficiency.

Abstract Nuclear respiratory factor 1 (NRF-1) is a nuclear transcription factor that has been implicated in the nuclear control of respiratory chain expression in mammalian cells. Here, we demonstrate that a complex pattern of alternative splicing contributes to sequence heterogeneity within the human NRF-1 5′-untranslated region (UTR). At least six different 5′-UTR exons (UTRs 1–6) were detected in NRF-1 transcripts. These exons were mapped to human NRF-1 genomic clones and their sequences, including donor and acceptor splice junctions, determined. Two of the human UTR exons were derived from insertions of Alu-sq family members into the NRF-1 locus. The distance between the transcription initiation sites in UTR1 and the first protein coding exon is approx. 47 kb, bringing the total length of the human NRF-1 gene to approx. 104 kb. In contrast to human, only two UTR exons were found in mouse. The mouse UTR1 sequence obtained is identical to human UTR1, but mouse UTR2 bears no resemblance to any of the human exons. Mutations within human UTR1 modulate NRF-1 expression by interfering with mRNA translational efficiency in transfected cells and in an in vitro translation system. The effects of the mutations are proportional to their ability to disrupt predicted mRNA secondary structures within UTR1. Thus, the unusually high sequence conservation within UTR1 in part reflects selective constraints on translational expression.
Comparison of the catalytic properties of the botulinum neurotoxin subtypes A1 and A5

Clostridium botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) cause the life-threatening disease botulism through the inhibition of neurotransmitter release by cleaving essential SNARE proteins. There are seven serologically distinctive types of BoNTs and many subtypes within a serotype have been identified. BoNT/A5 is a recently discovered subtype of type A botulinum neurotoxin which possesses a very high degree of sequence similarity and identity to the well-studied A1 subtype. In the present study, we examined the endopeptidase activity of these two BoNT/A subtypes and our results revealed significant differences in substrate binding and cleavage efficiency between subtype A5 and A1. Distinctive hydrolysis efficiency was observed between the two toxins during cleavage of the native substrate SNAP-25 versus a shortened peptide mimic. N-terminal truncation studies demonstrated that a key region of the SNAP-25, including the amino acid residues at 151 through 154 located in the remote binding region of the substrate, contributed to the differential catalytic properties between A1 and A5. Elevated binding affinity of the peptide substrate resulted from including these important residues and enhanced BoNT/A5's hydrolysis efficiency. In addition, mutations of these amino acid residues affect the proteolytic performance of the two toxins in different ways. This study provides a better understanding of the biological activity of these toxins, their performance characteristics in the Endopep-MS assay to detect BoNT in clinical samples and foods, and is useful for the development of peptide substrates.
Urinary retention is uncommon after colpocleisis with concomitant mid-urethral sling

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of colpocleisis and concomitant mid-urethral sling on voiding function. This is an IRB-approved, retrospective case series of women who underwent a colpocleisis with concomitant synthetic mid-urethral sling for treatment of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) between January 2005 and September 2007. Thirty-eight women with pelvic organ prolapse and SUI symptoms were included. Thirty percent had a post-void residual (PVR) greater than 100 ml preoperatively. PVRs were normal in all but two women after surgery. Median prolapse and urinary subscales of the pelvic floor distress inventory improved significantly after surgery [75 (50-100) vs. 0 (0-38), p < 0.0001 and 44 (8-100) vs. 0 (0-50), p < .0001, respectively]. Colpocleisis with concomitant mid-urethral sling improves urinary symptoms without causing significant urinary retention. This combination may be offered to elderly women with SUI who are undergoing colpocleisis regardless of preoperative PVR.
Is Vitamin B12 Deficiency a Risk Factor for Cardiovascular Disease in Vegetarians

The goal of this paper is to describe the role of vitamin B 12 deficiency in cardiovascular disease development among vegetarians. Vegetarians have a high prevalence of vitamin B 12 deficiency. Deficiency of this vitamin is associated with a variety of atherogenic processes that are mainly, but not exclusively, due to vitamin B 12 deficiency–induced hyperhomocysteinemia. Each 5-μmol/L increase above 10 μmol/L of serum homocysteine is associated with a 20% increased risk of circulatory health problems. Mean homocysteine concentration >10 μmol/L among vegetarians was reported in 32 of 34 reports. Macrocytosis associated with vitamin B 12 deficiency is also associated with fatal and non-fatal coronary disease, myocardial infarction, stroke, and other circulatory health problems. Compared with non-vegetarians, vegetarians have an improved profile of the traditional cardiovascular disease risk factors, including serum lipids, blood pressure, serum glucose concentration, and weight status. However, not all studies that assessed cardiovascular disease incidence among vegetarians reported a protective effect. Among studies that did show a lower prevalence of circulatory health problems, the effect was not as pronounced as expected, which may be a result of poor vitamin B 12 status due to a vegetarian diet. Vitamin B 12 deficiency may negate the cardiovascular disease prevention benefits of vegetarian diets. In order to further reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, vegetarians should be advised to use vitamin B 12 supplements.
Bilaterality of the jaw-opening reflex in the cat

Abstract The response of digastric muscles of both sides to unilateral electrical stimulation of teeth, lips and inferior dental nerves was studied with small EMG electrodes. Suprathreshold stimulation of the right lower canine caused contraction of the right digastric after 6–9 ms and of the left after 7–12 ms. Stimulation of the inferior dental nerve excited the right digastric muscle after 5 ms and the left after 6 ms. The peak ipsilateral response amplitude was three times as large as the contralateral. The threshold was 1–4 V for the ipsilateral reflex and 2–7 V for the contralateral. The ipsilateral EMG could follow the stimuli up to 16/s and the contralateral for up to 7.5/s. This suggests that there is at least one more synapse between the afferent and the efferent branches of the crossed opening reflex than in the ipsilateral reflex. Subthreshold tooth and lip stimuli together produced digastric contraction. The digastric response was greatest at wide initial angles of opening and persisted bilaterally when the mandible was divided at the suture.
Separation of underivatized gangliosides by ion exchange high performance liquid chromatography.

A procedure is described which separates neutral glycolipids from gangliosides, and which separates the gangliosides into classes, based on their number of sialic acid residues. In addition to separation into mono-, di- and trisialoganglioside classes, there is purification of individual disialoganglioside species. The procedure uses a commercially available—NH2 high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) column, which normally is used as an adsorption column. In this method the column is modified by protonation, to pH 5.4, so that it exhibits ion exchange as well as adsorption properties. Sensitive, nondestructive detection of eluent peaks is accomplished by monitoring continuously at 210 nm, a wavelength near which underivatized glycosphingolipids have absorbance maxima and which also will clearly detect most possible contaminants. An entire run, including re-equilibration of the column, takes two hours.
Class, Health, and Justice

Class inequalities in health are intuitively unjust. Although the link between social class and health status has been fully documented, the precise nature of the injustice has not been made clear. Four alternative views are presented, corresponding to four goals: (1) maximizing the sum total of health; (2) equalizing the health status of higher and lower social classes; (3) maximizing the health status of the lowest social class; and (4) maximizing the health status of the sickest individuals in society. The nature of the injustice is further obscured by several theoretical and empirical questions, like the degree and significance of personal responsibility for illness and the relation of the degree of economic inequality to sum total of health.
Requirements engineering using appreciative inquiry for an online community of caregivers of children with autism

Appreciative Inquiry, commonly used in organizational development, aims to build organizations, processes or systems based on success stories using a hopeful vision for an ideal future. It produces positive results with organizational change management. We adjusted the user requirements process for an online community of caregivers of children with autism and compared it with the traditional approach. Based on case studies with 4 special education teachers, we found that Appreciative Inquiry was effective for obtaining meaningful requirements and extremely useful in encouraging buy-in with novice users. This outcome was in stark contrast to the traditional approach where our participants showed no interest in an online community. In addition to these results, we present lessons learned in adjusting the Appreciative Inquiry process for user requirements analysis.
Innovative Technology in Automotive Technology

Automotive Technology combines hands-on training along with a fully integrated, interactive, computerized multistationed facility. Our program is a competency based, true open-entry/open-exit program that utilizes flexible self-paced course outlines. It is designed around an industry partnership that promotes community and economic development, redefining the “New Rules of Business.”
Discrete piezoelectric sensors and actuators for active control of two-dimensional spacecraft components

This paper describes research into the use of discrete piezoelectric sensors and actuators for active modal control of flexible two-dimensional structures such as might be used as components for spacecraft. A dynamic coupling term is defined between the sensor/actuator and the structure in terms of structural model shapes, location and piezoelectric behavior. The relative size of the coupling term determines sensor/actuator placement. Results are shown for a clamped square plate and for a large antenna. An experiment was performed on a thin foot-square plate clamped on all sides. Sizable vibration control was achieved for first, second/third (degenerate) and fourth modes.
K+ and Cl- transport mechanisms in bovine pigment epithelium that could modulate subretinal space volume and composition.

1. Conventional and ion-selective double-barrelled microelectrodes were used in an in vitro bovine retinal pigment epithelium (RPE)-choroid preparation to measure the changes in membrane voltage, resistance and intracellular K+ and Cl- activities produced by small, physiological changes in extracellular potassium ([K+]o). 2. In the intact eye, light-induced changes in [K+]o occur in the extracellular (or subretinal) space that separates the neural retina and the RPE apical membrane. These [K+]o changes can be approximated in vitro by decreasing apical bath [K+]o from 5 to 2 mM. 3. This in vitro change in [K+]o simultaneously decreased intracellular Cl- and K+ activities (aCli and aKi) by 25 +/- 6 mM (n = 8) and 19 +/- 7 mM (n = 4) (mean +/- S.D.), respectively. In control Ringer solution (5 mM [K+]o) aCli and aKi were 65 +/- 10 mM (n = 28) and 65 +/- 8 mM (n = 6), respectively. 4. The [K+]o-induced decreases in aCli and aKi were both significantly inhibited, either by blocking the apical membrane K+ conductance with Ba2+ or the basolateral membrane Cl- conductance with DIDS (4,4'-diisothiocyano-stilbene-2,2'-disulphonic acid). 5. Transepithelial current pulses were used to determine the relative basolateral membrane Cl- conductance, TClBAS, was approximately 0.6 (n = 3), and the relative apical membrane K+ conductance, TKAP, was approximately 0.7 (n = 2). Step changes in basal bath [K+]o were used to estimate the relative basolateral membrane K+ conductance, TKBAS, was approximately 0.34 (n = 3). 6. These data show that the apical membrane K+ conductance and the basolateral membrane Cl- conductance are electrically coupled. In vivo, this coupling could have significant functional importance by modulating the relative hydration of the subretinal space, regulating RPE cell volume, and buffering the chemical composition of the subretinal space.
O-versus S-protonation in diaryl sulfoxides: A semi-empirical mo investigation: Comparison with solution studies in superacids

The protonation of diphenyl sulfoxide and several substituted diphenyl sulfoxides was probed by the MNDO-PM3 method to gain a theoretical insight into the experimentally observed preference for stable diphenyl sulfoxonium ion formation (O-protonation) in 1:1 FSO3H—SbF5 (Magic Acid)—SO2. In agreement with solution studies, O- protonation is uniformly favored (by ca 17 kcal mol −1) over S-protonation. The differences in the heats of formation of protonated and unprotonated diphenyl sulfoxides are increased by electron-withdrawing substituents (F, CF3) and decreased by electron-donating groups (Me, OMe). Variations in the SO bond length and bond order in the onium ions are compatible with simple resonance arguments and the oxonium/sulfonium character of both the O- and S-protonated onium ions. Surprisingly, the O- and S-protonated dibenzothiophene S-oxides are predicted to have identical energetics as compared with the corresponding protonated diphenyl sulfoxides. On structure optimization dibenzothiophene S-oxide itself, if the initial geometry is somewhat twisted, rearranges by ring expansion to give a new heterocycle with lower energy. A rotational barrier study on the parent O-protonated diphenyl sulfoxide showed two minima, separated by 1.3 kcal mol−1, at HOSC dihedral angles of 60° and 240°. The two conformations correspond to syn and anti orientations of the OH proton relative to the aromatic rings, and support the lowtemperature solution observations of the presence of two distinct sulfoxonium ions in solution. The rotational barriers for diphenyl sulfoxonium cation are compared with those of O-protonated dimethyl sulfoxide.
Immobilized aza-bis(oxazoline) copper catalysts on SAMs: Selectivity dependence on catalytic site embedding

Aza-bis(oxazoline) copper complexes have been immobilized onto alkanethiol self-assembled monolayers with three different surface orientations and tested in the benchmark cyclopropanation reaction of ethyl diazoacetate and styrene. The three surface orientations were the catalyst backbone above, below, and even with the tail groups of the self-assembled monolayer. Enantioselectivity of the product improved to >90% by immobilization of the catalyst at the monolayer surface and was significantly reduced when the catalyst was imbedded in the monolayer. The catalyst presented above the monolayer surface is a solution mimic in terms of selectivity. The catalytic chips proved to be recyclable.
Toughening of graphite–epoxy composites with an electrocopolymerized high‐temperature thermoplastic interphase

Electrocopolymerization of a high-temperature 3-carboxyphenylmaleimide-styrene interphase onto graphite fibers was carried out in an effort to toughen graphite—epoxy composites. The effects of the interphase and its thickness on the mechanical properties and the failure modes were investigated. The optimum interphase thickness was found to be about 0.16 μm. At this thickness, the average value of the DCB Mode I critical strain energy release rate is improved by about 100%, the average notched Izod impact resistance is improved by about 60%, and the average interlaminar shear strength is maintained at about the same value as the control composites. The failure mode was shifted toward more ductile failure with the inclusion of an interphase. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Droplet Formation From a Pulsed Vibrating Nozzle

Droplet formation from a passive vibrating nozzle driven by a pulsed pressure wave is numerical simulated. The nozzle is an orifice in a thin walled plate which is allowed to vibrate due to the pressure loading on the plate. The analysis couples the fluid flow from the nozzle and the resultant droplet formation with the nozzle vibration calculated using large deflection theory. A one-dimensional fluid flow model is used where droplet formation is driven by a short step change in applied pressure. The problem is made nondimensional based on the capillary parameters of time, velocity and pressure. The nozzle material properties are varied to alter the vibration characteristics of the orifice plate used to form the nozzle. It is determined that the vibration of the nozzle only weakly affects the droplet break-off time and size, but greatly affects the droplet velocity. The resultant filament after drop break-off is also significantly affected by the nozzle vibration, resulting in variations in satellite droplet formation. Higher vibration amplitudes, which correspond to more flexible plates, result in larger total satellite volume.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Seizures in patients with multiple sclerosis seen at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn, 1990-1998.

Objective To evaluate seizure type, electroencephalo-graphic findings, and response to antiepileptic drug (AED) treatment in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and coexistent seizure activity. Patients and Methods We reviewed the medical records of all patients seen at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn, with the diagnosis of MS and seizures between 1990 and 1998. Results During the study period, 5715 patients with MS were identified. Of these 5715 patients, 51 (0.89%) experienced seizure activity. The most common ictal behavior was a generalized tonic-clonic seizure in 35 patients (68.6%). Simple or complex partial seizures occurred in 11 patients (21.6%), and 18 patients (35.3%) had only 1 seizure episode. Focal motor status epilepticus, ie, epilepsia partialis continua, occurred in 3 patients (5.9%) and was associated with cognitive impairment. In 37 patients (72.5%), the initial seizure presentation was after the diagnosis of MS. A seizure resulted in the diagnosis of MS or occurred before the diagnosis of MS but after other symptoms or signs of demyelinating disease in 14 patients (27.4%). Electroencephalography was performed in 43 patiens. Electroencephalographic findings included diffuse or localized nonspecific background slowing in 19 patients (44.2%), unilateral or bilateral frontotemporal spike discharges in 9 (20.9%), generalized atypical spike-and-wave or multifocal independent epileptiform alterations in 6 (14.0%), and normal results in 11 (25.6%). Of the 45 patients who received AED therapy, 35 (77.8%) had an excellent response, ie, they were seizure free. Five treated patients (11.1%) had an intractable seizure disorder. Conclusion Most of the patients with MS who experienced seizure activity had a benign and transient disorder that was responsive to AED treatment or required no therapy.
Pretransplant serum troponin levels are highly predictive of patient and graft survival following liver transplantation.

Optimizing the utility of liver transplantation requires the identification of factors that confer increased risk of posttransplant mortality. Elevated serum troponin (TN) levels are strongly predictive of posttransplant mortality after kidney transplantation. We sought to determine whether pretransplant TN levels were predictive of mortality and graft loss after liver transplantation in 236 liver transplant recipients from 1998 to 2001 with 8.2 years of follow-up. Elevated TN levels [hazard ratio (HR) = 2.19, P = 0.004] and a pretransplant history of cardiovascular disease (CVD; HR = 1.90, P = 0.031) were predictive of patient mortality. Elevated TN levels (HR = 2.44, P < 0.001), a history of CVD (HR = 1.83, P = 0.031), and a combination of elevated TN levels and CVD (HR = 2.75, P = 0.027) were associated with increased graft loss. Multivariate analysis confirmed TN and CVD as independent predictors of mortality and graft loss. CVD (HR = 2.39, P = 0.032) and a combination of elevated TN levels and a history of CVD (HR = 6.67, P < 0.001) were predictive of graft loss within 1 year. Age, smoking, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, creatinine levels, and Model for End-Stage Liver Disease scores were not predictive of posttransplant mortality or graft loss. In summary, elevated pretransplant serum TN levels are strongly predictive of mortality and graft loss after liver transplantation and may be helpful in risk stratification of potential liver transplant recipients. Liver Transpl 16:990-998, 2010. © 2010 AASLD.
Evaluation of the Hazards due to the Misunderstanding of Patient Medication Information Sheets

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) mandates that all pharmacies provide customers with patient medication instruction (PMI) when distributing new prescription drugs. The information sheets describe instructions on proper usage and possible hazardous effects of the drug. The PMI is recommended to be written at a 6th grade reading level. Previous research has shown that the material found on patient medication instructions is written above the 6th grade reading level and that comprehension is directly correlated with reading and education levels. This study builds on previous work by showing that error rates, even among participants with college level reading skills, remains unacceptably high and that error rates are highest when the misunderstanding of an instruction is likely to cause greater harm. Language: en
Stimulus effects of phenylpropanolamine optical isomers in (+)amphetamine-trained rats.

Abstract There are eight phenylpropanolamine optical isomers related in structure to the central stimulants methamphetamine and amphetamine. Some of these are quite well known, such as (−)ephedrine, whereas others are relatively obscure, such as (−)cathine. Although certain of these phenylpropanolamines, such as (−)ephedrine and (+)cathine, retain central stimulant activity and are about 10- to 25-fold less potent than (+)amphetamine, the eight phenylpropanolamines have been compared only once before in drug discrimination studies. This latter study employed (−)ephedrine as the training drug. Because there are striking similarities between (−)ephedrine and (+)amphetamine as training drugs, it was of interest to determine and compare the effect of all eight phenylpropanolamines in (+)amphetamine trained animals. Using rats trained to discriminate 1 mg/kg of (+)amphetamine from saline vehicle under a variable interval 15-s (VI 15-s) schedule of reinforcement, the (+)amphetamine stimulus generalized only to (−)ephedrine (ED 50 = 4.5 mg/kg) and (+)cathine (ED 50 = 8.0 mg/kg), and both agents were at least 10 times less potent that (+)amphetamine (ED 50 = 0.37 mg/kg). These results stand in contrast to those obtained with the (−)ephedrine-trained animals where the ephedrine stimulus generalized to all of the phenylpropanolamines except for (−)pseudoephedrine and (−)cathine. It is concluded that although there might be some similarity between the (−)ephedrine and (+)amphetamine stimuli, there are clear differences between them as determined in tests of stimulus generalization under the conditions employed.
Gingival cysts in the adult.

Background: Gingival cysts in the adult are unusual cysts of odontogenic origin with less than 100 reported, including this series. Even rarer are cases of multiple gingival cysts. This paper reports the second largest retrospective study of biopsy cases of adult gingival cysts with a spectrum of their features and another case of multiple gingival cysts. Methods: The files of a biopsy service were reviewed for the most recent 10-year period. Data collected included location, age, gender, clinical features, clinical diagnosis, and histologic features. These were compared to previous reports. There was also a case report of multiple cysts. Results: Twenty-two adult gingival cysts were retrieved, 2 of which were multiple. They are uncommon cysts of odontogenic origin, noted primarily the fifth and sixth decades with only a slight predilection for females. They occur more in the mandible the labial attached gingiva of the anterior teeth. Histology shows a very thin, uninflamed wail lined a very thin squamoid or cuboidal epithelium. Multiple cysts are very rare. Concluslons: Gingival cysts in the adult are uncommon cysts that are diagnosed at the clinical level about 50% of the time, with others being confused with a mucocele. They may be bluish due to the fluid and may cause pressure resorption of the labial bone, yielding a radiolucency sometimes confused with a lateral periodontal cyst. Treatment consists of an excisional biopsy.
Induction of MicroRNA-21 With Exogenous Hydrogen Sulfide Attenuates Myocardial Ischemic and Inflammatory Injury in Mice

Background—Maintaining physiological levels of hydrogen sulfide during ischemia is necessary to limit injury to the heart. Because of the anti-inflammatory effects of hydrogen sulfide, we proposed ...
Absorption of 17.6 Mev gamma-rays in C, Al, Cu, Sn, and Pb

The gamma-ray absorption cross sections of C, Al, Cu, Sn, and Pb have been measured for the 17.6 Mev gamma-rays produced in the ${\mathrm{Li}}^{7}(p,\ensuremath{\gamma}){\mathrm{Be}}^{8}$ reaction. A gamma-ray pair spectrometer was used as a detector for the 17.6 Mev gamma-rays in order to avoid counting lower energy quanta produced either in the ${\mathrm{Li}}^{7}(p,\ensuremath{\gamma}){\mathrm{Be}}^{8}$ reaction, or as secondary radiation in the absorber. The measured cross sections are compared to the sum of the theoretical cross sections for Compton scattering, pair production in the field of the nucleus and pair production in the field of the atomic electrons. For the light elements, the agreement is within the experimental errors of about one percent, but for lead the theoretical value is ten percent above the measured cross section. This discrepancy probably results from the use of the Born approximation in the Bethe-Heitler calculation of pair production. The present results are in good agreement with recent measurements of Adams at 11.04, 13.73, and 19.10 Mev, and of Lawson at 88 Mev.
National Standards for Financial Literacy: Rationale and Content

The National Standards for Financial Literacy describe the knowledge, understanding, and skills that are important for students to learn about personal finance. They are designed to guide teachers, school administrators, and other educators in developing curriculum and educational materials for teaching financial literacy. In this article, the authors explain the reasons for the development of the Standards by the Council for Economic Education and the work of economists, economic educators, and teachers to prepare them. They describe each of the six content standards and how they are supported by associated benchmarks at the fourth, eighth, and twelfth grades. The authors also discuss several valuable Standards’ features, including a focus on economic content and decision-making skills as the foundation for financial literacy.
A multicollinearity diagnostic for generalized linear models

The problem of detection of multicollinearity in generalized linear models is discussed. For this class of models the Belsley, Kuh, and Welsch (1980) multicollinearity diagnostic for the linear model is applied, performing the singular value decomposition on the scaled observed information matrix at the final solution . The performance of this adapted diagnostic in detecting collinearity is examined in detail for this class of models, in particular, the discrete response model as exemplified by the binary logistic and proportional odds regression models. The effects of centering of independent variables on the estimation of parameters and on the sensitivity of the proposed diagnostic in the presence of collinearity are also investigated.
Alcoholism treatment with environmental support contracting.

Environmental support contracting was evaluated as an ancillary treatment to more traditional alcoholism rehabilitation. Eighty-eight male alcoholics, who scored 10 or higher on the Environmental Deprivation Scale (EDS), were randomly dichotomized between experimental and control groups. The control group participated only in the routine, eclectic, 28-d inpatient alcoholism treatment program at this medical center. The experimental group additionally completed training to improve environmental support. Dependent variables included the EDS, the Maladaptive Behavior Rating (MBR), days of hospitalization, medical visits, and the number of medications. Each dependent variable was assessed prior to treatment, 3 months following initiation of treatment and/or 6 months following treatment. A high positive correlation was obtained between EDS and MBR scores on the 3 and 6 month followup. Both the experimental and control groups improved with regard to their level of environmental and control groups improved with ...
Prolactin regulation of apoptosis-associated gene expression in T cells.

: Evidence accumulated over the last two decades indicates important actions for prolactin (PRL) in regulation of several functions of the immune system. That PRL can serve to facilitate immune cell proliferation is well established. In addition, PRL appears to play a salient role in the genesis and/or potentiation of certain autoimmune diseases. Recent evidence from several laboratories has extended the spectrum of PRL actions in immunological systems to include regulation of lymphocyte pool size through the process of apoptosis. Experimental results obtained using lactogen-dependent rat pre-T cell lines, the Nb2 lymphoma, have demonstrated that PRL suppresses cell death mechanisms activated by cytokine/hormone deprivation and cytotoxic drugs such as glucocorticoids. In this paper, we review results from studies conducted to investigate the mechanism(s) underlying PRL-regulated apoptosis suppression. Effects of the hormone on expression of apoptosis-associated genes of the Bcl-2 family as well as the protooncogene pim-1 in proliferating Nb2 sublines and in cells exposed to apoptotic stimuli are presented. It is concluded that PRL-mediated apoptosis suppression in immune cells reflects a complex interaction among several gene products.
MASSIVE FERMION AND CHIRAL GAUGE SYMMETRY

A mass-dependent odd-parity term in the effective action of chiral gauge theories as well as the usual mass-independent chiral anomaly have been shown to exist. In particular, this mass-dependent term is equal to the anomaly with opposite sign in the limit of infinite fermion mass, and therefore no odd-parity term remains in this limit. We also consider the different regularizations which produce the Wess-Zumino term in the infinite fermion mass limit.
Image analysis of Renaissance copperplate prints

From the fifteenth to the nineteenth centuries, prints were a common form of visual communication, analogous to photographs. Copperplate prints have many finely engraved black lines which were used to create the illusion of continuous tone. Line densities generally are 100-2000 lines per square centimeter and a print can contain more than a million total engraved lines 20-300 micrometers in width. Because hundreds to thousands of prints were made from a single copperplate over decades, variation among prints can have historical value. The largest variation is plate-related, which is the thinning of lines over successive editions as a result of plate polishing to remove time-accumulated corrosion. Thinning can be quantified with image analysis and used to date undated prints and books containing prints. Print-related variation, such as over-inking of the print, is a smaller but significant source. Image-related variation can introduce bias if images were differentially illuminated or not in focus, but improved imaging technology can limit this variation. The Print Index, the percentage of an area composed of lines, is proposed as a primary measure of variation. Statistical methods also are proposed for comparing and identifying prints in the context of a print database.
Preliminary evaluation of selected acoustic and glottographic measures for clinical phonatory function analysis

Summary Acoustic and glottographic measures may provide important information that could enhance clinical management and documentation of vocal dysfunction. Acoustic measures such as jitter and shimmer reflect “short-term” perturbations, or instabilities of the voice, and the coefficients of variation for frequency and for amplitude reflect “long-term” perturbations. Interpretations of these acoustic measures are based on the assumption that vocal perturbations may be related to laryngeal tissue abnormalities, asymmetries in vocal fold movement, or neuromuscular fluctuations in the respiratory, laryngeal, or vocal tract systems. The abduction quotient is a glottographic measure related to laryngeal adduction and is obtained from an analysis of the electroglottograph signal. The adduction measure appears to be independent of the acoustic perturbation measures. Interpretations of the acoustic and adductory measures may, therefore, complement each other for greater understanding of a patient's laryngeal behavior. Visual displays of the acoustic and glottographic signals also are discussed to demonstrate their value in voice signal interpretations. Case studies illustrate potential interpretations of the acoustic perturbation and abduction quotient measures.
Sweet revenge: Diabetic symptoms predict less forgiveness

Conflict pervades social life. To forgive others, people must control their vengeful impulses. The efficiency by which the body uses glucose, an indicator of self-control, might have direct implications for interpersonal forgiveness. In four studies (N = 693), we tested the hypothesis that a physiological marker of deficient glucose use (i.e., type 2 diabetic symptoms) relates to less forgiveness. Higher type 2 diabetic symptoms correlated negatively with a dispositional tendency to forgive others (Study 1) and correlated positively with unforgiving motivations toward hypothetical transgressors (Study 2) and actual transgressors (Study 3). Diabetic symptoms correlated negatively with cooperative behavior in the Prisoner’s Dilemma Game (Study 4). These findings provide the first evidence that forgiveness depends on how efficiently the body uses glucose.
Allometric Prediction of Energy Expenditure in Infants and Children

Predicting energy needs in children is complicated by the wide range of patient sizes, confusing traditional estimation equations, nonobjective stress-activity factors, and so on. These complications promote errors in bedside estimates of nutritional needs by rendering the estimation methods functionally unavailable to bedside clinicians. Here, the authors develop a simple heuristic energy prediction equation that requires only body mass (not height, age, or sex) as input. Expert estimation of energy expenditure suggested a power-law relationship between mass and energy. A similar mass-energy expenditure relationship was derived from published pediatric echocardiographic data using a Monte Carlo model of energy expenditure based on oxygen delivery and consumption. A simplified form of the equation was compared with energy required for normal growth in a cohort of historical patients weighing 2 to 70 kg. All 3 methods demonstrate that variation in energy expenditure in children is dominated by mass and can...
Different anthracycline derivates for reducing cardiotoxicity in cancer patients

Background The use of anthracyclines is limited by the occurrence of cardiotoxicity. In an effort to prevent this cardiotoxicity, different anthracycline derivates have been studied. Objectives To determine the occurrence of cardiotoxicity with the use of different anthracycline derivates in cancer patients. Search strategy We searched The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), (The Cochrane Library, Issue 2, 2009), MEDLINE (1966 to 29 May 2009) and EMBASE (1980 to 2 June 2009). In addition, we searched reference lists of relevant articles, conference proceedings and ongoing-trials-databases. Selection criteria Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in which different anthracycline derivates were compared in cancer patients (children and adults). Data collection and analysis Two authors independently performed study selection, assessment of risk of bias and data-extraction including adverse effects. Main results We identified five RCTs of varying quality addressing epirubicin versus doxorubicin (1036 patients) with the same dose. The meta-analysis showed no evidence for a significant difference in the occurrence of clinical heart failure between the treatment groups (RR = 0.36, 95% CI 0.12 to 1.11). However, there is some suggestion of a lower rate of clinical heart failure in patients treated with epirubicin.We identified two RCTs with varying quality addressing liposomal-encapsulated doxorubicin versus conventional doxorubicin (521 patients). The meta-analysis showed a significantly lower rate of both clinical heart failure and clinical and subclinical heart failure combined in patients treated with liposomal-encapsulated doxorubicin (RR = 0.20, 95% CI 0.05 to 0.75 and RR = 0.38, 95% CI 0.24 to 0.59 respectively). It should be noted that in one of the studies patients in the liposomal-encapsulated doxorubicin group received a higher cumulative anthracycline dose than patients in the doxorubicin group.For the other possible combinations of different anthracycline derivates only one RCT (epirubicin versus liposomal-encapsulated doxorubicin) or no RCT was identified. Authors' conclusions We are not able to favour either epirubicin or doxorubicin when given with the same dose. Based on the currently available evidence on heart failure, we conclude that in adults with a solid tumour liposomal-encapsulated doxorubicin should be favoured over doxorubicin. For both epirubicin versus doxorubicin and liposomal-encapsulated doxorubicin versus conventional doxorubicin no conclusions can be made about the effects of treatment in children treated with anthracyclines and also not in patients diagnosed with leukaemia. More research is needed. For other combinations of anthracycline derivates not enough evidence was available to make definitive conclusions about the occurrence of cardiotoxicity in patients treated with anthracyclines.
PDX1, a Cellular Homeoprotein, Binds to and Regulates the Activity of Human Cytomegalovirus Immediate Early Promoter

Cellular homeoproteins have been shown to regulate the transcription of several viruses, including herpes simplex viruses, human papillomaviruses, and mouse mammary tumor viruses. Previous studies investigating the anti-viral mechanisms of several cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors showed that the homeoproteins, pre B-cell leukemia transcription factor 1 (PBX1) and PBX-regulating protein-1 (PREP1), function as transcriptional activators of Moloney murine leukemia virus. Here, we examined the involvement of cellular homeoproteins in regulating the activity of the human cytomegalovirus immediate early (CMV IE) promoter. We identified a 45-bp element located at position -593 to -549 upstream of the transcription start site of the CMV IE gene, which contains multiple putative homeoprotein binding motifs. Gel shift assays demonstrated the physical association between a homeodomain protein, pancreatic-duodenal homeobox factor-1 (PDX1) and the 45-bp cytomegalovirus (CMV) region. We further determined that PDX1 represses the CMV IE promoter activity in 293 cells. Overexpression of PDX1 resulted in a decrease in transcription of the CMV IE gene. Conversely, blocking PDX1 protein synthesis and mutating the PDX1 binding sites enhanced CMV IE-dependent transcription. Collectively, our results represent the first work demonstrating that a cellular homeoprotein, PDX1, may be a repressor involved in regulation of human CMV gene expression.
The Valuation of Venture Capital Convertible Preferred Stock When Equity Claims Are Nested

1. John D Finnerty 1. is a professor of finance at Fordham University and managing principal at Finnerty Economic Consulting in New York, NY. (finnerty{at}fordham.edu) 1. To order reprints of this article, please contact Dewey Palmieri at dpalmieri{at}iijournals.com or 212-224-
Handling Multiple Failures in IP Networks through Localized On-Demand Link State Routing

It has been observed that transient failures are fairly common in IP backbone networks and there have been several proposals based on local rerouting to provide high network availability despite failures. While most of these proposals are effective in handling single failures, they either cause loops or drop packets in the case of multiple independent failures. To ensure forwarding continuity even with multiple failures, we propose Localized On-demand Link State (LOLS) routing. Under LOLS, each packet carries a blacklist, which is a minimal set of failed links encountered along its path, and the next hop is determined by excluding the blacklisted links. We show that the blacklist can be reset when the packet makes forward progress towards the destination and hence can be encoded in a few bits. Furthermore, blacklist-based forwarding entries at a router can be precomputed for a given set of failures requiring protection. While the LOLS approach is generic, this paper describes how it can be applied to ensure forwarding to all reachable destinations in case of any two link or node failures. Our evaluation of this failure scenario based on various real network topologies reveals that LOLS needs 6 bits in the worst case to convey the blacklist information. We argue that this overhead is acceptable considering that LOLS routing deviates from the optimal path by a small stretch only while routing around failures.